Educational Insights Design & Drill Activity Center

I bought this toy for my 5-year-old. He has autism and loves tool type of toys. As soon as we opened this he got a HUGE grin on his face. Totally a hit with him!My 3-year-old daughter was DYING for a turn, and she loves to use it as well. Surprisingly, even my 19-month-old daughter can join in with her older siblings...she puts the pegs into the holes for them.It's great for their fine motor skills...getting the drill bit in the right spot is a little tricky for small hands. There are also hand tools which are good practice for the little ones, too. I also use it to practice turn-taking with the 3 and 5 year olds...each gets to drill a certain number of pegs and then has to trade the drill with their sibling.And it is FUN! My kids like just filling up the whole board, but I think after we've had it for awhile (it's only been 2 weeks) we can start using some of the patterns. Great idea to extend the life of the toy.This toy seems really durable, has lots of play options (pattern or freestyle, different drill bits, power tool or hand tool), is educational AND fun. And rarely do I find a toy that all three of my kids can sit around at the same time and play with...but they do with this one! Highly recommended!UPDATE 9/11:We have had this toy for three years and it is STILL one of the most popular toys in our house. My kids are now 7, 6, and 4, and all will still play with this one. I do rotate it so they don't see it for a couple months and then when it comes back out they are all fighting over who gets it next. One thing I find interesting is that none of them have ever been interested in making the pictures...they just love to use the drill and get those pegs in!

Everyone thinks this toy is great. Even my toddler took the box out, sat down and played with it ... correctly too!What I like:- The concept is great. Good for coordination and fine motor skills. Safe alternative to real tools and great practice for little helpers anxious to assist on household repairs and projects. Our children have been exposed to tools from an early age; the motorized screw driver is out regularly to replace batteries in toys. So they were thrilled to have their own.- I like the size of the pieces. This is one older-child toy that I'm comfortable leaving out with little ones around.- The forward and reverse (to take the bolts out quickly).What I dislike:- The drill stopped working on the forth use! And, though a loved-toy, my kids did not spend hours playing with it. They put a handful of bolts in each use. On the forth use, reverse stopped functioning, and a little later when I went to clean up, forward stopped working too. I've contacted Educational Insights and hope that they will resolve the issue. I assume that we received a defective drill.- The forward and reverse are mixed up -- Might be related to the defective drill?- The shape cards are not held in place and are difficult to see unless you are looking directly down. Personally, I prefer the kids to be creative in their own designs anyway. So this does not bother me too much.I will update this review when I have a response from Educational Insights.UPDATE: Educational Insights sent a replacement drill immediately upon receipt of my feedback, which I submitted online. They have a one year warranty, which I had not realized. The new drill works perfectly and has yet to have an issue. Also forward is forward, and reverse is reverse.

We already own a design & drill set so I knew my kids would love this activity center and I was right! My girls who are 4.5 years old and 2.5 years old loved creating different designs and I loved seeing them take turns using the power drill and screwdriver. This set comes with 20 activity cards so my 4.5 year old enjoyed picking an activity card and creating it on the board. I love this is helping both of them to work on their fine motor skills and it is also teaching them to share, count, practice their colors and be creative! All the pieces are durable and high quality and even when my 2.5 year old is a little rough with it, it still works perfectly! This is the perfect indoor toy and I love that it can be played with by both of my kids in different ways. Also it is a great toy that kids can grow with and play with for many years! Highly recommend!