I spotted the Playskool Adventure hero set in Morrison's on clearance. My son had spotted it in a toys r us Brochure and as it was only £8 I thought it looked a great Christmas present for my son is four years old.

The toy itself is designed as a carry back pack suitable for child to carry round. Once in place there is a button on the front which makes the siren noise which is great for play but can be inconvenient when walking round to friends houses. When Closed the backpack looks like the back of a fire engine though this is done with stickers so could get damaged if care isn't taken with it. The back pack itself opens out to be a fire station, complete with fireman, fire engine and a water hydrant. It does take 3 AAA batteries which are included and I have not yet had to replace these batteries.

The fire hydrant actually shoots out a plastic water droplet that can be aimed at the training tower; this can be fixed to the fire station or to the back of the fire engine. It has a fireman's pole which the fireman will attach to and slide down a platform and road for the fire station to drive off.

My son was delighted to receive this toy from Santa. We adjusted the straps to fit him and initially he simply ran round pretending to be a fire engine. Once the novelty of that wore off he hasn't carried it round much but does play with this toy on a regular basis. A green button on top of the backpack opens it out this is relatively easy to do but actually putting it back together is a little bit more tricky so consequently my son tends to not bother to put it away it is left to mum. My son's favourite part tends to be the fireman's pole and the fire engine. He doesn't tend to bother with the water canon at all. The station has a computer desk with press able buttons which my son will use like a telephone reporting fires like the fire chief in fireman Sam to send them out on the mission.

The back pack is made of tough plastic and despite been played with on a regular basis still appears like new.

When I bought it I was a little concerned that it might not have much longevity as the parts do look quite basic I did think he might actually think it was a little babyish however he seems more than happy with this toy. He has played with it with both older and younger boys and they have all loved it. The recommended age for this is three and I would think this is down to the small water shot but if this were removed I think a younger child would enjoy it equally as much.

I think this toy is an excellent buy for stimulating the Childs imagination and not having what to do spoon fed like some toys. It is very transportable and they enjoy carrying their own toys which is an added bonus. As I said previously this is assuming you don't mind walking round the streets sounding like a fire engine .It does have an on and off switch if it all becomes too much for you. The only thing I think that would improve this toy is a hosepipe on the side of the backpack so they can actually be a fire engine.
I have found this toy on Amazon for £21.99 and Toys r us for £29.99 so it is worth shopping round for price but I do now think this is a toy that will get lots of play and great value for money especially at the price I paid.

There is also a police version which would be great for children simular ages in the same household.