Review of Melissa and Doug Service Station Parking Garage Toy

Every once in a while, we find a toy that doesn't light up, doesn't make noise, doesn't use batteries, and yet sparks the imagination of the boys and they play with it for HOURS. Here's another one of those toys. 

This is the Melissa and Doug Service Station Parking Garage. 

Keep playtime moving with this full-service, take-along wooden parking garage! Moving parts like an elevator to the second level, garage doors, a gate at the bottom of the ramp, and a pull-through car wash keep kids endlessly engaged. A gas pump hose fits into the two included wooden cars when it’s time to gas up at the pump. The built-in carrying handle makes it easy to take the fun wherever kids go! This versatile parking garage and service station combination offers lots of ways for kids to play and learn. The included cars and moving parts encourage fine motor skill development and hand-eye coordination, while the many realistic details promote storytelling and imaginative play. Numbered parking spaces can be used to help teach number sense and early math skills.

One side has an entrance elevator, exit ramp, and indoor parking area with working garage doors, and the other has a pull through car wash. There's even a gas pump with a hose on one side. The top of the garage holds 3 cars (it comes with two). 

Froot Loop loves to put this parking garage in his "neighborhoods" that he builds constantly. He packs it to the brim with his little cars. 

Cocoa Puff gets it out all the time too, especially when his brother is at school. 

He loves to pick it up by the sturdy wood handle and carry it around. He puts it on the ottoman or the table or the stairs. 

He LOVES to put the cars in the elevator, drive them around the top, and then let them fly down the ramp. It makes him giggle. 

I love how well built this is. The boys have dropped it and even thrown it a few times and there's barely a dent on it. I also love how the gas pump is a shoe string and it actually fits in the little hole in the cars so they can "fill 'er up." 

I think the only thing I would change is to make it just a little bit bigger so it would hold 5 cars. We've used this toy to work on counting, but it only goes to 3. It's a start, but 5 is bigger than 3. Froot Loop was also annoyed that it has spaces for 3 cars but only came with 2. 

Overall, we LOVE this toy and we've definitely gotten a ton of use out of it. I cannot recommend it highly enough! 

What color is your car?