Hape Metro Police Dept Station Review

Reviewed by Lisa

My kids love to role play, and this 2 level Hape Metro police department station did not disappoint. It came well packaged in a box, and inside everything (except for the helicopter) was wrapped in bubble wrap to protect it. The majority of the station, car and helicopter is made out of wood, making this a really lovely toy to give to someone, as well as being more sustainable than the plastic equivalents currently on the market. It took me about half an hour to assemble the entire kit, assisted by the pictural instructions included (which could be a little clearer in places), with the pieces slotting in nicely together before being screwed in to place – and then the fun began!

I have three children, aged 7, 5 and 2, and they have all enjoyed playing with this so far, and I have even found all three of them playing with it at the same time without too many arguments! There are two bendy model figures included – a ‘robber’ and a policeman – and you can move their legs and hands to hold on to each other, the accessories, jail bars and so on. There is also a dog and many other accessories which are really fun including things like handcuffs and a lock for the jail, which helps their imaginations run wild! My kids also brought more people into the scene using their Happyland figures which fitted into the vehicles and rooms pretty well, acting as ‘concerned citizens’. There is also an alarm that you can ring which my children love, but this does require a more unusual ‘C’ battery (not included, so be prepared). The prisoner escapes, they ring the bell, and it is off to search in the police car or helicopter, using the mini walkie talkie and search lights until they find him and arrest him once again! Playing with this has also sparked their role play in acting out ‘cops and robbers’ type games without even using the station!

This is a great quality toy, with my only slight criticism being that the back wheels on the car didn’t move properly as you push it along, but hopefully this won’t be the case with every set. There is so much to play with, it’s a good size for the children to keep them occupied but not too big for the adults to find space for (measuring 59.9 x 30 x 46 cm). ‘Hape’ make a lot of sustainable toys, with others including a fire station, dolls house, baby toys, and a periscope made out of sustainable bamboo. I love that the company seems to care about sustainability and want to produce affordable, good quality toys that can be passed down through generations, so I would definitely recommend this company and this toy. It is aimed at age 3+, but I would say any age from 2 to around 8 could play with it, although please note there are some small accessories for the little ones.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £63.83

This product can be purchased from Amazon here.