Even though most parents are starting to prepare for the back-to-school season, there is actually still a full month of summer vacation left for most kids and it’s about halfway through summer when boredom can really weigh heavily on kids of all ages.

One of the best ways to help alleviate that boredom is with a fun outdoor toy and recently I got the chance to review a fabulous new ride-in toy from Little Tikes. We are big fans of Little Tikes in our household; currently we have a beginner slide, an infant swing, a tool bench and a Cozy Coupe car that are all Little Tikes products. So when I got the chance to review the new Cozy Truck ride-in toy, I was ecstatic.

As with every product of this nature, my husband handled the assembly of the Cozy Truck. His ability to assemble a random assortment of pieces into a working vehicle is absolutely incredible to me, but I did notice that he often referred to the clear illustrated instructions that came with the vehicle. It took about an hour for him to fully assemble the Cozy Truck and when he was done I couldn’t wait to see how Benjamin liked it.

One of the great things about the Cozy Truck is its removable floorboard. This plastic piece can be clipped into place in the bottom of the truck so that a parent can push around younger children and tender tootsies stay protected. Or, when kids get older, the floorboard can be removed so that kids can push the truck forward in the classic fashion.

We started out with the floorboard in the truck, but Benjamin soon decided that he wanted to push the truck along himself. My husband snapped the floorboard out and Benjamin was free to move the truck on his own.

Benjamin is at that stage where he can only push vehicles backwards. He hasn’t yet quite figured out that if he reverses the movement of his feet, he can move forward as well, so instead he just scoots his feet on the ground and drives backwards until he runs into something. His favourite feature of the truck was probably its horn. Instead of the typical squeaking toy horn, the Cozy Truck has a deep and realistic battery-powered semi truck horn sound. Every kid that heard the horn was entranced with it and couldn’t help but push the horn again and again.

This truck is the perfect way to keep toddlers and preschoolers active and engaged during long summer days, but of course, older kids need entertainment too. And if you have a school-aged girl, chances are good that she can get hours of enjoyment from Bratz dolls. The new Bratz Rock dolls are sure to please almost any girl and MGA Entertainment has offered one lucky Mommy Kat and Kids reader the entire set of four Bratz Rock dolls!

When summer ennui hits, it’s nice to know that I can depend on the fabulous toys from Little Tikes and Bratz. Benjamin has already enjoyed hours of playtime with his new Cozy Truck and so have his brother and some of the neighbourhood kids! When a toy is as popular as the Cozy Truck has been, I know it’s a winner. After all, that’s why my husband and I filled our yard with Little Tikes products to begin with!

Whether you have toddlers or tweens, boys or girls, MGA Entertainment is sure to have a toy that your child will love. So fight midsummer boredom before it starts and check out some of the great new toys from Little Tikes and Bratz today. Your kids will thank you for it!

Buy It: To purchase any of the amazing toys from Little Tikes or Bratz, check the websites for a retailer near you

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win the entire set of four Bratz Rock dolls from MGA Entertainment

To Enter (mandatory): Leave a blog comment with your best summer boredom busting tip and then let me know you did using the Rafflecopter form below

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