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I love for my daughter to play with toys of all kinds, including those typically deemed just for boys.  Tonka is one of the top manufacturers of tough, kid-powered cars and trucks, yet I have to admit that I've never had the opportunity to actually play with one of their toys.  Riley has recently come to learn about firefighters and fire engines since watching one of her favorite Sesame Street videos and I just knew that she would like to play with a fire truck of her very own. Funrise Toys carries a wide variety of Tonka toys and we had the opportunity to review the Tonka Strong Arm Fire Truck.  Keep reading to find out why this fire truck is extra special!

The first thing that drew me to the Tonka Strong Arm Fire Truck was its size.  This husky vehicle is over a foot long, which is easier for toddlers and preschoolers to manipulate.  Another feature of this Tonka fire engine is the large arm handle attached to its left side, which is also the reason this toy is called a "Strong Arm".  

The thing I really liked about the Tonka Strong Arm Fire Truck is how the strong arm performed two different functions.  If you squeezed the handle in and pushed the arm down at the same time, the ladder on top of the engine would automatically rise.  If you chose to only push the strong arm down without squeezing the handle too, the fire engine's siren would spring to life!

Riley loved pushing the strong arm down again and again and getting the siren good and revved up.  As the siren would sound, there were also mini sparks that flew inside the handle's base and were visible through the clear window of the strong arm.

Riley loved playing with this toy, for it really rolled well across the floor!  If you barely pushed it on our tile floor, the fire engine would roll all the way across the entire kitchen.  Riley and I loved sitting on opposite sides of the kitchen and rolling it back and forth to each other.

Of course, she would stop often in order to work the strong arm and get the fire engine's siren blaring loudly.  I thought it was a great idea that for once, we had a toy which performed well and didn't require any batteries whatsoever!  I loved how this Tonka toy was 100% kid powered.

If you have a little boy or girl on your Christmas list who would like a well-made, durable and fun play vehicle, then I highly recommend any of the Tonka Strong Arm toys from Funrise Toys.  This is one fire engine that will get played with until its wheels fall off!

Disclosure:  I received the Tonka Strong Arm Fire Truck from Funrise Toy Corp. in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. This product review is based on my own personal experiences with this item and is completely honest and objective.