Review - Educational Insights Design and Drill Socket to Me Set

* If you click any of my links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

This week, world's luckiest little kid got to try out another new toy! He is always trying to get his hands on his daddy's tools, so he was quite enthusiastic when he got his little handyman hands on the  Educational Insights Design and Drill Socket to Me set.


This is very similar to Design and Drill Set we reviewed last week. In fact, the bolts are the same, just different colors. The difference with the Socket to Me set is that you are learning to use a realistic ratchet to get your project done.



The Socket to Me set comes with 4 activity boards in a rocket, boat, robot, and race car shape and 30 bolts in multi-colors. The ratchet actually works just like a real ratchet, which can go in both forward and reverse and makes actual ratchet sounds.



The activity boards give just enough resistance to require the torque of the ratchet to screw the bolts into place. It really doesn't get much more authentic than that.



My son is almost 3 years old and this toy is meant for kids ages 3 and up so I was a little concerned that it would be tricky for him at first. To be completely honest, using a ratchet is tricky for me. I had to take a few seconds to try and remember how to use one so I could look like I knew what I was doing when I taught him. Then I asked Daddy to do it.




The important concept to understand when using the ratchet tool, just like a real one, is that you have to hand tighten the bolt to begin. You begin using the ratchet once it becomes difficult to move by hand. You also have to hold the activity board in place with one hand and use the tool with the other, making sure it is ratcheting in the right direction.



It wasn't too difficult to explain this to my son, but it took a little getting used to. You know it's working once you hear the sound.




My little handyman got the hang of it pretty quickly and impressed me with his new skill. There are real jobs for people that master this type of work, so there is plenty of hope for this kid. Even if he goes white collar, a man who has no clue how to use a ratchet, no matter how much money he makes, gets a big eye roll from me. I'm a proud Momma.



This kid had a lot of fun filling in the in the activity boards and was quite content with himself, as well. This set is a lot of fun and occupied his creative and constructive little mind for a good chunk of time. Just like the other Design and Drill set, he wanted some help taking the bolts out when he was done. I'm sure he will easily whip them out himself when he gets a little older.



This would make a great gift. Any little kid will learn a skill which guarantees that later in life, he or she will at the very least, know what a ratchet is used for, and quite possibly justify the need for one of those 100 piece metric and standard sets they have at Sears, even if it is just to look cool.

For now, it is a much better deal to pick up the Educational Insights Design and Drill Socket to Me on Amazon and let the little one decide for himself what he wants to do in life.

* I received the Design & Drill Socket to Me set in order to facilitate this review. However, all thoughts, opinions, and future handyman are my own.