It’s well known that you’re far more likely to get ripped off at a mechanic than at a restaurant. So why do we park our kids in front of tiny plastic kitchens to make imaginary meals when they could be learning important auto repair and maintenance skills instead? This engine repair set could actually end up saving them thousands of dollars when they’re old enough to own a car.



Powered by eight AAA batteries so it’s not going to fill a playroom with toxic gas fumes, this playset features the front-end of a fake car complete with an engine under the hood where kids can pretend to change the oil, swap the air filter, check the dipstick, and even remove the spark plugs and various nuts and bolts. When the repairs are all complete they can even test start the engine to make sure it purrs like a toy kitten. And at $120 it’s a lot cheaper and considerably safer than handing them a bunch of tools and telling them to have fun under the hood of your minivan.