RC dump truck

A mining truck that fits in a hand and works like the real thing. Drive it across the floor on the remote, park it where you want the load, and press the button — the bed tilts up and everything in it slides out.

What it builds

• Steering under load, which is harder than steering empty and is the whole point of a dump truck
• Planning a route — where to load, where to tip, and how to get between them without spilling
• Working two controls with two thumbs, driving with one and lifting with the other
• Games the child sets up: a quarry under the table, a road, a site to clear

Why we stock it

Most remote control toys are a car with a job title. This one actually does the job — the bed is motorised, so there is a loop to play rather than a lap to drive: fill it, move it, tip it, go back. Being palm-sized helps more than it sounds. It works on a desk, a table or a rug, so it comes out on a wet afternoon rather than waiting for a big floor.

The details

In the box

The truck, the remote and a USB charging cable. Charge it before the first go. The truck needs no AA batteries — check whether the remote does.

Care

Indoors, on hard floors and short carpet. Sand and grit are what kill these — they work into the wheels and the tipping mechanism and never come out — so keep it off the beach and out of the garden. Wipe it with a dry cloth, never a wet one; there is a charging port in the body.

Colours are random. We sell this in yellow and green, and distribution is random.