RC forklift — metal forks, swappable crane arm

A working forklift, not a car with a shape on the front. It drives, steers, and raises a pair of real metal forks — slide them under the pallet, lift, drive it across the room, set it down. Swap the forks for the crane arm and it lifts by hook instead.

What it builds

• Two controls at once — driving and lifting are separate jobs and both have to go right
• Judging distance, because the forks have to line up with the pallet before anything moves
• Patience with a slow machine, which is a different skill from driving a fast one
• Games the child invents: what to load, where it goes, what the crane arm is for

Why we stock it

Remote control toys usually do one thing quickly and then there is nothing left to try. This one is slow on purpose and gives you a task. A child spends the first hour on the pallet, then starts loading blocks, then swaps to the hook and works out what else can be lifted. The metal forks matter — plastic ones flex and slide off the pallet, which is where these toys normally lose their audience.

The details

Age

6 and up

Control

2.4GHz remote

Drives

Forward, back, left, right

Lifts

Forks raise and lower on the mast

Attachments

Metal forks and crane arm, tool-free swap

Power

Rechargeable, USB cable included

Also in the box

Loading pallet

In the box

The forklift, the remote, a spare set of metal forks, the crane arm, a pallet and a USB charging cable. Charge it before the first go.

Care

Indoors and on hard floors. Grit in the wheels and dust in the mast are what stop these working, so keep it off sand and out of the garden. Wipe it with a dry cloth and never a wet one — there is a charging port in the body. Charge it when it slows down rather than leaving it flat for months.

Available in green colour.