Alright, so let me tell you about my little adventure with this First Act Discovery Drum Kit. My kid, you know how they get, started banging on everything in sight. Pots, pans, the dog – nothing was safe. My ears were starting to protest, big time. I figured, okay, maybe an actual instrument, even a toy one, would be better than the kitchenware symphony we had going on every afternoon.
The Hunt and the Haul
So, I was browsing around, looking for something that wouldn’t break the bank and wouldn’t be too heartbreaking if it, well, met an untimely end. Stumbled upon this First Act kit. The box looked cheerful enough, pictures of happy kids, bright colors. “Discovery,” it said. Seemed fitting. I grabbed it, thinking, “How hard can this be?” Famous last words, sometimes, right?
Unboxing and Taking Stock
Got it home, laid out the parts on the living room floor. It was… a collection of plastic tubes, some drum heads that felt like thick paper, a couple of shiny but very lightweight cymbals, and a bag full of tiny screws and plastic wing nuts. The instructions were one of those fold-out sheets, mostly pictures. Looked simple enough, I thought. I’ve put together more complicated stuff, for sure.
The Assembly Line – My Living Room
Okay, so I got started. The frame itself went together pretty easily. Snapping tubes into connectors, that part was fine. Then came the drums themselves. Getting those tension rods into the little plastic lugs, man, that took some patience. My fingers aren’t exactly tiny, and those little nuts needed a delicate touch. I had to unscrew and redo a couple of them to get the drum heads reasonably tight – not that you’re tuning these things like a pro kit, but you want them to at least not sag.
The bass drum was probably the most involved. Attaching the pedal mechanism, getting the little beater lined up. It’s all plastic, so you don’t want to overtighten anything and strip the threads or crack the housing. I just took my time with it. The cymbals just slid onto their little stands, easy peasy. The throne, or stool, was just a few snap-together pieces. That was a relief after fiddling with the drums.
All in all, maybe 45 minutes from opening the box to having a fully assembled miniature drum kit standing there. Not too bad, I guess. I made sure everything was snug but not too snug.
The First Sounds – And the Aftermath
Then came the moment of truth. I called the little one over. His eyes went wide, let me tell you. He grabbed those tiny drumsticks, which are surprisingly light, and just went for it.
Whack! Thump! Ting!
It sounded… well, like a toy drum kit. The snare had a sort of high-pitched thwack. The tom was a bit deeper. The bass drum pedal actually worked, producing a soft thud. The cymbals were more of a ‘clink’ than a ‘crash’, but hey, he didn’t care. He was in his own little rock concert.
He bashed away for a good solid hour. I had to admit, it was way less grating than the pots and pans. And he was having an absolute blast. That’s the main thing, isn’t it?
Living With It
We’ve had it for a few weeks now. It’s definitely seen some action. It’s holding up surprisingly well, considering the price point and the enthusiasm of its primary user. One of the cymbal stands gets a bit wobbly if he really goes at it, but it’s easy enough to straighten. It’s light, so we can move it out of the way easily. And yeah, it’s still getting daily use. He’s even trying to make up little rhythms now, which is pretty cool to see.
So, that’s my experience. It wasn’t a super complicated build, just needed a bit of patience with the small parts. For a kid just starting to show an interest in making noise (musically, hopefully!), I’d say it’s a decent little starter. Don’t expect professional quality, obviously, but for the fun factor and getting those initial creative juices flowing, it did the trick for us. And my kitchenware is finally safe again. Mostly.
