Spotted! Moov 10 in 1 Build and Play Toy from I Love Toys
Oh, wow, now this is a toy that would keep my two boys very busy indeed. It’s basically a box of 175 bits including four wheels that you can build almost anything with and then actually zoom of on. Fantastic!
The Moov 10 in 1 Street Kit can be found at I Love Toys for £230 – on the pricey side but you’re getting LOTS of play value.
Read MoreSpotted! Knitted Drawing Stuff Bag
Knitted Drawing Stuff Bag by Sally Nencini - Sisters Guild - £28.00
My five year old son always has some kind of vessel with his essential drawing and colouring stuff to hand, in fact, come to think of it, he has several, dotted all around the house – coloured pencils, felt tips, blobs of sticky tack and lots of little note pads and wads of Important Papers. Whether it’s an old shoebox or a canvas shopping tote or the cute little gift box he swiped from under my nose on my birthday.
He would LOVE this knitted drawing stuff bag so very much – who wouldn’t? It includes the matching coloured pencils too!
Sling it over your shoulder or across your body and off you go, ready to face whatever colouring and drawing inspirations await you. Wonderful!
Read MoreNew Pokémon TCG are coming: BLACK & WHITE — DARK EXPLORERS! Eeeps!
I have three boys. Ergo, I know ALL about Pokémon. It seems you can’t have one, and not the other.
But actually – I have a bit of a soft spot for Pokémon. It’s a well-branded series, it is highly moral in it’s storylines, the games are absorbing and never-ending (LOADS of play value) and the Trading Card Games take them off screen and into really good interactive games with each other. Really – what’s not to love?
So, you can imagine the excitement when I announced I’d had a press release about the new Black & White Trading card game about to hit the stores in May – calling something ‘Dark Explorers’ is just going to have small collectors everywhere spontaneously combusting with excitement.
So here’s the lowdown on the new set (yes, it’s all very very tedious. Unless you’re 9, in which case you will lap up every word, I promise):
DARE TO EXPLORE THE DARKNESS OF THE POKÉMON TCG: BLACK & WHITE — DARK EXPLORERS!
In stores May 9th 2012 | Theme Decks RRP: £9.99 | Booster Packs RRP: £3.49
As you explore the darkness, the Pokémon TCG: Black & White — Dark Explorers expansion ushers in the return of the immensely powerful Darkrai-EX and a lineup of Darkness-type Pokémon, like Zoroark, Umbreon, and Sableye, to knock your opponent’s lights out! Playing with Trainer cards like Dark Patch, included in the expansion to help give Darkness-type decks an edge you’ll not only navigate the darkness, you’ll rule it!
The fifth Pokémon TCG: Black & White expansion also continues an impressive run of featuring Unova and non-Unova region Pokémon-EX cards, more powerful Pokémon that deliver devastating attacks to your opponents. Darkrai-EX is joined by Tornadus-EX, Kyogre-EX, Raikou-EX, and Groudon-EX, all featured as Pokémon-EX cards and rare Ultra full-art Pokémon-EX cards!
Key features of the new Pokémon TCG: Black & White — Dark Explorers expansion includes:
• Six more Pokémon-EX from the Unova region and beyond
• New strategies for Darkness-type Pokémon
• More than 100 cards, including three Shiny Secret rare cards
• More Restored Pokémon options
• First Eevee cards since the Pokémon TCG: HS — Undaunted
• Parallel foil card guaranteed in each booster packEach new theme deck and booster pack includes an in-pack code card that unlocks virtual cards for play in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. Expand your personal deck and battle against others from around the world! Battles are taking place now at www.pokemon.co.uk/tcgo.
For more information about the Pokémon TCG: Black & White — Dark Explorers expansion and Pokémon TCG Online, please visit www.pokemon.co.uk.
Funky Moose 10% Discount Code
Have you met the Funky Moose yet? Oh you should. It’s a fabulous place for stuff for the kids; clothes, wooden toys, gifts, baby changing bags and more, much more.
As a way of encouraging you to go and check them out, they’ve given us a discount code to share with you;
So go, and say Hi to the Funky Moose from us!
Read MoreThe Whirlee – another review classic from @becaboop
Right. I’m going to be honest with you. This Whirlee ride-on toy and I have a serious love/hate relationship…
LOVE the fact that despite its plastic it is actually a fairly stylish piece of kit. We had the red design to review which I loved, why can’t more toys be red instead of the obligatory blue or pink that is thrust upon us? (They do offer the gendered red or pink but this third colour way saved their butts in my opinion.)
HATE the noise it makes on my floorboards. I don’t know if it is it’s plastic material but between the 6 children that have whizzed around on this (not all mine, I am a child minder) the teeth clattering NOISE it makes on my floorboards has meant that at least once a week I have exclaimed RIGHT! ENOUGH! And banished it to the utility room. Sorry whirlee.
LOVE the price point, at just under the £20 mark it is a mahoosive bargain.
HATE the price point, yes, I know. No pleasing me is there. But I can’t help feel if the price point was a little higher, then the problem of the oh so flaming noisy wheels could be rectified. Thicker rubber? I don’t know the answer but I do know they are noisy.
LOVE the design, great shape, quirky, modern.
HATE the lack of padded seat. This has been used by the one year old I look after, my two year old, right up to four year olds and ME! Yes I’ve tried it! And it hurt my bum. Pad that seat! That being said kudos to the whirlee at spanning those age ranges.
LOVE how hardwearing this is. I’ve had it six months and it still looks great. Bear in mind I look after lots of children this has definitely been put through its paces.
If you have carpets, then this makes a great little first birthday present. If you have floorboards, do be prepared to get naffed off with it and huffily sling it in a cupboard for a moment’s peace!
The Whirlee is currently available from Amazon for a rattle under £20
*reviewed for us by Goddess Bec, who can usually be found over at Beetroot and Gherkins
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Lamaze’s Mittens the Kitten – Sweeet!
My daughter has had this since she was a couple of weeks old – she is now a whopping 6 weeks old and Mittens is really coming into her own. She is usually dangling from the baby gym and helps the little one to focus, and also to attempt to reach out and touch – she particularly seems to like the square beads that are on the ring and make a nice sound when clunked together.
There are also other sounds from different parts of the kitten all of which engage her attention and help her development by encouraging her to focus with her eyes and also helps to make her spatially aware through trying to touch the kitten – or the kitten moving in response to her touch.
When I first received it I did wonder where it was intended to be hung from, as it has a thick clip from which to hang (there’s also a short cord) and the clip doesn’t open too much - I haven’t pushed it too far. However it has worked fine on the gym, and now she is about to go into the big cot I will try it there – and you could always get a bigger buggy clip later if needed.
Sir Prancealot
We now actually have a collection of Lamaze toys in this range – the donkey (named Prancealot!) and dog have joined Mittens on the quest to take over the baby gym, much to the baby’s delight – also Prancealot accompanies her to the change mat for entertainment where she engages in baby babble with him – either that or tries to eat him!! All in all a well made colourful toy.
The Lamaze range is all available from Amazon, and Mittens the Kittens is currently £11.
Read MoreBaby Stella Gift Pack – £10 Saving at Little Nut Tree Toys
The wonderful Little Nut Tree Toys have a fantastic gift pack saving on the lovely Baby Stella from Manhattan Toys.
This beautiful collection of the Baby Stella range includes; a Baby Stella Peach, a Winter Warmer Outfit and a Backpack Carrier. The perfect gift for your little one. Usual price is £50.98 but this gift pack is only £39.99 – fantastic!
Lego 6860 – The Bat Cave. *meep*
Not to say we’re big fans of LEGO in this house, but if you look at this picture here…
See those white tubs stacked up? They’re ALL full of LEGO.
Oh yes.
So when the Son asked for yet ANOTHER set for his birthday we may have rolled our eyes and huffed a little… but of course we gave in. Because really, there’s no other toy we’d rather buy. Nothing else has the play value, the durability, the lasting value and the sheer absorption factor of LEGO.
And the Bat Cave set? It’s one of the good ones.
The atmosphere is a little mean and moody – but it is aimed at ages 7-14, and isn’t a set suited for younger LEGO-ers. There are enough figures (5) and vehicles (2) and buildings and details (all the little extra’s that LEGO are so good at) to really get into an entire play scenario with no need for further rummaging for bad guys/more props/hideout construction. It’s all here.
Building it didn’t seem to take long at all – though of course would no doubt take ignorant aged parents MUCH longer to figure out. I don’t even try any more, I just leave him with the box, and an hour later find him pottering happily with the completed set.
Of course, the one big issue with LEGO is the price. It’s not cheap, is it? I don’t really quibble too much – you get what you pay for, I think – but one thing I DO hate is finding it £10 cheaper two days later.
If you are looking, try using the price comparison site Idealo – it’s where we found ours the cheapest (Amazon, £64.99 – compared to most retailers’ £70.99 price tag). Here’s a tip though – if you’re searching Idealo for LEGO, use the LEGO number code. if you use the set name, you’ll be less successful with your shopping bargains.
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ELC Castle of Courage Instructions
We featured the castle as a review a while back now – and it was fabulous. BUT. We have since had a steady stream of people seeking the instructions.
So here they are -
The Early Learning Centre (ELC) Castle of Courage Instructions for you to download and keep! Just click on the image below, and save them where you wish.
LEGO – where did it all go wrong?
There has been much talk on many blogs over recent weeks over the new LEGO Friends. I’m not going to start yet another blithering on the ghastly hideousness of the stereotyping subject matter of these sets – suffice to say that it’s just… bad.
But I do want to say something quite important. This…
… is not a LEGO set.
Sorry, but it’s not. It’s a small figure playset, for sure, but what part of that is any part the LEGO that we all grew up with and justifiably venerate? Let me show you… This is how the LEGO catalogue looked the year I was born:
THAT is what Maria, aged 5, built with her Lego set. And THAT is exactly what Lego celebrated in their own catalogue – just look at the sense of humour they have in those labels. In their very own words, the next page reads:
…You probably say “now, Common sense tells you that doesn’t look like a real one”
But common sense is something invented by us grown ups. Maria built it exactly as she wanted it.
For her it’s an ambulance.
She built her ambulance with LEGO. Because LEGO has no limits.
That’s the whole idea behind LEGO.”
So where did it all go wrong? Exactly when did they start to limit the play, the imagination? To tell our children what those bricks should be made into?
I’m not so concerned about the sexism thing; they’ve ALWAYS done ‘girls’ stuff and ‘boys’ stuff. They’ve always made Kitchens and Police Cars.
But look what the girls had to play with back then in their ‘girls’ sets (do note the lack of PINK, despite it blatantly being a ‘girls’ set):
Can you see what it says there?
“You can build the dolls house itself from a Basic Set. Just the way you want it.”
Quite so.
MY very own 5yr old girl saw that picture, and yelped with longing. Because she saw the POTENTIAL – and wasn’t presented with the finished product that she would definitely end up with.
And don’t tell me that ‘children have changed’ – if I sit my girl down in front of a box of bricks, she would end up with something remarkably similar and equally-well-thought-out as Maria’s ambulance.
No – LEGO has changed. And that makes me sad because I LOVE LEGO. For so very many reasons.
My eldest son is the biggest LEGO freak in the house, and through his long two years of housebound-illness it was about the only activity that kept his busy 11yr old head sane. He has more sets than I can tell you (or care to think about the cost of), and what does he do with them? Leaves them all in huge boxes so that he can pick and mix the bricks to create whatever he has in his brain that day.
THAT is the genius of LEGO.
And the lack of any kind of imagination is exactly what makes the new ‘Lego Friends’ range set our teeth on edge.
** LEGO catalogue courtesy of the awesomeness that is Retronaut – do go and see the whole 1973 Lego catalogue for yourself **
Read MoreSpotted! Vintage Polka Dot Tin Tea Set!
Lovely, no?
I think it’s glorious.
And I’d like to play.
The 14 piece teaset with four little cups, saucers and plates, that totally swoonworthy teapot (*swoon*) even comes in that fabulous little suitcase. *meeep!*
Read MoreSpotted! BEST bedroom seat in the world (if you like dragons).
I *want* one of these in the corner of MY bedroom, never mind the children. Year of the Dragon, and all that.
He’s just. so. CHEERFUL!
Davy Dragon Pouffe is a flame under £120 from Kids Rooms.
Read MoreAnnoying Monsters. They p*$$ me off a bit.
Annoying Monsters. Man these things are well-named. Seriously.
They burp, they fart, they laugh til they judder, they repeat what you say in a weird, irritating, mimicky-fashion… and just when you think they’ve finally gone quiet they start to snore. Very loudly. They’re rude, stupid, pointless and seriously annoying.
Naturally, the 9 and 10yr olds LOVE them.
*sigh*
The boys thought they were funny when they just made weird and rude sounds. But once they figured out that the monsters record what you say and repeat it… oh, the fun is limitless.
Rude messages for brothers, stooopid sing-song noises which get replayed over and over and over and over…
These monster-things do my head in.
And yet…
Of all the things they got for Christmas, these irritating little beasts are the things I still see most often clutched and carried and played with.
When I see my two boys, roaring with laughter, not a computer screen in sight… I find I’m rather fond of these odd-looking little aliens, with their SERIOUSLY annoying little voices…
The full range is available direct from the Annoying Monsters (rather brilliant) website for £18 each. But we have just spotted there’s a few of them currently half price over at play.com.
Felt tips that really do wash out. Bic Kids – have you been converted yet?
As any parent knows (or very quickly learns) there are some things you just don’t cut corners on. And felt tips are one of the high things on my Only-Buy-This-Brand list. I’ve been buying them for 12 years now, and only one brand will cross my threshold, as it’s the ONE brand I can guarantee really will wash out of nice tops, pale skirts and dining room chair seats when it says it will (except for green. Why oh why is the green so evil about leaving a faint stain behind?).
So when Bic offered to send me some ‘ultra-washable Kid Couleur‘ felt pens, I may have laughed at them.
Washable?
Hmm. We’ll soon see.
But blow me down with a feather if they’re not.
They really DO wash out!
Not only that but they come in great colours, are a joy to use, and there’s all sorts of sets. We LOVE the ‘plasti-decor’ triangular-shaped crayons; perfect for left-handers, and also learning-to-writers as they’re so easy to grip correctly. They don’t shed minute coloured flakes, and they really don’t snap easily. most importantly of all, they colour beautifully
And click here to see how they make their woodless pencils – yes, woodless. And chew resistant, and the ‘lead’ doesn’t snap when it’s dropped, either. Truly.
Bestie best of all? They’re cheaper!
You may notice a distinct lack of the Other Brand in our house in future…
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Zebra Pants Hottie in the Gifted Penguin Sale!
Reduced from £14 to just £4. FOUR POUNDS!!!!
Comes in Smiley and Leopard-print flavours too... and all are down to £4. HURRAH!
*WARNING – Once you enter the Gifted Penguin Sale, you may be there some time. Be sure to take tea and biscuits with you…
Read MoreThe Bestest Christmas Gift guide – The Lego Minifigure Display Case. Oh yes.
For me, these are a le-e-e-tle bit pointless.
I mean, the whole point of a Lego figure is to play with it, yes?
Hmmm.
Apparently no.
Apparently, that comment is worthy of a most disdainful (and pitying) look, combined with a ve-e—ry pa-ti-en-t explanation for the dear and aged Mama who doesn’t Get It.
Apparently the ONE thing that drives any Lego-er insane is never ever being able to find the right figure. And never being able to fully appreciate their magnificence properly when they’re languishing in the depths of Lego crates.
And so, whilst I sniffed at this little shelving unit, there were three collective gasps of “Oh, that’s totally brilliant!” from three smaller life forms behind me.
So there you have it – the Lego Minifigure Display Case. A totally pointless stroke of genius…
The Lego Minifigure Display Case available on Amazon for a head under £18
Bestest Christmas Gift Guide – The Gruffalos Child Magnet Book
What IS it with children and magnets?
Well, whatever the attraction (Attraction! Geddit?! Oh, I make myself larf…), this book has it in spades. The Gruffalo’s Child – almost as beloved in this house as The Gruffalo itself – And a heap of magnets to play with, creating your own scenes in the book; having the owl tell the fox off, the bird peck at the snake…. oh, sorry, that’s just our bossy 4yr old, probably…
Now usually these magnet books are a monster price – but LOOK! Just over a fiver on Amazon! BARGAIN! And a tippety-TOP stocking filler…
The Gruffalo’s Child Magnetic Activity book on Amazon for £5.49
Bestest Christmas Gift guide – IKEA soft toys
Did you know that for every soft toy, kids meal and book purchased in IKEA stores until December 23rd, the IKEA foundation will donate 1 Euro to UNICEF and Save the Children to support Children’s education programmes throughout the world.
No, me either.
And those bods at IKEA? They know how to make soft toys, no? I *want* that stoopid reindeer… and this little man down here is the newest version of Monty, y’know. Monty is a bear which my No.2 son, Boy, was given as a baby – and who still adorns his bed, even now. In fact, he has three Monty’s, as we were afraid to lose one – and at this price you can afford to get spares…
Want to see Monty in action? Here…
Why was he called Monty? Because he can do a mean shoulder action, like the scene in the Job Centre queue in The Full Monty of course... *tut*
Boy turned ten this summer – and Monty still looks much the same (only he looks smaller when Boy hugs him now). Yes, IKEA soft toys really are that good. Oh, and d’you how much Monty cost? 49p. The price has DOUBLED in ten years. Shocking, I know…
IKEA’s soft toys can’t be bought online, but if you find yourself in a store, don’t forget to grab one on your way through. There’s no such thing as too many soft toys for a house – and you’ll be helping some needy children of the world while you’re at it.
Read MoreThe Bestest Christmas Gift Guide – The Yellow Genius of The Sort & Store Lego Head.
These Lego storage heads are just a brilliant idea – even by Lego standards.
What’s the age old issue with Lego? That one complaint that we all have about this modern toy-majig?
The tidying up.
I’ve seen parents restrict the child to keeping the Lego in one tray to ease the tidying… but where’s the creative fun in that?
The alternative, of course, is not only risking serious Lego Foot injury by allowing Access All (floor)Areas, but there’s the problem of one large crate of Lego. How exactly are you supposed to find that essential little red tile / head / 3-way-join in a large crate of a thousand or more pieces? There’s only one way of course – Rummaging. Hence Lego play is ALWAYS accompanied by much muffled chunterings and the sound of plastic bricks being shooshed around.
Clearly, this bothered those clever Lego bods too.
Because they came up with the Lego Sort & Store Head.
Now it wasn’t until I actually got my hands on this that I understood (I was still completely sold when I thought it was just a big container for Lego – after all, how cool is THAT?).
But.
Then it’s sheer blatant genius was revealed to me.
Inside that head are sieves. In ascending sizes.
And when the time comes to tidy up the Lego – you simply scoop the lot into The Head, plop on the lid… and shake it.
And hey presto – your Lego is sorted into three different sizes.
Mad, but true.
And THIS is why every parent in the land kisses those clever Lego people on the cheek. They think of everything.
Available from John Lewis for a brick under £40
Read MoreBestest Christmas Gift Guide – *whispers* Skylanders… (Please don’t tell Boy)
Top (and bottom, and a few times in between) of Boy’s Christmas list this year is the Skylanders game.
Oh, how he LONGS for one.
And whilst at first glance I sniffed and sighed and said “ANOTHER game, Boy? REALLY?”, the more I looked and listened to his (endless) tales of its wonders, the more I was convinced…
And then I played it for myself.
Wowsers it’s good!
The thing about Skylanders is that it is MORE than just a video game . You see you get a ‘Portal of Power™’, and some figures. You place the figures on the ‘Portal of Power™’ and hey presto! They are on screen, and you are they, as it were. Yes – your little toy comes alive on screen, and you get to play AS that character. GENIUS!
Each figure has its own powers and abilities, and naturally, whilst the system comes with three there are many many more to collect. Each new figure unlocks worlds and introduces mini games, and accomplishes tasks, so will want to collect more.
A-HA! Money-grubbing Games designers, I hear you cry.
Well… yes, you could say that…
BUT.
It does mean that the game has longevity – no 3hr run-through only for it to be left on the shelf for the next 6mths. This is a game that keeps on bringing in the fun. Bringing toys to life – really, what’s not to love? You need 8 toys to access all the bonus areas – one of each type (36 in all to collect, but not all have been released yet). And fear not, the con is not so deep as you first thought: you don’t need to access the bonus areas to complete each level, and you CAN complete the whole adventure with the three characters in the starter pack (its just easier if you have more characters). Being able to add to the characters just means a line of toys to save up pocket money for (or ready-made Grandparent spoilings…).
The game itself is a simple platform game; following the story line, doing battle, solving puzzles and finding hidden treasure over the 20 levels.
Even after completing a level, playing again as a different character necessitates a whole new strategy – and bop! You’ve gained a whole new game experience. And, of course, you may have missed a chest or a scroll first time through.
PLUS – plop a 2nd character on the ‘Portal of Power™’ (*sigh*) and it’s suddenly a co-operative play game. Brilliant!
And of course, when the Xbox or Wii are off (i.e. Sun-Thurs in our house) those figures still have great play value. And they can be taken to a friends house and used on THEIR Portal of Power™’ (*eyeroll*) too. I also love the fact that the upgrades and levels you have earned remain with the toy, not your gaming system – so bring it to a friend’s house and it will have the same level and upgrades.
Honestly? We love it. We love it’s beauty, it’s attention to detail, it’s total immersability – and it’s sheer fun-to-play goodness.
Skylanders really is a breath of fresh air – reminiscent in mood to the simple fun games of 20 years ago, the original Sonic’s and Mario’s and Zelda’s we all spent far too many nights pre-children up bashing our thumbs over. but with far better graphics.
No guns, no driving, no violence… just a highly appropriate, charming and ever-so-slightly genius modern toy.
Skylanders Starter Packs for the Wii and the Xbox start at £47.99 from Amazon
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