One of the first programmes Miss M ever started to watch was Something Special. Being primarily a programme for special needs children using the Makaton sign and symbol language at first I was unsure of the appeal but she was totally transfixed by Mr Tumble and I soon learnt of his widespread appeal among young children. It is now a character that 22 month old Mister B is very keen on and he loves shouting out for Mr Tumble whilst watching the Something Special show.
It therefore comes as great news that toy brand Golden Bear Toys have released a new toy collection inspired by Something Special with Mr Tumble and friends. We received the Mr Tumble Activity Toy and Mr Tumble Phone to try.
The Mr Tumble Activity Toy is a gorgeous huggable soft replica of Mr Tumble suitable for ages 10+. He was instantly a hit with Miss M and Mister B who both love taking him up for a cuddle at bedtime. By pressing Mr Tumbles hand he delights in saying one of 6 phrases such as “Hello, how are you?”, “Da Da!, do you like my waistcoat?”, “Ha Ha, I’m Mister Tumble”. Mister B found these particularly amusing and loved to copy which is great as at 22 months his speech has just started to progress rapidly and short phrases are perfect for him.
He also has sensory features such as an opening waistcoat and shoe fastening that velcro’s across, along with a rattle in the feet and his nose which lights up red when he talks. My 2 loved seeing his nose light up and Miss M who insisted on taking him to bed at night found it comforting to see the glow of his nose when she pressed his hand.
The Mr Tumble phone was an immediate hit with Miss M who couldn’t wait to get her hands on it when she saw it. This comes with three different Tumble character discs which can be inserted to hear various phrases upon the press of a button. She had lots of fun chatting in reply to the various phrases whereas Mister B who is younger prefered to repeat the phrases he heard.
I think both the toys are excellent for any young Something Special Mr Tumble fans and will be a welcome addition to the many toy ranges out there. They are more suitable to the younger audience with Mister B being perfectly targeted to the Mr Tumble range and will have many adventures playing along with his new friend and phone!!
All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions. We are not paid for reviews although we do receive the product to try out and enable us to write the review.
