Harry Potter Magical Capsules – Review

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Fiona Martin

Harry Potter Magical Capsules are the newest collectable in the Wizarding World from Kap Toys. Each bronze Hogwart’s Crest contains one characters from the Harry Potter series along with a number of accessories that also act as clues as to which figure you will receive. With 10 characters to collect in Series one, lets get on and open our’s to see who we receive!

Each Harry Potter Magical Capsule is a good size with three different compartments to open containing clues and accessories along with the figure. This is also perfect for storage of the parts when not being played with or displayed.

The first compartment contains a Hogwart’s crest which is the first clue. To find out more you simply have to turn over the crest and rub your finger on it until it turns a colour and this tells you which house your character will be from. We got green so we knew our character would be from Slytherin.

Clue two is found behind the second door and contains a spell. At first it appears blank but when you dip it into water the spell appears. My boy thought this was really exciting and loved revealing this clue.

Then it’s time to open the biggest door on the back of the Harry Potter Magical Capsule where you will find five bags to open up along with a checklist showing all of the available characters to collect in series 1.

The packages look really cool and my boy was excited to discover what was inside. We saved the biggest one until last knowing that it would contain the main figure.

So here are our contents of our clues and accessories – my boy absolutely loved opening these and trying to guess his character from them. He was indeed correct with who we got – have you worked out who it will be yet?

We found Snape in our final packet – although I think we’d already guessed that a few clues in. He’s a fairly sturdy character that easily stands up and goes perfectly with the accessories.

Overall we love the concept of the Harry Potter Magical Capsules – my boy thoroughly enjoyed opening them and loved the little clues, in particular the spell that you uncover after dipping in water. He’s also a big fan of little figures and accessories so this Harry Potter collectable is right up his street. His favourite accessory from this bronze chest is the snake and he loves playing with them all.

Why not check them out now and let me know what you think!

Available from all major toy shops and Tesco from July 2020. R.R.P. £9.99

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.

Ben 10 Deluxe Power Up Figure

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Fiona Martin

Ben 10 and his Omnitrix (alien watch) is a key part in the Ben 10 series and sees him transform into various different alien beings taking on their appearance and powers whilst still being a ten year old boy underneath. The perfect way for a kid to have fun and play for the day. Flair have launched a range of three Power up Figures fully articulated and with their own lights and sounds. Here we check out Heatblast.

The Ben 10 figures stand at around 14cm tall and easily stand unaided with a steady balance. Arms and legs can be moved easily for imaginative fun and play but the big feature with these figures is the little button on the top of the back which can be pressed as little or often as you want giving your alien a surging burst of energy. The character lights up in various ways and makes a great selection of sounds. From little blasts the more you press the button, the more it powers up creating larger and better sounds. By holding the button down you get an instant alien blast which really adds to play value.

My just turned 7yr old enjoyed this figure and found the sounds really encouraged play and his imagination to get working. He is often found carrying the figure around the house and imitating it’s blast off sounds.

A fun toy for Ben 10 fans and one that’s durable for lots of play but has an interactive side to add to the excitement!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

The Emoji Movie Poseable Light Up Figures

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Fiona Martin

The Emoji Movie Poseable Light Up Figures from Flair are just the sort of toy that Emoji Movie fans will love. My 6yr old is emoji crazy so these are right up his street and he was thrilled at getting to try them out although a tad sad we didn’t receive Poop (I was actually quite pleased!). With three in the range, you get the choice of Gene, Jailbreak and Poop.

Surprisingly the figures are 8 inches tall, much larger than I expected and would look great on display on a bedroom shelf (the 6yr olds are currently on the mini bedside table attached to his bed as he can’t be without them – they are the ‘in thing’ for him!). Built of plastic, they are fairly sturdy and come on a speech mark shaped base which is removable, but you do need the figure to be on it to stand them up.

The main feature with them is that if you lift their right arm, a part of them lights up. On Gene this is his mouth and on Jailbreak it is her hair and badge on her hat. My Mister B age 6 loves these and they make him very happy at bedtime. Emoji themed toys seem to be the thing that kids love at the moment so I’m sure that these will prove a big hit with young fans.

Overall they aren’t so much a toy as a model that brightens up a shelf in a bedroom. The light up feature is a little limited as you have to hold the arm to keep the light on but my little boy likes them and has fun with them each evening in the run up to bedtime. For any Emoji fans out there I’m sure they’ll love them!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Forest Animals from Schleich

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Fiona Martin

Schleich figures are always a winner with us being of high quality and very durable for play for many years. With such a variety of ranges available there is always something that is great to add to your collection and boost your little one’s imagination though play. We received the European Forest Dweller set to try out with my little boy age 6.

The set consists of a Wild Boar, Red Deer and a Fox that are all inhabitants of forests across Europe. The three figures are a good size and feel exceptionally durable which is perfect for play with little fingers. They are well detailed and beautifully hand painted to allow children to learn as you play.

We are really impressed with these animals and they make a lovely addition to any collection or can easily be incorporated into play with other existing toys. They are also very sturdy and you can’t fail to stand them up on four legs first time which is great for children. Children can ask questions about the animals, learning facts about them which is great for engaging parents and children at the same time. Play can and should be fun which is something we always encourage at home.

Once 6yr old Mister B caught sight of the European Forest Dweller set from Schleich he couldn’t wait to get them out to play. He used his magnifying glass to inspect their detail and was catching them in his bug net. He has an amazing imagination and came up with multiple scenarios to play with the animals in. He’s also excited to introduce them to his other figures from Schleich which form all sorts of his daily play.

Overall we’d highly recommend the European Forest Dweller figures. Great quality, well made and a toy that will last for years of imaginative and fun play.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Wildlife Animals from Schleich

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Fiona Martin

Schleich is always a popular brand for it’s durabiliy, quality and realistic looking creatures. They have every type of animal you could be looking for from horses to dinosaurs, dragons to fun playsets. This week we have been looking at some of their wildlife animals in the Wildlife Starter Set.

With a zebra, lion, elephant and monkey as part of the collection I just knew my little boy would love these, particularly the monkey which has turned out to be his favourite. He loves using these in all sorts of imaginative play, adding them in with his other toys, such as tractors, trucks and other figures for fun playing.

As you can see the animals are incredibly lifelike with lots of attention to detail. Being realistic is great for kids because they can really see what the animals are like and talk about their features and learn to recognise different creatures. The durability in Schleich figures is fabulous too and they will last without dulling in colour or legs breaking off. They are without doubt the best quality figures we’ve played with.

If you are looking for animal figurines for little ones to play with then do check these out, you can’t go wrong with them and kids love them. Here’s my little cheeky monkey with his favourite couple from the Wildlife Starter Set!

Available from Smyths Toys for £14.99.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the dragons in order to write the review.

Save

Hyena’s Hide Out Playset from The Lion Guard

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Fiona Martin

Disney’s The Lion Guard tv series is popular with young children and has certainly been a hit with my little boy. Being a spin off from the The Lion King, it has mass appeal and my little boy loves playing with the toys from the series and has got to know all the characters from the show, from the goodies such as Kion and to the baddies such as the Hyenas. Here we are going to show you the baddies home, the Hyena’s Hide Out Playset from Flair Toys.

The playset is a good size and can be split into two parts if you wish. Although it looks fairly simple, it is packed full of traps and hideouts which lend a hand to a child’s imagination and something my little boy thrives on. His imagination ran wild with this creating all sorts of adventures and games for The Lion Guard characters to play.

The set consists of a mountain like structure with various caves, traps and hideouts. It also includes a moveable hyena figure to play with and others can easily be added to the set to encourage play. Although the playset can be parted into two pieces my little boy preferred to keep it as one. On one side is a tree branch that animals can sit into and be twisted up and down to keep watch on oncoming visitors.

Underneath the main part is jaw bone jail, this is opened by a small lever and can trap visiting animals inside. Beware if you are standing at the bottom of the rock as the boulder can easily be released to roll into you! If the boulder rolls the other way however the rock bridge will collapse, so danger on both sides. The red lava panel also lifts up to reveal a hidden cave for the hyena to hide in.

This playset has kept my little boy playing for hours, he is very imaginative and a toy like this sets the scene for him and enables him to enjoy lots of time playing and creating different scenarios. The toy is very well built and durable with moving parts being easy to use.

Mister B has enjoyed bringing his other The Lion Guard playset to play with together, giving a home for the goodies and one for the baddies, creating the ultimate The Lion Guard world to play with. There are various toys available in the range and they all mix and match easily together for fun play times. You can also check out my review for Defend the Pride Lands playset which is the biggest toy in the range.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Save

Disney The Lion Guard Toys – Review

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Fiona Martin

Disney’s The Lion Guard is an appealing tv series for young children, that has now been turned into an exciting range of fun and high quality toys that provide plenty of play value and encourage imaginative and adventurous play. We were lucky to hold a Lion Guard party last week with a few friends to celebrate the release of the new toy range.

The Lion Guard follows Kion, leader of the Lion Guard who along with his friends helps protect the Pride Lands. The largest toy in the range is the Defend the Pride Lands playset which really is quite impressive. At first glass it doesn’t look much, but when you have a closer look, there are eight interactive play features, such as traps, a motorised vine lift, boulder launcher, waterfall, hidden tunnel, collapsing rock. It really is good fun for an adventure and my little boy loved it. The set comes with a Kion figure to play with. Further figures are available in smaller sets or a figure set which features each of the main characters.

Smaller sets available include a figure and accessory such as Bunga’s Coconut Blaster. All of the accessories have a moving part and all of the children found these fun and enjoying using them as part of their adventure play.

After checking out the toys we had lots of The Lion Guard related party games including eating cake which went down well.

The favourite game had to be Pin the tail on Kion! We had a lion headpiece and fluffy tail to use which the children just loved.

The party was a great success and the children all went away with a goodie bag which included the new The Lion Guard magazine and also a blind bag containing a mini figure.

Overall I’m really impressed with the toy range, it is all made to a high quality that will be durable in play and withstand little fingers and a few knocks. The toys look lovely as well and have been well thought out. They lend themselves to imaginative minds of little ones which is perfect for my little boy and he has taken the animals on many adventures.

The Lion Guard toys are available now in most major toys shops now such as Smyths, so why not check them out now!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Save

Schleich Dragon Island Figures – Review

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Schleich dragons from the Dragon Island series are a great set of mythical figurines that are of the familiar high quality I’ve come to love and know with Schleich. Each figure is intricately detailed and hand painted to give it an impressive look that draws children into an imaginative world of play.

There are six dragons in the series:

Dragon Flyer
Dragon Hunter
Dragon Fighter
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Runner
Dragon Battering Ram

We received Dragon Fighter and Dragon Runner shown above, and I have to say they were larger than expected with dimensions being up to 20cm across. This makes them great for play and my little boy loved holding them and fighting them against each other.

They really bring out my little boys imagination and you can hear him talking about their features and how they are going to fight as they go into battle against each other. The detail really is fantastic on these and you can’t see any joins in the body. They seem very durable as the plastic isn’t solid, it has a slightly flexibleness to it which allows for a bit of rough play.

We love these dragons from Schleich and think they’ll be very popular with young children especially if they are into figure toys. Schleich have a huge range of figurines available in all sorts of ranges. I’ve just spotted the new Peanuts range that has been launched so there really is something for everyone!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the dragons in order to write the review.

Scooby Doo Mystery Mansion Playset – Review

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Both my children are huge Scooby Doo fans so I knew the Scooby Doo Mystery Mansion Playset from Character Toys would be a hit with them. We also received a set of Scooby Doo figures which really brought their imagination to life as they created scenes they recall from the Scooby Doo tv series that they love to watch!

The Mystery Mansion is a double sided playset meaning there was plenty of room for them both to play together. The set comes with one Scooby Doo figure and we had another from the character set meaning they had one each to play with. The Mystery Mansion is just like a haunted house the Scooby Doo team would come across in the television series, and is full of all the traps and spooky features you would expect.

The traps start as a person enters the mansion, as they stand on the steps the front door blows open with a clatter and bang immediately sending tingles down your spine. Once you step inside, if you stand on the wrong floorboard a trap door springs open and you can see two green ghoulish hands poking out. Beware of the chandelier as with a press of a button it can come crashing to the ground. As you go upstairs, one of the stairs triggers the understair cupboard to open with an unfriendly character lurking inside. Upstairs there is a full length mirror, but beware, stand too close and the floor will fall away beneath you and you’ll fall right down below!

One of my little boy’s favourite features was the cannon which can be flipped around and fires out the middle window of the mansion. The window is easily removed and the cannon pointed at it’s target. The cannon really fires which really impressed Mister B and he had great fun aiming and trying to hit things with it.

The Scooby Doo Mystery Mansion has sparked lots of imaginative play with my children particularly Mister B who has absolutely loved it. He plays with it everyday and never ceases to surprise me with his latest adventures. I love listening to him acting them out.

The character pack of figures is a great addition to the mystery mansion especially if your child knows the characters from the tv series which mine did. The set includes Scooby Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma. All of them are a good size and very well made. They all stand up freely and have some moveable joints. My children had lots of fun with these and loved posing Scooby Doo in all sorts of positions with his very flexible legs!

I love these Scooby Doo toys, they are good quality and the figures are built to last. I think the Mystery Mansion provides lots of entertainment value and is perfect for those that love to use their imagination. This would make a fantastic Christmas present for any young Scooby Doo fans!

All reviews are my own and my honest opinions and I received the products in order to write the review.

Schleich Mini Dinosaurs – Review

Posted on March 29, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Schleich mini dinosaurs are the latest collection of creatures from Schleich, the world renowned company for producing high quality, detailed figurine toys.

We received five of the Schleich mini dinosaurs including:

Velociraptor
Triceratops
Saichania
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Stegosaurus

These figures are made of a high quality plastic with loads of attention to detail to give them a realistic look. Mister B was thrilled with these dinosaurs and being a mini version they are perfect for little fingers. His imagination went wild with this as he took them on little adventures around the house, climbing up furniture, taking them for drives in the back of toy trucks and they are even perfect sized to take out to a restaurant and keep him entertained while waiting for his meal which we did one day.

These Schleich mini dinosaurs have been a big success with us and are a toy that I know will last, is durable and doesn’t ever seem to date. Schleich have an excellent reputation already and I feel that these dinosaurs continue that standard and are an excellent addition to the range of products already on offer. I particularly love the idea of mini creatures as these have been perfect for my 4 year old. We would highly recommend them.