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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Lion Guard Twitter Party #LionGuardToys

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Fiona Martin

Disney’s The Lion Guard is a fun, animated tv show based on The Lion King film from 1994, and is based around Kion, son of Simba and Nala. Kion leads the Lion Guard, a team of animals who protect the Pride Lands and defend the Circle of Life. Just released is a fabulous range of toys to go alongside the programme, enabling little ones to play with their favourite characters and have lots of imaginative play with fun accessories such as coconut blasters and boulder catapults.

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The main toy in the range is The Lion Guard Defend the Pride Lands playset. This is packed full of fun features for the ultimate adventure to take your character figures on. Included is one Kion figure, and a whole host of fun traps and moveable elements that my five year old is eager to explore.

Includes

Capture bad guys on the collapsing rock ledge
Features bone trap and leaf trap floor
Defend Pride Rock with the boulder launcher
Have Kion ride the motorised vine and jump on the tree top perch
Whooshing waterfall and hidden passage to explore

We’ve been lucky to have an early look at the toys and they look fabulous, perfect for imaginative fun that both girls and boys will enjoy.

To celebrate the release of the new The Lion Guard toys, there will be a Twitter party this Wednesday 6th July from 1-3pm.

Join us for fun and games using the hashtag #LionGuardToys

Be sure to follow @UKMumstv and myself @star100x as well as others for a fun packed afternoon and see more about the toys.

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

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Casdon Wooden Beach Villa Play Set – Review

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Casdon Wooden Beach Villa Play Set is a completely fold up self contained playset that you can pack up and take along with you with carry holes in the top.

The playset has two fold down sides to set the scene and inside two floors with stairs going up to the top floor. The scenes on the open sides depicts a beach to help bring this set to life and aid young ones imaginations.

There are also a number of accessories included, from a beach bar to stools, bed, tv, windsurf board, sun loungers, palm trees, two wooden figures plus a few more.

I love how the playset can be packed up to just a small size box with all the contents inside for portable play and also to keep things tidy.

Children can really let their imaginations go with this set, as 4 yr old Mister B did. He had lots of adventures especially with the wind surfer! There are plenty of pieces included to use to play although Mister B did add in his own boat so that both figures could go sailing off to sea!

Being wooden this Casdon Beach Villa playset set is sturdy and durable, there are no small pieces to break off and everything that is glued together feels strong. Aimed at children 3-6 years it really is something for those who love using their imagination through play as my son does.

There are other wooden playsets of a similar style to this one available from Casdon, including a Castle and Pirate playsets, so be sure to check them out!

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

Fireman Sam Fire Rescue Centre – Review

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Fireman Sam Fire Rescue Centre is the perfect playset for building imagination and acting out scenarios for young children. Aimed at ages 3+, this set has been a hit with my son who takes his fire engines, ninja turtle and various other toys on emergency adventures from the fire station!

This playset does require assembly when you open the box followed by a number of stickers to apply to create a finished toy. I would highly recommend doing this beforehand if you are giving to a young child especially if it is a main present on Christmas day as it took a little bit of time and Mister B did get a little impatient.

The fully constructed station consists of a main fire garage with a push button to open the door quickly when there’s an emergency. There’s also another hideaway for a vehicle at the top and with a lift of a lever, the vehicle speeds out and comes down the ramp at the side ready for action.

On the back of the rescue centre is a door to the office that opens and on top is a helipad. Included in this set is a helicopter which is great for play value, but I must mention that there is no fire engine included which did cause a little disappointment for Mister B. I quickly sent him off to his toy box to find some fire engines and amazingly he came back with three, which immediately cheered him up and started his imagination running for play ideas.

The Fireman Sam Fire Rescue Centre has proved a bit hit with Mister M and he can always be found at it acting out little scenes, making sounds and having fun with his imagination. The set is scaled to play with other die cast vehicles making it versatile and longer lasting as children can use other die cast cars etc to join in the play.

I’m sure this will be a hit toy this Christmas for any young Fireman Sam fans.

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

Cra-Z-Sand Purple Playset – Review

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Fiona Martin

The new Cra-Z-Sand Deluxe Purple Playset from Character Options was bound to be a hit with my two children as they love sand, they love arts & crafts, they love being creative and they love making mess!!

My children’s eyes lit up when they saw the set and they couldn’t wait to play. Fortunately with the recent run of good weather, we took the opportunity to play outside. The set consisted of a pack of purple coloured sand, a sturdy plastic tray to play in (although my children preferred to play on the art mat), a roller and various scrapers to cut and sculpt the sand any way you wish.

The sand is a really pliable texture and can be moulded and shaped anyway you wish. Just as easily as it can be broken up and flows through your fingers, it can be compacted and moulded into a perfect shape.

I have to say my two didn’t need any encouragement with this, they just got on and happily played, loving pressing there fingers into the sand and rolling it into balls etc. The sand is a really satisfying texture that feels soft and is totally non-sticky!

We used some sand moulds we already had to make shapes and they really do turn out perfectly formed with a simple tap and wiggle of the mould. This makes it really satisfying for children to see and feel that they have achieved something quite amazing.

I really liked Cra-Z-Sand and can confirm that my children loved it!! They have already asked if I can get them some different colours to play with. I think this is a fun, enjoyable, tactile play substance that although really isn’t that messy. It’s dry, non sticky and can be brushed off or hoovered up quite easily. The tray and accessories are strong and sturdy making this a good quality set.

We give Cra-Z-Sand a big thumbs up as we all enjoyed it, had lots of fun and loved the texture of it!!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and the Cra-Z-Sand was sent to us in order to write the review.

Shopkins So Cool Fridge Playset – Review

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Shopkins has been a big hit with my children since we reviewed the Shopkins supermarket last year and they were excited when the Shopkins So Cool Fridge playset arrived.

Consisting of an American style refridgerator with various compartments, two shopkins and a tray of eggs, their eyes lit up when they saw it. This has been particularly popular with my youngest, Mister B who can sit playing with it for hours and adds other small characters he has to let his imagination run wild!

The fridge has a large opening door with three shelves inside, and two shelves on the back of the door. This holds the egg seesaw, a shelf that tips from side to side depending on how many eggs you have sitting on there. Six eggs with different expressions on their faces are included.

There is a drawer at the bottom of the fridge and on the left is an ice dispenser. This comes with a yellow ice bucket that if you push into the bottom of the dispenser it will fill up with any items you have stored in the small cupboard at the top of the dispenser.

Also included are two shopkins, a soda bottle and an ice cream sundae, both perfect for chilling in the fridge!

There are also two sheets of stickers to decorate your fridge with and the children had fun applying these on the doors and around the sides.

Shopkins do seem to have a much higher play value than I initially thought and my two really have played with this for long periods of time and got engrossed in a world of little characters. They’ve used other play figures they own to come and buy things from the shop and fridge, they’ve added other tiny figures and things into the fridge to boost the play potential. They love all the different little places to hide things in the various doors and drawers, not forgetting shooting things down the ice dispenser!

What more can I say? Shopkins has definitely been a hit with us and kept my children entertained for longer than I expected. It’s made of a sturdy plastic and is not at all flimsy, therefore withstanding falling over etc. The doors don’t just fall off like some toys we have. I think this is a toy that will be revisited many times for some imaginative, fun play that both children enjoy!

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

Shopkins Small Supermarket – Review

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Fiona Martin

Shopkins are a collectible series of mini grocery characters along with shop playsets and accessories such as shopping bags, baskets and trolleys. I hadn’t heard of these before but it seems these are a huge craze and sure to be a hit at Christmas.

We received a Shopkins Small Supermarket to review and the children were immediately excited and wanted to play. Aimed at children aged 5+, mainly due to the small pieces I imagine, it’s actually been a huge success with both my children, Miss M who is 6 and Mister B who’s almost 4.

The set comprises of a double sided supermarket play scene with doors that swing open. There’s shelves and a small basket that you moves up like a lift to a helter skelter slide for the food to slide down into the trolley. There is a separate check out with moveable conveyor belt. Also included are two shopkins, a tub of butter and a bottle of moisturiser along with two shopping bags.

This playset is very durable, the plastic is durable with some parts being slightly rubbery. The biggest surprise for me though was how fascinating both my children found this. They have really enjoyed playing with it and got into role play with the little characters. They’ve even used some of their own figures to go into the shop to buy the items. As there are a few moveable parts, it’s had enough to keep them occupied and it is something they have gone back to each day to play with again.

This is definitely going to be a hit this Christmas and with the grocery items being released in series in various sized packs, it means children can buy pieces with their pocket money. We’ve loved Shopkins and had lots of play value out of it!

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

Ben and Holly Magical Playground Playsets – Review

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Fiona Martin

Ben & Holly Magical Playground Playsets are cute little playground rides, each set upon a leaf, that connect up together to form one large playground. You can get a slide, swings or roundabout. We were sent two of the playground sets to try out.

Each set comes with the playground ride and a Holly figure. The two sets easily clicked together with a connecting bit on each leaf. The playsets are made of a strong durable plastic and the smaller parts on top are made from a more rubberised flexible plastic to ensure they won’t break.

Each set has a play ride and a toadstool to add detail. The roundabout consists of three leafy seats with two little prongs which fit into small holes in the bottom of the figures feet, although this was a little fiddly to do. You can then spin the roundabout around so the figures can enjoy the ride.

There are two swings and the figures just slot in the seats and if you push them down enough their feet go under a bar that holds them securely and then you can swing them backwards and forwards.

My two both loved playing with these and have always had a soft spot for Ben & Holly as we have books and dvd’s of the series. Mister B loves little characters and as well as taking the Holly figures to the park they also went for a ride on his tractors! Miss M enjoyed them although she is at the older end of the spectrum. I’d say these are best suited for 3-6 year olds and would make a great addition to any other figure playsets they may have.

It’s great that you can buy the park pieces and mix and match with as few or as many as you want. I think any little Ben &Holly fan would love these!

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

Barbie Jet and 2 Dolls Playset – Review

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Fiona Martin

Argos have a large range of Barbie toys and accessories available and one that caught our eye is the Barbie Jet and 2 Dolls Playset. Miss M is really enjoying playing with Barbie at the moment and has small accessories but longs for some sort of vehicle to move them around in so this seemed like the perfect toy.

The Barbie Jet playset comes in a huge box and Miss M thought Christmas had come early when she saw it. The box contains the jet and 2 Barbie figures, each in a pretty dress, necklace, shoes and carrying a handbag and suitcase each.

The Barbie Jet requires a small amount of assembly from the box but this is simple to do and can be completed within 10-15 minutes. The front wheel needs attaching and the tail end of the plane requires piecing together. The side wings simply fold up vertically against the side of the plane when not in use to save space. The chairs need to be attached to the base of the plane and a sheet of stickers need to be applied in the correct places. I found the stickers simple to attach and they appear to be hard wearing and not likely to come off.

The main body of the Barbie jet folds open creating a playset. Inside the jet are three chairs, all with seatbelts and fully reclining backs. You can slide back the windows to reveal night images and there is overhead luggage storage. At the back of the plane is an air hostess area containing a pull out trolley with three trays and rectangular meal plates that sit on the trays. The trays fit over the chairs and clip in each side. There is also a fridge, microwave, storage area and drinks machines. Also included are three glasses and three sets of cutlery.

There is plenty of scope for imaginative play with the Barbie Jet playset. Miss M was keen to get the Barbies packed up and fly them across the front room to their holiday destination. Her younger brother Mister B was keen to join in making plane sounds and loved pushing the jet across the floor.

Miss M loves acting out the flight journey with the Barbies, packing the plane, serving them food before letting them recline their chairs and sleep before arriving at their destination. The Barbie jet really does provide lots of entertainment value and adds a further dimension to playing with dolls rather than just dressing them up etc.

The Barbie Jet is larger than we first thought it would be, making it a prominent toy and one that has grabbed the attention of Miss M’s friends when they have visited. The jet has a height of 32.5cm, length 84.5cm and width of 28cm (with wings folded up). It is a great play piece that can either be played as a stand alone toy or easily fits in with other toys you may already have.

The adventures with Barbie are endless, I see this as a toy that will get plenty of play value and be used in many different scenarios. Miss M loves setting things up carefully inside ready for a day of play. She loves the jet and can’t wait to show her friends – being the size it is makes it ideal for a couple of children to play with it at the same time as they can easily reach inside and have a Barbie each to take on the flight.

This is a dream toy for Miss M to own to play with her Barbie dolls and I think any other young girl who loves her dolls would feel the same. I think the Barbie Jet will be a much loved toy over the next few years.

This post in written in association with Argos. All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write the review.