I-Top Electronic Spinning Top – Review

I-Top is the latest spinning top toy from Character Toys and comes packed full of challenges.  With an electronic display as it spins it will display your last score, highest score and various images as you unlock certain numbers.

The I-Tops spinning tops coming in four colours, red, blue, green and purple.  Batteries are included which is great as they are ready to go when opened.  My first impression of the spinning tops was that there were sturdy well made pieces and I love the fact that the centre post folds in so they are essentially flat – great for travel, in your pocket and taking around with you.

The children aged 10 and 7 were eager to give the spinning tops a try and were soon addicted.  The fact that you can see your previous score and highest score was a big bonus and incentive to try and achieve more.  Each time you spin the I-Top, it shows your last score for 5 seconds then changes to your high score.  There are then additional challenges, such as stop the spinner at 99 revolutions to gain a star and spin no more than 30 revolutions each alternate way 4 times to get a compass with N, E, S, W points on your spinner!

Certain numbers dictate certain images too, so managing to stop on 314 (Pi), 606 (UFO) or 777 (slot machine) for example will give you fun pictures to look at on the spinner.  My children love these and we find them great competitive fun even if it’s for a few random minutes during the day.  They are always lying around ready to be played with and as soon as someone has a spin, the others watch to see what score they achieve!

My 10 yr old daughter has been the most successful so far with a pretty amazing score of 653!!! Wow!!!  Can you beat her?  Would love to hear about any high scores you have!!

The I-Top is available directly from Character toys or also from Amazon and is a great way to bring back that childhood spinning top toy to the modern day, and one your kids will love with it’s dynamic instant light up score of the number of revolutions along with other fun images and challenges!

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

Mokuru Desktop Fidget Toy & Giveaway

Mokuru is the latest desktop toy to hit our shores and consists of a 9cm wooden cylindrical shaped piece with rubberised end pieces.  The idea is that you flick it from side to side and it will bounce across the floor multiple times as well as it’s ability to spin around so I can see how it can easily become an addictive finger toy that can keep you occupied for hours.  Available in seven bold colours, we received the red one to try out.

On first viewing it seems like a simple toy and you wonder how it’s going to perform but once you try giving it a roll, it’s really interesting how you can balance it and flick it from end to end. My 9yr old daughter was fascinated with it and spent much time in the hallway on the floor trying to fathom it out.

We found Mokuru to be a fun in that it can either be played on your own or with others, flicking it across the table to each other was a preferred one ( I can see this being popular for kids in restaurants passing the time whilst waiting for their food!).  A hard surface is a must so either a table, hard floor, desk, windowsill – you name it, there is always somewhere you can find to flick it around!

Miss M is progressing well and you can see her initial attempts in the video below, it gives you an idea of the way it works and as you can tell she is completely absorbed with the toy seeing how many times she can flick it around:

Mokuru is definitely the next must have craze to hit the UK after the fidget spinner and will be sure to have kids and adults up and down the country competing to see how many times they can flick the toy across the floor!

For a chance to win 1 of 3 (please note colours will be sent out at random) just fill in the Gleam form below:

Win 1 of 3 Mokuru fidget sticks

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

Air Hogs E-Charger Dragon from Spin Master

Air Hogs E-Charger Dragon from Spin Master is aimed at children ages 8+ and is a sturdy well built plane that charges in just 30 seconds allowing it to fly up to 100 yards through the sky.   The children were keen to try it out so we headed out to an open space to see how far it could fly.

The plane is easy to fly and charges really quickly.  The charger requires 3 x AA batteries and then it’s ready to go.  Once you are ready to fly you simply unfold the charging pin on the top of the charger, push it into the charging port on the underside of the plane and hold the button on the charger in for 30 seconds.  As soon as you remove the charger you can hear the power in the plane waiting to be released into the air.

We found you do need to throw it quite well into the air and let it catch the wind but when you do get a good throw – wow!!  This thing really does fly!

It was hard to film it in action because it was sunny and it flew so fast but I managed to get a couple of short clips of the plane in flight.  The children loved it when it twisted and turned through the sky and it definitely went some distance so really do make sure you are in a good open space.

We thought the power on this plane was great and really gave it a boost to fly through the sky.  Once it lands you do need to charge it up again for the next flight but for us it was a challenge to see what flight paths we could get it to do.  When it went well, it really goes for it but it is definitely set at the correct age guidelines.  My 9yr old and husband were quite able to set this off in the air, although my 6yr old struggled but being aimed at 8+, this made sense.

Overall the Air Hogs e-charger is a great gadget toy for the over 8’s that gets them running around in the fresh air chasing after the plane as well as a lot of fun watching it zooming the sky.

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

Air Wars Battle Drones – Review

Air Wars Battle Drones from MGA Entertainment are an exciting pair of durable drones aimed at ages 8+, that are ready to battle it out between each other.  With two drones and two remote controls in the box, it’s perfect for a bit of healthy competition with friends and family or you can just practice with one of the drones yourself as they do take a while to get used to and be able to control successfully.

wp_20161016_11_36_52_proThere is one red and one grey drone in the box, the same with the controllers.  These have to be paired up together and we tended to pair matching colours to help us know who had which one.   The remote controls require 3AAA batteries each which are included.  The drones have a rechargeable pack in them that is simply charged through a micro usb cable.

dronesEach drone has 4 propellers and the set also comes with 8 spares.  There are also 10 weapons in various shapes that you can hook on to the edge to help destroy your opponents drone whilst having a battle.  These are simple to hook on the edges and help to bring the other one down.  The remote control is simple to use with three speed settings and four preset buttons to carry out various attacks with just one press of the button.

  • Tornado Attack
  • 360 Spin Attack
  • Circle Attack
  • Ram Attack

These help you to carry out a special move quickly and easily.  You then have regular controls to move around.  It definitely takes a bit of getting used to and I’d recommend you start on the slowest setting until you get used to controlling them.  The more you try, the easier it is and as you get the hang of how sensitive it is they become more manageable.

snapshot-1-15-11-2016-22-32Here we are practicing to control the drones:

So what did we think of the Air Wars Battle Drones?

They were incredibly fun and exciting for all the family.  We had all ages in the room from 5 to 68 and everyone was eagerly watching the drones zoom around the room, wondering where they would go next and if they’d get into battle with each other.  The atmosphere was great and everyone’s eyes where glued to the drones at all times.  My almost 9yr old daughter enjoyed controlling them along with various adults.  This is a fabulous toy set although does require space so a large room or outdoors is best.  I think these would make an awesome Christmas present and provide hours of fun for everyone.  They are quick to set up and don’t take long to charge so the battle can commence almost straight away.  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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Schleich Pick Up with Horse Box Playset

Schleich is a well known established brand that builds toys to last so we were excited to check out the Pick Up with Horse Box playset.  A fun set containing a pick up truck, horse box and a number of accessories, there is sure to be some imaginative play from this set.

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Included to go along side the pick up truck and horse box is a horse, 2 figures (one is a driver), saddle, bridle, horse coat, bale of hay, bunch of carrots, 2 grooming brushes.  The horse box requires some minimal assembly and also the sheet of stickers needs to be carefully applied.  I did this myself to ensure they were neatly placed whilst the children helped put the box together.

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After a few minutes we had our complete playset and I have to say at first glance you can see the quality.  It definitely stands out amongst other toys, the plastic is solid, the parts are sturdy and you know this will withstand years of play.

schleich-horse-box-3The pick up is a dark pink with a great space in the back to put the accessories during play.  The doors also open and there is a driver figure who is fixed in a position to sit on the front seat.  The bonnet also opens so you can see the engine.

The horse box is well thought out allowing the top half to come off to gain access to play inside.  The back folds down to create a walkway for the horses to get up and there is a divider inside allowing two horses to be placed inside.

schleich-horse-box-4Each front corner of the horse box reveals an opening door, on one side for the groom to get in and out, and on the other is a cupboard for storing the bridle equipment.

The horse has a lovely bundle of accessories that really do keep children entertained.  Although my daughter was first to play with this, it was my little boy who really let his imagination go as he played for the whole afternoon with just this toy.  The horse went on all sorts of adventures and he particularly liked putting the horses coat on and off and grooming it with the brushes.

schleich-horse-box-5I think this is are really lovely playset by Schleich and lives up to all of their high standards.  We do have a set of Schleich horses which we have now integrated into play with this, along with my little boys tractors and other farm sets which he loves creating a whole play scene with and taking his animals on adventures.

schleich-horse-box-6A fabulous playset that leads to lots of imaginative play for little ones and retails at £39.99.  To see the full collection check out Schleich.

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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Addict A Ball Game for All Ages

When Addict A Ball arrived at our door I knew it’d have us all fascinated, frustrated and intrigued for hours, and it hasn’t disappointed.  With the name Addict, it certainly lives up to this and all the family have tried for hours to complete and although we can get further all the time, the end still defies us.

addict-a-ballThe game is enclosed within a giant plastic ball and consists of a maze which goes every way imaginable.  There is a small silver ball which you have to get from one end to the other.  The maze is marked with numbers along the way which you have to follow and it guides you through.  There are three starting points, so if you keep getting stuck at a certain point, you don’t have to go right back to the beginning, you can step in at the second or third starting points.

addict-a-ball-2To get through involves a lot of twisting and turning to balance the ball along it’s path and just a slight wobble can make the ball fall off of it’s track.  The game is aimed at all ages and both my 8yr old daughter as well as us adults have all spent much time playing with this.  It’s one of those things where you are determined to get further than the last person and the challenge keeps you motivated to keep trying and trying again until you succeed.addict-a-ball-3

The plastic around the ball has a slight flexibility to it, to prevent it from cracking if it has dropped so it is very durable.  This game has widespread appeal and is something you keep coming back to in order to out do your previous attempt.  I imagine this would make a wonderful Christmas present for any family who like a challenge and being suitable for all ages means this is a very versatile gift!

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 Original Stretch Armstrong – Review

The Orginal Stretch Armstrong is an iconic child’s toy from the 1970’s that has been brought back to life for children of today.  The toy can be pulled and stretched in all sorts of ways up to 4 times it’s original size.  You can even tie his arms and legs into knots and twist him up, knowing that he will always revert back to his original form afterwards.06028 Stretch Armstrong ABS2

The doll itself is 30cm tall and he looks rather chunky.  The first thing I noticed when I removed him from the box is how heavy he is, more so than I was expecting.  He also feels rather strange, with soft maleable limbs that almost feel like rubbery putty.  The children were intrigued and couldn’t wait to try him out.

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He’s initially quite tough to stretch, but once you know what you are up against you know to give him a good hard pull and his limbs extend.  I was amazed how tall and skinny he got but as soon as you let go, he just pings back into shape.

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Here’s daddy and Miss M seeing how tall and skinny they can make him.

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Once they got started they couldn’t stop and had fun contorting poor Stretch Armstrong into all sorts of poses.  It became a bit of a challenge to see what they could do next with him.

stretch armstrong 2Finally they wrapped him all up and he stayed in position without any assistance, but as soon as you start unwrapping his limbs they full straight back into shape.

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The toy proved to be fun and certainly very different from other toys we’ve tried so was captured the children’s imagination as to what we could do with him.  If you fancy trying out The Original Stretch Armstrong, he can be purchased from Character Online.

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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Limited Edition Carousel Pony Zelf – Review

If you are a fan of Zelfs then the series 6th range of figures including a Limited Edition figures are available in stores from the end of July 2016.  With Mary Go-Round, a carousel pony Zelf being the rarest limited edition Zelf yet, there are just 400 available to claim within the UK!

zelf limited edition

Mary Go-Round being a carousel pony is rather glamourous and prettily adorned.  She comes with a few accesories to style her hair, a comb and three hair elastics.  There is also a sparkly horseshoe shaped charm for you to use how you wish.  Because this is a limited edition you get a special token printed with your limited edition number on it alongside a collectors leaflet showing you the whole range of Zelfs.

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The figure can be played with in many ways with a turning head and as well as the normal Zelf hairstyle, the carousel pony has a tail that falls in beautiful curls.  The hair feels super soft and Miss M sat stroking it for ages before attempting a ponytail with one of the bands.  With it being so smooth, it also stays tangle free which is a bonus.

zelf limited edition 3Some other cute looking Zelfs to look out for in Series 6 Crystal Zelf range are Cupie, High Tail, Magicella, Miss Terri, Noodles and Shimma.

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To get hold of a limited edition Zelf, in this case Mary Go-Round the carousel pony, all you need to do is purchase at least £30 worth of 2016 Zelf’s and send your receipts along with redemption form to claim one.  All the details can be found here: Limited Edition Carousel Pony redemption

Zelfs fans can also join the Zelfs club www.zelfsclub.co.uk for more competitions and Zelfs news!

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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Win a Dinosaur with Chicago Town Pizza

Chicago Town pizzas are regularly eaten in this house, my children love The Deep Dish and I find The Sub handy for a lunchtime treat.  At the moment every time you buy a Chicago Town pizza, you will find a special code on the inside of the box which you can enter online in the hope to win one of six Jurassic World dinosaur toys.

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Available are:

  • Indominus Rex
  • Ceratosaurus
  • Dilophosaurus
  • Dimorphodon
  • Tyrannosaurus Rex
  • Velociraptor

Every 15 minutes between 8am and 8pm a different dinosaur is released so you can try your luck to win every dinosaur.  It’s definitely worth a try as we won on our third attempt which my son Mister B is very happy about.

If you are unsure what pizza to buy, then I am going to highly recommend The Takeaway Four Cheese Melt.  With a stuffed tomato sauce crust and topped with a combination of Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, mature Cheddar and Emmental cheeses, this pizza is pure heaven.

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We hadn’t tried this pizza before but got it in for all the family on Saturday night and it disappeared within minutes with everyone saying how delicious it tasted.  The crust rose up beautifully to a soft but crispy edge that just melted in the mouth.  This will definitely be our go to pizza in the future for weekend family treats!

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All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received a dinosaur and some vouchers in order to write an honest review.

Miffy TV comes to Tiny Pop + Win a Miffy Sensory Toy

Miffy is an absolute classic in this house, a character I’ve loved as long as I remember, and one that my children haved loved from birth with their cudldy Miffy’s, Miffy blankets and such like.

We’ve had a Miffy dvd for the last few years that we watch regularly, but how excited were we to discover a new series of Miffy on one of my children’s favourite tv channels – Tiny POP!  On at 7pm each evening you can catch two episodes of Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small.

Miffy on Tiny PopLast night we watched an episode about Miffy playing hide and seek with her dog friend Snuffy.  It was a really cute episode and what we like about the programmes are that they are easy to watch, simple to understand and really fun viewing.  Accompanied by music the programmes are a pleasure which even I enjoy.  With simplistic illlustrations it’s easy to catch up with what’s going on and both my children aged 5 and 7 are glued to it. My children tend to bath, come down in their pyjamas and watch Miffy with a hot chocolate before heading back up to bed for a story and sleep.

As well as the TV series, there are endless number of Miffy items available, all of which look so cute and appealing, including this fabulous sensory Miffy.

Sensory Miffy (4)I have one of these sensory Miffy toys suitable from 6 months+,  to giveaway to one lucky reader!

Just fill in the Gleam form below:

Miffy