Tag Archives: toys

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set – Review

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The Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set available from Hello Direct website is a really fabulous wooden set suitable for the ages of 8+.  It’s a case of what you see is what you get, no excessive packaging, no plastic pieces, a beautifully crafted wooden magician’s box that contains ten classic tricks and illusions.  With a bit of fine motor skills practice, you will soon have a little magical performer in the recipient of this wonderful toy.

The tricks can all be stored in the box when not in use which is really handy.

Tricks and illusions included are:

  • Disappearing ball
  • Magic coin box
  • Secret silks
  • Great escape
  • Magic number prediction
  • Money maker
  • Egyptian prediction
  • Vanishing zone
  • Cylinder squeeze
  • Vanishing coin

I love that the wooden storage box for the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set doubles up as a magicians stage as well to perform all of your magic from and gives you a place to hide your tricks and conceal your hand movements as you prepare them.

I also love the presentation of the instruction sheet.

On to the magic tricks and I think just by looking at the picture you can tell that these are all well made and sturdy due to them being made of wood. They are all painted with bright, fun designs to really help make your magic come to life. My boy who is 8 was immediately struck with all the pieces and couldn’t wait to turn himself into a magician.

The Vanishing Coin trick and the Secret Silks where big hits with my little boy and he couldn’t wait to show everyone once he’d learnt how to do them. Having such well thought out pieces in the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set makes the tricks look really effective and the bright colours help make the show realistic and magical.

We found the instructions easy to follow and once you understand how a magic trick works it’s just a case of perfecting your moves to make your audience really believe in the illusion you are performing.

One of my boy’s favourite illusions was the Vanishing Zone, in which he passed his magic wand and attached scarf but we couldn’t actually see it when it went through the middle of the box – amazing!

I can honestly say I was very impressed with the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set. I love that it’s made of wood, the pieces are sturdy and help create a really entertaining magic show.  My boy is currently practicing all of the tricks to do a big magic show for relatives next time they visit and I can’t wait to watch it.

If you are looking for a gift for a child of 8+, then I think this is brilliant and one that will last.  It’s well worth checking out the Hello Direct website as they cover a vast array of baby and children brands such as Melissa & doug, Casdon, Brio, Fisher Price, Hauck, Hape to name just a few!

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.

Incredibles 2 100 Piece Puzzle from Ravensburger

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Incredibles 2 is due out in cinema’s on 13th July 2018 and brings us the fun loving family of superheroes who love to fight crime and beat the villains.  With baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superhero powers it’ll be fun to see how he gets on in this adventure helping the others.  To celebrate the release, Ravensburger have produced this fun new 100 piece puzzle aimed at 6 years plus.

My boy aged 7 was excited when he saw this and couldn’t wait to get started.  I know he is able to do this unaided and despite him asking for help initially, I just verbally guided him and let him put all the pieces in place.  He started with the edges and soon got to grips with finding pieces and before long was flying along at his own pace.

The finished Incredibles 2 puzzle is a really good size and looks great on the floor or table.  The individual pieces are also well sized and great for little hands.  The size of the pieces also allows for more recognition of what area of the puzzle it may belong too, e.g. the writing across the bottom was easy to spot on pieces and one of the first edges my boy completed.

As you can see my boy was thrilled to complete the puzzle and felt proud that he had achieved it all by himself.  I love watching them do simple things like puzzles as it gets their brain working and takes them away from technology for a while.

On the other hand, don’t forget to head to the big screen from 13th July onwards to catch the new Incredibles 2 film and see the adventures of this superhero family in action!

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

Screechers Wild – The Race Car Machine Hybrids – Review

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Screechers Wild! are the multi tasking race car vehicles that transform into creatures with explosive 360-degree flip morphing action.  They turn in an instant and my 7yr old was hooked once he tried them out and has been playing with them ever since.

With three different levels of vehicles in the range along with a Rapid Disc Blaster and a Speed Launcher there is much fun to have with these all action ready to go toys.

The car’s act as a normal toy car until they drive into or have a disc spun at them through the disc launcher.  This is when they magic happens and within the blink of an eye, each vehicle instantly transforms into a beast, the higher the level of vehicle the more complex the beast is.  Our orange and black level 2 vehicle turns into a dinosaur and is one of my boy’s favourites. The disc blaster is a funnel shaped device that you can stack full of discs.  Upon pushing the plunger a disc fires out and if it hits one of your vehicles at the front it instantly transforms it. There are various coloured discs and my boy was particularly pleased to have a silver and gold one in his set.

The speed launcher is another fabulous device that sends your car shooting across the room.  So if, as my 7yr old likes to do, you line a row of discs up and shoot your car towards them, it’s likely to hit one and transform as it hits it.  He finds it amazing watching them flip in and instant and morph into something else.

The Screechers toys have proved to be a massive hit with my boy and are definitely up there with his top toys.  The are played with everyday which is a good sign and he loves to tell anyone who visits all about them and give them a demonstration.

These toys are packed full of action and keep kids busy with them whizzing across the floor.

From what I have seen so far interest is maintained and these toys are something kids will go back to again and again for lots of fun and action play.  If you haven’t caught them already, then be sure to check out Screechers – the cars that flip in an instant from car to beast mode!

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

UNTAMED Raptors by Fingerlings

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UNTAMED Raptors are the latest toy creation from the makers of Fingerlings.  Coming in four different characters each with it’s own unique name and personality, they have snapping jaws and gripping claws.  With Stealth, Blaze, Fury and Razor we were lucky to get Blaze to try out and see what we thought of him.

Just like Fingerlings, these UNTAMED Raptor creatures simply wrap their claws around your finger, and are the perfect size for little hands which my 7yr old was delighted about.  There’s a simple on of switch on the back and with batteries included, your character is ready to play straightaway.

With a sturdy structure, the creature has moveable head, neck, mouth, eyes and tail although depending where you touch it, depends on how he reacts.  Using various strokes, taps, sounds, cradling or even hanging them upside down, they’ll roar, hiss, snore or make whatever noise they fancy but treat them with care and they’ll be your friend, be unkind and they’ll display their anger with ferocious roars!!

With an impressive 40 plus sounds achievable, we are just learning the possibilities, but my 7yr old is definitely having fun exploring how Blaze works.

Not too loud and a toy that’s portable for out and about, these are great for keeping kids entertained although of course all your friends what a go when they see them!  UNTAMED will definitely be a hit after the success of Fingerlings and one my boy is certainly interested in.

Available for £16.99, these UNTAMED Raptors are available from all leading toy retailers now and are sure to be popular with their young fans.  Which one will you choose or will you collect them all?

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

Stretch Vac Man and Stretch XRay

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If you’ve heard of the Original Stretch Armstrong then get ready to meet his arch enemies, Stretch Vac Man and Stretch XRay from Character Toys.  These also come in smaller 7 inch sizes which actually makes them more child friendly in terms of holding, carrying and stretching them.

The figures are both very soft and stretchy and you can literally stretch them in any way you want to.  They simply just pop back to their original shape when you let them go.

Vac Man has a unique quality in that he has a valve on the top of his head that you can pump up and down to remove all of the air out of him, leaving him with a lumpy texture that is poseable and stays that way until you press the valve to fill him up with air again.

He can be stretched either whilst pumped up or pumped down so there are multiple ways to try playing with the Vac Man.

My children found XRay Man to be exceptionally squidgy and stretchy and loved pulling him apart to get a closer glimpse of his insides.

It is even possible to tie his legs up although I had to be quick with the photos because he soon reverts to his normal self.

My kids found the new 7 inch Stretch characters great fun and it gave them a laugh as well as entertaining them for a while.  They are easy to carry around and I often find them sitting on the sofa giving one of the figures a stretch or working together to see how far they can stretch a set of arms or legs.

If you are looking for a toy that provides a bit of fun and entertainment then do check out the Stretch characters and don’t forget to follow along on the Stretch Armstrong PopJam channel or on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

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

Mine It Diamond & Gold from Character Toys

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Mine It is the latest craze from Character Toys that kids will love.  Available in either a block of gold or diamond shape, the substance requires chipping away using the included tools, a shovel, mallet and also a magnifying glass to help search for your gems.  It’s a fun and novel way at doing a bit of mini archaeology play that keeps kids entertained and excited about finding a precious gem.

Each Mine It set contains a 1 in 24 chance of finding either a real piece of gold or a real diamond.  If you don’t find one of these then you will find another type of rock or gem such as Red Onyx, Picture Jasper, Black Line Jasper, Tiger Eye, Volcano Rock or Rose Crystal.

My two children were quite excited at the idea of these and couldn’t wait to get started.  They found it fun bashing away at the sand like substance and couldn’t wait to get a peek of what they would find inside. My 7yr old particularly liked peering through his magnifying glass from time to time to see if he could spy a glimpse of his precious stone.

They both really enjoyed this activity and it kept them going for a fair while without being too quick or equally not too long that they got bored and gave up.  As you can see below they both ended up with a lump of Volcano rock from their Mine It sets and although would have liked to find the diamond or gold, were quite happy with their discoveries.

To see Mine It in action and a bit more about how the children found it then do check out this video below which shows them both engaging in this activity.  I think you can see from their expressions that they are both happy, excited and thoroughly enjoying themselves throughout!

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

Oregon Scientific Smart Globe Adventure AR

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Oregon Scientific Smart Globe Adventure AR is educational but fun and teaches children an amazing amount of facts about more than 220 different countries using a smart pen to guide them across the globe through learning facts and fun interactive games.  There are 5 games, 19 English challenges and 6 French language challenges.

  • HEAR – The SmartGlobe talks and speaks about lots of fun facts. Listen to the country’s national anthem, capital, or history. Over 4,000 information pieces are stored in the globe’s digital memory.
  • TOUCH – Use the SmartGlobe pen to touch all over the globe. The stand base and world globe contain digital touch points almost everywhere!
  • PLAY – Learn and have fun! Contains 25 games that will teach your children about world facts, while capturing their interest.
  • PORTABLE – Take the globe anywhere. Operates on 3 AA batteries (included) so no cords needed.
  • AUGMENTED REALITY – New for 2017! Use the Oregon Scientific SmartGlobe AR app to bring the globe to life with animals and dinosaurs!

The Smart Globe is a lovely size and brightly coloured which makes it really appealing.  With batteries included it was ready to go and my 9yr old was eager to check it out.  The base contains the controls to use for the smart pen and you have the option of games or facts.  The variety of facts are great and a fabulous way for children to find out about a particular country, either one they are interested in, doing at school, or just a new one they fancy learning about.  The facts cover everything from currency, capitals, national anthems, landscape features and interesting facts about the countries.  Miss M quickly found the games and spent a large amount of time trying to find countries and continents as per the game instructions.  Once she got the hang of where to press on the country and got more familiar with the continents, she was whizzing around and even though she struggled on some, she had so much concentration and determination to continue that she sat playing on her own for a fair amount of time.

Here’s a small clip of Miss M in action playing the countries game on the globe:

There’s an app you can download onto smartphones and tablets where you can experience 3D Augmented Reality such as landscape, animals, landmarks and dinosaurs, literally coming to life in your hand.  With so much to explore and fun to have this globe has to be a great way for kids to learn geography and one they will pick up and do on their own and be happy to learn from.

We’ve been really impressed with the Oregon Scientific Smart Globe Adventure and for the price of £59.99 think it’s well worth the money and something that will be a great boost to children of primary school age and even a little older.

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

Ben 10 Deluxe Power Up Figure

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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. 

Songmics Toy Storage and Bookshelves Unit

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Songmics have done it again with this fabulous value for money children’s storage unit.  If you are looking for something that doesn’t cost the earth, but looks stylish and holds lots of your child’s books and boxes for toy storage then check out this multipurpose colourful unit.

The unit comes flat packed but I found it very simple to build on my own and did it fairly quickly.  It’s quite light to carry empty and does have supports to attach to the wall should you feel you want to use them.  The colourful toy storage boxes are sturdy and strong and ideal for my 6yr old’s endless little bitty toys that he loves to collect and he can remove a box when he wants and just put it back over the bars when he’s finished.

The book holder is useful and I love the way all the books face you so that the child an select a book by glancing at the front cover easily.  I try and change the books around every few weeks with others so that he constantly gets different ones to look at and choose for bedtime reading. Overall I’m thrilled with this storage idea and it has proved a hit with my boy, he loves seeing all his things and has easy access to them to play with or put back when it’s ‘tidy up’ time.

With this being such a useful, great piece, I’m giving you the chance to win one for yourself – exactly as you see in the picture below.  If you’d like to win then scroll down and fill in the gleam form to get your entries in.

Songmics toy and bookshelf storage

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

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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.