Toys – Page 3 – The Review Studio

Chit Chat Nail Varnish Colour Wheel

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Stocking Fillers, Toys, Vegan, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

This lovely gift set is aimed at girls but with the ten different colours, including pinks and red, it could be a lovely gift for anyone!

Chit Chat’s Nail Varnish Colour Wheel is also vegan, which is not something you find very often in beauty products especially nail varnishes. There are 10 colours (including pink and red but also blue, green and yellow) which are 3.5ml in size each. In the centre of the wheel there’s 12 different glitter colours to add to your nail colour. Whether you use the corresponding glitter and varnish colours or do something outlandish and mix up the complimentary colours, the combinations of glitter gems and nail varnish are endless, and so much fun!

The gift set doesn’t say what age range it’s aimed at, but I would guess children aged 6-10 years old, and not much younger due to the smaller parts. The wacky colours are great to experiment with but also teach children fine motor skills with the application of the brush and then the tiny gems which go over the nail varnish and stock to the surface. To make them really secure, you can use a top coat nail varnish over the top, although that isn’t provided with this set.

Even if you don’t have children in the house, this is a great kit for the colours and nail art, especially as the varnish pots are a smaller size and you can take them on holiday with you. The quality of the varnish is good too. This kit is great as a bonding exercise with an adult and child.

Available from £ 7.50 at: https://well.co.uk/chit-chat-nail-varnish-colour-wheel/

Orchard Toys Countdown to Christmas Activity Book

advent calendar, Books, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

As thoughts turn to Christmas I’ve been looking out for Christmas themed books to keep our mini reviewers occupied in the lead up to Christmas. We are big fans of Orchard Toys as they make fun educational games so when I saw the Countdown to Christmas Activity Book, I knew it would be perfect for the little ones this year.

With 25 fun activities including pictures to colour, wordsearches and recipes the idea is you do one activity a day from the 1^st December meaning the children will have lots of fun counting down the days to Christmas. Once each activity is completed there is a number sticker to add to the page and a sticker to add to the pull out advent scene at the back of the book.

There is also a letter to Santa and if you submit a photo of it to Orchard Toys by the 18^th December you are guaranteed a response.

This is a really fun book and a great way to countdown to Christmas with little ones. I would definitely recommend it and will enjoy doing the activities with our little ones this December.

RRP £4

Top It Board Game

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Learning, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Toys, Winter

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

If you are looking for a fun game to play after Christmas lunch that the whole family will enjoy then look no further than Top It from Cheatwell Games. This fast thinking game is great to play with family and friends either individually or in teams. It is recommended for ages 10+ but we played it with an 8 year old and he was able to come up with plenty of answers – but it does depend on the child.

Inside the box are

75 double sided Top It Topics Cards
60 Top It Cones
18 Letter Discs
Sand timer
Score Pad
Pencil

The game is really easy to set up, there are 60 coloured cones, 10 of each colour so the players/team decide on a colour and take their cones. You then place 9 of the letter discs on the table in 3 rows of 3 and place the topic cards next to the letter cards. The top card is turned over, followed by the timer and then the fun begins! Everyone shouts out an answer that fits the topic and begins with one of the 9 letters on the table. As they shout out their answer they place a cone on that letter, if there is already a cone they “Top It” which means they place theirs on top and at the end of the 60 seconds the person who owns the top cone on each of the letters wins the points – scoring is easy if there are 3 cones they win 3 points or 6 cones wins 6 points etc.

There are also bonus points to be had if you get 3 of your coloured cones in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) adding a strategic angle to the game as getting correct answers in a row can really boost your points and earn you more points than being the top of a stack of cones.

We found the game can get quite loud and competitive as the cones stack up, especially when my family were playing! We thought it was better played as a team game as everyone can join in, both young and old. There is a good mix of topics and it was quite surprising hearing some of the answers – I’m not sure I fancy either chocolate or potatoes as a pizza topping!

Top It is a great game for the festive season particularly for groups of friends and family and whether brought as a gift for Christmas or just as an addition to your festive games’ cupboard Top It will provide lots of fun and laughter.

RRP £26.99 available from Amazon

Host Your Own Family Quiz Night

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Home, Learning, Toys

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Christmas is the time of year when we not only give and receive board games, but old games are brought out, new plays are established and memories are made in families. The cold days where children can’t play outside as much and dark weekend evenings when Nan and Grandad come round for dinner also help foster the fun at family time. Along with all the old favourites, Cheatwell have the Host Your Own Family Quiz Night board game – a variation on the typical ‘pub quiz’ type games but in the form of a board game.

For ages 8+ years and at least 2 players, the question cards are divided so that there is one multiple choice question for younger children and one challenging question for older adults and children to answer. The questions aren’t related either, so the topics are also aimed at the different audiences. The topic include People, Science and Nature, History, Movies, TV, Geography and Pot Luck. Each player rolls the die to move along the board and lands on a square with a question topic. The aim is to get to the end of the board and answer as many questions as possible first to be the winner.

The game takes longer with fewer people taking part but you find that there are a lot of discussions with younger children when it comes to answering their questions. Some of the questions, especially about TV are Britain-centred so if there is anyone in your family who didn’t grow up here or isn’t familiar with some aspects of British life, then they are going to be at a disadvantage. Maybe that’s a good thing in some families! It is great fun though and I thought the questions were really well pitched for children and adults alike.

Available for £18.49 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheatwell-Games-Family-Quiz-Night/dp/B08TXWBRBT

Host Your Own Race Night Board Game

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Toys

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I had heard of Host Your Own Race Night from friends who have played it before and explained what a fun idea it was and how it worked, so when I was given the opportunity to test it, it seemed like the perfect Saturday night in with the family!

Host Your Own Race Night is a board game based on betting on horse races. Instead of having to go to a race meeting, the game is hosted at home with the use of 2 DVDs of 32 races. As a team, you choose which race you want to play, then you are given a Race Form Guide to study the form of each horse and then you place your bets using the race cards provided. At the end of the race, check the results and the winner collects their winnings in the form of (albeit fake!) ‘cash’! At the end of the game, the person with the highest amount of cash wins!

The races are hosted on a dry-wipe board and the pen is included so you can use the board and the race cards over and over. I would have a rag or something similar handy so that you can clean the board between races easily. You might not have a DVD player any longer so hunt one down before you invite others to come over and play, but some laptops with CD/DVD drives can still play them.

The game instructions are easy to understand and it’s a game for the whole family from teenagers up to grandparents. Kids will love the fake money too! The game is set for more than 2 players and I would say that this is great for about 6 players ideally. It is a betting game though, and you probably shouldn’t encourage smaller children to play so the starting age of 14+ years makes sense. You can play just a couple of races or all the 32 races and make a night of it, plus the races are reasonably short so you can stop and start the game for interruptions. This would be a good game for New Year’s Eve for instance, where you might not want to watch TV but you do want to switch it on and off for different celebrations etc.

It’s great fun, and some family members get really involved in it whilst others are more passive and play for the game rather than the amount of winnings. It’s how much you bet on each horse in each game that makes the game different each time. You don’t need to be a horse racing expert to know how to play or be able to enjoy it, but horse race followers will love it!

Available on Amazon for £20.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheatwell-Games-23250-Host-Night-2/dp/B07F88XD7Y

BLO Pens

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, Children, Games, Gifts for children, Halloween, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts an opinions are our own.

The days are getting shorter, the nights are darker and the spookiest day of the year is just around the corner. Our little withes and ghouls have been getting into the Halloween spirit with some spooktacular Halloween crafts and have been having plenty of fun with these new BloPens sets from John Adams Toys.

BloPens are really clever as they turn a felt tipped pen into spray paint – simply take the top off, put the nib into the clear plastic tube and put the coloured end back on. By blowing through the top the colour sprays out and you can create different effects by blowing harder and softer. Once you have finished your picture you can use the pens to add extra details and wording.

The Harry Potter Set (RRP £15) and the Scooby Doo set (RRP £13.38) are both perfect for creating spooky Halloween masterpieces, both sets contain 8 coloured BloPens and 6 cardboard stencils which you can use to create colourful effects on the paper. I would advise popping out the bits of the stencils before you give them to a younger child as little fingers might end up tearing some of the pieces which will spoil the pictures.

Our mini reviewers found them easy to use and before long were creating some spectacular works of art by mixing the colours to create a selection of spooktacular and magical pictures. They have really enjoyed using the BloPens and unlike a lot of crafts it’s a pretty mess free activity so there’s hardly any tiding up needed – definitely my sort of craft! The stencils can be reused so the little monsters will be able to create plenty more spooky pictures in the lead up to Halloween.

Available from Amazon

Pippeta Albert Bear Teether

Baby, Children, Gifts for children, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

That very first tooth is a big milestone for all new parents, but teething isn’t the most enjoyable of stages as it can be quite painful, with babies becoming grumpy with bright red cheeks and constant dribbling. A good way to help relieve the pain is to give them a teething toy to chew on, as biting a teether applies pressure to the gums, which can help provide relief from teething pain. Lots of teethers also have surfaces with bumps on which massage the gums and help ease the pain.

Albert Bear from Pipetta is a cute bear shaper teether made from 100% natural rubber and is BPA and phthalate free – very important for a toy that is going to spend a lot of time in a baby’s mouth. I was pleased to discover he is made all in one piece so there are no holes for bacteria to form, making it completely safe for tiny mouths.

The teether is 12cm long and is the perfect size for little hands to grab – our mini reviewer put it straight in his mouth and it has really helped soothe his sore gums. Albert Bear feels durable and has been able to withstand a good chewing from our teething mini reviewer. The soft rubber is soothing on his sore gums and is easy to clean with a damp cloth or warm soapy water. My top tip when your baby is really struggling with teething is to pop it in a plastic bag in the fridge for a couple of hours as the coolness of the teether really helps to soothe sore gums.

Albert Bear will make a great Christmas gift for any baby, it not only looks cute it’s a very practical toy too.

Suitable from +0 years old

RRP £13.95

Available from Pipetta here

Rubik’s Phantom Rubik’s Cube

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

The Rubik’s Phantom is a mind-boggling, challenging puzzle related to the famous 80s Rubik’s Cube that many of us grew up with. This one is different though because it has a major difference. You can’t see the colours on the stickers unless you heat them up with the warmth of your hand. Without the warmth of your touch, all the sides are black!

Once you solve the first puzzle (ie getting into the intricate packaging) then the Cube itself looks harmful enough. It has the same black squares all the way around until you put light pressure on each one to reveal the colour. Quickly you realise that you can’t just sit and hold your finger over one sticker at a time, so you have to find ways of warming up the whole face of the Cube at the same time in order to reveal the different colours. The photo shows what the Cube looked like before touch, then after. This however, was only after I worked out how to hold the Rubik’s Cube in my hand long enough to get the full colour through.

The sides are in 6 colours (white, green, orange, blue, red and yellow) and each sticker seems to have a different ‘warm up’ time to it. Some of the stickers kept their colour for longer too, whilst others seemed to fade quickly. The trick is to get as many of the sides warmed up (and it took a good 30 seconds to get a true colour to come through) then work on solving the puzzle with one hand at least constantly on one face to keep from going cold.

The Rubik’s Phantom is one of the more challenging hand puzzles available with a 5/6 scoring for difficulty. The added pressure of remembering which colour each tile is or indeed remembering to keep the faces warm, adds to players’ cognitive memory, as well as using fine motor skills and general problem solving skills – vital if you’re to work out how to get the tiles warm enough! Incidentally, the heat sensitive faces need a temperature of 26C (79F) or above to change colour. How long it will take to complete the puzzle in anyone’s guess.

Available from £19.69 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Rubik’s+Phantom&ref=nb_sb_noss

Catch Phrase Card Game

Birthday Gifts, camping, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this game free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

We love going away in our caravan, it’s a great way to relax and it also gives us the perfect opportunity to get the children away from electronic devices for a few hours each evening when we get out a board game to play. Space is tight in the caravan so travel games like the Catch Phrase card game from Ginger Fox are great as they don’t take up much room.

Based on the popular TV show the game is very easy to play and doesn’t need a large table so it’s great to play in the caravan. You place the buzzer card and the blue edged Catch Phrase cards in the middle of the table and the oldest player turns the top card over. Once you think you know the Catch Phrase you put your hand on the buzzer card and shout out the answer. You can then turn the card over to check the answer – if you are correct you score 100 points but an incorrect answer means you are frozen out for that round. If no one guesses the Catch Phrase another card is turned over. After 6 cards have been played the Bonus Catch Phrase round (silver edged cards) is played and the player with the least points hosts the round. This round is played in the same way, but a correct answer now wins you 200 points and the opportunity to guess the bonus Catch Phrase. If you have internet access this is done by scanning the QR code on the card and tapping the screen to remove a random square to reveal a section of the picture. If they are correct, they win 500 points but an incorrect answer means you go back to the main Catch Phrase cards.

If you don’t have internet access then a Bonus Catch Phrase card is placed in the cardboard sleeve with the cover card on the top. The cover card is moved to the next line on the cardboard sleeve, revealing a small section of the card.

The winner is the player with the most points.

Being a rather competitive family the buzzer card tended to be hit rather than having hand placed gently on it but this added to the fun and it’s a good job we have a sturdy table in the caravan!

We all enjoyed playing Catch Phrase, it’s a fast paced game and great fun for all ages and kept us entertained all evening. At £12.99 it is the perfect stocking filler and will be great fun to play on Christmas day with the family.

Available from Amazon here

Taco Vs Burrito The Card Game

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Home, Learning, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for a different card game to play this Christmas or to give as a gift, Taco vs Burrito ticks all those boxes. A game for 2-4 players, it can be played by any age (although it’s recommended from age 7 years upwards), this strategy game is for all the family. It only takes a few minutes to learn how to play and each round is only about 15 minutes long.

Invented by 7 year old Alex, the game has causes a storm with its whacky but fun cards. The game has won numerous awards including Best Family Fun Tilillywig Award, Winner of Hot Diggity Award 2021, and winner of National Parenting Product Award 2021. There’s been over 500,000 units sold worldwide already and 17,500+ 5-star awards from users. All from the imagination of a small boy whose parents started a Kickstarter appeal for funding for him, to make his dreams come true.

How to play: each player is given either a Taco or a Burrito (hence the name) as a basis of the game. Using the 5 cards dealt to you, each player either adds a weird ingredient card from their hand (such as fresh brains or chocolate covered shrimp) or an action card. The aim of the game is to build up a disgusting meal with ingredients cards that have different point values, then use the action cards to either increase the points value of your meal, or smash the value of your opponent’s meal. There’s also the Hot Sauce Card which doubles the value or your meal or that of other players when you play it against them.

As the game progresses, there’s other action cards such as the Tummy Ache card, No Bueno card (to stop the action of another player at any time), or the Health Inspector. If you get the Health Inspector card, you have to play it immediately in the game, sending all the ingredients cards in your meal to the discarded pile on the table, never to be used again. That is unless, you have the Trash Panda card, which allows you to take any of the cards from the discarded pile and add it back to your hand.

The different variation of action cards to use against the ingredients cards are what make the game fun for everyone. The cards are colourful and easy to read and for little ones, it helps develop their reading skills as well as taking turns in play. The different type of action cards take a little while to get used to so I would have an adult sit and play until they all get hang of the game rules. It’s great fun though, and everyone understood how to play with each consecutive game, so this is perfect for Christmas time board games!

Available on Amazon from £24.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Taco-Burrito-Popular-Surprisingly-Strategic/dp/B07JZTBV9C/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2CBW8R4GRTDFZ&keywords=taco+vs+burrito+card+game&qid=1694957554&sprefix=taco+vs%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-5

Brainbox Animals

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Learning, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Younger children tend to have a short attention span so finding games that are simple enough for them to join in, don’t take forever to play and are interesting enough for older children to join in with can be tricky. BrainBox games tick all these boxes and with a huge selection of themes you can pick a version to suit your family’s interests. The games are all memory and observation card games which not only test your eye for detail but are full of interesting facts too and every time I play, I discover a new fact so it’s great for your general knowledge too!

The game is easy to play, there are 54 cards, a 10 second sand timer and a dice and the players take in in turns to draw a card and study it for 10 seconds. Once the timer runs out you roll the dice and the card is passed to the next player who asks the corresponding numbered question from the back of the card. If you get it right, you keep the card but if you get it wrong it goes back into the BrainBox. After ten minutes (or however long you want to play for) the player who has the most cards wins.

As well as memory skills the Brainbox Animals game also helps with observation as there are questions about which way the animals are facing or how many animals there are. It also helps children with their reading, our 8 year old mini reviewer hates sitting down with a book but will happily read the questions on the cards all night discovering interesting information about the animals like where they live, what they eat, how big they are and how long they live.

This is a great game to play with children and with so many themes it is easy to choose a topic that they are interested in. My children have already asked for Dinosaurs, Harry Potter and Nature and I quite fancy the World History and Around the World UK versions. Playing for ten minutes every night will really broaden their knowledge and get those facts stored in their brains in a fun way.

RRP £13

Age group 8+

Tension Play Anywhere Edition

Birthday Gifts, camping, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this game free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Whenever we go away, whether it’s by car, train or plane, I always make sure I have a couple of travel games in my bag to help pass the time. Tension from Cheatwell Games, the top ten naming game is one of our favourite board games so were really pleased to try out the travel version this summer.

The box is very cleverly designed, storing all the cards, timer and counters and also doubling up as the score board with little buttons to pop whenever a correct answer is shouted out.

The cards are double sided, orange questions on one size and blue on the other. The orange questions tend to be easier so when we have been playing with younger children we use these but if you are playing with older children or adults you can choose either. The cards cover a huge variety of topics such as Fictional Doctors, Power Tools, Pub Names Featuring Animals and Things You Can Hang On A Wall so it is a great game to play when you have a mix of ages.

The game is easy to play, you split into two teams and the first team select the top card and place it into the card dispenser, making sure that all the poppers are raised. The topic is read out, the timer turned and the other team shout out as many correct answers as they can within the time. It sounds easy but the twist is you need to come up with the same ten answers on the card to gain points. Among the correct answers you will also get plenty of hilarious answers which adds to the fun of the game! When a correct answer is given the popper is pushed down to keep score. Tokens are awarded based on the number of correct answers (yellow =1, red =5 and blue =10). Play then swaps to the other team and continues until all tokens are used.

This is a great game to play and a fantastic addition to our travel game collection. It is now in my travel bag ready for our next trip.

RRP £12.99 from Amazon

Active Snap

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Fitness, Games, Gifts for children, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own

Now the schools are back I’m suddenly inundated by birthday party invitations, fabulous for my children but a headache for me as I have to come up with inexpensive gifts for the birthday boy/girl.

When Tomy sent me their Active Snap game my problem was solved, costing a very reasonable £5.99, this fantastic card game is a twist on the classic and much-loved game of Snap and is suitable for both boys and girls.

Like the traditional version, players take turns playing the cards and when they match, the person who puts their hand on the cards and shouts “SNAP” first wins all the cards. Active Snap is even more exciting as when you win a round, everyone else must do the activity that is illustrated on the card. With star jumps, touching your toes, sit-ups and dancing as well as many more lively activities the game is great fun to play (and watch).

Active Snap gets everyone moving and with Christmas coming up will be great game to play at family parties – everyone can play from toddlers to Granny and it might even help burn off a few calories after Christmas lunch too!!

RRP: £5.99

Suitable for ages: 4+ years

Available from Independent toy shops, Amazon, WH Smith, Hamley’s, Tesco

Bananagrams

camping, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Learning, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Now the children are back at school we are trying to limit the amount of time they spend glued to screens so we have started playing a boardgame after tea. This week we have been playing Bananagrams which is perfect for helping children with words and spellings. It’s like Scrabble in that you create crosswords using the lettered tiles, but it is much easier for younger children to play as there’s no board restricting the words you can make and no scores to keep track of either.

To begin you place the 144 lettered tiles (the bunch) face down in the middle of the table and each player takes a certain number of tiles (dependant on the number of players). Once everyone has their tiles one player shouts “SPLIT” and everyone can turn over their tiles and begin making their crosswords. Once started you can rearrange your tiles at any time to try and use all the tiles.

As soon as you have played your last tile, you shout ‘peel’ which means everyone picks up a new tile from the bunch. It can be tricky to fit all your tiles in a crossword so when you get stuck you have the option of shouting ‘DUMP’ and exchanging one of your tiles for three new ones. This can be really helpful at the beginning of the game but as the game progresses you tend to find that you keep getting the harder letters like Q and Z which everyone is desperately trying to get rid of!

Play continues until there are less tiles in the bunch than the number of players and then the first player to use all their tiles shouts “BANANAS.” The words are then checked by the other players, if they are correct that player wins but any misspelled words, abbreviations or proper nouns means the player is disqualified and the other players shout “ROTTEN BANANA” and return all the tiles to the bunch and play continues.

This is a great game and we have had lots of fun playing it, it’s a lot faster than Scrabble and great for helping children with their spelling without them realising!

The game comes in a small banana-shaped zipped bag which is the perfect size to pop in a bag for holidays or sleepovers at grandparents and it also fits nicely in a stocking so would make a great Christmas gift too.

RRP £15.99

Age group 7+

Hey Doodle Reusable Colouring Mat

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for children, Home, Learning, REUSABLE, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Keeping children occupied with quiet toys often resorts to screen time. It’s not easy to carry around a bag full of toys as well as snacks, change of clothes and any other emergency items you might need, but instead of resorting to your phone, there are other options. Hey Doodle have a range of reusable and educational toys which are lightweight and easy to use, including these Hey Doodle A4 colouring mats.

Included in the tube of this ‘Into The Wild’ scene is a silicone mat, pre-printed with animals of the alphabet with the letters in traceable format. There’s also three colouring pens to be used with the toy, where children can trace the letters and then colour in the animals next to it. After it has been coloured in, you can wipe clean the mat and start again.

This is a great toy for going on holiday and especially for long journeys. There’s enough to do on the A4 sized mat that will take the average 3-5 year old enough time that they don’t get bored, and if they make a mistake, you can just rub it out and start again. Over time, you can see how well their colouring and letter skills improve if you take a photo of it each time they finish.

The mat is not only for learning about animals, the alphabet and colouring. Whether blank or drawn on, you can ask questions about the animals, ask children to point to specific letters or work on the mat together to create some bonding time too. This ‘Into The Wild’ mat is one of a series of topics including Dinosaurs and Aussie Animals which can also be purchased as a bundle for £39.99. If you’re more stationary, there’s also a range of bigger mats which are great for indoor play, but these A4 sized mats, which come in a tube to make them easier to carry with the pens, are fabulous for stockings. They can also be posted easily because of their very light weight.

If you’re conscious about the environment too, the Hey Doodle set of toys are completely re-usable so that not just one child but all the kids can make use of it again and again – no need to repeat buy colouring books or keep printing from the internet! It saves paper and cleaning the mats is super easy with just a household damp cloth. If you want to leave them overnight to soak in a sink of water, it also makes for a fun experiment with little ones the next morning to see how the water has eaten away the colours!

Hey Doodle have some lovely ideas for gifts, especially for Christmas and the A4 Silicone mats are brilliant for children aged 3+, and adults too!

Available from £14.99 at: https://heydoodle.uk/products/intothewild-mm

Lamaze Freddie the Firefly

Baby, Children, Christmas, Gifts for children, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this toy free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Freddie the Firefly from Lamaze is the perfect gift for babies this Christmas, with a smiley face and plenty of sounds and textures to explore it’s the perfect sensory toy for little ones.

Each segment of his body is made from a different fabric meaning he has plenty of tactile sensory sensations for little ones to enjoy. He has little knotted legs and his many layered wings are all different, there are crackly wings, ribbed wings, squeakers, rattles and even a peekaboo mirror to delight little ones. Our little one especially liked the ladybird teether which has brought relief to her sore gums. Freddie has a brightly coloured soft velour body and the contrasting colours and patterns will also help support a baby’s visual development.

The brightly coloured toy instantly caught our mini reviewer’s attention, it was so easy for to grasp in her little hands and she has happily chomped, crinkled and pulled on it whilst sat in her buggy and car seat. Small handheld toys are great for entertaining children when out and about, they fit nicely in a changing bag and having the clip means you can fasten it to a buggy or car seat and not worry about it getting lost.

There’s plenty to keep a baby entertained and engaged and it would make a great gift for a new baby this Christmas.

RRP: £15.99

Suitable for ages: 0m+

Stockists include: Independent toy shops, Smyths, Amazon, The Entertainer, Very, Hamleys, Sainsburys, Tesco, John Lewis, Boots, Waitrose and Ocado.

PLAYin CHOC Christmas Collection

Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Plastic free, Toys, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Organic Chocolate and Surprise Toy!

Decision making time is here when it comes to Christmas presents! It’s always difficult to find toys and treats for children which are more sustainable, have less additives and preservatives and are hopefully healthier than some items in the shops.

PLAYin CHOC are the modern alternative to Kinder Surprises. They’re boxes of individually wrapped chocolates with a pop-out, make your own toy made of cardboard, and an information card with facts. Aimed at children aged 3+, they provide a treat as well as an educational toy which they put together themselves.

The PLAYin CHOC chocolate is organic, dairy free, nut free, gluten free and the toys and packaging are all plastic free. The chocolate is sweetened with coconut sugar (coconut is not a nut but actually a fruit) and the creaminess of the chocolate comes from creamed coconut. There’s only cacao solids and vanilla pods which make up the rest of the ingredients of the chocolates.

We were sent a selection box of 6 PLAYin CHOC ToyChoc boxes in a collection for Christmas. Each box contains two chocolates of 10grams each, individually wrapped in compostable film. The toy is a 3D puzzle which pops out from the cardboard pressing and is assembled with little hands, and all the toys are on a Christmas theme. There’s also a fact card with each box which relates to the puzzle your child has made, giving them that extra entertainment.

These are lovely presents for Christmas – either on the Christmas table to keep children entertained, in the car on long trips or even in crackers. As they’re all compostable and recyclable as well, they fulfil the environmental check list too. These PLAYin CHOC boxes would be great as stocking fillers too, in the knowledge that each box doesn’t contain that much chocolate that it will spoil Christmas lunch, nor will children get hyperactive because there aren’t any additives involved. Christmas morning, making toy puzzles out of cardboard cut outs is much more preferable to the sirens and bells of other toys and games!

Is the chocolate any good? Well, I’ve tried PLAYin CHOC before and even tested the difference between them other High Street chocolates. There is no coconut taste, but PLAYin CHOC is slightly less sweet than other brands, probably because there is no added sugar, just coconut sugar. There’s still the creamy texture of chocolate, and of course, the cocoa makes sure that you still get your chocolate hit!

Gift sets will be available for £13.50 for 6 at: https://playinchoc.com/collections

Teeter Rocker

Children, Family Life, Gifts for children, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Children need lots of stimulation and the best way to do this is through play. Rockers are great for children as they encourage children to be active and they also help their balance and movement, especially when they discover that they can rock it by themselves. We’ve had our fair share of rocking toys over the years and the Teeter Rocker has to be the most unusual of them all. Created by the Fat Brain Toy Co the Teeter Rocker is a solid plastic toy and is suitable for children aged 3 to 10 years, with a maximum weight of 50kg. It is nice and solid and measures approximately 28 inches x 11.5 inches with a depth of 7.5inches. The thing that is different with this rocker is it has suckers on the bottom so when you play with it on a hard surface, like a wooden floor or patio, the suction from the suckers grips and releases as the child moves, creating a fun popping sound which our mini reviewers loved. The base is rounded meaning you can move it many different ways – forwards and backwards, side to side and even spin round on it too.

The toy has really captured our mini reviewers attention and they keep going back to it. Whilst it has been wet they have played with it indoors, it pops really well on our tiled kitchen floor and when it stopped raining they have taken it outside to play with on the patio and grass. Our 3 year old is small enough to sit in it and enjoys being gently rocked but is also learning that by moving his body he can rock it himself, it’s great to see his face light up when he spins round in it. Our 7 year old is more adventurous and has been trying keeping his balance whilst standing on it.

I have loved hearing the children playing with it this week, there’s been lots of shrieks and giggles as they discover new ways to play with it and it has been great seeing them play together with it and seeing who can do the most daring trick with it! It’s incredibly sturdy and is a great toy for helping their development and it is already a firm favourite with them.

RRP: £29.99

Stockists include: Happy Puzzle Company, Amazon and Smyths

TOMY Megasketcher

Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

We’re half way through the school holidays and the weather has been absolutely dreadful, with a lot more rainy days than dry ones, meaning we’ve had to spend more time indoors than I would have liked. Luckily our mini reviewers enjoy drawing, so they have been busy creating plenty of masterpieces with the Megasketcher from TOMY.

The Megasketcher measures 35cm x 45cm and has a handle at the top, allowing it to be easily carried around by children. It can be used on a desk, the floor or on their knee allowing them to draw wherever they prefer to be. The great thing about it is you don’t need pens or paper so there’s none of the mess or waste that art sessions in our house normally bring!

With a magnetic pencil (attached to the board with a cord so no chance of losing it) and four shape stampers, the only thing they need is a bit of imagination! They can draw or write on the board and the shapes are great for adding extra detail to the pictures. Once they have finished, simply move the orange knob up to magically erase the picture and then they are ready to start again.

As well as being great fun and encouraging creativity, it has really helped our mini reviewers learn how to hold a pen properly and has helped their hand-eye co ordination.

Megasketcher has been the best in the field of magnetic drawing boards for almost 30 years, I remember having one as a child and it’s just as fascinating using one now as it was all those years ago! I’m not sure who is having the most fun with it – me or them!!

RRP: £18.99

Suitable for ages 3+

Available from Smyths, Argos, Amazon, Very, Littlewoods, John Lewis and Independent Toy Retailers

Wheelybug Ride on Cow

Baby, Birthday Gifts, Children, Gifts for children, Summer, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Yes Bebe are a family run online retailer who specialise in babies and children’s products and accessories. Founded in 2016, following the birth of their daughter, husband-and-wife team Charlotte and Ken Kong initially began selling cloth nappies and organic clothing, but quickly expanded into sustainable, hand-crafted wooden toys.

They recently sent us a fantastic Wheelybug Ride on Cow for our mini reviewers to try – one of our mini reviewers is just taking a few tentative steps so it’s the perfect time to introduce a ride on toy, which is not only great fun to play with but offers plenty of exciting new learning opportunities including

Gross motor skills – balance and co-ordination skills are learnt when working out initially how to stay on the toy and then how to scoot about on it.

Spatial awareness – as they ride around and navigate obstacles – will they fit through that gap and can they avoid the bricks on the floor?

Problem solving skills – learning how to get on and off the toy.

Being in charge of a toy that moves is a massive confidence boost for children and offers plenty of fun and excitement. They can decide how fast to go and which way to scoot around the house and if you have the space, you can even have races – my house has a very long hallway which is frequently used for this purpose!

Ride on toys also stimulate your child’s imagination – one day they might be going to the shops, another working on the farm or perhaps driving to Grandma’s or the beach.

Made with a sturdy wooden base with 4x 360 degree rotating castors, the Wheelybug has a padded body, handle bar and comes in a variety of different animal designs. We picked a cow as we live on a farm but there is also a pig, tiger, mouse, ladybird, bee, hedgehog, panda, lion, dog or even a unicorn to choose from. It’s lightweight, nippy and incredibly easy to manoevure and is small enough to pop in the car when visiting friends or family. The castors enable the Wheelybug to go backwards, forwards, sideways and round in circles and the cute little bug is low enough to the ground for little legs to scoot around or push. It’s good on carpet but even better on tiled or wooden floors and our mini reviewers have been having lots of fun with it.

One great thing about the Wheelybug is it comes ready to ride – there is nothing worse than getting a toy and then having to fit parts to it before it can be played with – let’s face it we’ve all been there on Christmas Day!

The Cow Wheelybug is a fantastic toy and whilst it’s small enough to fit in a cupboard it’s one of those toys that you want to have on display!

RRP small £69.95 & £79.95 for the larger version

Yes Bebe have a fantastic selection of children’s toys and accessories on their website and I know this is one website that I will be visiting again and again for birthday and Christmas presents over the coming months.

Dobble Scouts

Birthday Gifts, camping, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Learning, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Dobble by Asmodee is one of our favourite travel games and travels everywhere with us. The handy tin is small enough to fit in my bag and has entertained our mini reviewers in many different locations over the years including trains, restaurants, hotel rooms, and campsites. When I heard that Dobble had launched a Scouts version I was quite excited as my whole family are involved in Scouting, so this version has a special significance for us.

Available directly from the Scout Store (where all profits are returned to the Scouts) this new version uses symbols associated with Scouting – you’ll find hiking boots, canoes, rucksacks, tents and many more outdoor adventure symbols on the game cards in Dobble Scouts.

With 5 different games to play this game will keep everyone entertained, both young as old as the good thing about this game is everyone is on a level. There’s always a matching symbol on any two cards but with 8 symbols on a card in different sizes and orientation it is more challenging than you would think and sometimes you will find yourself staring at your card for ages and still not see it!

A game doesn’t take long to play, around 5-10 minutes, but it is such good fun that you’ll find that everyone wants to play it over and over again. It’s a great game for 2 but equally as fun in a larger group.

In the words of the Scout motto – “Be Prepared” and put this in the pocket of your rucksack when you go off on an adventure – it’s great to play with friends old and new around a campfire in the evening once you’ve finished adventuring!

As well as the game the new Dobble Scouts collection will also include hoodies, badges and keyrings in the famous Scout colours and will make great gifts for Scouts young and oldCubs,

Ages 6+ | 2-8 Players | RRP £14.99

The Genius Star

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Father's Day, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

We’re on the last few weeks of the summer term and on the countdown to summer holidays. Travelling with children can be incredibly stressful so if you can keep then entertained it makes the journey a lot more pleasant for everyone! In the run up to the summer holidays I am always on the lookout for compact games that I can pop in my bag to keep the children entertained, whether they are on a plane, car, hotel room or caravan.

We were recently sent The Genius Star from The Happy Puzzle Company which can be played solo or as a 2 player game. The game is great fun and will not only keep them occupied whilst travelling it is also fun to team up to play together as a family in the evenings.

Inside the box are two plastic star shaped grids, two sets of 11 multi-coloured wooden shapes, two sets of seven blocker pieces (triangles) and seven dice (a mixture of six and eight sided). The game is very easy to play, simply roll all the dice and place a blocker piece into the triangle matching the seven numbers that appear on the dice, then race your opponent to fill every other space on the grid using the 11 shapes. There is also an added twist with the ‘Golden Star’ which allows you to score a double win by solving the puzzle with the ‘Golden Star’ Apparently only 57.4% of the puzzles have a solution that includes the ‘Golden Star’ so this adds to the challenge!

The game is good for STEM learning using skills including problem solving, critical thinking and logic skills to complete the puzzle.

Each game is reasonably quick but with 165,888 possible combinations you do sometimes play a round that takes a little longer to complete, especially if you try to use the ‘Golden Star’ but that just adds to the fun. With so many different combinations this is a game that will keep children (and adults) entertained these holidays.

The Genius Star is suitable for ages 8 to adult and has an RRP of £19.99

Britains New Holland T7.300 LWB Blue Power and John Deere Kids Giant Floor Puzzle

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Him, Stocking Fillers, Toys, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Some men are notoriously difficult to buy presents for, a lot of my family are farmers and with no time for hobbies and days out this tends to rule out a lot of traditional Father’s Day gifts. The one present I know will go down well is a tractor and whilst I can’t stretch to a real one, a Britains tractor from Tomy is definitely the next best thing. Britains 1:32 die-cast replica models are incredibly well made and I haven’t met a farmer yet who doesn’t have at least a couple on the shelf.

Farmers tend to prefer a particular brand of tractor and in my family it’s New Holland, the T7.300 LWB Blue Power tractor is a favourite, it is designed for high power yet is still compact sized. It has a power output of 280hp which can be boosted up to a maximum of 300hp so it certainly packs a powerful punch. The new flagship model from Britains captures every detail of this impressive machine, we have the removeable Horizon Ultra cab which allows you see the intricate details of the interior, big soft feel tread tyres along with a working steering wheel and detailed die cast body. The front wheels turn easily and pivot up and down so they can be driven over uneven ground and it has a front A frame hitch and rear tow hitch, which is compatible with other 1:32 scale models so you can attach whatever trailer or implement you need.

Currently priced at £34.45 on Amazon I know plenty of farmers who would love to receive one of these on Father’s Day!

For younger farmers the John Deere Kids 36 piece giant floor puzzle is a great activity to do with Dad on Father’s Day. Measuring 3’ x 2’ this jigsaw features a fantastic countryside scene and the large pieces are nice and sturdy and easy for little hands to pick up without bending or tearing. The pieces slot together nicely and the picture is bright and vibrant. Our mini reviewer loved this jigsaw completing it three times in a row before I dragged them away to have tea!

As well as being great fun to do jigsaws are a great way to develop hand eye coordination and fine motor skills and conversation too, our mini reviewer talked nonstop about what each character was going to do on the farm!

RRP: £13.99 available from Amazon

Best of the Royals

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, coronation, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Learning, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own

Whilst the Coronation is still fresh in our minds it’s the perfect time to introduce a new game from Drumond Park. Best of The Royals is part of the popular LOGO brand and the theme of this version of the game is the Royal family, who are probably the most well-known family in the world.

With 200+ Royal-themed questions it is not only a fun and entertaining game for all the family it is also a history lesson too!

Played with 2 teams (age 12+) rather than a traditional playing board, the players race to complete a royal themed jigsaw puzzle. Setting up the game is very simple, all you do is take the cards and jigsaw pieces out of the box, place the cards in the middle of the table and give each team their 22 jigsaw pieces.

Game play is nice and easy, the team with the youngest player starts first and the oldest player from the other team becomes Question Master. He takes the top card and asks the question or shows the picture to the other team (whilst hiding the answers from his own team as they might be able to win a bonus jigsaw piece if the other team answer incorrectly). If the team get the answer right, they select a corner piece and place it on the table, if they are wrong the other team have the opportunity to answer and win an extra piece. Play continues with the same team answering the remaining three questions on the card before play is passed to the other team. One jigsaw piece is awarded for every correct answer and the winner is the first team to finish the jigsaw with the large centre piece.

This is a great game to play at family parties, the questions are varied with the classic LOGO picture, theme and pot luck question cards. The questions cover the present day and life during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II and we learnt quite a lot when playing. I do wonder how many times we can play it without remembering the answers but with 200+ cards and different players I don’t think it will be too much of a problem just yet.

RRP £20 and available from The Entertainer , Selfridges, The Range, or Amazon

Ryman’s Royal Coronation Range

Children, coronation, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Toys

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

First with the Platinum Jubilee and now the Coronation, there have been lots of Union Jack products around to help us celebrate. For the Coronation this year, Ryman have a whole range of items to both help celebrate and commemorative items to remember this year. We were sent some lovely Coronation decorations and souvenirs to review from the team!

For the big street party, there’s the fabric bunting (£1.99). At 3.6 metres long, it’s enough to tie between two lampposts or adorn to the front of the house. As it’s fabric, it will be more durable in the British weather should you choose to keep it outside for longer than just the Coronation day, and can also go in the wash afterwards for you to use again.

The Union Jack 3 tier Cupcake Stand (£2.99) arrives flat packed but fits together easily. It’s made from cardboard but you can use it again and again for either cupcakes or it would suit sandwiches and scones too if you are going for the full afternoon tea. The Union Jack design makes it very photogenic for the Coronation Street Party, standing 34cm high and 39cm wide. After using it, you can easily dissemble it and pack away for another day.

We were also sent a 1000 piece Charles III jigsaw and water bottle. The Charles III jigsaw (£19.99) depicts His Majesty The King over his lifetime from boy to King, and some of the events of his life such as becoming the Prince of Wales in 1969 and his military uniforms. 1000 pieces is a family sized jigsaw, suitable for adults as well as teenagers, and makes for a fabulous pastime during the long weekend. Don’t forget that there are 3 Bank Holidays in May alone this year so you’ll have plenty of time to play with it!

The final item was the Coronation Water Bottle (£13.99). The 500ml bottle has the official Coronation crest on the front, and you have the option of personalising it for up to 20 characters, just below the logo, or you can leave it blank. The screw top bottle can be kept cold in the fridge although it can’t go in the dishwasher and is hand wash only. It’s a really useful keepsake of the Coronation as well as a lovely present for someone.

The whole Ryman range of Coronation items is available online, with a mixture of decorations, mementoes and lovely items for the street parties like Union Jack paper plates and straws. Most of the items are reusable and environmentally friendly too!

Items available from the Ryman online store at:

https://www.ryman.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=coronation