Rubik’s Cube

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Give the kids something different this Easter instead of chocolate, but also get them off their screens! Gen X will remember the Rubik’s Cube from the 1980s and how many hours of fun we had trying to solve it.  Most of us didn’t (my brother just removed the stickers and replaced them back in the right order!)

This full sized Rubik’s Cube, which is available at Smyth’s, is the original design at 55 millimetres square. The record for completing the Rubik is 3.47 seconds, but if you’re looking for tips on how to solve it, there are tons of videos on You Tube. For the same price as an Easter Egg, the Rubik, which comes already completed, can be set up so that children can solve it in as few moves as possible.  Once solved, it can be reset again and again to provide more practice until children inevitably learn how to solve any configuration!

The Rubik Cube isn’t just for children. Teenagers and adults with the knack can enjoy this too, and it’s an excellent way of keeping adult minds occupied whilst still being social.  No screens are needed, just problem solving and some lateral thinking which is never a bad thing in the days of video games and smart phones.

The Rubik Cube is very robust, yet even at the full size is small enough to be able to be added to a laptop bag or luggage, or even a picnic bag.  It’s aimed at ages 8 plus and has a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5, but anyone who has ever tried to solve one, knows that it feels like it’s a lot harder!  This edition of the Rubik’s Cube is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the game. The Rubik is a brilliant way of spending some downtime, and remembering your childhood at the same time!

Available from £10.99 at: https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/games-puzzles-and-books/board-games/family-board-games/rubiks-cube/p/109128

Silver Bunny Charm from Jeremy Hoye

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

This beautiful silver charm makes an exquisite gift for your loved one at Easter.

Not only to mark Easter, but for anyone who loves wildlife, nature and pets or wants to have something slightly different to wear as jewellery, the Silver Bunny Charm from Jeremy Hoye is hand crafted to be worn on either a chain or a charm bracelet.  With a slight Disney-look to his face, it would also be a perfect gift for Bambi and Thumper lovers, with his big eyes, full cheeks and cotton tail.  You can’t see it in the photos very easily, but up close, his left ear is bent over to accommodate the hanging loop! The inner ears, tummy and face whiskers are also visible.

The photos don’t do this charm justice. In natural light, the polished surfaces reflect the sunlight and you can see all the rabbit features, glistening. It stands about 2 centimetres tall with the look included and is actually very heavy as it’s sterling silver. Teenagers will love this, but I think it’s a great gift for a wife or girlfriend who doesn’t want chocolate or flowers at Easter, but a memorable token of an Easter getaway or maybe a first Easter together.  It lasts a lot longer than flowers or chocolates and is certainly a talking point whenever you wear it, Easter or otherwise!

Available for £90 at: https://www.jeremy-hoye.co.uk/products/silver-bunny-charm

Tomy Toomies Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs

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

Easter treats don’t need to be made of chocolate and the Toomies Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs from Tomy will make an eggcellent gift and delight younger children this Easter.

The five brightly coloured eggs (blue, green, pink, purple & orange) sit in a plastic incubator and to hatch the eggs you simply take the lid off the incubator and press the yellow button to make the eggs spin, the faster you press the quicker it goes until it pops and the shells go flying. Inside the eggs you will find 5 cute dinosaurs – Stegosaurus, T-rex, Triceratops, Pterandon and Raptor which rattle when you shake them, adding to the excitement.

There is so much to learn with this toy, the plastic eggs are bright, vibrant and bold and are a great way for children to learn their colours as well as helping with logic and fine motor skills. Our mini reviewers loved watching the eggs spin and hatch and we also spent time learning the names of the dinosaurs. The eggs are also perfect for Easter egg hunts – our mini reviewers enjoyed hiding them all over the house!

The Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs are a nice Easter themed gift which will provide hours of entertainment this Easter and for many years to come.

Suitable for children aged 12 months to 4 years

RRP £14.99 available from Amazon,Argos, The Entertainer, John Lewis, Next Online, The Range, Selfridges,  Toymaster, Tesco, The Works and other independent toy shops

Sylvanian Families Easter Celebration Set

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

Our mini reviewers had an early Easter treat this week when we received the Easter Celebration Set from Sylvanian Families. Presented in a beautiful Easter themed pastel coloured box the set includes two bunnies called Serena & Romeo Marguerite who are both dressed in beautiful Easter outfits complete with matching marguerite brooches and Easter bonnets. The set also includes a selection of Easter accessories, eggs and sweets so the bunnies can have a festive Easter egg hunt.

Serena is wearing a beautiful yellow and green dress and pink hat and Romeo is wearing a purple suit with a matching hat. The clothes are well made and can easily be removed and our mini reviewers, who already have a collection of Sylvanian family figures, loved swapping the outfits around with their other figures. They also enjoyed having an Easter egg hunt with the bunnies, one would go out of the room whilst the other put the sweets in the three mini Easter eggs and then come back in and look for them.

As a parent, the thing I love about Sylvanian Families is that the toys encourage children to use their imagination and it is lovely watching and hearing the escapades the figures get up to!! I used to love collecting and playing with my Sylvanian Family figures (which I still have ) and it is lovely to see my children enjoying them too.

Our mini reviewers loved this set and gave it a huge thumbs up! It is a great addition to their ever growing Sylvanian families collection and will provide hours of entertainment for them over the Easter holidays.

Aimed at children aged 3 and above this set would make a lovely Easter gift. It is available from the Sylvanian Familes website here

RRP £21.99