Category: Toys

Review: Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure

With the much anticipated release of Rogue One – the next installment of Star Wars, everyone has gone Star Wars mad this Christmas. The small boy is no exception, though he’s far too young to watch the film just yet. This month we have put the new Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure to the test. Is it a rogue or a winner?

The Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure is a 12-inch tall Stormtrooper with more than 65 different sound effects and phrases. He uses a motion sensor to respond to specific movements and has several different play modes.

Review: Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure

This is a sturdily built figure, and it’s a very fine example of an Imperial Stormtrooper.

“Stormtroopers are elite shock troops fanatically loyal to the Empire and impossible to sway from the Imperial cause. They wear imposing white armor, which offers a wide range of survival equipment and temperature controls to allow the soldiers to survive in almost any environment. Stormtroopers wield blaster rifles and pistols with great skill, and attack in hordes to overwhelm their enemies.”

The Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure comes with a set of detailed instructions and it’s suitable for ages 4+.

Review: Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure

 The Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure needs two AA Batteries, but he comes with batteries included and they’ve already lasted a couple of weeks.

Review: Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure

When you first get him make sure you switch it from ‘Demo’ mode to ‘On’. The switch is on the back of his neck. Once he is switched on and fully activated, he starts using some of his 65 sounds, if he’s in Demo mode he just repeats himself.

Review: Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure

The Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure has three modes – Blaster, Jetpack and Dual.  To activate the blaster mode, put the black E-11 blaster in his hand, his chest plate will light up with the Imperial insignia and his phrases change to battle sounds.

To activate the jetpack mode, put his jetpack on his back to activate the yellow light on his chest.  Fly him around and he will make jetpack style sound effects. When the chest plate changes colour to reveal the imperial logo, he is in dual mode.

Review: Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure

The Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure can also be used with an app which is suitable for ages 6+. We haven’t played with the free to download Hasbro Star Wars Studio FX app yet, but more and more toys these days can be linked to apps to make the play experience more interactive.

So was Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure fun to play with? Yes. My son really enjoyed playing with him. Something he’s very keen on is playing with toys and making his own battle sounds, so this figure is one he can really enjoy playing with. I would say that to get the full benefit of playing with this Stormtrooper he could do with another figure to do battle with.

The Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure is available from a wide range of toy shops and online stores including Amazon. He retails for around £30 but discounts and deals are available if you shop around.

Disclosure: We received the Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper figure for the purposes of writing this review, all opinions and images are our own. Contains Amazon affiliate links.

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

One of the most fun things about Mummy’s iPad is the Facetime app. The boy loves to Facetime his dad, or his cousin, or anyone really. I remember walking to the phone box at the end of our road to make a phone call, so all of the communication technology available today is almost a thing of wonder to me. Even now there’s something a bit extra special about being able to video chat with someone. The video chat loving boy and I put a set of Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies to test. What did we think of this latest accessory for junior spies?

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

The Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies from Spinmaster are compact and easy to use. The set comes with two walkie talkies which just need batteries adding before use.

They have a long range (up to 160 feet) and allow you to communicate with video and audio without using Wi-Fi or data. The walkie talkies are simple to use and quick to set up. Each handset uses 3 AAA batteries and they’re suitable for children aged 6+.

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

The Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies are really easy to set up, just get them out of their packaging, put the batteries in and switch on. To sync the two walkie talkies, when you switch them on press the bottom of the three buttons on each walkie talkie at the same time. The video should show a full screen of the person you are talking to, and in the top left should be your picture – just like on Facetime!

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

They come with detailed instructions, but they’re really straight forward to set up and use. Just don’t forget to sync them when you switch them on and make sure to turn them off when you’re done.

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

Once they are synced you can start your spy adventure – we tested them all over the house and down the street. The picture was crisp and the sound was pretty good too. The small boy really loved the Spy Video Walkie Talkies, he’s had normal walkie talkies before and has liked them, but these are next level spy fun.

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

These Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies are around £59.99 and are available from a wide range of retailers including Amazon. They are well made and good quality, small enough for my six year old to comfortably use and without too many confusing buttons.

I can see my boy having a lot of fun with these and his friends. These walkie talkies would be great for siblings to play with and should keep them occupied with serious spy business for quite some time.

Disclosure: We received the Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies for the purposes of writing this review, all opinions and images are our own. Contains Amazon affiliate links.

Toy Review: Silly Sausage – the funniest reaction game

The first time I saw a Silly Sausage was when one of my friends spotted one in a toy shop and Instragrammed it in a tongue in cheek style. It is a bit of an eyebrow raiser and I did scoff a little at first glance. Then I got to try one and that bright orange plastic sausage quickly became a bit of an obsession.

Silly Sausage is the new super speedy reaction game from John Adams. The sausage is really easy to use, switch him on and wait for his instructions, but you will need to be fast. The aim of the game is to twist, shake, dip, stretch and poke him and to keep up with the sausage as he shouts out his commands.

Silly Sausage

Featuring ten fast paced reaction games, and three play modes – single, party and turbo; Silly Sausage is suitable for solo or competitive play. Silly Sausage made its debut at a family dinner for the small boy’s birthday over the weekend and everyone wanted a go.

As you can see from our video, Silly Sausage is fun to play with solo…

The higher the level, the faster the sausage goes, so your reactions have to be super-fast in order for you to keep up with him.

There are three different games to play –

  • Chipolata – a speed and reaction game
  • Banger – a pass and play reactions game
  • Jumbo – Memory and reaction game

And there are three modes – single, multi play (party) and super fast play (turbo). I liked the “Chipolata” game, which suited me, a solo speed and reaction game.

I’d be naive if I didn’t acknowledge that a lot of people are a bit nudge-nudge-wink-wink about it, but it is completely innocent. Any Carry On style connotations go completely over the kid’s heads and it’s just the adults who sit quietly smirking.

There will be the minority of people who find the sausage too noisy for them. As the music speeds up it could get on your nerves a bit, but bah-humbug to them. You can’t adjust the volume, which may be a problem for hearing impaired people. You do have to be careful not to cover the speaker with your hand or you would miss the instruction.

Silly Sausage will power down if he’s not been played with for a while. If you need to wake him up you just poke the button on his belly. He needs 2 AA batteries and they seem to last a good amount of time (we’ve played with him for days and he’s still going strong).

Silly Sausage

Silly Sausage costs around £19.99 and is available from all good toy shops and in online stores such as Amazon. The game is suitable for ages 7+ but my boy who has just turned six had no trouble at all with it. Smaller children with smaller hands might struggle a little.

I am not underplaying it when I say I really love Silly Sausage. I think it’s hilarious and I’ve always enjoyed playing fast reaction games. For my money, Silly Sausage is the best and funniest game this Christmas!

Disclosure. We received the Silly Sausage Game for the purposes of writing this review. All opinions and images are our own. Contains Amazon affiliate links.

Review: National Geographic Animal Jam Toys

A brand new range of toys from the makers of the popular kids app – Animal Jam has recently been launched, you might have seen the adverts for Animal Jam on TV already. If you’ve not heard of Animal Jam yet, then be prepared to know everything about it by Christmas!

Animal Jam is the number one online social game for kids and it was created in association with National Geographic. The app is free to play and has over 45 million registered users around the world – three million of them  in the UK.

Created in partnership with National Geographic, Animal Jam combines role playing and anthropology to make an exciting educational game for kids. Players can collect fun facts in their journey books, learn about animal conservation and talk to real scientists.

Animal Jam

These toys will be instantly recognisable for fans of the app.  Animal Jam has been brought to life with this brand new collection of toys. They are collectable and all come with exclusive codes to unlock  content and other special  features  inside the online game.

We were sent a selection of the collectable toys to try out, here’s a little run down of what we tried and what we liked…

The Animal Jam Adopt a Pet (Series 1)

These are little pets which come with their own kennel (or dens as they are known in Animal Jam). Each kennel is home to a collectable pet and two accessories. You can customize your pet with accessories and stack the kennels to display your pets. There are 96 of these to collect and they cost just £2.49 which makes it a great pocket money treat. The boy really loved his kennel and out of everything he enjoyed playing with this tiny toy the most. A hit!

Animal Jam

ANIMAL JAM – Friends with Pet

The Friends with Pet costs £4.99, you get a 3 inch figure, a 1 inch friend and three interchangeable accessories. I think this is a great value set, it looks like it should cost more than it does and it would make a great party present for a little Animal Jam fan. We got the Posh Raccoon and Pet Kitty and they are very sweet.

ANIMAL JAM – Light Up Friends with Ring

Another great party present is the Light Up Friends with Ring. These are collectable 3” animal figures and have secret patterns, two interchangeable accessories and a light-up ring. These sets cost £7.99, we were sent the Lucky Lynx and the real hit for the small boy was the light up ring. 

ANIMAL JAM Plush characters

These cute plushes cost £7.99 and are 7 inches tall. There are several plush characters to choose from – Panda, Koala, Bunny & Monkey. We were sent the purple Koala and he is  super-soft and very huggable.

Animal Jam

Since we received these toys the small boy has suddenly seen Animal jam everywhere, we’ve downloaded the app and used the codes which came with the toys to unlock parts of the app. It’s fair to say that this had opened up a new line of interest for him, which is great.

The app is free and the accompanying toys are nicely priced, not too expensive and great for either pocket money (or stocking filler) treats, as well as being good options for birthday party presents for classmates etc. They are suitable for ages 5+ and would be a great little gift for any Animal Jam fan this Christmas.

We were sent these toys for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Toys: Meet the new Furby Connect

I was a bit old for a Furby the first time around, I was too cool for school and didn’t really get the attraction. But now I have a small boy of my own I see things through his eyes and the new, all singing, all dancing, all action Furby Connect is possibly the most exciting thing he’s clapped eyes on for a while. 

He’s never seen anything quite like it, and neither have we. It’s like one of the Gremlins has come to life! We will try our best not to get him wet – who knows what would happen if we did!

Furby Connect

The Furby was launched this autumn in time for Christmas and although he costs around £80 (though as ever there are deals and discounts widely available online), he would make a good “big present” for someone.

The Furby Connect is Bluetooth enabled, and apparently this means it knows what day it is. I imagine it will have a thing or two to say on Christmas Day morning. 

Furby Connect

He is easy to unbox, though you will need to unscrew his base from the cardboard and insert 4 AA batteries. Once he wakes up his eyes open and the talking, singing and giggling begin. We’d never quite seen anything like it and we were all in stitches within minutes.

Each Furby has 150 expressive animations which he conveys using his big LCD eyes, wiggling ears and light-up antenna. He is also the softest, fluffiest toy I’ve ever cuddled.

Apparently each Furby is different and acts and reacts differently to how you treat them. Our Furby liked to sit on my knee while I gently massaged him, I knew he liked it because he kept crooning “Oooo deep tissue” and making a happy face.

Furby Connect

We downloaded the app onto my son’s iPad and between the Furby and the app he’s already had hours and hours of fun with it all. With the app you can feed him, play games or take him to the toilet. The Furby Connect World app keeps your Furby updated and apparently brings in new Furby phrases, music, and videos every week that your Furby can interact with.

When the antenna glows on your Furby Connect, it means it is getting an update from the Furby Connect World app and there is something new to discover next time you open the app.

One of the things my son had enjoyed most with the app is hatching and raising Furblings from egg. Another big hit was feeding his Furby who would then let out a large burp – this is not the toy you use to teach table manners, but it is a lot of fun.

I did wonder how I’d ever be able to get our Furby to shut up so we could all get to sleep. Thankfully he comes with his own sleep mask which you attach to his face. After 30 seconds or so of snoring and sleepy noises, he does settle down for the night, only waking when you take his mask off. I really like this feature, I’ve spent the last six years jumping out of my skin when a noisy toy sets itself off in an otherwise silent house at night, so being able to guarantee silence is a big plus for us.

Watch our “Meet our Furby Connect” video here…

I am surprisingly un-irritated by our Furby Connect. I’ve come to look at him as a pet I don’t have to clean up after, and one I can switch off if I need to.

The small boy absolutely adores him. It’s early days but he is enjoying looking after him and making sure he is happy. 

I like that the app keeps him updated and that there are lots of additional play options in the app with the Furby. We also like that he’s really snuggly and adorable. He looks at you with these big eyes, coos gobbledygook at you and you can’t help but be a little bit smitten by him.

The Furby Connect is available for around £80 and you can find them in Purple, Teal, Pink and Blue (ours is the blue one). They are suitable for ages 6+, though younger ones may need some help navigating the app at first. They are widely available in toy shops and through online retailers such as Amazon.

Furby Connect

Disclosure: We received our Furby Connect for the purposes of writing this review, all opinions and images are our own. Contains Amazon affiliate links.

Toys: Transformers Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime

This month we received a Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime and Aerobolt to put to the test. Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots and as a result, on every Transformers fan’s wish list. The small boy was no exception, and has long wanted an Optimus Prime of his own. 

The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime and Aerobolt is no ordinary, bog standard Optimus Prime. Yes he transforms like other Optimus Primes (and he does it in 5 pretty quick to learn steps), but this Transformer has a “power surge mode”. More of which later.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime

Optimus is well packaged in a sturdy box and is held in position with strong string. It didn’t take us long to release him so we could start playing with him. He is made from strong plastic, as someone who remembers playing with metal Transformers in the 1980’s, I did inwardly wince slightly when I transformed him, thinking I could easily snap him, but I didn’t and after a couple of weeks of robust play he’s still absolutely fine.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime

Included with the Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime figure are –
     • Mini-Con Weaponizers Aerobot figure
     • Sword accessory
     • Demo battery

It’s great that there is a battery included already (1 AA if you need to replace it), so he’s ready to go as soon as you get him out of the box. Optimus Prime is big, he’s the biggest Transformer toy I’ve ever seen, he’s a statuesque 11 inches tall! The instructions are pretty easy to follow and you can transform him from figure to truck in 5 steps. The truck cab isn’t attached and you have to clip it onto the truck. I do worry that the cab could end up getting lost somewhere in the house.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime comes with an Aerobolt, this is a Mini-Con and you attach him to Optimus and activates the Power Surge mode, helping to convert your Transformer into a weapon. Because the Aerobolt has wings he can help your Transformer battle in the air.

Optimus Prime has pop-out cannons and wings, lights and a selection of sounds. He has four different modes of play: robot mode, vehicle mode, flight mode, and Power Surge mode. Power surge mode is what made my son shout “that’s so cool!” So it must be. In power surge mode his wings open up, the cannons rise up and he makes a whole load of different battle sounds.

There are a few things you need to know when you get your Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime. Firstly, his feet fold out underneath, have a look and just unfold them otherwise he will never stand up by himself. Secondly there is a button behind his head which you can press to make the sounds.

The Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime is for children aged 5+ and my nearly 6 year old LOVED it. He did struggle a bit to transform him, so smaller ones may need a bit of help with that. However once he was shown a couple of times he more or less got the hang of it.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime

Optimus is robust and has stood up to some very rough play. He’s been brilliant for his imagination, I’ve often found my son immersed in an imaginary battle between the Autobots and Deceptacons in his bedroom.

He’s not cheap, his rrp is £50 but I actually think he’s worth the money, and as always there are deals and discounts to be had if you shop around. I found him for a little over £37 on Amazon. 

The Power Surge Optimus Prime and Aerobolt is a huge hit. He’d make a fantastic Christmas present and I don’t think you’d be disappointed if you loved Transformers and you were given this for Christmas. I know I have one very happy boy on my hands.

Disclosure: We received the Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime and Aerobolt for the purposes of writing this review, all opinions and images are our own. Contains Amazon affiliate links.

Review: Orchard Toys What’s the Time Mr Wolf?

This month the small boy started Year 1 and his learning has definitely stepped up a level. One thing his class are starting to look at is learning to tell the time. We’ve been talking about the time all year and trying to figure out what the time is on our kitchen clock, but Orchard Toys have just brought out a new game – What’s the Time Mr Wolf? to help 5-9 year olds learn to tell the time. We were sent one to put to the test, so what did the small boy think?

Orchard Toys What's the Time Mr Wolf?

What’s the Time Mr Wolf? is based on the popular playground game and is for 2 – 6 players, aged 5 to 9. It contains a jigsaw game board, character pieces and stands, time cards (with analogue and digital times on them), a slot together wolf and a large clock face with movable hands.

The game has been designed to help children to learn to tell the time and it is also fun and easy to play. Like many of the Orchard Toys games, it can be played at different levels. First play and learn to tell the time on a clock, once that skill has been mastered you can move onto learning to tell the time on a digital clock.

Orchard Toys What's the Time Mr Wolf?

When you open the box and get the game out, there are a lot of different elements, so it might look more complex than it is. The first version of the game (which is what we are playing, as the small boy is only 5) is pretty simple.

Choose a character counter (I was badger, he was hedgehog), go to the start and roll the dice. Move however many squares and if you land on a question mark you pick up a card from the stack of time cards. Then you read out the time, for example “ten minutes past ten” and without looking at the clock face on the back you move the hands on the big clock to that time. If they match then you can add your card to your collection board (with the matching character on it). The first one to fill their board wins.

If you don’t get the time right, then you have to return the card to the pile and the next player has a go. If you land on the wolf you shout “dinner time” and you must take a card from your collection board and feed it to the wolf. The small boy especially liked the shouting part, but I guess shouting is optional.

What's the Time Mr Wolf?

We played after school and the small boy couldn’t wait for his dad to come home from work to play it with him too. It’s great that the What’s the Time Mr Wolf? game is so enjoyable for him, it really helps with his learning. He’s got the game out most days after school which is really encouraging for me. I do have to watch him, I’m not saying he cheats, but I am saying that cheats never prosper!

I can’t really comment on the other version of the game for older players, as we’re not there yet and we’ve not played it, but it does help to teach older kids how to tell the time on a digital clock.

The What’s the Time Mr Wolf? game from Orchard Toys is made with sturdy recycled board and has a wipe-clean finish. All Orchard Toys games and puzzles are really robust and we’ve still got some which are four years old and have been played to death.

What’s the Time Mr Wolf? is another cracking educational game from Orchard Toys. If you can make learning fun, then it doesn’t feel like learning at all.

To find out more about the What’s the Time Mr Wolf? game, visit the Orchard Toys website.

We were sent the Orchard Toys What’s the Time Mr Wolf? game fore review purposes. All Images and opinions are our own. 

Review: Marvel Avengers Iron Man Slide Armour

We recently put the Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield to the test and it was a roaring success. The small boy and his superhero loving friends loved pretending to be Captain America and I had a hunch they’d enjoy pretending to be Iron Man too. Thankfully we were sent the Iron Man Slide Armour from the same range to try out, but what did the super-boys think?

Iron Man Slide Armour

The Marvel Avengers Captain America Iron Man Slide Armour is really cool. It really is. It is in Iron Man colours and is instantly recognisable as an Iron Man product. With the press of a button on the handle, the armour opens and expands up your arm revealing a hidden Nerf blaster. Press the other button and the blaster fires one of the two Nerf darts.

The armour comes with two Nerf darts, which isn’t enough, but they are widely available and we picked up an extra pack from our local toy shop for a few pounds.

Marvel Avengers Captain America Iron Man Slide Armour

The Iron Man Slide Armour also has space to store two additional darts, but we found them rather flimsy and one fell off and got lost in the park. Which is a shame because otherwise this is a really sturdily made and robust toy. Thankfully the bit which fell of is completely non-essential so we’ve not missed it.

It feels really cool to use, I tried it out myself and the armour fit well across my arm and was quite lightweight. My son loved it and had to be talked out of going to bed wearing it. 

Avengers Captain America Iron Man Slide Armour

The Iron Man Slide Armour is suitable for ages 6+. My nearly six year old and his slightly older cousin loved play fighting with it and the Captain America shield. It’s a great toy for superhero role play and I can say from experience that the Nerf darts don’t hurt you if you do stray into the line of fire. 

The only real issue I have with it is that it’s only suitable for right handed people. Left handed people would have to use their right hand and they could struggle with that. 

Just like with the Captain America hidden blaster shield, the boys role played brilliantly with this Iron Man armour with blaster. We were impressed by how much something like this enhanced their superhero play and kept them entertained and actively running about. I can see both boys being fully decked out like Captain America and Iron Man by Christmas, complete with shield and armour!

Disclosure: We received the Avengers Captain America Iron Man Slide Armour for the purposes of writing this review, all opinions and images are our own. Contains Amazon affiliate links.

Toys: Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield

When the small boy and his friends play together, these days invariably they pretend to be superheroes, usually fighting a baddie and saving the world. To begin with it was mainly Spiderman and Batman, but increasingly different characters are being brought into play. Lately Iron Man and Captain America have been putting in an appearance, so the boy was delighted to be given a Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield to put to the test.

Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield

The Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield is, well, it’s a Captain America shield with a hidden Nerf blaster. It’s a smaller, but faithful replica of Captain America’s actual shield, but made of plastic.

The Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield is really easy to use. Just press the star button and the shield opens revealing a hidden blaster. Slip the darts into the slot, pull the trigger back and press the button on the handle to fire. The shield has space to store two extra darts for when you are doing battle. 

The shield comes with two Nerf darts, which isn’t enough, but they are widely available and we picked up an extra pack from our local toy shop for a few pounds.

Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield

It is made from plastic and seems to be pretty robust. It’s survived some fairly rough play over the past week or so. The worst that has happened to it is we’ve lost some of the darts, but that’s poor aiming, not poor construction.

The Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield comes in a sturdy cardboard box and is well secured with ties which an adult should remove with scissors. I always end up having a bit of a fight to get toys out of their packaging. At least you know it’s not going to fall out of the box and get bashed about in the toy shop. The shield does require an adult to attach the handle securely, but once that is done it is good to go.

The Captain America shield is for children aged 6+ and my nearly 6 year old and his slightly older cousin really enjoyed playing with it. 

Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield

Interestingly, although they enjoyed the blaster element, they played with the shield, just as a shield as much, if not more. I think the retractable shield is a really cool feature and their faces lit up every time they pressed the star button.

This is our first Nerf product, I’ve always been wary about having Nerf in the house (partly for fear of being a target) because I was concerned about people being hurt, but the darts are quite soft and fairly innocuous. We tried firing them at ourselves and it felt like someone was flicking you fairly gently. I wouldn’t like to take a dart to the face so we drummed in a health and safety message to be sure, and there is a warning on the box too.

The small boy and his friends have great imaginations. It’s interesting how a superhero toy like this Marvel Civil War blaster can really enhance their play and help bring it to life for them. I like that the shield isn’t just a shield, that it has the hidden blaster and when it retracts it’s pretty cool. What I like best about it is that it encourages my son to dodge the baddies, save the world and run about, far far away from a TV screen or iPad.

Disclosure: We received the Captain America Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield for the purposes of writing this review, all opinions and images are our own. Contains Amazon affiliate links.

Having fun with Num Noms Series 1

A few weeks ago the small boy had a play date with his friend from school, Eloise. They had a lovely time together, played beautifully and it was lovely to hear them giggling conspiratorially away together. Ben often has boys round for play dates, so it was nice to see the difference when he had a girl around. During a lull in the afternoon I gave them a pack of Num Noms to play with to see what they thought of them.

Num Noms Series 1

Num Noms are collectable little cups of cuteness where you mix a Num and a Nom to make your own combination of flavours. Num Noms are adorable, scented, squishy characters with tons of personality. We were sent the Num Noms Series 1 party pack to play with. So what did Ben and Eloise think?

The party pack contains 4 nums, 4 noms, 2 motorised Num Noms and a cupcake cup and spoon. Ben and Eloise were really keen to get the pack open and start playing with them. The first thing they did was give everything a really good sniff. They’re all scented and there was much discussion about what they all smelt like and which one was their favourite.

Num Noms Series 1

Once they’d thoroughly investigated, they started to stack them and play with them, creating their own unique combinations. They were especially excited by the motorised Num Noms and experimented with stacking them and seeing how high they could go.

They played with them for a good amount of time and Eloise was particularly excited to show her sister how they worked and all the different flavour combinations you could make, so she took them home to play with. 

Num Noms are the kind of thing that children would collect, they have a pocket money range which starts from £2.99. Standard packs at £8.99 and these larger party packs for £19.99. I think they’re a fun thing to play with, a little pocket money treat which can spark discussions about how things smell and what they smell like as well as being a little bit of squishy fun.

Num Noms Series 1

The Num Noms Series 1 party pack sells for around £19.99 and is suitable for children aged 3+. For more information on Num Noms visit their website.

Note: We were sent the Num Noms Series 1 party pack to play with and review. All images and opinions are our own.