Category: Toys

Toy Review: NERF BUNKR Battle Cubes

We were sent a set of NERF BUNKR Battle Cubes for review. All images and opinions are our own.

My ten year old is obsessed with having NERF battles in the park with his friends. He has a large collection of NERF guns and likes to do target practice in the garden, NERF is important to him and if I’m honest, I enjoy joining in and having a little shoot-out with him too.

The latest addition to his NERF armoury is a set of the new Battle Cubes. They’re inflatable cubes which help to enhance your NERF battle play. You can create and customise you own battlefield with these big inflatable obstacles which provide great cover for NERF shoot-outs!

NERF BUNKR Battle Cubes

The NERF BUNKR Battle Cubes are easily inflated, especially if you’ve got a pump. First you put in some water, this is to provide the inflatable cubes with a bit of weight so they don’t blow away or fall over. Then you fill the cubes with air. They didn’t take very long at all to inflate and we managed to get them pumped up and in action in around 10 minutes.

NERF BUNKR Battle Cubes

It’s Nerf or Nothin’!

The Battle Cubes cost around £20 and includes four cubes. In the box you will also find some spare patched to repair any air leaks and a set of Nerf BUNKR Battle Game cards; with some strategy ideas and tactics to help your battle plans.

NERF BUNKR Battle Cubes

The Battle Cubes have an integrated water base for stability during outdoor play,  as well as integrated dart storage, which is very handy in combat! Once you’ve finished your battle, the cubes can be easily deflated and flattened for storage.

NERF BUNKR Battle Cubes are suitable for ages 8+. My ten year old had no trouble inflating them and setting them up himself.

NERF BUNKR Battle Cubes

The NERF BUNKR range is available from Argos, Amazon, Very and Littlewoods. The NERF BUNKR range includes the Battle Cubes as well as the Battle Fort, Challenger Pack and Battle Switch.

Retro Toy Review: Lite Brite Ultimate Classic

We were sent these Lite Brite sets for the purposes of this post. All images and opinions are our own.

Lite Brite is a toy that many of us of a certain age might remember from our own childhoods. It was originally launched in 1967 and it was and still is a light box with a set of small coloured plastic pegs that fit into holes in the box. With a flick of a switch, the light box illuminates to create a lit picture. You can use one of the templates included in the set or create your own design from your imagination.

Retro Toy Review: Lite Brite Ultimate Classic

Basic Fun Lite Brite Ultimate Classic

The Basic Fun Lite Brite Ultimate Classic contains a Lite Brite ultimate classic board with a fold-out stand, 200 coloured pegs, 6 art templates and a full instructions on how to create your illuminated art works. Batteries are not included, so you’ll need 3 AA batteries to get started.

The set comes with 6 suggested templates, Our box included templates for a boat, a mountain view, flying unicorn, flowers, truck and circus elephant. We opted to make the mountain view and then Ben decided to create his own. There are six peg colours: white, yellow, blue, pink, orange and green, and this box contained a mix of 200 of these pegs.

Retro Toy Review: Lite Brite Ultimate Classic

Ben opted to make the mountain view first. We separated the pegs into small bowls of different colours to make it easier, then he followed the template to create the scene. The pegs are small and really help you focus on your fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. I understand that Lite Brite can also help cognitive development too, as well as sparking creativity.

Following the templates reminded me a little of counted cross stitch, or making aquabead designs. You follow the colour coding on the templates and place the pegs accordingly. It seems like a more sustainable option than beads as the pegs can be used and reused forever.

Retro Toy Review: Lite Brite Ultimate Classic

Once you’ve finished your design, you just push the button on the back and choose one of the four different light shows; blinking, pulsing, steady and random. It lights it up like a neon sign and Ben said it would be great for Christmas designs, come the festive season.

The Basic Fun Lite Brite Ultimate Classic is suitable for ages 4+ and costs around £17.99. It is currently available from a wide range of retailers including John Lewis.

Retro Toy Review: Lite Brite Ultimate Classic

Lite Brite Mini Light Art Toy

The Lite Brite Mini is built for travelling. It is a just the right size to take along for any car ride, road trip or an out of the house activity. The Lite Brite Mini includes 4 design templates, 70 colourful mini pegs and a screen that measures 3.5″ wide by 3″ high.

Retro Toy Review: Lite Brite Ultimate Classic

The mini set is launching soon and will be available from John Lewis. It will retail for around £9.99, which makes it a good price for gifting to classmates on their birthdays. It is also suitable for ages 4+; although my ten year old really enjoyed creating little light shows with these Lite Brite sets.

Collectible Craft Kits: Sneak Artz colourable sneakers

We were sent a selection of Sneak Artz collectible colourable sneakers for review. All images and opinions are our own.

All kids love a collectible, so these new Sneak Artz collectible colourable sneakers are bound to be popular. Each of these easy craft kits comes with everything you need to colour and customise your own little sneakers. There are 24 different white sneakers to collect and personalise. Each little shoe box comes with an assortment of washable pens, stickers and charms to make your sneakers shine.

Collectible Craft Kits: Sneak Artz colourable sneakers

Lockdown is hard and really quite boring. We’ve been soldiering on with home learning, but it’s a bit of a slog and at times quite joyless; so I’ve been trying to set up fun, creative activities to do to break up the day and allow us all to decompress a bit. Sneak Artz seemed like just the thing to break up our long lockdown days.

Collectible Craft Kits: Sneak Artz colourable sneakers

Each little shoe box comes with washable pens and stickers, as well as a clip so you can attach it to your bag if you want to show it off. If you get bored of how you’ve decorated it and want a change, you can wash the sneaker in water and it’s ready to be coloured in all over again.

The sneakers are made from a kind of flocked plastic. To clean the sneaker, I popped it in some warm water and started rubbing at the coloured parts with my finger. Because I’m impatient, I speeded up the process with a scrubbing brush; but I think if you can’t be bothered, you could throw them in the washing machine and they’d come up clean again.

Collectible Craft Kits: Sneak Artz colourable sneakers

The little sneakers come in 24 different designs; though they are essentially blind bags, so you don’t know which one you’re getting.

The boy and I had a lovely afternoon sat at the table colouring these in. We unpacked a few of the kits, each one contains three washable pens, so we shared ours between us. We chatted about what colours we were going to use and if we wanted to do a theme. I said I thought pink and purple spots would be good, so that’s what I did. He wanted a water theme, so stuck with blue and black colours. He coloured some bits in and did dots on others, which was quite effective.

Sneak Artz colourable sneakers

The Sneak Artz kits come in two different forms. There’s the Bumper Fun Set which includes; 2 Sneakers, 5 charms, 2 stickers sheet, 2 keychains, 5 washable pen, 1 glitter pen, 1 four dots pen, 1 exclusive spray can and 4 stencils. The smaller Sneak Artz Shoe Box contains; 1 Sneaker, 3 charms, 1 stickers sheet, 1 keychain and 3 washable pens. Both are suitable for ages 5+.

These Sneak Artz craft kits are available from a wide range of retailers including Smyths Toys Superstores. The individual shoe boxes cost around £9.99 and the bumper kit which contains two sneakers and even more accessories; that costs £19.99.

Sneak Artz colourable sneakers

They are a lovely fun craft to do. We are very into little art projects at the moment, something to switch your brain off from all the stresses of lockdown, and these really fit the bill. You can wash and wash them again, so they are good for the long term, as long as you only use washable pens on them!

Visit sneakartzhub.co.uk and design your own Sneak Artz Sneaker to be in with a chance to win 1 of 3 £50 Smyths Toys Superstores Vouchers!

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

We were sent these K’Nex sets for the purposes of this post. All images and opinions are our own.

My lad has been a big fan of all kinds of construction toys since he was a small boy. Now aged 10 he still spends his spare time building giant LEGO sets and constructing all kinds of things using the various K’Nex sets he’s got. We were sent three more K’Nex set to play with and review, so here’s what he thought about them.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

K’Nex is suitable for ages 4+, with smaller sets aimed at younger kids and their little hands; as well as more complicated, more fiddly sets for older children available.

Kid K’Nex Safari Mates

We began by taking a look at the Kid K’Nex Safari Mates. This set costs £10 and contains 21 colourful pieces. It comes with an instruction booklet with instructions on how to build five different safari animals.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

Kid K’Nex can help teach little ones the basic concepts of building and the art of constructing with these durable K’Nex pieces. With this set, your kids can create simple safari characters on their own. This set includes special parts and pieces that are only available in Kid K’Nex sets, such as a swishing tail and foam mane, which really help to bring the characters to life.

We thought this was a great starter set for younger children and at £10, it would make a great gift for an aspiring builder. The set is available from Argos and other retailers.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

K’NEX Imagine 50 Model Building Set

The K’Nex 50 Model Tub is the most brilliant box of pieces, and just what my son needed to complete his collection. It contains 417 brightly coloured classic pieces and a booklet of 50 easy step-by-step creations to build; from a dragon, a swing ride, a robot and more. You just connect the pieces together using the plastic rods and connectors to see your ideas become a reality.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

He chose to make the dragon, and as the set is aimed at older children, some of the pieces were harder to put together, so we did help him a bit. It was tremendous fun and it took him a good hour to make the dragon. With 50 different makes to choose from, there’s a lot of focused STEM fun to be had in this box.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

The K’Nex Imagine 50 Model Building Set comes in it’s own blue plastic storage box; which is great for taking away on family trips or for storing at home. The box makes it easy to pack away without any hassle.

The set is for ages 5-10 years, but I’m sure my new 10 year old will play with this for another few years at least. This brilliant box is available from Smyths Toys Superstores and other online stores.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

K’Nex K-Force Battle Bow Building Set

The last set we put to the test was this K’Nex K-Force Battle Bow Building Set. This is ideal for older children and aimed at those aged 8+. It contains 165 pieces and a set of instructions to show you step-by-step how to build one of four different blasters. Included in this building toy are five soft foam darts that can be fired up to 75 feet; a blaster chamber, a quick-fit grip, a preload ring and two dart holders.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

The K’Nex K-Force Battle Bow Building Set costs £25 and looks like the most grown up kit of the three we put to the test. My boy had serious fun putting this together. The instructions were easy to follow and he only need a tiny bit of help with the fiddlier pieces.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

It is a great set and well worth the money. Fans of Nerf will enjoy this, my son said it felt like he was building his own Nerf, which was praise indeed. We did have to have a small health and safety chat about not shooting the dog or me; but it was a huge hit and this is definitely a winner! The K’Nex K-Force Battle Bow Building Set is available from The Entertainer and other retailers.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

We’ve been fans of K’Nex for a good few years now. He loves building and creating with them and I really like that it’s such a great educational toy, one which helps his dexterity as well as stretched his mind. I’m pleased to see that the range has expanded and that there’s lot of budding builders to choose from.

Retro Toy Review: Spirograph for a new generation

We were sent these Spirograph sets for the purposes of this post. All images and opinions are our own.

When I was a kid we would occasionally visit a distant relative who had an old second hand Spirograph set. Half of the bits were missing and you had to go hunting for a spare biro to use it; but it provided us with hours of rainy day fun. I’d forgotten all about it until we received a couple of Spirograph sets to play with. Happily they were delivered right at the start of two weeks of Covid isolation; good planning Mr Postman!

Retro Toy Review: Spirograph for a new generation

I remember Spirograph as being a bit tricky to get the hang of, but once you’ve got it, it was immensely satisfying. If you’ve never used one before, you pick two differently sized plastic rings from the set; stick the larger one down with the putty (or blu tack if you’ve lost your putty); put a pen though one of the holes in the smaller ring and run it around the inside or outside of the ring using the gears (notches on the edge of the ring). It creates gorgeous geometric patterns and once you’ve got the hang of it, it is ace!

The Original Spirograph Deluxe Set

This set includes over 45 pieces with precision parts, pens and a durable storage case. The reusable Spiro-Putty holds the fixed position Spirograph pieces securely in place on the paper. Making sure that the ring piece is locked in position will improve the accuracy of the finalised design.

Retro Toy Review: Spirograph for a new generation

It’s suitable for ages 8+ and contains all you need to get started on your Spirograph journey. It costs around £28 and is available from Argos and a range of other retailers.

We both sat at the table, read the instructions and started Spirographing. There is a knack to it, and sticking your rings down firmly first really helps, but once you’re up and running, it’s great fun. The set does come with some paper, but it’s wise to have extra pieces of blank paper to play about on first. It was really cool to be using the set again, and very cool to be introducing my son to it all too.

Original Spirograph

This is a great set for creative kids (and adults) and it comes in a great kit which you can transport out and about, should you wish to visit a relative and need some entertainment.

The Original Spirograph Scratch & Shimmer Set

Out of the two sets, this was my favourite. It’s smaller and there are fewer pieces; but it contains that black paper which you scratch the top layer off and it is all shiny underneath. This makes for very dramatic geometric patterns.

Spirograph for a new generation

The new Scratch and Shimmer Spirograph Set contains both rainbow and sparkly waxed scratch sheets; as well as new glitter precision wheels to etch out the most colourful Spirograph creations to date. Simply set the wheels up, insert the drawing tool and let the creativity flow.

Spirograph for a new generation

Although the set does come with plenty of this special paper, you can buy more online and on Amazon if need be.

Spirograph for a new generation

It’s suitable for ages 8+ and contains all you need to get started on your Spirograph journey. It costs around £20 and is available from Argos and a range of other retailers. The set also includes a special collectible 50th anniversary golden die-cast wheel can be found inside.

Original Spirograph

It’s brilliant to see Spirograph back and as popular as ever. Over our isolation period, we played with these sets often and they made for a lovely, mindful, calming activity for both me and my boy. They’d make great gifts for arty kids (or adults) this Christmas, and let’s face it, it’s good to have some indoor activities lined up to keep us all occupied during wet weekends and lockdown.

Retro Toy Review: Plasticine fun for creative kids

We were sent these Plasticine products for the purposes of this post. All images and opinions are our own.

I remember my childhood as being fairly Plasticine packed. It was one of those things which was brought out on rainy weekends to keep us entertained, and it did. I remember playing with it; creating little scenes, rolling it out and cutting out shapes and eventually muddling all the colours together until I had a giant blob of brown Plasticine to play with. It was all good fun and it remains popular today.

Retro Toy Review: Plasticine fun for creative kids

Plasticine was invented way back in 1897 and is a non-toxic, sterile, soft and malleable clay that does not dry when exposed to air. Ideal not just for kids, but for makers of stop-motion animation, like creators of Wallace and Gromit, Aardman Animations. It’s also excellent for sensory play; my son tells me they use it at school to help them calm down and relax. I’m all for that, and having spent a happy few hours messing about with the stuff, I can confirm it can calm adults too.

Plasticine Softeez Noodle Doodle Assortment

These Plasticine Softeez come in three different themes, ocean, jungle and circus. The boy wanted to try his hand at the ocean themed one, so we sat down and had a quiet hour carefully peeling off each “noodle” of Plasticine and decorating our card templates with it. We had lots of fun with this, deciding how best to fill in the blanks and what colours to use. They are great little sets and make ideal little gifts. They are suitable for ages 3+ and cost around £4.99 each.

Retro Toy Review: Plasticine fun for creative kids

We did have to borrow a plastic cutting tool from the Plasticine Toolz box, and I think adding a small tool to the set would be useful; but you could just as easily use a butter knife or something blunt and child friendly instead.

Plasticine Toolz

The Plasticine Tool Box includes everything you need to help you make your very own Plasticine models. It has 7 colours of Plasticine; 5 shaped cutters, 1 modelling tool and 1 roller which are stored in a sturdy box. The tool box comes with carry handle for modelling on the move.

Retro Toy Review: Plasticine fun for creative kids

It is suitable for aged 3+ and costs £12.99 from Amazon (other online stores are available). We really liked this little tool box of fun. The range of colours is great and although it comes with a selection of tools and some suggestions for what you can do, the only limit is your imagination.

Retro Toy Review: Plasticine fun for creative kids

Plasticine is great for young hands to make fun shapes with. It’s a perfect modelling material as it never dries out. You just need to use your imagination to create shapes, animals, vehicles and all the things you can dream of, plus it’s a great way to teach children how colours are made and mixed, with basic sets from just £1.50, it’s a great budget buy for creative kids!

Retro Toy Review: Plasticine fun for creative kids

Family Game: PenSilly – the silliest drawing game!

We were sent the PenSilly game for the purposes of this post. All images and opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for the daftest family game this year, then I think PenSilly is a serious contender. In previous years we’ve had Silly Sausage and Speak Out, and this is just as silly and just as much fun; making it the ideal game to play with the family this Christmas.

Family Game: PenSilly the silliest drawing game!

PenSilly is a super silly drawing and guessing game for all the family. To play, you pick up a description card and a subject card and try your best to draw them for your team to guess and win points.

To make things slightly harder, it’s against the timer and the battery powered pencil you use has two wobbly speed settings; which makes everything much harder and much funnier. There are over 5,500 drawing combinations, and it’s a game which depends on teamwork and as steady a hand as you can manage.

The PenSilly box contains;

  • 1 PenSilly Pen
  • 1 minute sand timer
  • 75 Description Cards
  • 75 Subject Cards
  • 2 Erasable Markers
  • 2 Drawing Pads

And you will need 3 AAA batteries for the PenSilly pencil.

Family Game: PenSilly the silliest drawing game!

The game is really simple to set up and play. Just put your pen inside the giant pencil, pick a description and a subject card, set the timer and you have to draw what’s on the cards whilst your team tries to guess the answer. It’s a bit like Pictionary, but completely bonkers.

The two speeds of shaky pencil make it so hard to draw, we managed pretty well on the slower setting, but the faster one was almost impossible; hilarious but impossible.

Family Game: PenSilly the silliest drawing game!

We all laughed our socks off while we played this game. It’s definitely a winner with us and I’m certain it’s going to be a huge hit with families this Christmas.

PenSilly is available from Smyths Toys Superstores and available to buy from Smyths Toys.

Exploring the Dark Arts with Harry Potter #DarkArtsMonth

Disclosure: We were sent these products for Dark Arts Month and for the purposes of this post. All images and opinions are our own.

With a lockdown Halloween just around the corner, our usual Halloween plans have been somewhat muted. Thankfully we received a bundle of Harry Potter products from Wizarding World, and that put a spooky spring back in our step.

Over the last 8 months or so of lockdown, we’ve had a lot of time to fill. One thing we have been doing is we’ve been indulging in weekly film nights;  the Harry Potter films have been a big part of that.

Exploring the Dark Arts with Harry Potter #DarkArtsMonth

Wizarding World sent us a brilliant Dark Arts bundle, it contained all kinds of great things; from the elder wand, some Harry Potter themed jewellery, a Paladone Deathly Hallows light, a death eater notebook, a t-shirt and a new set of robes. Best of all, we got a much longed for Invisibility Cloak to play about with.

We oohed and ahhed over everything in the box, but as soon as we’d managed to download the app, the magic happened…

Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak

We played about with it for ages. It is the most brilliant thing to keep creative kids (and adults) happy for an afternoon or several.

The Invisibility Cloak is amazing and the app is really clever and so much fun. It comes with a phone stand; which you really do need as your phone needs to be really steady to capture the magic. It uses green screen technology, so you can make pretty much anything disappear, including the cat! The cloak itself is designed for aged 6+, but it’s generously proportioned and I could use it too.

Exploring the Dark Arts with Harry Potter #DarkArtsMonth

The other big hits (i.e. the bits I didn’t steal away and keep for myself) were the t-shirt and the elder wand. The t-shirt is a huge hit; it’s pretty cool looking which he really likes and it’s made from nice soft cotton. I think there are a few different designs available too.

Exploring the Dark Arts with Harry Potter #DarkArtsMonth

You can find all of these products on Amazon and right now the Deathly Hallows Collection which includes the Invisibility Cloak, Elder Wand and Resurrection Stone ring is just £29.99.

Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

AD/Gifted. We were sent the So Sand Satisfying Sand Case for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

It’s been a long old year, what with lockdown and home schooling. The last few weeks I’ve felt like I’m all out of ideas. My boy is about as against doing anything educational as it’s possible to be right now, so all our activities have to be overtly fun and any learning or educational benefit has to be hidden. Thankfully the So Sand Satisfying Sand Case comfortably ticks all of those boxes; being FUN as well as bringing some creativity and sensory play to the table.

Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

The So Sand Satisfying Sand Case is a handy carry case with a selection of cutting tools, bags of sand and decorations. The instructions are easy to follow, you make up your own brightly coloured kinetic sand.

If the kinetic sand craze has passed you by, Kinetic Sand is made from 98% sand and 2% silica oil. It behaves a bit like playdough but without the sticky horror if it gets walked into your carpet. You can clump the sand up together like a ball, then watch as it melts through your hands almost like a liquid. It’s strange, but in a good way and making your own is super fun.

Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

There are three colours to make up; yellow, pink and blue, and there are a selection of glitter packets which you can add to your kinetic sand creations. My son, with his love of being extra extra, added glitter to all of the sand. He quickly shot down my suggestion if having half plain, half glittery sand.

If you making the sand isn’t enough for you, the So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case contains a selection of tools for you to roll, shape and cut your sand into all different shapes. The instruction leaflet has a number of kinetic sand serving suggestions, but why follow convention? My son started to follow a couple of the suggestions, then the urge to freestyle took over and he made all kids of fun shapes.

Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

The storage case makes great storage for the tools and the sand too. It even includes a play tray to keep everything tidy. Playing with kinetic sand and this So Sand DIY Case is really relaxing and a great sensory activity. It’s suitable for ages 6+ and costs around £20.

My son really enjoyed playing with this sand kit; and after months of stressful home schooling, he relished the chance to play with something pretty darn restful and creative.

Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

The So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case is available from a wide range of retailers, including Amazon.

Review: Discovering the Disney Plush Classic Range

AD/Gifted. We were sent two plush toys from the Disney Plush Classic Range in exchange for a review. All images and opinions are our own.

My son loves a cuddly toy and he likes to fall asleep cuddling his current favourite plush. His favourites are usually characters from whatever TV programme or film he’s been watching lately, and thanks to months of lockdown, we’ve been watching plenty of films together.

This beautiful range of Classic Disney soft toys features collections from seriously classic Disney films including Bambi, 101 Dalmatians, The Aristocats, Lady and The Tramp and so many more and has all of your favourite, recognisable Disney characters, in a range of sizes which make the perfect gift for any Disney lover.

Disney Plush Classic Range

We were sent a lovely soft and squishy 35cm Dumbo the elephant (rrp £19.99) and a 17cm Baloo (£9.99) to cuddle and get to know a bit better. 25cm plush toys will be available in this range later on in the year. The plush toys are both so soft and huggable, they’re suitable for ages 3+ and I can see them being incredibly popular with all ages, everyone loves Disney don’t they?

As well as the Classic collection, there is a whole host of Disney plush to collect in a variety of ranges and sizes such as Princess, Mickey and Minnie, Frozen 2 and Toy Story.

The boy loved his Baloo plush; he’s a big fan of The Jungle Book so he recognised him instantly. I also have a very soft spot for this lovable bear. The Jungle Book was one of my favourite films as a kid and I still love it now. He loved Dumbo, because how could you not? The plush is so soft and squishy and huggable enough to cuddle as you’re drifting off to sleep at night.

These plush toys are really well made and feel like they will be pretty robust and able to withstand years of cuddling.

Disney Plush Classic Range

The Disney Plush Classic Range includes pretty much every classic Disney character you could hope for. If you’re looking for a gift for a Disney fan, then this range of plush toys is what you need. Priced from £9.99 and suitable for ages 3+ this range of plush toys is bound to be popular this summer.

The Disney Plush Classic Range is available from a wide range of retailers including Tesco.