Gift Reviews, Toy Reviews
Gift Eggs and Easter Calendar from Playmobil.
Easter, it is truly a lovely time of year and I am not just of that opinion as it’s also my birthday! I love Easter almost as much as I love chocolate. However, the eggs last Easter were so abundant I had to make tray bakes and buns with the children just to make use of all the chocolate. This was not a ‘good call’ as I ate most of them myself!
This year I have made a rule – only one chocolate egg each and none for mum, I am sure not to gain a pound.
Playmobil have sorted my ‘chocolate free’ Easter with a fab new range of Gift Eggs RRP £5.99. These include 4 new designs for 2014 and my children will adore them.
The eggs are colour coordinated and contain a Playmobil figure with accessories. These are really great and lots of fun – Playmobil is always a big hit with my children. The toys are fun, strong and last and last.
The eggs have the added bonus of having a slot which is perfect for saving and storing pocket money – my son has his on his bedroom shelf with lots and lots of 2p coins inside as he loves to hear the coins rattle when he shakes the egg! ‘Listen mummy, I’m rich’, he says!
My daughter loves her egg. She has the pink one and this had a lovely little flower fairy inside which is now her favourite toy.
Playmobil are also launching their first-ever Easter Calendar in their special 40th anniversary year – 2014.
This is a great way of rewarding your children as the calender is a little like an advent calendar. There are 10 different ‘windows’ to open, all with a Playmobil figure or accessory inside. The new and exclusive rabbit characters are really cute.
The figures are made to the same scale as all Playmobil figures so my children have a lot of fun mixing these characters with their existing Playmobil playsets. The calendar is very well priced at only £9.99.
View the full range here: http://www.playmobil.co.uk
Gift Reviews, Toy Reviews
Penwizard Personalized books, Trinity and the Medieval Princess.
Penwizard is a great company which provides a personalised book service. The range of books vary greatly, but when I came to the action and adventure books, my decision was made. What child wouldn’t love to star in their very own medieval adventure book alongside a Princess? Exactly!
My niece is almost 2 yrs and she is very fond of books. She has numerous books and now she has a Penwizard personalised book too.
My sister was delighted when the book arrived, expertly packaged and in perfect condition with a little cover note. This was an excellent idea and made the personalisation all the more special. The cover note read ‘Thank you for ordering our personalised princess storybook for Trinity. We hope that Trinity will enjoy her magical adventure as a medieval princess. Best wishes, from all at Dragon Castle’ Isn’t this class? I though it was such a special touch.
As for the book, it is fab!
The image portraying Trinity could be adjusted to add the correct hair and eye colour, if glasses are worn and the hair style as well. The front cover is of a little girl – Trinity, on the back of a dragon with a pink castle in the background. The story is just enough to keep young children captivated while not going into too much detail and resulting in boredom, this is not an easy task! The book is very well written with beautiful illustrations. I love it!
There are other books to choose from including books to suit boys and Peppa Pig fans.
Make someone’s Mother’s Day special with a personalized book from Penwizard! What a great surprise for any mum.
For further information visit www.penwizard.co.uk RRP £14.99.
Gift Reviews, Homeware Reviews, Teenage Gifts, Toy Reviews
Bergere de France ‘Sporty Nina Kit’
I love crafts and wish there were more hours in the day to mess about with my patchwork projects and various ‘started and yet to finish’ sewing kits. An extra hour about 8pm would be great. The kids would all be asleep and the usual tiredness which usually sinks in at the end of the day would not have set in yet! Dream on mummy..
Well, I have to say craft kits are a brilliant way to cram a little craftiness into a busy day. You have the enjoyment of shopping around in shops or online for a suitable kit which takes your fancy without the hassle of looking for all the various pieces to make the finished product. I have discovered a great little craft company lately called Bergere de France. Here you will be sure to find craft kits to suits all needs from crochet, knitting, dressmaking and stitching toy kits. I was completely taken with the Nina collection and ordered ‘Sporty Nina’.
Nina is delightful and her sporty gear also appealed to my 10 year old daughter. She was a craft kit with a difference, very trendy and fun. When Nina arrived I was delighted and relieved to find the actual doll was already sewn together. We were left with the challenge of knitting the clothes and adding the finishing touches, hair, etc.
There are 3 Nina kits to choose from all retailing at £12.50.
‘Budding young crafters can learn to knit creating these colourful outfits for Nina. Kit includes: 23 cm doll, 3 50g balls of wool for her outfit and hair, buttons and full instructions’ (Bergere de France)
The website is really worth a look. I was attracted to the ‘Help, I’m a beginner’ and had a look there first, but there are craft ideas for those who are well experienced also. There is lots of interesting news articles on what’s ‘in’ and an offer of £10 off your first online order when you join online and claim a free catalogue.
If you are looking for interesting Mother’s Day gifts you need look no further. I have the crochet cushion kit on my wish list! Choose from a homemade table cloth or even a simple mug cosy? The skill necessary is clearly highlighted so you can be sure to make the correct selection.
For further information visit www.bergeredefrance.co.uk
Gift Reviews, Toy Reviews
Ben 10 Alien figure, Toe-Pick and Water Hazard.
From the Ben 10 Omniverse series come the aliens!
Each Omniverse figure comes with a small mini figure to be used with the new Omnitrix. The figures are for children ages 4yrs and upwards and I happen to have one of those! He has just turned 4 yrs and is Ben 10 mad. Our latest addition is Toe-Pick! This has got to be the most grotesque alien yet! Press the release button and the helmet opens to reveal his face – if you really want to see it that is! The eyes protrude out and they sure look as if they could scare just about anyone in the universe.
Fully pose able, this 10cm action figure stands easily so perfect for the younger Ben 10 fans. His arms move up and down and you really would have to see it to believe how Bandai can make these figures so like the real cartoon characters! My son has not set this down from it came into the house, Toe-Pick even accompanies him to bed! A great toy for Ben 10 fanatics.
For those of you who prefer a figure a little less ‘gross’, Water Hazard works with the Omnitrix Shuffle and comes with a mini figure and an accessory.
His mask can be removed to reveal a face so small compared to the size of his body. Water Hazard is red with a hood and as a Ben 10 TV character, he can absorb moisture through the portholes in his hands. He can also fire water blasts from these holes making him a force to be reckoned with. His very strong looking armored exoskeleton protects his body from damage, including radiation so he is very popular with my son who thinks he is the most dangerous alien to date!
Have a look on www.bandai.co.uk for this and other brilliant durable Ben 10 toys from as little as £4.99.
Gadget Gifts, Gift Reviews, Toy Reviews
The All New Badge-it.
My entire family enjoy using Badge-it. Hours and hours has been spent sitting around the table designing and making individual little masterpieces.
Badge-It from Bandai is an multi-award winning toy, which allows children to make their own badges quickly and easily. It looks trendy and has survived my household, so its’ definitely sturdy! The badges are metal and they will stand the test of time.
They are a good way of jazzing up a school bag, pencil case and clothes accessories. I have even used Badge-it to make co-ordinating badges for special clothes to cover a stain or a hole – ingenious I thought!
The starter set contains the badge maker and materials to make 15x3cm badges.
Refills can be bought very cheap (£9 for 30 badges) so the fun goes on and on!
Available from www.bandai.co.uk RRP £20.00
Gift Reviews, Toy Reviews
City of Zombies.
Ok mummies and daddies, I have the perfect solution to boredom! City of Zombies! Yes, it sounds scary and it sort of is! Imagine a board game which appeals to all kids, this game is like no other ‘boring’ game. The illustrations and characters certainly appealed to my children as they were pretty gross and anything gross is ‘big’ in my home at the moment!
This game will even have the older members of the family interested and working together in the race against the Zombies. Who will survive and who will succumb to a ‘horrible death’? Lets find out..
This new game has achieved so much success despite its recent launch, only in December 2013. Eclectic Games found it to be the best selling board game and it has been nominated for the Best Family and Education Games Award 2014 in 3 categories. Board Game Geek rates it 7.8/10
Are you wondering why? Read on.
Teachers and parents alike LOVE this game as it sneakily teaches your children maths and numeracy skills and without them knowing as well, how clever is that? Very! My kids groan when it is time for homework but they learn just as much with this game and they are having too much fun to notice!
‘City of Zombies is a educational board game that makes maths fun, kids want to play it over and over, while parents and teachers love it because not only does it sneakily get kids doing a huge amount of free form maths calculations, it make them work together against the Zombies to survive’ (City of Zombies).
Pampered Presents highly recommend this game and are proud to say it is British designed and made thus rating this one of the best board games reviewed to date. Try it and I am sure you will fast become ‘addicted’ as well. A very well thought out game which has given us hours upon hours of family fun for a great price, RRP £29.99.
Find out more about the game here: www.cityofzombies.com
Enter our Facebook competition to win a game. https://www.facebook.com/Pamperedpresents
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Gadget Gifts, Gift Reviews, Teenage Gifts, Toy Reviews
New ‘Updated’ Wikipad.
Wow, I thought the Wikipad simply could not get better – I was wrong.
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This super tablet has been given new software and new features:
‘The new software adds new features such as controller mapping, the addition of Android 4.2, new content such as Madfinger Games’ Dead Trigger 2 and access to a host of great games from new content partner WildTangent Games.
Gift Reviews, Toy Reviews
Lonely Planet World Search Books.
Reading – have you wondered why teachers encourage this activity more than any other? My children’s handwriting isn’t perfect and the maths may need a little work, but my daughters manage to astound the teachers with their vocabulary! Apparently this is down to the volume and variety of books they read.
My daughters and my son would visit the library weekly borrowing, returning and requesting specific copies of books. The teachers said reading books served to fuel the imagination and extend the vocabulary.
If you have children and are thinking of topping up on their book collection this year, have a look at the books from Lonely Planet. My children have a few from the ‘Not for Parents’ and the title alone encourages them to read!
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These books are hardback and beautifully illustrated. The reading material is factual and perfect for boys and girls alike who are keen to discover the world around them.
From February 2014 you will be delighted to find a new range – World Search. Perfect for inquisitive little minds, and expertly recommended from the age of 5yrs and upwards, my children love these books.
The books are ‘flap’ books, but they are not your average ‘flap’ book – there are lots and lots of interesting little flaps to lift on each page. Three different books are available and I just had to have all three. They are equally brilliant and enjoyed by my ten and eight year old daughters and also by my four year old son.
‘Travel the world in search of the weird, wonderful and sometimes plain silly things that happen all over the globe. From animals and cities to the cool jobs people do, there’s plenty to look out for. So get ready to hunt for amazing treasure, spot some awesome objects and travel the world.
World Search: Amazing Jobs’ takes kids in search of the most amazing jobs in the world including being a stuntman on a Bollywood film set, a park ranger in Yellowstone National Park and a Royal Flying Doctor in the Australian Outback.’ (Lonely Planet)
My children have a host of career paths to choose from after reading this book – the sky is the limit! I love guiding my children away from the conventional path and encourage thinking ‘out of the box’ If you can relate to this, buy this book!
Busy Places’ holds the key to yet another host of adventures. If I had to choose a favourite, this is the book I would choose.
‘Busy Places takes kids through some of the busiest places in the world including Copacabana beach, New York City, London Heathrow Airport and Paris streets in search for hidden items.’ (Lonely Planet)
Incredible Animals is my son’s favourite book.
‘Incredible Animals takes kids in search of incredible animals in their habitats around the world including Antarctica (polar), Read Sea (coral reef), Serengeti (grasslands) and the Indian jungle (rainforest). (Lonely Planet)
We play a game when reading this book. I point to a ‘flap’ with a picture and he tries to recall the interesting fact that hides underneath. This is great fun and very educational, for both my son and myself!
The World Search books retail at £9.99 and are available from:
Lonely Planet has printed over 120 million books and they are the world’s leading travel content provider. They recently celebrated their 40th Anniversary. They boast mobile apps, ebook portfolio and an award winning website and they can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.
facebook.com/lonelyplanet
Twitter @lonelyplanet and #lp
Gift Reviews, Toy Reviews
Valentine’s Day Build-A-Bear Workshop.
Who doesn’t love Build-A-Bear? I have been to a Build-A-Bear work shop once and my hubby couldn’t get me out! I love the concept, and the toys are so cuddly and individual.
These plush Valentine figures from Build-A-Bear Workshop will melt your heart. They are the utmost in quality and definitely have the cute factor. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t love one of these soft plush figures this Valentine’s Day.
I adore this Dressy darling Big Hearts Bear. When she arrived in the post in her unique Build-A-Bear box I was thrilled to bits. I had no idea she would be so big. She is absolutely gorgeous, my 4 year old son fell in love instantly! The accessories are fabulous, beautiful glitter red shoes and a fancy red dress and hand bag. Extra clothes can also be bought from Build-A-Bear Workshop and the toys can be dressed and undressed to the delight of yourself or your children.
Most are approximately 15 inches tall and free standing. Aside from the toy aspect, they would look beautiful as a ‘decoration’ kept safe on a bedroom shelf.
With regards to a specific recommended age, Build-A-Bears are enjoyed by both my 4 year old son up to my 10 year old daughter.
Build-A-Bears can be bought online at www.buildabear.co.uk or you can go to the nearest store and enjoy a bear building experience.
Dressy Darling Big Hearts Bear and accessories RRP £36.50
Recommended for ages 12 months and up
Gift Reviews, Teenage Gifts, Toy Reviews
What do the Grown-ups do?
What Do the Grown-ups Do?
“What a refreshing and innovative way of introducing children to career possibilities in later life. A delightful series of books, which gently guides younger children through the adult world of work. The accompanying photographs of the main characters bring the lives of Joe the Fisherman, Fiona the Doctor and Papa the Stock Farmer, to life.”
Louise White, Broadcaster.
After reading 3 of these books I wholeheartedly agree with the above description. What brilliant books to help create a mindset for children – if you work hard it is much easier to get a job you enjoy doing!
These books could not have arrived at a better time for me. My daughter is in her last 2 years at primary school so she has a lot of work ahead of her.
‘What Do the Grown-ups Do?’ follow 3 children as they meet characters from various jobs and explore the work they do in detail.
The books reiterate the importance of working hard at school to achieve qualifications which will enable children to find a worthwhile job.
The books are targeted at readers aged 5-10 yrs and this is ‘spot on’. My 4 year old is a little too young to enjoy these books, but my 8 and 10year old children love them.
The photographs are interesting and descriptive to suit the reading material. The information is given in a way which is easy for a child to understand and the ethos of the relationship between working at school and who we become in later years ‘rings true’ throughout.
‘JOE THE FISHERMAN
Joe the fisherman lives next door. A great strong man with a cheeky grin, Joe has fished for prawns all his life, just like his father before him. Joe the Fisherman tells of Joe’s life aboard and the pros and cons of being at sea. Like many of the local creel fishermen, they fish using sustainable techniques. Joe tells the girls how to prepare bait, maintain the creels and how to stop catching crabs in their lobster pots!’
PUBLISHED 28th February 2014
£10 _paperback_ £3.99 _ebook_
‘PAPA THE STOCKFARMER
Papa the stock farmer calls the children one morning to ask for help moving the cattle and the girls embark on an adventure where things don’t exactly go as planned! During their work on the farm, they learn about the difference between high and low ground farming, how to make silage so that the animals have food in the winter, how the cattle poo can improve the ground, and how to save a baby calf!
PUBLISHED 28th February 2014
£10 _paperback_ £3.99 _ebook_’
Sean the Actor.
The eagerly awaited 3rd book in the Series ‘What do the grown-ups do?’ ‘Sean the Actor’ will be published on the 28 April 2014
‘This time the children move away from farming and fishing and meet a real actor. The young children ask question including:-
“How do you become an actor?”
“How does the film get made?”
“How do you know which camera to look at?”
“How do you make money in your work?”
Once again the Author Mairi McLellan brings the story to live with beautiful photographs and interesting facts that the grown-ups can learn from as well’
My 10yr old daughter takes this book to bed with her every night. Sean is a great character and I have also enjoyed reading this book to my other children. Sean the actor meets the children while shooting a film in their town. He is very friendly and the children learn a lot about the ‘real’ life of an actor from him. My children were amazed the amount of work put into the making of a movie and that acting is actually a job and not all fun and parties.
Although the main characters of these books are men, my girls really enjoyed reading them. We live in a town but I was brought up on a farm. My girls would never have seen a calf being born nor have they ever ‘baited a line’. They found these books very interesting and informative and I enjoyed reading with them. I would highly recommend them for every boy and girl from the age of 5 and up.
Available at Amazon & all good book stores
More information can be found on the website www.kidseducationalbooks.com