Garden Games Jumbo Connect 4 Review

As mentioned in previous posts, my children love the outdoors, and they spend a lot of time in our garden.

I was extremely delighted to be given the opportunity to review an item from the fantastic Garden Games.

The game that we were sent to review was a Giant Connect 4, which is perfect for our children as they adore the game in normal size, you can imagine their glee at having it giant size! I have always loved the game, even more so when I met my husband, because his uncle is the person responsible for designing this game, so it has a special place in my heart.

A large box arrived and we excitedly opened it. I do not know quite what I was expecting, but the product far outweighed my expectations.
It is a very sturdy piece of equipment, that will last a very long time. It took no effort to piece together, just slotting the two end pieces into thew board and sliding in the bar at the bottom to hold the counters in place.
The children had great fun unwrapping each individually wrapped counter and sliding them out of the grid.

They had great fun fitting all of the counters into the very handy bag!

The whole family have enjoyed playing with the Jumbo Connect 4, even in this weather! So I am sure it will be a firm favourite during the summer months.

It is suitable for all ages, Eowyn had great fun just putting the counters in and making pretty patterns, the older children got quite competitive, although nowhere near as competitive as mum and dad !

For more information on the Jumbo Connect 4 visit Garden Games here.

They have a fantastic range of outdoor games, trampolines and some amazing Playhouses.

I would definitely recommend the Connect 4 and also the site.

Pop Up Playhouse Review

As you can imagine, with six children, play space is quite limited, although we are fortunate enough to have a huge garden, it doesn't get used that much in the winter.

Although we have six children, they are all inidviduals, therefore I don't think it is fair that they miss out on playing with certain large toys, just because there are more of them than the usual family, so I was extremely excited to be given the opportunity to review a Cardboard Pop Up Playhouse, it sounded perfect.

A playhouse for Eowyn to practice her Role Playing skills, without the hassle of a large cumbersome Playhouse to take up lots of room.

Cardboard PopUp House is a fantastic idea, it takes just 10 seconds to erect and it can be taken up and down as required. It is also very educational with numbers and letters on the walls.

The children had great fun colouring in the roof . Eowyn and Neva insisted on putting some Tinsel on it and hanging the stocking Eowyn had made at Preschool.

Once the children had finished school, we had a family project to turn it into a Christmas House ...

As you can see, it is a very roomy house and they had great fun playing in it over the school holidays, and once the Christmas Season has finished, the wrapping paper can be removed and it is back to a playhouse, and even better, it can be folded away when not in use, a truly inspired idea, and one I shall definitely be telling Eowyns Preschool about, who have a space issue, but the children love playing shops and houses.

For more information visit http://popuphouse.co.uk/ they have some great choices and all environmentally friendly.

Fireman Sam Spin and Rescue Game



Kaide was a big Fireman Sam fan, before he began school, and when he first saw this game, he immediately reconnected with all things Fireman like!

All of the children love memory games, and were all eager to play the game and beat their siblings.

The game can be played by two, three or four players, with different slots to put the players piece, dependent on the number of players.

The idea of the game is to collect your five rescue cards that correspond with your chosen character, however, all of the cards are placed around the board face down, so it is also a memory game.

The first player `spins' Fireman Sam in his little circle and whoever the hose points to gets to choose a card, depending on Fireman Sam's instructions,he will say "Okay, let's get busy!" if the bell sounds once, you get to pick one card, if the bell rings twice, you pick two, but if you hear Norman say "Quick Sam, get me out of here!" it means that Norman is in trouble, which means you have to give back one of your rescue cards.


The first player to collect all of their five hero cards wins.


I played this game with Lochlan aged 11, Kaide aged 6 and Eowyn who is 3, so we set the game up for four players, I love the fact that you can play with two, three or four and there are different set up options for the amount of players, some games you have to waste time waiting for the non existent players turn!
Lochlan and Kaide had no problem spinning Fireman Sam, however, Eowyn wasn't quite old enough to spin it properly, although it spun, it was not fast enough to set off Fireman Sam speaking, but with a little help, she managed OK.
The game kept them all occupied throughout and they enjoyed the memory game part, although as a mother I did get a little Fireman Sammed out by the end. Saying the same sentence over and over!!!
Lochlan was the final winner, I bet you would never have guessed!

It is a good concept for a game and can be made younger child friendly by not taking the cards away and showing them where their cards are.
I would recommend this game for any young Fireman Sam fan, in fact I have decided to get one of these games for my cousins little boy, who will be three next week. 
A good memory game with a difference, would be a good Christmas Present for any little boy, or girl as Eowyn loved it too... 

Fireman Sam Spin & Rescue Game is available from Argos , Tesco, Toys R Us, The Entertainer, Amazon and Play.com priced £9.99 RRP

Puddle Jumper - The Perfect Swimmming Aid

New Sevylor Puddle Jumpers offer fun and safety in the water for your child.
Puddle Jumper, an innovative new swimming aid from water-recreation equipment expert Sevylor. Perfect for the pool and at the beach, the Puddle Jumper has a super-stable design that helps to keep your child’s head out of the water. Offering the same level of security only normally gained from wearing a life jacket, Puddle Jumpers are perfect for boosting your little swimmer’s confidence.
Featuring a soft, no-chaff cover that is ultra-comfortable for your child to wear, the Puddle Jumper’s design allows for their natural movement in the water, offering greater freedom and meaning children can swim and explore with maximum confidence. The four bright colours, each with its own cute animal design mean that unlike other swimming aids your child will want to wear a Puddle Jumper. Available in four rainbow colours, your child can choose from four different animal friends; a penguin, turtle, crab or a bumble bee. Each Puddle Jumper is quick-drying, reducing the risk of uncomfortable rubbing against your child’s skin.
Puddle Jumpers have a durable construction and are fully adjustable for greater parental security. Fastened using a single buckle at the rear; strapping your child into a Puddle Jumper is quick and stress-free. No more struggling with an unhappy child at the water’s edge, instead you can relax and enjoy yourself too.

We were sent a Puddle Jumper for Kaide to try out, at aged five, he is very confident in the water, but has not yet mastered the art of actual swimming. 

We had tried a Rubber Ring, but Kaide had struggled to kick his legs and move his arms, because it was quite restricting.

Next we used normal armbands, but they kept his arms afloat, but his chest kept dropping.

When he put the PuddleJumper on, he seemed to take on a new found confidence, he was jumping into the Pool, but landing more on his chest, which enabled him to take up the natural swimming position.

The PuddleJumper was very easy to put on, and because of the material it is made out of, he could put it on his arms, whether they were wet or dry, which was always an impossible task with Arm Bands, I can remember with the older children having to wet their arms first, to enable the Arm Bands to be put on.

Another positive to the Puddle Jumper is that it did not leave any marks when it was removed, many times with other swimming aids, we would remove them to find either scratches or red marks where they had rubbed. There was none of this with the Puddle Jumper.

He loved the colour and the Crab on the front, which meant I had no issues with him putting it on.

I would definitely recommend the Puddle Jumper to anyone who is looking to build up their child's confidence in the water.

The only problem we had was that he became so confident with the Puddle Jumper on, he was too over confident when he entered the swimming pool in the garden and he realised he wasn't wearing it!!
This will definitely be used for the next two children, whom i'm sure will love it just as much as Kaide has.

Meccano Multi Models Review

Lochlan has always had an interest in building things, so when he was given the opportunity to review some Meccano, he jumped at the chance!

As he is aged 11, he was sent a set called Multi Models, it is suitable from ages 8 to 88, so we can all have some fun...

This is what the website says about the kit

"Build 7 different models including a cool quad with suspensions and steering wheels. Contains detailed building instructions for 4 models. Building instructions for the 3 other models are available at meccanouk.co.uk.Only one model can be built at a time. Tools included. Contains 190+ parts."

Lochie decided to attempt the car, as shown on the box.

He began by tipping out the packet containing 190 pieces, which was not very clever, we spent the next five minutes rescuing pieces from the floor!

Lochlan retrieved all of the pieces and set to work....

As you can see, lots of pieces to challenge his thinking! 

I was surprised at the concentration Lochlan showed whilst making the car, it is unusual for him to sit still that long, unless he is really engrossed in something.

The length of time he sat even surprised Tyrus, in the highchair next to him! Or was it just the fact he has thrown all of his toys off of his highchair...

The furrowed brow is showing just how hard he is concentrating, not quite sure where Tyrus's highchair tray has gone either!

Not many pieces left until it is completed, I could not believe how long he sat there for, with the occasional piece of assistance from dad, who avoided the photographs.

Nearly there, just got to attach the wheels and check its all secure...

just adding the finishing touches and there we have it, a fully completed meccano car.

Although aged 8-88 I would think that a child aged 8 would struggle to build any of the models by themselves, Lochlan enjoyed the building process, but did require help at certain parts, from dad!

Some of the pieces are very tiny, so I would imagine that the older generation may require their glasses, in fact his grandad visited whilst Lochlan was building and struggled to locate the pieces for him.

With so many models to build in the same set, I would definitely recommend this set for any Meccano fan, especially for Christmas, there are endless opportunities for making the models and designing your own.

My husband also commented on the set as he is famous for never following instructions, so the fact that there are enough pieces to make your own models was perfect for him, and I am sure he and Lochlan will have many hours of entertainment, trying to outdo the other persons model!

Disney Princess Magic Wand Game

Eowyn is slightly obsessive on anything Disney, from Mickey Mouse to the Princesses, so when we were given the opportunity to review The Magic Wand Game, she was VERY excited.

Although the game is from aged 3+, Eowyn is only one month from hitting the magic game playing age, plus she has two big sisters and two big brothers to help her out!

The game was very easy to set up, although an adult will have to push the studs into the moving magic pathways, as they were quite tough to assemble.

However the castle and gate were easy to fit together, just slotting the pieces into place.

The big bonus of this game is that it does not require any dice hooray....

nstead you have a very girlie pink magic wand that guides you around the board.

To activate the wand you wave it in the air and it says numerous different instructions such as  "Beautiful Princess I Grant you to move three spaces", each wave of the wand activates a new instruction.

To play the game you have the choice of four Disney Pricesses - Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Belle.

Each player takes it in turns to wave the magic wand, and follow the instructions, moving them around the board, with the aim of reaching the gate to the Castle.

This game was easy to play and the girls enjoyed playing it, properly, and also finding other `new' games to continue their enjoyment.

When Eowyn's princess was near to the gate, she had placed her too close, which resulted in the Princess being catapulted across the table when the wand opened the gate....

This provided much amusement and a new game was created....

The only slight problem with the game, was the same voice being heard throughout the game, every time the wand was waved, perhaps, different commands, could be said by different voices....

This would be a very good Christmas present for any little Disney Princess Fan, and is available from Argos, Toys R Us, Tesco, Smyths, Entertainer and Mothercare at 14.99 RRP

For more information on the game and other great games for young children visit Jumbo Games

Bizu Review - A Christmas Must

Neva with the Bizu !

The lovely people at Blog Match and Spinmaster gave us the amazing opportunity to review the fantastic Bizu.
And it certainly didn't disappoint!
It says that it is from 6+ years and this was the perfect thing for Neva aged 8 to have, although her older sister aged 13 enjoyed making them too!




TheStyle Studio was very easy to assemble and the pieces fitted in quite easily, the only problem Neva had was deciding which charms went in which compartment. The Kit comes with four different animals to make, although there is room for many more.
The Bizu Beading Tool fits in the top of the Style Dial, and allows you to twist the unit and the pieces that you require drop to the bottom of the base.
Please ensure you collect all of the pieces to make the bracelet before you remove the Beading Tool from the top, otherwise it is quite tricky to get the pieces! (We discovered this the first attempt...)
Each bracelet requires 1 head, 1 charm, 1 torso, 4 legs, 1 tail and 1 clasp/elastic.
It is extremely clever the way the tool fixes to the elastic and allows the pieces to be threaded on.

The bracelets by themselves look great and Eowyn our toddler was most impressed. But that wasn't the clever part, that comes next...

Unclasp the bracelet, so that it is one long line, fold the head towards the body and twist the legs three times, next fold the tail towards the body and twist the legs three times, and you will have ....

A super duper cute little pet.

This set is perfect for little girls like Neva, that love jewellery and adore animals. I think this will definitely be on lots of little girls' Christmas Lists, and I am sure Neva will request extra sets to expand her collection.

For more information please head to http://www.bizuworld.com/

Family Fun with Molkky!

The wonderful people at Blog-Match have joined forces with Tactic Games to enable us very fortunate bloggers an oportunity to review some fabulous games.
I shall be telling you all about the two fantastic games we have been testing here in the Morrison Household, but first I wanted to tell you about a brilliant product called Molkky...



Molkky – the best selling outdoor family game from Finland!

Tactic Games is backing family fresh air fun this year with the launch of Molkky.  Already a craze in Finland, Molkky is made from wood from replenishable forests.  Molkky is an eco-friendly toy with both minimal packaging and minimal air miles to the UK.

Outdoor fun for all the family is what has made Molkky an instant hit.  The rules are simple with the first player to knock down 50 points worth of skittles using the wooden throwing pin becoming the winner.  The secret of Molkky’s success is the fact it can be played on many levels with a variety of skills and strategy, ensuring mum and dad can happily play along with the teenagers, in fact, even the youngest member of the family can master Molkky!



Tactic Games also has giant versions of Yatzy, Giant Tower and the lively Ten Sticks on a Board, all made from replenishable wood and ideal for family games in the sunshine!

Molkky is available from http://www.carouseltoyshop.co.uk/  at £34.99

This looks a really fantastic game that would certainly go down well with the whole Morrison clan, all of the children love being outdoors, so I think this one will definitely be making its way into our outdoor games list of buys.

Fab Effex review

The girls were kindly sent a Fab Effex kit to review, when being matched up with Spinmaster Toys and Blog Match

Both girls were extremely excited to be chosen to test out this brand, as they had both showed an interest when seeing the adverts on television.

When it arrived, we opened the parcel to find that we had been sent a Dress Up doll making kit, which was the perfect kit for my two daughters, as Xene has already shown a keen interest in fashion design and Neva just loves Art and Craft in general.

As the girls are aged 8 and 13, I was able to leave them to it and see what developed.
Both girls had great fun creating different designs and outfits. They looked at the enclosed leaflet for some ideas and then used the principles but with their own colour scheme.

Both girls said it was easy to work with and was great fun, the only negative that we found was that if you left the dolls out on the side with the clothes on, and it was sunny, the material and waxy backing stuck to the cardboard doll, however if you are making 3D effects or models, then this wouldn't be a problem.
They found the large pieces of material quite hard to cut into small shapes, although my very sharp craft scissors worked fine.
It is a very versatile material and can be used for a number of uses. Dress up dolls have certainly moved on since I was little, the only thin we used to have was little bits of card that we folded over to hold the clothes in place!
I would definitely recommend the Fab Effex, and there are many different kits available, so can be bought for most ages and both boys and girls.
I have a feeling some more kits will be on the Christmas List.

OzBozz My First Scooter Review and Giveaway.

My First Scooter by Ozbozz is a terrific pre-school 3 in 1 trainer scooter, specifically designed with the younger child in mind. This excellent scooter is a wonderful way to encourage learning through active play. This clever and sturdy little My First Scooter grows with the child. The large 4 wheels provide extra support for the little ones as they learn to develop coordination and balance. As the little ones become a bit more confident the My First Scooter can be changed easily to become a 3 wheel scooter and then onto 2 wheels when the child is ready. It's so easy and comes with a small tool kit and detailed easy to follow instructions. The My First Scooter can be folded down when not in use and has been designed in cute, bright colours with co-ordinating soft grab hand grips. The My First Scooter is recommended for children aged 2 years+

Eowyn was sent this lovely scooter to review. It arrived in a fairly small box, we tipped out the pieces and picked up the instructions!

The putting together of the scooter was very easy, the only thing to note is that when using all four wheels, there are two different sizes, so be careful to put them on the correct place, or it could result in a wobbly scooter...

The scooter is very sturdy and perfect for a toddler, Eowyn immediately looked grown up on her first scooter, just like her brothers and sisters smaller scooters, she had tried one of Nevas old scooters but had found it far too big and wanted a little one!

The excellent design means that the scooter will grow with her, transferring from the four wheels, onto three and eventually just the two small wheels. I think it represents excellent value for money as there is no need to buy another scooter as she becomes more confident, you just change the configuration.

It is a fun looking scooter with bright colours and will also be suitable when Tyrus reaches the toddler stage.

Eowyn is able to whizz around the patio - I say whizz, more like trundle as toddlers do, but she is perfectly happy and appears confident when moving the scooter around. I would definitely recommend this for any toddler to learn the skills of scootering.

The lovely people at OzBozz have kindly given me a My First Scooter to give to one lucky blog follower. 

If you'd like the chance to win this fantastic scooter, heres what you have to do ......

1. You must follow the blog with google friend connect or Networked Blogs.

2. Pop over to OzBozz Outdoor Toys and RETURN here

3. Then leave a comment with the outdoor toy you like best from their website, your facebook / twitter name so i can contact you if you are the lucky winner .

That’s the mandatory entries done , but if you want extra credits you can do any of the following or all ....

~ follow Hex Mum on facebook

~ follow OzBozz on facebook, who are also going to have their own giveaway at 1000 likers

~.follow @Hex_Mum on twitter

If you have done any of the extra entries please let me know in a separate comment.

Thanks and Good Luck xxx

Comp closes 21st September 2011

Zoobles are so cool

Zoobles are collectible, colourful balls that spring to life and magically transform into fun and cute charaters when placed on their happitat.

Neva age 8 adores Zoobles and was very excited to received their new `Mama and Zoobling Pack,'not just a zooble but one that has a special surprise waiting inside. We were lucky to have a yellow and green set called Unga and Bunga.

The baby fits nicely inside mummy, or can rest in the hammock or play on the swing.

They are for ages 4+, although Eowyn did like them too! Neva used to call them Bakugan for Girls before she knew their name, because of the way they pop open on a magnetic surface.

There are hundreds of different Zoobles to collect, and I think more of these will be on Neva's Christmas list!

Zoobles have a facebook page and you can visit their website and play lots of games.

Armouron - Its Awesome !

Armouron is the brainchild of Sue Lipscombe, an animation set designer and mother to two young boys. After an unsuccessful mission to find a knight’s costume for her son, Sue decided to go one step better and embarked on creating one herself.

Sue came up with the idea of constructing a futuristic looking lightweight suit of armour that children could easily build and customise themselves for an individual look. Just attach the pieces together with `snapperons’ to create your armour! Add the accessory packs to your Armour suit to customise and unleash the hidden warrior within.

Kaide and Lochlan were sent a set of Armouron each to review, Kaide had red, Lochlan blue.

They were extremely excited when the boxes arrived. We tipped out the pieces and looked at the instructions. In our household I like to follow the instructions to the letter, on the other hand my husband Asa doesn’t bother looking at instructions and just begins putting pieces together. In all fairness both sets looked great, but it’s just `my thing’ that it has to be correct!

It did take a little while to put the basic helmet and chest piece together, but once this was completed, the boys were able to customise it to their own specification.

The snapperons are easy to clip together and have two different lengths, depending on how many pieces you are fixing together. Warning –they really hurt if you tread on one, so I would recommend they be put away after play!

The Armouron sets worked brilliantly for both boys, which is great, especially as there is a five year age gap, the brilliance of these sets is that they can be adjusted to fit many different sized children.

There are numerous accessories including swords and daggers, and the accessory packs can be added to the armour set to enhance it.

Both boys when asked have said it is “awesome”.

For more information and to purchase Armouron visit http://www.bandai.co.uk/

Review - Bubble Buster The Game of Pinging Bubbles !

Bubble Buster - Be the first to burst 20 bubbles. The two wands count the number of bubbles burst. The more bubbles you burst, the higher the note the wand sounds. When you burst your 20th bubble, the wand plays a fairy fanfare, but beware not all bubbles will make the wand go ping.

We were sent this game to review, now I have to admit, when I have seen this advertised on television I was extremely sceptical that this would work, but how wrong could I be!

After many days of trying to get outside and play, we finally had some sunshine!

Bubble Buster is Simple, Playful, Active fun.

You simply turn on the bubble machine, which had everyone excited by itself, and then two players rush around with their wands trying to burst 20 `special’ bubbles that make the wands go PING.

A brilliant game, that encourages the children to run around, without them realising that they are getting exercise, especially when there is a slight breeze and the bubbles go quite a long way!

Lochie and Xene filling up the Bubble Machine

The wands were light to hold and easy to use, the music was pleasant, without being annoying, also great just as a bubble machine, a family game, that keeps children aged 2 to 13 amused, is certainly a hit in this house.

The age range says from 4+, but even Eowyn aged 2 loved it and ran around popping the bubbles.

     

Xene aged 13 called it fantastic,  Lochie aged 11 said it was awesome, Neva aged 8 said it was great and Kaide aged 5 said it was so cool, so a really great game for different aged children.

I am sure this will keep them entertained throughout the entire summer, if the weather stays nice..

For  more information and stockists please visit http://www.drumondpark.com/

Scuttlebug is A Hit ! Review

Scuttle Bug is a revolutionary foot to floor ride on. The simple 3 step folding system allows the Scuttle Bug to be folded and unfolded in seconds. The Scuttle Bug is lightweight and compact, allowing it to be easily carried and stored when not in use.

The 3 wheel design is stable and allows loads of fun and freedom. Specifically designed wheels allow a smooth and quiet ride both indoors and outdoors. This safe, reliable and durable ride on helps develop balance and steering skills. No assembly required.

Eowyn was sent a bumble bee Scuttlebug to review, she was very excited when the box arrived, I was surprised at how small the box was. We took it out of the packing and it was ready to ride almost instantly, you just have to pull out the two back wheels and click in the front.

It is the perfect size for Eowyn and she loves it!

It has lived in our house for the past few weeks because of the awful weather, but because of the design and material of the wheels it can be used in or out, although she was a little reluctant to take it outside at first in case it got dirty!

I always struggled when her older brothers and sisters were playing on their bikes because she had outgrown her little ride on car and hasn’t yet got the strength to pedal a bike, so this is just perfect, she feels like a big girl and can ride around the patio keeping up with the others.

Another benefit of the Scuttlebug is that it is so lightweight and compact it can be transported with her and taken wherever we go, it evens fits in my rucksack!

For more information, visit http://www.mookie-toys.co.uk/#/products