Ginger Fox Card Games | Review

No comments

Disclosure - We were gifted a selection of Ginger Fox Games for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

We have been enjoying lots of Ginger Fox games over the past week. Yule Duel, Bump This, Space Dash and Catch Phrase are simple card based games, perfect for family fun this Christmas.

Read More

Escape Room - The Game | Review

No comments

Disclosure - We received Escape Room - The Game for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

Last year John and I did our very first Escape Room together. We had never done anything like it before and although it was tough we managed to solve all the clues and we broke out just in time. Over the last week we have been playing Escape Room - The Game at home and it's actually been lots of fun and just like the real thing.

Escape Room The Game is all the fun of a real Escape Room with puzzles to solve, clues to find and a countdown timer but in the comfort of your own home.

Ideally the game is designed for 3-5 players aged 16+. John and I played with just the two of us and it was absolutely fine. Once we had read the instructions we both decided to start with the easiest of the three scenarios included which was Prison Break.

Each scenario comes with a back story to give you more information and once you are ready and have laid out all the pieces for this Escape Room you press the chrono decoder. The chrono decoder is your time and as soon as you press to start it will begin to count down. It also doubles as your 'door' to break out. You need to get four keys throughout the game to 'Escape'.

The chronological decoder will alert you at various intervals to remind you that you can use a 'hint' if you wish and we found at the beginning we needed more hints but I think it was just because we needed to get familiar with the game.

Working together as a team is a must when playing Escape Room as the puzzles are tough and really make you think.

We escaped 'Prison Break' with 6 minutes and 22 seconds to spare which I was really impressed with as I felt we had struggled at the beginning and lost a lot of time.

The sense of achievement when you 'escape' is crazy even though you are just playing at home. There is an app that allows you to download free background music to add to the intensity. I think we will definitely do that on the next game.

Escape Room comes with three separate scenarios, Prison Break, Virus and Nuclear Countdown. Each scenario is a little more difficult than the previous. I would definitely recommend starting with Prison Break.

Michelle

Read More

Christmas Gift Guide 2019 | For The Kids

No comments

Disclosure - This post contains gifted items for the inclusion in my gift guide. This post also contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

If you are looking for some gift inspiration for the kids then check out our 'For The Kids' Christmas Gift Guide. 

Read More

Herodrive Marvel Vehicle Review

No comments

Disclosure - We were sent the Herodrive Marvel vehicles for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

Back in April John and I sat down one Saturday evening and decided to watch a Marvel movie. We had never seen any of the Marvel movies before so we researched it online and decided to start at the beginning and watch all the Marvel movies in chronological order. Watching the 22 films in 30 days was the start of our family becoming Marvel obsessed. We managed to finish all the movies before Endgame finished at the cinema and booked a spur of the moment trip to Disneyland Paris for the Season Of The Superheroes Event. We have been hooked since so when we received The Marvel Superheroes Herodrive cars I knew that I would probably love them us as much as little J.

The idea behind the Mod Squad Car is very simple. each set contains one Mod Squad Car. You can choose from Hulk, Iron Man and Spider-Man. The car is made up of three different pieces which can connect together.

The first part is the back of the car, the second part is the middle and the three part is the front. When you are ready to play you fit all three pieces together and your car is ready. There is more fun to be had though as you can mix and match the pieces of your car with those from another set.

There are so many possibilities to choose from you could have Spider-Man at the back, the middle could be Hulk and the front could be Iron Man.

Each Mod Squad Car also comes with an extra piece. If you collect all 3 pieces from the different sets you will complete Captain America. He too can be mixed and matched with the other cars in the range.

It's such a simple idea however we've had lots of fun making all different combinations of Superheroes.

Also in the Superhero Herodrive range are Speed Squad Minis. These are smaller cars in the colours of your favourite superheroes.

They are a push-a-long car with a chunky body and big wheels. They are great for little hands and they really do speed across the floor.

Little J has really enjoyed playing with both sets of cars and is asking Father Christmas for The Hulk Mod Squad Car so he can complete the set.

The Speed Squad Minis are a great addition to the Superhero Herodrive range and are perfect for stockings this Christmas.

You can find out more about the Herodrive Marvel Vehicle range over at Funrise Toys and they are available to buy at Asda, Debenhams and Amazon

Michelle

Read More

Rubik's Puzzles - The Perfect Stocking Filler

No comments

Disclosure - We were gifted a Rubik's Puzzle Bundle for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post also contains affiliate links.

Growing up I loved my Rubik's Cube. It was one of those toys that I could pick up and play at anytime. I say I loved it but it used to annoy me so much because I never completed more than one side. I remember my friends and I bringing our Rubik's cubes to a friends house and we sat for hours trying to complete at least two sides. One of our friends did it and we all couldn't believe it until we realised she had peeled the coloured squares off her cube and arranged them so it looked like she had done it, she hadn't.

Read More

Ice Age - Scrat's Nutty Adventure Video Game

No comments

Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

From Outright Games, makers of Dragons Dawn Of New Riders and Paw Patrol On A Roll games comes the latest Ice Age game for Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch.  Scrat's Nutty Adventure is available now and we have had the opportunity to try it out on Nintendo Switch.

The game is aimed at Ice Age fans, however from my first hours play through, I am really enjoying the game and I haven't watched many of the later Ice Age films, and wouldn't say I was a fan! Little J, however is a huge fan of Ice Age, and was really looking forward to getting his teeth into this game!

Read More

Learn With Thomas Range

No comments

Disclosure - We were gifted the below items for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

Around this time of year I am always on the lookout for toy ideas for Christmas. Not just for little J but for my family and friends little ones. Since becoming an Early Years Practitioner I always seem to steer towards toys that have educational features but obviously keeping it fun for the little ones too. I really love the Learn with Thomas range from Trends, not only is it educational with lots of interactive fun, it's Thomas and Friends too which is a character we have loved for many years.

 The learn with Thomas toys are designed for those 18 months up to 4 years old however little J enjoyed playing with these especially the smart tablet and he is 6. I think it depends on the age and stage of your child but if they are a Thomas fan they will love the range no matter what age.

Thomas and Friends Flip and Learn Phone

The Flip and Learn Phone is a great addition to role play with the kids. Flip the phone to open and reveal a very colourful keypad. The number buttons are red, yellow, green, blue and orange which is not only eye catching but great for colour and number recognition. Press a number and it will make a beeping dialling noise. Once you have dialled your number press the green phone button to ring Thomas. He will answer ' Hello 'I'm Thomas, the number 1 blue engine'. Press the red phone button to end the call.

Press the ? button on the phone and Thomas will ask you to ring someone by pressing a certain button. For example Thomas will say 'Shall we ring Emily? Press number 8. This gives the child the chance to find number 8 on the keypad. Again great for number recognition. Thomas will also ask you to find a certain colour button too.

Press * to begin lots of fun sounds and press # to activate the Thomas tune. There is even a camera button which makes it very realistic for the little ones.

Thomas and Friends Smart Tablet

Most children now know how to work an iPad or tablet so they will love the Thomas and Friends Smart Tablet as it has lots of interactive fun.

The Thomas tablet is really colourful and has lots to do and see. Switch the Thomas tablet on my pressing the large yellow button at the bottom of the tablet. Then you can choose what feature you would like to play with.

Press one of the circle 'places' buttons at the top of the pad to learn about places to visit. A great way for children to learn about different destinations.

The number and shape buttons are perfect to help with number and share recognition. Press the button once and it will tell you the number press again to hear the shape.

Move down to the letters that spell out T R A I N. Press a letter once to hear the phonetic pronunciation and press again to hear the name of the letter.

Press the characters to learn their names and if you press again you can hear more about the character.

Next you can learn colours by pressing the trains.

There is a Thomas button at the bottom of the tablet, you press this to activate the quiz. Thomas will ask you a question and you have to find the correct answer and press the button. Lots of fun for little ones and encourages listening and attention too.

I have teamed up with Trends UK to offer one lucky Playdays and Runways reader the chance to win their very own Thomas and Friends Smart Tablet.

Our giveaway may be closed but the Learn With Thomas range is still available to buy on Amazon.

  

Win Thomas & Friends Smart Tablet

Michelle

Read More

Dough Nab Game Review

No comments

Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

We love playing games as a family but sometimes John and I like to play games which are aimed at adults. We recently added a new game to our collection, Dough Nab. When I first saw the game I thought it was for younger children however its actually aimed at those aged 8+ and after playing I can understand why.

After reading the rules a few times we decided to just play and see how we got on. Dough Nab comes with three doughnuts, 60 cards, a turn tracker token and a head bakers hat. The aim of the game is to clear all the cards in your hand and also your dough nab pile.

To start the game all you need to do is place the three doughnuts in the middle of the table. Deal out 10 cards face down to each player and place the remainder cards to the side. You then decide who goes first and hand them the turn tracker token.

Each player takes it in turns to turn over their top card and place it face up in front of them. You continue to do this in a clockwise order until there are 3 matching doughnuts on show. If you are the first to spot three matching doughnut cards face up then you must grab the correct coloured doughnut.  You then give your dough nab pile of face up cards to a player of your choice so they have to add them to their own pile.

To make the game more interesting there are special cards. Magic doughnut cards, the crumbs cards,  don’t nab and nab cards.

The magic doughnut cards can be matched with two doughnuts of the same colour, so you would then grab the doughnut that corresponds to the majority. For example if there are two pink doughnuts in the face up piles and you place the magic doughnut card down you would grab the pink doughnut.

If by chance three magic doughnut cards are visible at the same time you must race to grab any coloured doughnut.

The crumbs card is a half eaten doughnut and they are placed in the pack just to confuse you, they don’t do anything at all.

If you place the don't nab card down no one can grab a doughnut until the don't nab card is covered up.

If the nab card is placed down all players must race to grab a doughnut.  You then hand your dough nab pile to a player who was not grabbed a doughnut.

The winner is the player without any cards and they can wear the head bakers hat.

Dough Nab is a really fun fast paced game similar to snap only for adults. As you can see the rules are a little complicated with a lot to remember but once you know how to play you will be a whizz. I will be adapting the game so we can play it with little J who is 6 as he loves games and I'm sure he will love this too.

Michelle

Read More

Bunch O Balloons Party Pump and Balloons

No comments

Disclosure - We we received Bunch O Balloons Party Pump and Balloons for the purpose of this post. We also received an Asda voucher to buy more balloons. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

If there’s one thing that can keep a child entertained for hours it’s a balloon. Little J absolutely loves balloons and it doesn’t matter whether they are attached to a piece of string or just inflated he will play with it no matter what. Although balloons are perfect for any occasion they do make a great addition to any party. In the past I’ve been stuck blowing up tens of balloons for a birthday party leaving me short of breath, but I know just how much the kids will enjoy them. When we received Bunch O Balloons Party Pump and pack of self sealing Party Balloons I was excited to give it a try.

Bunch O Balloons Party Pump and self sealing party balloons claim they can fill, tie and string 40 balloons in 40 seconds. Now I know this probably sounds too good to be true but I am always happy to try anything and I was actually keen to see if this would actually work.

The party pump pack came with 16 balloons included and we were sent an additional pack of 24 balloons so 40 in total.

When we opened the pump it was really compact which is great when it comes to storing after use. All we needed to do was attach the pump to the mains using the plug included then attach our balloons. You can choose between one stem (8 balloons), two stems (16 balloons) or five stems (40 balloons).  The balloons then inflate, tie and the ribbon is already attached so just ready for you to bunch together or leave them separate. It's up to you.

It was amazing to see all balloons inflate at the same time. I actually can’t wait to see how much time it will save for future parties when it comes to blowing up balloons.

The Bunch O Balloons Party Pump attaches to your mains electricity and it also comes with a set of of additional adaptors which can be used to inflate other items in the home, such as water toys, paddling pools or balls. It also comes with a helium adaptor which you can use to fill your balloons from a helium tank instead if you want to have floaty balloons.

Bunch O Balloons Party Pump and 16 balloons cost just £14.99 from Asda and if you choose to buy additional packs of Party Balloons these cost £9.99 for a pack of 24. To find your nearest stockist check here and if you want any more information then you can head to Bunch O Balloons Party

Our giveaway may be closed but you can still purchase Bunch O Balloons online



Win Bunch O Balloons Party Pump and Balloon Pack ( £15 Asda Voucher)

Michelle

Competition closes on Sunday 20th October 2019

Entrants must have a valid UK address. 

Bulk, third party or any other entries using automated software will be disqualified. 

All entrants and entries are checked and verified. 

1 lucky winner will be chosen at random by the Gleam application. 

Playdays and Runways will contact the lucky winners within 7 days of the competition closing. 

The winners will be emailed to the email address given at the time of entering. 

The winners will not be announced on my blog or social media until they have agreed that their name can be displayed. 

The winners must respond within 28 days, if no response a new winner will be chosen. 

This prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative 

The Prize : £15 Asda Voucher so you can purchase Bunch O Balloons Party Pump and Balloons

Read More

TIG-TAG | Review

No comments

Disclosure - We were sent a TIG-TAG for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

There is an eleven year age gap between big and little J so finding a game that they can both play has always been a struggle. Little J would be too young for some and big J not interested in others. One common ground has always been playing outside. Whether it's football, garden or chase games their love of playing outside has always meant that they could spend time together having fun. We were recently sent TIG-TAG which is an exciting new outdoor game designed to get the whole family up and playing together.

Read More

Hape Anywhere Art Studio | Review

No comments

Disclosure - We were sent the Hape Anywhere Art studio for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.

We have been very lucky this Summer to be able to get away for a few days visiting different parts of the country. I usually pack a variety of toys to keep little J busy when we are travelling or staying over in a hotel but this time I only took with us the Hape Anywhere Art Studio that we had been sent to review.

The Hape Anywhere Art Studio is a portable tabletop easel which has a whiteboard on one side a chalk board on the other.

When you are ready to play you prop the easel up turning the adjustable knobs tightly so that the easel holds in place.

That is it. Your easel is ready to play with and all you need to do is to decide whether you want to use the whiteboard or the chalk board side.

If using the whiteboard side then you can choose to use whiteboard markers directly in the board (whiteboard markers are not included) or you can use the magnet to hold a piece of paper in place and draw directly on to the paper. The choice is yours.

If using the chalk board then you can use one of the two chunky chalks that are included to create your drawing. When you are finished you can use the eraser to rub it out and start again.

The Hape Anywhere Art Studio is perfect to play with at home or even when you are out and about. Little J absolutely loves drawing, painting and any other creative activities he can think of. The Anywhere Art Studio is completely portable and also very easy to set up. It's been ideal for us this Summer while we have been travelling around and little J loves it.

For more information visit Hape. The Anywhere Art Studio is available to buy in most good toy stores or online

Michelle

Read More

Little Brian Paint Sticks 2-in-1 Art Station | Review

No comments

Disclosure - We were sent the Little Brian Paint Sticks 2-in-1 art station for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post also includes affiliate links.

I have mentioned a few times recently that due to a few rainy play days at home and school little J has really started to enjoy lots of different creative activities. He has brought home a variety of drawings and paintings from school and now has an art drawer at home filled lots of different materials to allow him to be as creative as he likes. We were recently introduced to Little Brian Paint Sticks and I have to say they are an amazing invention. Looking like a glue stick you can use the solid paint stick to create lots of mess free paintings. 

We were sent the Little Brian Paint Sticks 2-in-1 Art Station which is perfect for the Summer holidays whether we are at home or out and about. The art station opens up to reveal a double sided easel with a white board on one side and a chalk board on the other. 

The 6 coloured paint sticks can be used on the white board directly or you can use the clip to hold a piece of paper in place so they can paint direct on to the paper. All you need to do is twist the paint stick and the solid paint will appear at the top and just start painting. 

The chalks that are included in the art station again are completely mess free and do not leave a chalky residue that you get with normal chalk. You just twist the chalk and you are ready to go. 

Once you have finished playing it all packs away neatly and can be carried using the handle. 

The Little Brian Paint Sticks 2-in-1 art Station is ideal for playing with at home however it is compact enough to take away with you to on either holiday or a day out to keep the little ones busy.

Michelle

Read More