Ice Age - Scrat's Nutty Adventure Video Game

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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!

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Learn With Thomas Range

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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

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Dough Nab Game Review

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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

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Bunch O Balloons Party Pump and Balloons

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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

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Buyagift - The Perfect Present | Review

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Disclosure - We received a Buyagift experience in return for a feature on our blog. The idea for this post was my own as is all thoughts, opinions and photographs. This post contains affiliate links.

We are those people that when it comes to birthdays or Christmas we never want anything. We really struggle to think of something and in the end we usually ask for a voucher. Over the past few years we have asked experiences vouchers such as Buyagift and for people like us it really is the perfect present. We have selected some of  our favourite experiences that we have enjoyed so far using Buyagift.

Theme Parks

If you know us then you will know that we are quite the thrill seekers and are usually head to theme park at least once a month. This Summer we headed to Drayton Manor which was perfect for both big and little J.

As there is an 11 year age gap it can be tricky sometimes to find somewhere that is suitable for both their age ranges however Drayton Manor had something for everyone.

The park has lots of thrill rides suitable for big J including Shockwave and Maelstrom and little J loved Thomas Land which has lots of rides based around the popular character Thomas The Tank Engine.

The theme park also has a 15 acre zoo which was fun for all of us and a 4D cinema too.

Our voucher included two adults and two children with lunch to Drayton Manor Theme Park

Dining Out

On a recent day out to Southport, John and I ended our day with a trip to Prezzo. Using our voucher was easy we just made a reservation online and we were sent a redemption code to hand to the waiter when we had finished.

On arrival we were handed the Buyagift set menu which has so much to choose from. John started with the Garlic Bread with Mozzarella and I had the Tomato Bruschetta.

For our mains we both went for Spaghetti Bolognese. I assumed as this was a Buyagift menu that the portion size may be smaller but it wasn't.

We both saved some room for desserts. I went for Honey Smash Cheesecake whilst John chose his favourite Tiramisu.

The voucher was for a Three Course Meal With Wine For Two at Prezzo

Days Out

We like to go to London at least once a year to visit the London tourist attractions. One of our favourite attractions is viewing the London Skyline from The Shard.

Once at the top of The Shard you can get a great view of St Pauls Cathedral, The River Thames, The London Eye and if you look closely you can also spot Wembley too.

There was no need to book beforehand for this experience and the voucher we used was View From the Shard - Two Adults and Two Children

Adventure

I managed to keep my feet firmly on the ground for this experience however I did enjoy watching both John and big J making their way through the trees on Go Ape.

Go Ape is a tree top high ropes adventure that has you climbing across obstacles and rope ladders through the trees.

Once they had finished their course they used a zip wire to fly head back to the ground.

This experience was really fun for them both and we did enjoy watching them as they challenged themselves to reach the end. The experience we used was a Tree Top Adventure at Go Ape

These are just a few of our favourite experiences we have done so far but our list is huge and we still have so many more we want to do. There are so many experiences to choose from with Buyagift and if you are unsure on a what experience to choose you can always buy a Smartbox which gives you 1000's of experiences to choose from. If you don't like your chosen experience Buyagift offers free exchanges and once you pick your new experience you can have your voucher sent direct to your email.

For more experience ideas you can visit Buyagift

Michelle

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The Good Bubble Baby Range | Review

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Disclosure - We were gifted the Good Bubble products for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post also contains affiliate links.

Bath time is a major part of little J's bedtime routine. He has always had a bath before bedtime and I really do think it's so important not just to wash away the day but it's also a time for him to relax his body after being active all day. We love thinking of ways to make bath time more fun and trying out new products in his bath and we are lucky that his skin seems to like most products we try. One of our favourites is Good Bubble, they have a lovely range of natural bath products in delicious smelling flavours. We were recently sent their Good Bubble Baby range to try and they smell amazing.

When buying products I always make sure that they are suitable for babies or small children because even at the age of 6 if little J gets the slightest trickle of soap suds near his eyes, he will scream. He hates anything in his eyes so knowing the Good Bubble hair and body range use a no tear formulation is perfect for this like little J.

The Good Bubble Baby Hair and Body Wash comes in cucumber and aloe vera and is designed for sensitive baby skin. It's a mild and gentle hair and body wash suitable from newborn upwards.

The Good Bubble Baby Moisturiser is mild and gentle with cottonseed and aloe vera, a perfect combination to keep babies skin hydrated. Again the moisturiser is suitable for newborns and is paediatrician approved.

My favourite is the Good Bubble 100% Pure Organic Coconut Oil. Paediatrician approved and suitable for those with sensitive and eczema prone skin. I have actually been using this myself around my elbows and knees were I suffer from dry skin and it's really helped soothe those areas and it smells amazing.

If you would like to win Good Bubble Hair and Body Wash, Moisturiser and Organic Coconut Oil all you need to do is enter our giveaway below and pop back daily for bonus chances to win.

Our Giveaway may be closed buy you can still enjoy The Good Bubble Range available on Amazon

Win Good Bubble Bath Time Goodies

  Michelle

Competition closes on Sunday 22nd September 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 : Good Bubble Moisturiser, Hair and Body Wash and Organic Coconut Oil

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TIG-TAG | Review

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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.

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Hape Anywhere Art Studio | Review

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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

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

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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

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Drinks To Enjoy In The Summer

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Disclosure - We were gifted a Cranes Cider pack in return for a mention on our blog. The thoughts for this post, opinions and photographs are our own. 

I'm not much of a drinker, in fact I can go for months without having an alcoholic drink however there is something about the Summer that changes that. I think it's because we have the warm Summer evenings in the garden and family BBQ's and there are so many nice Summer tipples to choose from.

Cider is a perfect choice and we have been enjoying Cranes Cider this Summer.  There are so many flavours of cider to choose from including Blueberries and Apples, Pomegranate and Raspberries and my favourite Cranberries and Limes. A lovely refreshing drink which boasts 30% less calories compared to other top brands.

 Gin is not a drink I would ever have thought of trying until I was given a pink gin at a Party. Pink gin has become a very poplar choice over the last few years and I like to enjoy it with diet lemonade giving it a sweeter taste compared to tonic.

 For many Baileys would be classed as a winter drink however I like to enjoy a Baileys no matter what the season. Baileys Vanilla Cinnamon is a perfect choice for a cool Summer's Evening in the garden. You can enjoy it neat or over ice. We have only been able to find this flavour in duty free at the airports so we always pick up a bottle when we are travelling.

Again wine was never a drink I would choose until I tried it with lemonade last year and really enjoyed it. It's a drink that you can sip throughout the day or evening and is lovely served chilled. I prefer a rosé wine as it has a sweeter taste.

Do you enjoy a nice drink in the Summer evenings? Do you have a favourite Summer tipple? Let us know.

Michelle

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Yeti In My Spaghetti | Review

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Disclosure - We received Yeti In My Spaghetti for the purpose of this post. We have also been offered another to give away. This post also contains affiliate links.

The Summer holidays will soon be here and I have been planning lots of activities to enjoy with little J. One of our favourite things to do together is to play games. Little J loves games and although we own plenty, including some from when Big J was little, we love having new additions to our games collection. Yeti In My Spaghetti is the latest addition. It's a fun, fast paced game that is perfect to keep the kids entertained and I have a Yeti In My Spaghetti to giveaway to one of our readers.

Yeti In My Spaghetti is a simple but very fun game to play aimed at ages 4+. Setup is really easy. All you need to do is place the bowl on a flat surface, place the noodle pieces on top of the bowl in all different directions and then place the Yeti on top. Each player takes turns to pull one noodle at a time  from the top of the bowl, whilst trying not to let the yeti fall in to the bowl. Once the Yeti falls into the bowl the game is over and if you made him fall you are the loser.

Our giveaway to win Yeti in the Spaghetti may be closed but you can still enjoy the game by purchasing on Amazon 

Win Yeti In My Spaghetti

Michelle

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Baby Shark Let's Go Hunt Game and Wooden Sound Puzzle | Review

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Disclosure - We were gifted both Baby Shark Let's Go Hunt Game and Wooden Sound Puzzle. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

 I would like to assume that everyone knows the song Baby Shark and if you don't I can also assume you haven't been living on this planet for a year. Baby Shark is so popular with little ones and I can promise you if you are heading on holiday this Summer it will probably be a firm favourite at Mini Disco. We have been trying out Baby Shark Let's Go Hunt Game and Baby Shark Wooden Sound Puzzle for the last few weeks and they are a lovely addition to the very popular toy range.

The Let's Go Hunt game is a slow moving 'fishing' type game where each player grabs a rod and tries to hook a fish as it bobs up and down on the game board.

The game is designed for those 4+ and for between 2-4 players. Each player uses the rod to carefully catch the fish as it opens and closes its mouth. Now it may sound easy but it's quite tricky but lots of fun. There is an added bonus of the Baby Shark song playing as you fish.

There is a pattern to the fishes opening and closing their mouths which little J worked out very quickly however that doesn't mean he caught all the fish. You have to carefully place the rod in their mouth and hook it on to their sharp teeth. If you don't they tend to flip upside down.

It's a lovely game that little J actually enjoyed playing on his own too.

The Baby Shark Wooden Sound Puzzle is a 5 piece shark puzzle with colourful and chunky puzzle pieces. When you correctly place the shark in the right place it will sing the Baby Shark song however it will play the part of the song corresponding to the correct piece eg Mummy Shark, Grandma Shark. Lovely feature to the puzzle.

Baby Shark Wooden Sound Puzzle is aimed at those 2+ so was a little easy for little J however it's perfect for when his younger cousins come to play.

Although our giveaway may be closed you can still enjoy Baby Shark Wooden Sound Puzzle and Lets Go Hunt game by purchasing on Amazon

Win Baby Shark Wooden Sound Puzzle

Michelle

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