Hot Wheels Total Turbo Takeover

With over 10 feet of track and a die cast vehicle included, it's no wonder Jamster was pleased to see one of the latest Hot Wheels sets from Mattel arrive at the door. He has been a big fan of this range for years and has enjoyed reviewing the Triple Track Twister and 5-Lane Tower Starter Set previously while expanding his collection in the past.

Priced at around £39.99 and suitable for children age 3+, the Total Turbo Takeover is quite impressive and it spreads across the floor to play. Assembly took just 10 minutes due to the easy to follow instructions supplied and it it is great to know that there are enough pieces to build your own unique designs AND you can connect it to your existing sets.

Dad's Choice Awards - The Results

With Christmas just a few weeks away the pressure is on parents to pick the best toys, apps and games for their little ones. I often find it difficult knowing what to purchase for the Mini Mes but the Dad's Choice Awards 2014 have certainly helped to make that decision easy. A team of super dad testers and their children have put the entries through their paces to ensure the best toys make it through.

They have collated the results and here are the very best toys and apps which impressed our testers for 2014.

Game on for kids in sport

Image source

Children spend far too much time in front of computer screens and games consoles. It’s been in all the papers, so it must be true.

But what is a lesser-documented fact, is that there are also millions of kids who are happy to kick technology into touch and get active – while the former group is being encouraged constantly to try their hand at one sport variant or another.

Learning Through (messy) Play

As the weather was so beautiful over the weekend I managed to get a lot of jobs done around the house, including a load of washing being hung on the line for the first time this year, while the Mini Mes took advantage of their new 'tuff spot' on the patio. 

They are at the age where they don't need to be watched 24/7 and I can trust them to play together while I just observe from the kitchen cook and clean in peace.

WIN Socker Boppers from Wicked Vision #ChristmasGiftGiveaway

Christmas is all about bringing people together and having fun as a family (bar the religious aspect) and this giveaway is bound to get little ones and adults excited!

Socker Boppers are boxing pillows and they are the ideal way to let of steam and enjoy some competitive play at home. We received a pair to review and the Mini Mes thought they were great!

They are easy to inflate and comfortable to wear. They fit the children's hands and mine so they are suitable for all ages and sizes. They are soft so you don't really need to worry about injuries or damage and there are various games that you can try with them too!

• Double cavity air chamber design for extra cushioning
• Oversized deluxe no-leak air valves for quick, easy inflation
• Superior heavy-duty gauge vinyl for rugged durability

*** WIN ***

For your chance to win a pair of Socker Boppers you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway closes on 1st December 2013.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure you enter the previous competitions and return tomorrow for our next #ChristmasGiftGiveaway!

You can find out more information here: 

http://www.theminimesandme.com/2013/10/christmas-gift-giveaway-2013.html

5 Walking Games For Kids

As the weather cools and the evenings darken earlier, the Mini Mes enthusiasm to walk the dog is somewhat dampened! But as I've mentioned before, our beautiful yet daft Border Collie still needs his exercise, so it's something we do come rain or shine. Plus we do actually love being outside as a family, it's just the initial transition from the warm house into the cold the children, and sometimes I, are not so keen on. 

I started to introduce some more games into our journeys to make it easier to part from the blankets and heating at home. It keeps the Mini Mes entertained, helps with their mental development and makes the walk feel a lot quicker for us all. 

The Shopping List game

Starting with "I went to the shop and I bought" you take it in turns to select an item you could purchase, working through each letter of the alphabet as you go. The idea is to recall all of the ones stated previously before adding on your own until someone can no longer recite the list. It's great for memory building and fun to hear which items are added on each round.
Sometimes we add a theme to the game too to make it a even more challenging.

Geocaching

I'd heard about geocaching some time ago but I didn't realise just how exciting it would be or how popular it had become until recently! For those that don't know, it's a bit like a treasure hunt. Using co-ordinates you find caches and sign the log book inside, some even have items you can take home with you to keep.

It's a great way to explore your local area and enjoy some time exploring the outdoors as a family. Plus it's free!

I decided to download the app myself to find out if there were any caches nearby and I discovered that there were plenty hidden away on our regular walks and in local parks. We now make the most of our walk and look for caches too - the Mini Mes LOVE this activity.

Once Upon A Time

This is a very easy game which involves story telling but it often leaves us giggling due to the extreme and completely random tales that we create. Each person takes it in turns to make up a part of a story, usually just a few sentences, and then the next person continues. What happens to the characters, which could be a princess, hamster or even a flying tortoise is completely up to you. 

This is great for developing imaginations.

Word Association

Somebody begins by selecting a word and the next person has just a few seconds to think of a word that relates to it. You are knocked out if your word is a repeat, you take too long to answer or if it isn't related. This game is all about speed!

What/Who Am I?

This is a game that we sometimes play at home too. Somebody thinks of an object or a person and everyone else takes it in turns to ask a question to try to determine what/who it is. The winner is who works it out quickest.

Simple yet a great way for children to learn about problem solving.

What games do you enjoy as a family?

A Castle Fit For Your Prince and Princess

Faced with the competing demands of modern digital media and electronic toys, there is something refreshing and reassuring about the continuing popularity of the toy castle. While today’s children could not be further removed from the times when knights rode across the land on quests and crusades, they still love to hear the stories of armoured warriors on horseback slaying dragons, jousting at tournaments and rescuing maidens who always seem to be imprisoned at the top of a high tower.

Parents who are looking for toys that encourage children to use their imaginations can be confident that a toy castle from WoodenToyShop.co.uk is a sound investment. These wonderfully detailed and (especially nowadays) colourful toys will inspire even the most unwilling children to start playing and dreaming up stories and adventures. Children love finding trap doors and hidden dungeons; they enjoy raising the portcullis and the drawbridge; and they are always ready to lay siege to a castle, especially when there are catapults and trebuchets involved.

Here at WoodenToyShop our customers’ favourite castle is the Le Toy Van Lionheart Castle. This magnificent wooden castle has seven towers, each of which is topped with vibrant red ramparts. Two pennants fly from the castle’s flagpoles and as stated earlier there is plenty of fun to be had lowering and raising the drawbridge and portcullis. Customers have praised this castle for its robustness, detail and design. It is easy to assemble, “well made and brilliantly finished”.

Toy castles, like train sets and dolls’ houses, can always be enhanced and improved by a whole host of accessories – a fact that is not only perfect for children, but also for family members who are desperately trying to come up with a present for the next birthday or Christmas. Need some knights or a Royal Family set? No problem. How about a play mat or (we love this one) a siege tower? You’ll always find something to add to the fun and to help the children enjoy their favourite toy even more.

If you prefer your toy castles more ‘fairy tale’ than ‘fearsome crusader’ then the new Le Toy Van Fairybelle Palace is an excellent newcomer that is guaranteed to enthral children who love to hear the story of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel.

This utterly fabulous palace really is fit for a princess and is packed with delightful detail and delicate designs. Painted throughout in a wildflower theme, the garden even has room for a table and tea set, while the back of the palace has a cobbled courtyard where ponies and carriages can be stabled. Fairybelle Palace is arriving in August and is complemented wonderfully by the equally fabulous Fairy Carriage and Unicorn.

Nowadays many classrooms also contain toy castles as this is a popular topic at the Early Years Foundation Stage and also Key Stage 1. Teachers use castles to encourage creative thinking, teach literacy and numeracy and of course history. Parents who play alongside their children can supplement this learning with questions and stories, although who could deny that grownups just want to have fun, slay a few dragons and rescue the odd damsel just as much as the kids!

*Guest post*

The Funny Things Kids Say and Do... The Dog Edition

It would appear that we have found ourselves a new dog. He is small and cute, about 7 years old, and very obedient (thankfully). He likes to play fetch and is very well behaved on and off the lead.

Minxy has really enjoyed playing with him this past week...

 

What funny things have your little ones done this week?

I'm linking this with...

 

A Family Night In With Cadbury

For our family night, which is part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®, we tried Cadbury Bite Size chocolates.

 

 

 

I'm not sure where the past few months have gone, everything seems to have flown by since Christmas! With school, work, clubs and other commitments, finding time to sit down and relax as a family can at times be a struggle, but we still like to make family nights in a regular occurrence.

 

When we pick an evening for a family night, usually a Friday or Saturday so the Mini Mes can stay up later, we like to have a dinner that is easy to sit in front of the TV with so we picked up some pizzas from Tesco. It means I don't spend the evening in the kitchen and can chill a little too.

We also grabbed some other nibbles, to enjoy while cuddled up on the sofas, which included crisps, coke and Cadbury's Bite Size bags which are ideal for sharing. They come with handy resealable labels although we demolish chocolate very quickly in this house - I definitely have a sweet tooth although I love my savoury snacks too!

 

We decided to watch Wreck it Ralph, a movie we all loved watching at the cinema as a family...

 

 

...and play Smashed Potatoes which the Mini Mes like as they get to chop and squish Play-Doh. Games are great for developing communication skills and we always end up using the play-doh to be creative with too.

...I'm not sure if Spartan wanted to play or if he was after the chocolate stash!

 

It's important to spend time as a family and I very much enjoy it. The Mini Mes like the treat of staying up later and eating some tasty food. We are all rather competitive and often play board and card games together too.

 

I'm a big lover of Cadbury chocolate and having tried the new bite size bags have decided a family trip back to Cadbury World is needed ASAP.

 

What makes the perfect family night in for you?

You can see more of our Tesco family night shop here: Google+ Photo Album

Find out more about Cadbury here: www.cadbury.co.uk

Make Time To Play

Technology, work, tiredness, cleaning and other things can get in the way when it comes to playing with the kids but it is really important to MAKE time. Not only is it great to have fun and see your children's little faces light up as the cars or rockets zoom around the lounge or the dolls have a tea party, but it is beneficial in terms of learning and development too.

 

Through play children learn about the world around them and develop cognitive and social skills. Language, questioning, problem solving, observation and cooperation are learnt through play - all of which will be useful throughout their lives.

 

There are 5 main areas of development and many simple activities that can help your child to develop in these ways:

Fine Motor Skill Development
Fine motor skills can be developed by crafts, colouring and drawing, reading and playing with different objects. It is development of small muscles within the body and most activities will help to develop fine motor skills in some way.

Gross Motor Skill Development
Large movements help to develop bigger muscles within the body. Skipping, running, jumping, climbing etc are all examples.

 

Cognitive Development
This is based on a child's learning and problem solving. Puzzles, jigsaws and card games (even pairs and snap) all help cognitive development as do most activities.

Social and Emotional Development
This is based around interaction with others and dress up or role play games are ideal for development of emotional and social skills.

Speech and Language Development
Speech and language is again helped through play with others but also alone if there are dolls or figures involved and the child speaks on their behalf. Any play that involves talking is beneficial.

"Even the most frivolous activity is beneficial for children as it helps them understand themselves better – learning what makes you happy and what makes you laugh helps children cope with challenges"

 

UKMums.tv resident expert Dr Amanda Gummer
 

 

LINK UP

If you wish to link up any posts, old or new, relating to play you can do so below. I've added a few of our own to begin.
 

Help to share the importance of making time to play with children!

 

 

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Poker night in

Poker is a hobby of mine that I've enjoyed for a few years (despite playing for fun rather than real money) and I've recently introduced both of my parents and the Mr to the game so I can defeat them lose against them terribly too! It's fairly simple to play, it doesn't take long to learn and it makes a great evening in, especially when food and drink is involved and a good movie is playing in the background.

 

We recently received a Pizza Hut voucher, poker set and Oceans 11 DVD to enjoy, so we arranged a family night in and had a catch up while playing cards...

 

 

 

 

We combined the chips and cards that we received with our own set to make the night last well into the early hours. Having something delicious and easy to nibble on was lovely as it meant we could continue to play without needing to clear the table to set out plates and cutlery ...and having Brad Pitt on TV, well, need I say more!?

 

We even took the compact set on holiday with us which was the ideal size for our suitcases so once the Mini Mes were fast asleep we could play - the Mr and I are both quite competitive!

 

I think the Mr had a few too many beers!

 

 

If you fancy a go at Poker you can pick up a beginners guide and basic set very cheaply or you can even play poker games online.

 

 

How do you spend your evenings in?

 

 

*We received a voucher, poker set and movie for the purpose of this post. The thoughts and opinions given are honest and our own. Yes, I really do love poker!*

 

The funny things kids say and do...

Quite often while I'm preparing dinner the Mini Mes will play in their rooms and the games that they make up remind me of the ones I used to play as a child (eek that makes me feel old!). Teaching is a favourite of Minxy's and I will find her notebooks filled with registers that she has made for her class, lesson lists and menus for the dinner hall. There are often bits stuck to the wall or her door saying to be quiet as exams are in progress and she will even put on black trousers and a white blouse and carry a briefcase to look the part!
 

The other evening she had decided to gather all of her pupils under the window, apparently the school heating wasn't working so it was warmer there, and teach them maths...

She does all of this despite telling me that she really hates school... hmm!

 

Saturday Caption

What's going on here then? 

 Do you have a funny or witty comment for this picture?
I'd love to hear it!

You can link up your own picture or view more over with the Mammasaurus

Have a great weekend.

Skylanders Twitter Party

I've been asked to host my first Twitter party today.... You are all invited!

There will chances to win games, puzzles and books for your little ones.

I hope to tweet you there.

Silent Sunday

Kidditoona Toys

Kidditoona Toys is a family run toy, gift and accessory shop offering a lovely variety of educational and fun products for your little ones. They strive to provide great quality items from a fantastic range of brands and the friendly team have kindly sent us some goodies to review, much to the Mini Mes excitement! 

Shut The Box

This traditional game is great value and helps to build counting skills and interactive play. The idea of the game is to roll the two dice and using the total number rolled shut the 9 numbered flaps. It doesn't require any setting up and is very simple to play. It's ideal for children in particular but you can play as a family too. 

The Mini Mes were able to play this without any help from adults so it's perfect for when you want to keep the kids entertained but crack on with chores! It's fun yet competitive and as the game is made from wood it will last for years. The Mini Mes thought it was a great game and they enjoyed seeing who could shut the box first... and the Mr and I joined in too!

Interstar Science Optic Creator Kit

Both of the Mini Mes are very much into science so this was perfect for them. The kit contains 49 pieces including real optical lenses to create a telescope, binoculars and a magnifying glass. The plastic parts are chunky making them perfect for little hands and they slot together with ease- no screws or batteries required! 

Jamster was keen to get into this one first and he put together the binoculars in only a few minutes by himself. This is a great product to develop logical thinking skills and to stimulate the imagination. He was soon exploring the garden looking for wildlife and using the magnifying glass to hunt out bugs. The telescope has sturdy legs to hold it in place and it is great for looking out of windows into the trees and sky. The pieces stay in place securely and it seems a robust set, including the lenses.

Hama Beads Farm Life set

Minxy loves creative toys and with this being her first Hama set she was keen to get started. 

The kit comes with around 6,000 beads, 3 animal peg boards, 28 peg stands, ironing paper, instructions and a coloured design sheet. The coloured design sheet makes creating your farm pieces easy as it shows exactly where each bead should be placed on the boards, although you can make your own designs too. Once you have placed the beads on to the board you pop an ironing sheet on top and iron the creation briefly to get the beads to stick together. You can tell when it's done as the colours show stronger through the paper. 

We found the creations stay together well and Minxy had great fun making her own farm scenes and using them together with her other toy figures. The peg stands slot onto the creations to keep them standing. The set is suitable for children aged 5+ due to the small pieces but it's ideal for school aged children and tweens. The kit helps to improve motor skills and concentration and kept Minxy entertained for some time. It could do with a container to store the beads in but we have lots of Tupperware pots so we used one of those to prevent them getting lost.

Building Noodles Maize box starter set

This kit is super for those that dislike glue and mess as none is required to have fun with this box set. The maize noodles are coloured with non-toxic food colouring and stick together when damp (a sponge is included). They are fun to roll and squish and there are sculpting tools and instructions supplied to make and model some wonderful 3D masterpieces. After play you can pop the remaining noodles back into the box and seal with some tape until your next creative session. 

The Mini Mes love crafts and they had lots of fun with this. They can get a little sticky when wet but putting a cloth or newspaper down helps. The noodles come in a nice selection of colours and they stick to card too. The instructions provide detail on how to make different shapes and creatures.

We were really pleased will all of the products that we received and feel that all of these are great educational toys, the Hama Beads being a favourite.

If you would like to purchase any of these or view more of what Kidditoona Toys has to offer you can head over to their website www.kidditoonatoys.com

October

With October comes Halloween, my second favourite celebration of the year! I love Halloween crafts and spooky food and of course dressing up and trick or treating close neighbours and family.

I was never allowed to get involved as a child despite really wanting to, but I like to let the Mini Mes have fun with the event and I have done so since they were tiny. I remember Jamster dressed as a bat at around 7 months crawling across the lounge floor trying to get at the sweets tub!


2009

2010

2011

...and the Mr and I like to join in too!

I normally have some of the Mini Mes friends over for a party and buffet dinner and then the Mr and I like to go on a night out with friends all dressed up too (this also involves a few glasses of wine!). I've not really thought about this years costumes as yet but I will be soon.

What does October mean to you? Do you enjoy Halloween?

If you have written a Halloween themed post you can share it here!

Wii Mensa Academy

With the kids having 6 weeks off school for the summer and the weather being appalling most days, we were lucky to receive some indoor entertainment in the form of a new Wii game.

The Mensa Academy allows you train your brain with a variety of over 100 puzzles and mini-games. With genuine Mensa questions you can find out your Mensa score in a matter of minutes and as the game is PEGI rated 3 it's suitable for all ages.

After slipping the disc into our console we found the game very easy to play. Although an instruction manual is included in the case we didn't require it. The interface is easy to navigate and you can choose between Solo and Party (multi-player for up to 4 people) with the option to create 3 user profiles beforehand. In solo there are Play, Test and Coach modes. In Play and Coach mode there are further options of game categories; Language, Numeracy, Visual, Memory and Logic where you train to achieve medals or play to complete levels. In Test there are 30 questions to be answered within 15 minutes on a variety of subjects. I managed to achieve a score of 110 which apparently is 'very acceptable' but it made me want to play more to improve it - I am rather competitive, even with myself!

Solo play is more for older children and adults. Jamster found it a little dull but for the Mr and I it is a great way to keep our minds working with the challenges to a timer. The Mini Mes definitely enjoyed the multi-player games however. In Brain Race you can select a particular category or choose a variety of them all and it's the first to the finish that wins. With Brain Fighter you have 10 lives and upon answering questions correctly you can gain a shield to defend yourself, or bombs to throw at your opponent(s) to knock them out. The last to stay in wins which the kids loved - educational yet fun!




We enjoyed playing the game and although the Mr and I will use the Solo option I feel as though the children are still too young (6 and 8) to enjoy and appreciate this part of Mensa Academy fully. The Party section will be used often though by us all, when friends and family visit and for family nights in.

The game is due for release on PC and games consoles in September on console/PC and late August to mid-September for DS.


*We received a copy of the game for review purposes. We were not paid to write the review and the views are our own*

Rub-a-dub-dub... what's in your tub?

Apart from being time to clean up and rinse off all the food, paint and mud from the day, bathtimes can be fun and educational too. As the kids have got older (boohoo) I've found that the variety of toys suitbale for them in the bath is minimal. This is rather disappointing as it means they usually want to drag in dolls and action figures with them which aren't always good for a water and bubbles combo!

So I ask you, what is in your tub? What fab splash-worthy toys do your little ones enjoy? What games do you play in the tub that you could recommend to others?


What's in our tub

Firstly no bath is complete without a collection of ducks, surely? We got the small yellow ones in a hook-a-duck stall at the fair and they are great fun in the bath as they are magnetic and the kids have little fishing rods to gather them all up with. The pink one is from soap and glory and is more for me and my love of all things fluff, sparkles and glitter and anything else classed as girly!

Jamster has had the Imaginext Submarine for a good few years. It has slowly worked it's way from his room into the bathroom along with the deep sea divers that came with it. It's durable and it doesn't contain batteries so it seems to be ideal for him.

This collection of animals we use in part of a memory game we play. Originally from various Animal Hospital playsets, we line the animals up on the side of the bath, the kids look away and I remove one animal. They then guess which one it is. Simple but they seem to like it!




This is the most recent purchase - The Hello Kitty Bath Slider Playset. Minxy has just turned 8 and was moaning for ages some time that she had no bath toys so I searched her favourite character and found this tower of fun. It seems good quality although we had a few issues attaching it to the side of the bath (doesn't fit all tubs).


We also have tile crayons and foam letters too which are great for pratising spellings and playing hangman too.

Have you found it difficult to find bath toys that are suitable for older children?

What is your child's favourite bath time toy or activity?

I've added a linky below so if you have any bath time pics, games, educational fun or more you can add them below and I'll pop over for a nosey.

RedaKai Review

My son is very much into game play and battling others, he's rather competitive like me, so when I saw that reviewers were required for RedaKai I thought it would definately appeal to him and I put myself forward *waves hand in the air*.

When the RedaKai X-Reader Starter Pack first arrived I thought perhaps it should be aimed at slighly older children from it's appearance (states 6+) but the instruction booklet is very informative, easy to follow and understand and it wasn't long until I was being pestered to play over and over!

RedaKai is a game of Kairu battle and is a 2 player duel. The pack contains 16 X-Drives, 7 bonus X-Drives and a two-in-one battlefield/storage case which stores yours X-Drives away securely when not being used. The X-Drives are a variety of warrior, monster and attack cards which are really amazing quality with 3d/holographic effects. I was very impressed with them as they are more plastic in material and robust which means they shouldn't get worn and torn so quickly and need replacing!

Set Up
Ideally each player will have their own set of X-Drives with a battlefield/storage case but we were sent one so we shared it between us to play. We each selected a character card (hero or villian) and placed it infront of us and we made a deck of cards each with a mixture of attack and monster cards within it.





Basic Game Play
You flip a coin to begin and each player takes it in turn to take the top card from their deck. If you draw a monster card you place it on top of your own character card and it can help to increase your defense and even heal damage from the other players attacks. If you draw an attack card you put it on top of your opponent's character card. If the attack cards power number is larger than the defenders combined defense zones the attack is classed as a hit and remains there. If your attack card is lower in power then you add it to your dicarded cards pile. The game ends when all three of a players damage zones are red (damaged) or when you run out of cards.

It's a short and simple game to play and Jamster really enjoys it. It took a few attempts to get the hang of it but he can play confidently now. He loves that the cards appear to move when tilted which is quite unique compared to alternative card games.

The kits RRP is £9.99 which is good value considering what is included and the high quality of the product and I think it would make a nice gift. I don't think it will be long until Jamster asks to top up his collection and I won't object to buying extras. He has already started watching the animated TV series that goes with it too!

After completing the basic game you can find out how to play more advanced versions by visiting the RedaKai website.