Thursday 23 March 2017

Imaginext Power Rangers Morphin Megazord - Review

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that the new Power Rangers movie is released this weekend. My inner child is bursting with excitement as I was a massive fan in the 90's. These days, I love that my four year old son, C, is hugely into Power Rangers too so when we were given the chance to review the Power Rangers Mophin Megazord toy from the Imaginext range, I knew it would be a huge hit.


Before the toy arrived my partner told me that a few weeks ago, C had actually seen it in a toy shop and expressed his desire to own it with his daddy telling him that he would have to put it on his birthday list. Because of this, I decided not to tell C that it was arriving, but have him open the box and discover it himself. I am now kicking myself that I didn't film an unboxing video because the excitement that filled our living room was unbelievable. He jumped up and down screaming, "It's Power Rangers!! Thank you, thank you!!" My first thought was that I hoped the Morphin Megazord met his expectations and was worth all of that excitement. I actually uploaded a very short clip on my Instagram account of some excitedness.


C is an average sized four year old and I have taken the above photograph just to show how big the Megazord actually is. I was shocked by the weight of the toy when unpackaging it as it's quite heavy but it just reflects the all the detailing and parts that the toy has, as well as the fact that it is thick plastic so it can withstand rough play.

The Morphin Megazord comes with two Power Rangers figures included - the Red Ranger and Black Ranger. There are four Power Pads in the Megazord that these figures can stand on. These are located in the left shoulder, chest, left knee and right knee. The left shoulder Power Pad works when twisted and this opens the chest, the eyes of the Megazord light up and a cannon pops out. This one is probably my favourite simply because of the lighting eyes! Once you've got the chest open, you'll see another Power Pad behind a little circle that holds six Power Coins. When you turn that Power Pad, a coin will shoot out the front. Similarly, if you turn the Power Pad at the left knee, a projectile launcher will raise, then when you have put a Power Missile in place, you push down on the Power Pad to shoot it. The final Power Pad in the right knee activates sabretooth's chomping action. 










As if these weren't enough, the back of the Megazord has a jail, meeting area and elevator too meaning that there are so many different levels of play. C is a typical boy and always talks about good guys, bad guys and how bad guys have to go to jail. He decided that he would make the Black Ranger the bad guy and Red Ranger the good guy (simply because Red is his favourite). He takes great pleasure in trying to make them fight against each other, lauching missles and coins at the figures to throw them off and eventually putting Black Ranger were he belongs - in the jail at the right foot. He is always very impressed that every aspect of the Megazord is moveable; you can turn his head, body and the hands opens and close meaning that C can have the Megazord "capture" Black Ranger in his hand. I especially like this because I store the Red and Black Rangers in the hands at bedtime so that they don't get lost!



C played with the Megazord for three hours straight on the first day that we got it (only putting it away because it was bedtime) then first thing the next morning, he asked for it again. We've now had it a little over a week and it's been played with for hours on end every day. This, to me, shows that there is so much that you can do with the Morphin Megazord and it constantly engages his imagination. He isn't getting bored with it or losing interest.

The Imaginext Power Rangers Morphin Megazord has an RRP of £66.99 which I think is a fantastic price for not only the quality of the toy, but also the fact that it's recommended for children aged 3-8 years old so your child will get years of play from it. At the time of publishing, Argos currently have the Megazord on sale at £49.99.


(We received this item for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)


Sunday 19 March 2017

BRIO School Playset & Village Modules - Review

We are massive fans of BRIO toys and we have been lucky enough to review a few items from the range in the past. If you aren't familar with the brand, BRIO have been creating high quality toys since the end of the 1800's. Originally founded in Sweden, today the family run business has developed into a global company. The idea is that the simple designs spark creativity and encourage development.


I was really excited to receive the new BRIO School Playset for the children to review. The set contains 22 pieces which are a mixture of plastic and wood. Four year old C does request that I build it for him as he has a bit of trouble with needing assistance for a lot of things. The two base pieces slot together easily, and it's just a case of putting together the walls and other bits that are super simple - it can be done without even reading the instructions.



Since C started preschool, he has enjoyed roleplaying where he is the teacher with a class full of students so he has really loved using the two figures that come with the set as a teacher and student. He will make the teacher let the student have outside time where he can play on the attached slide then have the teacher stand in front of the blackboard, ready for the days lessons. The set does not require batteries so children are encouraged to use their imagination. I love watching C act out little scenarios.



In addition to the School Playset, we also received a BRIO Village Module. The expansion module is simply 14 additional pieces that you can use to either expand your school playset or create extra buildings to create a proper village style scene. They are really bright and colourful which is something that I love to see with preschool toys. These slot together in the same way as the School Playset and you can use the pieces to create differently shaped buildings. When built, the sets are very sturdy and can even withstand a boisterous two year old playing with them.



C has had lots of fun playing with these sets, especially using them with his BRIO Rescue Set that we reviewed a few months ago.  I love that the BRIO range work together quite well and I can almost see the cogs whirl round in C's head when he plays with them, wondering what situation he can put his characters in next.

The BRIO School Playset retails at £29.99 and the Village Module is £19.99. They are available to buy from all good toy shops and online retailers. Both sets are recommended for age 3+.


You can keep up to date with at the BRIO website, Facebook and Twitter.

(We received these items for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 
 
Saturday 18 March 2017

ASDA Little Angels Day & Night Pants - Review

We potty trained C quite late, last March, at 3.5 years old. We really struggled getting him used to the idea of using a potty or toilet but when he overcame his fears, he took to it well and he was fully dry during the day within around seven to ten days. Keeping him dry at night was another story.

C just wasn't waking at night to go for a wee and I was constantly having to wash his bedsheets daily and change his pyjamas in the middle of the night. I definitely did not want to revert back to using a nappy for bedtime as I felt that it may either confuse him or make him think that he wasn't a "big boy" as he proudly told me he was when he switched from nappies to boxer shorts.


ASDA's baby and toddler brand 'Little Angels' have got Day & Night Pants in their range and I felt that they were the perfect solution. Children do have accidents, no matter what age they are so you can purchase them in size M (4-7 years) and L (8-12 years). They are there to provide confidence for your child. I actually used to use the regular Little Angels nappies when he was a young baby so I was sure I'd get along with the pants.


We received a pack of the M size boys pants for C to try out. At first he did question why I was putting a nappy back on him but I told him they were his special football pants for bedtime in case he needs a wee but can't make it to the toilet. The fact that they are thinner than his sister's regular 6+ nappies helped me convince him that they weren't actually the same! C does love football so he wasn't too upset and happily went to bed wearing them. I felt happy too because he was able to move freely and they weren't restricting. The next morning, he had no redness or marks where they had dug into his skin. He had no complaints so I imagine that he felt comfortable wearing them.


The pack contains 10 pairs of pants so we used one each night and it was sort of hit and miss. Some nights he was dry and others, it was slightly wet the next morning. When putting them on, you do so like regular pants but you rip the sides to take them off. Quick and easy in the morning! The pants are super absorbent so we never had any leaks or irritation on C's skin. We had previously been using a bigger, more expensive brand of night time pants and honestly, these are just as good and a fraction of the price at just £3.87 per pack of 10. I would definitely recommend them to any parent who is either in the same boat as us or has a child who will occasionally have a day time accident. I can definitely see us using them when potty training 2 year old E - especially to pop one on for the school run!

(We received a pack of ASDA Little Angels Day & Night Pants for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)
 
Thursday 2 March 2017

Win with Miffy this World Book Day

Happy World Book Day! 

I've written about our love of Miffy many times on the blog over the last few months and E has a few Miffy books that she loves having read to her at bedtime - or anytime to be honest! In celebration of World Book Day the official Miffy Twitter account will be hosting giveaways from 12pm onwards so make sure you pop over and take part for your chance to win some fabulous prizes. 


Additionally, if you have any photographs of your little ones reading some Miffy books, we would love to see them! Just share them on social media using the #ReadWithMiffy hashtag.

As a special treat for my readers, I've also got a giveaway! To win a copy of one of our favourite Miffy books - Miffy at the gallery - just enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!




a Rafflecopter giveaway