Tag Archives: toy review

Pre-school educational games to boost months of lost learning.

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This year has been a tough year for our children’s education. Thankfully help is at hand, here is toysandbears.com’s pick of the best pre-school educational games.

writing school, learning, educational, toys writing school, learning, educational, toys

My First Words Game £12.99 Self-correcting puzzles allow children to learn as they play. Encourages reading and learning letters, logical thinking, fine motor skills and independence

Numbers and Sums £12.99 Learn to count with the animals of the Savannah. Helps with numbers, early maths, logic, shapes, colours, fine motor skills and independent play

Writing School £19.99 Help pre-schoolers learn to read, write and draw with this progressive learning program of 16 worksheets to develop hand-eye coordination and improve manual dexterity

montessori , toys, toy, educational,

Montessori My First Desk £29.99 Fun, colourful desk packed full of Montessori method activities. Stimulates sensory development, reading, writing and independence

Funny Labyrinths £14.99 Practise pre-writing skills. Improve fine motor skills, develop hand-eye coordination, and help children to prepare for writing.

Educational Games Collection – Pirates £17.99 3D pirate ship game. Four brightly coloured educational games in one. Improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, curiosity and observation skills

Also available in “Farm” with a 3D farmhouse scene

Carotina Baby Memory Game – Animals £5.99 Self-correcting memory game made from thick cardboard tiles.

Carotina Baby 9 Progressive Puzzle Puppies £8.99, 9 self-correcting animal puzzles.

Carotina Baby Plus My First Feelings, £7.99 Puzzle to match feelings to the scenes, teach children to acknowledge feelings

 

 

Moonlight Campervan by VTech – review by Miss Cali

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V-tech-moonlight campervan

I was able to call on the expertise of Miss Cali to help with my review of the Moonlight Campervan by VTech. It’s aimed at ages 18 months to 5 and as she told me, she is 3 and therefore well qualified to assist. The only help needed was taking it from the box and applying the sheet of stickers that create a campfire, a bed, a fridge and a flip table that changes from barbecue to a table set for dinner. Once that was done she was off!

The door was opened, the two small chairs taken out and the exploring began. She allowed her brother, Huxley to play with the mum and dad figures but she had her hands firmly on baby. And she was the driver, no doubt about it.

She gave it a thorough testing inside and out – after all it is a camper van and she wanted to go travelling.

The three Toot Toot friends  included – Mum, Dad and Baby – are compatible with other Magic Point characters. When they are  in position on the Magic Point they sing and talk. There are four colour buttons on the side with small icons of the four seasons. It’s a learn as you play toy and VTech is a world leader in age-appropriate electronic learning products for children. They seem to have covered everything with the Moonlight Campervan.

Moonlight campervan interior

Best of all there’s a glitterball in the bus and when the lights are activated it sends rainbows inside the bus and onto the floor. Cali loved that and so did I. If it had played Cliff Richard singing Summer Holiday it would have stayed at my house!

v-tech moonlight campervan

There are small holes on the roof so that at bedtime lights are projected onto the ceiling. A really lovely effect. And there’s a volume switch so you can turn the sound down – the parents liked that part.

Day or night, inside or outside this is a fabulous toy for little ones. I was very impressed with it.

And the feature Cali liked the best ? The ladder on the back of the campervan! This kid knows what she likes and I’m not brave enough to argue with her.

RRP: £36.99

Available from Argos/Smyths Toys Superstores

 

 

Building Environmental Blocks Together

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Magicubes, toys, toy review, magnetic cubes, I can tell how good a toy is by how long my children fight over it. The Magicube was a particular winner as, sometimes, they still do. Building blocks are fun anyway but these Magicubes are magnetic and take building to another level. Literally. You can put one on the side. I highly recommend them. They are innovative and great for learning. 

Magicube is a cutting edge construction system that turns the concept traditional building blocks into something extra “magical”. Developed for different age groups: 1 1/2+ and 3+ the Magicube collection offers complete versatility and flexibility for all age groups. Providing a supply of fun activities that reinforce those basic skills and a hands on approach to learning.

Captivating themes include some of your children’s most loved TV characters such as the Peppa Pig Magicube. Match up the magnetic cubes to build Peppa’s house and garden. Or the Paw Patrol Magicube, build Marshall’s fire truck or Skye’s helicopter, the possibilities are endless.

For a greater understanding of learning principles, the Math & Word Building Magicube offers Maths and Word building activities helping to reinforce a child’s first numeracy and literacy skills, with number and letter recognition, as well as first sums and words.

Geomag’s Free Building Magicube, allows children to explore the freedom of creativity without boundaries, available in sets of 8, 16, 27 and 64 the brightly coloured cubes allow children to build to their heart’s content as the magnetic cubes attach to each other on every side. This simple, fun and creative play activity encourages even the youngest of kids to develop their dexterity.

As part of the prestigious “Editors’ Choice Awards” presented by the British Toy and Hobby Association at this year’s London Toy Fair. From the extensive number of 260 exhibiting companies, Geomagworld’s new initiative, the Green Collection, was among the most voted by journalists present, coming runner-up in the ranking. Alongside the launch of the collection a number of new Maths and Word sets will be available which allow children to observe, create and solve with the basics of STEM learning. Not to mention the new Mix & Match sets depicting animals alongside their favourite foods and home which allows children to make fun combinations and bring these animal creations to life.

For more information on Geomag’s existing and highly anticipated Green Magicube Collection, please visit GeomagWorld.