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Toys

Reviews for Mama & Babas

Zak Storm – Pirate Fun Review

Zak Storm Toy Review

It impossible to keep up with my pair and the cartoons they like.  Zak Storm is the newest dude on their radar.   I thought he was a superhero however I am reliably informed by an almost 6 year old that he most certainly is not! Rather he is a really cool pirate who ended up with sucked into the Berumda Triangle after taking his fathers necklace. From here he captains a ship called “The Chaos” (how very appropriate for my house :-)) and goes on many adventures in an attempt to find his way home.

The are lots of different toys in the collection available however for the purpose of this review we were sent the hover vehicle and figure together with the coins which are available to buy separately.

While I can’t profess to know much about the TV series what I can tell you about is the cool add on feature to this toy. You can download the Zak Storm app for iOS or Android for free. From this you can play the game or if you wish you can buy the coins (4pk) which  feature a unique QR code that you scan via the camera feature on your tablet to reveal digital rewards, including weapons, powers, and health.  This was the biggest selling point for my oldest.  While he still loves playing with toys, the ability to add Tech to the mix and he is sold right away. For hims its almost taking it to the next level.

He had no problem scanning the codes nor playing the game.  I was impressed by the fact the coins aren’t an essential part of the game rather a bonus add on. They are a little pricey at around €5 but do add value to the game.

All in all its a thumbs up from us. My son claims the app feature is seriously cool so I can see this one sticking around our house for a while.

Note: We were sent the hover vehicle and 2 packets of coins for the purpose of this review however all view are mine and/or the boys where appropriate.

 

Mamma Reviews

Smashers – New collectable craze!

Smashers by Zuru

Smashers Toy display

Smashers Toy display

Friday is treat day in our house if the kids are good all week at minders. I like to avoid rewarding them with sweat treats therefore toys like Smashers appeal to me! Reasonably priced yet have plenty of play with them.  We first came across Smashers on a visit to our local Smyths and the kids were intrigued!

Smashers toys

Smashers toys

Hopefully its not just  my pair but they can be so destructive! Smashers seems like the perfect toys for them! As its name suggests you quite literally smash  the ball to reveal a sports character with 100 different ones to collect across themes of Football, Rugby and Basketball.

There are lots of different products in the range from 1 pack, 3 pack up to 8 packs, in different sports themes – Rugby, basketball and football. Like most collectable products there are matching tins to stores your characters in each of the respective sports ball shapes!!

However probably most excitingly for the boys is the “Team bus” which comes in either a football or a basketball theme. It hold up to 50 characters and folds out to either a football pitch or a basketball court. Its a very clever way of making a fun use out of the storage.

I suspect with over a hundred characters to collect the Smashers will be sticking around our house for some time to come! For more on Smashers see here

Note: We were sent some Smashers to try however this in no way influences mine or the boys views
Reviews for Mama & Babas

Brainstorm Toys Mega Globe Review

Brianstorm Toys Mega Globe Review

Mega Globe Inflatable

Mega Globe – Fintra Beach, Donegal

A couple of weeks back we were sent Brainstorm Toys Mega Globe to review – and it is indeed mega!! When inflated its about 50cm.

Mege Globe on the beach

Mega Globe – Fintra Beach, Donegal

It is packaged really neat so no issues transporting it. We took it with us to our usual holiday destination in Donegal and the kids had tonnes of fun playing on the beach with it. It is a great size and it wont get lost too easy. It is readily available both online and toy stores.

I sat back and watched the kids play and try to pin point their exact location on the map. We are a travel loving family and the kids are lucky to have been on many adventures both around Ireland and overseas.  They had so much fun locating the places they have been and the places we plan on going to next. The Dada Fairy even got involved in the action.  They ran, jumped and hopped after it.  While it comes with some suggested activities the kids just loved making up their own games with it.

One bit of advice is that you do need a pump or you may need to pop into the local petrol station to pump it up!!

It really made me think – they really do have the whole world in their hands to explore, to discover, to investigate.  And I hope they take full advantage of it.  I think im a tad sentimental these days with my oldest starting school 

Note: We were sent the Mega Globe for the purpose of this review, however all view are my own or the boys where appropriate.

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Reviews for Mama & Babas

Spy Gear Ultimate Night Vision Goggles Review

Spy Gear Night Vision Googles – what we though

My oldest is going through a ninja phase where he is totally convinced he is a fully fledged Ninja! We were sent a pair of night vision goggles to try out and I couldn’t think of a better man for the job!

The package was torn open and away we went. For the first time since he was born he couldn’t wait for night time to try them out the back garden.  He wasn’t content with the curtains closed he wanted “black sky”!

Night vision googles

Spy Gear night vision googles

The googles (pic opposite) were really easy to assemble (bonus points from me for this!). I literally  had to slot the two parts together, insert 3 AAA batteries (not included) and away you go. The product description maintains its capable of  night vision at 30 feet away through the use of infrared LEDs.  We are both really eager to see these in operation.

Spy Gear Night Vision Googles

Spy Gear Night Vision Googles

We hid a number of objects in the back garden and set him off with the task of locating them in the dark! He was truly wowed, he just loved them.  The vision was surprisingly really clear and he had no problem locating the items hid.  The following weekend we headed to Donegal for the weekend and he was hyper waiting to show his grandad his night vision googles and to see them in action in the pitch dark away form city lights as it never really gets totally dark where we live with the street lights.

The Dada Fairy also gave them a go and affirms that he could in fact see around 30 feet away in the dark! I love toys like this – toys that get kids out and about and exploring. Toys that get kids using their imaginations.

The Verdict

He really loved these and I can see him gravitating towards these older toys now. They ticked the boxes for him – in his own works a proper big boy toy.  If I was to be totally critical two points come to mind – we had to go out to buy batteries, no biggy but at approx €30 I would have liked at least a test set to be included. They aren’t cheap but you do pay for the quality product.  The quality is really excellent – they are very durable. Durable enough to survive our two year old, who is affectionately know as Mr Destruction.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these as a gift for any budding spy’s or Ninja’s. I can see these and some of the other Spy Gear products in the range featuring heavily on Christmas lists this year. The night vision googles are made by Spin Master,  see here and here  for some other Spin Master products we loved.  The googles are readily available both online and toy shops.

 

Note: We were sent the Night Vision Googles for the purposes of this review however this in no way influences mine or the boys (where appropriate) views on the product.