Reviews for Mama & Babas

Lin The Panda Bear

We have been fans of  the HEXBUG brand in this house for some time and therefore always more than willing to test drive some of their new offerings. This little cutie landed through the front door recently. My 3 year old claimed it and this review is mostly his thoughts.  The almost 7 years old wasn’t quite so keen so in terms of age I can see the appeal really for the 3-6 ages.

The premise of this toy is to teach kids  about their favourite endangered animals.  We received Lin the panda bear to review and the product contained Lin and its Bamboo home environment. The panda itself  is interactive in that when you press a sensory zone, the panda makes playful noises, the panda also responds to movement and touch. I kind of thought I would react to its enviroment but it doesn’t seem to aside from the snoring when its asleep (!).

Some interesting facts that we did learn from this product were:

• Pandas are located in the Yangtze basin in the heart of China
  

  Lin The Panda Bear

• They can eat ip to 26-48 pounds on bamboo everyday
• An fully grown panda can weigh 330lbs

This products heart is in the right place in that it teaches kids  about endangered species.  At around €15 its not cheap for its functionality so not quite pocket money not quite collectable. However that being said the almost 4 year old really loves caring for things, teddies, doll etc and Lin now sits pride of place next to his bed where he gently rocks it to sleep before he sleeps himself. Adorable!

For information and to see others in the collection see HEXBUG

Note: We were sent the product for review, however all opinion mine or the kids where appropriate.

I’m not very musical but I really hope my kids are. There is something so lovely about the ability to play an instrument. It really is a life long skill.  When my oldest was around 2 he fell in love with Ed Sheeran’s song – Thinking out loud and with that his love of guitar music was born.

We were sent the First Act Ukulele to review and the boys are just crazy about it. It really is the perfect size for little hands and priced at around €18 it is a lot more affordable than some of the others on the market at the moment, especially if you want to trial to see if they really are interested in the instrument or is it more of a fad.

It’s a soprano style ukulele with nylon stings that make the traditional ukulele sounds. The strings are tuned guitar style which certainly added to the appeal here. The nylon strings also make it easy on little fingers. They are much gentler. The one we were sent was the black with blue stars but it also comes in white with blue butterflies.

This has got a huge amount of play here since it arrived and it has also survived Mr Destruction which is no mean feat!!! Our local library offers free ukulele lessons and  my oldest cannot wait to get started.

One thing for sure is that as he kids are moving up the education ladder, I have become some much more involved in helping them and assisting them with their after school activities. I often fell like their PA. I don’t mind one bit. My family gave everything to give us the best start in life and I wish the same for my kids. There are absolutely loads of fantastic resources out there to assist with education such as Killer-Papers who offer a help with writing.  Their website references a CS Lewis quote which I heard many times as a child and its very apt  you can make anything by writing. C.S. Lewis.

Note: We were sent the ukulele for review however all view are mine or the boys where appropriate.

My youngest is a Rusty Rivets fanatic! I’m not quite sure which part appeals to him the most but he really is a super fan! Before Christmas Botasaur landed in our post box and he was mega excited.  Botasaur retails at around €35 which puts him (in my view) at the pricer end of kids toys however I can see why he is a little more costly than the average character toy.

If you have ever watched the show you will know Boatasaur is one of the main characters in the show and is Rustys side-kick. I think him forming such a pivotal role in the programme is a huge influencing factor in his success at least here in the Mamma Fairy house!

So what doe he do!! Botasaur comes in parts that you piece together to bring him to life – just like in Rusty Rivets!  Parts included are: 1 Head/Body, 1 Torso, 1 Tail, 1 Spine, 2 Feet, 2 Legs, 2 Arms, 1 Seat, 4 Big Wheels, 4 Axle Hubs.  He is definitely a good size for little hands.  When you press the  button on the back of his head and his eyes will light up and flash and he makes Botasaur sounds the same as the programme.

What I like about this is that the parts are durable, easy to assemble and dis-assemble making lots of combinations of parts possible. There also isn’t loads of small parts, I found with very young kids (mine is almost 4) he gets so upset when he looses parts but with few and large parts this isn’t so much an issue.  Big plus with toys that come into our house will always be that they spark imaginative play, which is critical for developing little minds. Thumbs up from the little men in the Mamma Fairy House!

A pet hate of mine is toys requiring batteries that don’t came with batteries, thankfully not the case here, its does come with  3 LR44 batteries.

Note: We were sent the toy for review however all view are mine or the boys where appropriate.

I strive every year to purchase functional, educational toys. I loath the sheer quantity of plastic rubbish that appears every year. This year I have compiled a list of tried and test STEM toys which we love in the The Mamma Fairy. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and maths. The concept has evolved so much over the last number of years and is now viewed almost as cool and trendy much to my enjoyment (as a woman in STEM!)

• First up is OKIDO – OKIDO magazine, an award-winning, high-quality, interactive publication designed for children aged 3-7.  Each month, you will receive a magazine covering topics from Coding to Architecture to Robots to Breathing to Planets and Outer Space. Each issue starts with a story from the much-loved, hand drawn character Messy Monster and also includes science answers from Zim, Zam, Zoom, regular character features, stories, puzzles, doodles, games, activities, science experiments, a poem, a recipe and a pull-out card activity.  OKIDO was created as an antidote to the plastic-wrapped, poor quality publications on the market. OKIDO is a content-heavy, beautifully designed, quality product with high profile contributors including artist Paul Noble, illustrator and author Benji Davies and illustrator and animator Lesley Barnes.  Since its first issue in 2007, OKIDO magazine has won a host of awards and celebrity fans. Lauren Laverne wrote in Grazia “A kids design delight that has become a cult favourite for adults too….as fit for gallery walls as it is for playroom floors.”

• Salt Water Car,  This is pretty genius and very budget friendly. Salt Water Fuel Cell Engine Car Kit contains everything you need to construct your own 4WD. But, instead of requiring endless batteries or electricity, this nifty bit of 4 wheeled kit is powered by water. My oldest just loves this. From the initial construction to the play after that. Its fun, educational and eco friendly whats not to love! It makes an ideal gift for the kids birthday parties. Its pocket friendly and educational too.

• The Yoto Player is a screen-free audio device that inspires creativity and independence in kids. Designed with little hands in mind, this robust device plays
  

  Pic Credit: Yoto Player

  educational stories, music, and activities through physical cards “Yoto Cards” that children can easily insert themselves. With no ads or distractions, it’s a parent-approved way to engage kids in learning and entertainment. From bedtime stories to sing-along playlists, the Yoto Player grows with your child, offering age-appropriate content for toddlers to tweens. There are over 1,000 cards to chose from including family favourites from Peppa Pig, to Judith Kerr, to Roald Dahl and the favourites from our house Marvel and Star Wars.  I  have been reliably informed that the full Harry Potter series is also now available.  Bonus features like the nightlight, sleep sounds, and Bluetooth connectivity make it a versatile addition to any home for road trips, quiet time, or everyday fun, this gadget makes an excellent Christmas or birthday gift! The Yoto Player is retailing at €99.99 and the Yoto Mini at €69.99, both available at Yotoplay.com.

• Top Quarkz by the Remarkablz is a game designed to encourage girls in STEM. A 2018 take on Top Trumps, showcasing some of the best female (and male) STEM role models to inspire children and young adults to explore exciting disciplines and aspire to their own superpowers regardless of gender, ethnicity or disability. As a female in STEM I just love this! 

• 3D Wooden Puzzles from Robotime are suitable for preteens, teens and adults. There are three categories according to the level of assembly difficulty: from easy to difficult. 3D Wooden puzzles usually have more parts, take longer to assemble, and have more complex mechanics that allow them to move. As an educational toy, you can talk to children about how they fit together perfectly and why vehicles travel on the road without electricity, such as Harbinger Rover Space Hunting Solar Energy Car. There’s a lot involved in Physics and science concepts. At the same time, these building kits make great gifts for any occasion and just about any preference, as they are sophisticated and modern.

• Slime Factory What kid doesn’t love slime! I ignore the mess as my kids just love it. This slime kit was a big hit, is messy, its fun, it interactive! Lots and lots of play for my two boys with this one particularly the glow in the dark ones. My pair literally wiled away hours and I mean  hours playing with this kit. Yes it is messy but go with it, its educational and fun and kept mine entertained for hours.

• Clementoni Mind Designer Robot this is heading up the price scales but in my view very worth the heftier price tag (€59.99). This innovative robot guides your children through the process of learning maths, arithmetic and geometry. It introduces your child to design using the precision motors which enable them to create geometric shapes and designs of varying complexity with extreme precision. This robot can be programmed manually or by voice using the innovative voice recognition function.  Using the exclusive free App, your child can experiment with coding instruction blocks, create complex geometrical shapes and play with loads of original interactive code-games. My oldest adores this, he is in the right age bracket for it and used the app feature on my ipad for it.  Its really clever its functional and provides hours of independent, educational play. In a word that is becoming increasingly technology advance, enabling kids to take their first steps into coding has never been as important.

• Meccano  was around even back in my day (and long before!) and its really stood the test of time. Its doesn’t have to high tech to be STEM.  Meccano is one of the brand names that have endured the generations which is obvious a testament to its strength and popularity. Our current favourite is the Ferrari kit, I mean whats not to love. Admittedly its pitched at a slightly older age group but this have proved some great fun for the Dada Fairy and my oldest to have some bonding time.  The bits are small and at times a little fiddly so do keep away for teeny hands!

• Power Tracks Back to the theme of coding, next up is Power Tracks. Power Tracks helps stimulate curious minds and teaches elements of STEM with Volty – the friendly programmable robot! Kids can take their first steps into coding and the exciting world of programming and circuit building.  Connect the large tabletop tiles to make 1 of 20 circuits, or design your own. Use the direction of the buttons to program Volty with commands to guide around the circuit. Discover Volty’s many hidden features as Volty travels over special tiles. We love this one as its portable and the kids have endless fun with the different combinations of play available. I love the fact it encourages independent thinking.

• Another favourite of ours is the old school favourite – a microscope.  These really can add hours of fun. I still have such fond memories of a Christmas over 30 years ago where santa brought one for our family.  An age old but still very popular option. However in terms of choosing which one it can be a minefield, this guide on how to buy a microscope for your kids should really help and prove a valuable resource to bookmark.

Has anybody any other favourties? Id love to hear them.

The day has finally arrived. In our house anyway the only bigger celebration is Christmas. My kids love Halloween so they were mega excited when the day arrived. Costumes more or less agreed on, goodies purchased for the trick or treats and most likely a night of little sleep when the inevitable sugar rush kicks in!!!

Just before Halloween a new super cutie arrived in our door….Sir Growls a Lot! Great name, I may keep it in reserve 🙂

I hadn’t heard of Fiesty Pets but my pair knew instantly what was about to happen. Do not be fooled.

These cuties are not what they seem, squeeze them at the head and the super cutie turns super cross!

Just look at Sir Growls a Lot – I actually thought the 3 year old might be frightened! Not a bit, he loves them too.

The six year old has been having bad dreams of late and he thought of the idea of keeping Sir Growls a Lot beside his bad to keep the bad dreams away. I love that idea and I love how much the teddy now means to him. It was never the intended purpose of it but it works and im leaving well enough alone.

I think these guys would be a great gift for the upcoming season.  They come in a range of different animals and priced around €18. They don’t require batteries always a mega plus!

Along with Sir Growls a Lot arrived with some very cool Snazaroo face paints. I have said I before many time and ill say it again. I am not creative. Not even the smallest bit so I delegated to the kids.

Request one- “Can you paint me like Sir Growls a Lot”

Drum roll please…….be warned the likeness is uncanny………maybe just maybe my kids have inherited my (lack of) creativity.

Note: We were sent the Fiesty Pets and Snazaroo Face paints however all views and opinions are mine or the kids where appropriate.

Pic Credit: Spinmaster

We love board games in the Mamma Fairy house. We have reviewed many different ones in the past. In a world so engrossed in all things techy I love being able to drag my pair away and have some good old fashioned fun.

Hedbanz arrived in perfect time for our road trip to Lough Erne Resort.   Hedbanz is the ideal travel game no batteries needed and you can quite easily adapt it to play it on the road.  You simply have  to guess  ‘What am I?’  based on the card on the headband on your head. Very easy game for 2-6 players and equally as much fun whether you have 2 or 6 players.

I love the sheer simplicity of this game. The fact it forces you to engage your brain and think what exactly you could be either an animal, food or an object. The game comes with s 68 clue cards, 6 question cards, 6 headbands, timer & 24 chips. The suggested age is 7 upward however I can safely say ages 6 to 60+ enjoyed this one.

I think this game is a really great and reasonably priced option for birthday gifts or dare I say the C word. Santa has a tradition of bringing a board game to this house, more specifically one for all the family to enjoy when the turkey and roses are long devoured. If you are thinking of something like this. You wont be disappointed. So much fun  and most importantly can be enjoyed from 6 to 60+ as it was in our house.

Note: We were sent this game to review however all view are mine or the boys where appropriate.