Toys Reviews

Smart Trike Deluxe – Price £96.99 – Suitable from 10 Months through to 36 Months

• Steel construction, especially strong and thick to ensure extra stability.
• Textured rubber handle bars.
• Rigid safety harness, removable at a later stage.
• Press-out clutch for pedal power or free wheeling whilst the parent pushes, to prevent child's feet from injury.
• Rubber strip on all wheels.
• Foldaway, retractable footrest for the very young.
• Rear rounded bucket.
• Adjustable seat with safety belts.
• Parent steerable push bar is easy to dismantle.
• Detachable backrest and sunroof.
• Weight of product 8.1kg.
• For ages 10 months to 3 years.
• Easy to assemble.
   

Totz2teens Review:  After putting the deluxe trike together we were eager to try it out.  Shame it was evening time and he was fast asleep - which was probably a good thing as it took as a little while to get it together.  It wasn't difficult to follow the instructions and we got there - just wanted to double and triple check we had done it right.  The trike is a solid trike with a nice metal construction with bright green plastic.  The set comes with a sun canopy and a bag too.  The sun canopy didnt really cope with a strong breeze very well but its a nice idea.  The bag was very handy when nipping to the shops.  The handle is really strong which we both liked as we felt that as our child grows but still needs this it will cope with his weight.  He loved the bucket on the back and continually filled this with all sorts of toys ready to be pushed around again.  We liked the way this trike will change with our son.  Its most certainly a great purchase it is very practical.  We loved the way that people seemed pleased to see him in the trike.  I think he felt a very big boy.

Totz2teens Rating:  5/5
 

Peppa Pig Scooter - Price £24.99

• 3 wheeled tubular frame scooter with blow moulded wheels, sturdy plastic extra grip footplate and easy grip handles.
• Adult assembly / adult supervision required.
• Weight restrictions 20kg.
• Size (H)64-71, (W)48, (D)74 cm.
• Made from coated steel, PVA plastic and rubber.
• For ages 3 years and over.
  
  Totz2teens Review:  The scooter arrived and my daughter was very excited.  It took us a while to put it together although it wasnt difficult it certainly needed the instructions which were clear enough thankfully.  It has a nice sized foot plate which is great for the small feet using it.  The wheels are chunky allowing more stability too.  The Peppa Pig Logo made it perfect for any Peppa Pig fan and we all loved sticking the stickers on to this great first scooter.  Hours of fun.
  
  Totz2teens Rating:  5/5
   

Peppa Pig Playground Ball Large – Price £14.99  - Suitable 2 years Plus

Totz2teens Review:  The Peppa Pig Ball is a fantastic size much bigger than a normal ball - it can be rolled on, sat on, thrown around.  It appears to be made of a really durable material which can be used on all surfaces.  The ball is fun to play with and we had great delight in bouncing on it whilst watching tv.  We also had a good game at throwing it at each other which was a bit vicious with the older children but the younger one (who is obviously the right age for it) had enormous fun whilst the others were out the way.  She loved that it has Peppa Pig on it too.  Definite hit.

Totz2teens Member Review:  4/5

Bendaroos™ are magical, flexible building sticks (available in rainbow, neon or glow in the dark) which offer a unique combination of moulding and construction and adhere to all surfaces but lift away without any mess.  

 Bendaroos™ can be made into 2D shapes and characters which you can use to decorate picture frames, ceramics, glass and other surfaces.  Alternatively why not make your own 3D models by twisting Bendaroos™ together or scrunching tinfoil to create large body shapes and then winding Bendaroos™ around before adding extra features and decoration.

The Theme Sets include instructions for three project levels - basic, intermediate and advanced – are available in a variety of themed assortments (Animals, Flowers & Butterflies, Fun Food and Creepy Crawlies) and contains lots of Bendaroos™ sticks in a selection of colours. Alternatively the Activity Pack is available in two themed assortments (Farmyard and Ocean) and contains lots of Bendaroos™, stencils and are also available in Neon colours.

Once you’ve mastered the technique, why not get your hands on the Mega Pack which has everything you need to get really creative – 400 Bendaroos in rainbow colours, stencils and a special cutting and joining tool for really neat finishes and make something truly unique.

Bendaroos™ are bursting with endless fun   RRP £4.99-£19.99   Target Age: 5-9 years   www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

Totz2teens Review: These strangely addictive wax strips are amazing.  Thin strips of waxy sticks are offered in different colours.  The Ocean Creatures set I tried had 9 colours and has 4 templates plus some more designs to copy in the instructions.  This really are fun to play with.  You can roll them around a pencil to create curls and then just straighten them back up again afterwards.  My son made the shark head and it now has pride of place on his shelf.  Although its not actually fiddly if you are following a template you need to concentrate a bit to get it right.  We found the benderoos interesting and we all reckon they make a good addition to a Christmas list!!!

Totz2teens Rating:  4/5
 

Glodoodle

 Glo Doodle™ is the first ever mess free drawing toy with a transparent surface which uses bright coloured light to draw and trace.  

 Kids can draw with three bright colours (red,green,yellow) during the day or night by using the special stylus on the re-useable drawing surface.   Trace over a picture or copy a portrait, play Noughts and Crosses or write messages, there’s no need for paper, markers or refills – you can even draw with a finger – and your artwork is automatically illuminated as you draw.

The image won’t fade but when you want to remove your picture, it instantly erases by the press of button, ready to start over again.

Its portable, sleek design means you can take it anywhere, anytime – day or night.

So illuminate your illustrations and get doodling!   RRP £19.99   Age: From 3+   www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

Totz2teens Review:  How clever is this?  I gave this to my daughter to play with.  She says its really cool.  The actual screen is clear so you can see anything underneath.  You can therefore copy and trace the item underneath.  We loved playing with the glodoodle.  As with the old etchasketch its always a shame that you cant keep your picture but it doesnt really matter.  We went on a long journey and took the glodoodle with us.  We played noughts and crosses and hangman with the glodoodle which proved great fun And we took it into the restaurant too and two of the children played with it very happily which meant we could eat and chat!!!  Its a great toy.

Totz2teens Rating:  4/5
 

Paper Perfection!

You can design and build 2D and 3D creations without the use of heat, glue or mess!  You can peel off the adhesive paper from the template, stick the special Paperoni® paper rolls to it by following the coloured patterns and create imaginative animals, flowers, jewellery - then decorate them with the accessories to give them your own individual finish. 

Paperoni is available in assortments, the starter kit includes 250 multi-coloured Paperoni® pieces, 4 pre-printed self adhesive templates, foam pieces, gems and tweezers for you to create 2D a choice of Butterflies, Frogs, Puppies and Kittens and the three intermediate sets have everything you need to create cute 3D models of either a pig, monkey or elephant, while the variety pack contains a combination of both assortments and 900pieces of Paperoni® 

The Paperoni® Studio is the all-in-one cutting, storing and organizing workstation complete with 2D and 3D templates, over 900 Paperoni® pieces and everything required to make and create a myriad of masterpieces. 

RRP £4.99-£19.99   Ages: 4-8 years   www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

Totz2teens Review: My 10 year old and I had enormous fun creating the mouse and lion with the Paperoni.  The kit comes with the cutting machine - no batteries required which was nice.  The pack contains a good amount of the paper which is rolled up paper.  There are some smaller cut pieces already done and some eyes and jewels to add to the finished piece.  Patience is required as you need to use the tweezers to pop the cut paper onto the template you are using.  This was a bit tricky but not TOO difficult.  My younger son was only interested in the cutting of the paper and not actually making anything which was a shame but my daughter was happy to create her masterpieces.  She sat for ages making this and I would say it is excellent for those children that love something crafty to do.  I had a look and you can buy extra bits and pieces for this set which is great and Im sure my daughter will be wanting more.  There is still plenty in this lovely set for her to do some more creations.  At first I thought oh not much in the set but once you set to work WOW - it goes a long way.  Very surprising.  This is definately one of those things that kids love.

Totz2teens Rating:  4/5
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Yo Gabba Gabba

It’s fun. It’s infectious and it’s creating a frenzy! 

 Yo Gabba Gabba™ is a fun, interactive music and dance tv programme which not only appeal to kids, but have established a cult following with DJ’s (Scott Mills – Radio 1), celebrities (Jack Black) and adults, Yo Gabba Gabba™ is quickly becoming one of the most popular new preschool shows, and loved by a whole new generation of parents drawn to its pop culture appeal and simple yet important life lessons, whilst encouraging kids and parents to dance and sing along. 

Children will love the soft Plush Pals, wiggly jiggly Silly Heads which bounce uncontrollably and whilst the Songs and Sounds Plush are activated by squeezing the hand and feature one character song and three voice clips, the ultimate Dancing Brobee sings and dances by pressing his foot, waves his arms in the air in time to the music and tells you ‘you were awesome’!   Alternatively you can ‘Jam with the Gang’ on the Groovin’ Guitar, whilst strumming along in time to one of the five character songs.

 Yo Gabba Gabba™ is currently showing on T4 on Saturdays and Nick Jr Daily.

 RRP £5.99-£34.99   Age: 2+

Gab 'n' Sing Brobee

Muno's Groovin' Guitar     £19.99
Munu loves to play.  And now, you can play Muno!  With 10 of your favourite Yo Gabba Gabba songs, you'll be a rock star.  Or at least a Muno Star! 

Totz2teens Member Review: A perfectly sized guitar with lots of buttons to be pressed by your youngster.  Muno's eye is pressable offering a variety of different sounds some guitar related.  There are a set of buttons with each Yo Gabba Gabba character giving us the pleasure of their little songs and sounds.  Very groovy sounds to dance to and pretend you are a rock star.  The guitar is made well and seems quite robust.  My young son was able to walk around with it without damage to the guitar.  I think this would make a fantastic birthday/Christmas present for a niece or nephew.

Totz2teens Member Rating:  4/5