We were lucky enough to take part in a Tree Fu Tom Twitter party yesterday. The toys we received, to be tried and tested by a team of party goers, deserve to be reviewed in their own right because they really are quite excellent. They inspired some very imaginative role play and got the kids up and moving. Sometimes, toys that are based on a TV show can be a disappointment in terms of play value and quality, but these toys from Flair really hit the mark.
The Tree Fu Tom Rap Mat RRP £24.99 is a colourful, electronic dance mat. It has coloured sections that correspond to a light up panel. As the coloured lights come on, players have to put their feet on the corresponding section of the mat. At the same time, Tom's voice gives vocal commands to add to the magic moves. Little ones get up and active to the Tree-Fu fun. Listening skills and gross motor skills are developed, as children follow the commands.
The Holopax is Tom's wrist worn gadget that gives children the chance to dress up like their favourite Tree Fu hero. The Holopax uses lights and sounds and includes 25 phrases from the characters in the show. It is a sturdy toy with an adjustable strap. It has an RRP of £16.99. Although it is a cute, novelty gadget, it is really just a toy for dressing up and for role play. It doesn't give commands like the Rap Mat and so the play value is restricted to the child's imagination. For this reason, this is my least favourite of the range, although Freddy loves wearing it and pressing the button which triggers the flashing lights and sounds. He thinks it is great!
The Flying Squizzles are a new take on the frisbee. Priced at £3.99 they are a great toy for active play. They are made of foam, making them safe, and can be thrown in a game of Treetopolis's favourite sport where scoring a Mega Triple Wing scores you extra points. They fly very well through the air and although they are safe, I would recommend them for outdoor use if you have a kid with a right arm like my son! He has got a real throw on him and I had a donk on the head at the hands of him armed with a Squizzle.
The Tree Fu Tom figures are probably my favourite toy in the range. Priced at £4.99 each there are five to collect: Tom, Twigs, Ariela, Squirmtum and Zigzoo. They each come with a removable base and an accessory in their blister pack. I was very impressed with the quality and the beautiful detail of these figures. They are really lovely and will inspire hours of imaginative play based on Tree Fu Tom's adventures.
For £7.99 you can get a deluxe version that includes a bigger accessory such as Tom's leaf skateboard, Twigs's opening acorn or Ariela's ladybird and lasso, plus some free-standing foliage that makes scenery for games to take place around.
For £12.99 there are playsets available such as ZigZoo with his vehicle. These give extra play value with extra, larger accessories for the figures to interact with. All the figures and accessories within the range are compatible so children can build a collection of their Tree Fu Tom favourites. Fans of the show will be delighted with them.
The Tree Fu Tom range of merchandise also includes a set of books including sticker books, 3D colouring books and story books. There are also two DVD's Volume 1 Tree Fu Go & 2 Tree Fu Magic so children can watch Tree Fu Tom whenever they want!
For a TV tie-in, these toys are very well made, well conceived and fit well with the ethos of the TV show which inspires youngsters to get up and get active and join in with their favourite characters as they make Big World Magic to save the day. Find out more about these Tree Fu Tom toys at Flair's website.
