12 Toys of Christmas #7

My last review in my 12 Toys of Christmas feature showcases a product that will keep the kids busy over the festive period.  After the Christmas dinner has been eaten and the Queen's Speech watched,  maybe the family can get stuck in to a fun, quiet activity together.  Many people find jigsaw puzzles very relaxing and will enjoy spending Christmas afternoon indulging in a spot of puzzling.  

I have previously reviewed the Ravensburger 3D Big Ben Puzzle.  It is a 216 piece puzzle that builds up into a 40 cm tall 3D model of Big Ben. With numbered interlocking pieces and hinged corners, the puzzle is well constructed but can be a bit fiddly for younger children to do without any adult help.  These Ravensburger puzzles bring a whole new dimension to one of Britain's favourite hobbies.  The end result is a model that can be displayed or dismantled to be rebuilt at a later date.  Other puzzles in the range include the Eiffel Tower, The Empire State Building and a lighthouse. (RRP £19.99)

These puzzles are suitable for ages 10 and up, so would be a good present for a grown-up as well as an older child.  They definitely are an exciting twist on regular 2D puzzles!

Find out more at Ravensburger.

12 Toys of Christmas #6
12 Toys of Christmas #5
12 Toys of Christmas #4
12 Toys of Christmas #3
12 Toys of Christmas #2
12 Toys of Christmas #1

Hungry Frogs and Minnie's Boutique

The Hungry Frogs Magic Sounds Board Game

There is plenty of fun for little ones as they race around the pond trying to find flies to feed their frogs in this great board game!  To add to the fun, the game has a magic sound button that plays a "Ribbit" sound, which Freddy thought was very funny!

The aim of the game is to spin the spinner which allows the player to move 1, 2 or 3 spaces around the board jumping on logs or lily pads.  Landing on a lily allows the player to pick a counter.  Some are blank and some have flies on the back.  The aim is to collect three flies and race back home.  If the spinner lands on the Magic Sound, then the player gets to press the button.  The Ribbitting sound sends any frogs on logs back home to start over again.

The game costs £9.99 and is suitable for ages 3 and up.  Freddy, who is 3, really enjoyed it, although there was a bit of cheating as he searched for counters with flies on!

The game is available from John Lewis, Debenhams and Tesco.

  

Disney Minnie Mouse Boutique Scenario 3D Puzzle

My family are massive Disney fans so we were really delighted to try out the new Scenario 3D kit by Educa which is a whole new way to play with your favourite Disney characters.  The kit comprises of push out foam pieces that fit together to form a 3D scene.  You can create an elaborate boutique complete with all the accessories that Minnie loves so much.  After the scene is built you can play with the shop and the four Disney characters.

The kit is for ages 5 and up, but I have to say that I struggled with some of the fiddly construction.  Kizzy started the kit independently but very quickly got frustrated, so I took over.  It wasn't easy and the instructions were really quite complicated.  However, it was incredibly satisfying when the pieces slotted together making bits of furniture, potted trees and dressed mannequins.  The finished result was really lovely.

The Scenario 3D Boutique takes the play beyond that of an ordinary puzzle.  The construction is just the beginning.  Minnie, Mickey, Donald and Daisy can shop till they drop!  Children can create their very own stories played out in this lovely setting.

These are both great gift ideas for children with Christmas fast approaching, or would be excellent to keep the kids amused over half term!

Ravensburger 3D Puzzle

Puzzling has just taken on a new dimension!  The new 3D Puzzles from Ravensburger fit together to create impressive three dimensional structures.  We were sent the Big Ben puzzle to try out for ourselves.

The 216 plastic puzzle pieces are numbered and slot together in order to construct a 40cm tall replica of  the famous clock tower of Big Ben, London's most popular landmark. The finished structure makes a great piece to display...or pull it apart for another puzzling session.

The pieces are durable and fit together with relative ease.  Hinged pieces click together on the edge to make the model very robust.  The image on the pieces is very clear and of a great quality.  

Numbered pieces

We started by sorting out all the pieces into order.  The numbering on the pieces is however sometimes difficult to read, but we got there in the end.  The first two sections were quite easy to put together, but the final section was really fiddly.  Lots of adult help was required for 9 year old Kizzy to complete this puzzle.  The top section was definitely far too tricky for her to do on her own and caused a bit of frustration.

Fitting the pieces together.

With a lot of help from her 20 year old sister, they completed the puzzle in approximately 1 1/2 hours.  

Big Ben

Excellent Detail

The Ravensburger 3D Puzzles retail for about £20.  They are suitable for ages 10 and up.  Other designs available, include the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower.