Thomas and Friends - Merry Christmas Thomas

Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends are all set for some festive fun in this great new DVD for Christmas: "Merry Christmas Thomas!"  This two DVD collection will be a perfect gift for little Thomas fans so climb aboard and celebrate the festive season with Thomas and Friends.

Merry Christmas Thomas! features six fun and festive episodes and the bonus disc Big Bang Surprise features a further five making a grand total of 138 minutes of  Christmas magic with Thomas and his friends!

The episodes include exciting snowy adventures, presents, parties and the search for the perfect Christmas tree to keep little ones in the festive mood throughout the holidays.

Thomas has been a favourite in my house for years and we love sharing the adventures of everybody's favourite blue engine and these Christmas stories are just perfect for this time of year.

Episode List for Merry Christmas Thomas!

• The Christmas Tree Express
• Ho Ho Snowman
• Salty's Surprise
• Emily's Winter Party Special
• Percy the Snowman
• Tree Trouble

The RRP of this double DVD pack is £12.99 but today's price on Amazon is just £7.75 which is a fantastic bargain.  A perfect gift or stocking filler...Peep! Peep!

We Met Mike the Knight at Warwick Castle

Yesterday we were lucky enough to be invited to the first of the Mike the Knight weekends at Warwick Castle.  We were blessed with glorious sunshine, and it was the perfect day for Freddy, my own little knight in training, to learn all about Mike the Knight's chivalrous code with the motto "Be a Knight, Do it Right!"

The setting for the event is just perfect.  Warwick Castle is a fabulous Merlin attraction which is easily accessible from junction 15 of the M40.  It is a great family day out with lots to see and do including live combat shows featuring the Warwick Warriors, the Flight of the Eagles show, the Kingmaker exhibition and actor led tours of the State Rooms and Great Hall.  Families can have fun in the Castle Courtyard and explore the ancient Towers and Ramparts or enjoy wandering around the beautiful grounds beside the river.

During the special Mike the Knight weekends there are also a range of medieval missions for pre-schoolers to embark on.  (These activities are all free of charge and included in the Warwick Castle entry price.) They can practice their archery skills with Mike's Target Test.  Jump on a trusty steed and race in Gallahad's Gallop. Go on a voyage of discovery with Sparkie and Squirt in the Dragon Egg Hunt.  Build a wall for the Glendragon Castle. Make a Mr Cuddles in the Colour and Craft Tent. Cast a magical spell at Evie's Workshop and even get their faces painted with a special Medieval Mike the Knight design.  Each task is rewarded with a sticker and when the missions are completed, the little knights receive a small gift for their hard work.  Little ones will learn a whole host of chivalrous lessons such as listening skills, good manners and helpfulness along the way.

Freddy had an excellent time taking part in all the activities, helped by his big sisters.  They met up with their cousins, Addy and Dyl, who were also attending the event with their family.  Together they embarked on  the quest to find the dragon eggs which lead us around the grounds of the castle.  They loved it!  We visited the Mill, the Peacock Gardens and the Birds of Prey before ending our adventure at the top of the Mound.  It was a great way to explore and discover new things.  Freddy was slightly disappointed not to see a real live dragon hatching from the final egg, but we explained to him that it had flown away!

In front of the castle is a brilliant sand sculpture depicting Warwick Castle, Glendragon and Buckingham Palace.  The 5m x 6m structure weighs in at over 30 tonnes and brings a taste of the seaside to Warwick.  There is also a sandpit for children to try to create their own sandcastle and enter a competition to create Britain's Ultimate Sandcastle.  Kids can also get to meet and greet Mike the Knight himself and have their photo taken with the CBeebies favourite.  The queues to see Mike can get quite long, but at the end of the day we didn't have to wait too long at all.

We really had a wonderful day.  There was so much for us all to do, and it was lovely to see Freddy join in with all the fun activities on offer. He is so much more confident these days and loves seizing every opportunity to have fun!

The next Mike the Knight weekend is the 6th and 7th July.  

A new series of Mike the Knight is due to air this summer on CBeebies.

Find out more about Warwick Castle at www.warwick-castle.com

Keep up to date with Glendragon news on Mike the Knight's Facebook page or visit the website at www.miketheknight.com or follow Mike the Knight on Twitter @MiketheKnightUK

Mike The Knight...A Knight in Training

Set in the exciting and enchanting Medieval times of castles, dragons, Vikings and trolls, Mike the Knight is a new CG animated CBeebies show for toddlers and pre-schoolers.

Glendragon is home to a cheeky, energetic and helpful young knight in training.  While his father is away, young Mike helps his mother Queen Martha protect their homeland.  This gives rise to some exciting adventures and marvellous missions.

With his motto "Be a Knight, Do It Right", Mike learns how to do things the right way and learns the power of responsibility.  With a blend of visual comedy, music and fabulous characters, Mike the knight is a real hit with my two year old Freddy.  He was sent the brand new Knight in Training DVD which is due for release on March 19th from HIT Entertainment.

The 65 minute DVD is packed with exciting episodes as we join Mike and his merry band of friends Sparkie and Squirt the dragons and Gallahad his trusty steed.  Mike's sister Evie is a wizard in  training and is never far from the action.  Evie has cast a spell on Mike's sword and so he never knows what it will become when he draws it!  Freddy thinks it is very funny when Mike pulls his sword out and finds a feather duster in his hand!  But whatever Evie's magic conjures up, plays a part in completing Mike's missions.

For me, Fernando the Bard is one of the real stars of the show.  His witty ditties that start and end each show are very funny.  He is the storyteller who keeps the chivalrous tales moving along in an upbeat fun-filled tempo.

Mike the Knight is bringing the chivalry, adventure and excitement of Medieval times to a generation of modern pre-schoolers who will love the antics of Mike as he rescues princesses, guards the castle or defeats trolls...all in the cutest way.  The moral of the stories teaches children the power of their responsibilities; inspires them to be the best they can be and go the extra mile to help out; understand the importance of friendship and loyalty; be considerate; realise the importance of teamwork and appreciate their own self-development.

We really enjoyed watching the fun packed adventures of Mike and his friends.  Mike is a very likeable and cheeky character and his attempts at carrying out his missions are very entertaining.  At the heart of the show, Mike is just a little lad who enjoys adventures and tries to do his best.  The Medieval setting and characters make the show quite unique.

If you haven't discovered the joys of Glendragon and Mike the Knight, keep an eye on CBeebies or treat your little one to the DVD for fun, adventures and 'doing it right!'

A Knight in Training is available to pre-order now.

*No compensation was received for this post*