Tree Fu Tom Adventure Castle Play Set Review

The Tree Fu Tom Adventure Castle Playset is a great toy for little fans of CBeebies' Tree Fu Tom.  The Treetop Adventure Castle is an interactive playset with plenty of features that will keep children happily entertained, playing imaginative games featuring their favourite Tree Fu Tom characters.

The play set needs some minimal adult assembly which I managed without too much trouble (OK I put one bit on upside down, but Ian fixed it for me!)  The set includes one Tree Fu Tom figure and a leaf board so you can play straight away (well done Flair!) Plus the  light up seeking crystal comes with batteries included (well done again to Flair!) Two things that make a huge difference to me as a parent when buying toys for my children.

The castle comes with lots of play features:

Removable light up seeking crystal - use the switch to light up the crystal to find hidden sap splats (or ladybird poo as Freddy calls them!) or turn the crystal on by standing Tom on the button while the crystal is in position.

Secret trapdoor - turn the page of the spell book to open the trap door and drop Tom through the floor.

Wind-up Super Lifto lift - Wind up the lift to raise Tom and his leafboard to the upper floor of the castle.

Flying Tree Fu fun - Tom's feet push into the flyer and he spins round as you twist the top of the castle.

Leaf board ramp - Tom can whoosh down the ramp on his leaf board!

Freddy was very excited about playing with his new toy.  As he already had a few other Tree Fu Tom characters he was able to set up an elaborate game featuring Ariela, Squirmtum and Zigzoo.  He loved using the trapdoor, causing the 'baddies' to fall through the hole.  The crystal proved to be a lot of fun too as Freddy used it to find the splats.  The lift was easy for him to use and he had it going up and down to carry characters around the castle. Freddy had many exciting woodland adventures, practicing big world magic and battling the Mushas!

The castle feels sturdy and robust and fits together well.  The features all add to the play value and there is plenty of room for children to position their characters, move them around and enjoy a great Treetopolis based game. The toy will fuel their imaginations, while the features add a touch of magic!

The toy is recommended for children aged 3 and up and has an RRP of £29.99.  Find out more on the Flair website:  http://www.flairplc.co.uk/Product/80270-Tree-Fu-Tom-Adventure-Castle-Playset/

Tree Fu Tom - The Ultimate Tom Toy

He has pop out wings, his Sapstone Belt and Holopax light up,  he says over 30 phrases, has articulated poseable limbs and plays music from the hit TV show - no wonder this is the Ultimate Tom toy! 

Freddy who is a big fan of the CBeebies show and can often be found doing his own form of Tree Fu Magic in the middle of the living room, was one very happy little boy when he saw the Ultimate Tom toy.  He immediately began pressing the buttons through the packaging to hear one of the thirty phrases that Tom says.  I managed to get the toy away long enough to liberate Tom from his cardboard and plastic prison, ready to begin his first adventure with Freddy!

Tom looks very much like his TV counterpart and is instantly recognisable.  He has two buttons on his Sapstone belt and one on his Holopax which when pressed  make Tom speak. The belt and Holopax also light up.  A button on his chest makes his wings pop out, and if you tilt Tom into flying position he plays the theme tune.

I was very impressed by the number and quality of the phrases that Tom spoke and they really add to the play value of this toy.  The phrases are very interactive and Freddy was soon discussing shrinking spells, directions to the castle and the virtues of Tree Fu magic with his new toy.  They act as prompts to some very imaginative play as Freddy and Tom embark on exciting adventures together.

The toy stands up very well and is stable and solid. No part of it feels flimsy which is nice to see in a toy of this kind.  The joints are articulated and Tom can be posed into some Tree Fu magic moves.  I like the way that children are encouraged to join in, strike poses and get active, in the same way as when watching the TV show.  It brings the magic of Treetopolis straight into the toybox!

Our Ultimate Tom toy has been dropped onto a tiled floor causing his wings to fall off, but thankfully they were easy to click back on and no permanent damage was caused. It shows no signs of wear and tear even after some vigorous play.  It's nice to see just how robust this toy is!

Any fans of Tree Fu Tom would enjoy playing with the Ultimate Tom toy.  It is a lot of fun to interact with Tom and fly him around the room as the theme tune plays.  Freddy is so taken with it, he has taken it to bed with him a few times.  Just be aware though that after it has gone untouched for a while he says good-bye until your next adventure - this can be a problem if your child has just dropped off to sleep.  Oops!

The Ultimate Tom toy from Flair has an rrp of £24.99 and is available from Amazon.

Tree Fu Tom Toys

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.

Today's A Tree Fu Tom Day!!

At last, after a long few weeks at school, the half term holidays are here.  Today we are celebrating with a day of Tree Fu Tom related fun here Inside the Wendy House.

To begin with and to get us into the mood, we are watching the new Tree Fu Tom DVD: Tree Fu Magic 6 Adventures in Treetopolis.

The action packed adventures encourage kids to get up and active as they help Tom create spectacular Big World Magic by performing Tree Fu moves to help save the day.  With his best friend Twigs, Tree Fu Tom encounters the naughty Mushas, a colony of hungry bees and takes part in an epic underground rolling race in the magical land of Treetopolis in these six exciting episodes.

The Tree Fu Tom : Tree Fu Magic DVD is available now for £9.99 RRP. (Certificate U).

Later on today our Tree Fu Tom day will continue with a Twitter Party between 4 and 6 pm where a posse of Tiny Testers will descend upon our home to test out the latest Tree Fu Tom toys and take part in some fun competitions.  Everyone can join in via Twitter by following @Tree-Fu-Go and #treefutomtoys and there are some great prizes to be won!

The Tree Fu Tom toys are brand new for Spring 2013 and are from Flair plc.  There are figures and playsets along with some great role play toys like the Super Holaplax and Magic Moves Rap Mat.  The foam Flying Squizzles are great for throwing in your own game of Treetopolis Squizzle.  Tree Fu Tom fans will love this range which brings their favourite show to life!

We are excited to be taking part in the Twitter party tonight along with other bloggers up and down the UK where we will be sharing news and photographs of our own parties.  But for now I have Twigs pizzas, Tree Fu Tom cupcakes and Ariela's veg and dips to prepare.  We have quizzes and colouring in activities to sort out and are ready for our own Tree-Fu-Fun!!