Playing with new Plasticine Softeez #PlasticineSofteez

We hosted a Plasticine Softeez Party in conjunction with UKMums.tv and Plasticine. It allowed us to test out the new, softer, squishier modelling clay from Plasticine, and share our experiences during a two hour Twitter Party. 

I provided everyone with a lovely lunch, which included a great looking cake topped with a Plasticine Softeez cake plaque and coloured polka dot sprinkles as well as some savoury food to nibble on.

There was a bit of an under the sea theme going on and I made some cheese spread topped open sandwiches shaped like a shoal of fish. I also decorated a pizza with fish shapes cut from a variety of toppings.

We had lots of activities for the guests to do during the party. Firstly, they used the Under the Sea Play Boxes, which contain 12 blocks of brightly coloured Plasticine Softeez, a play mat and nine accessories including cutters and rolling pin.

The soft texture of the modelling clay makes it perfect for little hands to shape and mould. The children used the cutters but also made under the sea creatures and plants freestyle, showing off their creativity. I particularly loved the deep sea diver and the pink sea dragon that Freddy and his little pal T made. Being able to use the Pasticine Softeez so easily to create exactly what they wanted to make was good for their confidence.

It is a really good set, which gives kids some structure to their creative play but also inspires them to create their own models based on the under the sea theme.

Using the Plasticine Softeez Tub of Fun gave rise to some really creative play. There was rolling, cutting, twisting, squeezing, spiralling and flattening!  The Softeez is really easy to work with and never dries out, making it perfect for freestyling imaginative fun. 

The fruit bowl that L made was so cute with its apple, banana and grapes (and what looks like a cucumber?)  The colours are all so vibrant and the Plasticine Softeez is just so inviting.

Making animals was another favourite theme. T's tiger cub was my favourite with its cute stripes! It is lovely to see the kids so inspired making a range of fun creations. A's elephant was really cute with its purple eyes and K's pink piglet looked so squishy.

Rolling snakes with the Plasticine Softeez was a lot of fun. Everyone enjoyed using their hands to roll out the longest sausage shapes from the samples of the modelling clay. Using a tape measure we found the longest snake was 1.3 metres long! Everyone got a certificate with their name and the length of their snake recorded for prosperity. It was a really popular game that brought out some healthy competition among the guests!

The Cupcake Creations kit allows little ones to design and make cute cupcakes. The guests used the colouring sheets to design their cake before making it using the set which consists of 8 blocks of Plasticine Softeez, 1 cupcake mould, 1 cutter, 1 modelling tool, a roller and an instruction sheet. Big sister Kezia had some fun with this one. The Softeez is just so tactile, it is quite relaxing for older kids or us adults to have a play with. In fact all of us mums enjoyed trying it out as much as the kids did - it is a real stress reliever!

All in all, Freddy, his guests and his sisters had a really good time trying out the new Plasticine Softeez. Everybody left with goodie bags filled with samples, sweets, stickers and toys.

We enjoyed this Twitter party and loved the new Plasticine Softeez products. Thank you to UKMums.tv and Plasticine UK for having us as hosts.

***Update ***

The Plasticine Softeez is still as soft as it was when we first used it. The claim that it doesn't dry out is definitely true! It also has not gone that dirty brown colour that happens when the different colours get mixed together. We have some multicoloured lumps but they still look appealing and colourful. This is a great new product in the modelling dough market that is long lasting and can be reused again and again.

Getting Creative with the Zoob Modelling Kit.

I always like toys that inspire imaginative and creative play.  So when Freddy received a Zoob Modelling Kit , I was keen to see what he would make of it (and with it!) 

Zoob is a children's construction toy that using ball and socket joints to create moveable and posable models.  There are five different shaped pieces which are colour coded, and which fit together in different ways to make a variety of different connections.  Children can use the pieces to construct designs as varied and as elaborate as their imagination and ability allows.  The pieces feel strong and sturdy.

The Zoob Modelling Kit comes in a sturdy storage bucket with a fitted lid containing 125 Zoob pieces and five instruction leaflets with differing ability levels.  The first leaflet explores the type of connections which can be made and introduces some simple models.  The leaflets get progressively more detailed, inspiring more complicated models.

Freddy was happy to get stuck straight in (still wearing his PE kit from Friday's last lesson of sports at school) and intuitively fitted pieces together, twisting the ball ends in the sockets and attaching them to each other.  True to form, Freddy constructed lots of laser guns, zapping guns and shooting guns!  But I was impressed to see how quickly he worked out how to angle the pieces to create his visions of space age weaponry.  He then went on to make robots, which he proceeded to shoot with his guns.  It may not have been the most PC activity, but he had great fun and was being very creative with his imaginary game.

I really like the articulation of the various joints which allows you to manipulate the pieces at varying angles. The modelling set is really versatile with the pieces able to snap together in 20 different ways.  You can make geometric shapes such as pyramids and cubes which is quite a therapeutic activity! There are so many combinations you can make as you explore the potential of the pieces, and they swivel in the joints with a satisfying clicking noise!

But the real fun comes in being creative.  There are ideas for fourteen creations from the simple twirling top to the Zoob Dude to the very intricate Zoob Rex dinosaur, all featured in the instruction leaflets.  You can go on to do unlimited creative building!

Some of the connections are trickier than others and need a steady hand.  However the basic connections are very simple, which means this set has great play longevity and will grow with your child.  At 4, Freddy was able to pop the joints together with ease, but over time he will be dexterous enough to make rotating hinges or multiple joint connections to create more complex models.

I had a go myself (as you do!) and made an articulated scorpion.  I was rather proud of myself even though it is only a level 2 creation.  Its legs and tail are all fully poseable. I will leave it up to Daddy to make the Zoob Rex which is the biggest and most complicated model in the instruction leaflet!

Overall, I really like Zoob.  It's not too fiddly or complicated at its basest level meaning Freddy played happily and independently and could successfully make models on his own.  It has the potential to grow with him as his dexterity and imagination further develops.  There are different Zoob sets available so you can add to your collection as they are all fully compatible.  It is very different to the other building block sets on the market, making it a unique addition to the toy box.  The pieces are quite chunky so even small hands are able to manipulate them and make good sized models with ease.  It's colourful and versatile and is very well made.  Little fingers can get pinched between the pieces as they click together if you are not careful (yes, it was me that got my skin pinched!!)

The 125 piece Zoob Modelling Kit costs £35 and is available at Aspace, where you can also find a whole host of fabulous quality products for kids, from toys to bedroom furniture.  Zoob is recommended for children aged 6 and up, but Freddy at 4 is loving it and plays with it every day.  It is a great idea for a Christmas present for creative boys and girls.

Let Your Children Create-A-World

Creative Play For Boys and Girls with Create-a-World

As a child, one of my favourite toys was Fuzzy Felt which consisted of a board onto which cut-out felt shapes could be stuck.  I used to get a new one every Christmas and excitedly waited for the newest themed set to add to my collection.  I have very fond memories of my Fuzzy Felt.  I was therefore very excited to see that the concept has been brought bang up to date in the exciting soft imagination game Create-a-World  from Simply Good.

Freddy was a very eager and willing volunteer to have a play with the Create-a-World set with an additional ABC kit  sent to us from White Step....and I was equally eager and willing to join him in a fun creative play session!

The large felt board can be wall mounted or used on the floor or on a table as a base for your child's creativity.  Colourful, hand-made felt pieces can be easily stuck, removed and moved around to create a unique scene.  Animals, fairy tale characters, bugs, vehicles, roads and people are among the 60+ playing pieces, which allow the child's imagination to run wild.  The additional ABC set includes 51 colourful handmade letters, each featuring an object or animal that begins with the letter it is printed on.  This creates an even richer creative experience, allowing young children to discover the alphabet and spell out simple words.

Create a World

Lovely Letters

Playing with the set encourages children to express themselves in many different ways with art, storytelling and imaginative role play.  Language, problem solving and number skills can be developed.  The letters allow  early phonics and letter recognition.  Concentration levels can be improved. And all this learning is cunningly disguised as play!!

The best way to demonstrate the Create-A-World playset with the additional ABC kit is in a video.   So here is Freddy playing with his new favourite toy!

Other noteable features are that the Create-a-World set comes in a handy bag making it easy to tidy away and perfect for taking on holiday.  It is a mess free creative activity...no scissors, glue or paint required.  Everything can be packed away quickly and cleanly.  So it can really be played with anywhere and anytime. It is all beautifully made and will grow with your child.  Older children can use the pieces to play out stories or could even use them in stop-animation.  They are a great educational resource.

The Create-a-World with the ABC set is available from whitestep.co.uk for £58.95.