Strand Bands Designer Set Review

The Make 2 Wear Strand Bands Designer Set, is a 62 piece jewellery making set allowing children to create their own bespoke fashion bracelets using colourful bands and beads.

With assorted stretchable, rubber strand bands in various colours, an assortment of beads and charms and a Strand Styler tool and suction cup, there is enough contents to make up to fifteen bracelets in various designs.

The set comes with instructions, but they are quite vague and even 12 year old Kezia and big sister Ella were getting a bit irate and frustrated trying to work out how to make a bracelet. The overly simplified 'fold, knot, peel apart' instructions didn't really help them. So we took to the trusty internet and found some video tutorials on YouTube, which proved a great help.

Once we understood the basic technique, the strands were cut to size, knotted, attached to the top of the Strand Styler, separated into sections and plaited or knotted. The Strand Styler keeps the strands secured together, making working with the materials less fiddly. However, the stretchy strands can ping off, unravel or get twisted up quite easily if you aren't careful, which proves quite frustrating when you're half way through making a bracelet. Practice definitely helps with the techniques and eventually, the girls managed to work out how to make the simple braided bracelets.The ends are then tied off to secure the bracelet to the wrist.

For creative kids, with patience and dexterity, the set will enable them to make a range of cool looking bracelets.There are various different techniques for attaching the beads and charms and lots of ways to knot the strands, making a huge variety of possible bracelet designs. The colours of the strands can be mixed and matched to suit individual tastes and the thickness of the threads can be decided when peeling the strands apart, changing the visual effect of the braiding. The beads and charms are funky, for a variety of looks and styles from punk rock to girly.

The set is aimed at girls aged 6 and up.  I'm sure there might be some girls of that age that may be able to make some wearable pieces with some assistance, but it's not the easiest process as my girls found out. I'd recommend it for children older than this, if you want them to work on their bracelet making skills independently.

Some advanced techniques look very complicated indeed, but I'm sure they can be attempted once the simpler techniques are mastered.  However, I'd definitely recommend using YouTube tutorials rather than the instruction leaflet. Seeing the process in action made the whole thing make much more sense.

You can use your imagination to create your own individual designs using the braiding and beading techniques learned, reusing the Strand Styler tool. The end results look pretty good and with practice, I'm sure they will get even better.

The Strand Bands Designer Set is £19.99 RRP. Find the instructional videos on YouTube.

       

Cupets Review

There are twelve quirky, cube shaped pets or 'Cupets' ready to be brought to life via a free downloadable app, in this new range of interactive toys from Flair.  We were sent Alpha the Cupet Wolf and we have been looking after him, feeding him, bathing him, playing ball games with him and entering the amazing Cupets virtual world with him, for a couple of weeks now...and do you know what?  We have grown to love him!

The Cupets themselves are small cube shaped toys with a face on one side and a QR code on the top.  The toy comes to life when used with the app which is available on Android and iOS.  By inputting the code you can access your Cupet, bring him to life using augmented reality and play with him within the game on your phone.

Cupets need taking care of, much like the old Tamagotchis of the 90's.  You give them food, love, rest and exercise to keep them healthy. As you look after your Cupet, he uplevels and unlocks more features on the app. There are a few fun games where you can earn coins which can be exchanged for food, accessories and medicines. One is a lot like the very addictive Temple Run and I may have spent a lot of time on it in an effort to beat my high score!  They can be played offline which is a bonus, so are good for keeping Freddy entertained whilst out and about.  In addition to this, you can earn achievement medals for fulfilling certain care criteria.

He's a bit dirty and not very happy!

With a bit of attention he is now bright eyed and bushy tailed!

You can even teach him to read!

He enjoys playing dressing up too!

Augmented reality brings him to life.

You don't actually need the physical Cupet toy to play on the app, except for when using the AR function. The augmented reality feature is a bit of a novelty but we can't get our Cupet to do much apart from simply sit there and look cute or poop!  For us the app is the thing we really enjoy and the physical Cupet provides the initial code to access that.

If you have more than one Cupet unlocked they interact and it opens up more game possibilities.  I am sorely tempted to get another one for Freddy!

You can take photos using the app and share to social media.  Here is one of Alpha holding up a 'Freddy' sign which Freddy thought was very cool!

The Cupets cost £6.99 each which gives you the physical cube toy and the access code for the free app.  Find out more here:  www.flairplc.co.uk/Cupets 

          

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.

Our Jungle Junction Toy Party

Yesterday, I hosted a Jungle Junction Toy Party along with 15 other blogging mums across the country. We were sent loads of fabulous toys, cup cakes, colouring sheets and ideas for the food and activities.  The parties ran from 4-6pm alongside a Twitter party hosted by UKMums.TV.  The event was a massive success that got Jungle Junction trending on Twitter!!

The children happily played with the giant Jungle Junction Playset and the Race Launcher along with lots of characters including Taxicrab and his Boat.  They did colouring sheets, made Plasticine models, designed new roadsigns (the 'No Spilling' sign invented by one of my guests was very appropriate as we had our first Tropical Cocktail drink spill about 10 minutes into our party!!) and ate a yummy themed tea of road sign pizza, munch crunch veg, chocolate cupcakes and Kizzy's Jungle Jumble Cupcakes!  We watched Jungle Junction on TV as I'd been recording them all on my Sky Planner in readiness!  Every child took home some lovely Jungle Junction goodies and prizes were won for the colouring and modelling.

It was pretty hectic, but it was a lot of fun for all the children who came to play!

Here is a photo collage of our party!

Find all these Jungle Junction Toys and more at the Flair website!

CuddleUpPets

What do you get if you cross a cuddly blanket with a cute puppet?  A CuddleUpPet!

Freddy was sent one of Flair's new CuddleUpPets to try out.  The cuddly, snuggly blanket includes a puppet head which can be operated by the child in play, or by an adult as part of a bedtime routine with the friendly animal reading a bedtime story!

Our CuddleUpPet animal blanket is an elephant design.  The plush blue blanket is 28" x 39" and has a foot on each corner and a little tail as well as the fun, cartoon style, cuddly elephant head incorporated into the design.  The elephant himself looks a bit dozy but quite friendly!

Freddy instantly took to his new cuddly buddy.  He enjoyed snuggling under the blanket, making the puppet talk, cuddling the elephant like a toy and giving his trunk kisses!  It is perfect for snuggling under to watch TV.  He really loves his new toy as these photos show!

The CuddleUpPet can help make a bedtime routine for young children providing a favourite toy and cuddly blanket in one.  I think it would take more than this to get my son into a bedtime routine, even with its sleepy eyes and cosy snuggling potential.  However, it will make a good bedtime companion that can help a child feel comforted and confident at night-time.  

It also makes a great travel companion for taking in the car.  Freddy loves having a blanket in his car seat so his new elephant CuddleUpPet is just perfect for that job.

The puppet element of the CuddleUpPet adds a new dimension of interactivity.  Fred loved it when I made his elephant 'talk' to him and he quickly worked out how to do it himself.  Although his hands are a bit too small to control the mouth, he was perfectly happy making the whole head move and interacted with his furry friend in some imaginative pretend play.

It is a real novel idea to combine a toy and a blanket to provide cuddles, comfort and fun in one.  Freddy definitely has given it a big thumbs up!

CuddleUpPets are just £19.99

Get Crafty This Half Term (or Get Creative for Christmas!)

I have a daughter who absolutely adores arts and craft activities.  They keep her occupied, entertained and are perfect for keeping her busy during the school holidays.  I love discovering sets that are affordable, creative and rewarding for Kizzy to do.

Here are four very different craft sets from Flair that tick all the boxes!

The Hello Kitty Cool Cardz Card design Studio is priced at £19.99.  It contains everything you need to make ID cards, party invitations or secret club cards including stampers and pens! They can be laminated and placed in the card holder.  The laminator is heat free meaning it is mess and hassle free, requiring no batteries.  The Hello Kitty branding makes this an instant hit with Kizzy.  The funky studio stores everything neatly inside.  The draws, compartments and flip up lid make the unique workstation very exciting to your budding artists.  Refils are available when the cards get used up so you can continue using the workstation.  For £19.99 this is a great creative play kit that girls will love.

We've used Zubber before, making Zubber Bands.   This kit uses the same material to make Charms and Toppers.  It moulds like dough and sets like rubber.  You mix the Zubber, press it into the mould and model charms.  In 10 minutes they have set like rubber and can be made into bracelets or phone charms.  The result is quick and so children can show off their creations straight away.  The set makes sixteen charms.  It would make a good stocking filler for Christmas costing £6.99.

Charmies Magic Bead Maker allows you to design and create jewellery.  You load up the magic beader with Charmies of your choice (which includes cute characters and cupcakes) then twist it to string your beads.  Secure it with clasps to complete your design.  You can make necklaces, bracelets or keychains.  If you unstring them you can re-use the beads and start again.  Refill sets are available if you don't want to destroy your creations!  The "magical twist" adds novelty value to this jewellery making kit and the cute bead designs make this quite a delightful creative toy!  For £19.99 you can make cute accessories time after time.

The Aquabeads Spray Station is a no mess, no stress bead art kit.  Simply pick a template and place it in the Spray Station, use the 'plopper' pen to place the beads in the right place.  The flower sprayer then sprays a mist of water over the beads making them magically stick together.  (No ironing required...thank goodness!) You can make beautiful bead creations of your own design allowing you to get as creative as you want to be.  The beads are stored in petal shaped drawers keeping everything together which is genius!!  Turning the flower twists the drawers shut keeping the beads safe inside.  With over 800 beads there is a lot of play value to this kit. It is a lot less fiddly than other bead art sets on the market, which is great because I've had to dry tears after other bead related craft disasters!  For £19.99 it is a great product that children can enjoy with minimal help.  No wonder Aqua Beads have been around for years!

Each of these sets are perfect for Kizzy who is just 9 years old.  She can follow the instructions and get on with minimal adult assistance. Younger children could cope with the projects with more support from a grown up.  The end products are all impressive and rewarding to make.  This is an excellent selection of creative play products.

If you have any crafty kids they would make ideal Christmas gifts and would keep them busy during the long winter nights!

Check out these and other great products from www.flairplc.co.uk.

Fun with Jungle Junction

Jungle Junction is a huge hit with us here Inside the Wendy House.  The Disney Junior BAFTA nominated TV show stars animals who live in the jungle with "wheels instead of feet"!  I was very excited when Flair created a range of toys based on the show.  I saw the Jungle Playset at Christmas in July  and loved it.  I was even more excited when I was sent the Jungle Junction Hippobus and Beetle Bugs Play Set and the Wheel Around Fun Set to review with my Tiny Testers Freddy and Kizzy.

The Jungle Junction Play Set at Christmas in July.

The play sets bring to life the fun of Jungle Junction for children to enjoy in their own home.  Pre-Schoolers can re-enact the fast moving adventures from the jungle with the familiar characters from their favourite TV show.

The Hippobus is a big yellow, smiley school bus who takes the Beetle Bugs safely to school.  The Play Set comes complete with five colourful beetle bugs plus stop and go signs to see them safely across the road!  The Hippobus has working sounds, just press his ear and the bus erupts into the giggles of the Beetle Bugs, their boinging sounds or the bus horn beeping.  The side of the bus opens up to reveal rows of colour coded seats for the bugs which encourages early colour recognition and a slide.  The bus is robust and beautifully made.  It comes complete with batteries so it is ready to be played with!  All the accessories store neatly inside when not in use.  A cardboard jungle scenery play mat and stickers are included.

The set was the perfect size for Freddy's little hands and he loved whizzing the bugs down the slide and wheeling Elebus along.

The Wheel Around Fun Set features Ellyvan, Bungo and Scooter who can zoom around their own cardboard play mat.  The set includes road signs and stickers to add to the fun!  The individual characters can be wheeled along the road in their own adventures.

The sets can be added to with free wheeling figures that come individually or in duo packs.

The Jungle Junction toys are fun, colourful, well made and will provide hours of fun for Disney Junior fans.

The Jungle Play Set RRP £39.99
Hippobus and Beetle Bugs Play Set £19.99
Wheel Around Fun Set £9.99
Jungle Junction Figures £3.99 - £6.99
Available from Smyths, Argos, Amazon, Boots and other stockists.