Toy Genius: Djeco Lacing Doudous

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We've been sent a few items from ToyJeanius recently from the Djeco range. Now the lovely Jean behind the company knows that I am a fan of the toys from this French company, especially their wooden toys, so I was really pleased to receive this set of 'lacing doudous' for The Boy to play with.

Cuddly Lacing Doudous is a fun lacing and threading toy from Djeco. The set includes four chunky wooden animals, four vibrant lacing cords and two funky buttons for children to add to their creations. The cuddly animals are very colourful and are a good size for small children to hold while they learn to thread the laces through the holes. On two of the animals (the rabbit and the bear) there are areas to lace these buttons onto, but this is quite a tricky thing for The Boy to manage at the moment.

I'm very fond of Djeco toys for various reasons; they are FSC certified and are fun whilst being highly educational. These lacing boards are great for developing The Boy's hand to eye co-ordination, and the pincer grip; all pre-writing skills. It also helps to promote problem-solving (like when he doesn't go through the hole from the right side!) and spatial awareness. Most importantly for me though, these six inch figures and fun and attractive. The Boy has great fun analysing which hole to thread through next, and very quickly cottoned onto the need to go through the next hole on the same side that he's just come up through.

This is a lovely, long-lasting toy with beautiful illustrations in a hard-wearing storage box. There are four laces included in the pack, which have long plastic-encased ends which are great for little fingers. Of course, it's an idea to tie a knot in one of the ends, otherwise the board will fall on the floor!

Watch The Boy having a go:


 

Don't forget that you can get a 10% discount on this, and any other product, from ToyJeanius by entering the code 'TheBoyandMe' at the checkout!


I'm a Toyjeanius toy genius

Scooting around!

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The Boy is becoming more and more grown-up, the toddler is most definitely disappearing fast, even though he'll always be my baby. With this new-found freedom, independence and physical capability comes a desire to explore his world and test his boundaries. When we went to a friend's recently, I saw that her son (who is eight months older than The Boy) has a mini micro-scooter. I'm not a very big fan of scooters, more rooted in my inability to stay upright and not fall on my derriere than anything else. However, I started thinking that maybe it was something that could be interesting to keep an eye on in the future.

The next week I received an e-mail asking me if I'd like to review one.

I'm impressed.

First of all, I was surprised at how lightweight the Mini Micro-Scooter is. For such a sturdy and robust scooter, it hardly weighs a thing. My friend told me she just loops it through the handlebars of the pushchair if her son has had enough and it doesn't get in the way at all, although she also showed me that the upright part comes off easily enough. The second thing that I am impressed with is how low to the ground it is, it provides a much more stable centre of gravity therefore aiding balance. The third thing I like is that there are three wheels, two at the front and one at the back; again aiding stability. And lastly, the handlebars are at a good height, even for The Boy (although he is tall for his age).

The Boy adores it. He's had a few tries of it, but I need to get him a helmet, knee-pads and elbow-pads for his safety. I was incredibly impressed at how quickly he learnt how to use it, he literally stepped onto it and away we went. This video was when he first used (it was taken on my phone and I have no idea what's happened to the sound, sorry!)

The Mini Micro-Scooter is recommended for ages 3-5 years. I recommend that you get a helmet and protective pads.

We were provided with this scooter for the purpose of this review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

Whirlee-Good Fun!

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The Boy loves scooting around on his ride-ons and gets so much pleasure from driving around. The main problem with most of them is the manoeuvrability factor though. Steering of course removes part of this problem but the, often large, wheels can be slow to respond or have too large a turning circle.

We were recently sent a new ride-on for The Boy to try. The Whirlee, designed by Mookie, is a very different type of ride on as it uses four small wheels which turn 360°; think of an office chair! It has a stable wide base and centre of gravity, preventing falls, and a handle at the front for steering cut out of the main bulk. The position of the handle is also very natural for children to hold onto and steer.

As you can see, The Boy finds it so easy to turn whilst scooting around and as it's designed for infants and pre-schoolers then it's at a good height of the ground. I would say that The Boy is tall (90th percentile for height) and therefore his knees are probably a little too bent to benefit from it properly. However for children aged up to three (the average age for his height), they'd have a great time on it, turning and changing direction at the drop of a hat.

The Whirlee would also be great for multiple children, like in a playgroup because they are designed to be stackable and weigh just 865g. The weight make them very easy to take out and about with you.

Available in red or blue, The Whirlee retails from £9.99 (from both Cuthberts and Mothercare) so it would make an affordable and impressive gift for any toddler or confident walker.

We were sent the Whirlee for the purpose of this review. My opinion is both honest and unbiased.

Hot Wheels Wall Tracks

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 I would like to send your son some cars to play with.

Oh alright then, if you insist!

When we met up with the lovely Lexy from MammyWoo, The Boy discovered the wonders of die-cast cars. Addison didn't particularly want to share them with him, but how many toddlers do? Ever since then, The Boy has been very fond of the two Hot Wheels cars that I picked up for him in the supermarket.

Today I staggered home from a stressful day in work to find a large box labelled 'toys' waiting for us. Inside was this:

Wall Tracks Drift Rally Spinout Track Set and the Track Starter Set

Hot Wheels Wall Tracks are one of the new big toys for young lads (and daddies). The track is used vertically by attaching it to a wall.

Daftly, I opened up Drift Rally set before he went up for his nap. Daftly because he then sobbed his heart out when I had to take him up, he was perfectly happy sat pushing the car around on the unassembled bits of track. We had to take the car to bed to pacify him!

So while the little chap slept, I assembled the Drift Rally set. It needs to be put up on a wall that isn't covered in wallpaper and says it doesn't stick well to vinyl, so I opted for a 3ft wide section of kitchen wall. There is a really comprehensive set of instructions which are on an actual template that gets stuck to the wall. You then line up the four brackets against the template and adhere them to the wall with sticky pads. They are designed to be removed, indeed there are spare adhesive tabs. The pieces of the track then slot into holes in the brackets and rest there securely. The instructions recommend that you leave about half an hour or more to allow the pad to be securely attached.

When The Boy woke up, he couldn't wait to have a play.

We then spent an hour and a half in the kitchen playing with it!

I love this because it is flawless, not once did the car get stuck and not race down the track properly. On this track, there is a levered section which drops down before the car races along a bumpy section, before speeding around the corner and off into thin air.

I have often heard of toys that provide hours of fun; this one actually does!

There are a few things that I've learnt which might help:

  1. When it says 3 foot clearance, it means it. We positioned it next to a door which we then couldn't open!
  2. It comes with one car which works brilliantly. We have a few other Hot Wheels cars, one of which doesn't work as it is a) not heavy enough to trigger the level, and b) has a ridge on the bottom which catches.
  3. Don't put it near a large heavy item which you can't move to retrieve the car which has just rolled underneath!

The Hot Wheels Wall Tracks Drift Rally Spinout set retails for £29.97 (RRP) and I think it is worth every penny. It's incredibly clever in its engineering, and because it is a wall-mounted toy it saves space. The whole thing can be removed, leaving just the four mounting plates. They can be pulled off with no problem by pulling down on the adhesive tabs (although I did manage to remove a small chuck of plaster by pulling up not down: follow the instructions!).

If you are looking for a racing track for your little ones, this is a must. It's aimed at 4yrs+ but The Boy is 2 and you can see he was capable of using it.

We were sent this set for the purpose of review. The fact that we love it is entirely honest, as is this review.

TRu Review: Little Tikes Town Playhouse

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There are some serious bonuses to this blogging lark, you know. We've been really lucky and happy with all the lovely toys that we've had to test from Toys R Us, and then, just when I thought they couldn't do any better, they send us a house. Yes, that's right a house.

The Little Tikes Town Playhouse is one of the best designs of outdoor playhouses that I have seen. There are four sides to the Town House and this is where the flexibility in the play lies, something for every child.

I especially like the fact that the petrol station has a pump which is compatible with the Little Tike Cozy Coupe car we have, all the children in the garden have headed straight to that to fill up the car. The other most appealing side for boys seems to be the sports side with the football net and basketball hoop. The Boy doesn't take much notice of the fire station entrance at the moment, preferring to crawl in through the tyre hole in the petrol station side.

Construction was relatively easy, it took Mr. TheBoyandMe about an hour with some extremely useful help from The Boy. Tools needed included a drill and a screwdriver, that was it.

One person on their own will not manage it as it needs one person to pull the roof into shape, while the other screws from the inside-up to firmly attach the roof. The only thing that went wrong with the building was a mis-aligned screw from Mr. TheBoyandMe which unfortunately made a small perforation in the roof. Aside from that, it was quick and simple.

The Boy could not wait to get started on playing with the sports features, incidentally this remains his most favourite side of the house to date. 

One of the other features that I really like about it is the height, it is quite a bit higher than other playhouses I've seen, which means that he is going to get a good few years play from it. So much so that when a friend came over with her three children (8 years, 6 years and 2.5 years) they played with it for well over an hour, using every single one of the sides and really playing nicely together!


If you are looking for a sturdy, outdoor playhouse, then you would be hard-pushed to find a more adaptable and engaging one than this. The Boy adores it, and happy Boy means a happy mummy!

Thank you Little Tikes and Toys R Us!

The Little Tikes Town Playhouse is available to buy from Toys R Us online and in store for £314.99. For more Toys R Us reviews, please visit the ToyBox application on Facebook by clicking on the banner below.

We Were provided with this free of charge for review. My opinions are, as always, honest.

Trunki Toybox

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We were lucky enough to be able to review the new Trunki Toybox which arrived just in time for our holiday to Dorset. The minute it arrived, The Boy was captivated by it and completely understood its purpose!

The Trunki Toybox has been designed as a travel toybox but with all the niftiness of the Trunki suitcase. Of course the main function of it is as a Toybox, and the green lid has two catches either end to secure it in place when being carried. Also on the lid of the Toybox are four wheels, one in each corner, which enable it to be turned over, sat on and scooted around on. All perfectly demonstrated by my able assistant in the above photos.

I asked The Boy what he wanted to pack for holidays and this is what he chose:

Yes that's right: two jigsaws, a kitchen towel tube and the iPod Touch! I dare say that he could have amused himself for a little while with that lot, but not a whole week, so I gave him a hand.

When I looked at the Toybox, I will admit to being sceptical as to how much could be fitted into it; he's got a lot of toys, we were going away for a week and it didn't look that big. That is where it is incredibly deceptive and I think Trunki drafted in Mary Poppins to help design and manufacture it. We actually managed to get all of this lot in, and there was room to spare.

A mini laptop, three cuddly toys, crayons, Tag Junior reading system and two books, Djeco puzzlebox, stacking cups, two puzzles, two sets of threading beads, threading cards, colouring books and a spinning top. Oh, and the iPod Touch but he was playing with it at the time which is why it's not in the picture. I think that's a lot of toys to fit in the compact and sturdy box (not forgetting that the box is itself a toy), which incidentally fitted in the car in his seat's footwell really neatly.

I think this is a really good travel toybox, sturdy and compact, easy to carry with a strong handle. It has been designed to link together with other toyboxes to make a chain if need be; maybe if you had more than one child and they had a toybox each then that could be quite good fun. The one thing that I will say is that personally I feel the wheels could have gone in the base of the box rather than the lid, as in order to ride it you have to turn it over, therefore tipping the contents upside down. Just a minor point which might well be a personal preference.

Overall, this toybox was a God-send for our holiday and will definitely be used time and time again. At £19.99, and available in either pink or blue, I think it's a very good buy and an essential for any holiday!

I was provided with the Trunki Toybox for the purpose of this review, free of charge. My opinions are as always honest.

TRU Review: Rainbow Aquadraw

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For The Boy's last birthday, and at Christmas time, I asked for some Aquadraw for him. You know the stuff; water pens and a special mat which when drawn on looks like you're actually using colours. At Christmas we had a similar version which paled in comparison to the real thing, and for his birthday a friend bought him some small Peppa Pig mats. He enjoyed them for a time but I knew that it wasn't really doing what it could for his enjoyment or development.

Therefore when we opened up our box for review and saw a huge Tomy Rainbow Aquadraw box, both of us were very chuffed! The mat is huge and what is even more special about this one is that it has a rainbow coloured backing so when The Boy draws it actually looks like he's using colours.

Included in the set are two pens and three stampers with a star, a cloud or raindrops on them. There is also a squeedgy style brush and small water pot. The water pot deserves a special mention as, very cleverly, it is no-spill. You put a small amount of water to cover the base and due to the smart design, the water does not come back out again. Perfect for when your little one knocks it over in eagerness.

The Boy adores this; he has completely ignored all other aqua drawing tools that he has in favour of it, and will go and seek it out in order to play with it. This is definitely because of the coloured backing and accesories. He's not interested in the pens for the most part, although he is only 2 and I'm sure as he experiments more with mark making then this will be of more interest.

At £24.97 it is quite pricey, but at the same time it has brought him a great deal of entertainment, and future learning opportunities are endless. If you only buy one Aquadraw, invest in this one!

For more reviews by the Toys R Us Toyologists, click on the image below.

We were provided this free of charge to review. My opinion is, as always, honest.

TRU Review: Lettersaurus

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LeapFrog have done it again! Another fun, easy to use and educational toy to help your toddler/pre-schooler learn and consolidate their development. This time in the shape of a friendly, purple dinosaur (but not an irritating one like that the one that shall remain nameless on this blog!).

There are three modes on the Lettersaurus:

  • Alphabet: press a letter button and it will say the letter name and then a word that begins with it, followed by an associated item.
  • Colours: press a letter button and it says the name of that colour.
  • Musical: each of the 26 letter buttons has a different tune attached to it. In addition pressing the buttons on his head makes him sing the Alphabet song.
  • Oh, and its head turns around.

Set-up was easy as there were no ties, but three simple plastic 'screws' through the base of the packagin; turn them 90° and the Lettersaurus is released. The toy can be personalised by following the really simple instructions to select the initial letter of your child's name; it took me ten seconds to do this. The dinosaur then says, e.g. "L! That’s the first letter of your name!" There are also two volume settings on the toy.

The Boy likes it; it was the first toy that he took out of the box when it was delivered. He likes listening to the different songs, particularly the Alphabet song, and we play with the colours section together by finding all the reds or yellows. He's not interested in the letters at the moment, the sounds that come after the letter are amusing and he likes the laughter but he's too young to really get anything from this.

I think the colours mode could have been developed by having the dinosaur say "Can you find another red? Well done", as it would have promoted more interactivity with the toy. I'm also not overwhelmed with the alphabet mode. As a primary school teacher, I do think it should say the letter sound and not just the name. This is where I find the toy confusing; it's aimed at 12 months+, so why have letters on there at all? I know it's called a Lettersaurus but to fully promote that side of it, it should work with the phonics which is what pre-schoolers use to help them learn to read.

I find its purpose confusing and think it has a limited life with The Boy at the moment, when he has the LeapTop which does basically the same thing but so much better. Younger children (i.e. 12 months+) might enjoy it more, but for us it's not challenging enough in its learning or play purpose.

A simple, fun and engaging toy for 12months+ but there are better toys around for 2years+

(£14.99 – Toys R Us)

This toy was provided free for review as part of the TRU Toyology programme. My opinions are, as always, unbiased and honest.

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