Toy Reviews Archives - In The Playroom

Crystalina Fairy Dolls Review

September 20, 2021 by In The Playroom

Crystalina fairy dolls are a new brand of light-up fairy dolls that are themed around the powers and magic of Crystals.

We were sent the Turquoise (Healing) and Amethyst (Wisdom) dolls and N (age 4) was so excited to play with them. You can also collect the Crystalina dolls Rose Quartz (Love) and Aventurine (Luck)

I was instantly attracted to the concept too, as I have been learning more about the meanings of crystals in spirituality. These dolls are a great concept that can be shared together for mother and daughter play and bonding.

The Crystalina Fairy Dolls combine the empowering energy of crystals with LED lights, bringing bring together the fun of role play with collectable dolls

Hape Monster Math Scale Review

September 16, 2021 by In The Playroom

The Monster Math Scale from Hape is a fun and educational wooden toy, teaching young children the basics of math and gravity, as they work out how many weights the monster can hold in each arm.

This toy is an ideal hands on way to get to grips with early mathematical and numeracy concepts, through play and experimentation.

The scale is made from good quality wooden and plastic materials and feels really well made and durable. The funny monster has a scale on each arm, and you get 9 larger weights and 11 smaller weights, which children can use to balance and experiment with.

Osmo Super Studio Disney Mickey Mouse & Friends Review

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 by In The Playroom

We love using Osmo products with our iPad. It turns the whole process into a much more interactive experience. No more passively sitting and watching – with Osmo, iPad time becomes a hands-on immersive activity.

We have quite a few of the Osmo games already in our collection, and recently we were sent the Osmo Super Studio Disney Mickey Mouse & Friends. Immediately, it was a huge hit with my 4 year old daughter.

Osmo super studios Disney Mickey Mouse & friends game

The Super Studio games from Osmo are all about drawing. Osmo Super Studio Disney Mickey Mouse & Friends takes you through animated stories with Mickey Mouse and his famous friends Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck, Pluto and invite your child to draw along every step of the way.

Lite Brite Review

May 16, 2021 by In The Playroom

Lite Brite is a classic toy with so much fun and creativity. This nostalgic toy is available in the classic large size, and also now in a mini format which makes it easy to take your Lite Brite fun on the go. Both sizes are something that can be enjoyed by all ages, from my 4 year old up to my eleven year old. It is traditional open ended play, and it is so relaxing to take some time out and create a beautiful light up design – whether you follow some of the suggested templates included, or go freestyle with your own ideas.

Moon Shoes Review

May 16, 2021 by In The Playroom

Do you remember Moon Shoes from your childhood? This fun and active outdoor toy is back, and is now available from Smyths Toys so that you can introduce your kids to the crazy fun of mini trampolines for their feet.

Moon shoes are something a bit different, and can be used in all kinds of creative ways – if you have a pair each, you can have a moon shoes jumping race, or try skipping with moon shoes on. Jumping forwards, backwards, and defying gravity.

The original Moon Shoes were created in the 1950, and became the Iconic anti-gravity device powered by kids! With Moon Shoes, kids have incredible fun as they jump with anti-gravity effects while developing balance and coordination.

Original 1950s Moon Shoes were made with metal, of course time has moved on and today’s moon shoes are a much more updated version made from quality, high-density plastic, with adjustable VELCRO brand nylon closure straps. Moon Shoes feature a self-centering shoe platform with non-skid grip surface for sure-footed, high-bouncing thrills.

Learning Symmetry with Geomag Confetti

May 3, 2021 by In The Playroom

Learning through play using hands on resources and toys such as Geomag, is a great way to help make learning much more fun and help children absorb difficult concepts without feeling like they are even working. Geomag stimulates creativity and logical reasoning. The variety of the shapes and their transformations make it possible to create different structures continuously, making it a really versatile toy for all ages.

Geomag Classic is an inventive system of simple construction made of 58 mm magnetic rods and steel spheres. A huge number of shapes, geometric figures and models of every kind can be constructed.

The wonderful Geomag Confetti set is the perfect introduction into the world of construction and creativity. With 83 pieces you’ll only need a few parts to create some awesome magnetic constructions. Full of vibrant colour the magnetic rods and non-magnetic and safe steel spheres come together to create a hundred of patterns, structures, and shapes.

The Geomag Confetti set is suitable for ages 3+ and is something that all four of my children ranging from ages 4-12 are able to use, at different complexities for each of their levels. You can access a range of Geomag lessons and resources which are free to download here

Cheeky Monsters Review

April 22, 2021 by In The Playroom

Cheeky Monsters is a brand-new series of pre-school storybooks and cuddly toys. Each Cheeky Monster has an illustrated storybook telling a story of adventure, fun and mischief, and a soft cuddly toy for kids to bring the stories to life and to create their own Cheeky Monsters tale, unlocking their curiosity and creativity.

This new pre-school character brand was created by children’s brand specialist and former Disney Marketing Director, Anna Breese-Davies. Anna was inspired by her daughter, with her purple glasses, fabulous ginger-coloured hair, and continual curiosity of the world, and is the little girl featured in the Cheeky Monsters storybooks.

There are five different Cheeky Monsters to collect and each new Cheeky Monster has their very own distinct personality, colour, hobbies and horns! With Violet the Superstar, Drago the Super Scientist, Rocky the Road Racer, Spike the Expert Explorer and Glitter the Disco Dancer, all the characters have one thing in common…being Cheeky Monsters!

Xplora XGO2 Children’s Smartwatch Review

April 22, 2021April 22, 2021 by Luciana Taylor

Xplora XGO2 children’s smartwatch is an affordable yet feature rich smart watch with mobile phone and GPS tracking capabilities and is also completely GDPR compliant. I am absolutely fascinated by gadgets. I love how these little things can make our life so much easier and more interesting.

The XGO2 Android smartwatch from Xplora, the popular Norwegian smartwatch company, is now available in the UK. This particular one caught my attention as its not only cool but can also give us parents some peace of mind, so I was really intrigued to try out this multifunctional little smartwatch.

child using xplora2 go smartwatch

Welcome spring with nature inspired activities from toysandbears.com

April 13, 2021 by In The Playroom

Spring is here, and toysandbears.com have some brilliant toys and games available to keep the children busy, and also help with their development and learning. We tried out the Life Cycle Wheel, which is very different from other toys I’ve seen before. It is a unique idea, which makes life cycles really easy for children to understand in a hands on simple way.

The set is made up of a wheel, with a magnifying window, and six sets of five cards which take you through all the life cycle stages of various organisms like caterpillar to butterfly, the stages of a puppy growing into a dog, an apple into an apple tree and more.

Orchard Toys Games for Numeracy

April 11, 2021 by In The Playroom

Orchard Toys have so many brilliant games to help support children’s learning and development. Over the years, I have played many of these games with each of my children as they are such a fun and simple way to help reinforce all of the learning concepts that they need as they go through school.

We were sent the following games which have all been ideal for my 4 year old daughter N. She loves playing games and doesn’t even realise that while she is having fun playing, she is also practising so many important skills.

All four of these games from Orchard Toys are ideal for working on numeracy skills and are perfect for children like N who will be starting reception in September.