How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Plush Toys #SentforReview

To celebrate the release of the third movie in the How to Train Your Dragon series, we have been sent a selection of the new plush toys available from Posh Paws to review. This post also contains affiliate links.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World sees the return of our favourite dragons and dragon riders and introduces a few new ones too including my daughter's new favourite, the Light Fury! Posh Paws have brought out a range of super cute toys to accompany the release of the Dreamworks movie at the beginning of this month and we were excited to see some of them up close.

The new range includes Bag Clips, Night Lights, Medium plush toys and Large plush toys with prices starting at just £5.99.

Both my children have been fans of the franchise based on the How to Train Your Dragon Books by Cressida Cowell for a number of years now and own all the books as well as a number of toys and novelties that they have collected over that time. They eagerly awaited the release of The Hidden World and we all went to see it on opening weekend, they both gave it rave reviews! Although my eldest is now probably at the upper end of the age range now, he has certainly passed his affection for it on to his younger sister who was thrilled to receive these Posh Paws goodies to play with!

Toothless Bag Clip

The bag clips are available in a variety of dragons including Toothless, Light Fury, Hookfang, Barf and Belch, Stormfly and Meatlug. They are approximately 10cms in height, are suitable for ages 3 years + and are available at an RRP of just £5.99 from your Clintons and Hamleys stores.

These adorable mini soft toys may be small but they are full of detail! The soft black 'fur' is textured to give the effect of scales, the tail features Toothless' unique red tail fin as made by hiccup and the face includes his distinctive green eyes in high quality embroidery. The large plastic clip is ideal to clip on to school bags or luggage so your child can take their new friend with them to school or along on their travels and the price is great pocket money value.

HookFang Medium Plush Toy

As any How to Train Your Dragon fan will know, Hookfang is the Monstrous Nightmare dragon ridden by Snotlout. Both warriors at heart, they are a fearsome duo but Hookfang has been known to ignite first and think second, not always doing what Snotlout asks! This plush version won't be breathing fire but does come with rather funky glow in the dark wings which makes him an ideal bedtime companion. Great quality and attention to detail, this medium plush also features embroidered facial features, with 3D eyes and a cheeky toothy smile.

Toothless Medium Plush Toy

Toothless is the last known specimen of the Night Fury Species, once thought of as the unholy offsping of lightening and death itself, but now proven to be a playful, inquisitive and intelligent, loyal dragon and of course Hiccup's best friend.  He is the Alpha, the king of the dragons and plays a significant role in The Hidden World movie (but we won't spoil that for you if you have yet to see it!)

The Toothless plush from Posh Paws is slightly larger that Hookfang but shares the high quality and attention to detail, as well as a soft but sturdy cuddly body. Just like the smaller bag clip, Toothless bears the distinctive red tail fin crafted by Hiccup and soft textured scale like fur. When the light go out he has an extra surprise in store, as well as glow in the dark wings and badge, his beautiful big green eyes glow also!

These 32cm medium plush toys are also available in Light Fury, Barf and Belch, Stormfly and Meatlug, each feature the glow in the dark wings and bear a shiney glow in the dark badge. They have an RRP of £16.99 and can be purchased at Amazon, Zoom, Harrods, Hamleys and Clintons.

Dragon night lights are also in the range at just £8.99 RRP and large 61cm Plush Dragons are available for £29.99 RRP.

What we thought of the new HTTYD range from Posh Paws

Elizabeth adores her new Posh Paws friends, the mini Toothless is attached to her favourite backpack ready to join us on our next adventure and the medium Toothless and Hookfag have joined her Hiccup and Astrid soft toys on her bed, she loves how their wings and badges glow once the lights go off! They all get a big thumbs up from us and would make perfect gifts for any HTTYD fan.

If you have a How to Train your Dragon fan, you won't want to miss our review of the latest Spinmaster toys released with the How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World movie (Including fire breathing dragons!)...  COMING SOON.

Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room from Smyths Toys - Review #ad

Escape rooms seem to be all the rage at the moment, they are a fun group activity that challenge your minds and encourage you to work together with others. Most of the ones I've seen around tend to be for grown ups and my puzzle mad 11 year old has been quite disappointed that he's not been able to experience the concept for himself yet. He was absolutely thrilled to to find that Yulu games have created an escape room in a board game that you can play at home!

Ideal for kids who love puzzles and perfect to play together as a family, Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room is aimed at children aged 6 and above and can be played by between 2 and 6 players. Gameplay includes a test of skill, strategy and luck and offers different levels of difficulty so that it can be played over and over without getting repetitive!

Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room - What's in the box?

Ben was very eager to get started and couldn't wait to open the box! Inside the box he found an instruction leaflet with game rules, a Timer strap, a Key Cage, a Quiz Master with 45 coloured puzzle cards, a Lucky Spinner, 2 sticks and 3 keys. There is some assembly required but this was simple to do and just took a few minutes to set up. The timer does require 2 x AAA batteries which are not included with the game so it's worth making sure you have these ready before you want t play. (As with most battery operated toys and games these days  - a small phillips screwdriver is required to install the batteries in their compartment.)

We were soon ready to play!

How do you play Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room?

The concept of the game is that one player is trapped and the other players have to work as a team to solve the three puzzles in order to release them! The game is played against the clock and it's all about - Search - Solve - Release!

Each puzzle should be hidden around the room you are playing in and the first task is to find each one, solve it and then use the key that you release to start the next puzzle once you have found that! You must play the puzzles in order and you can't move on to the next one until you have solved the one before and released the key!

The final key lets you stop the timer and release the trapped player!

Firstly, you need to choose which player will be 'trapped' and they wear the timer belt, I have to say that the belt isn't overly generous in sizing so we found that it was best for one of the children to do this. (Don't worry - if you need to release the belt for any reason there is an an emergency release button on the back!).

Once it's in place you set the timer, the instructions suggested that we set this for 180, so we did but you can set it for any time to suit those playing the game. Once it starts it has a rather loud ticking which does help to build up the pressure of the game!

Puzzle One: Key Cage

This one is all about perfecting fine motor skills! You spin the arrow on the top of the cage and that determines which wall (each has a varying level of difficulty) of the cage you need to use to try and get the key, using the special shaped sticks provided! It's a lot harder than it looks and it great practise for children perfecting their fine motor skills and pen control, especially those like my son who have hypermobile joints and find this a challenge. Despite this, he was determined to  beat the cage and was so pleased with himself when he did!

Puzzle Two - The Quiz Master

Once you have release the first key from the cage, it's time to tackle puzzle two which is the Quiz master, this time my daughter took a turn, she often has her head in puzzle books so she was eager to give it a go but being only 7, we did allow her to choose a green card (which are the easiest - yellow are medium and red are the trickiest). These challenges need you to use maths or science skills and knowledge to solve them, so are great for using STEM skills in a fun way. You turn the dial to the card number and then select the corresponding letter to the answer on the large dial - if it's correct, the key is released a third of the way! Three correct answers for three different cards and you have released your second key! 

Puzzle Three - The Lucky Spinner

Whereas the first two puzzles used skill and knowledge this one is all about luck! Insert your key into the top of the spinner and then spin. Choose up to three doors to open to see if you can locate that final key!, if you don't find the key first time, you may be lucky enough to to get a clue in the form of an arrow telling you in which direction the key lies! You have three goes to find it or you need to start all over again!

Did you Beat the Clock?

Once you have your final key you can release your trapped team mate and you have 'escaped the room!'.

Play again to try and beat your best time!

What we thought of Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room

We had great fun with this game, there was lots of laughter, a little frustration and a good deal of team work! The children worked together really well and supported each other in each puzzle and they happily used skills and STEM knowledge without realising. 

Each challenge completed gave the children a sense of accomplishment and was a great way to subtly build their confidence. Although each game only lasts about 10 - 15 minutes it's something that can be played over and over again without boredom as they are plenty of different aspects to it and the children loved the idea of trying to beat their previous time!

This would make an ideal gift for any puzzle loving child and would make a great game to play as a family after dinner over the festive season.

Where Can you Buy Spy Code Operation: Escape Room?

Spy Code Operation: Escape Room is available exclusively from Smyths Toys and has an RRP of £19.99 but is currently on offer at just £14.99 and as always with Smyths Toys, you can check the stock in your local store and 'Click & Collect' for free! 

We were kindly sent Spy Code Operation: Escape Room and some toy vouchers from Smyths Toys in exchange for writing this review, all opinions and images are our own.

Hatch Friends Forever! Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Season Three

My seven year old daughter loves collectables and Hatchimals CollEGGtibles are her favourites! They are a great little pocket money treat and she loves building up her collection across the seasons. She was delighted to find out that Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Season 3 are now available to purchase from toy shops and other retailers, and even more excited when we were sent a selection of products from the new range to review.

New for this season, each new Hatchimals CollEGGtibles has a best friend, squad or twin! Hatch a pair of best friends and you can put them in special poses, like piggybacks, Hatch-fives and more! Find a squad and keep these cuties close together. Hatch a set of twins and you’ll get an even better surprise when you find two CollEGGtibles in one egg! With over 100 new friends in Hatchtopia, there are so many adorable possibilities to take with you wherever you go! Who will you hatch?

The new season products offer something for every budget from individual 'blind bags' containing a single surprise egg for just £2.99 which are perfect as pocket money treats, then larger packs which include 2 or 4 eggs from £4.99 to £9.99 which are great for gifts and for an extra special treat such as a birthday gift, the Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Season 3 One Dozen Egg Carton retails at £24.99. Fabulous value for 12 surprise eggs to hatch!

Each hatchimal toy is hidden inside small, speckled eggs that need the magic and TLC of a child to hatch!

All the child needs to do is is gently rub the egg to turn the heart from purple to pink and then the egg is ready to hatch and they are ready to meet their new friends.

Elizabeth loves softly talking to and caring for her eggs and getting them ready to hatch, she actually squealed in delight when she found a pair of twins in one of her eggs!

In addition to this, Hatchimals has also introduced brand new animated digital webisodes that welcome kids to Hatchtopia offering wondrous newplaces for them to discover.

You can now download the FREE Hatchimals app to explore everything Hatchtopia has to offer, including fun games! The app allows fans to hatch new friends from all over Hatchtopia, then care for them to keep them happy, play with them, and build their collection!

To find out more visit www.hatchimals.com. The brand new Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Season Three are available at all good retailers nationwide.

Top Picks from the Smyths Toy Catalogue

With just twelve weeks left until Christmas, the shops are starting to fill up with toys and gifts as the toy catalogues and gift guides start arriving on the doormat in droves.

The Smyths Toy Superstore catalogue fell through our letterbox this week and my children couldn't wait to get looking through it in preparation for writing their Christmas lists.

Unlike some parents who try to put off all mentions of the big day for as long as possible, I actively encourage them to choose what they will be asking the man in red for fairly early.

No, I'm not just a glutton for punishment, I actually do this for money-saving reasons. I find that buying gifts earlier on means that I can take advantage of store promotions and offers such as the save £10 on a £50 spend promotion that Smyths have been running this weekend.

Another advantage of the children choosing their wishlists early is that I can pre-order or purchase when there is plenty of stock available, especially with the most popular toys, meaning no stressing and queuing in December!

What's great about Smyths is that they have toys to suit all budgets, from the big ticket 'Main' gift, that family members may club together to buy, to the small stocking fillers, and everything in between.

After much research on the parts of my six and ten year olds, we've come together to bring you our top picks from the 2017 Smyths Toy Catalogue:

Blow the Budget toys:

Luvabella

The top name on every doll loving child's lists this year is most definitely 'Luvabella', this lifelike, interactive doll responds affectionately to love, changing her expression just like a real baby and has already sold out in many places. Even with a price tag of £99.99, Luvabella promises to be a favourite this Christmas! Suitable for age 4+

Cozmo

Cozmo by Anki is a clever little robot with a mind of his own and coveted by tech kids young and old! His unique personality evolves as you hang out with him, so there’s no end to the fun you can have together. Cozmo expresses a wide range of real emotions in response to his environment and Anki’s innovative and powerful technology lets Cozmo interact with the world around him to make decisions based on his mood. Both my son and my husband have him at the top of their lists but he may have to be a joint gift with a price of £199! Suitable for age 8+

Great value smaller gifts idea as Stocking fillers:

 Shnooks

Pop the bubbles, shake, and bring your new best friend to life! Shnooks magically grow 8 times in size from their unique shnubble- bubble pack, once fully grown, you can style their hair and play with the comb, hair clip and surprise accessories that come with it. With 6 to collect in the range, they are fantastic value at just £7.99 each but beware your child may want more than one as they each have their own name and personality! Age 3+

MAYKA

Mayka toy block tape is on every LEGO fan's Christmas list this year! It offers builders of all ages a new flexible way to play with and display their creations. It comes in a good range of colours and the option of two or four studs across and a variety of lengths, with prices starting from just £7. With re-usable backing tape that allows you to change it's placement as often as you like this is great value and idea for stockings or 'table presents'. Suitable for age 3+

These are just a few toys that the Children have picked out and we'll be sharing more of their favourite things and some amazing toy reviews on the run up to the festive period so watch this space!

Don't forget you can now pick up your FREE copy of the 300 page catalogue in-store.

Have you started the Christmas Shopping yet? When do you find the the best time to find the bargains? I'd love to read your tips in the comments...

This is a collaborative post with Smyths Toys.

Zoomer Hedgiez Interactive Toy Review

My six year old daughter has always wanted a pet of her own, but at this time in our lives our busy routine just doesn't allow it, so she was delighted when she received the next best thing...

An interactive, brightly coloured, fluffy Hedgehog called Flip!

Meet Flip, Our new Hedgehog Friend!

Zoomer Hedgiez interactive toys from Spinmaster are the perfect companion for for little ones who want the fun of an interactive companion without the mess or the responsibility! They are available in a variety of colours and designs suitable for both girls and boys aged from four years plus. With an RRP of  £39.99 (or currently available in the region of £25 - £30), Hedgiez are great value for an interactive toy and and on the lower end of the price point for the Zoomer range, yet still have a really good selection of features.

What Spinmaster have to say

Zoomer Hedgiez are cuddly pet hedgehogs that want to roll home with you. They can walk, do headstands, and even somersault around. Press their nose to make them sneeze, whistle or give you a kiss. Each Hedgy has their own unique style — complete with soft pet-able, brush-able fur. These furry friends love to be tickled, have pretty light-up eyes, and even have secret tricks for you to unlock. Collect all four - Tumbles, Dizzy, Whirl and Flip. Zoomer Hedgiez are full of giggles! 

What's in the box?

In the box we discovered our new furry friend and a cute little hedgehog shaped comb, perfect for brushing it's soft, colourful fur.  We also found a printed instruction / cheat sheet to help us discover Flip's tricks! The toy is nice and easy to remove from the packaging, however you do need 4 AAA batteries which aren't supplied, so make sure you have them (and a small screwdriver) to hand ready to set up your child's new friend without delay!

Guaranteed to make you giggle!

Although, my six year old was smitten with Flip almost immediately, I've got to admit that at first I thought it looked a bit bright and garish and the glowing eyes a little freaky, however I soon changed my mind after watching my daughter interact with it and her delight as she pressed it's nose to make it sneeze or they way she clapped with joy a it did her favourite trick and rolled over! The electronic squeaks were quite endearing and not nearly as annoyed as I would have thought (until my daughter spent a day mimicking them that is, but that's another story!)

One of the features I'm quite fond of though, is the ability to reduce the volume! My eldest child has had 'interactive' toys before and I've sometimes resorted to removing the batteries just to get them to stop making crazy noises! It also has a simple off switch so isn't one of those toys that will freak you out by making random noises as you walk across the room in the middle of the night!

Our Verdict

Elizabeth loves her fluffy friend can often be found chatting away to him and brushing his fur. She gives Zoomer Hedgiez  a big thumbs up!




This product was sent to us for the purpose of review and all opinions are our own.

Project Mc² H₂O RC Car #STEAMday

Today is national S.T.E.M/S.T.EA.M day, a day devoted to inspiring children to take an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths. It’s about promoting education choices for all young people and it’s something I believe strongly in. Although I am always encouraging both of my children to explore the world around them and ask question, when I look at the toys they play with most I see my son's are mainly construction based, involve problem solving and calculating risks, where my daughter's are much more imagination based. Now I know gender isn't the only factor here of course, they have different personalities and interests and my son is three years older than my daughter, but it's something that I am aware of.

It's so very important to encourage our children to pursue an interest in S.T.E.A.M from young age to give them the best start in life irrespective of gender. Significant gender gaps exist in S.T.E.A.M related education paths and careers and as a mother, I want to encourage both my son and daughter to pursue any interests they have in these areas as it would set them up well for future careers.

My daughter, Elizabeth, is six next week and is the perfect age to learn about science and experiment through play. The Project  Mc² range is perfect for inspiring a spark of interest in girls of her age who may not have otherwise found science appealing.

The car is a good size, a shiny bright red colour and has some really cool features including working headlights, adjustable wing mirrors, seat belts and coloured rear lights, as well as a fabulous personalised number plate adorned with the word, 'NERDY' emblazoned on it.

Once removed from the packaging we found it comes with a separate engine, a funky remote control and a little water 'fuel' can with removable cap. Although the car is powered in part by H2O, it does require batteries that aren't included, both in the engine and the remote control (9 x AA in total), so it's best to have these ready to go along with a small Phillips head screwdriver to install them. 

One thing to note is that the car doesn't include any dolls, what you see in the packaging image are cardboard cutouts. You can buy the dolls separately  at around £24.99 each. We don't currently own any of the dolls from the range but may well be investing  after the success of the car. This didn't bother Elizabeth the first time she played with the car as she was much more interested in how it worked, but later on she used her Anna and Elsa 'Barbie' style dolls with it and they fitted perfectly in the seats.

First Elizabeth installed the engine, connecting the wires under the bonnet like a 'real mechanic', She filled the tiny 'fuel' can with water and delighted in filling up the tank. We spoke about how the water would complete an electrical circuit and turn on the 'power', she actually squealed when the lights came on! Elizabeth was full of questions and we popped over to the Project Mc² website to find out some more answers. Here's what it had to say:

Water has two jobs here. First, adding it into your RC car turns it on. The water completes an electrical circuit and allows electricity to flow from the battery to the motor. Second, it creates the mist that looks like the car’s exhaust. The mist is made from millions of tiny water droplets. Splashing around a pool creates lots of large droplets, but if you could do this ultra-fast, you would form ultra-tiny water droplets. The same thing happens in your RC car. A small plate vibrates super-fast to make millions of tiny water droplets that form the car "exhaust." 

The remote control allowed Elizabeth to maneuver the car around and she found it a lot easier to use that RC cars we've had in the past.  She loved the effect of the steam coming out of the exhaust pipes and kept refilling it again and again.

I've had a little trouble uploading our video that we had great fun making, so for now you can watch it in action on the Project Mc² youtube channel, but i'll add our video in as soon as I can!



Elizabeth has gotten excellent play value out of this toy, playing imaginatively with her dollies (taking them shopping to the 'Traffic Centre' and on a trip to the theatre) but what's more is that she has also gained knowledge, asked questions and taken a real interest in how it works, even explaining to Nanna on the phone how; 'the water conducts the electricity and takes the power from the engine to the lights'.

The Project Mc² H₂O RC Car is aimed at children aged six and over which I think is about right for them to be able to get full educational as well as play value from it. It has an RRP of £59.99 but I've seen offers on amazon with at least 20% off that, so if it's on your child's list, do shop around. Although that may seem like a high price tag, this is a substantial toy that would certainly be a 'main' gift at Christmas. For a branded toy I found it to be really high quality and sturdy with great attention t detail both inside and outside the vehicle. It fits in nicely with the rest of the range and is a great tie in to the Netflix series if your child is a fan of watching McKeyla McAlister, Camryn Coyle, Adrienne Attoms,Bryden Bandweth and their adventures.

Today is #nationalSTEAMday with @projectmc2uk and we've been playing with the Project Mc2 H2O Rc Car which encourages children to explore an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths. Why not share your #STEAMsnap for a chance to #win #STEAMday #STEMday #educationalplay #projectmc2

A photo posted by Jen Dixon (@mymummyspennies) on Nov 8, 2016 at 12:03pm PST

Why not check out some of the other great Science toys and kits reviewed by The Brick Castle family? Project MC2 Lab Kit, Adrienne Attoms Doll with Volcano Experiment Review, Circuit Beats Review, McKeyla Doll with Lava Lamp Experiment Review.

This post contains affiliate links. We were sent the Project Mc² H₂O RC Ca in exchange for this post.