Showing posts with label Toy Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toy Reviews. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Reviewing Play-Doh Disney Royal Palace

Make A Palace For The Disney Princesses With Play-Doh

play-doh royal palace molds
I have been looking for some items to get for my youngest grand-daughter for Christmas and since she loves to play with play-doh I thought the Royal Palace set would be just the right choice for this year. She loves the royal girls from Disney, so this seems to be a perfect choice, but is it?

The Play-Doh Royal Palace looks like so much fun with the different molds that can be used. There are two dolls included in the set, Princess Ariel and Cinderella. Their dresses can be decorated with the neat colors of play-doh included in the set or you can pull out other colors from your toy chest. I love the sparkle dough of green and turquoise that are included!

Rapunzel's tower can create long strands of hair that can be used for other decorations if you choose or just leave it hanging from the tower for a neat look.

At first glance of the box and seeing everything that comes with it, I am inclined to think that my little munchkin will love this set. She has been playing with play-doh for a couple of years now and still refers to it as "my may-doh" which I think is adorable. Even though it is suggested for 3 years old and up and she is now 4, I have to wonder if it might be frustrating for her to play with. She has reached an age where it matters to her if the creations she works on are not just like the picture shows. I watched a video showcasing this set and I am waffling on my choice of this particular set.



After having watched the adult struggle with getting the dress molds to stick and making some of the accessories, this may be too difficult for a 4 year old little girl to play with. Now, the good thing about the video is that the adult does show how to correct some of the easily made mistakes in order to get the molds to work so it was beneficial to watch. It would help me or my daughter to help our little one to learn how to create the different pieces from the molds. 

The set is just so cute and I know she will love the idea of making dresses for the two Disney Princesses, I just don't want her to be disappointed or frustrated when she begins to work with the molds and play-doh. What I am thinking is that it might not be a bad idea to get this as a gift, knowing that this is one that will require some adult attention for a while. It would be a good challenge for her and will help strengthen her dexterity and work with her fine motor skills. 

So, my conclusion is that I will probably purchase the Play-Doh Royal Palace for her and make sure that either myself or my daughter sit down to play with her when she opens the box the first time. When it comes to toys like this, it is a good idea to really look it over and make sure that it is going to be something that a child will have fun with. I think we have to be realistic in our expectations and understand that the examples on the box are always going to look much better than anything our children will be able to accomplish or even ourselves for that matter. Will they be disappointed? Will they get frustrated to the point that they will not play with it? It might not be a good choice if you feel that they will experience either one or both of these emotions. Then again, if you look at it as a challenging way to play, a learning experience and a way to encourage the child to try new things and practice so that they get better; it could be a wise choice after all. 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Thursday, February 5, 2015

Customized Toys and Games

Are you looking for a really unique gift for someone who loves sports or games?  Zazzle has some fun items that can be customized for your recipient.  These special gifts will show the time and thought you put into finding the perfect gift.

Toys and Games on Zazzle

  • Playing Cards
  • Puzzles
  • Ping Pong Paddles
  • Dartboards
  • Ping Pong Balls
  • Poker Chips
  • Cribbage Boards

Playing Cards

The playing cards on Zazzle are Bicyle brand poker size playing cards.  They are made of a durable semi-gloss material.  These make great gifts.  You can customize them with photos of favorite hobbies or you can add a text message to the back of the cards.  Here is a set that I made as a gift for my son-in-law with a Monkey Bar logo on it.

Monkey Bar-Atlanta Bicycle Card Deck
Monkey Bar-Atlanta Bicycle Card Deck by mbgphoto
Look at additional Playing Cards at Zazzle

Dartboards

Dartboards are regulation size 18 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick.  They come with 6 brass darts and are finished with an aluminum frame and hanging hook.  This dartboard I made has a photo I took of Round Island lighthouse in Michigan. This lighthouse is found just off of Mackinac Island.  i took the photograph from the ferry going over to the island. This dartboard would be great for a recreation room with a lighthouse and coastal thee.

Look at other Round island lighthouse Dartboards at zazzle.com

Puzzles

Zazzle puzzles come in two different sizes 8x10 and 10x 14.   These puzzles are made of sturdy cardboard and are mounted on clipboard.  I can see one of the puzzles with a favorite photo of a child or grandchildren as a great gift for a grandparent.  They also make great mementos from trips.   Here is one I made of a photo I took of the US Capitol  building in Washington DC.  We got there early on a Sunday morning and I was able to capture the photo without a lot of people in the picture.  The partly cloudy morning worked well to capture the reflection in the water in front of the capitol.
Reflections- US Capitol Jigsaw Puzzle
Reflections- US Capitol Jigsaw Puzzle by mbgphoto
Create unique custom jigsaw puzzles at zazzle.com

Review This Staffers Design Zazzle Games


Coletta has a beautiful design on this deck of cards.
Cynthia's panda is charming on this puzzle.
Here is a Philadelphia deck of cards.
Philadelphia Sunset Bicycle Playing Cards
Philadelphia Sunset Bicycle Playing Cards by Sylvestermouse
See other Philadelphia Playing Cards
Heather has some beautiful angel designs for her playing cards.

Angel of the Dawn Playing Cards
Angel of the Dawn Playing Cards by Heather426
View other Angels Classic Playing Cards at Zazzle.com



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, January 10, 2015

Collectible Lego Toys Under Review

pile of lego pieces
It's time to shine the review spotlight on collectible toys, specifically Lego toys. Even more specifically, some of my favorites for my own collection of Lego toys. Yes, I am a collector of toys. Not just Legos, but others types as well.

My Lego collection started by accident. I inherited my younger brother's Lego toys when he headed off to college. But that one accident opened up a whole world to me. Now, I'm always on the lookout for additions.

Lego Toy Planes


lego airportI couldn't resist adding a Lego toy plane to my wish list. The trick was trying to pick out which one. Lego offers us toy options from a Ninjago Storm Fighter plane to a passenger plane complete with airport terminal. In true Lego fashion, the planes are built from the a combination of bricks.

Lego Planes and Helicopters reviews not only my favorite toy planes but plenty more, including some fun helicoptor choices. Any collector of Lego toys will lots to add to his or her collection.

Lego Goes Game With Minecraft


minecraft
My granddaughter introduced me to the world of Minecraft. I was hooked quickly into building villages, called biomes, and saving my communities for the zombies and bombs. Of course, I wanted my Lego toy collection to include my new-found game world.

Lego Minecraft Sets helped me out. The full collection of Lego Minecraft sets is reviewed, giving me the information I needed. Well, needed to know I wanted to add all the sets. Yes, my Lego toy collection is growing.  

Collectible Lego Toys


Even if you aren't an avid toy collector, Lego is still a fun way to enjoy playtime. My Legos provide hours of great fun for me as I build each set, but they do more. Because they are toys, they are meant to be played with. That's great for my grandchildren as well as me. How many toy collections can boast that feature?




Posted by: BuckHawk
Buckhawk

About This Contributor

BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Monday, January 5, 2015

Toy Review: Great Gift for a Grandchild

I recently had the opportunity to visit my grandson. I am a long-distance Gramma, so this visit was long-awaited and much anticipated. He is already 19 months old and I haven't visited since he was a couple of months old.  

While there, I was able to see what toys he enjoyed most and what toys he already had before I went to the store to add to his toy collection.  I bought several things for  him and he seemed to enjoy everything I gave him.  But there was one toy that seemed to stand out as something he enjoyed more than the others. I have to say that I was surprised that of the things I bought for him, this little Laugh & Learn Sing-with-Me CD Player seemed to be his favorite.

Because it is made by Fisher Price, I expected it to be of good quality.  It is.  I didn't fear that anything would break while he played with it.  I suppose the "CD" door could pop off if pulled with enough force, but it didn't seem at all fragile while he played.


Laugh & Learn Sing-with-Me CD Player photo by Amazon
It is important to know that the name of this toy is slightly misleading. It does not play CDs.  The discs have titles of those sing-along songs that many of us learned as children.  The discs are for the child to insert in the slot at the top or to open the door and place them inside.

When the door opens, there's a little voice that says, "ooooopppeeeenn". She also announces when the door is closed.  He enjoyed triggering that voice.  The voice made me smile.  

The buttons, when pushed, light up and trigger music to play.  I sang along with the ABCs, 1 - 2 Buckle My Shoe, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and more. Oh how he giggled with I sang Itsy-Bitsy Spider complete with the hand motions. 

This toy is clearly good for helping to develop his motor skills.  The handle is the right size for his little hands, and he enjoyed carrying it around. He enjoyed learning how to put the discs into the slot and into the door as well as learning to push the buttons on his own.  Putting the discs into the slot took some time and concentration. But for some reason, he stuck with it and enjoyed doing it.

If you are looking for a gift for a baby shower, your child, or your grandchild, I highly recommend this Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Sing-with-Me CD Player. 





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, January 3, 2015

Reviewing Handmade Toys for Granddaughters

crocheted catepillar
With 3 granddaughters, I'm always looking for something unique to give them. Standard toys are one thing, but handmade toys are special. And, of course, my granddaughters deserve those special toys. When I discovered a whole collection of charming handmade toys, I knew I wanted to review them here for you.



Charming Handmade Toy Collection


crocheted giraffeThey come from a shop called Coastal Crochet Crafts on Etsy. It turns out the creator of these toys is our own Review This contributor Wednesday Elf. She's a grandmother like me, so she understands the need for those very special toys for the grandkids.

It was a tough time making my choices. There are so many adorable handmade animals, or Critters, as she calls them. But I did finally make my decision. And you'll notice that even though I have 3 granddaughters to give handmade toys to, I have 4 choices here. That's because this delightfulgiraffe is for me!

crochet bee

My choices for my granddaughters include this oh-so-darling honey bee. How could anyone, young or old, resist this little critter? I can just picture my granddaughter hugging this honey bee with a huge smile on her face.

Frankly, all of these handmade toy critters are fully hug-able. Wednesday Elf is an accomplished crocheter and it shows with the quality of her work. That's why the decision to get her creations wasn't hard. It was hard to decide which ones to get.


Making Choices with Handmade Toys


crocheted owlMy next choice is ideal for my oldest granddaughter. She has an owl collection. This Grace the Grey and Pink Owl is perfect for her. It turns out Coastal Crochet Crafts has a number of owls in different color combinations. So every owl lover will be pleased with your choice.

That final choice turned out to be Cuddly the  Caterpillar. This was tough for me. Cuddly is another one that I wanted just for myself. But, being the good grandmother that I am, my little one deserves him.

I know my granddaughters will cherish their special new friends. Handmade toys hold such a special place in my own heart.


Posted by: BuckHawk
Buckhawk

About This Contributor

BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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