Collections!

Collections for Kids and a Competition!

So far this Autumn I have collected over 300 conkers and this has got me thinking of all the other collections I have enjoyed over the last couple of years, I am only collecting from a couple of ranges at the moment but these are my top five pocket money collections for children age 5 to 10.

5. Shopkins - My sister is obsessed with Shopkins and there are loads to collect, there are different toys that you can get to go with them. She has a shopping set but you can also just get the bags with the characters in to play with them.

4. Trash Pack- I don't collect these any more but when I was a bit younger I really liked Trash pack- they are a bit like Shopkins but more revolting and I liked then ones that came in their own little bins!

3. Topps Star Wars cards- I haven't got loads of these but I like them and would like to start collecting these properly. They are good fun to play a game with

2. Match Attax- I have collected these every year since I was 5 and really enjoy filling up my folder. I haven't managed to fill a book completely but got really close last year and I enjoy doing swaps with my friends.

1. Star Monsters- These are our absolute favourite collectibles at the moment. They are good for lots of age groups as both me and my little sister are enjoying collecting them together. I like the fact that you get two in a bag each time along with a sticker for just £1. We have already got some really good ones but I like to check each bag before I buy one to see if it feels like it could have a 'rare' inside!

Our 'Rare' Star Monsters

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Dr. Seuss book reviews and a chance to win!

Dr. Seuss book reviews and a chance to win!

As you may already know we love a Dr. Seuss book in our house- I really don't think you ever get too old for them and there is something quite fun about getting to grips with the rhyming and tongue twisting.

We were very pleased to be sent copies of Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat In The Hat and Fox in Socks to share and review. My favourite is The Cat In The Hat which we used to read at bedtime when I was little and Lottie really liked Green Eggs and Ham because she hadn't heard it before- we think our baby brother, Sam liked that one too as he clapped every time he heard the words 'Sam-I-Am' but that could have been that he just liked hearing his name over and over again! We also really liked Fox in Socks and had fun making Mum read that one over and over again as it is a real tongue twister.

If you haven't read the books they all all well worth a try- they are all good for reluctant readers or children who are just starting to get confident reading, Lottie is trying to read Green Eggs and Ham out loud while we write this and she is just about managing, so they are good for new readers as well as being fun for older children.

Fox in Socks is all about how the Fox in Socks teaches Mr Knox some of the quickest, slickest tongue twisters in town- it is so funny to read and slightly confusing but really good.

Green Eggs and Ham is all about trying something new- Sam-I-Am wants his friend to try Green, Eggs and Ham and he doesn't want to take no for an answer, his friend is certain he doesn't like them and won't try them anyway at all but eventually he gives in and to his great amazement actually likes them. This is another great Dr. Seuss book which teaches you a bit of a lesson- if you try something new you might like it.

The Cat In The Hat is about when The Cat In The Hat comes to visit Sally and her brother and basically makes a huge mess of their house while their Mother is out which then needs sorting out...they just don't know if they should tell their Mother.

The stories themselves are great for children of all ages but probably best suited for 4-8 year olds and the illustrations are awesome too, they really make the stories jump out. 

If you are looking for a good book for a new reader then I would recommend you take a look at any of the Dr. Seuss books.

Enter our competition for your chance to win one of these great books.


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Supertato Veggies Assemble - Our Review and a chance to win!

Supertato Veggies Assemble by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet   Our Review and a Chance to Win a copy!

Lottie has had some fantastic books to review recently and Supertato Veggies Assemble has quickly become a story-time favourite. 

'The Evil Pea is on the loose and there's anarchy in the aisles'- who knew there would be so much excitement in the Supermarket at night?! It's down the Supertato to save the day but when the peas gang up on him he has to call for back-up to save himself and the desserts.

This is a great book for young children, it is fast paced, funny and exciting and my 4 year old sister really likes it. It has the added advantage of being fun to read so this is one of the few books for younger children that I don't mind reading to her (which is lucky because I don't think my Mum wants to read it twice a day!) Even Sam stops and listens to this book and he is not quite one yet- I think that is because there are plenty of chances for funny voices which he likes... it's quite hard not to say 'Supertato' in a deep superhero type voice!

We have previously enjoyed Barry the Fish with Fingers by Sue Hendra and think she has done a great job here too. I would recommend this book for children age 2-5 but if you are a big brother or sister who is going to read to younger ones then this is a fun story to choose to share with them. 

You can buy Supertato Veggies Assemble here or enter our competition below for your chance to win a copy.

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Birthday Party Fun!

Birthday Party Fun!

I was so excited to have my birthday party celebrations this weekend.

I had a fantastic time with 11 of my friends at an outdoor laser party centre. We played loads of different games, got really muddy, and tried out different types of laser guns and planted a pretend bomb. 

The man who ran the laser tag and led the party used to be in the Army and he taught us lots of extra stuff including how to get a knife off someone if they were trying to attack you- he said we had to practice with bananas though if we tried it at home!

When we got back to base camp he cooked us all up hot dogs and let us see the different guns they use for the adult Airsoft games- I think my Dad would like to try that.

We all had treats and cakes and then went outside for another play before it was time to give out party bags and go home. I think this was one of my favourite parties ever, I loved the spy party I had last year but this was so much fun running around in the outdoors. None of my friends had ever done this ever so they were excited too and all really enjoyed themselves.

As a birthday treat for my readers I have one party bag to give away to you filled with fab treats including-

A Star Wars notebook
Star Wars pen
A Mini star wars toys or bracelet making kit (depending on your choice)
An adult colouring book
A pack of colouring pencils
Sadly no birthday cake but plenty of SWEETS!

You can enter to win over on our Facebook page here

Winner will be chosen at random after competition closes on Tuesday at 7pm. 

Good Luck!

Nickelodeon STEM Product Range from The Entertainer and a Giveaway

The Nickelodeon STEM Product Range from The Entertainer and a chance to win a set from the range!

I was so excited to be contacted by The Entertainer to see if we would like to participate in their Twitter Party (later today from 4pm to 5pm- follow @entertainertoys and @whatlukedidnext) and I was even more excited to be sent and Exploding Booms set from the Nickelodeon STEM range to test. 

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and the products within the range help children learn about these topics in a really fun way- you can make anything from soap bombs and fragrances to stink bombs, build circuits and perform experiments. It is an awesome range and ideal for children age 5 plus (with adult help) and around 8 plus with less supervision.

We tested the Exploding Booms set and found it really great. The instructions were straight forward to follow and the additional equipment needed was minimal - basically vinegar for a couple of the experiments and lemon juice for one so just normal household products.

We liked the exploded boom bags- these were straightforward and fun and easy to do without help- just blow them up and make them bang! We also made a volcano which was amazing- I loved the chemical reaction and thought the addition of colouring made it really cool. We had great fun with water bombs too. 

We still have several more experiments to carry out and I am especially looking forward to making the rocket which looks fab.

These sets are being sold exclusively in The Entertainer or online here and are currently just £10 making them perfect for Christmas.

Don't miss your chance to win a set from with the Nickelodeon STEM range kindly supplied by The Entertainer.

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The Giveaway is open to UK residents only and the prize will be a product from within Nickelodeon STEM range chosen and supplied by The Entertainer. 
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A Review and a Competition

Our review of LEGO Awesome Ideas AND your chance to win a copy!

LEGO Awesome Ideas book ©2015 The LEGO Group. Produced by Dorling Kindersley under licence from the LEGO Group 
As you have probably worked out by now I love my LEGO and it is rare when we are not building something or playing with something we have made so when I was offered the chance to review the LEGO Awesome Ideas book I jumped at the chance.

LEGO Awesome Ideas on YouTube

We have had the original LEGO Ideas book for a couple of years now so I was excited to see how the new one compared. I loved the last book as it had some great ideas and found it really interesting reading about the Brickmasters however I felt that it was full of things that most children wouldn't be able to make straight off- the new LEGO Awesome Ideas Book is completely different from this point of view- there is some amazing creations but there is also loads of tips as to how to make them and some really great ideas as to how to adapt things.

My friends and I had a great afternoon looking through the book and deciding what we would like to make over the next few weeks. I really feel that we could have a good go at a lot of the things and love the fact that because it is an 'ideas book' rather than an instruction manual you can easily adapt the ideas to suit the pieces you have available. Whilst I like the excitement of opening a new box and set of instructions and making the sets up I also really enjoy taking a few pieces and seeing what I can create from them so this books suits me perfectly as it gives a starting point and provides plenty of helpful solutions.

The book is set up in sections so you can work on one complete project- such as Modern Metropolis or Fantasy Land and there are lots of small things you can make in each section if you are pressed for time.

Lottie and I have been having a play and Lottie has been making her usual LEGO house so I have been making furniture for it like the sofa and the table with stools shown in the book. I am in the process of making a glass fronted building which will be a greenhouse. We have made some vehicles to go with the traffic lights, fire hydrants and other Modern Metropolis things we have been making too.

                                                

                         

I can see we are going to have hours of fun using the book and am sure we will keep going back to it time and time again. We are really pleased to be able to offer you a chance to win a copy of your own but if you can't wait to get hold of it you can buy LEGO Awesome Ideas here on Amazon

                                                         

Now for your chance to win a copy of this AWESOME book!



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Danger Is Still Everywhere: Beware of the Dog

A Review of Danger is Still Everywhere: Beware of the Dog         by David O'Doherty and Chris Judge and a chance to win a copy

We have been sent some amazing books to review recently and I was thrilled to receive a copy of Danger is Still Everywhere: Beware of the Dog.

'Docter Noel is facing his most terrifying situation EVER - a little dog called napkin has come to stay. That may not sound particularly dangerous but every POD (Pupil of Dangerology) knows the only safe pet is a pet rock. So now Docter Noel is stuck in a wardrobe while Napkin wrecks havoc around the Dangerzone. And all the while Docter Noel is supposed to be writing his new VERY IMPORTANT handbook on Dangerology (Level 2). 

That is until the Pet of the Year competition is announced and Docter Noel hatches a plan to impress his neighbour Gretel. There's only one problem. Serial safety-flouter Max Wurst us the judge...

For Docter Noel, it's never been clearer that danger is still everywhere.'

I LOVED this book. I hadn't read the first handbook but it didn't matter I was still able to get straight into this second book- it was really funny and very silly and really made me laugh.

I thought the quiz was awesome and the pictures were fantastic. I would definitely give this book a score of 10/10 and would recommend it to any Dangerologist age 7+. Even if they were a grown up.

I am definitely adding the first Danger is Everywhere book to my 'must read' list!

We are delighted to be able to offer one lucky entrant the chance to win a copy of this must have handbook for themselves.

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Roald Dahl Day- The Twits Review and a Competition

Roald Dahl Day - The Twits Review and a Competition

Today is Roald Dahl Day and there are loads of activities going on to celebrate his wonderful books.

I first started to enjoy his books a couple of years when my Mum read me Matilda. I instantly loved the way that Roald Dahl could make a story come to life and we began working our way through lots of different stories and rhymes. I now find it hard to pick my favourite and it often changes but I especially love The Twits and Fantastic Mr Fox and my Mum loves the retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs.

We are just re-reading a lot of the books now to share them with Lottie so it was great timing that we were asked to review The Twits and join in with the fun making our very own Mr Twit beard.

If you have never managed to read The Twits it is a really funny book about the disgusting Mr and Mrs Twit who play awful tricks on each other and getting what they deserve for their horrid treatment of Muggle Wump the monkey and his family (who they have trapped in a cage in their garden) and the poor birds who get caught on the glue covered dead tree to use for Bird Pie Day. Mr Twit is a horrible bearded man (Roald Dahl didn't like beards!) He is dirty, nasty and always has lots of disgusting things trapped in his manky beard. I have had lots of fun making my own Mr Twit beard.

Lottie's doll modelling our Mr Twit beard along with Mr Twit style hair!
Made with tea-stained string, pasta, rice, rice crispies and various other Mr Twit type leftovers 

I would recommend this story to children age 4-5 upwards. It is a great introduction to Roald Dahl for confident younger readers or fun to enjoy with a grown up as Roald Dahl appeals to people of all ages. 

I know my friend's Mum, Diana really loved this book so asked her what it was that she liked so much about it, she told me 'Roald Dahl was not my favourite author growing up, that was Enid Blyton, but one of my favourite books ever is The Twits. I clearly remember my childhood revulsion, amusement and disquiet at the vile characters and reading it as fast as I possibly could to reach the end to see if they got their well deserved comeuppance. It spoke to my vivid imagination, reinforced my sense of right and wrong and made the Sunday night cold bath-time a little easier to bear'.

I am thrilled to be able to offer two of my readers the chance to win a special edition copy* of the Twits so they too can enjoy this classic Roald Dahl story too.

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*Please note one winner will receive the 'bearded copy' (shown above) and the other will receive the version with 'scratch and sniff stickers'

A chance to win tickets to see Hetty Feather!

Those of you who have been following the blog will know I am really excited to have the chance to go and see Hetty Feather, based on the original book by Jacqueline Wilson, at the Duke of York's Theatre in London and I am thrilled to now be able to offer one of our readers the chance to win a family ticket (for four people) to see the 11am showing on either the 5th or 6th September (subject to availability)

Don't miss out on your chance to see this fantastic show!

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Timmy Failure Review and a Giveaway

Timmy Failure Review and Giveaway

I was lucky enough to be sent two books from the Timmy Failure series to review so I have recently been enjoying Timmy Failure: Mistakes were Made and Timmy Failure: Now Look What You Have Done.

I had never read any of the Timmy Failure books before but have really liked both of them. Timmy is the founder of the 'Best Detective Agency in Town' and has great plans for World domination- if only he can defeat 'The One Who Cannot Be Named' or 'The WEDGIE' (Corrina Corrina). My favourite character is Total, Timmy's business partner. Total also happens to be a polar bear, he is very funny, he loves chicken nuggets and will do anything for a cake treat.
Timmy is in his own world, has some very mad ideas and lots of cases to solve, the books are so funny and the drawings are great.



I definitely recommend these books to children of my age and older. They are very easy to read, with short chapters, plenty of funny illustrations and good stories. I can't wait to read the next one when it comes out later this year.

Total, Timmy's Business Partner

If you would like to have the chance to own your own copy of Timmy Failure- Look What You've Done don't miss out on our competition. 

If you can't wait to read this great book you can purchase it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Timmy-Failure-Look-What-Youve/dp/1406360724/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=







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The Parent Agency Review and Giveaway

The Parent Agency by David Baddiel

A Review and a Competition

Poor Barry... Boring parents, annoying goody two-shoes twin sisters, not being allowed to play video games and being called Barry- just a few things from Barry's list of complaints about his family.

Imagine if you could choose your own Mum and Dad though- what type would you choose? Rich, famous, fit, cool or something completely different? 

When Barry arrives at The Parent Agency he discovers he is able to choose any of the parents on their list and to top it off he can have the birthday party he has always dreamed of. What could possibly go wrong?

 

This book is very funny and has a bit of a twist. I liked the way the children's world was a copy of ours but different- the Parent Agency is based in Youngdon which has landmarks like the Shard Skelter, Marbles Arch and the Play-houses of Parliment. Some of the characters are really hilarious and lots are very strange. I like the way the story flowed from one set of parents to the next.

This was a great book for children age 7-12, I read it in no time at all and didn't really want to put it down- you will definitely want to know what Barry decides in the end. The chapters were a good length (not too short but not so long that you get bored!) and whilst this is very much a proper book I didn't find it difficult to read by myself. Although I did also enjoyed listening to a few of the chapters read by my Mum to me- mainly because it was funny to hear her say 'Bum, bum, bum' when Barry has found out he can be as rude as he likes with his cool parents!

I think David Baddiel has done a great job with The Parent Agency, which is his first children's book. I can't wait to see what his next book is like.

If you like the sound of The Parent Agency why not try to win yourself a copy in our competition, or if you can't wait to read it you can buy it here-  http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Parent-Agency-David-Baddiel/dp/0007554508

David Baddiel seems to have lots of other ideas for great parents, watch him here  http://youtu.be/sUMyICBQ7uc and let us know what type you would like best? I love the idea of parents who can fly!


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Father's Day- Top TV Dads

Our Top Five TV Dads  - In honour of Father's Day and Curry's awesome competition.

In the run up to Father's Day Curry's have launched a competition that sees bloggers compiling their lists of the Top Five TV Dads for the chance to win a 48 inch Samsung SUHD TV- this looks absolutely amazing so we decided it was definitely worth a shot!

This quickly became an interesting discussion topic in our house and has become far more of a collaboration with me than Luke's previous posts- mostly because being a seven year old boy his TV time is somewhat limited. Oddly it also soon became apparent that there is a serious lack of good male role models in shows aimed at this age group, perhaps mainly because most of the characters appear to be machines or Super Heros- Transformers and Power Rangers apparently have no need for parental input in their lives! Nor is Darth Vader a great example of the type of man we are looking for! Fortunately there were a few more examples of Father characters in the preferred viewing of Luke's little sister, Lottie. So after much discussion, deliberation, arguing and amending this is our definitive list of Top Five TV Dads-

At Number 5

The Dad from Outnumbered (the only input I was allowed in the end)- He looks as beaten as I feel most days but ultimately has his family's interests at heart and worries constantly about doing the right thing by his children

Number 4

Homer Simpson- he might be a bit of a mess and sometimes an absolute disaster but again he loves his family and tries his best for them. 

Number 3

Mr Elf (from Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom)- Not a main character by any means but the children felt he was a good Dad for Ben- always worries about him, sets a good example for him- 'Elves don't DO magic... and we're Elves', works hard so clearly has a strong work ethic, he seems to have a solution to many problems, even if they do involve visiting The Wise Old Elf. He also has infinite patience and is very polite to his wife, which can only be a good thing!

At Number 2

Splinter from Teenager Mutant Ninja Turtles- We know he isn't actually The Turtles father but he does an excellent job of filling the role of a Father figure, he has looked after them from tiny babies and has taught them everything they know whilst helping them build their relationships with each other.

And Our Number 1 TV Dad is... 

Daddy Pig. Initially I argued against Daddy Pig as I feel that he puts up with far too much from Peppa (although there is a chance I have now watched Peppa Pig so many times I am reading too much into this) but I concede the point that he too is very patient. He is also jolly, he has lots fun with his children- who else would spend quite so much time jumping up and down in muddy puddles, not to mention losing his winter clothes to a snowman? He doesn't lose his temper- not even when an important piece of work ends up in the duck pond and he even conquers his fears for his children- such as braving the Helter Skelter and the roller coaster what more could you ask for from a Dad?!

So that's it then, our top five... none of them are perfect (some quite far from it!) but all share the over-riding theme of trying to do the best for their families and that's good enough for us!

Written by Luke's Mum with plenty of interjection from Luke and his sister, Lottie!