Toyologist

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We wish you a Merry Christmas

2
4 months ago
in

“Mummy, I’ve got a really big heart”

I think he is right. The boy who asked Father Christmas for just 2 things – a £15 dinosaur and a pair of swimming goggles, and then when he got a duplicate DVD, instead of asking to change it said it would be nice to give it to someone who doesn’t have one. He surprises me everyday.

When we started our role as Toys R Us Toyologists, we worried that it may make him spoilt and wondered if we could justify all the new toys arriving. Looking back on it we really needn’t have been concerned. Our first box arrived just after his birthday, we knew it was coming so hadn’t got him many presents, saying that the postman would bring him some later. We let him have all the toys in the box.

Since then each month we have shared toys in the boxes with his friends, some we have reviewed and then given to his old nursery or more recently to his school. J loves to look through the boxes and decide who might like to play with them. Even when there have been things that he would definitely play with, he will often say I’ve got lots of toys, maybe someone else should have this.

Last week, once all our reviews were completed we were given the opportunity by Toys R Us to donate a box of toys. We jumped at the chance and decided to donate the box to the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital based at our local Norfolk & Norwich hospital. They do a wonderful job looking after so many sick children and especially at this time of year they work tirelessly to make the lives of the patients and their families that little bit easier.

 

On the Monday before Christmas we took the bundle of goodies to the hospital and were met with smiles all round. J was beaming and telling everyone that would listen what we were doing. He loved the fact that we were making sure that all the little boys and girls that had to be in hospital at Christmas would have some lovely things to play with. Everyone that we saw was delighted and the ward staff put them all away for the few remaining days until Christmas.

This one thing was one our best experiences this year and we are so grateful that we were able to share these gifts with such a deserving cause and I hope that it in some way helped raise some smiles on Christmas Day.

Our box of toys contained the following:

Being a Toyologist has been amazing and if by some stroke of good fortune they will have us back next year we will consider ourselves extremely lucky (fingers crossed).

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    Toyologist Review – Cars Aquadoodle

    0
    5 months ago
    in

    This review is from Toby & Darren

    The Cars Aqua doodle is a great leaning tool for children to play, draw and write on a large area with the added bonus of it being on the floor. It is safe and clean to use which is great as there is no mess. Toby really enjoyed drawing a track for Lighting McQueen to follow and on the odd occasion that the car drifted off course it proceeded to U-turn to regain the track successfully.

    As children do, they find alternative uses and ways to play with their toys as Toby enjoyed driving the Lightening McQueen car around the house. It obviously isn’t designed to be pushed along the floor due to the loud clicking noise, yet it would be a great to be able to flick a switch to allow children to push the car as they do all others.

    Overall the Cars Aqua doodle is a great toy, and can and will be used for years to come! 

     

    Cars Aquadoodle retails for around £29.99 online and in store at Toys R Us

    This was a review post. I received Cars Aquadoodle as part of the Toys R Us Toyologist programme so I could review it for you. My review is honest and in my own words

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    Toyologist Review – Moshi Mosh N Chat – Poppet

    0
    5 months ago
    in

    Another great review by Lydia & Emma

    My 4 year old daughter find this hilarious!

    I was expecting it to talk english but it talks in it’s very own language, which makes no sense to me but makes it all the more appealing to Lydia. Playing it again and again trying to copy what it is saying!


    On the box it says ‘the more you talk, the more I chat’ which is a bit misleading as I was expecting it to talk back once spoken to but that doesn’t seem to be the case. You need to press it’s tummy or have it in motion sensor mode to talk.

    The ‘room guard’ part is also a bit difficult to get working (unless we are doing it wrong) it only seems to sensor anything for about 30 seconds!

    On the whole Poppet looks very cute, laughs lots and talks nonsense – but always puts a smile on my daughters face. An easy light hearted toy that I’m sure she’ll play with again and again.

    I only marked it as 3 stars because for the money it doesn’t really do a lot.

     

    Mosh n Chat retails for around £21.99 online and in store at Toys R Us

    This was a review post. I received Poppet as part of the Toys R Us Toyologist programme so I could review it for you. My review is honest and in my own words

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    Toyologist Review – Orchard Toys Alphabet Lotto

    1
    5 months ago
    in

    There’s no hiding from the groan that I hear every time I ask Jacob to get his letters out of his school bag so we can practise them. It’s safe to say the sooner we move on to something else the better – but I do know how important learning his phonics is.

    Alphabet Lotto seems to be the ideal compromise. You can play the game in 4 different ways ranging in difficulty which makes it easy to adapt to whatever learning stage the children are at.


    The lotto boards are reversible, one side has pictures with the word underneath and the other has just a letter. There are 2 sets of tiles to use, one with letters on and the other pictures. You can play the game as a simple matching game – pairing pictures or letters, but we play where he has to turn over letters that match the first letter of the picture, or turn over pictures that match the letters on his card.

    This is a really fun way to reinforce the learning he is doing at school without him really noticing. If it gets him sounding aloud I am happy to have a game of lotto each night rather than reading from the phonics cards he has from school.

    Another winning Orchard Toys game!

     

    Alphabet Lotto retails for around £8.99 online and in store at Toys R Us

    This was a review post. I received this game as part of the Toys R Us Toyologist programme so I could review it for you. My review is honest and in my own words

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    Toyologist Review – Orchard Toys Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

    0
    5 months ago
    in

    Another great Orchard Toys game here – even Daddy got in on the act (although refused to be photographed!)

    To be honest we didn’t quite follow the rules properly, but then that’s one of the things we love about these games – you can adapt them to fit.


    In the game you spin the wheel and then pick up the appropriately coloured card – guessing first which body part will be underneath – we skipped this bit and just picked the card! The idea is to fill your game card first with all the body parts. If however you pick up the special card – you all (including you Daddy) have to get up and sing Heads shoulders knees and toes, complete with actions!

    This is really good fun and would help younger ones with learning body parts and the older children with memory skills. The added singing and dancing just makes sure everyone ends up laughing regardless of who is winning!

     

    Head Shoulders Knees & Toes retails for around £8.99 online and in store at Toys R Us

    This was a review post. I received this game as part of the Toys R Us Toyologist programme so I could review it for you. My review is honest and in my own words

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