Hot Products > Toys Games > Nursery Equipment

Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle

Fun, makes you think and ideal to travel with, 2007-10-23
Like many of the reviewers here I bought this game for a kid's birthday, in this case my 9 year old niece. On the day I spent more time playing it than she did (which she wasn't entirely happy about!).

The game itself consists of a plastic gameboard, the size of a desk calculator, in which there is a drawer holding the puzzle cards. The board and game pieces (around 20 pieces) come in a handy carry bag. You'll need the carry bag to keep everything together neatly, but you don't need to tip the whole contents out to find the pieces you need, since there are not many of them and they are not tiny.

As a side note, since the pieces are not tiny and are brightly coloured you can easily find them if they fall on the ground.

As the playing the game, well it really makes you think and is also very fun. You get a smug feeling of superiority when you finally manage to figure the puzzle out.

The puzzle difficulty ranges from very easy indeed to ferociously difficult. The hardest puzzles had me stumped and I am supposed to be pretty clever! But don't worry, the puzzle cards also have the answers (on the back) so you can figure it out like that if you need to!

Although there are 'only' 60 cards or so, they are easily replayable as you are not going to remember the pemutations of every one.

I recommend this game, fun for all ages, intelligent and easily portable.

I'm already looking forward to visting my brother again so I can have another go...

Perfume Lab

Making Perfume, 2008-08-12
I bought this product for my 10 yr old cousin for her Birthday. As soon as she opened the present she couldn't wait to start blending the different scents to make her own Perfume. I was concerened that there didn't seem very much in the kit, especially for the size of the box, however, several scents were made along with slime and pourri. Overall a fantastic product and educational.

LeapFrog Spin & Sing Alphabet Zoo Ball

Alphabet Zoo Ball, 2008-01-25
Although after about 10 minutes or so every day using this you will wish you never purchased it (I know a song that will get on your nerves, get on your nerves, get on your nerves.....)your baby will love the animal sounds, the repetition and the flashing lights and this will encourage them to start babbling and gurgling......which is just delightful!

Lamaze - Freddie The Firefly

Fantastic toy, 2008-07-23
I have bought 3 Lamaze toys for my 7 month old daughter and this one is her favourite. It is very colourful, which is typical of the Lamaze range, and has lots of crinkly bits and a button that squeaks. She is entertained for a while biting on the red teething ladybird and also likes chewing on the rings. It is a big toy and hangs well from a play gym or pram. It is a bit difficult to clean but comes up fine with a good scrub with a sponge and hot soapy water. I can't recommend these toys enough, especially Freddie the Firefly.

Classic Etch A Sketch - The World's Favourite Drawing Toy

• Move the two knobs to create pictures
• Create curves by manipulating both knobs at once
• Classic drawing toy

Chinese manufacture new models not up to previous standards, 2008-04-01
We bought one of these classic toys for our 7 year old. It was great for a couple of weeks until the vertical movement jammed. We sent off for a new one from the suppliers but it never arrived. Took three follow up phone calls and an extremely irate fax to get any response from the suppliers who finally supplied a new one nine months after the first one broke!

The quality of new models is not as good as the ones I remember when I was a kid. The plastic is not as strong and is more brittle. It can be cracked if dropped. The mechanism is not as good either. The knobs are more difficult to hold because they're smaller (not just because I'm older!) and are not as smooth in use.

As a toy it's still good fun but I felt let down by the poor construction quality and the lack of communication and response from the supplier. Nor did we get any recompense for the postage costs of returning the broken one.

I notice that these are now made in China and you can tell that they are built down to a price instead of up to a specification.

Fisher-Price Zoom Around Garage

• Fisher Price is well known for its great products
• Always educational and inspiring
• For young kids from 12 months plus
• Safe toys

Mould & Paint - Fairy

• WARNING: For ages 5 and up
• Have great fun making fridge magnets & badges with this moulding & painting kit.

Mould and paint something else..., 2008-11-27
...am making it my life's work to deter you from buying these products. We've had 'em all over the years and I still haven't been able to create anything that looks like a fairy for my children to paint. My most recent effort looked like a dried lumpy ball of badly mixed plaster of paris which coincidentally was exactly what it was. If they were to bring out a product called "Mould and Paint Dried Lumpy Ball of Badly Mixed Plaster of Paris", I would have to give it five stars. The paints have lasted a long time but only because we've never had occasion to use them.

At this price, some might describe the product as a "stocking filler". Well, you fill a stocking with plaster of paris and you might end up with something more closely resembling a fairy than I've ever managed to produce. In my experience, "bin filler" is more appropriate.

In The Night Garden Ninky Nonk Train Vehicle

Small, yes.. but lovely, 2008-11-28
I bought this together with the play mat and some other Night Garden items. Its NOT overpriced (after my opinion)You cant expect to get a huuge train with buttons and lights for this price anyway.. I havent passed this one on to my daughter yet (Christmas) but I know for sure she will like it. It wouldve been even better if it was twice as big and optional to open the doors etc like you can do with the Tombliboos Bush.However, its a cute Train thats fitting the price. BUT when thats said, if Hasbro DID make a train that the characters actually can fit into (those who are to come with PlayMat World etc) - and added 20£ to the price Id rather buy that.

I do agree with some of the comments that the funny thing about this train is: Putting the chaacters inside it and give them all a bumpy ride.

I do hope a larger one comes avaliable too.

Peppa Pig Camper Van Playset

Oink Oink, 2008-01-14
We got this for my 3 year old daughter for Christmas. She loves it. It is very easy to play with as the whole top comes off. The accessories are good fun too. Much more playability than the push and go car or drive and steer car as the figures come out.

Only slight criticism is that the awning on the camper van keeps getting ripped off, but it is easy to put back in again!

Buckaroo

• The original saddle stacking game with an even moodier mule.
• The game calls for dexterity and patients, a steady hand and nerve.

Buck - a - roo!, 2007-09-13
We initially could not get our mule to buck, but found that we were being too gentle when putting the blanket in place and the saddle. A bit of brute force was all we needed! Now our mule bucks at each of the levels and is fun for all.
As a child I used to visit family friends who had Buckaroo; we did not have it at home and I loved it, now my two sons are getting the toys I always wanted!