Playmobil Take Along Castle Review and Conveyor Belt with Mini Excavator

Playmobil's Unicorn Take Along Castle Set is great fun for little girls who are on the go.  This play set is ideal for bringing along to play dates or over to the cousins house during holiday visits.  All of the pieces included in this set can be locked away behind the doors on this set, making travel a breeze!  There is also a handle that makes carrying for little hands easy. 

Included is a princess figure, two unicorns, little birdies and more that can be placed in the castle's storage compartment

This play set is appropriate for children ages 4+ since there are many small pieces.  It retails for $12.99.

Conveyor Belt With Mini Excavator

Playmobil got it right with this cool truck!  This play set measures measures 19.2"L x 6"W x 9"H.  That means there is a lot of fun to be had.  With it's sturdy construction, this will easily make for creative and independent play.  There are so many vast possibilities with this toy, from stacking the boulders in the cart to running the conveyor belt.  The best feature on this toy is the 21.6" long conveyor belt and tipping cart that actually moves.  The excavator scoop moves moves up and down too!

Included in this playset is a construction foreman and worker, 16 boulders of various sizes, fire extinguisher, tool box, 4 tools and laptop.

The Conveyor Belt with Mini Excavator Playset is recommended for ages 3 and up.  It retails for $34.99.



Playmobil provided the products above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Learning Curve Dinosaur Train InterAction Review (T-Rex Boris and Tank Triceratops)

If you have been following my posts, you know that we are huge Dinosaur Train fans in my house.  Mason just loves all the Dinosaur Train characters and I love the educational value inherent in the television show.  That being said, it is no lie when I say I was really excited when I found out that I had the chance to review Learning Curves new InterAction line of toys. 

Learning Curve Dinosaur Train - InterAction Roar 'N React Boris Tyrannosaurus Ultimate T-Rex and Learning Curve Dinosaur Train - InterAction Tank are two of the best toys I have reviewed yet.  As you would expect, these toys are based on the hit television show, Dinosaur Train. Because of "SmartTalk" technology, these dinosaurs have the ability to recognize and interact with each other. Each dinosaur has an interactive button that you can push to make the dinosaur speak and to start solo or interactive play. 

Tyrannosaurus Boris was really cool to play with. This dinosaur has fully poseable arms and legs.  By pressing the button on his back, you can start real play with him.  I loved the chomping sounds he made when you press down on his tongue.  He will roar when you press his tail down and make stomping sounds when he walks.  He will also share

                                                      dinosaur facts with you. 

Tank Triceratops was also a lot of fun to play with.  Interactive play began by pressing his button.  My favorite feature is the crashing sound he makes when you tilt his head forward.  The chomping and stomping sounds are always fun too!  Tank also has fully poseable arms and legs.  

Because I had two of the dinosaurs, I was able to get them to "speak" to each other.  Not only do they talk to each other and answer each other's questions, but they sing in harmony too!  Through play with these toys, you will not only have a ton of fun, but you will learn educational facts about the dinosaurs.

These dinosaurs are made of a hard, durable plastic.  There are no sharp edges, which is a nice feature when you have a toddler that insists on carrying toys everywhere, but can't seem to not  fall over 10 times a day.  They are brightly colored and very eye-appealing too.  If you get one Dinosaur Train InterAction toy, make sure you get two so you can have the real experience of how these toys were meant to be played. 

Learning Curve Dinosaur Train InterAction line is recommended for ages 3+.   They retail from $14.99 to $39.99, depending on the Dinosaur Train character.

Learning Curve provided me with the items above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs in the Snow DVD Review

Have you become a Dinosaur Train fan yet?  What are you waiting for?  This is one of the cutest and most educational shows for pre-schoolers aged 2-5 that is out here!  Each episode is filled with facts about life science, natural history, and paleontology.  You can't go wrong with anything that includes Dinosaurs and Trains.  Now there is a new DVD, Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs in the Snow, just in time for your little ones for the holiday season.  And I can tell you, we have already watched this great DVD several times and I have a feeling that it will be a staple throughout the holidays!

There are eight great episodes on this one DVD.  Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs in the Snow episodes include:

Dinosaurs in the Snow - Buddy and his Pteranodon family ride the Dinosaur Train to the North Pole - where it's cooler, and the skies are dark all winter long!;

Night Train - Dad, Buddy and Tiny take a special ride on the Dinosaur Train at night, learning about animals that are active after dark, culminating at the Big Pond for a nature walk under the full moon;

Fossil Fred - Buddy, Tiny and Don play "detective" and search around the Big Pond for fossils. The kids end up finding an entire skeleton of a Jurassic dinosaur;

King Cryolophosaurus - Buddy, Tiny, Don and Mom meet a reclusive, singing dinosaur named King who has a big swooping crest on his head and a voice that sounds an awful lot like Elvis Presley;

Dinosaur Block Party - The Pteranodon family hosts a block party to introduce their new neighbors, the Lambeosaurus family, to all the other neighborhood creatures;

Buddy's Surprise Birthday Party - Shiny, Tiny and Don throw a surprise party for Buddy on the Dinosaur Train and invite a whole caboose full of his friends!;

Mom's Day - The kids go to the Big Pond to look for flowers to give to Mom on her special Mothers Day; and

Cretaceous Conifers - The whole Pteranodon family have fun celebrating Mom's favorite holiday, Winter Solstice. You can find encore presentations of Dinosaurs in the Snow; “Cretaceous Conifers” to be broadcast on December 8, 12, 20, and 24 (check local listings).

The DVD also features an interactive game, coloring pages, a dinosaur reference guide and parent information about the program and characters. It retails for $14.99.

In case you still were not convinced about how great of a program Dinosaur Train is, Dinosaur Train is also a Parents’ Choice Recommended TV series, and the Dinosaur Train website has received a Parents’ Choice Silver Award and was the recipient of a prestigious 2010 Prix Jeunesse Award.

360 Marketing provided the item above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Dora's Christmas Carol DVD by Nickelodeon Review

Have your kids already asked you to sit down and make a holiday list?  Here is one more item to add! Dora the Explorer: Dora's Christmas Carol is a wonderful holiday DVD that will be a hit for the whole family! 

The movie begins with Dora and her friends preparing for Christmas Eve, or a Nochebuena party. Swiper the Fox arrives and steals the star off of the tree, which places him on Santa's naughty list. Santa gives Swiper a chance to fix his mistakes.  Dora tries to help Swiper get off of Santa's naughty list and learn what Christmas is all about.  Dora must help Swiper travel through the past, present and future if they are to learn the true meaning of Christmas.  You will quickly realize that this is an adaptation of Dickens', A Christmas Carol.  Dora and Swiper visit the past when Dora’s friends were still babies and when Dora was a little girl.  You will also visit the future and see Dora as a young teenage girl and Swiper as an old fox.

In Dora fashion, she must solve a problem during the movie. Dora is interactive with your child and she encourages completing simple math skills, answering riddles about Christmas figures like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, and finding hidden objects in a picture. 

I love that this movie emphasizes the importance of friendship and having people in your life to help you, all while learning the value of giving to others during the holiday season.  The joy of receiving presents is also explored, which pre-schoolers easily relate too.

There are also special features at the end of the main program.  You will find a "Jingle Bells" music video, a "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" music video, and the Young People's Chorus Behind the Scenes Featurette. 

I am always impressed by the programming that is inherent  in the Dora the Explorer series.  Your children will learn language skills (both English and Spanish), cognitive skills, and physical skills.

I highly recommend this DVD for young pre-schoolers.  This DVD will make an excellent holiday stocking stuffer, that is not only educational, but entertaining, especially for kids who love Dora the Explorer!

Dora the Explorer: Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure runs for 52 minutes and can be purchased for around $14.99.

Nickelodeon provided me with the item reviewed above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine

Paper Jamz by WowWee Review and Giveaway (Closed)

Does your kid want to be an instant rock star?  Have you seen WowWee's new Paper Jamz line of Guitar, Drums, Straps, and Amps?  You better keep reading because kids everywhere are going to have this on their Christmas list this year!

Paper Jamz are brand new and really cool.  These "instruments" use "Active Graphics circuit-embedding technology" that allows you to play like a pro just by touching the Paper Jamz.  Basically you have a guitar or drum that you can play like a real musical instrument.  There are three main modes: Perfect Play, Rhythm, and Freestyle.  Each Paper Jamz instrument also features a built-in speaker with volume control, plus line out for earphone or speaker accessories, which are not included.  There are 6 guitars and drums to choose from in Series 1 of the Paper Jamz line.  There are also 3 drum and guitars to choose from in Series 2 of the Paper Jamz line.  Each Guitar/Drum features three hit songs ready to play

Up for grabs is the Paper Jamz Drum, Series 1 - Style 2.  It features three hit songs, including Born to Be Wild, Mississippi Queen, and Smoke on the Water.  In Perfect Play mode, you tap along to the song to hear the drum track.  Rhythm mode lets you create your own drum sounds, and Freestyle mode lets you play a drums solo and create your own song without any background music.  

Wow Wee Paper Jamz Drum Set  is perfect for ages 5 and up.  They retail for $24.99.  For more information about Paper Jamz products, don't forget to check out http://paperjamz.com/.



Congratulations to Deborah W, winner of the Paper Jamz Giveaway!  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen.

There are several things you can do to earn an entry.  Please fill out the form for EACH entry, including the bonus entries.  You may enter once a day, including the bonus entries.  Multiple entries other than daily entries and bonus entries will be deleted.  This Giveaway will run from 12:00pm on 12/6/10 until 12:00pm on 12/13/10.

WowWee provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.