The Bristle Blocks Basic Builder Case Review

As John Crane Ambassadors Leo and I have been tasked with reviewing a new toy each and every month over the British Summer. 

You can read our past reviews below:

- Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube

- The B. Creative You Hue

This month our test subject is the Bristle Blocks 50 Piece Basic Builder Case.

This particular toy dates right back to my childhood, and I have fond memories of playing with them. I am really pleased that I get to introduce Bristle Blocks to Leo, and that they are still going strong.

For those of you not familiar with Bristle Blocks, they are a great introduction to construction toys. They are perfectly sized for toddler hands and are so easy to work with. The blocks have bristles all around the circumference, top and bottom of the block that allow you to interlink them with one another.

All the blocks are lovely and bright in an assortment of different colours, and have gone down a real treat with Leo. Leo is at the perfect age now to really demonstrate just how much play value these toys hold, now his imagination is really coming into it's own each new day brings a new game that can be played with the Bristle Blocks.

At the moment Leo has simply enjoyed stacking the blocks one on top of the other, or helping me build something that he will later pick up off the floor and run away with, just to stop me enjoying myself! 

The Basic Builders Set has a few exciting designs for older kids to try and build, we have kept this for when Leo is that little bit older so he can give it a go too. For now though it is lovely to watch Leo discovering which blocks fit best together, and if he puts a that block there...He can stack that one on top of it..

These blocks make Leo think hard, and you can see the concentration on his little face as he problem solves his construction dilemma.

They recommend that the Bristle Blocks are suitable from the age of 2 years plus, and I have to agree that this is about right. I think that Leo is just going to get more out of this toy as he continues to grow, and as his imagination continues to stretch for the stars. 

Watch this space, I will one day report that he HAS built the airplane... Or I for that matter!

For now though we will both stick to the stacking!

I really like the 50 Piece Basic Builders set as it includes a very handy travel storage box, this means I can pack all of the pieces back into the box for safe keeping to stop them going walkabout when Leo has one of his terrible 2 temper tantrums...The box fits perfectly in Leo's new toy box and I rest assured knowing that all of the 50 pieces are safely tucked away before it gets put away for the day.

This set retails at at £15.99, I think this is a attractive price when you take the play value into consideration, and it is a toy that will last for many years to come. It is also a toy that I can add more to by purchasing more blocks and different sets, so this toy really pushes the boundaries to whatever you want them to be.

The a B. Creative You Hue Review

Leo and I are John Crane Ambassadors for the Summer of 2013.

We have been un-able to contain our excitement after last months review of the Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube and the build up to this months...

This month Leo and I are inviting you to come and take a seat with us, as Leo demonstrates his arty skills on his You Hue. The You Hue is essentially a miniature children's desk that comes equipped with 10 chunky marker pens that are perfect for little hands!

The You Hue provides your toddler a flat space to work on while he picks from an array of marker pen colours, and even has a storage compartment under the work space. I have found it a great hideaway to store paper for Leo so that we can get a new piece out as soon as he has coloured the entirety of the previous piece. This storage space is also a great place to store past works of art before they make it onto the fridge.

Leo has been spending a lot of his time at this desk, either rolling his toy cars along it or with his pens in hand as he draws up his next wonderful creation. The desk is the perfect height for a toddler to sit or kneel on the floor, and has 6 pen holders along the back of the table. These pens are easily accessed by the budding young artist during his creative moments, and it is really great to see him so involved in what he is doing.

I have to admit that when I saw the marker pens I was a little bit wary, after all my little man has been known to get creative everywhere but on the paper before now...But I am pleased to report that we have had no 'instances', but that could be down to my watchful eye. It was only the other week that Leo took my liquid eyeliner and un-twisted the lid so that he could flick the contents of the bottle all over my bedroom walls...That was one creative moment that I couldn't quite wipe off the walls quickly enough!

On either side of the desk you will find more storage space, space that I have been using to hide marker pens in so that Leo can't sneak over and create another master piece on my walls... This may be over cautious but I like to air on the possibility! The marker pens included in this lovely set our non-toxic and washable (off people, I wouldn't like to say how they would fair on the play room walls...You will have to try this for yourself!). I have had no problems getting any pen marks off Leo's hands, and it is nothing a good soak in the bath won't sort out. 

The You Hue is suitable from the age of 2 (Leo turned 2 a week ago) and I think this is a fair guideline. The only thing is Leo can be a little rough with the markers and I am worried that he will damage the tips of the pens, so I have been very thoughtful and been handing him the colours he want's to work with, taking the lid off and keeping it safe until he has finished with it, and then I pop the lid back on and hand him the next colour.

As you can see from some of these photos, Leo's kitten is also very keen on the You Hue. In fact I could have saved lot's of money on kitten toys as Tigger actually likes all of Leo's toys! In these photos our curious little kitty is chasing Leo's hand as he draws his latest piece.

I think the You Hue is really great and it has given Leo a little space of his own to create something of his own, something that he really enjoys. I love watching him beam his big beautiful smile as he shows me his latest drawing, just as much as he loves my reaction when I exclaim just how amazing it is.

You can purchase the a B. Creative You Hue at Amazon for £24.99 at the point of writing this review. If your little one loves drawing and wants a little space to sit and do just that with a set of really great markers, I highly recommend the You Hue.

Disclaimer: I was sent the You Hue for the purpose of this review as a John Crane Ambassador 2013. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

The John Crane Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube Review

I recently announced some very exciting news for Leo and I.

Over the summer months we have been presented with the most amazing opportunity to represent a company that we adore.

John Crane Ltd – A traditional toy company who specialise in wooden toys! I have mentioned them on occasion her on the blog and I am over the moon to represent them now.

After I got over the initial squeals of excitement, and managed to sit still without the flamboyant out of the blue air punches, I knew I should put pen to paper so to speak and tell you about our very first review.

For the month of May Leo has been sent the Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube, a sorting cube that is completely different to any other that we have ever played with. It is made out of wood, and you can instantly feel just how solid it is, from the cube itself to the animal slats.

 The quality of the wood and the toy itself means that little clumsy fingers won’t accidently break any of the pieces, it is as solid as they come.

The cube is quite weighty, so for younger toddlers you probably won’t have to contend with them picking it up and carrying it around, Leo on the other hand at 22 months can pick it up, and he DOES carry it around. I can feel my toes curling as I think about how he carries it around with him…re-calling in horror to the time he did drop it on my foot!

The set comes with 25 pieces that make up 8 individual animals in the sorting cube. What I really like is that it is comparable to an early level jigsaw puzzle in the sense that little hands are to make up the pictures by putting the two slats in the appropriate places to make up the correct image.

You can have 4 animals at a time on the cube and can change them as you wish, the additional slats are stored on the top of the cube out of the way but easily accessed for when you need them. This set up allows you to see if you are missing any of the pieces when you put it all away, and makes it really easy to spy a missing slat!

Once you have the 4 animals set up on your cube by posting them down the guides, you will notice that you have a food shaped hole that needs filling. The aim of the game is to locate the food item that fits into the hole. There are 8 pieces of food that go with each of the 8 different animals, and it is your toddlers job to find out which shape fits with each animal.

The Animal Sorting Cube grabbed Leo’s attention before I had even shown it to him, I was actually in the process of cooking up dinner when he decided to bring the box in to me where he insisted I open it there and then. I took him back into the lounge where I opened it all up for him and showed him what to do before popping back to finish dinner off.

It kept Leo entertained while I was cooking and I could hear him making the noises for the animals that he could see, ‘Neigh’ ‘Woof’ and ‘cat’ because he refuses to ‘meow’ these days!

Over the time we have been playing with it together I have noticed that Leo has got frustrated with himself at times. If he can’t get the slats to do what he wants then he will lose his temper until I can fathom what he is trying to do. At the moment he just likes posting the slats here, there and everywhere and is not purposely problem solving. The more we play with it the more he seems to realise what he is supposed to be doing, so I am sure it won’t be long before he has completed every animal on the cube and fed it the appropriate food.

Leo loves the Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube and seems to especially like it after I have just tidied it all away after the last game, as it is so much more fun to get it all out again straight after! He can sit on the floor inspecting all of the pieces and images for ages, posting them and seeing what fits where.

Leo has already demonstrated that this toy can take a rough playing with, I have watched him trying to make slats fit where they just won’t go, and over all playing very excitedly with it. It really is a sound toy that will stand the test of time, and the bright colours combined with the assortment of different animals has provided Leo lots of enjoyment.

The Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube is recommended for toddlers 18 months and over, and I agree that this would be the perfect time to introduce it. You can purchase theJohn Crane Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube from many reputable online toy shops, and you can even visit John Crane directly to find a full list of retailers who stock this fun sorting cube.

Disclaimer: I was sent the Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube as a John Crane Ambassador as asked to share my views with you all. All views that have been expressed in this review are completely honest and my own.

We have some exciting news!

As a child all I ever wanted was a playhouse, a wooden one.

A house that has both a downstairs, and an upstairs.

Wish as I might I never ever got that wooden play house.

This has made me determined that Leo will have one of his very own. A place for him to play imaginative games and use as his very own den. Every child needs one of those!

I will be furnishing his little house with a whole array of wooden goodies, such as a table and chairs, a kitchen and who knows what else will be hidden in Leo’s treasure trove!

My love for traditional toys like this is why I am such a big fan of John Crane, they have some beautiful creations and so many different lines to suit many different budgets.

I actually have some exciting news.

Not the pregnancy kind but exciting none the less!

Leo and I are about to take on an exciting new role.

Leo and I have joined forces with the magic of John Crane and become Ambassadors.

We even made the Toys n Playthings trade feature!

Over the summer months Leo is going to be taking part in some serious playing (it’s a hard life, but someone has to test these toys!) as John Crane will be sending us a product from their new range each month up until August.

I have had a sneak peak at what is coming Leo’s way and it is needless to say that we are very excited. But I am going to keep it all hush hush until the products arrive each month! Of course we will be sharing our John Crane adventure with you all, and I look forward to hearing what you think about these exciting new toys!

So watch this space, because John Crane will be arriving on the blog very soon!

Wooden Toy Magic

John Crane Toys are the creators of many of the most fantastic wooden toys on the market; I like to think of them as the Willy Wonka of the toy industry. Just as Wonka made his sweets magical, John Crane do exactly that for their creations.

I have a real love for classic wooden toys and it is not hard to work out why, they never tire and they are the kind of toy that you can pass them down through the generations, it is amazing watching a child’s imagination run wild in a game they have dreamt up and they really do have the ability to provide hours upon hours of entertainment.

There is something magical about a wooden toy, especially at Christmas when you see what those Elves have been crafting with their skilled hands all year long, a dolls house, a pirate ship and even that wooden kitchen you snuck at the end of your list!

As Leo is growing up we are encountering more and more of these toys, toys that bring the imagination to life and allow Leo to play hard while remaining sturdy and intact. I can’t wait to introduce Leo to more of the John Crane collection over the coming years, and I know we are both going to have a blast.

We now have a few treasures from John Crane, Ali the pull along Alligator and we must not forget Ma Ma who has become a firm fixture in Leo’s bedroom. She keeps a close eye on him when he is all tucked up in bed to make sure he stays out of mischief, when she is not jetting off on boating adventures and moving house of course!

John Crane has very kindly sent Leo a set of their Sqij Blox to have a play with, Squij Blox nurture your child’s creativity and encourage them to build and connect the blox together. The blox are made out of Beech Wood and feature 2 foam layers around the circumference of the block to enable them to be locked together to form what ever your imagination can dream up.

Each of the blox is around 2.5cm in thickness, so nice and chunky for little hands and come in two different box sizes, a small set of 10 or a large set of 16.

The blox are actually for 3 years plus, so although Leo can’t make the most obvious of creations, he is still loving putting the blocks on top of each other and playing with Mummy and Daddy. There are no small parts to contend with and as Leo is now coming out of the ‘I must put everything in my mouth stage’ we are happy that he won’t start munching on the foam around the block.

The Sqij Blox are one of those toys that Daddy has to play with, shipping Leo off to play with something else, he takes his chance to build the biggest creation that he can before Leo realises and comes back like Godzilla to destroy his Daddy’s hard work. Sometimes I swear that Daddy looks like he may shed a tear, like someone has come up and stolen his Wonka Bar off him, but somehow he remains refined and try’s to re-build his masterpiece.

So once again John Crane has put a smile on both of my boy’s faces with their lovely Tidlo range. I would highly recommend the Sqij Blox for any parent who has a creative toddler or hands on Daddy who would equally love them!

I will leave you with Ma Ma and her boating trip!

Disclaimer: I was sent the Sqij Blox for the purpose of this review, however all views and opinions are completely honest and my own.