Stretch Scooby-Doo Review

Stretch Scooby-Doo - one of the more unusual toys the girls have tried and tested on our Mellow Mummy journey!  Lara and Holly both really got into Scooby Doo while were were on holiday and so, when we first found out about the new, Stretch Scooby, they both couldn't wait to give him a try.

Stretch Scooby is a pretty big and chunky toy - he's a good 35cm tall even when he is in his un-stretched state but when you squeeze and pull his body, his arms and his legs he can extend to nearly 3 times his original size! He's massive!  You can pull him with all your effort and yet, when you let go, he springs back to his original state. The girls think it is hilarious because when one of them lets go, the other one falls over!

We loved the fact that when he isn't being stretched about, Scooby is simply Scooby-Doo and he looks pretty cool sitting on the shelf in the play room - a classic TV icon.  Lara not only likes to stretch Scooby with us but she has also discovered the hilarity of trying to tie his legs and arms in knots and then rotating Scooby's head and neck!  It's all rather surreal but has definitely been the source of much laughter and smiles over the past few days. 

Scooby's funny squishy texture (especially on his belly that feels like modelling clay) is of great fascination to Holly but at 4 years old she is not quite strong enough to really stretch Scooby without help from us, or her older sister.

We think that Stretch Scooby-Doo is fun, and silly and a little bit grotesque...no doubt perfect for a spooky halloween party or a Scooby themed party with friends!

Stretch Scooby-Doo from Character Options can be found online for around £19.99.

NERF Super Soaker Tornado Scream Review

It has become a bit of a tradition at Lara's Beavers colony that the end of term, they spend a session with the older children of scouts, usually playing games.  In the summer this is a water fight and Lara has been looking forward to it because last year she was brand new to the colony and didn't know what to expect - this year she is ready for action and will be well-prepared with her Nerf Super Soaker Tornado Scream water gun which will be a match for most of the beaver cubs and scouts!

The Tornado Scream is a 1 litre water gun which can shoot water upto 10 metres away.  Lara can catch her little sister from the other end of the garden!  interestingly, 1 litre of water doesn't last awfully long when you are blasting it out more or less non-stop but thankfully this water gun stands upright and has a nice wide opening so that you can fill it up with water easily - Lara likes to use a jug of water but her sister prefers dunking it into a bath-tub of water to fill it up.

Holly has also taken to the Nerf super soaker and that just goes to show how easy it is to carry, hold and use.  You have to pump the bottom handle to build up pressure inside before pulling the trigger to release a jet of water.  The Tornado Stream shoots out an interesting jet of water - one directly in front and one that whirls around and around the main stream (like a swirling tornado, I guess).  The second jet isn't as powerful as the main jet but it does catch people out and that's why I think this super soaker will be perfect for the end-of-term water fight.

The NERF Super Soaker Tornado Stream costs around £17.99.  A water fight is a fun way to spend the afternoon when the weather is as hot as it has been these last few days - it cools the girls down AND wears them out at the same time!  The girls like to play water fights and it is usually surprisingly amicable when they play so I consider it harmless.  I'm sure when it comes to a field full of scouts, the water fighting will be a little more wild but this year I know Lara will be soaking and spraying all of the other participants with her super soaker!

Little Tikes Jelly Bean Ride-On Racer Review

Very occasionally, a new toy will arrive in our lives and become such an integral part of our daily life that I barely even notice it is there.  The Little Tikes Jelly Bean Racer was sent to us for review a couple of months ago now and from the very moment that I unpacked it, Holly has been riding it around the house.  Every evening when we get home from work, every night before bed, every morning before breakfast Holly can be seen shooting from room to room. At first it seemed a bit strange to watch her sit down on this ride-on just to travel two metres into the next room but now it has become such a common sight that it no longer feels strange.

Ever since Holly turned 1 (she is about to turn 3) we have been trying to find a ride-on toy that would work well on the floors inside the house.  We had a good quality ride-on for use in the garden but we have always wanted an indoor option for Holly who has a lot of energy inside the house that we like to harness.  To date, we had tried a number of options but they all either struggled on carpet, or else tipped over too easily.  The Little Tikes Jelly Bean ride-on has worked perfectly for us - it is as usable for Holly on our carpets as it is on laminates or tiles and it seems very stable indeed.

The Little Tikes Jelly Bean Ride-On Racer is available from Online4Baby for £58.95.  It comes in red or pink.  We like it because it is so simple - it isn't trying to be anything other than a fun ride-on toy.  There are no compartments to hide things in and no electric pieces to make noises.  Holly just loves rushing around the house on it.  The Jelly Bean has two thick handles for your little one to grab on to and a nice flat, thick seat area.  There are four wheels which provide a good level of stability and it is sturdy enough and strong enough to use both indoors and outdoors.

The Little Tikes Jelly Bean Racer does look a bit like a jelly bean!  I love the fact that it isn't branded or emblazened with TV characters and so Holly can enjoy it for what it is... a means of moving from A to B.  Fast.  It is suitable for small people from about 1 year old to around 3 years old (I think Holly has a good year's worth of use ahead of her!).

I think this is a great first ride-on toy and I just wish we had discovered it when Holly was younger and not wasted our money on other alternatives.  If there is one slight downside, it is that the steering is very direct (point yourself in the direction you want to go) and Holly still finds that she needs to stand up, manouvre the ride-on and then sit back down again...I don't think she needs to, just that she hasn't found the steering to come naturally and when you are only ever travelling between rooms of the house, there isn't much need for steering.

Zinc Scooter Review

Let's talk scooters.  And scooter envy.  During the school holidays, Lara attends a holiday club at our school for some of the time.  She absolutely loves it (the novelty of school without school work, I hope, will never wear off) and every morning all of the children arrive on their scooters.  This isn't something we cottoned on to until she had been to holiday club a few times and Lara started pestering to take her scooter.  Once we had let her take her scooter she then pointed out that everyone else's scooter is faster?!?  This summer Lara is absolutely bursting to go to holiday club with her new Zinc stunt scooter and I think that this time, it may be her friends that have scooter envy!

The Zinc Zycho is a stunt scooter.  Not necessarily the first type of scooter that comes to mind for a 5 year old girl but it suits Lara down to a T!  This is the first time Lara has ever shown much interest in riding with just two wheels (she had a two-wheeled scooter but always seemed to gravitate back to her baby sister's 3-wheeler).  The fluidity of movement and the lightness of the Zinc Zycho has given Lara a confidence I never expected.  Lara is pulling stunts.  Swirling, whirling and zig zagging.  I rather suspect that before long she'll be asking me to take her to the skate park in Wokingham.

The Zycho scooter is part of Zinc's phenomenal range of fashionable and groundbreaking scooters and is part of the their Team series of stunt scooters (Zinc do also make scooters specially for grown ups... and for preschoolers).

The Zycho has a nice long deck (Mr. B can ride it too) which is made from really lightweight aluminium.  The y-shaped handlebar is steel which keeps it straight and sturdy.  Lara loved the Zinc branding (not sure she noticed the skull on the clamp) and the striking high-grip design on the deck.  I think she is most pleased with the fact that, as a stunt scooter, she can spin the bar fully around (something I'm sure she has been dying to copy from some of the older children at holiday club).  This scooter not only features alloy wheels(!) and a really flexible deck (they say its the Zinc elements that do it) but a hard-wearing break which is an essential on a stunt scooter (or at least it will be once Lara has learned some proper moves).

Honestly, I'm quite excited about seeing Lara grow into her "real" scooter and start learning some scooter moves, probably more so than I am about seeing her learn to ride a bike without stabilizers (which seems like it might be a long way off!).  Right now, I'm just enjoying watching the MASSIVE smile on Lara's face when she is riding her scooter and I hope she has great fun on it in the playground at holiday club this summer.

Kettler Scooter Review

Holly has been absolutely desperate to get a scooter so that she can play like her big sister but I was a little retiscent given that she is not yet two years old. Then this beautiful, chunky Kettler Scooter came into our lives!

The Kettler Scooter is really nice and tactile. I think it is perfect for a younger child because the footplate is a nice size for them to practice balancing on it and because the wheels and handlebars are nice and chunky. Holly finds it easy to grip and it is able to withstand the slightly chaotic careless attentions of a toddler! The Kettler scooter is recommended for children aged 2-4 (from approximately 90-110cm tall) but Lara is quite a lot taller than this and I still think it is a good size for her, with the handlebars at their highest setting even though she is approaching 5 years old.

The scooter was easy to assemble (once I had managed to identify a suitable tool from our rather jumbled stash in the garage) and I quite liked the fact that the bolts were hidden away with a little plastic cover to hide them from tiny fingers. The front casing (over the bolts) has a little reflective piece on it which glints in the sunshine and may help in the evening light to ensure your child gets seen. The handlebar can be quickly adjusted (to suit children of different ages who want to play with it in quick succession) using the groovy little knob at the front.

The steering on the Kettler scooter is a little rough but I'm not sure how much a two year old really needs to be able to fine-tune their steering! It is fine, just not as fluid and responsive as Lara's big-girl scooter and I think this is to do with the size and chunkiness of the Kettler scooter so I'm happy to trade in speed and responsiveness in return for quality. And this really is a quality item. Lara has owned a Kettler balance bike for a few years now and we have been endlessly impressed by the quality. Until now, we had't known that Kettler also made scooters and we haven't been disappointed - Kettler clearly know how to make lasting outdoor vehicles to withstand day to day use from young children.

The Kettler scooter is available in both pink and bright blue and costs around £45. It comes with a 3 year warranty.

YVolution Y Fliker Air A3 Scooter Review

This is the Y Fliker Air A3 from one of the trendiest names in scooters - YVolution.  When Lara took her first ride on it this weekend there were people poking their heads out from behind their living room curtains to see what it was whoosing past their front room... it was Lara showing them her moves!

YVolution make a range of scooters and ride-ons for children all the way from toddlers right up to teens.  Lara was asked to try out the Y Fliker which is one of YVolutions eye-catching Y-shaped scooters; it is quite unlike anything we have ever tried before and Lara LOVED it.  Because the Y Fliker is so different to anything Lara had tried I was worried that she might struggle to balance or propel herself but I was proven wrong - Lara jumped straight on and showed a confidence and enthusiasm I could barely keep up with.  There were "woos" and "waaays" and after about 15 minutes of warm up Lara was rushing up and down the street, over obstacles and turning curves like some sort of skater pro!

Lara's Y Fliker is one of the YVolution Air Series, designed to offer your child the chance to make their own carving and drifting moves on a scooter.  The Air series is available for ages 5+ (the A1) and ages 7+ (The A3) - because Lara is so tall she is already riding the A3 and my, does she look grown up when she is riding it.  I think this scooter is a great way of encouraging older children outside and early experiences show it is amazingly good exercise, I think we were all worn out after our Fliker sessions this weekend!

The Y Fliker can be used as you would a traditional scooter, by using your feet to push down on the floor and propel yourself along but once you are moving you can continue to propel the scooter without putting your feet back on the ground by wiggling your hips from side to side and using the handlebars to encourage the scooter from left to right.  The further out you swing your feet, the more fluid the movement... a little bit like skiing in fact!  I was worried that this new form of movement would take a while for Lara to pick up but somehow she just 'got' it instantly.  I didn't even need to explain it to her, she just started wiggling off her own accord and moving all around the place!

So far Lara hasn't quite got up to the speeds needed to require use of the handbrake but it is there should she need it and, as she masters her moves and drifts I can see the brake actually coming in handy to perform some stunning turns.

Our YVolution Scooter came in one piece but collapsed for transport; you can also collapse it down if you need to when you store it as the foot bars easily unscrew and fold flat.  When constructing the scooter you also have to screw in the handlebar but I don't think you would regularly need to adjust this.

The Y Fliker Air currently costs from £65 - £75.  You can find out more about YVolution on twitter and facebook.  There is a countdown on their website which shows how many days there are left to order in time for a Christmas delivery (and delivery is free on all orders).

Disney Fairies Sky High Periwinkle Review

Right now, pretty much everything Lara owns or wears is related to either Disney Princesses or Disney Fairies. This Disney Fairies doll is a great little toy that Lara has really enjoyed playing with in our garden.

Sky High Periwinkle, and her fairy friend, Sky High Tink are both new flying dolls from Jakks. While, in their packaging they look like delicate little things, I think they are probably best suited to outdoor play because they are surprisingly mobile! Pull the flower cord on the stand and see Periwinkle or Tink fly magically into the sky... apparently they can fly as far at 10ft (hence the outdoor recommendation!)

It took Lara about 20 minutes to get the hang of the pull-cord mechanism and, until she had mastered it, Lara was very frustrated. But once Lara had learned the technique she needed to pull the cord on the flower-shaped base, she wowed in amazement! Lara genuinely thought it was magic and I wasn't about to correct her.

I later caught Lara skipping around the garden talking to herself (or maybe she was talking to Periwinkle) and pulling that spin cord whenever she could before rushing off to pick up the fairy and play again. This toy definitely encourages imaginative play and I think it is actually quite refreshing to see a spinning, flying toy for girls as I think it is a concept I've seen a lot before in traditional boys toys. When you pull the cord, the fairy spins so fast that her wings rise, allowing her to fly into the air.

When this Disney Fairies doll is not in use, she can sit quietly on her flower stand which will sit well on a flat surface.  I would say that the only frustrating thing about this toy was the packaging which took me about 30 minutes to fight my way into.

Sky High Tink and Sky High Periwinkle are recommended from 4 years upwards and cost around £18.99.

Kixi Razor Mixi Scooter Review

I had been beginning to think that Lara was approaching readiness for a 'big girl's' scooter and so the timing of the arrival of the KIXI Razor Mixi Scooter from Flair was perfect. At 4 years old, Lara has been scooting (or scooterling as I call it) for a couple of years and is phenomenally confident when on a three-wheeled scooter and I had imagined that, within the next year, she may well be ready to move up to a two-wheeled scooter, something that seems as significant in a child's life these days as the day they learn to ride a bike without stabilisers!

The Mixi scooter is part of the KIXI Razor range of scooters and the reason why it is such a perfect product for Lara is that it is specifically designed to help children transition from a three-wheeled scooter to a two-wheeled scooter.

The KIXI Mixi arrived in three-wheeled mode. We had to assemble the upright bar (which was easy, and all the tools were supplied in the pack) but soon enough Lara was scooting off into the distance. The scooter seems pretty stable, is a good height for Lara and the wheels are made from a firm plastic compound. Lara immediately found it easy to steer. The most noticeable feature for us was the textured panel on the scooter base which meant that Lara was able to grip the scooter with her feet - something she had struggled with on her first trainer scooter.

Within a couple of days of using the Mixi scooter, Lara had gathered from our conversation that it was possible to convert the scooter into a two-wheel alternative - and then she wanted to try it! The instructions recommended that a child might have gained the balance needed to use two wheels by the time they are 5 years old and having just turned 4, I didn't think Lara was likely to be able to manage it. However, the beauty of the KIXI Mixi scooter is that we could try it! Mr. B. adjusted the scooter to two wheels using the spanner etc. supplied and Lara tried the scooter in two wheel mode. It wasn't a great success and she asked for us to put it back again. So we did!

Easy. It is such a simple idea that makes this scooter one which will last us quite some time and will see Lara through the next couple of years as she develops her balance and confidence.

The KIXI Mixi scooter costs around £44.99 and is available in both pink and green from, among other places, Amazon.

More Mellow Garden Fun

After 2 years in our house, the Mellow garden is really starting to come together both as a relaxing and safe haven for the two girls to play in, and as an inspiring, easy to access vegetable plot for us all to enjoy planting, growing and then eating our own food.

Recently we had all of our shrub borders ripped up and replaced with topsoil to make vegetable beds and both Lara and Holly have helped me out planting the beds up with our first small season of edible plants.  But, now that the weather is a bit more impressive, the girls most enjoy playing in the garden and this year we have some fabulous toys for them.

Earlier in the summer Holly was given a Chad Valley water table for her birthday by her grandparents and it has proven to be one of the biggest hits ever with both girls.

And this Chad Valley rocking caterpillar was sent to us for review, also from the Argos outdoor toys range .  The caterpillar is such a simple toy but it fits perfectly in our garden (although I must admit that we are currently trying to discourage caterpillars from going near our brassicas!!!).

Both of the girls "wowed" when I brought home the caterpillar from work (it did get some interesting looks in the office where some people thought it was a sledge!) and wanted to play on it straight away.  Thankfully, the good weather has meant that we have managed to get out in the garden after work in the evenings and have a go... both girls prefer to sit on it together!!!

At less than £10 I think the Chad Valley Rocking Caterpillar is a great value garden toy.  Yes, its not the highest quality garden item I own but it is perfect for a single-summer use and I don't mind leaving it out in the garden overnight.  I think the stickers on the eyes and mouth could have been placed with a little more care but the girls don't seem to mind.

The Original Didicar Review

The Didicar is great fun - just the kind of thing that has brought our family together over the last couple of months.  The Didicar is a unique ride-on toy suitable for family members of all ages and we LOVE it.

The Didicar has no motor or batteries and doesn't require any fuel but you also don't need to pedal or push.  Lift your feet up onto the car and then simply turn the steering wheel from left to right to get it to move.

Within minutes of unpacking the Didicar, Lara had instinctively grasped the steering (it is just as easy to move backwards as forwards) and was manouvring her way through the hallway and around the dining table.  It works really well on our hard laminate floors (although with heavier riders such as Daddy, it does scuff the floor a little!) but outside on the patio and pavement it is awesome.

The Didicar is suitable from about 3 years right up to adulthood (maximum capacity is 120kg) and we have tried riders of all ages on it over the past few weeks.  This is Lara's cousin enjoying herself... Lara's grandparents (and of course parents) have even tried it out both inside and outside the house and ever time it brings smiles to everyones faces because it is so easy to use and great fun to ride.  I think Lara finds it very liberating because she has been really struggling with her balance bike recently and so she enjoys the power and independence that she feels from being able to pootle around on the Didicar... I think she feels that she is really driving!

You can buy the Didicar online and through a small number of childrens toy retailers for around £50.  It comes in 5 different colours and you can even buy sticker packs to personalise your Didicar.

I can quite honestly say that the Didicar is one of the most fun toys that Lara has ever owned and I expect us to get many years of entertainment from it.

Smart Trike Dream 4-in-1 Review

Now that the weather has shown signs of spring we are getting more and more opportunities to go out and about with Holly on her Smart Trike 4-in-1 with Dream Touch Steering.  Holly is still using it in the first mode with all the supports and straps on and she will do for another few months yet, but as she grows older we will be able to remove the supports and the straps slowly as she increases her own confidence and dexterity.

Holly most enjoys playing with her integrated toy mobile phone but I'd be happier if she was using a hands-free kit!!!  When we are chasing Daddy and Lara around the streets she likes to grab onto the handle bars and wiggle them but at present I'm in charge of the steering from the handlebars behind.  And the steering... does it live up to the name "Dream Touch"?  Well yes.  I'm far more impressed with the smoothness of the ride than I ever was with Lara's older trike or any I've tried at toddler groups.  I think a lot of the gentleness of the ride is also to do with the rubber wheels which seem to absorb a lot of the sound and bumps from the pavement... it certainly sounds a lot less bumpy and trundly (is that a word?) than Lara's trike did.

Smart Trike also like to boast about how easy it is to assemble the Dream Touch 4-in-1 Trike and I think Mr. B. and Lara would agree.  OK, so it took them a bit more than a minute to assemble but that was largely due to Lara "helping" her Daddy!!! However, a few minutes later the Smart Trike was complete and they were still on talking terms so it can't have been that stressful to assemble!

For me, the Smart Trike oozes quality. From the ease of use... to the quality of the safety clips.  From the soft rubber handles for Holly to grip...to the thickness and finish of the fabric.   Little things like the feeling of the sun shade as you move it backwards and forwards... it just feels smooth and easy to use. I have absolutely no doubt that at around £100 it is good value for money as it is certainly built to last and will see Holly through until she is 3 years old.

Disclaimer: Holly was sent her Smart Trike to review but all our thoughts and feedback are our own.

Scootrix Scooter Noise Maker Review

The Handpicked Collection always have something quirky in their new catalogues that surprises me and this brand new scooter accessory from Scootrix is our latest find.

The Scootrix Noisemaker is a small rubberised attachment that clips over any scooter's handlebars.  It has four buttons which, when pressed, make four different sound effects at quite some volume which allow your child to be heard when they are whizzing along on their scooters.

For Lara, the novelty is in the noises.  She particularly enjoys the police siren and the star-wars-esque laser-style sound effects.  Lara likes to unclip the Noisemaker and take it with her indoors!!!

For adults there is also a good reason to own a Noisemaker.  Lots of parents take their children our in public on their scooters; I know we see lots of children on the school run and we often take Lara to the park on her scooter.  The Scootrix Noisemaker is handy if your child is on a pavement and wants to notify another pedestrian that they are behind them, a bit like a bell, but with crazier noises!!!

I like the fact that the Noisemaker is easily removable and that the volume is genuinely loud enough to be heard when out on the pavement but I think the noise might take some pedestrians by surprise.

The Scootrix Noisemaker costs £9.95 from The Handpicked Collection who have some great gift ideas for kids.

Holly's Smart Trike

This weekend we unpacked and constructed Holly's brand new Smart Trike with Dream Touch Steering.

Our first outing in the Smart Trike Dream

Unpacking the Smart Trike Dream

I am planning a full review of the 4-in-1 Smart Trike Dream in the coming weeks but let me tell you this... it was dead easy to put together (Lara barked the instructions at her Daddy!) and it is incredibly easy to put Holly in and out of, and to push and steer along the pavements around our house.

I'm not 100% convinced about the lessons being taught through the introduction of a built-in 'mobile phone' for toddlers but actually this was the part of the Smart Trike dream that Holly loved most.  We went out for our first adventure on the Smart Trike Dream with Holly on the trike and Lara on her balance bike!  Holly grinned from ear to ear for the entire journey.  I really, really wish she could have told me what she was thinking because she just looks as if she had discovered the meaning of life!  I'm so glad she enjoyed herself.

Grinning from ear-to-ear on the Smart Trike Dream

Integrated moblie phone on the Smart Trike Dream???

We are using our Smart Trike 4-in-1 in its first mode which is suitable for 10 months upwards.  At this age we just push Holly along and she has no control over the steering.  As she grows, the Smart Trike will grow with her and I'm hoping to share our journey with the Smart Trike Dream over the coming year.  As Holly gains more control we will allow her to control the steering, then slowly remove the supports and the steering control so that eventually, as she approaches 3 years old, she will be able to use the trike all on her own with no support.  Yay!

Disclosure:  Holly was sent the Smart Trike Dream to review as part of an ongoing series of blog posts and competitions in the coming months.  We love it but would tell you honestly if we didn't.

Bank Holiday Playcation

Our plans for the bank holiday weekend are somewhat low-key having wiped ourselves out on our road trip across Europe (maternity leave has a lot to answer for) but just because we are not going to be going away for the weekend as we often used to, doesn't mean we can't have fun.

We have one day out planned but other than that we are hoping to spend lots of time in the garden - our own mini 'playcation'. Since Lara was born over 3 years ago I have been stock-piling garden toys waiting for her to reach an age when she can really get involved with games in the garden because I have such great memories of summer holidays in my own back garden.  Now that time has come and Lara loves rushing around the garden on her own, with us, or with friends. Garden games don't need to be expensive or sophisticated, we have inflatable footballs that I got free from the front of magazines, a bag of plastic balls for a fiver and a mini croquet set that Argos sent us (£3.99) to get the Playcation off to a start.

Lara and her friends can screech and shout for hours in the garden! Argos sent me a set of top tips from Laura Hamilton (see the video below) of how to make the most of garden games so I set up an obstacle course in the garden which required sploshing in the paddling pool, bouncing around the washing line on our Argos hoppers and through the swings before accurately putting the ball through a croquet hoop! Other ideas include a treasure hunt - perhaps I'll set up one in the garden this weekend.

You don't need a lot of space to get out and get active this bank holiday weekend - if your garden is not quite of obstacle-course proportions why not gather your friends or neighbours and each take along a toy or obstacle to the local park... I'm thinking It's A Knockout stylee!

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Magical Light and Sound Tri Scooter Review

We were kindly sent a Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Magical Light and Sounds Tri Scooter to review by Entertainment One. Lara is a massive Ben and Holly fan and this brightly coloured scooter (designed for pre-schoolers from 3 years) is the stuff of dreams for Lara.

Described as a "Magical tri-scooter featuring lights and sounds from the show activated by Holly's magic wand! Includes fun character plaque and graphics", I had high expectations.

I was disappointed that the scooter came in so many different pieces that needed to be assembled - after over half an hour with Lara constantly pestering, and several arguments with Mr. B, we managed to assemble it using our own tools (we gave up on the tools provided); I was thankful we hadn't had to undergo that pressure on Christmas Day!

The scooter is quite sturdy to use and is ideal for younger children as the tyres can't puncture and the scooter has two wheels at the back to keep it stable. You can adjust the handlebars to the height of your child.

We felt that the quality of the stickers on the scooter was poor; some were peeling and the main graphics on the front panel were blistered.

We thankfully managed to find a batteries for both the scooter and the separate wand (that I am convinced Lara will lose in the very near future). The battery for the wand isn't a size we would normally have in the house. When Lara presses the button on the wand, the lights and sound on the scooter activate. A series of red lights flash and Holly says a few magical words. The instructions say that you have to be within 1m for it to activate but we've found that Lara needs to hold the wand within about 15cm.

The quality of the sound could be better and I would have hoped the lights and sound to still work when Lara does (eventually) lose or destroy the magic wand... they won't, which means that at this point, the lights and sounds become unusable. To try and prevent this you can store the magic wand in it's holder at the front of the scooter.

Despite all this, I still think that the Ben & Holly scooter brings Lara smiles when she is using it and, at nearly half the price of a micro-scooter it is a cheaper option for a pre-schooler scooter. The quality issues I've found with it mean I don't think it is great value for money but it will bring smiles to many little girls this Christmas.


The Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Magical Light and Sound Tri Scooter costs around £39.99.

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom products are available at all good retailers. Find out more about Ben and Holly's little kingdom on the official facebook page.

Garden Games Review

Last weekend, with the unseasonal sunny weather, we got out in the garden and played a few family games in the sunshine. We had been sent a set of Quoits to review from GardenGames.co.uk



If you've never played Quoits before then let me explain - its pretty simple, which is why it makes for a great game for Lara. You each stand a fixed distance away from the wooden cross and throw your rope rings in an attempt to hook them over the different posts attached to the cross. Each post is worth a different point value and the aim is to get as many points as possible.



Lara and I spent many a happy hour on Sunday hurling rope rings across the garden! Actually, I think Lara enjoyed going to fetch them and re-arrange them all more than she enjoyed the competitive edge.

I found the Garden Games quoits set really easy to assemble, apart from the centre peg which just wouldn't go in - I had to balance it in place. Quoits costs £15.99 from Garden Games where there are LOADs of other garden games on offer such as giant snakes and ladders and connect 4! For us, Quoits is perfect because some of the other outdoor games we own require a bit too much concentration and discipline for a toddler but this one is a game which brings every player to the same level, regardless of age.

Mini Micro Scooters Review

Are Mini Micro Scooters suitable for a 2 year old? I had asked myself the same question. About two weeks before Lara's second birthday I saw her using her cousin's scooter and she knew exactly what to do; it brought a great big smile to her face. Mini Micro Scooters are the smallest of the Micro Scooter range and are officially suitable for ages 3-5 but the lovely people at Micro Scooters said that many people give them to 2-year-olds who are confident and tall (Lara is both of these things) so we were really excited when Micro Scooters sent Lara one to try out.

One of Lara's other birthday presents was a safety helmet and arm/knee pads. Together with the limited edition Neon yellow Mini Micro Scooter, Lara really looks the part. One of my worries about giving Lara a scooter at such a young age was that she would have lots of accidents and dent her confidence but actually, the Micro Scooter is so intuitive to use and so light weight that Lara hasn't really had any accidents at all (this may just be because I am hanging over her at all times!)

The Mini Micro Scooter was really easy to put together. It came in two parts which were simple to fix in place. I was thankful that we didn't have to faff about with fitting the wheels or handle bars. Phew.



The Neon Mini Micro Scooter we have is one of a limited edition for this summer only that are inspired by the bright colours of highlighters – we love it because it isn't too girly and because many of the other scooter options for toddlers are branded so they date quickly. The Micro Scooters don't need branding because they are so iconic themselves.

The Mini Micro Scooter has a flexible base which is wider at the front than the back. There are two wheels at the front and one at the back. The wheels are solid, a bit like rollerblade wheels so this means you don't have to worry about punctures. The most innovative thing about the Mini Micro Scooter is that your child can steer by leaning their weight to the left or right, rather than having to twist the handle bars. I think this take a bit of getting used to but Lara seemed to pick it up straight away.

Lara has decorated her scooter with ribbons and a little 'Scoobit' to make it all hers! There are a number of scooter decorations, including bags, which can be bought direct from Micro Scooters.

The Mini Micro Scooter does seem to be suitable for Lara (although Lara is tall for her age and shorter children would definitely struggle with the height of the handle bars). Lara, as a two-year-old, does have the dexterity to use it but I have noticed that she seems reluctant to play on the scooter without me very close by, whereas with the bulkier, chunkier scooter at her cousin's house she is always happy to play alone. I get the impression from her body language that she feels some security in the heaviness and restricted movement of a bulkier scooter. Noticably, when she gets going on the Mini Micro Scooter she does enjoy it more and she squeals with excitement as we go around the pavements outside out house so I think its just a matter of time before she gets the confidence to use the Micro Scooter.



The limited edition mini Micro Scooter costs £59.95 and is available exclusively this summer on www.micro-scooters.co.uk .

The Sunday Review – Little Tikes 2-in-1 Cart and Wheelbarrow

Every gardener enjoys a new garden gadget! Lara loves to play with all of her garden tools in the back garden... digging, raking, moving compost from one place to another. Her latest garden gadget is a pretty impressive one – the Little Tikes 2-in-1 Cart and Wheelbarrow – it has brought (and will continue to bring) plenty of fun in the garden for Lara to push her tools and her compost from one part of the garden to another.

Like every Little Tikes product I've ever set eyes on, the wheelbarrow is bright and bold and irresistibly appealing to toddlers and preschoolers. Each piece is made with simple chunky plastic in a rounded, tactile manner which I'm sure accounts for the irresistibility! I have no qualms keeping the cart out in the back garden all of the time because I know it is so easy to clean.

When the wheelbarrow arrived, Lara was desperate to unpack it and assemble it IMMEDIATELY. Unfortunately it came in about 2 million pieces that I had to assemble with a hammer and a screwdriver so it was a great test of her patience. I'm not sure that the levels of stress involved in constructing the toy within the time pressures of an over-eager toddler merited the cost and space savings of shipping the toy in it's collapsed, DIY state. Personally, I think I'd be prepared to pay that little bit extra for it to arrive pre-assembled.



The cart has a removable shade at the top. It looks really cute, you have to admit, but actually it presents Lara with a few problems because really she is too tall for it. When the shade is in place, she can't see the potting tray without kneeling down. I've actually found that we use the cart without the shade more often than not.

I love the little potting tray – Lara genuinely does pot up seeds on it. I'm not entirely sure that Little Tikes expect their pre-school users to be using their wheelbarrow and cart for actual, real-life gardening which is why the product comes with two plastic plant pots and plastic flowers.



When you remove the potting tray and the shade, the toy is quite a simple wheelbarrow at just the right height for Lara to pootle around the garden. She loves bringing me things inside it such as more plant pots or a bag of seeds.

The wheelbarrow comes with a couple of little garden tools – a plastic fork and trowel which have proved to be more effective than I had thought. It also comes with a water spray bottle which Lara fascinates Lara (who can resist a water gun?) She uses it for spraying the plants but the spray is a bit weak so she quickly discards it in favour of a watering can.



The Little Tikes 2-in1 Cart and Wheelbarrow retails for around £48 which, for a product as hard-wearing and multi-purpose as this, is incredibly good value in terms of the number of hours of play that we have already got out of it.