imaginary play Archives - Sophie's Nursery

Peppa Pig Shopping Centre Review

October 25, 2020 By lporter Leave a Comment

Peppa Pig Shopping Centre Review

We have an enormous selection of Peppa Pig toys in our house & we have now extended our collection to include the newest toy from Peppa for our Peppa Pig Shopping Centre review!

Shops

Peppa’s Shopping Centre has 2 floors of fun & four shopping areas! It’s really got loads of play value as you can actually swap around the backgrounds & swivel the signs to create 6 different shops in total!

Shops include:

Ice Cream Parlour
Pizzeria
Fancy Cake Shop
Toy Store
Fruit and Veg Shop
Bakery

Some of the shops are even more interactive, for example in the bakery Peppa can choose a biscuit or iced bun for a lovely treat by simply rotating the table to change the food.

Lift

We love this! Peppa’s Shopping Centre includes a real working lift! Peppa’s favourite thing to do at the shopping centre is to ride in the lift (it’s also my children’s favourite thing to play with!). Press the button to send Peppa up to the second floor, and then push it back down to ground level again- it’s lots of fun! We have a similar lift feature on a different toy but it operates manually so my toddler finds it hard to use. This one is SO much better as even the smallest hands can press a button to get the lift working.

Microphone

My children often ask me about the announcements you hear in the supermarket so this feature made their day! They have been having endless fun with the real microphone. Simply press the button and speak to make your own shopping announcements!

Electronic Sounds

Peppa’s Shopping Centre features multiple realistic shopping centre electronic sound effects. Use the easy to press buttons to hear fun shopping sounds… “Bing Bong!”

Accessories

Peppa’s Shopping Centre Playset is full of fun accessories. These include 1 articulated Peppa Pig figure & 12 different accessory pieces. There’s a shopping trolley, cash register, bags of shopping, chairs & even a rotating restaurant table!

Overall

Both my children (aged 5 & 2) have had endless fun playing with Peppa’s Shopping Centre. What makes it great is, for people like us who have TONS of Peppa toys, the shopping centre is scaled for play with other Peppa Pig figures & playsets. We have ended up with a Peppa Pig Town for many days! The playset is brilliant for encouraging imaginative play & storytelling. Children can re-enact their favourite Peppa episodes (we have done the one with Daddy Pig buying the chocolate cake!) or create their own Peppa Pig adventures.

For parents, one of the standout features for me is that it isn’t too big. It doesn’t take up too much space making it nice & easy to store, but still offers lots of play value.

This playset is definitely one for the Christmas list, especially if your children are as Peppa obsessed as mine! You can buy your own from Argos for £40.

**We received this item in return for our Peppa Pig Shopping Centre: Review. All thoughts & opinions are our own

Tonka Steel: Bulldozer & Mighty Dump Truck Review

September 24, 2020 By lporter Leave a Comment

Tonka Steel: Bulldozer & Mighty Dump Truck Review

I’ve always been a fan of Tonka toys so the fabulous Tonka Steel Mighty Dump Truck & Bulldozer have made very welcome additions to our toy collection!

TONKA originated in 1947 in Mound, Minnesota originally created and manufactured by Mound Metalcraft (manufacturer of garden implements).

The company began selling metal toys, which soon became the primary business. In November 1955, Mound Metalcraft changed its name to TONKA Toys Incorporated. The name TONKA comes from the Dakota Sioux word “Tanka” or Tonka, which means “great” or “big”.

In 2001, TONKA trucks were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York.

For almost 70 years, TONKA trucks have been the undisputed kings of the sandbox for decades. Built on the notion that “a toy shouldn’t break just because a child plays with it,” they’re strong, sturdy and long-lasting. Back in the ’70s, TONKA even had an elephant stand on one, just to prove their point.

Designed for continuous play for a range of ages, the Tonka Steel Classics fleet is built super tough with real steel. Ready for the biggest loading jobs, we have been trying out both the mighty dump truck & bulldozer. See how we got on below!

Tonka Steel Mighty Dump Truck

We love this new deluxe version of the Classic Mighty Dump Truck. It’s huge & being made from real steel ensures it has ‘Tonka tough’ endurance! The size & material it is made out of means the toy is perfect for children aged 3 & up. Built to take on the toughest construction jobs, my kids loved piling the bed up with dirt, sand, wooden logs & a variety of other items.

The Tonka Dump Truck bed actually movable, meaning lifting the truck bed up and down triggers the unloading action. This enables children to easily haul dirt, sand and gravel around the construction site.

I am all about encouraging imaginative play & this Tonka truck toy is perfect for providing this. Both children spend ages loading, unloading & driving the truck around the dirt & loading it with logs. The truck also supported their gross & fine motor development whilst having loads of fun!

Tonka Steel Bulldozer

Another Tonka Steel Classic, the Tonka Bulldozer is designed to demolish & clear anything in its path. It has a workable blade for moving sand, gravel & dirt & is a brilliant addition to a role play construction site.

Again, the Tonka Bulldozer is designed to last! Made from steel it is super tough & perfect for younger children (around ages 3-6). We played with both the Tonka Steel toys outside for a long time, rolling them across the pavement, through dirt & even down our steps – not a mark on them!

Overall

We absolutely love these toys! They are tough & so versatile. You don’t need to have a garden to enjoy them, they can also be used indoors. My 5-year-old spent ages loading & unloading her cuddly toy collection into the dump truck bed. The Bulldozer also got used to knock over wooden towers & skittle sets.

The Tonka Steel Mighty Dump Truck retails around £49.99 & the Bulldozer around £24.99. TONKA Steel Classics are available from a variety of good independent toy shops, JLP, Shop Direct & Amazon. I would say they are well worth the price as they will last for years & give so much play value. It is also worth noting that, when you start collecting the range, you also receive a bonus collector card for each vehicle!

I will certainly be looking to buy more from the Steel range for future birthday & Christmas presents!

Also…

For your chance to win some TONKA goodies, more product info, activities & more, head over to the TONKA Tough Event page! This week there is a TONKA Mighty Steel Bulldozer up for grabs!

** We received these items in return for our Tonka Bulldozer & Mighty Dump Truck review. All thoughts & opinions are our own.

Peppa Pig’s Big Red Car Toy Review

July 15, 2019 By lporter 1 Comment

Peppa Pig’s Big Red Car Toy Review

Hands up – who else’s children are obsessed with Peppa Pig?! Mine most certainly are, despite my 4 year old pretending she’s ‘too big’! Countless times I have found her secretly watching it on the iPad & she still asks me to get the Peppa Pig toy box out regularly. And yes we have a Peppa Pig toy box – I think it’s full to the brim with every Peppa Pig toy manufactured to date…

Except for one… until now that is. We have very kindly been sent the NEW Peppa Pig’s Big Red Car toy to review. And yes, I can safely say both children love it.

What Is It?

Well, it’s Peppa Pig’s Big Red Car i.e. the family car that you see them driving around in on TV. However, it’s not a tiny version of the car, it’s actually a really decent size & pretty sturdy.

The scenario behind this playset is that Mummy Pig is taking Peppa on a picnic trip. Cue lots of wonderful role play items for children to enact out a picnic scene!

What’s Included?

A picnic hamper that opens
A blanket
Food (2 round plates with pictures of food on them)
A bottle of drink
A small BBQ
EXCLUSIVE Peppa and Mummy Pig figures in picnic outfits. We also love that you can remove Mummy Pig’s hat!

And of course, the car. This is probably the best bit for the kids as not only is it a fun push along toy, but it also makes sounds. If you press the steering wheel, it plays the Peppa Pig theme tune & various sound effects! It also has 4 seats so if you own any other character’s they can come along for the ride too!

The other great car feature is that it has an open/close boot. It is large enough that everything can be stored away in it (great for kids, good news for my storage issues).

Overall, it is a fab toy! All of the included items & features add up to a great play experience & give the toy additional play value. Anything that encourages imaginative role-play is a win in my book. It’s everything you need for a fun Peppa Pig adventure!

You can find Peppa Pig’s Big Red Car at Smyth’s Toys, retailing at £24.99.

**We were sent this toy for the purpose of our Peppa Pig’s Big Red Car Toy Review. All thoughts & opinions are our own.

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

June 10, 2019 By lporter Leave a Comment

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

Slime seems to be a BIG hit with kids & is something we have been wanting to try out for ages. The lovely people over at Zimpli Kids helped to make this happen by sending us a bundle of slimy items to try. We love a bit of sensory play & these products are a great way of providing my young children with messy fun that isn’t too much hassle or mess!

Zimpli Kids

Zimpli Kids design & sell some of the most unique & innovative sensory play items on the market. I love that they dedicate their time to creating fun new products that will safely enhance both a child’s and a parent’s experience of playtime.

The items we received from Zimpli Kids were:

Glitter Slime Play
Glitter Gelli Baff
Gelli Baff
Slime Baff

Inside each box was a sachet along with detailed instructions. It all sounded super simple so we got started!

Baff Products

We loved all of the baff products! My kids think bathtime is amazing anyway so this just blew their minds.

It was super easy to make – simply fill the bath with around 3 inches of water, add the contents of the given sachet & mix it with your hands. The slime/gelli took about 10 minutes to form.

We were left with a very gooey, gunky green slime, a lava red gelli goo & some glittery pink goo!

My daughter loved it & spent ages running it through her fingers & toes & pretending to swim in it.

The best part for me was how easy it was to clean after we had finished playing. By just adding water & a bag of provided white powder, the gelli & slime washed away down the plug with ease. It did not stain the bath or my kids’ skin or hair.

Just as a word of warning, the slime & gelli baffs are VERY slippery. We kept our bath mats in the bath whilst the children were playing to help with the slipperiness. I also ensured they remained sitting down until the slime had been fully washed away to prevent any accidents.

Slime Play

The glitter slime play is a bit different from the baff products as it is designed to be used in a bowl or tuff tray. It takes a bit longer to form (about 15 minutes) & gets thicker the more you mix it. I decided to use the glitter slime as a means of hiding some toys for the kids to find. They loved it!

Overall

Overall we loved experimenting with the Zimpli kids products & will definitely be getting some more for our further sensory adventures!

** We received a bundle of products in return for this Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review. All thoughts & opinions are our own.

3 Terrific Melissa & Doug Games for Imaginary Play

May 13, 2019 By lporter Leave a Comment

We are HUGE fans of Melissa & Doug games & toys & being part of their Play Panel is such a fantastic opportunity! This month we have been sent a fabulous set of role-play toys for the kids to enjoy.

Melissa & Doug Pet Vet Play Set

Give young animal lovers everything they need to examine and treat pets!

My daughter is obsessed with all things animals so I knew she would love this 24 piece vet pretend play set. The kit has everything you could possibly need for your child to get into role as a hard working vet! It includes:

Two plush animals – a dog & a cat
A range of vet medical equipment – a plastic stethoscope, a thermometer, a syringe, an ear scope, tweezers, a clamp, a cast, bandages, a neck cone, “treatments,”& “ointments,”
A reusable double-sided checklist for office visits
A tote bag to keep everything together & for making house calls

Imaginative play has plenty of developmental benefits & this vet set has actually been recognized by toy experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute (USA) for helping kids develop empathy while they play.

Overall we were really impressed. The different pieces are all of high quality – each item is sturdy & easy to use. The plush toys are super soft & the reusable card is a great idea to get children writing! It provided both my children with hours of entertainment & it was incredible how much my daughter learnt about being a vet & caring for animals.

Melissa & Doug Wooden Pizza

Cook Up Imaginary Adventures!

Pizza is a big favourite in our house & Sophie is really into helping out in the kitchen! This gorgeous wooden pizza set, therefore, is the perfect imaginary play toy to use in her own mini kitchen. The set includes:

A six slice wooden pizza base
54 pizza toppings! These include mushrooms, pepperoni & peppers
A wooden pizza cutter & spatula
A green plate to keep the pizza on
A wooden base to keep all the pieces in

We love that each of the pizza slices & toppings have velcro self-stick tabs on them that hold the pieces together. These tabs also allow for ‘slicing’ apart – the pizza even makes a slicing noise when cut!

We used our wooden pizza to set up a Pizza Restaurant, using Sophie’s kitchen to bake the pizza in & then serving it up to her guests at the table.

Overall we loved this wooden pizza set. It is very clearly high quality – each piece is solid wood & certainly seems durable. The toy is also a great source of imaginative play. My children engaged with it for ages in their Pizza Restaurant & loved designing the different pizza toppings. It is also super useful that there are so many ‘spare’ toppings as we are forever losing small items!

Melissa & Doug Wooden Food Groups

Healthy Pretend Play!

We have been talking a lot about healthy eating with Sophie recently & she is now able to tell us off if we are eating something she deems to be unhealthy! This Melissa & Doug Food Groups set is a great way of exploring the different food groups that make up a balanced diet & has been a big hit with both kids.

The set includes:

21 hand painted solid wood food pieces
Food from each of the 5 food groups: dairy, meat, fish, vegetables & fruit & grains
4 wooden crates to hold the different items

We have been using the wooden food to support learning about a balanced diet. Sophie has been mixing & matching the items into the food crates to make balanced meals & serving these to her ‘customers’ in her restaurant. Charlie, who is much younger, has loved sorting the foods into colour groups with a bit of help. There are really so many learning opportunities to be had with these pieces.

Overall we love how versatile this toy is & it has provided both children with lots of fun activities to do. The food items are the perfect size for little hands & I have no concerns about any of the pieces presenting a choking hazard. You can feel how sturdy each item is & I love the idea that each piece has been hand painted!

PIN 3 Terrific Melissa & Doug Games for Imaginary Play:

** Being part of the Melissa & Doug Play Panel meant we received these three Melissa & Doug games in return for this review. All thoughts & opinions are our own.

Peppa Pig Shopping Centre Review

Peppa Pig Shopping Centre Review

Shops

Lift

Microphone

Electronic Sounds

Accessories

Overall

Tonka Steel: Bulldozer & Mighty Dump Truck Review

Tonka Steel: Bulldozer & Mighty Dump Truck Review

Tonka Steel Mighty Dump Truck

Tonka Steel Bulldozer

Overall

Also…

Peppa Pig’s Big Red Car Toy Review

Peppa Pig’s Big Red Car Toy Review

What Is It?

What’s Included?

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

Zimpli Kids

Baff Products

Slime Play

Overall

3 Terrific Melissa & Doug Games for Imaginary Play

Melissa & Doug Pet Vet Play Set

Melissa & Doug Wooden Pizza

Melissa & Doug Wooden Food Groups

Disclaimer

The Boring Bit…

Peppa Pig Shopping Centre Review

Shops

Lift

Microphone

Electronic Sounds

Accessories

Overall

Tonka Steel: Bulldozer & Mighty Dump Truck Review

Tonka Steel Mighty Dump Truck

Tonka Steel Bulldozer

Overall

Also…

Peppa Pig’s Big Red Car Toy Review

What Is It?

What’s Included?

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

Zimpli Kids

Baff Products

Slime Play

Overall

Melissa & Doug Pet Vet Play Set

Melissa & Doug Wooden Pizza

Melissa & Doug Wooden Food Groups

Disclaimer

Quick Links!

The Boring Bit…