Pass the Bomb! The Big One! by Gibsons Games - A Review

If you are a regular reader to the blog, then you will already know that we are a big fan of family games. They are a great way to spend some fun time together and we really enjoy trying out the latest games for children and adults to enjoy.

We were therefore delighted to be sent Pass the Bomb! The Big One! from Gibsons Games which is recommended for players aged 8+ and contains 5 different challenge groups that are sure to put your brainpower and skills to the test. It can be played as a two player game, but is also suitable for groups of up to 8, making it the perfect game for our family of five.

Pass the Bomb! The Big One! comes in a square shaped, brightly coloured box, that immediately catches your attention. It is very vibrant and eye-catching, but you cannot tell much about the game from the front of the box or what it may involve. However, the rear of the box provides much more detail and you can gain a clear understanding of the game from both the images provided and the written detail.

I read out the information on the back of the box to the rest of my family so that everyone had a good idea of how the game worked. We then sat round the table ready to play and opened up the box. Inside we found the following contents:

• 1 x Board
• 165 Cards
• 8 playing pieces
• 4 puzzle tiles
• 1 wooden ball
• 1 cup
• 1 dice
• 1 electronic timer (red time bomb) - Please note that this requires 2 x AAA batteries which are not included.

We began to set out the contents on the table and placed the game board central to all the players. We then separated the cards into categories, shuffled them and placed them face down on the table next to the board. I then placed the time-bomb, cup and ball, the puzzle tiles and the dice next to the board on the opposite side, so that everything was laid out easily and in clear sight of all the players.

The aim of the game is to think of an answer or solve one of the tasks quickly, whilst the time-bomb ticks away.  The game includes five different challenges which are Rhyme Artist; Word Acrobat; Category Captain; Puzzle Pro and Bounce Boss. Each player continues to play and hope that the time-bomb doesn't detonate. If the time-bomb does detonate, then you must move your playing piece by one space on the game board, which moves it closer to the "explosion" at the centre of the board. At the end of the game the winner is the owner of the playing piece that is the farthest away from the "explosion" in the centre. 

When we were all ready to play the first player rolled the dice and set off the time-bomb. They quickly completed their task before passing it to the next player. This continued until the time-bomb detonated which certainly added to the pressure of completing the challenges. Each challenge really got us thinking and certainly tested our skills. Our favourite was the Rhyme Artist challenges which tests your rhyming abilities and for some reason we all found these ones really funny.

My eldest son really liked the dexterity challenge Bounce Boss where you need to attempt to bounce the ball on the table and land it into the cup. He was really good at this, but I wasn't, so when this challenge was involved, it was almost inevitable that the time-bomb would detonate on me. We also really enjoyed the word challenges and I felt that these also encouraged my children to use their vocabulary skills in a fun and exciting way.

Overall we really enjoyed playing this game. It was very easy to understand and it created plenty of laughter and funny moments during play. It is recommended for players aged 8+, however my 7 year old joined in and had no problem grasping the concept of the game. It is fast paced and entertaining, so there was certainly no chance of boredom whilst playing and it was a great way for us to pass some time sat together in the evening. My only disappointment was that batteries are not included, however this often seems to be the way with games, so fortunately we do have a supply on standby for this purpose. Otherwise it is a fantastic game and we would happily recommend it to others. It currently has an RRP of £22 and is available to buy from toy retailers including Amazon.

If you would like to find out more about Pass the Bomb! The Big One! or other products in the Gibsons Games range, then you can visit their website or social media pages on the following channels:

Website - gibsonsgames.co.uk
Instagram - @gibsons_games
Twitter - @gibsons_games
Facebook - facebook.com/gibsonsgamesofficial

*Disclaimer - We were gifted this game for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.

CarGoSeat - The 2-in-1 Booster Seat and Travel Suitcase - A Review

As frequent travellers, it is fair to say that we have tried numerous products over the years to try and make our journeys as easy and as comfortable as possible for our children. Compact suitcases, an extensive collection of travel games and numerous pillows with blankets have all been tried and tested in our aim for stress-free family adventures. However, there is one particular comfort and safety aspect that has always bothered me - Booster Seats!

My two eldest children no longer require a booster seat, however my 7 year old still does and this has presented numerous problems on our journeys. Firstly, we sometimes get a minibus to the airport in the UK, especially if this works out cheaper than parking, however our usual taxi company does not provide booster seats and so you are left with the choice of travelling with no booster seat (a no go from me) or using our own seat and then either having to leave it with the taxi company or hauling it around the airport with us and on holiday.

Secondly, when we then book our transfers overseas we are often faced with an additional charge for the use of their booster seat. An example of this was on our trip to Italy last year, where we were charged an additional 20 euros each way, for a booster seat that looked so grim and tatty. However, faced with no other option, we choose to pay it, to ensure that Riley had a safe journey.

You can therefore imagine just how happy I was to hear about a brand new and innovative product called the CarGoSeat, which addresses all of the issues I have faced previously. Not only does the CarGoSeat offer a safe and sturdy booster seat for travel, but it can also be used as a 10 litre travel suitcase, offering a 2 in 1 product that is perfect for mini travellers.

The CarGoSeat is suitable for children within the weight range of 22kg to 36kg, who are also at a height of 125cm or taller. It comes in a lovely selection of colours which are Purple, Green, Pink and Blue. Riley chose to review the Blue one and I must admit that it is a really nice bright and vibrant colour which looks great.

The outer packaging of the product is minimal and can either be retained for future reference as suggested on the rear, or when you are ready to dispose it can simply be popped in the cardboard recycling bin. This is also another element of the product that appealed to me, as once you have finished using your product to the point that it is no longer required, there is an address on the back of the packaging that you can send it to, for the CarGoSeat to be recycled.

Obviously with any booster seat, the most important features are the safety aspects. This was therefore the first thing that I looked into once it arrived and I was reassured to see that it meets ECE R44/04 Regulation Standards, as well as noting that it has been rigorously crash tested. It also comes with a 12 month warranty.

Once I had removed the packaging, Riley had a good look at his new CarGoSeat and started wheeling it around the house. We tested the wheels on a variety of surfaces such as the carpet, kitchen floor, grass and the pavement and experienced no problems with movement. I am therefore confident that Riley will be able to manouvere this comfortably when we next go to the airport.

Riley was also keen to see just how many of his toys, clothing and other belongings he could fit inside, so he spent some time learning how to open the clasp safely and how to lock it into place, before filling it with items. With there being 10 litres of space, this is an ample size for some travel toys, snacks and a few pieces of clothing.

When it came to placing the CarGoSeat in our vehicle, we found this to be really simple and it literally took seconds to get it into place. It has to be used with a diagonal 3 point lap belt and it is not suitable for use with a lap belt, so this is an important fact to remember to ensure its safe use. When you are ready to use it, you simply place it on your chosen seat and lift up the arms which are located either side by pressing in the yellow button located within the wheel on each side. You then need to ensure that the red clip is placed at shoulder height for your child and then attach this to the seatbelt and ensure that the belt is safely secured across the seat. There are pictured instructions located on the side of the CarGoSeat should you ever need a reminder.

Another aspect that I really liked about this product is how easy it is to clean. The seat pad is easily removable and washable and the fully plastic body makes it very simple to wipe over after each use, ensuring that it doesn't retain any crumbs or get too grubby.

Overall we are really impressed with the CarGoSeat and we will definitely get plenty of use out of it on our travels. I love the innovative design and the colour range that the product is available in. It is very lightweight, making it easy to carry and I found that the wheels moved well on a variety of different surfaces. Riley was able to fit plenty of his items inside for safe keeping and he found it a real novelty that he was putting toys and clothes inside a booster seat. Both my husband and I found it very easy to fit in the car and I can't wait to use this on our future travels. With an RRP of £49.99 I think that it offers really good value for money and would happily recommend it to others.

If you would like to find out more about the CarGoSeat, then you can find their website and social media pages on the following channels:

Website - www.cargoseat.com
Facebook - facebook.com/CarGoSeat
Twitter - twitter.com/cargoseat
Instagram - instagram.com/cargoseat

There is also a fabulous Twitter Party planned for July 16th 2020 between 4pm and 5pm, so why not pop over and join in with the fun.

*Disclaimer - We were gifted a CarGo Seat for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. All opinions and thoughts are my own unless otherwise stated. 

Win a Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope - Competition

You may have seen our recent blog post about the fantastic outdoor learning products we have been using during lockdown, from Learning Resources UK. These items have been such a great help with our home schooling, with Riley's favourite product being the Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope.

This wonderful microscope allows Riley to view items with up to an 8x magnification and its bright and chunky size really appeals to him, as he is able to use it independently and with ease.

The Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope is recommended for children aged 3 to 7 years of age and the fixed platform means that children can observe both flat and 3D objects through the comfortable, extra large, dual eye pieces.

Riley found the microscope very comfortable and easy to use, which made him really keen to explore and view such a wide range of objects. He loved pretending to be a scientist and very quickly got the hang of using the microscope by himself. It also has a really cool feature of a bright LED light, which helps you to enhance the viewing of small details and the button was simple for Riley to control. This requires 3 x AAA batteries which are not included.

The Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope has an RRP of £20, which I think offers excellent value for money. It is available to purchase on the Learning Resources website here, however if you are feeling lucky, then why not enter our fabulous competition to win one!

For your chance to win, simply read through the terms and conditions and then enter using the gleam form below, before the 11th July 2020. Good Luck!

Win a GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope

Terms and Conditions

• There is 1 (one) prize of a Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope
• Entry is open to UK residents aged 18 years old or over
• Competition closes on the 11th July 2020
• A Winner shall be drawn within 7 days of the closing date and notified via email
• The winner will have 7 days to confirm their acceptance of the prize, before an alternative winner is drawn from the remaining eligible entries.
• No bulk or third party entries
• The winners details shall be shared with the promoter for the purpose of prize fulfilment and permission shall be obtained from the winner prior to doing so.

*Disclaimer - We were gifted a Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope as featured in this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated.