Christmas Gift Idea - Sheep Dip The Family Card Game - A Review

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If you are a regular reader to the blog then you will know that we enjoy a fun family games night every now and again, so we are always on the look out for something new and exciting to keep us entertained. There are always bonus points scored if it is also a game that we can take on our travels with us, so Sheep Dip definitely appealed as a card game with a difference.

The game comes packaged in a small letterbox sized box and features several brightly coloured images, along with pictures of several cards that display various different sheep breeds. There is some guidance on the front of the box, which recommends the game as being suitable for participants aged 7+ along with the requirement of 3-6 players. It also gives an estimated game time of 20-30 minutes. 

The rear of the box provides some further information on what the game involves, along with a list of contents that include:

• 71 FLOCK Cards
• 45 EWE DO Cards 
• 1 Playing Board
• Playing Instructions
• Sheep Breed Facts

On opening the box we found four postcard sized instruction sheets. I thought this was a brilliant idea as it meant I could hand a copy to each player as opposed to reading it out. Personally I take things in better by reading them myself, so thought this was really useful and it also meant each player could refer back to their own instruction sheet whenever they needed to. We also had a good look through the cards and the illustrations before we began to play as we found them to be quite funny.

The aim of the game is to be the player that scores the most points and in order to do this, you need to collect and hold onto has many sheep or flock cards as possible. You start by shuffling the packs and then deal five of the flock card to each player making sure that they are face-up. You then place the remaining flock cards, along with the Ewe Do pack in their position on the board facing down.

In this competitive game, you can then use the Ewe Do action cards in order to help protect your flock and you can also steal or swap your sheep to help you win. When playing a Ewe Do Action card, you must read out the words and carry out the instructions. Once the card has been played, you put it face up in the Ewe Done area and the game carries on until all 45 cards have been played.

There is also the Rainbow card to look out for as this can help you win some valuable bonus points, and the sheepdog cards can help you to protect your flock, however there are also the Hungry Wolf cards which can have a negative impact on your score. 

Overall we found this game to be very easy to understand, simple to play and most importantly good fun. One thing that I particularly like about Sheep Dip, is that the game has an element of luck to it as opposed to just being skill based, which helps to make it more enjoyable for younger participants as it prevents the older ones from always winning. The sheep drawings and accompanying comments are quite comical, so we enjoyed reading through these whilst playing as it definitely provided some sillyness and laughter. 

If you would like to find out more about Sheep Dip or to make a purchase, then you can visit their website here: Sheep Dip

The current price on their website at the time of writing this post is £23.50 which is inclusive of UK Mainland postage.  

You can also find more information on Sheep Dip over on their social media channels which can be found here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sheepdipgame.co.uk/

Instagram - @SheepDipGame

*Disclaimer - I was gifted this game for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless stated otherwise. Information including availability and prices is believed to be correct at the time of writing, but can be subject to change. This post may contain external links and I am not responsible for content on external websites.

(AD) Getting Creative This Easter with Plasticine - A Review

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

I have so many memories of playing with Plasticine as a child. It was one of my favourite creative activities and I was always excited when my childminder brought out the big Plasticine box after picking me up from school. My friends and I would all make different creations and play scenes and we would often try and make items that were based on the topics we were learning in school, just so we had an excuse to take our little models into class the next day to show the teacher.

Plasticine is a timeless classic and is the ideal modelling compound for children, due to it being soft and easy to use. It is recommended for children aged 5+ and it can be used in a wide variety of ways, that are sure to inspire artistic creativity.

When my family and I were recently offered the chance to review a selection of Plasticine products, I jumped at the chance to be involved and all the memories I had quickly came flooding back. Whilst Plasticine is wonderful for getting your children to be creative, it can very easily be enjoyed by adults too, so we had a lovely Easter themed afternoon where my kids and I tried out all the items and came up with some wonderful creations.

The products we received were Plasticine Uber Tubes, Plasticine Tower Blox, Plasticine Toolz Box, Plasticine Fluro and Plasticine 24 Colour Max. My youngest son couldn't wait to get started so we began opening all the items whilst beginning to think of what we would like to make together. My other children and my husband also had their own ideas so we split the colours and items fairly between everyone to ensure that everyone had enough of each colour along with some tools.

The Plasticine Tower Blox Set is fabulous and contains absolutely everything you need to create plenty of items or characters. The box is well presented and we loved the bright and bold colours. It is the ideal starter pack as it includes 10 different colours, all with their own funky storage tubs, 10 cutters, 2 modelling tools, a roller, a mat and an instruction sheet.

The Plasticine Uber Tubes was my son's favourite pack as this included 16 different colours of plasticine which provides you with plenty of creative opportunities. Again the packaging was bold and bright and I liked the fact that you could clearly see what colours were enclosed. Riley loved the characters on the front of the pack and thought that the sheep was really funny. Inside the pack we also found tools, a mat and a roller.

The Plasticine Toolz box is the ideal introduction to Plasticine, along with the Plasticine Fluro and Plasticine 24 Colour Max as all of these items offer excellent value for money and are also the ideal starter size packs. The Plasticine Toolz Box contained 4 small shaped cutters, 1 roller, 1 modelling tool, 7 colours of plasticine and storage tray. Riley loved being able to carry the box around and I liked the fact that it made items easy to store away when not in use.

The Plasticine Fluro pack includes 130g of plasticine in funky neon colours and is presented in the same shape and style as how I remember it being as a child. The Plasticine 24 Colour Max pack has 24 strips of different colours along with an ideas sheet to help give you some inspiration. I feel that these three items together would also make a lovely birthday gift due to their affordable price.

Riley spent ages putting all his creative ideas together and he was amazed at how easy it was to use and mould into the shapes he wanted. If something didn't work out quite the way he had planned, then he was able to reshape it and try again without worrying that it may have gone hard or that he couldn't use that piece again. The beauty of plasticine is that it can be used numerous times, as it never dries out, meaning that there are so many creative possibilities.

 

My daughter and I decided to make some Easter bunnies, but initially I wasn't too sure where to begin. I got some inspiration for the body shapes from some of the idea sheets that were enclosed with the products, whilst my talented daughter just began creating from scratch. I ended up becoming very invested in my miniature project and I found the tools really useful for helping me with the smaller details. I ended up making the white bunny in the picture above (which I am very proud of), whilst my daughter made the grey bunny, carrot and basket of eggs. 

  

Riley wanted to work with more rounded shapes, so he opted to make some Hot Cross Buns and an Easter Chick. For only nine years of age, I think he did very well and I thought his Easter Chick turned out extremely cute.  He also found it useful using the roller and the tools to help him with the finer details and he was really pleased with the final outcome.

Overall we had a lovely afternoon playing with the Plasticine. We came up with so many creations and really enjoyed helping one another and working together on some of the pieces. We love that the unused plasticine can be stored neatly in the blox cubes and we have used the tool box to store the tools along with some of our creations to keep them safe. My son has already decided that we are going to try and make zoo animals next time which sounds like a great idea. I think that the products are superb and also offer excellent value for money. I would therefore happily recommend these products to others and we will definitely be building on our plasticine collection going forwards. 

The Plasticine range of products are available to purchase at Amazon.

To find out more about Plasticine and the other products in their range, then you can visit the Flair Group website, or their social media pages on the following channels:

Website - https://www.flairgp.co.uk/plasticine

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/flairgp/

Instagram - @flair_gp 

*Disclaimer - We were gifted these items for the purpose of writing an honest review of the products. All thoughts and opinions are our own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Outdoor Fun with Bunch O Balloons - A Review

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Whilst the sun has recently been shining, we have been trying our best to enjoy the garden along with some outdoor family fun and games. Last week saw temperatures soar, so what better way to cool down than with an epic water fight that saw the battle lines drawn between siblings. Admittedly, it looked far too much fun to let them enjoy it all by themselves, so I was also on standby for some balloon throwing and water gun blasting excitement!

Bunch O Balloons kindly sent our family a fantastic selection of water toys that guaranteed us a splashtastic time. This lovely gifted bundle consisted of over 500 water balloons, a Zuru Filler/Soaker, a Zuru XShot and a Zuru Xshot Micro Fast Fill. We certainly had plenty of equipment to keep us busy and we couldn't wait to put them all to the test.

Admittedly, it has been a couple of years since we last played with water balloons, there was something about having to stand by a tap for lengthy periods of time, along with the struggle of then trying to tie them, that kind of took some of the fun away. I seem to remember it taking around an hour to fill approximately 15 balloons which then only lasted a few seconds at the most.

However, Bunch O Balloons have solved this problem with their awesome fast fill design that allows you to fill AND tie 100 balloons in only 60 seconds. I was really keen to find out if this was really possible and my children found a bucket each to put their balloons into. They also selected their water weapon of choice, with Ben opting for the Soaker, Riley choosing the Zuru X-Shot Fast-Fill and finally Emma with the Zuru X-Shot Micro Fast-Fill.

The products all come in really eye catching and bright packaging, with the items very clearly on view. This means you can see exactly what you are getting for your money which is always my preference when it comes to how toys are boxed. Each product had accompanying images, which all really appealed to my children.

The Zuru Bunch O Balloons Filler/Soaker is dual purpose as this can fill your balloons, as well as blast water at your opponents. It is really easy to use and you simply connect the valve to a water source and pump the water into the balloons. It has an RRP of only £12.99 which I think is very good value for money, considering the fact that it also comes complete with 100 water balloons. This fabulous soaker is also great for the pool or beach and can reach targets from almost 30ft away!

Riley's water gun of choice, the Zuru X-Shot Fast-Fill has an RRP of £12.99 and can be reloaded with water in as little as one second. You simple dunk it in a water source (we used our paddling pool), pull the hammer to fill and then release it again to seal and continue with your water battle. Riley found this really easy to use and it had a great accurate target range of 30ft.

The X-Shot Fast-Fill Micro version works the same, but is more of a compact size. This model has an RRP of £10 and despite its smaller size, it still has a shooting range of up to 26ft. This collection together was the perfect trio for my children and we were all really impressed with their quality and design.

The Bunch O Balloons Water Balloons are completely stress free and are super simple to use. They are self tying, so there is no need to spend ages fiddling with awkward knots and instead the balloons release with ease. We had several buckets and containers ready to store the balloons in, so that each participating family member had their own supply. The balloons each have individual straws connected which then leads to the valve at the top. You then simply switch your water source on, watch them fill and once you are happy with them, you turn the water off. We then just pushed the filler in a quick downward motion (like a jolt) and the majority of the balloons simply fell into the buckets. For the odd couple that remained attached, we just used our hand to push them off the straws at the bottom. It really couldn't be simpler!

We placed a dividing line across the garden whilst the children decided who was on which team. Each of them had a bucket or bowl of balloons and they began to aim them at one another. They were very easy to throw and they broke well on impact. Once the balloon stocks had all been used they began to use their water guns which ensured that the fun could continue even longer.

Another thing we really love about the Bunch O Balloons, is that they are recyclable. Prior to using them, I had thought about the effect of having the remains of 500 water balloons spread throughout our garden. However, I turned the collecting of the rubbish into a game and offered 50p to the child who could collect the most pieces (genius I know)!

They are 100% recyclable which immediately put my mind at ease and with their partnership with Terracycle, this provides the ability to not only recycle the balloons, but all the packaging including the stems, which I think is fantastic. You can read more about their recycling program over on their sustainability page here: https://www.bunchoballoons.com/sustainability/

If you are also looking for other ideas of how to use your Bunch O Balloons, then you can find a great post over on their website which suggests 10 backyard activities for kids and features games such as Water Balloon Pinata, Bunch O Balloons Juggling and Parents vs Kids to name just a few. This handy list can be found here: https://www.bunchoballoons.com/10backyardactivitiesforkids/

Overall, we were extremely impressed with Bunch O Balloons and I will absolutely be buying more in the future. With our holidays for the remainder of the year now cancelled, we are looking forward to making the most of our garden and planning lots of fun that we can have together throughout the summer. I therefore have no doubt in my mind that this will involve a weekly water fight, which I will enjoy just as much as my children.

The products are really good quality and very reasonably priced and I would definitely recommend these items to other families looking to enjoy some outdoor fun together this summer. They can be purchased from toy retailers including Smyths, The Entertainer, Argos and Amazon.

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

Website: https://www.bunchoballoons.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BunchOBalloons/
Instagram: @bunchoballoons
YouTube: ZuruToys

*Disclaimer - We were provided with a selection of Zuru and Bunch O Balloons products for the purpose of writing an honest review of the items and our experience. Thoughts and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Making Magical Family Memories with An Elf for Christmas - A Review

Christmas is such a special time of year and like most families we have our own little traditions that we like to do each year in the run up to Christmas Day. We enjoy going to pantomimes, Christmas Carol Concerts, creating festive craft and giving Christmas Eve boxes to each other, which all help to create childhood memories that I hope my children will look back on as adults.

However, one of our favourite traditions is welcoming an elf into our home on the 1st December, to help encourage kindness and good behaviour, as well as bringing a little mischievous fun into the household too. We were therefore delighted to be sent some gorgeous Elf for Christmas products, that will be sure to help us create some magical moments in the coming weeks.

An Elf for Christmas brings creativity, imagination and magic into any home and also help to promote good behaviour. The products are suitable for both boys and girls and have a really good quality design, as well as a super cute face and festive outfit.

The Elf for Christmas Magical Reward Kit comes beautifully presented and contains everything you could need to help create some special family memories with your elf. The contents include: An Elf for Christmas, an Elf Living Here Sign, 2 x Letters to Santa, 1 x Reward Chart, 1 x Sticker Sheet, 2 x Arrival Letters, 2 x Nice List Awards, 8 x Elf Cards and a Thank You Postcard.

We received a Christmas Boy Elf in our set, which is approximately 28cm tall with a friendly face, rosy cheeks and long arms that can be velcroed together. Our elf brought an arrival letter from Santa with him which told our family why he had been sent to our home.

The whole set is really lovely and the reward kit contains enough items to be shared between two siblings. However, if you have a larger family, then extra refill packs can also be purchased on the Elf for Christmas website.

We also received a collection of 24 Advent Letters and we have made sure that our elf has delivered one to Riley each day throughout December. Riley loves having these read out to him whilst he eats his breakfast and they are a really fantastic idea for the countdown to Christmas Day.

Each envelope is individually numbered and inside there are beautifully written notes, which together create a lovely daily story about the North Pole and the magic and mayhem that occurs in Santa's Workshop. My son really enjoys having these read out to him and each day we have hidden them with his elf in a different place for him to find.

These are currently sold out on the website, however there are some alternative personalised options still available if you would like your elf to deliver some lovely advent letters. 

To bring even more magic into our home, Riley and I have been enjoying reading this delightful book called Elf's First Adventure, which has the most gorgeous illustrations throughout the story. It is lovely to enjoy this together in an evening and we have read it so many times now that Riley knows it word for word. This is available on the website for only £4.79 at the moment, which makes it a lovely affordable item to read as a family, or perhaps as a stocking filler gift for Christmas.

We also received a stunning North Pole Sticker Scenes Play Set which included 4 different scenes, 12 background sheets and 12 sticker sheets with over 750 stickers. Riley absolutely loved playing with his festive sticker set and producing some adorable Christmas designs.

I feel that this set encourages children to create their very own North Pole scenes just how they imagine it to be, so they can tell their very own story using the stickers and background sheets. It is currently available on the website for only £4.79 which is really good value for money.

Overall we absolutely love the whole Elf for Christmas range and I feel that it can make welcoming an elf into your home such a magical experience for children. Riley absolutely loves seeing what his elf has got up to each day and the he loves reading the advent letters together each morning.

I feel that all the products are beautifully designed and really appealing to both children and parents. I have particularly enjoyed reading the story book with Riley most evenings and he loves the illustrations.

It is great that there are a whole host of accessories available to buy for our elf and I look forward to building on our collection and seeing what mischief (and kindness) our elf gets up to over the next couple of weeks.

If you would like to find out more about An Elf for Christmas, then you can visit the website, or their social media pages on the following channels:

Website - www.elfforchristmas.co.uk
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/anelfforchristmas
Twitter - @elfforchristmas
Instagram - @elfforchristmas

* Disclaimer - We were gifted a selection of An Elf for Christmas products for the purpose of writing an honest review of the items. All opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated.