THOMAS & FRIENDS MINIS MOTORISED RACEWAY - REVIEW

Elliot has been a fan of Thomas the Tank Engine for as long as I can remember. Over the years we have amassed countless different tracks and engines and the collection got so large that we had to move it into the garage! Elliot has often looked at the Thomas MINIS collection in the toy shop and was very excited when we were sent the Thomas & Friends MINIS Motorised Raceway to test out.

As soon as the parcel arrived Elliot wanted to play with it straight away so we had to drop everything and get the track set up. Fortunately this was quite easy and the instruction booklet was simple to follow, and luckily we had spare batteries in the garage - phew! With a few clicks, the track was good to go and Elliot couldn't wait to get racing.

The track comes with two engines, Thomas and James but it is also compatible with the rest of the MINIS collection which is handy.

The Motorised Raceway is lots of fun. The mini engines are taken up the steep vertical slope by the lift and as soon as they reach the top, they are off! There are three different routes to follow and these can be easily changed by moving the lever at the top.

The first path takes the engines down the waterfall track with a thrilling 360 degree loop before reaching the tunnel and beginning the steep journey up again.

The next route whizzes down the track which appears to be broken but the engines have no trouble jumping the gap!

The third path looks like it's heading nowhere as the MINIS roll off the edge and down a gravity defying track.

Cranky the Crane swings his arm and uses his hook to help any stranded engines!

This is a great set and has already had hours of play since it arrived. It is fast paced and thrilling and I like the fact that there are three different options. This keeps play exciting and inspires imaginations. It's great that all the MINIS collection is compatible - Elliot has already asked me for some more engines so he can race them all at once on the track!

SO FAST!

The Thomas & Friends MINIS Motorised Raceway (RRP £44.99) would make an excellent present for children 3+ and can be found at Smyths Toys


*Disclaimer: We received this product in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own

Chuggington Toys - Brand New for Easter! Review

Elliot is a typical 4 year old, he loves trains. Playing with trains, watching trains, waving at trains, going on trains...you get the idea! His Grandad is a real train buff so that's definitely where he gets it from :)

We were lucky enough to be one of the first families in the country to receive some of the very latest Chuggington toys. Elliot was over the moon and couldn't wait to rip into the box to see what he'd got!

The new range features 24 collectable Little Chuggers and various ConnecTrax track packs. The track is really handy as it is compatible with lots of other pre-school train sets - and I'm sure we've all got at least one of them in the toy box!

We received the Track Pack which contained sturdy blue track and Chug Patrol Wilson who is one of the exclusive chuggers. We also had Hanzo and Hoot & Toot which were 2-car chuggers and then Koko and Wilson who came in little plastic sheds which also fit onto the track. All the chuggers fit together too so they can be played with separately or as one long train.

The set is aimed at 2+ and the little chuggers are perfect for toddlers who are just getting into trains - they are very sturdy and well made and can be used really easily on the track. At 4 and a half, Elliot is probably a little old for these toys as he is used to playing with his Thomas Trackmaster sets but that said he did have lots of fun with the chuggers still.

I like that the Track Pack comes in a zip up bag, we managed to squeeze all the chuggers in there so it makes it really handy to take out . There are other chuggers in the set so we might have to look out for the others to add to the collection!

These toys are brand new and will be hitting the shops this Easter so keep your eyes peeled for Chugginton coming to a toy shop near you!

*Disclaimer: We received these products in exchange for an honest review. All views are my (Elliot's!) own

When you try and take a picture....!

Thomas & Friends TrackMaster Demolition at the Docks - Review

Thomas the Tank Engine is one of those beloved characters who we have all grown up with - I remember sitting down to watch it when I was at first school...we're talking almost 30 years ago ;)

It's amazing to think that the Thomas brand is still going strong and loved by boys and girls around the world. Elliot is typical of kids his age, train crazy and Thomas has been a constant in our lives since he was born!

We were recently sent the Thomas and Friends Trackmaster Demolition at the Docks set and Elliot couldn't wait to check it out...in fact dinner had to be put on hold while I set it up for him!

The set includes:
- Motorised Thomas (screwdriver and batteries needed!)
- Cranky the Crane
- Trackmaster track
- Dock warehouse

The track was very easy to put together, Elliot did need a bit of help initially to get the bits in the right order but the instructions were easy to follow. Once we'd popped some batteries in Thomas, it was time to go! Elliot made sure the warehouse was in it's correct spot and then he swung the cargo on Cranky's hook to knock it down - all whilst Thomas was making his way around the track, getting closer and closer to the wreckage. But not to worry, Thomas just speeds right on through!

What I love about the Trackmaster sets are that they can all be connected up so this would be a great addition to any little train buffs collection. However I do think children might get a little bored of the repetition of this on it's own. It's very quick for Thomas to get around the track and through the wreckage once Cranky has knocked over the warehouse so it may only hold their attention for a short while.

Elliot did enjoy playing with this though and he is looking forward to getting the rest of his Trackmaster sets out so we can connect it all up. He did bring some of his trains down so he had multiple engines running at once but new Thomas was much faster than his old Thomas ;)

The Thomas and Friends Trackmaster - Demolition at the Docks set (RRP £24.99) is suitable for age 3+ and can be purchased from Smyths Toys website

*Disclaimer: We received this product in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own

BRIO RESCUE SET - REVIEW

Some toys never seem to go out of fashion - one such brand is Brio, known for their well crafted wooden toys. Brio have been producing toys since the 1800s and are still going strong today!

We were recently asked to review one of the brand new Rescue Sets and lets just say it has kept Elliot very quiet over the last few days!

The Rescue Set contains a whopping 30 items and these include tracks, fire station, rescue vehicles, fireman/lady and even a cute little fire! (Because what is a rescue set with a fire!)

What I love about the Brio toys is that they are so well made and durable which is especially important with young children who can be a bit heavy handed. This set is no exception, although some parts are made from plastic everything is of such good quality. The attention to detail is second to none too with a little ladder and fire hose on the engine and even flashing lights and siren.

The track pieces are nice and chunky, perfect for little hands and are easy to fit together. Elliot wasted no time in setting up the track and did most of it himself, although the bridge part was a little fiddly and kept collapsing so I stepped in to help with that!

I'm not sure why there is a wolf on top of the fire station!

The rescue set is part of a bigger fire and rescue range so there is lots of scope for adding to your collection. The rescue set makes up part of the Brio World and all the tracks are compatible so this is a great collection to build up. I love that these wooden toys are timeless so they can be used again and again and for future generations!

Elliot really enjoyed playing with this new rescue set and it has been out on the living room floor every afternoon this week. Although this is his first Brio set, he has been using other tracks and trains to build a larger play area.

Elliot is train mad (like his Grandad!) so this has been a big hit, I definitely think we will be adding to his Brio collection now we have this to start us off!

The Rescue Set has an RRP of £79.99

Disclaimer: We received the product for the purpose of the honest review. All views are my own

A Ride on the West Somerset Railway

The West Somerset Railway is the longest heritage railway in England and is a trip well worth doing if you're visiting the Minehead area.

We spent 5 days at Butlins in Minehead and couldn't wait to take a day trip on the steam trains. We originally visited back in 2014 and have fond memories of Elliot's first railway trip however as he was only a little toddler, he can't remember it atall!

The trains depart from Minehead and travel 22 miles along the coastline and through beautiful countryside to a small village called Bishops Lydeard. The WSR offer a variety of tickets so you can either travel all the way to Bishops Lydeard, or hop on and off at the many stations along the way.

It was a lovely sunny day when we decided to go on the train and we were at the station bright and early for the first departure of the morning. We did have a small panic however as we spotted one of the redcoats and a massive crowd of holidaymakers making their way to the train station on an organised trip. We thought the trains might be packed out, we needn't have worried though as there were plenty of spare seats and the Butlins gang were herded up to other end of the train!

Elliot was really excited when we got on the train and couldn't wait to bag himself a window seat so he wouldn't miss any of the action! He had great fun waving at everyone on the platform.

We decided to stay on the train the whole way to Bishops Lydeard and it took around 75 minutes. The time flew by though and by the time we'd had a quick visit to the on board buffet car for a drink it was time to disembark. Bishops Lydeard station has a museum, shop and a cafe and the village is only a short walk away if you wanted to explore. It's also really interesting to watch the trains being fed and watered ready for their next trip!

After a quick stop at Bishops Lydeard, we hopped back on the next train and traveled to Watchet, a small coastal town situated 9 miles from Minehead. It was lunchtime so we decided to stop for a bit of lunch and enjoy the sunshine!

It was market day in Watchet so it was nice to have a wander around the stalls - and of course we got tempted by the chocolate stall!! We found a great pub, Pebbles Tavern which had a large selection of ciders and ales and they even gave Elliot a free soft drink which was a nice touch. There's nothing like an ice cool cider on a warm sunny day!

As the weather was so nice we decided to get fish & chips and take them down to the harbour. From here you can take a stroll along the harbour walls and see the lighthouse.

Our train back to Minehead was slightly late arriving into Watchet but the staff kept us informed and were very friendly to speak to. They are all volunteers and you get a real understanding of their passion for the railway if they stop for a chat. Elliot was even allowed to try on the ticket inspector's hat!

We had a lovely day out on the steam trains and it's something I'd definitely recommend if you're visiting the area. And especially if you have a train mad child!! The WSR also run lots of special family events throughout the year so it's worth keeping an eye out on the website for details of these.

For more information and to book tickets online, please visit:

http://westsomersetrailway.vticket.co.uk/

Orchard Toys Giant Railway - Review

One of my favourite toy brands is Orchard Toys and Elliot has a large number of their games and toys in his games cupboard. (yes, we have a games cupboard - was running out of room in his bedroom!)

Orchard Toys have some brilliant new products for 2016 and one of these was the Giant Railway Floor Jigsaw. Like most little boys, Elliot is fascinated with trains so I knew he'd love this. And when Orchard Toys offered us the chance to review it, we jumped at the chance! 

Like the rest of the range, the Giant Railway floor puzzle comes in bright colourful packaging and you automatically know it's Orchard Toys. 

The puzzle contains 26 large chunky pieces, including two stand up trains, a couple of workmen and a cow! The puzzle pieces are interchangeable which means you can make a different track each time. 

The jigsaw has been designed to: 

• Develop knowledge and understanding of the world - talk about journeys, railway safety and own experiences
• Encourage personal choice and decision making
• Develop manual dexterity - constructing the jigsaw
• promote imaginative play

As I guessed, Elliot absolutely loves this and literally couldn't wait to get it out of the box!! He loves building his own track and actually, some of his creations were better than mine ;)

One of the best things about the Giant Railway is that it can be used with the other products in the Giant Road system. Elliot was given the Giant Road puzzle for Christmas and so he has been able to link this up with the tracks. This has given him hours of entertainment, especially when he bought down a load of cars, animals and people to incorporate into the game. At one point we even had dinosaurs on the track!

Orchard Toys also have a Giant Town which interlinks with the track and road so I'm definitely going to be purchasing this soon.

This is a great addition to the Orchard Toys range and I know that it will continue to be a popular choice for Elliot to play with!

The Giant Railway has a RRP of £13.95 - see www.orchardtoys.com for more toys

Disclaimer: We received the product for the purpose of the honest review. All views are my own

An afternoon in Weymouth

Weekends for us are family time and we try to get out and do something, especially when the weather is nice! This weekend we decided to go for a drive down to Weymouth in the afternoon - there was a bit of a chill in the air but most importantly it was dry!!

Weymouth is a busy seaside town situated a little further down the coast from Poole where we live. There is lots to see and do but we decided to visit Lodmoor Country Park which we've never been to before.

There is plenty of parking at the Country Park and it's free after 6pm so we only needed to put a couple of hours on as we arrived late afternoon.

We headed straight to Leisureranch which is a small area containing go-karts, a giant slide, and various other rides. Elliot was a bit small to go on the slide so he went on the little cars..

We headed over to the country park and followed the short walk around the events green. We spotted a little train going round so Elliot couldn't wait to go on that! It felt very Autumnal with crisp leaves on the ground and lots of blackberries in the hedges. Well there were a lot less blackberries by the time Elliot and my husband had finished foraging!

Once we'd finished our walk we jumped on the little train, it wasn't the quickest of trips but Elliot loved it, especially the tunnel!

We'd like to visit the country park another day because there was lots we didn't get to do like the Sealife Centre, Pirate Adventure Mini Golf, an RSPB nature reserve and Sandworld.

We were a little early for our 5pm reservation the the Brewers Fayre pub (review coming soon!) so we crossed the road and spent some time on the beach. It was very pebbly and nothing like the golden sands of the beach further on round by the town but there was something quite relaxing about watching the waves lap the shore whilst the boys skimmed stones into the water! I did risk dipping my toe in the sea but it was FREEZING!!!

How did you spend your weekend?