Reviews - toys page 5

Bigjigs Wooden Table Top Showcase Theatre & Bigjigs Finger Puppets

The Bigjigs Wooden Table Top Showcase Theatre opens up endless possibilities for imaginative role play when coupled with one of the Bigjigs finger puppets sets. We reviewed the theatre with the 'entertainers' pack of finger puppets which is a lovely set of 6 soft puppets comprising of a strongman, juggler, dancer, magician, ring master and a clown. The theatre requires minimal assembly to put it up, and it can easily be taken back down again for storage; the parts fit together smoothly and the high quality of Bigjigs toys is clear from the perfectly painted, high quality pieces. The theatre has a pair of silky red curtains which are kept open with loops at each side of the frame and it is a great size too - two children can easily sit behind it with plenty of room for arms and hands to move to put on a show! The theatre measures 65cm x 65cm and on the front there is a small chalkboard where you can write on the next showtime.

Children love putting on shows and the Bigjigs puppets are available in a wide range of characters which gives your little ones plenty of different ideas and stories to tell. Playing with puppets is a fantastic way to develop imaginative play as well as building up confidence as your child tells stories to adults and other friends. My mini reviewers range from 2 to 6 years old and have loved playing with this; the theatre and puppets are suitable for ages 3 and over and our youngest was always watched while he was playing. The theatre is very sturdy and Bigjigs use responsibly sourced materials which are designed to last through years of use, we have many of their toys which have been kept and played with again and again by younger siblings.

The Bigjigs Table Top Showcase Theatre retails at £25.99 and can be found here at the Bigjigs website. The Bigjigs Finger Puppets retail at £11.99 and can be found here from Bigjigs.

Strictly Briks Classic Creative Building Creatorz and The CUBE Set

This colourful set is 100% compatible with all major brick brands. The first thing I noticed was the appealing colour range of the bricks which include pink, brown, purple, grey and orange amongst others (12 altogether - a really good range). The pack comprises 60 Multicoloured Creatorz with a 6" x 6" CUBE Set in blue, grey (not the orange shown in the images) and green, plus an ideas leaflet. By starting off with the base plates/cube, children can get creating really quickly, with satisfying results from the infinitely creative 3D building possibilities. The blocks come in two sizes - a cube and a rectangle which is three times the size. They can build in any direction or even upside down to create futuristic space ships, mind-bending castles, and much more, extending their imaginations and giving endless play opportunities. The bricks are well made and fit together easily without falling apart when being played with, and yet can be easily taken apart for the next creation; Strictly Briks products are built to premium standards and that really shows. They will not easily break or bend, and will give many years of enjoyment. This set comes just packaged in plastic bag, but once you have made up the cube it can be used for storage (a very neat idea and one that encourages children to keep the set tidy), or otherwise you will need to find an appropriate storage box or keep it with other sets. Strictly Briks are one of those toys that keep on growing and growing - every time you add a new set to your child's collection, it refreshes the whole thing, giving a new lease of life.