Magical Lights, By Lekkid - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Building toy with glow-in-the-dark feature 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   6 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids that love building and creating! 

I have been following Lekkid (a Barcelona toy brand) in social media for quite some time - the toys look intriguing and they genuinely captured my interests. Imagine my THRILL when Lekkid reached out and asked if I would love to test out its toys! Today, I would love to share about “Magical Lights” from Lekkid. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) 36 Uniquely-Designed Modular Pieces For Building Fun 

The set contains 36 modular pieces, a base and a stand. The building pieces look like some kind of funky pencil toppers; they are roundish at the bottom, slim and slightly “pointy” at the top. Most of the pieces are hollow within and have an opening hole underneath. 12 of them come in single units, and 24 come in “double” (two single units stick together). Almost intuitively, the kids started connecting the pieces together, joining one to another. I highly recommend that you have a watch of the “Step-by-Step” videos uploaded in Lekkid website prior to playing, just to get some tips / ideas on the building techniques. We can do more than just simply stacking the pieces up vertically. The units can also be connected facing horizontally, joined in a “criss-cross” manner to strengthen a structure, be inserted upside-down, and more. We built a chicken (I love how we can use the “double” unit to create two big round eyes), an extremely cool jet-plane, a dog, a crown, a rocket ship, and a festive Christmas Tree with base and stand. I can’t verify whether we can indeed create “1,000,000” lamps with the pieces (as claimed on the packaging), but I can definitely see the BIG potential and the open-ended nature of this set! 

(2) Glow In The Dark! 

Our kids were overjoyed when they discovered the “glow in the dark” feature! The building pieces have special luminescent pigments that accumulate light and release it slowly in the dark. We love building our fascinating night lights! 

(3) Luminescent Plastic + Beech Wood Materials 

The pastel-coloured building pieces are made of luminescent plastic, and have a nice “silicone-like” appearance. The set also includes 8 special building units, a base and a removable vertical stand - all made of beech wood. 

(4) Safety Standards 

The toy conforms with international safety standards, including ASTM F963 and EN71.

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.lekkid.com/magical-lights/

Enjoy the video! 

Rainbow Sentences, By Junior Learning - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Language learning set 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Parents/ teachers looking for creative and fun educational kit 

So, what’s next after the kids have learned about phonics and words? My view - It’s putting the words together and constructing sentences time! You might have seen my recent review on “Rainbow Phonics Tiles”. Today, I would love to share about the “next level up” learning tool - “Rainbow Sentences”, from the same amazing Junior Learning . 

Why I love ❤️ this set: 

(1) 160 Word Tiles For Sentences-Forming 

We were pretty excited to see a box with massive number of tiles with words on them - 160 of them, to be exact! There are 12 articles/pronouns, 17 adjectives, 39 nouns, 44 verbs, 37 prepositions, and 11 punctuation marks. A pretty impressive set with sufficient forms of word to test out your sentence-making skills. Be creative, arrange the tiles, put them into proper order. We can make sentences from “The cup is pink.”, “What a silly game!”, “How do I look?”, to “She found my blue bike under the little bed.” - and many more. All sentences can be formed using proper punctuation marks, complete with capitalised first letter of the first word in each sentence. It’s a really stimulating and fun exercise. It’s like building a solid Lego construction using whatever types of bricks we have at home. It sharpens the kids’ creativity, develops their sentence-building skills whilst learning the correct written-language rules. 

(2) Colour-Coded Words For Visual Clarity 

The words are “colour coded”. For example, the adjectives (“good”, “happy”, “cold”) are in sky blue colour, verbs (“use”, “found”, “went”) are in red, and nouns (“bird”, “school”, “Emma”) are in purple. I love the visual clarity of it, and how the clever design facilitates word recognition to help the kids with basic sentence construction. 

(3) Magnetic Tiles + In-Built Pop-Up White Board 

The word tiles are magnetic and can be attached easily onto the in-built, pop up whiteboard comes in the box. The white board has black lines on it to help guide the sentence-building. The magnetic feature makes it easy to arrange the tiles, inter-change and replace the words to explore different sentence-forming possibilities. 

(4) Self-Contained Storage Box 

I love that the tiles are encased in a self-contained storage box, held together securely with elastic band for easy storage and portability. Love it! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://juniorlearning.com.au/products/rainbow-sentences?_pos=1&_sid=b71a42746&_ss=r

Check out my reviews on other Junior Learning products: 

• Spelligator, By Junior Learning 
• Rainbow Phonics Tiles, By Junior Learning 
• Rainbow CVC Objects, By Junior Learning
• CVC Bubble Boards, By Junior Learning
• Flashbot, By Junior Learning 
• Phonics Tri-Blocks Tub, By Junior Learning 
• CVC Tri-Blocks Tub, By Junior Learning

Enjoy the video! 

Story Time Backgammon, By Thinking Cup Learning - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Backgammon learning set

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   3 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Young kids that enjoy stories + learning a new game  

I never really understood how the game of Backgammon works - having grew up learning the game entirely through words of mouth and “make-up rules”. I’m super grateful to VR Distribution for providing a copy of this “Story Time Backgammon” by Thinking Cup Learning for review. I’m thoroughly impressed and I can’t wait to share more about it with you today! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Learn Classic Backgammon Game Through A Story 

“Story Time Backgammon” adopts the same story-telling approach from its previous successful “Story Time Chess” project - it uses adorable illustrations, cheeky storyline, and wacky characters to introduce a tactical and kind-of sophisticated (grown-ups’) game to kids! We read about the tale of a swashbuckling pirate Peglegra the Bold who couldn’t wait to explore the legendary Diamond of Icelandic, and a Viking Chieftain who (having had enough of frozen potato diet) desperately wanted to explore to legendary Land of Fruitlandia. We read about high sea adventure of pirate ships and Viking boats, ship-bumping to the “sandbar”, a wooden gate that would only open when a whole fleet (15 ships) has arrived, a “Great Vortex” that changes the direction of the ships, and the rule of “bearing off” through the use of magical dice and power of Wind and Wave. Seriously, I never knew that the game of Backgammon can be THAT interesting. 

(2) 27 Mini Games To Practise Your New Moves 

I love the 27 witty mini games that help kids to practise the moves in an interactive and visual way. We started with the simple “reading the dice” game, “getting around the board”, “Rolling with 2 Dice, to the more complicated rules of “Rolling Doubles”, “Rolling Back into the Race” (after being bumped off to the middle sandbar), and “Bearing Off” (after assembling a whole fleet at “home board”). 

(3) Large & Double-Sided Game Board 

The game board is LARGE and double-sided - a colourful “story-side”and a more “serious” classic board on the reverse. I love the clever cutouts that can transform “boring” discs into exciting fleet of ships, the kids love shaking the Custom Dice Cups (that also can serve as storage containers), and everyone loves the sparkly “Wixi” dice (to help kids with the counting when they roll doubles). 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/story-time-backgammon/p/9900033963 (Australia) 

https://shop.goodgames.com.au/products/story-time-backgammon?variant=43348722581662 (Australia) 

https://www.gamesworld.com.au/product/story-time-chess/ (Australia) 

Check out also my other review on Story Time Chess (By Thinking Cup Learning). 

Enjoy the video! 

LOGICO Piccolo & Language - Picture Stories, By LOGICO - Review

Nature/ Type:            Educational learning kit 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:   6 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Parents looking for screen-free educational learning kit 

One frame, many uses. With LOGICO, kids can learn at their own pace and skill level. We can use the same board for a variety of activities - solving tricky mathematics questions, geometrical challenges, logical puzzles, learning about colours, or doing simple counting exercise. Today, I would love to share about another LOGICO Piccolo activity book - “Language - Picture Stories” (thank you LOGICO (Australia) for providing a copy). 

Why I love ❤️ this set: 

(1) Screen-Free Frame With 10 Moveable Buttons 

LOGICO Piccolo board looks like an iPad with blue frame - but it’s screen-free, non-electronic. It’s a handheld frame with 10 moveable, colourful buttons that can be used together with various LOGICO Piccolo activity booklets. First, insert an activity card into the slot. Read the instructions, identify the problems, recognise the connection, and push the coloured buttons to the correct spots. Concept wise, it’s similar to a “draw a line to connect” activity, but LOGICO makes the exercise more engaging with its cleverly-designed activity frame and tactile experience. The kids enjoy the games and love pushing the buttons around the frame. 

(2) Activity Booklet With 16 Learning Cards & Games 

LOGICO Piccolo is designed for kids from 5 to 9 year-old (for younger kids - check out LOGICO Primo). I love the selection of LOGICO activity booklets that cover a wide array of topics - from basic numbers and counting, colours and shapes, thinking skills, geometry, and more. This “Language - Picture Stories” has 16 learning cards in it - focuses on time sequence (which picture comes first and which next), causal relations (which tool was used that caused the change), and recognises object that is out of place/ does not match a picture story. I love that the activities use settings familiar to the kids, and accompanied with bright and interesting illustrations. 

(3) Self-Checking Feature For Independent Learning 

I think the self-checking feature is the BEST part! Once the puzzles are done, kids can flip the cards over and independently confirm the answers by comparing the colour of the buttons. 

(4) Light-Weight & Compact Travel Kit 

Piccolo board is light-weight, compact, with no loose components. It’s a fantastic on-the-go activity set to bring along for short travel or family vacation! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

• LOGICO Piccolo Frame: https://www.logicotoys.com.au/collections/logico-piccolo/products/logico-piccolo-frame
• Language Picture Stories (Activity Booklet): https://www.logicotoys.com.au/collections/logico-piccolo/products/language-picture-stories

Check out my other reviews on LOGICO products: 

• LOGICO Piccolo & Geometry 1, By LOGICO 
• LOGICO Piccolo & School Readiness, By LOGICO 
• LOGICO Primo - Numbers Up To 10, by LOGICO 
• LOGICO Primo - Comparing Quantities, by LOGICO 
• LOGICO Primo - Thinking Skills, by LOGICO 

Enjoy the video! 

Itzi, By Carma Games - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Board game/ card game 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   8 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids + grown-ups that enjoy quick, fast-paced word games 

Our family loves Slapzi, Buildzi, Tenzi, and we are super excited to add Itzi into our “zi-series”game collection, all from the spectacular Carma Games. Thank you Divisible by Zero for providing a copy! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Fast-Paced Word Game - Match Your Itzi Card With Letter Card! 

As per Carma Games usual style, Itzi is easy to play, with no fancy gadgets, fast-paced, and keeps things exciting. The set includes 120 Itzi cards (double-sided, each side contains a theme or feature of an object), and 75 letters cards (double-sided, 4 letters on each side). Each player starts with 5 letter cards. Next, flip over an Itzi card that defines a category to be matched (eg “it’z a board game”, or “it’z noisy”). Be the quickest player to slap your letter card on top of the Itzi card, and shout out an answer that starts with a letter from your letter cards (eg “m” for “monopoly” board game, and “n” for the noisy “monkey”). The first player to use up (and get rid of) all 5 letter cards, wins the game! The game is straightforward, takes (literally) a few seconds to learn, and has no downtime. 

(2) BIG Playability - Wide & Interesting Categories of Themes! 

 The Itzi cards cover a range of categories - from the no-brainer (eg “it’z a number between 3 and 13”), a slightly trickier type (eg “it’z a kitchen appliance”), and those with potential for a great laugh (eg “something you wouldn’t want to hold in your hand”, or “another way to say Hi”). The letter cards are double-sided - which really adds on to the fun! Players have to frantically flip our letters cards around -checking them from front to back, whilst squeezing our brain searching for the right word. 

(3) More Than One Way To Play 

There is more than one way to play Itzi! There is “Colour Itzi” (use only letters that match the Itzi cards), Icon Itzi” (use only letter cards that have the same icon as the one on Itzi card), and more variants! 

(4) Great Design & Detail 

The words on the Itzi cards are printed twice on each card, facing two directions. In other words, you can have multiple players sitting around the table / or opposite of each other, and no one would have a disadvantage because the words are easily readable by all. I LOVE this thoughtful detail! I also love the unique long rectangular game box. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.colourfullearning.com.au/products/itzi (Australia) 

https://www.m-g.com.au/product/itzi/ (Australia) 

https://www.laughandlearn.com.au/product/itzi/ (Australia) 

Check out my other reviews of Carma Games: 

• Slapzi, by Carma Games 
• Buildzi, by Carma Games

Enjoy the video! 

Clixo Grip and Stick Pack (24 Pieces), By Clixo - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Magnetic building toy 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   4 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids and parents that enjoy innovative building/ construction/ creative toys 

“Uhhh mummy, look! This one has a rainbow on it!” The more you play with it, the more intriguing it is- that’s the magic of Clixo! Clixo is innovative, unique, inspiring, simply “wow”. Today, I’m going to share about Clixo Grip and Stick Pack (24 Pieces) from Clixo (thank you Divisible by Zero for providing a copy!). 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) New Exciting Clixo Parts With Suction Cups! 

Clixo is one of the COOLEST toys I have ever seen! It’s a blend between paper origami, magnetic tiles, building blocks, and tactile play. It bends, folds, connects, curves, spins - and NOW, with this “Grip and Stick” pack, it can even attach to windows and other smooth surfaces! This set comes with 24 pieces in 10 unique shapes - 2 Flops, 5 Quad, 1 TwoDot, 4 Longy, 1 Flap, 4 prismatic pieces in 3 styles, 2 spinners, and 4 suction cups. Clixo encourages intuitive and creative play; the pliable pieces can be twisted and folded, the structure can be snapped and secured together using the colour-coded magnetic dots (simply match the blue button to the red one to connect). The suction cups are such a fantastic addition! The kids had a blast adorning our sliding doors with their Clixo whirligig, flora pattern, ball-run tunnels, “hanging” jet, Queen’s necklace, and many other wild creations! We love the spinners that really bring the objects “alive”. 

(2) Enchanting Holographic Pieces 

This set contains pieces in blue and green theme. They are compatible with other Clixo packs (if you are looking for more multi-coloured options to expand your Clixo collections). One of the most exciting thing in this “Grip and Stick” pack is the holographic pieces that can create enchanting, iridescent-like effect that dances under the sunlight with dazzling colours of rainbows! 

(3) Made From Recyclable Synthetic Paper 

Clixo pieces are made from durable, recyclable synthetic paper with good strength. The magnets are impressively strong; the materials are non-toxic and kid-safe, and the products are in compliant with toy safety standards (ASTM, EN71). The packaging is sustainably manufactured using recycled and compostable bamboo pulp. I love that Clixo is light and compact, easily stackable, space-saving, and perfect for on-the-go play. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.coolthings.com.au/clixo-grip-and-stick-pack-24pcs (Australia) 

Check out my other Clixo reviews here: 

• Clixo Wheel Creator Pack
• Clixo Rainbow Pack 42 Pieces 

Enjoy the video! 

LOGICO Piccolo & Geometry 1, By LOGICO - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Learning Activities 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:   6 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Parents looking for fun, screen-free activities for school-age kids 

There are so much to love about LOGICO Piccolo. It’s screen-free and non-electronic, although its tablet-like appearance might remind you of an iPad from a quick glance. Both of my kids love LOGICO! Today, I would love to share about LOGICO Piccolo and another activity booklet that we really love - “Geometry 1”. (Thank you LOGICO (Australia) for providing a copy!). 

Why I love ❤️ this set: 

(1) Colourful & Engaging Activity Board 

LOGICO Piccolo is an activity board targeting kids of the age from 5 to 9 year-old (for younger kids - check out LOGICO Primo). Piccolo consists of a cleverly-designed handheld board with 10 colourful, tactile and chunky buttons that can move around the frame. There is a great selection of activity booklets that go with the Piccolo board. Insert an activity card into the slot, read the instructions, identify the problems, recognise the connection, find the matching colours, and push the buttons to the correct spots. There is an incredible series of “complex” thinking steps involved here, and I’m pretty impressed watching the kids enjoying the experience and “playing” with it like some really cool games! 

(2) Activity Booklets With 16 Learning Cards 

LOGICO activity booklets cover a diverse range of topics from colours, shapes, numbers, mathematics, language readiness,  and more. We tested out the “Geometry 1” booklet recently. I really enjoy the wide array of problems and logical thinking issues featured in the 16 learning cards. There are puzzles on finding the geometrical shapes that composed a figure, recognising objects from different perspectives, matching the position of an object, building patterns, and completing a sequence of patterns etc. The illustrations are colourful, and the activities are thought-provoking and fun! 

(3) Self-Checking Feature For Independent Learning 

We LOVE the self-checking feature! Once the puzzles are done, kids can flip the cards over and confirm the answers independently by looking at the coloured buttons printed on the reverse of each card. 

(4) Light-Weight, Compact & Travel-Friendly 

This is a fantastic educational resources which would stand the test of time. Similar to the Primo frame - Piccolo board is light-weight, compact, with no loose components. It is a marvellous travel companion! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.logicotoys.com.au/collections/logico-piccolo/products/geometry-1 (Australia) 

Enjoy the video!

51-Piece Pagoda Burr Puzzle, By Funyards Australia - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Wooden 3D puzzle 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   8 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Collectors of wooden puzzles 

I received this 51-Piece Pagoda Burr Puzzle from Funyards Australia a while back, and I must confess: I was REALLY scared to test it out. There was a little voice kept bugging me - “there is absolutely NO WAY I would ever be able to re-build this model once it’s dismantled!”. Guess what? I did it, FINALLY. All I can say is: this puzzle is not for the faint-hearted; but once you have figured out the tricks and the steps, the experience is simply priceless! 

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) 51-Piece Puzzle With Sophisticated Interlocking System 

This puzzle is ridiculously hard, but strangely satisfying. Shape-wise, it looks like a Pagoda with its multifaceted, four-sided architectural structure; it also resembles a crystalline solid rock with symmetrical cut. It’s a burr puzzle of jumbo size, consisting of 51 individual segments that can be grouped into roughly 11 categories of shapes, sizes and lengths, once disassembled. There is an illustrative solution that came with this puzzle, and thanks to the power of YouTube, I also found a few videos online that provide some handy tips to assemble this painfully challenging puzzle. I am immensely impressed by the ingenuity of the design, the sophisticated interlocking system, the precisely-cut bars that mesh and connect so seamlessly together. Oh that JOY when I slid in and twisted the final piece that successfully “locked-up” the structure securely, turning the multiple pieces into a single solid object. The sense of achievement is indescribable! It’s a captivating mechanism that would intrigue all puzzle-lovers! 

(2) Aesthetically-Pleasing Decorative Item 

This geometrically perfect structure is mesmerising and aesthetically-pleasing. It’s a beautiful decorative item at home, and will sure captivate and keep any of your puzzle-loving guests entertained for an hour or longer! 

(3) Sturdy Quality & Handcrafted by Local Artisans In Thailand 

I love the slight rustic feel of the handmade product. I love the sturdy quality and the contrasting shades of the timber that really accentuates the beauty of natural wood. The puzzle is manufactured in Thailand, and elegantly handcrafted by local artisans.

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

Funyards Australia 

Enjoy the videos! 

How To Solve 51-Piece Pagoda Burr Puzzle Video: 

51-Piece Pagoda Burr Puzzle- Review Video: 

My Parents Might Be Martians, By Exploding Kittens - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Board game for young kids 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   4 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Young kids and parents who enjoy silly, hilarious, fast-paced games! 

 “My Parents Might Be Martians” by Exploding Kittens is the cutest guessing game we have ever seen. I love the clever and fast-paced concept, and the hilarious rules. Thank you VR Distribution for another great recommendation! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) 300 Secret Words - A Hilarious Guessing Game Using Just Words With 1 Syllable 

The game includes 150 cards - with a total of 300 secret words for our “human kids” to guess. The grown-ups take on the roles as the “Martians”, who will give out clues using only words with 1 syllable. For example, for the word “Blue”, the “grown-up” aliens can give clues along the line of “sky, sea - not red, not green, not black” (but we can’t use words like “colour” - a word with 2 syllables). Another example is “Pencil” - we can give clues like “We use it to write” (all single-syllable words). I wasn’t aware how “Martian-like” (or “robot-like”) I sounded until the kids started giggling whenever I started talking in my newly-learned “language”. We had such a great laugh with the kids playing this! 

(2) Well-Designed For Young Kids Around 4-Year-Old 

Personally, I think this game is best-suited for 4-year-old or around that age (as recommended on the box). My four-year-old was really “smashing-it” - she got almost all the words correct - quick and accurate, and feeling really confident and proud. She asked to play with this game again and again, numerous times! The 300 secret words are well-chosen- simple enough for kids to guess and easy enough for adults to give out clues. (My 7 year-old thinks the game is not “challenging enough” as the words are too easy). 

(3) Cute Components 

The set also includes other components: You can use the sand-timer to instil some sense of urgency in the game, and also giving out Point Tokens (36 stars) if you are playing in teams. There is also a cardboard megaphone which the kids really love (although not strictly necessary in the gameplay). I love the 2 separate instructions for the grown-ups (a longer version) and for the kids (a shorter version that sets the scene). 

(4) Adorable Extraterrestrial Theme 

I love the adorable extraterrestrial-inspired artwork with one-eyed aliens and clueless human kid on the box. I also love the box inserts that keeps the components organised neatly in different compartments. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/my-parents-might-be-martians-card-game/p/9900011219 (Australia) 

https://www.gamesmen.com.au/my-parents-might-be-martians-card-game (Australia) 

https://www.kidstuff.com.au/products/my-parents-might-be-martians (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Spelligator, By Junior Learning - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Board game for kids 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids and parents, especially those who enjoy word-building games (like Scrabble)

 

If I must name a favourite words-building games for kids, “Spelligator” from Junior Learning is definitely in my TOP three! In fact, Spelligator is apparently the first-ever product of Junior Learning (created in 2009) and remains one of its top-sellers! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Word-Building Game With Colourful Chomping Spelligators! 

Spelligator helps kids to navigate the tricky world of phonics through joyous games involving colourful alligators! We love words-forming exercise - Spelligator throws in some competitive elements and fast-paced thrill in it, making this game simply irresistible! The set contains 4 plastic alligators (or “Spelligators”), 75 letter tiles, a word list, and a game guide. To play, each player takes a “Spelligator”, and spread all the tiles faced down on the table. Now, each player flips over a tile in turn, until a player can create a word by placing 3 tiles on the back of their Spelligator. The play continues until all tiles have been turned over and no more words can be made. The winner is the player with the highest stack of correct words. My 7-year-old and myself are loving the game! 

(2) Colour-Coded Letter Tiles With 3 Unique Shapes To Guide Letter-Positioning

The 75 lower-case, colour-coded letter tiles consists of 23 word beginnings, 27 word endings, and 25 middle tiles. The 3 types of tiles have their own unique shapes to guide the letter-positioning (eg the tiles “ss” and “ng” can only be placed at the end, “br” and “bl” at the beginning, and “ea” and “oi” in the middle). The tiles cover consonants, vowels, digraphs, blends - there are sufficient possibilities to form simple CVC words (like “sit”, “rat”, “bag”), as well as complex words like “church”, “draft”, “speech”, and “stamp”. 

(3) Very Helpful Word List 

I LOVE the handy word list - featuring words that can be built using the tiles, arranged in alphabetical order for easy reference. I did a rough count - there are around / over 700 words in the list! 

(4) Quality Components & Adorable Design 

I love the sturdy plastic tiles that give us a sense of “accomplishment”, watching them stacked up into little mountains of words. The tiles have hollowed-out design to snugly fit into the mould on the alligator’s back. The idea of a chomping alligators as tiles holder is such an adorable idea for kids! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://juniorlearning.com.au/products/jl100-spelligator?_pos=1&_sid=d0c6be619&_ss=r

Enjoy the video! 

4 To Win, By Families Play Forever - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            A modern twist to classic "Connect Four" 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   6 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Strategy game lovers 

“Connect Four” is that sort of game that never grows old. We love the classic, but we can’t resist a creative variation of a well-loved strategy game. Check out “4 To Win” from Families Play Forever . Thank you Divisible by Zero for providing this amazing game for a review! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) A Creative & Modern Twist To Classic Connect Four 

Now, remember how the classic Connect Four works? Two players, taking turn to drop a ball or a disc into columns of a vertical board, strategically planning and aiming to get 4 in a row to win? “4 To Win” retains the same 4-in-a-row concept, save that now we can play the game with more players (2 to 4). “4 To Win” comes with a box of 85 square tiles (20 x each of blue, red, green, yellow; 5 x white). Each player chooses a colour and gets all 20 squares of that colour plus 1 white square. Place a white square at centre of table as the starter square. Each player now takes turn to lay a tile right next to another square on the table (touching a side of a tile, not just the corner). Players can use their special white tile as a “blocking square” to stop another player from winning. The first player who aligns 4 tiles of their colour in a row (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) wins the game. I’m genuinely surprised how addictive the game is - it’s a little “chaotic”, a bit more “unpredictable”, more strategy required, and harder to “control” without any confined border or frame restricting the placement of the tiles. 

(2) TEN Game Variations Included 

The GREATEST thing that I love about this set: there are SO MANY game variations included (10 to be exact), and it’s impossible to get bored with it! We love the “Modern 3D Rules” where we get to place our tiles on top of another coloured square up to a stack of 4. We also love the “5-in-a-row” rule for a more challenging variant, or “Colourful” rule for a 2 players game (each player plays with 2 colours). There is also a 4-in-a-L, “Rainbow” (4 different colours in a row), “Team Up” (2 v 2) and more! 

(3) Solid, Chunky & Colourful Tiles 

I also love the solid and chunky feel of the tiles; they are thick and colourful, and make a “click-clack” sound when knock against each other. Everything fits in the box neatly. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.gamesworld.com.au/product/4-to-win/ (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Squishmallows Take 4, By What Do You Meme - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Board game 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:   8 year-old ++ / or younger kids 

Who would love this: Anyone who loves quick & simple games + squishy Squishmallows! 

FANS of squishy, cuddly, squashy Squishmallows - Look Over Here! 👀 Have you heard of this adorable card game called “Squishmallows Take 4” by What Do You Meme ? It’s an irresistible game for lovers of cute plushies (thank you VR Distribution for providing a copy!). 

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) Race To Build A Squad Of Squishmallows 

The set includes 1 Squishmallows Benny Plush, 64 Squishmallows cards (16 Squishmallows types x 4 each), and 20 Number Cards. The 16 Squishmallows are divided into 4 “Squads”- Classic, Food, Fantasy, and Sealife (4 characters in each group). The game is easy to learn, fast-paced, and captivatingly fun (my two kids are loving it). On each round, place 4 Squishmallows cards faced-up on the table, each under a Number Card (1,2,3,4). Players simultaneously “bid” for their desired Squishmallows by revealing a Number Card of choice. Keep the Squishmallow card if you’re the only person who has picked the number. If 2 or more persons have chosen the same number, they must rush to be the first person to grab Benny to win the card. The first player who successfully build a full Squishmallows Squad with all 4 members wins the game. We sabotaged each other’s attempt to build their Squad whilst trying to gather sufficient Squishmallows to form a complete Squad. And of course, everyone loves to grab Benny! There is not much complex strategy in this game, which makes this a delightful family game for young kids. 

(2) BENNY! BENNY! BENNY

Everybody loves Benny - he is exclusive, hairy, squishy, with clip-on feature, and looking pretty cool with his iconic black beanie. Benny the Bigfoot was “born” on 11.09.2022, and is apparently, one of the “smartest creatures in the world”. 

(3) Super-Duper CUTE Squishmallows Artwork

The artwork is super-duper cute - each of the Squishmallows characters are adorable and charming. Sheldon the pink seahorse has a big snout and white belly, Leonard the Lion has unique rainbow mane, Malcolm the Mushroom has the loveliest smile, and Carl the cheeseburger is such a delicious classic! 

(4) Organised & Solid Game Box 

I love the colourful Squishmallows graphics on the box. The game box is solid, and I love the thoughtful and organised inserts for the components. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.target.com.au/p/squishmallows-take-4-card-game/69080463 (Australia) 

https://www.gamesworld.com.au/product/squishmallows-take-4-card-game/ (Australia) 

https://www.gamesmen.com.au/take-4-squishmallows-card-game (Australia) 

Enjoy the video!