The Sleeping Beauty Musical Puzzle (The Story Orchestra), By Kaddo - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             Musical puzzle 

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:     4 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Kids that enjoy puzzles + music + beautiful fairy tales  

I’m smitten with Kaddo, a line from the publisher of the beloved Little People, BIG DREAMS series (Quarto). Their games and puzzles are beautifully crafted, with a unique elegance that’s truly heartwarming. Today, let’s talk about “The Sleeping Beauty Musical Puzzle (The Story Orchestra)”! 

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) Puzzle With Tchaikovsky's Music Clips

Like the Nutcracker and Swan Lake puzzles, The Sleeping Beauty from The Story Orchestra is a magical experience. Hidden within the puzzle are four music buttons, each playing a 10-second clip from Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet. From the eerie curse of the evil fairy to the famous waltz (Once Upon a Dream), and the perilous moment Aurora pricks her finger, the music is both dramatic and beautiful. As you complete the puzzle, the enchanting illustration of the prince awakening Princess Aurora comes to life, accompanied by the vivid sound of Tchaikovsky’s full orchestral score.

(2) 48 Puzzle Pieces Including Uniquely-Shaped Cutouts

This set includes 48 puzzle pieces: 4 uniquely shaped pieces with circle cutouts for the musical buttons, and 44 standard ribbon-cut pieces. The illustrations by Jessica Courtney-Tickle beautifully capture the essence of Sleeping Beauty. The puzzle frame offers a concise retelling of the story—from Princess Aurora’s birth and curse by the evil fairy Carabosse, to her fateful prick on her sixteenth birthday, and the lilac fairy’s role in breaking the curse.

(3) Poster - Learn About The Composer & The Music

The set includes a double-sided poster: one side features the full puzzle image, while the other offers details about the composer, a brief summary of Sleeping Beauty, and descriptions of the music clips. Flip it over to discover more about the story’s happy ending, along with a biography of Tchaikovsky and how his music brings the tale to life.

(4) Great Packaging & Components

I love the sturdy packaging - the box cover is stunning, featuring glittery details and golden holographic lettering that instantly catches the eye. Inside, there’s a thick blue cardboard insert, which helps keep the puzzle pieces neatly contained within the lid. Once the puzzle is assembled, the pieces fit securely onto the board, ensuring they stay in place during play or storage. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

Dymocks (Australia)

Booktopia (Australia)

Check out more reviews of Kaddo's products here: 

• Dream Big Bingo!
• Match The Mermaids
• The Poetry Play Kit
• Little People, Big Dreams - Amazing Women: A Memory Game 
• Little People, Big Dreams: Who Am I
• Swan Lake Musical Puzzle 
• Find The Fairies 
• Cat Family Christmas - Lift The Flap Puzzle 
• The Nutcracker Musical Puzzle (The Story Orchestra)

Enjoy the video! 

iL Concerto, By Londji - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             Board game 

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️    

Recommended age:    7 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  This is a creative board game / memory game perfect for any music lovers! 

Londji iL Concerto is a rare find - It’s a unique memory game that heroes the world of music. If you have a little aspiring musician in your home, this game is a must-have! Thank you Antipoda Co for providing a copy. 

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) Challenging Memory Game - Play With 36 OR 24 Cards 

The set includes 36 playing cards (25 instruments, 7 jokers, 4 action cards), 20 ensemble cards with music bands and its allocated points, 4 “silence” tokens, and 24 coordinating tokens. First, we place all 36 playing cards face-down in grid form. Each player selects an ensemble card. Player takes turn to flip over a playing card; if it’s an instrument card that matches the ensemble card, they continue to flip over another card until a mistake is made, OR until a player has found all the relevant instrument cards (and when that happens, the player can keep the card for final scoring!). The game ends when all players have collectively completed 10 ensemble cards. The player with the most points is the winner. This game is no easy feat and really pushes your memory skill to the max (imagine having to memorise the position of all 7 instrument cards in Septet band with no mistake!).There is also an easier play variant with just 24 cards if you want to start “easy”. 

(2) Interesting Music Theme With Wide Variety Of Instruments / Bands 

I LOVE the variety of instruments and music genres featured: from classic String Quartet (cello, viola, 2 x violins), playful Brass Quintet (tuba, 2X trumpet, trombone, horn), and iconic Raggae band (e-guitar, e-bass, trumpet, congo, drums). I love the “hint cards” that help us identify a music instrument and its “joker” group - eg piano in the “keyboard” group, oboe within the “woodwind” group. 

(3) Joker Cards + Action Cards 

Apart from the joker cards that can represent an instrument within the same “family”, there are also action cards for special advantage: “Spy” to take a peek of any face-down card, “Coordinates” to mark a card of interest, “Silence” to freeze a card, and “One More” for a second chance! 

(4) Eco-Friendly + Made In Barcelona  

This game is made of recycled cardboard and paper, packaged in a sturdy cardboard box. It is manufactured and designed in Barcelona, and conforms to international safety standards including EN71. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

Antipoda Co 

Check out my reviews on other Londji games: 

• Goodnight, By Londji
• Cluck, Cluck! The Fox! - Pocket Game, By Londji  
• Climb The Mountain, By Londji 
• Win Win Winter, By Londji 
• Postman Observation, By Londji 
• "Where Is The Cheese?" Pocket Version, By Londji 
• Save The Cat, By Londji 

Enjoy the video! 

Musical Pairs, By Starfish Music - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Music-theme card game for kids   

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:   5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Young & little music-learners 

“Musical Pairs” by Starfish Music is THE FIRST and only card game I have ever tested which was created with the aim of helping kids to learn musical notes through play 🎵 . There are so many great things to LOVE about this game. Thank you Starfish Music, for giving me the opportunity to review this. 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Match The Musical Letters & Musical Notes 

The set includes 52 cards (26 pairs of matching cards). Half of the cards have one of the 7 musical letters (from A to G) on them, and the other half have a semibreve note together with the stave (5 horizontal lines) and a clef (treble or bass). To play the matching game, shuffle the cards, lay them face down across the table. Players take turns to flip over 2 cards. If the two cards match (ie note matches with the corresponding letter), keep the pair and go again. If the cards don’t match, flip the cards back over. Our two kids have been learning (and struggling with) music notes for a while - it was amazing to watch them having so much (competitive) fun counting the stave lines, identifying the musical note, finding pairs, and testing out their memory! The great thing? There are more than one way to play with these cards. You can do “Slap” (slap the matching card), “Go Chopin!” (similar rules as “Go Fish”), and “Zebra!” (playing notes on instrument). What a creative way to reinforce notes-reading skill with fun! 

(2) Grouped In Different Difficulty Levels 

We can group the cards in different categories and play the games in progressive levels of difficulty. Level 1 cards (in blue) have notes positioned on a line or within a space of the staff. Level 2 cards (in red) have notes outside of the musical staff (which is more challenging for beginners). We can also divide the cards into “treble” and “bass” clefs notes. 

(3) Helpful Answer Card 

The set also includes a helpful “cheat sheet” showing the names of the notes. It really doesn’t matter if the parent/ kid has no prior music knowledge - we can always refer to the handy answer card when we’re stuck. 

(4) Compact Card Game With Adorable Graphic 

I LOVE how compact the game is. The artwork is eye-catching and adorable, and the cards are thick and solid for long-lasting play. This is an excellent product! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://starfishmusic.com.au/product/musical-pairs (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Swan Lake Musical Puzzle, By Kaddo - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:             Musical puzzle 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:   4 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Music & puzzle lovers/ AND collectors of beautiful toys! 

I am in love with Kaddo - an imprint from the publisher of the well-known “Little People, BIG DREAMS” book series Quarto . Kaddo games and puzzles are uniquely elegant in a heart-melting, beautiful way. Today, I would love to share about “Swan Lake Musical Puzzle (The Story Orchestra)”. 

Why I love ❤️ this puzzle: 

(1) Beautiful & Unique Musical Puzzle With Sound-Clip Buttons 

Just like the Nutcracker Musical Puzzle that I had reviewed in October last year, Swan Lake is another enchanting puzzle from The Story Orchestra range. “Hidden” within the puzzle board are 4 music buttons, each has a 10-second sound clip that plays beautiful melody composed by Tchaikovsky for the world’s best loved ballet! Press the musical buttons to experience the romantic love between Odette and Siegfried, intertwined with the menacing scenes of Rothbart and Odile. The music is loud, vibrant, and captured the emotions of the sensational ballet performance perfectly. We are moved by the seamless transition of moods, from the graceful theme of “Flight of the Swans”, jumpy “Dances of the Swans”, the dangerous “Act III” where Rothbart revealed his nasty trick, to the emotional “Act IV”. We love the dynamics of the instruments (oboe, harp, bassoon). We are intrigued by the enticing beauty of the music. 

(2) Enchanting Illustrations - 48 Puzzle Pieces

This set comes with 48 puzzle pieces - 4 in unique shapes with circle cutouts that give access to the musical buttons on the puzzle frame, and 44 in mainly standard ribbon cut form. The puzzle was illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle, a talented artist who illustrated a series of children’s books. The pictures are enchanting and captured the essence of the Swan Lake scenes. 

(3) Double-Sided Poster With Fascinating Information About Swan Lake 

The set comes with a double-sided poster with the full puzzle image on one side, and information (about the composer, a short summary of Swan Lake story, and description of the music clips) on the other side.

(4) Great Components & Sturdy Packaging 

I love the sturdy packaging - the box cover is glittery with golden holographic words. There is a thick cardboard insert with ribbon attached to keep puzzle pieces nicely contained within the lid, and the assembled puzzle pieces are held securely once they are fit onto the board. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.booktopia.com.au/swan-lake-story-orchestra-musical-puzzle-jessica-courtney-tickle/book/9780711287075.html (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

The Nutcracker Musical Puzzle (The Story Orchestra), By Kaddo - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:           Puzzle with musical buttons with sound clips! 

Rating:                      ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:   4 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Anyone - This is one of the most unique puzzles I have ever seen, and I can't wait to explore more of Kaddo's magical uniqueness! 

The publisher of the well-known “Little People, BIG DREAMS” book series Quarto has just launched their gift imprint Kaddo, and I can’t wait to tell you more about its fantastic new products! Let me share with you: “The Nutcracker Musical Puzzle (The Story Orchestra)”! 

Why I love ❤️ this puzzle: 

(1) A Puzzle With Musical Buttons! 

This is probably the most enchanting, extraordinary, and unique puzzle I have ever seen! This Musical Puzzle has 4 “hidden” buttons on the board, each with a 10-second sound clip that plays beautiful melody composed by Tchaikovsky, incorporated seamlessly into the theatrical and sensational Nutcracker puzzle scene. Press the musical buttons, and listen to the vivid and vibrant sound from the original score of the world-famous ballet performance. I love the distinct and myriad moods conveyed by the music selections: from the playful notes of “Grandfather’s Dance”, energetic “Russian Dance”, fearful “Clara’s Dream” (my kids describe it as “a spooky Halloween song”), to everyone’s favourite magical tune “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”. We love exploring the changing tempo, dynamics, and instruments (sparkly celesta, bass clarinet, timpani, and more). This is such an innovative and enticing way for our aspiring musicians and ballerinas to learn about music. 

(2) A Whimsical Scene Of Nutcracker With 48 Puzzle Pieces 

This set comes with 48 puzzle pieces - 4 in unique shapes with circle cutouts that give access to the musical buttons on the puzzle frame, and 44 in mainly standard ribbon cut form. The puzzle was illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle, a talented artist who wrote and illustrated a series of children’s books. We were enchanted by the whimsical adventure: Christmas tree and lollipops, nutcracker and the colourful gifts, flute players and the joy of violins. 

(3) Double-Sided Poster With Full Puzzle Image + Information 

The set comes with a double-sided poster with the full puzzle image on one side, and information (about the composer, music, and the gist of the Nutcracker story) on the other side. (4) I love the packaging - the box cover is glittery with golden holographic words and tiny images. There is a thick cardboard insert with ribbon attached to keep puzzle pieces nicely contained within the lid.

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.quarto.com/books/9780711287082/the-story-orchestra-the-nutcracker-musical-puzzle (Website) 

https://www.booktopia.com.au/nutcracker-musical-puzzle-the-story-orchestra--jessica-courtney-tickle/book/9780711287082.html (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Xyloba Sound Marble Run Melody Track Happy Birthday (Full Version), By Xyloba - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Innovative wooden music marble run 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  5 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Adults + Kids that love marble run construction / music composition 

 I love marble run with sound - oh that tingling excitement listening to the notes resonated each time when a ball hit a chime bar! I have seen a few different versions of such ball run sets, but @xyloba_marble_run is the ONLY marble run construction that is designed to play COMPLETE songs. I am enchanted by the ingenious design. Introducing today: the “Xyloba Sound Marble Run Melody Track Happy Birthday (Full Version)”. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Marble Run That Plays Complete Song - To play the classic “Happy Birthday” song, we need a music composition with the notes arranged at the correct order, played at the right beat and “time value” (eg in crotchet, minim, or quaver). I can only imagine the challenge to design a “music instrument” using the concept of marble run: the precise control of speed, gaps between two notes, quality and sequence of finely tuned chime bars, and the integrity of the structure. What Xyloba does  is impeccable and simply beautiful! The set comprises 75 pieces of elements (wooden blocks with connecting pegs, chime bars and arched holders, ramps, bases with marble “captures”, marbles etc). We dropped 4 marbles into the track at the beginning of each line of the melody, watching the marbles striking the individually mounted chimes one at a time, while cascading seamlessly down the track and hitting the right notes in succession. I love that Xyloba combines the inventive world of construction with the boundless universe of music. The sound produced by the chimes is pure, crisp, and surreally magical. 

(2) Clever Interlocking System - The design is elegant, well thought of with clever interlocking system. The illustrated instructions are clear and detailed, and the assembly process is easily comprehensible and straightforward. 

(3) Quality - The set is made-in-Switzerland. The workmanship is top-notch, and I love the durable and smoothly-finished natural beech wood material. This is an heirloom quality toy that can last for many generations and will be deeply loved by many. 

(4) Experiment & Compose - And of course, a musically talented builder will be able to modify and interchange the pieces to experiment, create and compose different tunes using the available components. 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.oskarswoodenark.com.au/products/xyloba-sound-marble-run-melody-track-happy-birthday (Australia) 

https://www.xyloba.ch/ch-ch/en_GB/cat/Xyloba-melody-tracks-3849/prod/xyloba-melody-track-happy-birthday-36759/ (Website) 

Enjoy the video! 

Pat Bells, By PlayMe Toys - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Musical instrument 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  12 month-old ++   

Who would love this: This is a great first + quality instrument for young kids to explore music in a fun and colour-coded way. 

I have been eyeing these lovingly-crafted Pat Bells from PlayMe Toys (designed and made in Taiwan) for a while. They are such joy to look at, and wait till you hear that enchanting and out-of-the-world sounds reverberated movingly from these little instruments. It’s pure surreal. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Eight Individual Bells - The Pat Bells come in eight individual bells made of iron and mounted in beech timber stands. Each of the bell represents a note from the C Major tones. The bells can be arranged in ascending order in accordance with the rainbow colours spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, sky blue, darker blue, indigo, (and back to red for the higher C note). The bells generate loud and crisp sounds, beautifully resonated when we pat on the wooden knobs. There are plenty of songs that can be played with this eight-note octave: from famous nursery rhymes like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Mary Has a Little Lamb, Jingle Bells, to classic such as Brahms’s Lullaby and Home Sweet Home. We love the double-sided colour-coded rhythms cards, which made playing music extremely easy (all we need is to follow the sequence by patting on the bells of corresponding colours). 

(2) Wooden Tapping Knobs - I did a review on Pat Bells Shelf from the same brand on 19 January this year, where I mentioned about the slight peeling-off of paints at the top of the bells. There is no such issue with this set of Pat Bells as they are covered with wooden tapping knobs, so I think this set is more superior in terms of durability and colour-retention. 

(3) Storage Box - The storage box is top notched and I love how it is cushioned with quality packing foam. Each bell can be snugly inserted into the encased space, and I really love how sturdy the red box looks. The box also has a nicely fitted lid and carrying handles for convenient portability. 

I love these pat bells! 

[The review was first written and published in Instagram on 22 August 2021] 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.entropy.com.au/collections/playme/products/playme-pat-bells-set-of-8 (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Pat Bells Shelf, By PlayMe Toys

Nature/ Type:          Beautiful musical instrument 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  1 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Mini music lovers 

This Pat Bells Shelf by PlayMe Toys (designed and made in Taiwan) is another of my recent loves. Having learned music in full seven notes per octave (or what they call, heptatonic scale), I was a bit sceptical of what a five bells instrument can do. The discovery was mind-blowing. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) The Sound- Each of the bells produces sound that is vibrant, loud, clear, and purely magical! The 5 bells are set in a pentatonic (5 notes octave) ascending scale, and sound lovely regardless of how my two wild kids hit and bang on them. I am especially surprised to discover the number of songs that we can play using just 5 notes. This is joy! 

(2) Materials- the stand is made of beech wood. It’s durable, a bit heavy, and is a toy to be kept for some time. 

(3) Song Books- the set comes with a song book and sheets of colour-coded stickers for melodies making and recording. If you need more songs, you can also download additional songbook lovingly created by Tiny Tones , available from its website (and it’s free!). 

(4) No Tuning - No tuning is required for this instrument, so it’s easy to maintain. 

What I have in the pictures above is a toy library set, so the paints at the top of the bells are a little peeled off after numerous plays by many families, although the beautiful tune of the instrument is not affected. I saw that PlayMe Toys also produces “wooden pat bells” and other 8-bells instruments, which may be better options for some families, and I am eager to explore more of them! 

Enjoy the video! 

Magic Touch Piano, by Hape

Nature/ Type:           Music

Rating:                      ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age: 12 month-old

Who would love this: Any mini music lovers! 

Magic Touch Piano by Hape is one of the cutest music toys I have ever seen. 

Why I love ❤️ it? 

(1) The Materials: it’s made of wood and is beautifully painted with bright and vibrant colours identifying 8 musical sounds. It’s also small and of the right size for toddlers as young as 1 year-old. 

(2) Features & Functions: it has multiple functions suitable for different skill levels; an older kid can train-up their colour coordination by following the sequence of colours on music card. But if you have a younger baby, you can switch to a different mode where any random touching of the keyboard would produce the melody on the music card placed at the slot. 

(3) Beautiful Sounds: the set comes with 3 double sided cards with 6 different melodies. The sound of the instrument is beautiful, clear and of high quality. We can adjust the volume, and also listen to demo with different variations of songs. Other than that, it also function well as a 8-note keyboard for music playing. 

This is a fantastic musical toy that I really love. 

Enjoy the video for some true music sessions! 

Melody Mix, by I’m Toy

Nature/ Type:         Music

Rating:                  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommended age: 3 year-old ++

Who would love this: Music lovers who love to shake and strike and make beautiful sounds 

This is a rainbow-colour, 10-instrument-in-one music station. Melody Mix is a beautiful set produced by a brand in Thailand called “I’m Toy”. 

Why I love ❤️ this: 

(1) Neat Storage: I like how it has dedicated slots and places for each instrument, so all the items can be stored together neatly at one station. 

(2) Fantastic Variety of Sounds: xylophone, drum, tubular chimes, triangle, cymbal, bells, maracas, castanet, double guiro, and pair of rhythm sticks plus 2 strikers and 1 scraper. It’s easy to make a concert out of this compact array of music. 

(3) Colours and Materials. According to online information, this set is made of sustainable rubber wood, finished with non toxic child-safe paints and lacquers. An eco-friendly toy deserves a tick from all of us. 

There are quite many online reviews that complained about the xylophone being out-of-tune. Personally, that doesn’t bother me that much. In fact, the wooden echoey sound reminds me of the raw and heart-warming traditional music coming from a Burmese classic xylophone. I quite enjoy the uniqueness of the sound. 

So just one reminder to all: the xylophone is not in perfect tune. 

But I do have a little issue with the slots for the two rhythm sticks. The sticks keep falling out from the slots every time when I move this music station around. This is one design flaw that I would really love to see a fix. 

Enjoy the video and listen to the variety of sounds produced. 

Symphony in B, by B. Toys

Nature/ Type:         Music

Rating:                   ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  

Recommended age: 3-year-old and above

Who would love this: Musical instruments lovers

Symphony in B by B. Toys - This set is simply ingenious. It’s a music learning toy of a whole new and insane level. The kids love it, the adults are enchanted by it! I think this is one that can be kept for a long time where kids and adults can spend time playing with it, or simply just enjoy the beautiful music demo recorded. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Educative: Fun way to learn about musical instruments. Simply move the instrument token one by one to the orchestra pit at the middle, listen to the beautiful piano melody, join in some sweet gentle sound of guitar, kick in some tempo with the drum, and elevate the liveliness with a woodwind clarinet. Sometimes, we play “guessing” game with the kids, asking them to shut their eyes, listen, and take a guess of the instrument’s sound. It is super fun! 

(2) Clever Design & Functionality: we can change the tempo, volume, press the buttons to learn about instruments belonging to the “brass” or “strings” family, listen to the demo and so on. It’s a toys jam-packed with surprises! 

(3) Shape & Colour Sorter: apart from playing amazing music, this is also a shape and colour sorter toy. 

In short, this toy is a real keeper. Enjoy the video below to see some music making in real and exciting action!