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! 

Secret Puzzle Box, by Funyards Australia - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Wooden puzzle in the form of a "secret box" 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  6 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Wooden brainteaser collectors/ and anyone looking for a unique rare-to-find gift 

Alluring, mysterious, completes with a touch of surprise. How can I resist a cleverly-designed wooden puzzle, especially when it has hidden and functional storage compartments 😆 , such as this “Secret Box” from Funyards Australia ? 

Why I love ❤️ this puzzle: 

(1) Unlock The Box! - The objective is pretty simple and straightforward: unlock the box! This intriguing brainteaser comes in an ordinary-looking rectangular wooden box, (seemingly) made out of a few distinct timber pieces assembled and joined together with glue. It looks deceptively unassuming, definitely nothing “magical” at first glance. We tried to push and yank, wiggle and twist, purposefully and randomly, touching and trying out different parts of the box: Nothing happened. It took us a while to realize that “what it seems is not what it is”. Oh the joy of discovering that moveable little corner, and the excitement when our first drawer popped-out in a sudden! But it didn’t stop there: we soon unlocked the mystery of the second secret compartment that slid out gracefully with the right pull and strength. The experience is mind-blowing and simply brilliant. And if you can’t figure out the trick and sequence, no worries! An illustrated solution is included with this puzzle, and there is also informative YouTube videos around that can show you the steps to tackle the puzzling challenge. 

(2) Functional As Small Storage Drawers - What I love most is that this is a real container with functional compartments that we can store or hide our treasures and objects, away from the prying eyes (or just to annoy the next challenger). I can imagine this exquisite container being used as a whimsical “gift box” - the lucky recipient would have to crack the perplexing puzzle before they can get their hands on the actual gifts hidden within the secret drawers. Who needs glossy wrapping paper when you can spice up your gift-giving with such tantalising twist? 🤣 

(3) Wooden Material & Craftmanship - The box is thoughtfully and precisely constructed for the magic to work. I love the sturdy wooden material and smooth finishes. This is a piece of quality keepsake, a captivating brainteaser that can also serve as an elegant piece of decorative item. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

Funyards Australia 

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! 

Ocean Stacking Cups, By Jellystone Designs - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Open ended, multi-purpose silicone toy for kids! 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  9 month-old ++   

Who would love this: Kids with imaginations - the possibilities are almost endless! 

Some toys require careful setting-up and meticulous study of rules, but some, need no explanation and have limitless play possibilities. This “Ocean Stacking Cups” by Jellystone Designs belongs to the latter: open-ended, multi-purpose, squeezable and oh-so-much-fun! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) 5 Stacking Cups + 5 Treasure Coins - The set includes 5 stacking cups and 5 treasure coins. Simple, unassuming, but so versatile and full of surprises! Place the items before the kids, sit back, relax, and watch them inspire you with their boundless play ideas. The girl loves to include these bowl-like pieces in her pretend kitchen, serving up matching treasure coin “donuts” with them. She also loves building sculpture by stacking the cups high in the order of descending size. These cups also make amazing bath toy with cut-out holes that create interesting water drizzling-down effect. We also love building dome-shaped sandcastles using them, and stamping marine images on our sensory playdough. You can also sort them, match them, nest them, hide objects under them (and play “guess what’s under”), or simply use them as containers. The possibilities are almost endless! 

(2) Marine Animals - I love the beautiful ocean-inspired design. Each of the cup features different marine animal; 3 graceful whales on the largest cup, follows by 3 teeth-showing sharks, 3 turtles, 3 happy-looking octopuses, and 3 crabs (two half-hidden in shells). Each has mini-cutouts patterns at the top for added textural feel. The 5 treasure rings have imprints with different number of fishes; our white ring (that matches the largest cup) has 5 fishes on it, and our mint-colour ring (that matches the smallest cup) has only 1 fish on it. We love the sea creatures theme! 

(3) Colour Range Options - The stacking cups come in several colour range options; ours is the “Ocean” range - quiet and calming in white, cloudy grey, darker shark grey, navy blue and sweet turquoise / mint. If you prefer something bold and sharp, the “Rainbow Bright” range is for you! 

(4) Silicone Material - Jellystone Designs uses FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approved silicone, and its products are in compliance with Australian standard for toy safety.

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://jellystonedesigns.com.au/collections/play/products/ocean-stacking-cups

Enjoy the video! 

Smart Snack Shape Sorting Cupcakes, By Learning Resources - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Shape-sorting cupcakes 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  2 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Kids that enjoy kitchen / tea party pretend play + sorting fun

Mouth-watering, swirly frosting, sweet sugary cupcakes with vibrancy of colours! What’s not to love? This “Smart Snack Shape Sorting Cupcakes” from Learning Resources is simply irresistible, and it’s more than just a pretend toy for a tempting tea party! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Shape-Sorting Cupcakes - This is a shape-sorting toy in the guise of enticing cupcakes that can be snugly fitted and nestled in a muffin pan with 8 moulds. Each cupcake is made up of a frosting top and a chocolate base, and the two removable pieces can be attached together or pulled apart. Now here comes the exciting part; each of the dark brownish bases has a unique carved-out shapes that can be matched with a specific frosting top; We have circle, square, triangle, rectangle, diamond, hexagon, star, and heart. This is a delicious way to learn about shape-sorting, and train-up fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The matching game is reasonably challenging for young kids, but absolutely doable and satisfying to get right! 

(2) Muffin Pan Design - I also love the classic-looking grey muffin pan with 8 moulds, each of it has a particular protruded shape at the bottom that can be matched with the completed cupcakes. I love that it has another shape-sorting game that can be played in a different way, all within a same toy! I also love that we can neatly arranged and stored the 8 separate cupcakes on a same tray. 

(3) Colourful Cupcakes For Pretend Play - The cupcakes are colourful, bright, with delicious icing swirls that look realistic. They are perfect for a tea party or kitchen imaginative play. We love to design our pretend menu when playing “customer” at our home cafe. We learn about colours and associate them with common flavours that we love (yellow for passionfruit, blue for blueberry, green for mint, and red for strawberry etc). 

(4) Quality - Learning Resources always makes me smile; the toys are generally of good quality, made of plastic but doesn’t look cheap, creative, fun and educational. 

Where to buy this: 

Learning Resources 

Enjoy the video! 

Mermaid Island, By Peaceable Kingdom - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Cooperative game for young kids  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  5 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Young kids that enjoy teamwork + mermaid theme 

Peaceable Kingdom has a range of cooperative games that bring smile to kids - easy to learn, eye-catching, and with no fast-paced competitive pressure. One of our favourite is “Mermaid Island” (kindly gifted by Leisure Learning ) that I would LOVE to share with you today. 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Cooperative Game + Teamwork - Who can resist the enchanting world of dazzling Mermaids, power of magical wands, potential invasion of Sea Witch, and sparkly Mermaid Island? We love the relatable and familiar fairy-tale theme that captivates the kids immensely! They love the clear objective of avoiding evil villain and racing to their destination before the “bad guy” outpaces them. They love that this is a “cooperative game”, ie everyone wins and loses together as a team. I love watching the two little kids having intense discussion, laughing and getting nervous together, making sure “no friend is being left behind”, and making “strategies” to outsmart the bad witch! 

(2) Easy to Learn - I love the easy rules with fun twists for added excitement. On each turn, player spins the spinner, and depending on where the pointer lands, either a Mermaid or the Sea Witch moves forward to get nearer to the mysterious Mermaid Island. If a Mermaid lands on the same space as the monstrous Sea Witch, the unlucky Mermaid would have to restart her journey from the beginning (although together, the players can counter this “evil” effect if the team possesses a magic wand). The game lasts around 10 to 15 minutes, and requires consistent teamwork and meaningful cooperation to win. Both my six and three-year-old love this game, but my guess is the elder kid will quickly outgrow the game in a year or so. 

(3) Green Game - According to the information sheet, this is a “Peaceable Kingdom green game” - all the paper and boards are made with FSC papers and printed with soy-based inks; all of the plastic parts (such as the “pointer” on the spinner) are made using a corn-based plastic (which is phthalate- and BPA-free and will biodegrade over time). The components are colourful, adorable, and all the game parts can be recycled. I love that this game is sustainable and friendly to the planet! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/mermaid-island-cooperative-game (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Magnetic Mix or Match - Dinosaurs 2, By Popular Playthings - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Magnetic dinosaurs toy 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  2 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Dinosaurs lover + those that can't wait to create some crazy monsters! 

“Mummy, can you take a picture of me with these Crazy dinosaurs? 1, 2, 3, ROAR!”. Well, what can I say? Kids know what they love most the best. Popular Playthings is non-ordinary, sets itself apart with whimsical ideas, and always amazes me when I’m least expecting it. Yes, most of its toys might seem a bit too “plastic” at first glance, but once we start exploring them a bit deeper, they make me SMILE. Today, I’m going to talk about these Magnetic Mix or Match - Dinosaurs 2 that my three-year-old is in love with! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) 15 Magnetic Pieces - The set comes with 15 separable chunky magnetic pieces; when properly match and assemble with logic and common sense, you get four adorable-looking dinosaurs; Ankylosaurus, Brontosaurus, Pterodactyl and Spinosaurus. At my house, we get “silly-saurus”, “crazy-saurus”, “funny-saurus”, and “nonsense-saurus”. The kids are constantly competing to build the most illogical and hilarious-looking creatures. Playing with this toy means non-stop laughters and shouts of “Look at this! Look at this!”. Sometimes, we have multicoloured monster with two heads, sometimes it’s an upside-down jaw, sometimes it’s a strange pair of wings combined with long-neck of Mr Brontosaurus, sometimes the four feet are facing each other in anatomically-impossible way. The combinations are so silly, it’s actually pretty amusing. 

(2) Chunky & Easy To Build - We have been fans of Mix or Match Vehicles sets from Popular Playthings (which use similar concept to allow kids to create the craziest of vehicles), but I find this dinosaurs range even better and much easier to manage by younger kids. They are chunky, REALLY easy to be pulled apart and inter-changed, and the hidden magnetic locking system works well. The pieces look durable and I love how much fun they bring to the kids! 

(3) Matching Puzzle - Of course, the kids can also attach the pieces in “proper order” in accordance with the sharp, bright colours. This is a 3D puzzle, matching game, and good toy for colours identification. Once completed, these dinosaurs can be incorporated into our imaginative Jurassic world creation. You gotta love the versatility! 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/mix-or-match-dinosaurs-2

Enjoy the video! 

IQ Digits, By SmartGames - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Brainteaser for kids + adults 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  7 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Anyone that enjoys logic puzzle / single-player brainteaser 

I am in a frenzy “numbers” mood recently, and a logic puzzle that plays around with digits holds my interest exceedingly! Thank you Leisure Learning for providing this addictive SmartGames IQ Digits for review - simply awesome and so hard to resist! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Packing + Logic Puzzle With Digits - From a quick glance, IQ Digits looks substantially similar to the “Number Sorts Brainteaser” that I have recently reviewed;  Both have 10 pieces representing each numeral symbols from 0 to 9, and the aim is to assemble and pack the pieces into a frame. But the SmartGames version has a different and smaller “0”, and THAT is probably the key component that sets IQ Digits apart. Rather than a single “major” solution that have all the pieces perfectly covering all segments of the 20 “squares” in the 4x5 grid, IQ Digits have 120 challenges, each with unique solution and two open “edges”. IQ Digits is more than just a “packing puzzle”; it also combines the mechanic of “logic and deduction” in some of the challenges. There are certain “conditions” that must be met in some challenges (e.g, identifying the pieces that can add up to a specific sum and ascertain the designated space by following the given clues). This game makes all 10 “digits” look marvellously cool and versatile! 

(2) 120 Challenges In Different Levels - Like other SmartGames, IQ Digits is a superb investment if you want a game that can “grow with the kids” and loved by all ages! The 120 challenges come in increasing difficulty levels; Kids “get it” immediately, and adults would enjoy the more daunting and demanding expert and master levels! This is a game that will stay with us for many years to come and loved by the entire family. 

(3) Travel-Friendly & Compact - I love the travel-friendly game board with snap-off and transparent hinged lid that can lock all components (including the challenge booklet) securely within. I also love the cleverly-done game board with raised design that can hold the number pieces nicely at their position when we place the digits facing upwards. The 10 numerical pieces are colourful and eye-catching, and I love how light weight and compact everything is. This is an amazing travel game - hands down! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/iq-digits

Enjoy the video! 

Tea Set, By PlanToys - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Wooden teapot set with minimalist design   

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  2 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Young kids that love pretend play + tea party set 

Our two-year-old Missy has a particular fascination with teapots, cups, saucers and anything that can brew and create “simmering hot” beverages. This Tea Set from PlanToys looks “plain” yet different, simple but definitely trendy; and most importantly, Little Missy loves it! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) 13 Pieces Wooden Tea Set - The set comes with 13 pieces for a tea party for two: A contemporary-styled tall teapot with a round lid, a sugar bowl completes with lid, milk jug with handle and a short spout, two tea cups, two saucers, two stirring “teaspoons” (that don’t quite look like any spoon), and two tea bags made of felt material and white thick cotton strings. All of the items were purposely designed in chunky form, with thick rims, and huge knobs on the lids. They are perfect for small little hands and easy for young kids to manipulate. 

(2) Minimalist Design - I think what instantly sets this Tea Set apart from its counterparts in market is its minimalist, “unvarnished” natural feel, and neutral appearance. The tea set has a wooden but smooth softness in it. I love that the tea set has an inviting designer-feel that fits to be displayed as a centrepiece decor. I love the unique, non-painted and a little rustic feel of the tea set pieces. 

(3) Sustainable Material - Typical to PlanToys style, the set is made from environmentally friendly and sustainable rubberwood. The craftmanship is beautifully-done with smooth finishes. PlanToys is well-known for paying close attention to safety standards of their production process, and uses only non-toxic materials in its manufacturing. 

I think this is one durable and lovely tea set that can stand the time to be passed down from one family to the next. 

[This review was first written and published in Instagram on 29 December 2021] 

Where to buy this:

https://www.plantoys.com/products/tea-set

Enjoy the video! 

Wooden Building Blocks - Smarty, By Kubi Dubi

Nature/ Type:          Wooden building blocks with smart "connector" design  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Young kids that enjoy building toys 

“Wooden Building Blocks - Smarty” from Kubi Dubi, as per its name, is one of the SMARTEST building blocks I have ever seen. It pushes the boundary, challenges the limitations of traditional blocks. Thank you, Happy Go Ducky for providing this for a review! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Smart Connecting Joints - Kubi Dubi always thinks out of the “block”. The Smarty set comes with 67 wooden blocks in a sturdy tray - there are 5 cubes, 14 triangular blocks, and 48 long flat rectangular planks with special connectors. Most traditional building blocks requires careful alignment and stacking to support the distribution of weight. Some building toys overcome the issue of gravity by incorporating magnetic component within. Smarty, on the other hand, uses cleverly-designed joints to connect the planks; what I love most is the flexibility to move and adjust the angles of the attachment between blocks! The result is a series of models that have “sculptural quality” - structures that are impossible to be done using only ordinary blocks. We built a circular wheel by joining the planks and tilting each of them slightly to form a near “circle”. We created a standing structure of a star by taking full use of the connecting function. We also constructed a snake, a house with pitched roof that sloops downwards, and many other “hanging” creations that looked out of the world! 

(2) Natural Wood Material & Quality - The blocks are made of natural linden wood, carefully polished, and give a very natural tactual sensation. The craftsmanship is impressive; the attachments are tight enough to “hold up” the structures (the connection is especially tight when 4 planks are joined on all sides in 90 degree to form a square border); but they also leave sufficient space for little hands to wriggle and manipulate. My three-year-old is thrilled playing with these unusual blocks! 

(3) Imaginative Play - I love that the blocks are in good-size to build meaningfully structures that can be incorporated into small world play. The kids built a town where all buildings look a bit “crazy” and gravity-defying, and invited their animal friends to have a stay. This is a great toy for imaginative play! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://happygoducky.com.au/collections/kubi-dubi-australian-distributor/products/wooden-puzzle-blocks-smarty (Australia) 

https://kubidubi.com/ (Website) 

Enjoy the video! 

ABC Alligator Puzzle, By Doron Layeled - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Wooden puzzle 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Collectors of wooden/ vintage puzzles + young kids who want to learn ABC in a fun way 

I love educational toys that encourage learning in engaging and creative ways. Thanks to all the innovative and super thoughtful toy inventors in the world, we have plenty awesome and beautifully crafted learning resources in the market, making my toy review journey ever so exciting! I have recently discovered this ABC Alligator Puzzle from Doron Layeled, and we are loving it! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Learn Alphabet Letters In Fun Way - This puzzle comes with 26 removable puzzle pieces, each printed with an alphabet letter in the upper case. The aim is to arrange the puzzle pieces in alphabetical order, whilst matching them to the lower case letters printed on the puzzle board. Once the 26 puzzle pieces are arranged and placed at their allocated space, a cute green alligator with long rounded snout and big red grin, scaly body, short legs, and long muscular tail will be formed. That’s ABC matching, sequencing, and learning in a super fun way! 

(2) Round Knobs On Puzzle Pieces - I love the round big knobs on each of the puzzle pieces, which is a really great way to train up the pincer grasp skill of children. They make removing, holding and manipulating the puzzle pieces really easy for young kids. 

(3) Wooden Material - I love the wooden material and the very sturdy base of the puzzle. The set looks high quality, durable, painted with non-toxic paints, and possesses heirloom quality. This is a really beautiful puzzle be passed down from one generation to the next, one family to another. 

(4) It's An Alligator! - The puzzle looks vintage and so aesthetically pleasing. I really love how adorable the alligator looks, especially the bright and thick lime green outline on each of the puzzle pieces. When completed, the alligator looks as if it is armoured with embedded bony plates / scutes, which I think is a really clever design. 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.teaching.com.au/catalogue/mta/mta-bbb-doron (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

DIY Calm Down Bottle - Galaxy, By Jellystone Designs - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Elegantly-designed bottle to create unique sensory & calm-down experience 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Parents looking for quality sensory products for young kids 

My new year resolution 2023 is to eat gelato with no worries, count my blessing, complain less, and do my best to STAY CALM. 😊 Today, I would like to talk about this “DIY Calm Down Bottle - Galaxy” from Jellystone Designs which amazes us consistently with its mesmerising magic and calming-down effect. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Unique Sensory Creation - Jellystone Calm Down Bottle is a sleek-looking, light weight, cylindrical clear container, completes with two tightly-fitted silicone caps at both ends. The set comes with a small refill bag with craft elements and an instruction manual. Our “Galaxy” theme bottle includes a range of beautifully-curated blue and silvery materials, including furry pom-poms, snowflakes, stars, sparkly confetti, and a mini tube of royal blue glitter. Our three-year-old LOVES the setting-up process - from filling-up the bottle with the sensory package, adding warm water, securing the lid, popping the silicone cap back, to shaking and tipping the bottle upside-down to create the enchanting experience. This is a simple yet engaging craft exercise! We are completely captivated by the interaction between the various elements - the soothing and slow-flowing materials in the liquid, whirling and dispersing, descending from one end of the bottle to the other, while reflecting shimmer of lights from different angles. I love the visually-stimulating display that changes with each turn and swirl.

(2) Silicone Caps - The silicone casings on both ends were thoughtfully-designed to tightly fit onto the bottle (they are VERY HARD to be removed by little hands - a fantastic safety feature!). I love the texturally raised design of ridges and dots on the silicone covers that gives an additional sensory touch for the little ones! 

(3) Reusable - The best part? The bottle is reusable and we can replace the contents as many times as we like! I have seen inspiring ideas in blogs/ social media, including using clear glue or washing up liquid, fresh flowers, oil and food colourings, fairy lights or Glo Pals. We can also purchase sensory refill packets from Jellystone Designs (with various themes such as Glow In the Dark, Rainbow and Ocean).

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://jellystonedesigns.com.au/collections/play/products/diy-calm-down-bottle

Enjoy the video! 

Numbers Sort Brainteaser, By Funyards Australia - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Wooden brainteaser 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  8 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Collectors of wooden logic puzzles / brainteasers   

We own a few kinds of “packing puzzle” - they usually have multiple removable pieces that can be assembled into a container, frame, or a predetermined shape. They come in all sorts of materials, styles, and design-originalities. I love the “self-explanatory” nature of such puzzles. We recently received this challenging but so satisfying-to-assemble “Numbers Sort Brainteaser” from Funyards Australia , which I would love to share about it today! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Ingenious Creation - Unlike the usual geometric shapes or pentomino pieces, this brainteaser includes 10 removable puzzle pieces each in the shape of a numeral symbols from 0 to 9, inspired by the number style of a digital clock. The first “prototype” was apparently created by designer Martin H. Watson using matchsticks during one sleepless night, after counting the segments of each number and discovering a unique way to fit all the numbers in a 4x5 grid. This is probably one of the most brain-stimulating puzzles, and I must confess I cheated (after numerous “trials and errors”) in the end by looking at the instruction sheet included. The accuracy of the edges of these pieces placing adjacent to each other, and come so perfectly together eventually to fit into a slightly rectangular 4x5 frame is simply ingenious! I read that there are probably 3 to 4 “solutions” to this puzzle, but my guess is there are probably just variations based on mirror-images or how we rotate the numeral pieces. I love the unique and inspiring design! 

(2) Craftmanship - The precision of the craftsmanship is impressive; I love the perfectly and smoothly crafted angles and the edges of each pieces. The digits are placed in a mixture of orientations - horizontally or vertically, and some numbers sort of “overlap” with another in a clever way (for example, the digit “7” has half of the number “hidden” within the body of the specially-cut “0”, and the sneakiest “1” slides into the frame by placing itself at the border of the frame). 

(3) Elegant Decorative Item - This puzzle is handcrafted in Thailand. This is a classy looking puzzle that will make a really elegant table decoration for home or at any guest-waiting area. 

# gifted in exchange of review 

Where to buy this: 

Funyards Australia 

Enjoy the video!