Triqo Review And Competition Time !!!

I was lucky enough to receive a box of Triqo, the fabulous, award winning toy sensation from the Netherlands that is set to delight children of all ages here in the UK! From the moment I unpacked the parcel I had the sense that Triqo might be a superior quality product and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The packaging was very elegant and the colourful creations depicted looked like great fun that we couldn't wait to dive in. My kids are massive fans of Lego and the computer game Minecraft so we're very excited about the possibilities of creating on a potentially large scale.

What is Triqo?

Triqo is a new, unique construction toy. With only two forms, a triangle and a square, in ten colours you can create an endless amount of three-dimensional constructions. The components are made of exceptionally strong and flexible polypropylene which is fully recyclable and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Triqo is a Dutch company and the Triqo product is not only a Dutch invention but also produced in the Netherlands. Each Triqo package is quality approved with the stamp ‘Dutch Design – Made in Holland’."

Triqo is advertised as being suitable for children aged 5 and up although this is likely due to the application of force needed to join the units rather than any other factor as the pieces are certainly big enough for safe play.

What’s in the box?

The pack I received contained 100 pieces in total made up of 60 Squares and 40 Triangles in ten different and very vibrant colours. Each piece is very robust and initially flat with little fasteners along the each of the (foldable) edges. These fasteners interlock to create 3D shapes in a similar manner to fasteners on a coat. All that’s required after that is a little imagination and the possibilities are endless! A handy A4 information guide is included with a number of pictured examples and the quantity of each shape required to help start you off. This guide is a full colour, double-sided affair on thick glossy card and likely intended to be kept as a keepsake rather than discarded. Again, the quality is very evident. 

We all quickly got to work and began trying to create something amazing and I will say it took us all, even me, a little while to get used to how the interlock of the pieces together as for many constructs you have to fold everything back on itself. It quickly becomes second nature though and the holes in each of the pieces make it easy to use your fingers to clip together those otherwise hard to reach final fasteners as your Triqo design develops from a flat form to a full realised object. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention at this point that my husband mentioned that his fingertips were sore from clipping down a large number of plastic fasteners after completing a fairly large design but he also makes the same observation when it comes to Lego and especially Meccano so if you have sensitive hands you might experience a similar thing. It didn’t bother myself or the kids though so maybe it was just fastening fatigue on his part! 

The truly great thing is that once you have the jist of the product the possibilities it presents are endless. On the product guide and on the Triqo website there are some truly magnificent creations including hats, animals, famous landmarks and a brilliant and massive castle. As the product is completely interchangeable buying more packs to add to your current stock is an easy option should you want to try your hand at larger or more colour coordinated designs. The price is right too with RRPs as low as £16.99 for the starter pack of 50 pieces (currently £12.09 with free delivery on Amazon) and booster packs much cheaper than that, making larger projects affordable – could you imagine the cost, time and potential lack of fun involved in making a kid-sized castle from other brands of smaller connectable blocks?  We will be definitely be ordering more Triqo in the future especially with the lengthy school summer holidays on the horizon.

Triqo Deco

In addition to the main Triqo product we were also blessed to receive a box of Triqo Deco which is used in conjunction with Triqo to add yet another level to your designs. The smooth coloured shapes are form fitted to enhance the Triqo blocks and add a nice finishing touch. Some of our designs using the Deco add-on reminded me of the colourful look of a Rubik's Cube and the boys liked it in particular as they likened it too adding armour! It’s a nice addition should you feel inclined and makes things look more professional as it hides the seams so to speak.

Overall

As a parent I was very impressed with Triqo. Computer games and gadgets seem to be the focal point for children in many households these days so it’s great to see a new product on the market that encourages imagination, tactile hand-eye coordination and cooperation. All my young ones have had hours of enjoyment playing with Triqo, learning about and creating new shapes. Unlike most construction toys when unformed the product is flat which makes storage a breeze. It goes without saying that there are also no issues with standing on a piece in the middle of the night or sucking some up the hoover!

I can see Triqo being popular with UK parents this Christmas as it’s not only great fun but also covers that often hard to cover educational quota too. My own children are discovering and learning about shapes and forms in school at the moment so it’s been great for them to use the Triqo to visually create the forms in front of them. This in turn has helped with their homework and kept them interested.  I believe this would be a great product for schools to have in the classroom

COMPETITION – WIN A BOX OF TRIQO!

I'm so excited about Triqo and am sure you will be too so i'm pleased to announce that in conjunction with Triqo I have a competition running to win your very own mixed box of Triqo worth £29.99! 
The competition will be running for two weeks via the rafflecopter widget on this page so spread the word, best of luck and happy crafting!

You can find more information about Triqo from their website: http://www.arkdiyproducts.com/triqo and there Facebook and Twitter pages too.... 

Triqo can be purchased from www.amazon.co.uk with prices currently starting from as little as £6.97 for booster packs!

Please let them know of there Facebook Page that I sent you ...... when you enter There comp please .....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ravensburger Aquarelle Review

With the English weather proving as unpredictable as ever and outdoor activities being curtailed due to rain it’s comforting to think that Ravensburger once again has mums and dads covered with yet another product that is sure to bring a smile to the faces of children whilst keeping them engaged. If you're thinking along the lines of a jigsaw or a fantastic new board game you'd be wrong as Ravensburger have recently launched Aquarelle, a new range of liquid watercolour painting kits which have already won the Best New Toy award in the Creative category at the 2012 London Toy Fair.

 

The new Ravensburger Aquarelle range is recommended for budding artists aged 8 to 13 but myself and my 5 year old son enjoyed painting just as much as my 8 and 10 years so I would have no hesitation in recommending the product for boys and girls of all ages.

What's great about these new sets is the pictures have paint repellent lines outlining the forms (we had the horse set) which helps the watercolours to stay in the allotted sections, keeping budding Rembrandts on course. This has the added effect of providing a really tasteful effect to finished images as these outlines become part of the art work and help highlight the really vibrant colours. Even those new to painting will find this fun and although it’s easy to produce an attractive image those that fancy a bit more of a challenge have absolute freedom to create shading and mix a variety of additional colours from the pots of liquid watercolour provided.

 

Aquarelle sets come in different sizes and subjects from the mini (8.5 x 12 cm) which contains one painting sheet to the Midi (20 x 27cm) and finally the Maxi set (36 x 27cm) which both contain three painting sheets. Sets are varied and currently include horses, fairies, fish, butterflies, cities, cats, dolphins, safari and beach paradise scenes amongst others!

The multiple language instruction manual provides advice on colour mixing and a testing sheet is included meaning you can check to ensure you have the desired colour before you commit to placing it on your masterpiece!

Product: Aquarelle Midi set: Horses

What’s in the box:

• 5 liquid watercolour paints - red, blue, black, yellow & pink
• Mixing palette
• Double ended brush
• Testing card
• Colour Chart and instructions
• Three pictures to paint
• Pipette 
  

I think these sets are fun for all weathers and would make great and affordable gifts for those all important school birthdays amongst others. There is a good selection of topics to paint and the vibrant final results really surprise and will look great on any fridge, wall or art gallery! I’d definitely invest in Aquarelle again for my kids as we all had fun painting although next time I think we’ll try one of their bigger sets as it did not take long too long to paint all three sheets, especially as we shared, and it was a shame when we had finished as the children in particular were keen to carry on . The only potential downside was that the double-ended paintbrush, whilst a great idea, had two very small tips that were perhaps better suited to more detailed work rather than covering some of the larger sections in the painting. We had some watercolour brushes to hand that we choose to use instead and feel these were more up to the task. The smaller brush(es) provided might also not withstand children who are less sure or heavier of hand but the overall feel of the product is one of quality as is to be expected from the Ravensburger brand.

 

RRP:

Aquarelle sets retail from as little as £4.99 for the mini to £14.99 for the Maxi and can be purchased at www.amazon.co.uk

 

Mummy Age 30

Amy Age 10

Robert Age 5

 

Indigo Board Game Review by Ravensburger

Since I was very young I have always loved playing board games so when I was asked if i would like to review Indigo from Ravensburger it was a very easy yes please! As soon as the game arrived I was struck by the appealing box art with its interesting intercut design and classy gold (and indigo) colouring. Inside this box of delights I was greeted with a multiple language manual, counters which act as your gates, brightly coloured blue, yellow and green gems, hexagonal tiles and the board itself. Although the gems are made of glass the tiles and counters are cardboard and need to be popped out from a sheet prior to play. This is very easy to do and the box itself has different compartments so the game’s elements can be stored away safely after play.

 

 

A Brief History of Indigo

Indigo is a deep shade of blue obtained from the Indian indigo plant since ancient times. Its deep hue is a symbol of eternity and immortality and it is often referred to as the colour that helped shape the world as it was the prominent dye used in clothing and materials imported from abroad as trade routes opened up by ocean travel made the far corners of the earth suddenly more accessible. The colour is said to have a soothing effect meant to provide a clear head - exactly what players need to keep during the game as their search for the most precious gems progresses...

 

 

Indigo: the Game

Having a wide experience of board games I found Indigo was particularly easy to set up and intuitive to play. The rules were very easy to follow and refreshingly didn’t involve reading reams of confusing text before the fun could began.

 

The main idea of Indigo is to collect gems by moving them closer to your gate with each turn. Players achieve this by placing hexagonal tiles on the game board to create a path towards their gates. Sounds easy enough but there is a twist as each of the tiles are different and tiles are collected at random. You may, for example, require a tile that acts as a straight line to get you closer to your gate but instead receive a curved tile that takes you further away from your chosen goal benefiting your opponent. 

 

To set up the game board you must place the main hex tile at the centre of the board and then place five green gems and one indigo gem onto it. Next you place the six blue tiles on their designated locations on the outer edge of the board and put a yellow gem on each of those tiles. Each player then chooses a coloured gate and then places these between the blue tiles on the edge of the game board with the number of players affecting the number of goals. For example, in a two player game the players alternate goals whilst in a three player game each player has one goal to themselves while sharing two others. Finally in a four player game, each participant shares a goal with every other player. This is much less complicated than I've probably made it sound – it’s actually really easy to get to grips with!

 

In the game each gem colour is worth a different value with indigo, the most sought after, being worth 3 points, green gems worth 2 points and yellow gems a single point. In the end the player with the highest accumulation of points wins the game but be warned - if two gems ever cross paths they are then removed from the board! In addition when a gem is moved to a goal owned by only one player, that player keeps the gem. If two players own the goal then both players collect a gem of that colour taking the extra gem needed from the reserve pile. So you must keep a eye on the board and your gems at all times while trying to think of your next move all the while anticipating where your next tile may lead you...

 

The overall look of the game is one of quality and each of the components feels well made and durable. The classy box and board design, not too mention the glass gems, give Indigo that extra wow factor and a real feeling of quality. Packing away following play is made easy by the thoughtful storage compartments although Indigo is a game that should see frequent use as it’s so easy to jump into and games remain fun without ever being drawn out.

 

 

Number of Players

Indigo is designed for anywhere from 2 to 4 players and if you are able it might be worth playing a quick game or two one on one to familiarise yourself with the rules before a third or forth player is introduced, especially if competing against younger players. That’s not to say it’s exponentially more difficult, far from from it, but more players means more gates and further additions to the rules making the game instantly more competitive as luck takes a back seat to strategy. Children in particular may find things confusing if they have no prior experience of the game before jumping into the fray as they find what they thought was their gem suddenly becomes the property of another player and so on. In a further twist players can team up to prevent the distribution of certain gems adding another layer to the game’s depth. With this in mind a little explanation before hand would certainly serve novice younger players as well as things do move at quite a pace once the game begins.

 

 

Age Range

Indigo is recommended for families and has a suggested age rating of 8 and over but my 7 year old thoroughly enjoyed playing and had no issues understanding the concept of the game or it’s rules during a two player game. As mentioned above there is a certain element of chance involved along with the strategy which keeps things fresh and accessible and Indigo is so adaptable that I would recommend it for couples, families or friends of all ages.

 

Game Length

We’ve enjoyed playing Indigo many times over and found that in our experience the average game length was roughly 20 to 30 minutes for 2 to 3 player games.

 

Overall

Indigo is a beautifully designed family game and certainly one that we will continue playing. Each game is different and great fun. Not knowing who might win, even at the last minute, makes it very exciting and unpredictable which keeps the boredom factor at bay. Thoroughly recommended.

Available at Amazon 

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Pirate Party Arghhhh !!!!!

Ahoy Me Hearties!!

Today we set our sights on the Interplay Craft Pirate Party box, a perfect way to while away a couple of hours shore-leave for you and your little landlubbers! Whether you are having a party or just looking to entertain this set is sure to amuse any future pirate wannabes.

The bounty aka what's in the box:

• 6 Pirate Treasure Chests (ready to paint)
• 6 Pirate Hats
• 6 Adjustable Headbands (for the Pirate Hats)
• 6 Stickers of Skull and Crossbones (to stick on the hats)
• 6 Pirate Eye Patches 
• 6 Elastic strings (for the Eyepatches)
• 12 Pots Of paint in four Colours
• 6 Paint Brushes
• 24 Gold Pirate Doubloons
• 1 Set of instructions and fun game ideas

So with the box pillaged my little pirates were all geared up ready to get to work! Whilst the Interplay Craft Pirate Party pack is aimed towards kids from ages 5-8 according to the box my 10 year old  daughter had a go as well as she loves to participate in craft activities. I didn’t in anyway feel the product was aimed beneath her and in fact I even joined in - painting a treasure chest and wearing a skull and crossbones hat! We also had a few stowaways at our gathering as you can see from the picture below...

So we got to work adding colour to arr (pirate joke) plastic treasure chests with the small pots of paints provided and I was instantly surprised at how good the quality of the paint was. It covered the plastic really well and the colours were vibrant and opaque. Perhaps the only downside was that it might work better if the pots were pre-sorted in rows of varying colours so that they could be easily distributed amongst the crew instead of being attached together in several rows of the same colour. Whilst you can just as easily separate each pot from the row with scissors we found this somewhat fiddly as the individual pots didn’t balance well after they were ‘separated from the main ship’ so to speak! In the end we propped them up against DVD cases to ensure no blood paint was spilled and to avoid mum having to swab the deck! It’s a minor quibble though and hardly call for a mutiny against this fun and very engaging product which is almost worth it’s weight in gold!

Making there Pirate hats 

Some time later we had finished painting our treasure chests and were ready for some grub and grog (food and drink to those of ye who haven’t yet sailed the seven seas!) and then played some pirate games while we waited for the paint to dry (this took about 30 minutes).

Peg Leg Pirate

The aim of this game was to see who could stand on one leg the longest. Of course mummy was no good at this one and to make it even more tricky we even tried the recommended blindfolded variation!

The Captain Says

This next game was just like ‘Simon Says’. We all had a turn and playing this was great fun as we had to think up pirate themed ideas like ‘the Captain says sing a pirate shanty‘ or ‘the captain says squawk like a Parrot’. But be warned if the Captain does not say ‘the captain says’ then you could be made to walk the plank for disobeying orders!

There are plenty more games to play including Musical Pirate Ships which is a bit like musical chairs only the chairs form a boat and the boat is sinking as well as X Marks the Spot which is a pirate version of pin the tale on the donkey which sees a crew member place a X on the floor for a blindfolded shipmates to locate. Whomever places their treasure chest nearest the X wins!

By the time we had finished following the instructions of the pirate games from our set we found our treasure chests were dry. We were all really pleased with the results. They all looked very colourful and quite authentic which helped us feel we were well on our way to earning our pirate stripes. With this decorative work now completed we had just one more game to play that involved using our treasure chests and our pirate golden doubloons. The doubloons are excellent quality by the way and perhaps surprisingly made of metal. The look a little like actual £1 coins although I'm not sure they’d be accepted at your local supermarket!

Our Treasure Chests

The Treasure Hunt

No Pirate Party would be complete without a good old pirate treasure hunt, The aim of this game was to hide the golden doubloons around the house and then your little pirates had to find the booty. We decided to add some chocolate coins and sweets to ours as well to extend the adventure. WARNING: this game might make your house look like it had been attacked by the legendary sea beast the Kraken! Once the house was thoroughly ransacked and the kids had found all the captain’s treasure and the game was complete.

Phew... it was over and we all had a fab time playing with the Pirate Party box. Obviously we can now play the games at anytime and the treasure boxes, doubloons, hats and eye patches are of a good quality and a great keepsake so there will no doubt be further adventures to come. It’s a brilliant idea for a themed children’s party (although more sets would be required for groups of more than 6) and with them all making there own Treasure chest its like a party bag in itself.  My own kids had such a good time they are already asking about the other party boxes that Interplay produce so whether you have a pirate or a princess these are a great way to amuse the kids at any time.

The Pirate Party box from Interplay is arr-ty, active and engaging long-term fun for all the family and gets a big thumbs up in my house. Just remember were you hide all your doubloons!

Interplay Craft Pirate Party box is available from there site or places like amazon starting at £19.99 ......

Tomato's Oh my !!!

Well hello readers so sorry been very quiet been busy getting grips with windows 8 aghhhh finding it very hard ... but getting there slowly ... so not been able to blog as much as i wanted so today i have a few things to post and a  pirate party review going on today too ....... so watch this blog !!!

But anyway just a quick heads up of a future review coming very soon of this Fab new Game Indigo from Ravensburger  looks really good too cant wait to get to grips with the rules and get playing  this very soon.

In the mean time let me know of any fun games you like to play with your kids ....

Also a quick update on our Tomato plants that me and Robert planted together in February here is the link on the day we planted them ..... well they have grown and wow have they grown it was finally time to replant the pots and get them outside ...

So seeing as it was a gorgeous day outside we decided today was the day to get that done so off we went with our plant pots and our compost and got re-potting which did not take very long  and after a quick brush up and tidy it was done and we all agree they look fab ..... 

Just cant wait to post some pics of the tomato's flowering and growing next ......

Well whats to come this week ....

Got a fab few reviews to do this week ..... so watch this space we are going all arghhhh for the pirate treasure party pack ...... my little buccaneers canny wait to have a go and painting there treasure ....

If you fancy this yourself you can find out more info here ..... but we will be posting this review later this week .... with some fab pictures and hopefully some video footage too ....

Also had a fun day of parcels arriving today got my brand new Pushchair from Britax today .... which is going into the loft for another day hopefully .... it looks super lush ... cant wait to get to use that one day we shall see ...

Also had a few more deliveries today too for the kids they had some new toys arrive today from mummy and daddy ... for there amazing reports at school ... Robert choose the Batman costume he loves dressing up 

Thomas had a new Lego train set ... which looks really good Thomas and daddy are building it now .....

And Amy got a Brave Bow and arrow set .... and has been shooting at the windows all day as they have suction cups on them ..... so the house is very busy today and me well nothing for me other then i am trying out windows 8 and not having much fun .... finding the things i could do before not so easy now .... but getting there .... just need to get microsoft office going again when i can afford a new license ... as i prefer using that any day of the week lol ...

Cooking with the Kids

Well what a great comp always loved the Rangemaster range of cookers and these fab guys are doing a great comp over on there site which is all about getting into cooking with your kids as you all know I love cooking and I love getting my three kids involved where i can ...

So here is a few pictures of a few of our creations that me and the kids have made starting with the kids Easter Bonnet Cake .... its not as well finished as i normally do but it is well put together by the kids ... we used two cakes and layered them together using a butter-cream and then i helped with the icing but left it up to the kids to decorate how they would like it .....

Another one of the kids favorite has to be the rainbow cake look here for detail on how to make this great cake .... me and my daughter even went to London and cooked with Paul Hollywood in a cook off where we made this Cake and he even liked it we Came second and had a fab time while we where there.....

During the last Half term I tried to keep the kids occupied by doing things around the house from planting tomato seeds to getting creative but we even had a go and some bits to cook and here are the blog posts about these fab ideas ... this one is the Croissants me and my daughter made from a pre-mix but it still cooking and then all the kids helped making the crunchy biscuits here ....

So why not have a go and get the kids cooking this Easter let me know what you make .... and why not enter the Rangemaster Comp

where you could be lucky enough to win a top of the range cooker then you would have no excuse getting the apron on with the kids ...... i know i would love a new cooker as mine is now out in the garden and i am in desperate need of a new one ......see pic if you don't believe me and as i love cooking i miss not having one right now .... but then is what going to my mums is for ... and she has a rangecooker and they are fab ......

so you have until 3/04/2013 to enter and good luck ..... details here .....

here is a selection of other cakes we have made hope you like them ...... one was made with M&M's and kitkats and the other was made using butter-cream flakes and ice-cream cones with a cupcake filling in the middle the kids love these one the best and we make these quite alot .....

And at Christmas time we even get in on the act and get some yule logs on the go too !! and Christmas cake