NOW TV Nickelodeon Swap Shop

You might have wondered what is this creature, covered in spots. In case you didn't guess, it is Gaston the ladybird from Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom, one of my younger son's favourite TV shows. It might look like a crazy hat, but it was meant to be Gaston.

Are you children big fans of Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom, Thomas the tank engine and other shows?

Have you heard of NOW TV Nickelodeon Swap Shop? It runs from the 29th of July until the 17th of August.

"NOW TV is thrilled to announce two exciting new additions to its children’s entertainment offering. Viewers can now watch Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. at any time, without a contract via the Entertainment Month Pass.

To celebrate, NOW TV is launching the NOW TV Nickelodeon Swap Shop. The social campaign is asking  families to get creative in return for a free  Nickelodeon digital activity pack crammed full of fun to keep children entertained this summer.

Taking part is simple, all parents have to do is follow NOW TV on Twitter or Facebook. Over the next two weeks the NOW TV Nickelodeon Swap Shop will post characters from some of Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.'s most-loved shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom and Thomas and Friends.

Then it is over to the kids to get creative by drawing, painting or doodling their recreation of their favourite Nickelodeon characters. Mums and dads can then tweet a picture of their kids’ artwork with the hashtag #NickelodeonNOWTV or respond to the post on the NOW TV Facebook page to receive their free digital activity pack.

Not only will every submission receive a digital activity pack but they will also be entered into a competition to win a Nickelodeon goody bag and a NOW TV Entertainment Month Pass - the perfect prize for kids to come home to after a long summer’s day! Five expert judges will pick the winners by selecting their 10 favourite entries each, which will be showcased on the NOW TV Facebook page for everyone to see."

For more information on NOW TV visit nowtv or join them on Twitter @NOWTV and facebook.com/NOWTV.

Disclosure: we received a pack of Crayola crayons and a soft toy to help spread the word.

More fun with Ben and Holly (Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom: Big Star Fun app review)

All fans of Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, rejoice!

The first ever official Ben & Holly app called Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom - Big Star Fun has been released for iPad, iPhone and iPod.

This is a high quality app for pre-schoolers, and it features all the original characters from the TV series as well as the music and sound effects. Young fans of Ben and Holly now have an interactive kingdom of their own.

When you open the app, you are presented with an option of playing (and flying, of course) as Elf Ben or Princess Holly.

There are four magical games to play and each game comes with different difficulty levels. As Eddie is 2 years old, we go for the Easy level. And even this level needs a certain amount of skills and dexterity of fingers when you move the figures around.

So, what games can you find in the Little Kingdom:
 
You can start by Collecting Stars which involves flying through the air, trying to avoid the obstacles (I think Eddie didn't quite grasp the concept that he has to avoid the obstacles, because each time his chosen character bumps into things and I say Ouch, he laughs like a little bell).

You can excel at Throwing Sticks and play fetch with the colourful Gaston.

Hiding is another fun activity. Ben and Holly are hiding in the Elf Tree, you have to be quick, catch them if you can, or they disappear. Eddie and I both enjoyed this game.

Sweeping the leaves: you have to help Ben or Holly to clear the ground, the leaves keep falling from the big tree and you need to finish the job before the time runs out. So far we haven't managed to clear it completely, and we are supposedly on the Easy level.

Apart from the four games above you receive a bonus game: a Sticker book. There are several backgrounds to choose and numerous stickers to add. Eddie loves this game, but he can be over-zealous in his stickering. He loves ladybirds, so as you can see, he has generously decorated the background with the ladybirds.

If your kids love Ben and Holly, then I would certainly recommend this app.

Saying that, Eddie prefers Peppa Pig app at the moment (I reviewed the app recently and wasn't sure how long Eddie was going to enjoy it, but so far he wants to play with it every day).
He is probably a tad too young for all Ben and Holly's games, as for example, cleaning the grass from the leaves requires quite a bit of patience, and I'm afraid that is not one of our virtues.
This app is probably best for a one-to-one session between a child and a parent, with parent explaining the rules and helping to navigate the games.

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom: Big Star Fun app is available from the App Store for £1.99.

P.S. We were sent a code to try the game for free.

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom: Elf games DVD (review)

You don't have to be a young child to appreciate the magic world of Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom. What I love about it is that it is not catering to the tastes of girls only, like many other fairy stories do, with their uber-cute girlie characters and sweet plots that set your teeth on edge. Little Kingdom is quirky, fun, amusing, slightly ironic and has oodles of appeal for both girls and boys. Ben and Holly are created by people behind the phenomenon that is world known as cheeky Peppa Pig.

Eddie is a big fan of Peppa Pig, and we also enjoy watching Ben and Holly together (mostly Eddie watching and pointing to the screen, me sitting next to him with a laptop and commenting "Isn't it fun?"). But at times I move my laptop to the side and watch and giggle with Eddie, especially when Nanny Plum makes her entrance.

We were sent a preview copy of a new Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom: Elf Games DVD (retailed at £8.99).

The new Elf Games DVD is out on 14 May 2012.

It has ten episodes:

1. Elf Games

2. Cows

3. The Toy Robot

4. Dinner Party

5. Big bad Barry

6. King Thistle's Birthday

7. The Wand Factory

8. Daisy and Poppy's Pet

9. The Elf Rocket

10.Picnic on the Moon

 The Elf Games is quite topical, with the approaching Olympics, and sends a right message: "You can't magic the trophy, you have to win it", says little wise Ben. Both Ben and Holly are keen to take part in the Elf Games, but while Ben is training and working hard, Holly is disappointed that magic is a No-No when it comes to the Elf Games.

If you've seen Ben and Holly before, you know what to expect: bright colours, stylised animation, lots of jokes and entertaining stories. As always, Holly wants to make the world more exciting by using her magic wand, while a pragmatic little elf Ben wants to fix all problems by using his elf skills.

We have already seen some of the episodes, and I don't know how many new episodes are on the newly released DVD.
We love Picnic on the Moon. Nanny Plum is up to mischief again with her magic basket, and turns the sea of Tranquility into the sea of Jelly to the delight of the aliens.

We have enjoyed watching the new DVD and suggest you sprinkle some fairy dust in your home too.