Geomag Supercolor Panels Recycled 35 (337)

 

Easter holidays start in a couple of days, and we're hoping for a fair weather, games in the garden and long walks, maybe even a picnic outdoors (or am I too optimistic?!). However, it being Britain, there will always be rainy days. Minecraft and Roblox are fine in moderate measures, and so is the rabbit hole of YouTube, but we also enjoy playing with construction sets.

Geomag has a vast range of educational construction sets which promote hand-coordination skills, creativity and imagination. You might remember our last year's review of Geomag 769 Magnetics Challenge Goal set.

Today I would like to highlight a different set from Geomag - Supercolor Panels Recycled 35 (337) (£36).

Geomag Supercolor is made from 100% recycled plastic. Geomag's slogan is Playing together for a healthy planet. That is a commendable motto.

Geomag makes toys which encourage STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and fun!

The sturdy box contains everything you need for a creative construction session - magnetic rods, steel balls and various panel shapes.

Geomag Supercolor is a wonderful creative game. Take simple Geomag elements and you can build endless 3d combinations. A short instructions leaflet shows you how to discover and play with polarity.

You can start with basic shapes like triangles, squares and pentagons, use them as bases to build more complex constructions

Let me show you the easy models you can build. The model below is built with 17 pieces.

You move onto a slightly more intricate design. The recycled plastic pieces are colourful and fun.

Model 3 is more elaborate.

Model 4 is a colourful little pyramid.

Model 5 is a bit more tricky than the previous four.

This set is suitable for children aged 5+. Younger children (but not under 3) would need adult supervision (due to the size of steel balls). The illustrated instructions are clear and straight-forward (there is no text, just step-by-step pictures).

As a parent of a child with autism, I believe that with adult supervision this set would work well for children with special needs and help with hand eye coordination. When my older son was little, he needed help with fine motor skills, he couldn't do buttons, or twist jar tops, and Lego was too challenging for him. Geomag Supercolor Panels contains elements which are light and easy to handle. The models are easy enough to build, and won't take too much time. 

Some interesting facts about Geomag:

Geomag products come under a Swissh Made quality guarantee, and are aligned with the most stringent European and international safety standards.

Geomag is entirely produced in Switzerland and manufactured with the utmost rigor and attention to materials.

Geomag has been recognised as the ideal game to give by the American Scientific magazine, which has conducted research on games that favour the development of children's intelligence.

Geomag lines are winners of numerous awards, with products helping children of all ages develop and train their minds, imagination and curiosity through science of magnetic construction.

If you're looking for a new game set for a rainy day, Geomag Supercolor will make a lovely gift.

Disclosure: We received the set for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Geomag 769 Magnetics Challenge Goal

Whenever we travel to Cornwall, I take a new game and DVDs with us for a rainy day. This year we had a Geomag 769 Magnetics Challenge Goal 96pc set to put in the suitcase.

This summer which comes to an end tomorrow (eek!) has had a good share of rainy days.
While some hale and robust families don't mind camping in the tents in any weather, we prefer to stay at home, bake cookies, watch a good old film and play games.
What do your children enjoy on a rainy day - do they read, watch YouTube or DVDs, draw and colour, play Minecraft and Roblox, build LEGO castles? We tend to do a bit of everything.

Many games these days are educational. Geomag makes toys which encourage STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and fun.

Geomag 769 Magnetics Challenge Goal set is a cool toy which helps teach children about magnetic forces, gravity and understand science.

The sturdy box contains several plastic bags with 96 pieces (15 metal balls and 81 elements at the base of the goal mechanism). The main challenge is to build and launch a cannon by using the force of gravity.

This set is suitable for children aged 7+, but younger children could play with it too, with the adult supervision. While there are no sharp edges, the launching of balls must be supervised, when playing with kids under 7.

The illustrated instructions are clear and straight-forward.

Some interesting facts about Geomag:
Geomag products come under a Swiss Made quality guarantee, and are aligned with the most stringent European and international safety standards.
Geomag is entirely produced in Switzerland, and manufactured with the utmost rigor and attention to materials.
Geomag has been recognised as the ideal game to give by the American Scientific magazine, which has conducted research on games that favour the development of children's intelligence.
Geomag lines are winners of numerous awards, with products helping children of all ages develop and train their minds, imagination and curiosity through the science of magnetic construction.

Once you have assembled the cannon, the fun of launching the metal balls begins. Precision, timing and dexterity are the keys to winning.

This creative engineering toy set will make a great gift for any occasion, be it a birthday, Christmas (are you starting to look for ideas for Christmas gifts?) or indeed a toy squirrelled for a rainy day.

Disclosure: We received Geomag set for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Race with Ryan (game review)

October ended on a minor chord of a miserable drizzle, and November started with a torrential rain. On a rainy day like today, what will you opt to do - read, bake, sketch or play games?
Race with Ryan launched yesterday (1 November 2019), to the sounds of accolade. This new racing game is available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.

If you are a parent of a primary school child, you might well be aware of the Ryan's World brand, a family-based production company. I confess I had to google who Ryan is, but it would appear I'm in the minority, and cheeky smiley chap Ryan is a world-wide phenomenon and one of the biggest names on Youtube.

My younger son is a gamer. He is happy to play Minecraft, Hello Neighbour and other games on his Xbox One. When we were offered a code to try a new game before its launch, he was thrilled to have an opportunity to trial it.

"Worldwide family entertainment publisher Outright Games™ in partnership with digital-first, kids entertainment studio pocket.watch's™ gaming division P.W.Games™ and Sunlight Entertainment, the family-run production company and creator of the "Ryan's World™" brand, announced the release of "Race with Ryan"™ the first-ever console game based on the massively popular global kids' brand "Ryan's World"™.

You can play on your own, or together as a family, racing to victory across multiple, magical worlds as Ryan and his friends - Moe, Gus, Alpha, Lexa and others.
The game features a four-player-split-screen to race with friends in multiplayer mode.

Race with Ryan is available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.
Exclusively at Smyth's Toy Store in the UK for £29.99 and many retailers in the US including Target, Amazon and Gamestop for $39.99 with a version of the game which includes a limited edition race with Ryan collectible die cast vehicle exclusively available at Walmart in the USA and Big W in Australia.
"Race with Ryan" can also be downloaded from the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live, Nintendo eShop and Steam.

If you enjoy racing games, Race with Ryan is a colourful fun fast adventure. You pick a racer, then head to one of six magical locations, and off you go. Show your friends and family who is the fastest racer.
My son enjoyed playing this game, he said it is a great fun. He played on his own, but can't wait for his friend to come over after school next week so that they can race together.

The controls are easy, once you learn how to use them. There is an optional auto-acceleration and a tutorial which shows you how to play.

The game is aimed at children 3-6 years old, but at 9, my son had fun playing this game, so it might well be enjoyed by older kids.

"We had so much fun as a family when helping to create this game", said Ryan's father, Shion Kaji. "Players will see and hear Ryan and the beloved characters from Ryan's World as they experience the exciting race gameplay in different magical lands."

As one of the top kid content creators on YouTube, Ryan's channels received over 41 billion views to date, and amassed over 31 million subscribers, and growing (and my jaw truly hit the floor in amazement).

Image credits: Outright Games

Disclosure: we received a free code for the game for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Peppa Pig Electronic Learning Toys (review + giveaway E: 15 October 2019)

As the sounds of a jolly tune ring out of Peppa's Laugh & Learn Laptop, I think of the not-so-faraway days when my boys used to watch Peppa Pig cartoons on TV and DVDs.
She was such a big part of their preschool and early school days. Gosh, she was almost a member of our family.
I do miss those days, as I secretly enjoyed the show as much as they did (that and Ben & Holly in the little kingdom too).
I liked the cheeky Peppa, her little brother George whose only word was Dino-saur, and their parents - a hopeless Daddy Pig and wise Mummy Pig.

Peppa's Laugh & Learn Laptop (SRP £19.99, available in Argos) is a colourful interactive musical toy, suitable for children aged 2 and over.
It has a portable carry handle and light-up screen.

This toy is promoted as learning on the go.
As long as you're in your own space, like a car, you'll be fine. I wouldn't take it on a train or a bus, as it won't endear you to the general public.
Kids will love it though.

The portable laptop offers four different activity modes to play, allowing your child to discover objects, colours, numbers and letters by pressing different buttons on the laptop.

First move the selector key.
Six keys at the bottom panel describe the object nearby, and Peppa Pig and her friends. Press the music keys to listen to some short fun songs.

During the quiz time Peppa is asking you to find something, and then the image lights up on the screen. Peppa asks questions about colours, objects, friends and counting or finding the first letter of a word.

To play music, press any inset key to listen to the piano notes, amusing silly sounds will come when you press the character, and the instruments will give you musical tunes.

To stop the music, close down the lid and the laptop is sent into the Sleep mode.
I would also like to add that a volume control button would be welcome, as the sounds and music are pretty loud.

This product requires 3 AAA batteries. The toy comes supplied with the batteries, but they're for demonstration purpose only, and won't last long.

The screen and handle are quite chunky and easy to use by pre-schoolers.

If you're thinking of what to get your Peppa Pig-loving tot for Christmas, you might want to consider either of the two toys I'm reviewing today.

Peppa Pig Count with Peppa (SRP £19.99, available in Argos) is another electronic learning toy for children aged 2+.
Your tots will have fun, learning about numbers, counting, colours and shapes with Peppa.
Peppa greets you with a message: "Hello, shall we learn to count together?"
She is very clever, that Peppa - you put colourful coins in her purse, and Peppa recognises each coin.
She also asks questions - and then your child has to find the right coin.

The switch at the back has a low/high volume control. The battery compartment is at the back as well.

There is a Mode selector switch on the side, which allows you to choose either a Numbers or Colours mode.
To preserve battery life, Peppa will automatically power-down after approximately 45 seconds without input. Just press any button to turn the unit on again.

How to play:
Once the unit is switched on, Peppa will ask you to learn together. Insert any coin in the yellow slot of Peppa's purple purse.
Slide the selector button on the side to choose either Counting and Numbers or Colours and Objects.

To retrieve the coins, simply pull open the purse.

Peppa sets different tasks in different modes, for example, she could ask you to insert a certain amount of coins in her purse, or find a number or a coin with a certain amount of objects.

If your child is hesitating, they will hear an encouraging phrase. If you make a mistake, Peppa will ask a new question.

And if you're not in a learning mood, Peppa will be happy to sing one of her three songs.

If you like the sound of these electronic toys, I have a super giveaway for you.

One of my lucky blog readers will win a Peppa Pig Count with Peppa toy.

T&Cs:

The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.

The prize is kindly provided by Provence PR, and they will dispatch the prize to the winner. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by email, Twitter or Facebook.

If no response is received within 7 days, Chez Maximka reserves the right to select an alternative winner.

Open to all entrants aged 18 and over.

Any personal data given as part of the giveaway is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with 3rd parties, with the exception of the winner's information.

This will be passed to Provence PR and used for the fulfilment of the prize, after which all the data will be deleted.

Please do not forget to leave the comment, as it's the only mandatory step. 

Bonus points are awarded for the Facebook entry (i.e. leaving a comment, or liking etc)

Giveaway ends on 15 October 2019.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Panjango Trumps

Everyone knows Top Trumps. These themed cards cover any topic you might think of - from dinosaurs to Marvel Comics, from Harry Potter to sharks, from Dr Who to Friends...
My son Eddie loves Top Trumps, he has quite a collection, and would be happy to play every day. I tend to buy a new pack before each long trip by train or a flight.
Eddie has even asked for Yu Gi Oh or Beast Quest Top Trumps for Christmas.

When we were offered a new Trumps game for reviewing, I knew it would be a big hit with Eddie.
If you find the standard Top Trumps a source of rather pointless trivia, you might want to reconsider it when it comes to Panjango Trumps game.

Though based on the same premises as the standard top trumps, Panjango Trumps explores the curious world of work.

If you are not familiar with Panjango, they make board and card games for children aged 7+. They make learning a fun entertaining activity, based on the real world context.
They help children to think about their future and consider possible choices of a career.

Panjango games let children develop skills for their future in an engaging way.

If you place cards from Panjango Trumps and standard Top Trumps, you can see a lot of similarities and differences.

For example, in Harry Potter Top Trumps you see such categories as Magic, Cunning, Courage, Wisdom and Temper.
Panjango Trumps display the following categories as Study/Training, Physical Effort, Brain Power, Social Good, Average Salary and Robot Risk (all self-explanatory).
In both cards you see a little trivia about the character representing the card.

The rules of the game are pretty much the same. You deal the cards, then one player selects a category from their top card and reads out its value. The other player(s) will then read out the value on their top card. The largest value wins.
Players are eliminated as they lose their last card, and the winner scoops all the cards in the game.

You will also find several cards which suggest different games and exercises including Creative writing (you're asked to write a short story based on the description and rankings of a given job), Word association (you need to find words which you associate with each job), Challenge the ratings (where you argue if the ratings for a particular job are correct in your opinion) etc.
The last challenge could be an interesting task for the whole family. In fact, there were a few ratings that I would not be too sure about: for example, care worker's brain power is 43 , while the library assistant's is 38.

There are 50 job cards to pitch against each other, with useful data. Even I learnt a few things from the cards.

My son enjoyed the game very much, and learnt many facts about different jobs. It was also a good starting point to discuss what job he would like to have when he grows up (I hope Eddie doesn't mind me telling his secret - he's unsure whether to be a Youtuber, a writer of scary stories or LEGO builder).

Disclosure: We received a pack of Panjango Trumps for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Make'n'Break game from Ravensburger

Every Tuesday Eddie has a friend over after school. On warmer days they might be playing football in the garden, but when it's raining and cold, they stay indoors and either jump into the Minecraft world, or watch their favourite Youtubers.
LEGO and board games often come to the rescue from boredom too. I'm a big fan of board games, as they teach you how to think strategically, plan your moves in advance, communicate if you play as a team and boost spacial skills.

Ravensburger Make'n'Break game is aimed at children aged 8+.
Younger children might enjoy it as well, if you opt for easier blueprint cards.

Let's open the box, what do we find inside?
There are 10 building blocks of different colours, 80 Blueprint cards, 1 timer, 2 dies and a card tray.

You might be familiar with the original version of the game. This box, however, also offers an action version, which is totally fiendish.
Race against the clock to build the structures on the challenge cards.
The beauty of the game is that you can choose whether you want to make the game as simple or as hard as you like.

The more structures you complete within the time limit, the more points you will score. The player with the most points wins the game.

In the Original game you start by rolling the die and then setting the timer to the number that was rolled.  As soon as the player or team is ready, the controller pushes the green start button.
Take the card from the compartment and reveal it. You have to create the structure which appears on the blueprint card.

There are 3 types of blueprint:
- Fully coloured blueprints - all building blocks must have the correct colour and position
- Partially coloured blueprints - All coloured building blocks must be in the same position as shown in the blueprint, the colour of the other blocks is ignored.
- Monocoloured blueprints - block colours are irrelevant.

As you hurry to build the structures featured on the cards, you will discover some super easy ones and some quite challenging. The structures on the higher scoring cards will take longer to construct.
But as the cards are shuffled before the game, it is a bit of a roulette, you don't know which cards you will get.
Be careful when building, and try not to knock the structure, or you will have to start again.

If you play as a team, you must remember to touch only those 5 blocks you have chosen at the beginning of your turn. You have to coordinate your efforts.
Once the structure is complete and correct, you break it.
The game ends after three full rounds of building, i.e. after each team completes 3 turns.

If there are only 2 players, you can use all 10 blocks to complete any of the structures.

This is a fun entertaining game, which could be enjoyed by the whole family.

Action version of the game is more complicated and challenging. In addition to the time die you need to use the action die, which shows the game modes to be employed during your turn.

For example, if you come across the symbol "Describe it!", one team member becomes an architect, while the other is the builder.
The architect gives verbal instructions to the builder as to where to place each block. The builder must rely on the architect giving precise instructions, as they are not allowed to peek at the blueprint card.

Fingertips - each member of the team may only use the tip of the index finger of one hand. This mode needs a lot of coordination, especially when lifting blocks.
It is as hard as it sounds, but is also great fun.

There are other modes - like Risky Business, when the team decides how many blueprints they are going to attempt this turn, and a very tricky Vertical/Horizontal mode, when one member of the team may only use the vertical blocks, and the other only horizontal.
It's all about the team work, coordination and strategic thinking.

This game will make an excellent gift for a birthday, or how about having a fun afternoon after a Christmas meal?! If you have competitive board game players in the family, they will enjoy this fast-pace game.

Disclosure: We received the game for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.