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Barbie Princess Styling Head
by benz2922
My daughter was very lucky to receive this lovely Barbie head as a birthday gift last month. Out of all of her birthday gifts this one was the one that got the biggest reaction. She has of late been very interested in dolls, in particular Barbie dolls. I'm not actually sure that my daughter knew what this was at first, but she definitely ... recognised the packaging stating that it was Barbie and as a result we got a very high pitched "Barbie" yell when she tore open the wrapping paper.
This doll is not actually your typical Barbie doll, it is an enlarged version of Barbie's head, designed specifically to play with the long flowing blonde hair that is attached to it. It's of a reasonable size, perhaps a tad small, this does however enable a small child to place it on their knee to play with without much trouble at all.
There really isn't much to this doll, it comes with a couple of accessories but the main ones are the clip in earrings which are designed for the child rather that the doll. I thought it a tad strange that it didn't come with any bobble or clips etc. as its sole purpose is to play with its hair. It does however come with a small plastic brush and a little crown which is a very nice and welcome addition to the set. We weren't overly fazed by the fact that it doesn't come with any hair accessories as my daughter doesn't mind using her variety of clips and bobbles in its hair.
The quality of the dolls head is not all that great either, I mean it is very pretty and I have no qualms with the quality of the plastic head or the design of the face, they are all fine, again it's the main/or sole purpose of this doll that was a little bit of a let-down for us. The hair just feels too thin and there isn't much of it there really. Under the top section of hair the head is made up, mainly of different sections containing either plastic or hair, it doesn't just flow all over the head as would be presumed. The thinness of the hair does make it difficult to apply big clips and bobbles, there is even difficulty running a normal hair brush though it, my daughter has had to resort to using the plastic brush which in all honesty doesn't work all that well.
Despite everything just said my daughter has enjoyed playing with this, prior to owning it she used to love putting bobbles over her teddies ears (because they were the only place to fit) so I'm really not surprised that she liked it as it was something that from previous playing experience I knew that she would really enjoy. It's not a toy that gets used for long periods of time but when my daughter does decide to play with it she has a lot of fun changing the bobbles and clips. A plus point of the toy is that the hair is very manageable, it doesn't knot easily and although it doesn't look like it does in the picture anymore, my daughter can make some very pretty hairstyles in it.
There is an age recommendation on this Barbie which is 3 years +, I would definitely have to agree with this as a child of a younger age just wouldn't be able to use it for its proper function. As far as I am aware this can be bought for £9.99 from Argos and it is also part of the 2 for £15 deal. All in all I would recommend this toy, it's a nice price and it's a bit of fun!
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Octonauts Octopod
by cha97mw
My kids have always enjoyed the cbeebies series, 'The Octonauts' about a group of animals who have adventures and help other creatures at the bottom of the sea. I have encouraged this as I feel the programme is very educational looking at a particular species in each episode, as well as covering some quite complex ideas like symbiosis in ... a very simple manner which even a 3 year old can get some understanding of.
As well as satisfying my need to be educational, it also has a lot of emphasis on helping and sharing, so I asked my Mother-in-law if she would buy it for my youngest at Christmas time. I knew he would like it as they had got a small set of 4 of the characters free with a cbeebies magazine in the summer while we were on holiday and they played non stop with them even though they were a bit small and plasticky. We had a go at making our own model playset in a creative session, but as it was made out of yoghurt pots, cardboard tubes and cellotape, it didn't stand up to their play that well. I'm pleased to say this version is much sturdier and a lot more fun to play with.
The set looks really good, bright and colourful just like the Octopod ship that the characters use as a base on the show. It came in quite a large box, so initially I had to slot the set together. The main body of the Octopod was in one piece, but then there were 2 bits to slot in to each side of the set to have the seperate sections of the base. These can then slotted back out, but it is not that easy as they 'catch' in place, and you need to release them. We have not bothered taking it apart again to be honest. It is easier to leave it assembled.
There was a sheet of stickers which needed applying quite carefully to the areas in correct order. Thankfully my sister-in-law has much steadier hands than me and she took over this awful task as I struggle myself to get stickers lined up where they are meant to be in this type of toy. The kids were itching to get started as she was doing it.
The main part of the ship shows the main deck where the Captain sits looking at the computer display. There is also a lower level which has the area where the boats are in the show. The GUP vehicles are what the characters use to travel out into the ocean. There is a place to stick a sticker showing a set of monitors around the ship, and then the plastic is moulded with portholes, pipework and vents. The bottom of this level has the hatch that they go out of. This has a door that you can slide away by twisting a lever at the side of the set. There is a small blue vehicle which can sit here and when you press the lever it slides down and out the door on the front of the playset. This is a small niggle for me as this does not really look that much like the GUPs on the show, but if it looked more accurate it would then not fit through the hole, so I guess you have to compromise a bit on the design. The kids haven't commented negatively about it. They like it and the seat in it is big enough to put the characters so they are happy with it.
The arms then have rooms meant to be the kitchen, the medical room, and 2 bedrooms. These do look like rooms in the show thanks to the nice stickers so they look nice but really are a little small to put more than one character into.
The set comes with plenty of play pieces. Firstly there is a rope with something attached to it to go on each of the smaller pod rooms. These work on a pulley system, and they can be interchanged between the different pods if you choose to. There is an anchor, a stretcher, a barrel, and a net. These are easy to manipulate and chunky enough for smaller children my son's age (3) and perhaps a bit younger to use easily.
The best bit is that you get 3 animals which we have seen in the show. There is an eel, a snapper crab which has one smaller claw than the other, and then a turtle. Because each of these animals are featured in episodes we have seen on the telly, the kids know a few facts about them and it really helps the role play as they can recreate the ailments from the show, or come up with a whole new adventure for them.
The 2 characters that come with the set are the 2 most popular - Captain Barnacles the Polar Bear, and Quasi the Cat. I think really I would have preferred it if there was a Peso the Penguin with it too, seems though he is the medic and he is the one who treats the animals. It would have added a new dimension to the play. We have been ok as we have our own Peso and Dashi characters from our magazine freebie, and they sort of go with it.
The characters again are quite chunky and solid for small hands to play with. None of the bits are likely to fall off mid play, and they don't move, but the kids have had a lot of fun with this set, and I can't help but be impressed overall with the good quality of it.
The last feature is there is a part to the set that the child can clip onto the set or onto their clothes. This is the octo-alert button from the show, that the Captain asks to be sounded whenever they are about to set off on a mission. This is quite a large item so I am not worried that they will lose it, and it says a few phrases from the show to engage the kids. I think this bit really makes it the most exciting for them.
The phrases are:
Quasi - do you read me? (Said by Barnacles.) Aye Aye Captain. (Said by Quasi.)
Yow! (said by Quasi.)
Shiver Me Whiskers! (said by Quasi.)
Explore! Rescue! protect! (Said by both characters and with a jingle from the show.)
Sound the Octo-alert! (Said by Barnacles.)
Octonauts to the launch bay (said by Barnacles) and against the sound of the siren of the octo-alert.
We need to use the net to save the creature. (said by Barnacles.)
Ready for action, Captain. (said by Quasi.)
Last one to the GUP is a rotton fish egg! (said by Quasi.)
Overall, the set is a little pricey at between £28-35 pounds, but it is a good playset because it is high quality in its build and has a lot there to engage the children. It is not a cheaply flung together and ill thought out set. I do feel it is better for kids who have seen the show as they will get more out of it, and I would say it exceeded my expectations of how good it was.
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Octonauts Octopod
by arleek
My 5 year old daughter is a massive Octonauts fans and the one thing she really wanted for Christmas was the Octopod playset.
***Octonauts***
For any of you that don't know, Octonauts is a children's cartoon, broadcast on Cbeebies, aimed at preschool and young children. The Octonauts are a group of 8 different ... creatures who explore the ocean. They have a base called the 'Octopod' and this is from where they conduct most of their underwater adventures and missions. The main characters are Captain Barnacles (a polar bear), Kwazii (a cat), and Peso (a penguin); also in the crew are a dog, otter, bunny and an octopus, you will also find a funny creature called a 'Vegimal' which I believe is part animal, part vegetable - these critters help out around the Octopod.
***The Octopod***
When I searched for the Octopod playset I was shocked to discover it was £35, which I thought was quite expensive, and then found it was sold out almost everywhere - so I knew it was a desirable toy and £35 was obviously a price many parents were willing to pay! Luckily I managed to locate one from Boots, and it was in the 3 for 2 offer, so I perhaps didn't end up paying the full £35 for it which I was quite pleased about. It came in a huge box so I presumed the toy was going to be massive, but once opened we realised the toy is a relatively small compared to the size of the box.
I seem to remember a certain amount of assembly was required when we got it out of the box, but my husband deals with this side of things so I can't remember whether this was easy or not, but I'm guessing it was just a matter of snapping a few parts into position.
***What You Get For Your Money***
In the set you received the main 'Octopod' which is made from plastic and has a central zone (or launch bay) which has 2 levels and also a hatch at the bottom (the Octo-hatch) for the animals to be released into the ocean. And branching off from the central zone are 4 arms on the end of which are separate workstations or pods for the different animals, and these are connected via a slide so once the animal has finished their work they can slide into the launch bay with ease. Also suspended by string from each of these 4 pods are various rescue aids (net, barrel, stretcher and anchor) to help them rescue wounded or distressed creatures from the ocean which can be raised up just by pulling on the string. You also receive Barnacles and Kwazii and 3 sea creatures with the set (eel, crab and turtle), and a Mini Gup-A sub which Barnacles and Kwazii can sit in and be dispensed through the octo-hatch into the ocean.
On the top of the launch bay is a large red button, and pressing this activates various sounds and phrases from the programme such as 'Octonauts to the launch bay!' (my daughter's favourite one).
***Octonauts To The Launch Bay!***
To say my daughter was pleased with this on Christmas Day is a bit of an understatement, she played with it most of the day and for most of the Christmas period. She doesn't play with it as much now because obviously the novelty has worn off and she is back at school so doesn't have that much time to play, but she still enjoys getting it out every now and then, and also my 3 year gets some use out of it during the day when her sister is at school.
I think you have to be a fan of the show and understand the nature of the show to get real enjoyment from this toy because when my kids play with it, they play like they are acting out parts of the show. They understand that generally the Octonauts go exploring in the ocean and often find a creature that's in distress and have to rescue it or make it better. They will sit shouting at each other that they 'need to rescue the creature' and Barnacles and Kwazii are bounced around the Octopod in and out of the different pods, creatures are lowered and raised on the various rescue aids and the Gup-A is used frequently for launching Barnacles or Kwazii from the launch bay. They get full use out of all aspects of the toy, and I suppose they use the toy to its full potential (and more now because my daughter received 2 of the 'Gups' for her recent birthday, along with another Barnacles and Kwazii so the play possibilities have now been extended, although a different character would have been nice).
My children, especially my 5 year old, find the programme really interesting, so I do believe this is why she gains so much enjoyment from the toy, because she can just imagine herself in the ocean, inside the Ocotpod and spends hours imagining various scenarios. What is disappointing however, is the lack of the character Peso, he is the penguin and the 'doctor' who makes the creatures better and tends to their wounds. He is quite a major part of the show, so it's quite disappointing to not have this character, and he is not even available separately (just more Barnacles and Kwazii!!)
***Final Thoughts***
After reading many bad reviews on Amazon I am surprised at how they can be so downgrading of this toy because I think it is great, and my kids have been really pleased with it. I think it really resembles the Octopod from the show, and although they could have perhaps made the 4 pods a bit bigger, and added Peso, I think it has been mainly well designed and my children really know how the work the toy to its full potential.
I would definitely recommend the Octopod to other young fans of the show, it is something they would really enjoy and I do think it is worth the £35 price tag, not only because it is well made but also because you get quite a few accessories with it and I do think it replicates really well the adventures that the Ocotpals get up to on the Octonauts programme, that is if your child has enough imagination.
***Availability***
You will probably have more success trying to locate this online, but I have seen it in Mothercare, Argos and Tesco, but often they sell out very quickly. Amazon is probably your best bet, and you can expect to pay around £35.
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