Review: Shrek The Musical DVD

We are big fans of Shrek here at Downton Shabby and the box set of films is much loved and often played. 

The kids were thrilled when we had the opportunity to review the dvd of Dreamworks "Shrek The Musical".

Shrek The Musical DVD

This is the Broadway production and the staging, choreography and singing are superb.  

The musical has a strong sound track which mixes sing-along numbers with some songs in rock / pop style which makes for an incredibly catch score.

The plot remains largely faithful to that of the first movie where ogre Shrek meets the irrepressible donkey and together they set off to rescue Princess Fiona from the evil clutches of Lord Farquahar.

The musical's principal characters (Shrek, Donkey, Fiona and Lord Farquahar) are supported by a talented cast playing characters from fairy stories and other Disney characters. 

Because this is the Broadway version, the cast is unknown, however, this did not matter in the slightest. The Three Little Pigs are there, as is Pinocchio. 

There are also some very clever references to other musicals such as The Lion King.

The banter between Shrek and Donkey matches anything that the film characters (Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy) have to offer and there are enough jokes for the grown-ups to keep them amused too.

Lord Farquahar short stature is hilariously portrayed by the actor kneeling throughout with a pair of 'comedy legs'. 

The scene where Shrek and Fiona fall for one another is also very funny with each rivalling the other by burping and other methods of wind expulsion! 

Needless to say, the kids giggled throughout this scene.

Donkey's paramour, the dragon also takes a central role to the plot and appears as an enormous puppet figure, as does the Gingerbread Man (yes, the Muffin Man joke is there too, for Shrek connoisseurs).

I wondered if Caitlin and Ieuan would enjoy the musical as much as the film and, by and large, they did, although the production at 130 minutes was about 20 minutes too long to keep Ieuan fixed on the sofa.  In the end we watched the dvd in two parts.

I really enjoyed Shrek The Musical (possibly more than the kids) because, as mentioned, it is written to appeal to all age groups.  

I'd highly recommend it as good family viewing this Christmas to make a change from endless repeats of Harry Potter and Star Wars.

Available at Amazon, this edition also contains a special feature of a songbook with 7 sing-along songs.

*A PR copy was sent for the purposes of this review, which contains an affiliate link.

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Review: Fireman Sam Advent Puzzle From Jumbo Games

This is a lovely 24 piece jigsaw with nice big pieces for little hands.  

It forms a Fireman Sam picture with each jigsaw piece being numbered 1-24 and each having a little door which can be removed to reveal characters from the show in Christmassy scenes.

The fact that each piece was numbered made it easier for Ieuan (age 4) to complete.  

Caitlin and I turned finishing the puzzle into a race which he loved. 

He had soon grasped how to order the pieces and I found it was a more effective way of getting him to complete a jigsaw than the traditional method of trial and error.

The idea behind the puzzle is obviously that a door is opened each day but, because there are no chocolates involved, I'm not sure how long interest will be maintained if you choose to use it as a traditional advent calendar.  

You'll also need to find somewhere for the puzzle to remain completed - no mean feat with little ones about. 

But it's not difficult to improvise with chocolate, is it?  

One for the kids, one for mum obviously.

The Fireman Sam Advent Puzzle is very well made and if you're canny, you'll get one or two years' use out of it.  Bargain!

Further information at:- www.jumbo.eu.  The Fireman Sam Advent Puzzle is available from Amazon.

*A PR sample was sent for the purposes of this review which contains an affiliate link.

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Review: Harumika Style Studio by Bandai

When I was young, I used to love to pretend to be a fashion designer and my parents bought me a fashion design kit which consisted of two flimsy purple plastic templates with which you could draw any style you liked - as long as it was a catsuit, and add a range of groovy accessories, including a large floppy hat.

All of my 'designs' bore an uncanny resemblance to the dance costumes sported by Pans People on Top of The Pops.  Yes it was the 1970's and Thursday night was TOTP night followed by Blankety Blank. Anyway, I digress as usual.

Caitlin has a flair for drawing and all things crafty (in both senses of the word!) so we were delighted to try out the toy I would have loved to have received instead of those flimsy templates - the Harumika Style Studio.

Harumika Style Studio by Bandai

Immensely popular in Japan, Harumika involves creating your own fashion designs on a small tailors dummy which allows you to tuck in pieces of material into a silicone strip at the back thereby creating a range of customised outfits. There is no cutting, gluing or sewing so even younger children can have a go at channelling their inner Vivienne Westwood. This set is targeted at the 6+ age group and I would say that's about right since Caitlin will be 6 in November.

The Style Studio comprises a sturdy and very well made pink case intended as a shop window in which to carry and display your creation. One tailor's dummy is supplied but there is room to display three. A starter kit of various swatches of material is also supplied so that you can begin to create your look. I would have liked an instruction leaflet, being a bit of an arts & crafts duffer but it didn't take long to work out what to do and the packaging does give you some guidance.

There are loads of other kits available e.g. the Party Dress Kit or the Runway Show Stopper kit which supply different swatches of material and accessories, but you could also supplement the swatches supplied with off-cuts of material from old clothes or odd remnants. Harumika devotees can also upload their designs to a website and hold fashion shows and style-offs on the website at www.bandai.co.uk/harumika.

Within minutes, Caitlin had worked out how to use the set and created her first look. She has spent quite a bit of time draping various bits of her jewellery over the dummy to customise her various outfits. And not a floppy hat in sight.

Harumika kits are available at retailers such as Argos, Amazon and ToysRus and the Style Studio retails around the £25 - £30 mark. Caitlin is now campaigning for extra fabrics and kits and her tailor's dummy is a new constant companion.

*A PR sample was received for the writing of this post.

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Review: www.iChild.co.uk - F&C Saving Superstar Activities

We were asked by the people at www.iChild.co.uk, a fabulous website containing a wealth of free educational resources for children up to age 11, to explore their F&C Saving Superstar activities. (F&C are an investment company). 

These are designed to teach children about money and guide them through a range of activities which get them used to the look and feel of money, as well as some basic sums and exercises to show how much things cost.

Caitlin, wondering how many Hello Kitty items could be purchased with these coins

iChild is designed for childminders, teachers, nursery carers, volunteer leaders, parents, grandparents or anyone looking after children. It has a vast range of free resources which support the current National Curriculum, plus activities suitable for the many religious festivals throughout the year. For example, there is a section on maths and the alphabet, as well as information about attractions such as Chessington Zoo or stories about the Saints. There is so much to choose from, it's tempting to browse for ages.

In addition, for a small monthly fee of £7.99, you can become a Gold member which gives you access to printable material such as flash cards and posters which can be personalised.  Gold Members can store up to 30 activities per day in an online "Toy Box" and print them all off in one go. Currently, if you pay annually, you receive two months' free plus a CD of nursery rhymes worth £10.

But, back to the F&C Saving Superstar activities. We received activities targeted for the Under 5's and the 5-7 age groups.

There are 10 activities to complete in each age group and, using the corresponding reward chart and certificate, you can monitor your child's progress as you go along and then reward them at the end. The first 2 activities, a reward chart and a certificate for each age group are downloadable free directly from the iChild website, with the rest being available free once you have registered at www.fandc.com/superstar.

For the under 5's, the kinds of activities included are:-

Ieuan & Daddy consider the coins needed to buy a top of the range Aston Martin

• Looking at money - identify which coin is which
• What is the value of each coin - what will they buy
• Simple counting

There is even a party and a game included.

No.  £1.88 is just not going to do it

For the 5-7's the activities are a little more complex as you'd expect.  For example

• The children are asked to copy the patterns and colours of coins onto templates
• They are asked to identify the cheapest and the most expensive items
• They are asked to work out what they can afford with pocket money earned from helping around the house (my absolute favourite!!!).

There is also a Race to £5 game and, for parents, a handy guide to internet safety.

Caitlin, assessing whether tooth fairy payments have increased in line with inflation

We had a lot of fun with the iChild F&C-Saving-Superstar Activities and I'd heartily recommend them as a way of introducing your children to the topic of money and saving in a structured, sensible way.

We will certainly be exploring some of the other activities on the iChild website!

*A collaborative post.

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Review: Angry Birds Playground Ca-Cool Masks

I have to say Angry Birds is a bit of a mystery to me, although the rest of the family seem to be totally up to speed.  So when the lovely people at Top That Publishing sent me a copy of Angry Birds Playground Ca-Cool Masks to review, Sunday afternoon became a lot more fun.

Angry Birds Playground Ca-Cool Masks

The book brings to life, via 8 different 3D masks, not only favourite Angry Birds but also Bad Piggies characters. In addition, you can learn fun facts about them. For example, Bad Piggies don't always know what's going on but they are always happy and cheerful. (I think I'd find them highly annoying if I ever met them on that basis).

Each character masks comes with a page of specific instructions to guide you through assembling the mask. Caitlin and Ieuan were a bit too young to do the actual assembling and I'm a complete DIY duffer (although I gave it a go) so it fell to The Husband to assemble whilst I handed him the various pieces.

The Matilda Mask

Caitlin chose the leader of the Angry Birds, Red (no surprise there) and Ieuan chose Chuck, Red's best friend. Much like Ieuan, Chuck always wants to win and being the fastest, he often ends up in a lot of trouble.

You can see that the quality of the masks is excellent. Don't they both look, er, cute?

We had a lot of fun with "Angry Birds Playground Ca-Cool Masks" but younger kids may need a responsible (cough) grown-up to help them to assemble their mask.

This is one of a number of Angry Birds books by Rovio Learning (Rovio Entertainment Ltd) and is published by Top That Publishing and available on their website at www.topthatpublishing.com for £5.39.

*A PR sample was received for the writing of this post.

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Review: The Tragic Tale of Dwayne The Eating Monster - A Lift-The-Flap Book By Valentina Mendicino

Just occasionally, when reading to your children, you are introduced to a character who automatically wins your heart.  

As a refreshing change to the somewhat saccharine short stories in Caitlin's latest "Princess Compendium" and Ieuan's "Guide to Train Spotting For The Under 5's", readers I bring you Dwayne in "The Tragic Tale of Dwayne, The Eating Monster", a lift the flap book written and illustrated by Valentina Mendicino published by Top That Publishing plc.

The Tragic Tale of Dwayne, The Eating Monster

Dwayne, it has to be said, has a pretty limited skill set but he does love to eat. One day, however, (and we've all been there), he finds he just can't stop. He eats... and eats... and eats everything in his path. And, of course, he gets bigger, and bigger and bigger, with catastrophic consequences. I won't spoil the ending which contains a funny twist, but suffice it to say that my children really enjoyed the story. 

The book is a 'lift the flap' book and as Dwayne eats more and grows bigger, children are able to lift the flap to discover the contents of Dwayne's latest meal - which are weird, wacky and very funny.

Like all the best children's stories, "The Tragic Tale of Dwayne The Eating Monster" contains a valuable lesson - being greedy can have unfortunate consequences.  Caitlin (5) and Ieuan (4) loved it, particularly the flaps which allow the children to join in with the story and suggest alternatives for what might be in Dwayne's tummy.

Ieuan, impersonating Dwayne The Eating Monster.  Nice.

The Tragic Tale of Dwayne The Eating Monster is available from the Top That Publishing website and also on Amazon.co.uk.

*A PR sample was received for the writing of this post.

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Review: Justin's World Jigsongs App for iPad / iPhone

You know that moment when you're in the doctor's surgery or a restaurant or - let's face it - anywhere with small bored children who are starting to attract venomous looks from others? 

Despite the fact that parenting gurus tell us we should immediately pull out a dog-eared copy of Charles Dickens "Hard Times" (set their expectations early on) or a lexicon of basic Mandarin (useful when ordering at Wing Wing's Ping Ping), I notice parents UK wide are starting to do the same thing - surreptitiously hand over a smart phone or lipstick smeared tablet to them to ensure peace is rapidly restored. 

Well I have the answer to your problems - an app which is fun, educational, easy to use and does not feature Annoying Orange or any of his deeply warped friends.

Justin's Jigsongs App - 69p for iPad/iPhone

Justin's Jigsongs is one of four fabulous apps under the banner of Justin's World from much loved children's entertainer, Justin Fletcher, MBE, best known as BBC's Mr Tumble. Justin is practically a God in our house. We are all word perfect with our Gigglebiz scripts and can all do the "Don't Panic" routine from Justin's House. It has raised a few eyebrows in Frankie & Benny's I can tell you (another place where tablets / phones are hastily produced despite the risk of ketchup stains).

We all love Mr Tumble

Justin's World uses storybooks, games and puzzles which build on Justin's characters and this particular app offers a choice of four songs, the videos of which are played only when a jigsaw is completed by dragging the pieces in place.  Justin then comes to life and sings for you. The jigsaws are set at easy, medium and hard levels and the songs are Old MacDonald, Twinkle Twinkle, 1,2,3,4,5 and The Grand Old Duke of York.  Designed for children from 2-6, the app costs 69p and is currently available for iPhone and iPad with an Android version in the pipeline.

I have to say that the quality of the app (illustrations, video and music) is, as expected, fantastic. I particularly liked that these are curriculum based teaching games from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Primary National Curriculum.

So, over to my two testers - Caitlin (5) and Ieuan (4).  Both my children have used PCs and tablets for quite a while and are not novices.  So what did they think?  

Caitlin concentrating hard

Caitlin really enjoyed the app, particularly the hard level of jigsaw which was just challenging enough to keep her interest. She found the songs too young for her, however. Ieuan stuck with the easy level and enjoyed the songs but would have liked a greater choice than just four.

Ieuan trying to beat his sister's time record

I thought it was really good and a natural vehicle for adding in some of the Gigglebiz characters which Ieuan, in particular, would have been thrilled with, particularly Dina Lady who his father has told him is really me. Harumph.

The Family's Cooking Icon, Dina Lady

For 69p this app is excellent value for money, but its appeal will depend on how experienced your kids are with apps in general. On the plus side, there is no in-app purchasing so, unlike Talking Tom, you won't be bothered with requests for 28 additional "friends". It is ideal for sitting down with your child and working through the jigsaws together or, if you are about to face a sniffly lynch mob at your GPs, whipping your tablet / phone out to keep the kids quiet for a bit.

The other apps in the series are:-

Justin's World - Goldilocks (£2.99) - an interactive adaptation of the well loved fairy tale, with all characters played by Justin.

Justin's World - Letter Sounds (£1.49) - pick a letter to match the sound then drag and drop to complete words.  Developed in line with the Primary National Strategy, this is a phonics based activity which has Justin teaching the sound and the child joining in.

Justin's World - Animal Sounds (free!) - hilarious impersonations of well known animals by Justin.

If I had to give the app stars, I'd say four out of five - please can we have a Dina Lady puzzle?

*PR samples were received for the writing of this post.

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