Toys Archives - Jen is on a Journey

Bear Builder University at Build-A-Bear Workshop this Weekend!

September 25, 2019 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

It’s back to school at Build-A-Bear Workshop with the launch of the most fun educational experience out there – Bear Builder University. At Bear Builder U, guests of all ages learn what it’s like to bring a furry friend to life as a Build-A-Bear Bear Builder!

This unique, interactive class offers a more engaging, confidence-building and in-depth experience. Included in the class is one furry friend (up to $22 in US and £20 in UK), one clothing item, one sound or scent, one kid-sized bear builder apron and a Bear Builder U diploma, all for only $35 per guest (£28 UK / $39 CA). Enroll today at your local Build-A-Bear Workshop and your child will not only graduate as a dedicated Bear Builder with a furry friend to take home, but also with an experience that will last a lifetime!

WHEN:

Class is in session on Saturday, Sept. 28th at 10:00 am. Classes run for approximately 1.5 – 2 hours long. Parental supervision is required.

WHERE:

Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in US, UK and Canada. To enroll, click here for US, here for UK, here for Canada.

So if you’re still looking for some family friendly fun this weekend, visit your local Build-A-Bear Workshop to make memories and make a new friend!

Partnered post.

High-Flying Fun from Zing Toys

October 16, 2013 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

Thanks to living in the bay area of California, we’re still enjoying some of the best weather we’ll have all year, so it’s perfect for us that we got to play with some fantastic toys from Zing Toys.

The biggest hit at our house were the Zoom Rocketz! These little rockets can be angled in any direction you want, and then you slam your foot down to launch them. POW! They can hit heights of up to 200 feet, making it fun to watch them launch, see how high they go, and then wait to watch it fall back to earth. They bounce nicely on the ground and never once did any of the kids playing with it get hit by one. And we attracted quite a few kids!

Our other toy to try didn’t end up with great action shots by me, thanks to the boys taking off down the street to have blaster wars together. This toy is called the ZoomZooka. It’s an innovative double blaster that shoots both air and water, though our family stuck to air at this point. The little rockets have suction cup darts on the end, and they can shoot over 50 feet. (Water can also be shot that far — I think we need to try that on a hot day!) This makes the toy versatile, being both an indoor and outdoor toy.

What I love most about Zoom toys is that it gets my kids moving. They laugh, they play, they run around, they interact with friends — it’s a win win scenario every time! Anything that gets them off the couch and moving is top notch in my book!

Merrie is a writer for the Jen is on a Journey and you can also find her at her blog, Sleepless Mornings: “I’m the mother of two beautiful children, newly engaged, a scrapbooker, a baker, and sometimes I’m even fun to be around!”

Product was sent to facilitate this review, all opinions my own.

O.O.T.W.-Out of This World Girls Review

July 29, 2012 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

The O.O.T.W. Girls are “Out of This World” trendy and cute and will be released soon! Each girl has a dazzling personality as unique as the stars in the galaxy. They have a passion for interstellar adventure and their vibrant imaginations take them everywhere under the sun. The Girlaxy, a futuristic place filled with bright lights and fun, funky colors, is their playground. An imaginative world where technology and astrology come together to make anything you dream of possible.

O.O.T.W. represents a new world of imaginative fun that merges the collectibility of the vinyl-mation doll craze with the irresistible design and collectibility of small dolls. The O.O.T.W. line leverages low-tech electronic functions to deliver high-tech payoffs – thoughtfully designed to reflect each doll’s unique personality and resonate with today’s kids. The ever-expanding line of collectible dolls and accessories is poised to be the must-have new collectible in small dolls!

Girls can expand their knowledge of the Girlaxy through the website www.OOTWgirls.com, the OOTWGirls on Facebook and through the O.O.T.W. Girls blog.

We had the chance to play with Vizi. Each girl has a description of her personality on her packaging. Vizi tells us “I’m super curious. I can read faster than the speed of light and have an extra-ordinary amount of knowledge stored up in my head. Got a question you need answered? Just ask me. I don’t like to tell everyone, but sometimes I can even see the future. I might seem a bit shy, but that is just because I am always trying to unravel the next mega mystery in my mind.” Her feature is that she can see the future – so ask her anything. I have to say my 7 year old took this to heart! She sat asking Vizi all kinds of questions and giggling at some of answers she got. Vizi has her hair in a bun that lights up when you push the button on her stomach. A die then gives you an answer to your question (For older generations think what fun you had shaking that black ball to get answers to your most pending life questions). Vizi was part of many conversations and participated in some dramatic play with other dolls/characters around our house. She went on trips in the car with us and found a prominent spot on my daughter’s bed at the end of the day.

The O.O.T.W. website has a catchy song, great colors and a few games to play. You can check out all of the girls there too. The blog has just been released but offered some information about Saturn, so it has great potential to help educate girls about astrology while keeping things hip and fun with the bright colors and personalities of the O.O.T.W. Girls. My daughter isn’t old enough to do any of these things on her own, but they are things we can check out online together.

Look for Astra, Gigi, Techno, Vizi, and Flix (the O.O.T.W. Girls) in major retailers this July and August. At $9.99 SRP the O.O.T.W. Girls are an affordable friend for your daughter’s imaginative play.

About Julie: I’m a 41 year old (and yes that seems old) SAHM, independent demonstrator with Uppercase Living, a self-taught artist/crafter (whichever term you want to put with what I create), and former social worker. My life revolves around myself, husband, son (12), daughter (9), and twin daughters (7). That makes 6 to keep up with! We have an active family who loves the outdoors, scouting, swimming, and volunteering. You can find me at http://juliecorrigan.uppercaseliving.net for uplifting and inspiring words for your life.

Product was sent for honest review, all opinions our own.

Summer Popping Fun with Hog Wild Toys

July 17, 2012 by The Mom Jen 60 Comments

What are your kids doing this summer? Animal Poppers and the Rapid Fire Power Popper from Hog Wild Toys are the perfect way spend those long summer days! From the scurvy Pirate Popper to the prehistoric Dino Popper, a great time is guaranteed. The foam balls are soft enough for indoor play, but take Animal Poppers outside for even more fun! Play fetch with the Dog Popper or chill out with Penguin Popper at the pool!

With the squeeze of the tummy, these quirky characters launch foam balls right out of their mouths. The harder you squeeze, the further it shoots! Each Animal Popper comes with six soft foam balls and a convenient carry net. Take it from the Moo Popper, this summer is going to be legendairy! Animal Poppers are $9.99 each. For even more high powered fun, take out the Rapid Fire Power Popper from Hog Wild. The faster you slide the handles back and forth, the farther and faster this Power Popper shoots 12 balls!

This video is hilarious!

Hog Wild has this family going hog wild over their Rapid Fire Power Popper and the Pig Popper! My twelve year old son couldn’t wait to get his hands on the Rapid Fire Power Popper! I had to stop him so I could get a picture of it before he tore into the packaging and began shooting the foam balls at me and his sisters. He is a big fan of anything that shoots balls at someone, but this one was a hit! The actual quote was “this is AWESOME!” And with 12 balls to shoot as fast as he could slide the handles we were in for it!

So while he was reloading the Rapid Fire Power Popper, his sister (age 7) got her hands on the Pig Popper and after one misfire was popping balls right back at him! We had balls flying everywhere and somehow nothing got broken. The Pig Popper was easy to load the ball into the pig’s mouth, squeeze and shoot. This would be great for all ages and there are lots of characters to choose from. I know a certain friend that would love the Pirate Popper, and at $9.99 it’s a great gift!

Everyone in the family (ages 7-45) got in on the fun with Pig Popper and the Rapid Fire Power Popper. The foam balls are soft and don’t hurt when you hit your target, which is important in this family since aim isn’t always right on! Both of these would make great gifts, stocking stuffers or fun to have around the house or at a party. Now I’m off to find the foam balls and sneak up on my son…….

Designed for kids ages 4 and up, the Rapid Fire Power Popper is available for $16.99 and the Pig Popper is $9.99 at Amazon, Learning Express and Vat19.com.

My Giveaway: One lucky reader of Jen is on a Journey will win a Pig Popper and Rapid Fire Power Popper of their own! (enter below on Rafflecopter, allow a few moments to load)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Julie is a writer for Jen is on a Journey, about Julie: I’m a 41 year old (and yes that seems old) SAHM, independent demonstrator with Uppercase Living, a self-taught artist/crafter (whichever term you want to put with what I create), and former social worker. My life revolves around myself, husband, son (12), daughter (9), and twin daughters (7). That makes 6 to keep up with! We have an active family who loves the outdoors, scouting, swimming, and volunteering. You can find me at http://juliecorrigan.uppercaseliving.net for uplifting and inspiring words for your life.

Product was sent for honest review, all opinions are our own.

Step2 Dockside Sandbox and Climber Review

May 21, 2012 by The Mom Jen 69 Comments

Now that kids are outdoors more in the beautiful weather, why not introduce the Step2 Dockside Sandbox and Climber into your back yard? For ages 1.5-5 year olds, hours of fun can be had in this slide, climber, sandbox toy that is built to last from Step2.

Features adorable nautical theme
3-in-1 play features including steering wheel, slide, sandbox and play platform combo
Shade canopy shades little skippers from the sun
Includes a lid to protect from the elements and environment
Durable poly construction is built for years of play
Maximum weight limit 50 lbs (22.7 kg)
Sandbox holds 75 lbs. of sand

About 45 minutes for me to put it together, all pieces are included but a screwdriver. The plastic pieces are difficult at times to hold AND screw together at the same time, so if you had a second pair of hands it would be helpful! Before sand is added the toy is easily moved to the proper location in your yard, front or back to include friends and neighbors!

Our neighbor boys are 4 and almost 2 and loved playing on the climber. The slide is perfect for the younger boy, the 4 year old is pretty tall so to get the most out of the slide he’d lift his legs up because they nearly touch the ground before he even goes down. The sandbox fits one of the boys comfortably at one time. Both boys fit in there a bit crowded. My personal opinion is that it’s great for 1.5-3.5 year olds. This toy sells for $149.99!

Visit Step2 for other great summer outdoor toys for your family!

Product was sent for our honest review as I’m a Step2 Test Drive Mom, all opinions are my own.