Ad This is a collaborative post. Cutetitos Islanditos Plush toys gifted for review
If you’ve followed my page for a while, you will know that my girls are massive fans of plush and collectable mystery real toys and having reviewed a number of products from the Cutetitos range before, we know that the combination of a mystery reveal and a soft and cosy friend to cuddle is guaranteed to be a big hit!
We were recently sent some products from the new Cutetitos Islanditos range, a range of 10 new adorable surprise reveal toys that based on previous experiences of Cutetitos Partyitos, I just knew the girls would love.
New themes are regularly being added to the Cutetitos range, so you can be confident that there will always be lots of fun new characters to reveal and collect.
What are Cutetitos Islanditos?
If you aren’t familiar with Cutetitos already then here’s what you need to know?
These super soft collectable toys come in a surprise mystery bag with a difference. Inside children will reveal a soft, cosy blanket, which they can unroll to reveal a super cute 7.5-inch plush toy.
Each Cutetitos range has a different theme, with some of the blankets looking like burritos and pizzas and in this particular Islanditos range, with a beach vibe, decorated in scenes just like the ocean or beach.
To reveal one of ten new characters, children imply release the velcro seal on the blanket and unroll it to find one of 10 characters. The blanket can also be resealed, so children can wrap the characters back up to tuck them in at night if they wish.
What did the girls love about Cutetitos Islanditos?
Having had a few of the Cutetitos products in the past (Pizzatitos, Unicorntitos and Partyitos), the girls were really excited to check out what the Cutetitos Islanditos range had in store.
As with other Cutetitos ranges, the anticipation of opening them up is super exciting, with the girls looking at the packaging in excitement to see the kind of characters they may discover inside.
After ripping over the mystery bag (which is easy enough for younger children to do without assistance) you could smell the beautiful scents almost immediately – the girls thought they smelled amazing – a fresh, fruity scent, without being too strong or overpowering. For the Islanditos, the scents include coconut, banana or tropical.
The first step to revealing the character involves unwrapping a sparkly piece of shiny hologram paper that was holding the blanket in place.
This step was a little bit like unwrapping a birthday present or indulging in a game of pass the parcel where you are guaranteed to win a prize. Let’s be honest here, I am yet to meet a child who wouldn’t enjoy that!
Once the paper has been ripped away, it reveals the island-themed blanket design underneath, with the surprise character safely snuggled up inside. Neve did this so quickly I barely had chance to take a picture!
To reveal the whole character, you simply peel away the velcro holding the blanket in place and roll it open to reveal the full design of the brightly coloured island theme blankets (We had one covered in a bright blue water design and the other in what looked like a swimming pool with inflatable). Inside you find the super cute character and a collectors card which helps children get to know their character.
There are 10 different characters to collect and we received Cotton Candito the Blue Lobstertito and Mutleyito the Puppito.
Mutleyito came with a bright yellow snorkel, whilst Cottom Candito had a beautiful pink flower on her head and shiny claws!
As with most surprise collectable toys, some of the Cutetitos Islanditos characters are more common than others – ranging from Tutti Frutti to Super Tutti Fruity and Extra Tutti Frutty. The girls were excited to learn that they had found two of the slightly rarer characters inside theirs.
The girls also loved reading facts about their new friend on the included collector card, including their character’s name, birthday and ‘Tutti Fruity’ rating.
Whilst some surprise toys are all about the opening, these toys are just as much fun once the packaging has all been discarded. Super soft to the touch, the plush toys are great to cuddle and slightly weighted. They also include a unique little tutti fruity symbol/cutie mark embroidered on their side.
OVERALL VERDICT
Overall, as expected, the Cutetitos Islanditos, apart from being incredibly difficult to pronounce and spell, went down really well with the girls, who are now understandably keen to try and collect the rest of the set! Some of the other designs are like mermaids, so I know that Neve will be super keen to find those.
At £10 each, I actually think these are relatively good value for money, especially when compared to other surprise reveal toys, it definitely feels like you get more to show for your money once all the packaging has been put away.
You can get your hands on Cutetitos Islanditos at Smyths Toys here.
AD – SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom gifted for review
My girls absolutely love blind bags, unboxing and surprise reveal toys. There is something so inherently appealing to them about the anticipation and excitement of discovering what’s hiding inside the bags. They love ticking off collectors’ sheets, searching for rare or ultra rare editions and of course, trading them with their friends.
Previously known as SuperZings, we were recently lucky enough to test out some of the NEW SuperThings – Rescue Force collectables, the latest series of fun collectable toys with sustainable packaging. If you haven’t heard of them yet – read on to learn more and for your chance to win!
What are SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom?
SuperThings are super cute collectible characters made from rubber that measure approximately 1 inch tall.
Every SuperThings Hero has an opposite SuperThings villain and they live in Kaboom City. There are over 80+ characters to collect in each series, so children will love ripping open blind bags to see who they have hidden inside and trying to collect them all.
We were sent a massive bundle of new SuperThings Rescue Force Series 10 collectables to review including a Starter Pack, 10-pack including the gold leader, six pack including a silver captain, a Rescue Jet and Jump Wing, three individual SuperJets, one Kazoom Kid figure and some of the pocket money friendly single blind bags. You can see a full unboxing and the contents of what we had inside over on Insta with our reel below.
REEL
What can you find in SuperThings Rescue Force Series 10?
The Rescue Force collection is out now at The Entertainer, Amazon and local Tescos, ASDAs and Coop
Series 10 of SuperThings Rescue Force has over 80 new superheroes and villains to collect including two rare gold Superleaders figures, rare silver Captains, and for the first time ever, two ULTRA RARE SuperThings; hero Emperorder and villain Moonarchaos. The villains have yellow coloured eyes, whereas the heroes have a slightly less sinister white.
In Series 10, there are also 6 NEW Kazoom Kids (larger-sized characters) and 12 NEW Rescue Jets (move along vehciles) to collect.
SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom Starter Pack
If you’re buying SuperThings Rescue Force for the very first tmie, the SuperThings Starter Pack is a great place to start. The girls loved ripping open the bag to reveal the magazine and 24 page comic guide – featuring loads of information about the SuperThings heros and villains. In the starter pack you also get 2 SuperThing chracters (one of them with chrome effect) and 1 metallic Rescue Jet (the design of which is exclusive to the Starter Pack!)
SuperThings 10 pack
If your kids become SuperThings packs and want to grow their collection quickly, the 10 pack of SuperThings contains ten different SuperThings, one of which is guaranteed to be a gold-coloured figure. Each 10 pack is numbered (there is a choice of two) so you can get both gold characters whilst avoiding too many duplicates.
RescueForce Jets
These mini vehicles have two pieces that slot together with wings that ‘pop out’ when pressed. The larger Kazoom kids can clip on to stand on the rescue jets, whilst the smaller SuperThings can be pressed on using the hole to the rear.
Kazoom Kids
Whilst the girls loved the cute size of the SuperThings, we also loved the larger play characters – Kazoom Kids, the gurdians for the SuperThings. There are 6 to collect and each one comes with an accessory and compatable SuperThing. They clip on to the RescueJets, so can easily be pushed around and played with too. We got Star Lock the police officer.
What we loved about SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom
Unlike some collectable toys where the novelty is all about the unboxing, Neve has genuinely enjoyed playing with the SuperThings long after the packaging has been packed away, acting out little scenes and clipping on and off the vehicles.
As a parent, I love the more sustainable packaging – unlike single-use plastic which is obviously a huge concern and puts me off purchasing, the SuperThings range is made with cardboard and paper bags and boxes which are recyclable and as such a bit more guilt-free! The bags were also far easier for Neve to open without assistance too.
With single blind bags costing just 80p, they’re affordable and pocket money friendly, as well as making a great option for party bag fillers and pass the parcels too.
It’s no secret here at Real Mum Reviews, that my girls absolutely adore collectable toys, and like many children at the moment, toys that are stretchy, squishy and tactile always go down extremely well. We were recently introduced to GooZonians – a brand new tactile toy range from Character Toys than has been launched this May, aimed at children aged 4-6. These super stretchy, squishy toys are ideal for children with sensory needs, and each come with unique fillings and charms. There are 6 different hero characters to collect, as well as a special twin pack containing Queen Ember and Princess Flik.
On Saturday we sat down to watch the first accompanying 11-minute webisode that introduced the girls into the whole new world of GooZonia, where they were able to learn all about the six unique GooZonian characters and how they gained their superpowers.
If you didn’t join us at the watch along, you can still check out the website on the Character Kids YouTube Channel here
What are GooZonians?
The beautiful land of GooZonia is a land where enchanted rainbow-hued goo flows through everything. It’s the home of the most cheery, easy-going and flexible people you may meet.
Many generations ago, a strange force of nature, known as Stone Heart, turned the goo dull and hardened it throughout the land and the hearts of the people. To save her people the Queen Cinder infused the last of the flowing goo with ancient magic to create six powerful charms. These charms gave the people of GooZonia the power to narrowly defeat the Stone Heart and reverse the effects.
To prevent the temptation of using these powerful charms for ill, Cinder hid them across the land. Now the Stone Heart has returned, and Cinder’s great great great great grandaughters Queen Ember and Princess Flik must get used to their new powers, royal responsibilities and of course squad goals and find the charms to defeat the Stone Heart, protecting GooZonia from the ApoGoolypse!
Who are the GooZonians characters?
Queen Ember
Ember is the latest in a long line of phoenixes who lead the good people of GooZania. Queen Ember is filled with flame effect strands, star shaped sparkles, combined with red, orange and yellow flecks of swirling shimmer.
Her key traits are bravery and charisma and she is dutiful but critical.
Princess Flik
Princess Flik is the youngest heir to the GooZonian throne in several generations. By 5 minutes that’s it! Her twin sister Ember was born first!
Flik loves sharing the castle with her sister Ember, She believes hat a true princess should be patrolling the realm and ready to battle against the Stone Heart – anywhere, any time!
She has a rheoscopic filling with swirling galaxy effect lightning shimmer.
Key Traits – Confident, adventurous, impulsive but clumsy and her charm is lightning
Cora
Born and raised in the bright-lights-big-city of GooTropolis on the other side of the Shimmer Slime Sea, Cora is an all-singing, dancing and acting triple threat! Shes the artistic director of the Royal Performance Company and keeps the girls entertained when they need a break from studies and Stone Heart missions.
Cora is filled with small hexagonal sparkles in pink and orange stretchy glucose. Her key Traits are enthusiasm and creativity and her charm is a shell
Roxy
Roxy is the royal spokesperson and heads up the castle’s social committee. She organises Ember and Flik’s social calendar and runs the sisters’ Prism feed (GooZonia’s leading social media platform) and is the life of the party in GooZonia.
Roxy is filled with silver snowflakes and shimmering blue stars within stretchy glucose. Her charm is a star.
Isla
Isla is an avid surfer and animal lover and the most environmentally aware GooZonian. As a result, she’s become the Royal Steward of the eGoosphere.
Isla can read animals body language and sense their feelings.Her key Traits are that she is easy going, independent, optimistic yet forgetful.
She is filled with purple moon and star shaped sprinkles and clear water beads and her charm is a pearl
Glyde
Last but my no means least, Glyde is a shy enigmatic introvert who loves to puzzle out problems and strategize ways to stop Stone Heart. She is also an inventor who loves to create flexible gadgets they can use in their missions.
Glyde is filled with a mix of pink and purple water beads and a dragon scale effect with added pink sparkle dust suspended inside. She is shy but inventive, passionate but insecure and her charm is a gemstone.
GooZonians Toys – Our Experience
We were sent a selection of GooZonain toys to check out with the girls and Neve in particular (5) was super excited when she opened up the box. Not only did Neve get to dress up like Roxy (who with a unicorn horn was automatically her favourite) but she got to open up two of the 6 characters and instantly started to seek out their hidden charm!
We received Roxy, which is made from slightly firm yet incredibly stretchy material. The girls both absolutely loved stretching out her arms and legs as far as they could and then watching as she always sprung back into her original shape. They loved moving around the insides to find her hidden charm.
We also received Isla, who is a lot softer to the touch, more like a squishy water filled balloon, which is incredibly therapeutic to squash and squeeze. Isla has a pearl charm hidden inside, and this one was a little easier to find!
Our GooZonians Verdict
The toys are so tactile and calming to touch, and with sensory toys being so popular at the moment I am confident the whole range will go down well with children of a similiar age.
GooZonians are now available at Amazon in single packs of the twin pack containing Queen Ember and Princess Flik.
AD – This is a collaborative post – Splash Out was gifted as part of our Stay Active Ambassador role
We recently announced that during 2022, we’re going to be working with Character UK as a Stay Active ambassador, testing out a new range of inclusive toys that can be enjoyed together by the whole family both indoors in the comfort of your home or outside in the great outdoors. The new range of Stay Active toys encourages movement and keeps everyone active whilst creating some fun-filled inter-family competition! Each month we will be testing some of the Character Options Stay Active products and putting them through their paces as a family, before giving you our verdict on how they were received by the girls (and us grown-ups too!)
Not only can the Stay Active range help reduce screen time and time prevent a sedentary lifestyle, but keeping active can help improve overall mental wellbeing, balance, coordination and stamina, as well as social skills, self-esteem and confidence. Being more active can also help everyone get a better night’s sleep and what’s not to love about that?!
So far we have been absolutely loving the items in the Stay Active range – from the nostalgic Jump It– the counting skipping rope just like the one I had as a child, to the out of this world Moon Boots, which have had my eldest jumping around our garden ever since. We were really excited to try out this months Stay Active toy – Splash Out – a fun water adventure game which requires nerves of steel!
We are lucky enough to have a really big garden, with plenty of space to run around and play, so whilst Splash Out can also be played inside with air, we decided to be brave and opt for the more risky game play using water; which very quickly had us running around, screaming in anticipation and laughing hysterically when one of our family inevitably got soaked!
What is Splash Out?
Splash Out is a fast paced, action packed throwing game like no other. Not only do you need good coordination, high energy and strong catching skills, but also, nerves of steel!
Fill one of the included balloons with water before adding to the Splash Out casing and turning the dial – then switch up the pace and pass it around before it pops and gives one player a soaking surprise!
When the time runs out, the casing breaks open and the balloon pops – getting one unsuspecting player absolutely drenched!
Suitable for ages 3 and above, the game can be played in one of two ways. If the prospect of getting wet doesn’t appeal, you can also play indoors with air filled balloons too.
How to play Splash Out!
To play Splash Out!, you first need to fill one of the twelve coloured balloons included with water. Once these have run out, you can use other small water balloons (available to purchase separately) to keep the game play going.
Once filled up, split open the Splash Out! casing and pop the water balloon inside.
Once inside, reseal the two pieces of the casing together, matching up the two dots so that the case is securely in place.
When you’re ready to start throwing, turn the dial on the top of the case until it starts ticking…. then throw!!
Our Experience of Splash Out!
We had SOOOO much fun playing Splash Out! From the minute that dial was turned I can honestly say I couldn’t stop laughing, watching as Mike and Erin hilariously battled it out passing the Splash Out! casing as quickly as they could between the two of them, each of them secretly hoping that the timer would stop and soak the other!
There was a LOT of screaming, lots of running around, and lots of Erin’s questionable throwing technique attempting to catch her Dad out when he least expected it!
Despite its relatively short duration, it’s actually quite hard to predict exactly when its going to stop – we had a few pop in mid air, a few crash on to the floor when someone jumped out of the way, and a few perfect shots that soaked their opponents! The casing is made from plastic, so you have to be careful not to aim at faces, but if it does make contact with your body or legs, its relatively pain free and light.
It’s worth noting that the throwing skills are quite important, as if your child accidentally drops it it can pop a little prematurely, but for more confident throwers it’s a great way to practice their technique!
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Splash Out! is loads of fun to play outdoors, particularly in the Summer months where the prospect of getting splashed is actually pretty appealing!
You can pick up Splash Out! now at Smyths Toysfor just £10.99
AD – Moon Shoes gifted for review. This post contains affiliate links
We recently announced that during 2022, we’re going to be working with Character UK and their fab Stay Active range – a selection of inclusive toys that can be enjoyed by the whole family together both indoors and outdoors, encouraging movement and keeping everyone active whilst creating some friendly inter-family competition! Each month we will be testing some of the Character Options Stay Active products and putting them through their paces as a family.
Not only can the Stay Active range help reduce screen time and time prevent a sedentary lifestyle, but keeping active can help improve overall mental wellbeing, balance, coordination and stamina, as well as social skills, self esteem and confidence. Being more active can also help everyone get a better night’s sleep and what’s not to love about that?!
Last month we reviewed and loved the Jump It – a skipping and jumping game with an integrated counter and this month, we’ve got another fun throwback toy to put through its paces – Moon Shoes! I always wanted some of these as a child but never had a pair, so was so excited that Erin got the chance to give them a go!
Check out our full moon shoes review below:
What are Moon Shoes?
A super fun way to get outdoors and have fun, Moon Shoes turn your feet into mini trampolines!
Known in the toy industry as the ‘anti-gravity device powered by kids’ Moon Shoes enable kids to jump with the sensation of anti-gravity for high bouncing and jumping right on the souls of their feet.
Whether you’re bouncing, running, jumping or playing hopscotch, kids will love pretending to be an astronaut and doing the spacewalk without leaving the comfort of their back garden!
Moon Shoes are worn over your child’s shoes and fastened securely into place with adjustable velcro straps.
The Moon Shoes consist of a large self-centring shoe platform with a secure non-grip surface, attached with rubber bands that are secured to the base allowing flexibility to create the perfect bounce. As you walk, the elastic bands flex and stretch just like they would on a traditional trampoline, making every step feel like you are walking on the surface of the moon.
What age are Moon Shoes suitable for?
Moon Shoes are suitable for children aged 7 and above (or adults weighing up to 130 pounds) and they are capable of fitting up to an adults size 8 shoe size.
I have to be honest when I first got the Moon Shoes out of the box they were much bigger than I expected. The bases are really quite substantial in size and as such, I did worry a little that my petite and slim 8 year old would find them quite heavy on her feet.
The Moon Shoes come with a bag full of elastic which first needs to be put into place and the instructions are a bit on the tricky side, so I ended up using a YouTube demonstration which I found much easier to follow. Stretching the bands across can be a bit tricky, but when I watched the video, it very quickly clicked into place.
How many elastic bands you use depends on the weight of your child, which is worth bearing in mind if you plan to use them with multiple children who weigh differently, as you will need to adjust the bands to suit.
Here are the number of bands you need:
If your child is 60lbs or under, you need one band per slot.
If your child is between 60 to 100lbs you need to add two bands per slot.
If your child is between 100 and 130lbs you need to add three bands per slot.
Our Moon Boots Review
I can honestly say I have never laughed so much as I did today watching Erin test out the Moon Shoes for the very first time.
Designed to be worn with your normal shoes – Erin opted to wear her sturdy boots to support her ankles, slipping them into the base and tightening the velcro straps to secure them in place. She was able to do this unassisted, but getting down the stairs to our lawn on the other hand was quite eventful!
Once we’d navigated her ‘clown feet’ down to the garden, Erin started bouncing around, falling over fairly regularly as got used to the sensation and tried to keep her balance.
Once Erin got the hang of the bouncing, she literally didn’t want to take them off, bouncing, jumping and stomping around the garden until she was significantly worn out! As soon as she woke up the next day, she was back out with them on her feet again, manically jumping around with no hesitation (or fear!)
Erin has really enjoyed trying to jump as high as she could or over obstacles we had set up around the garden. With quite a small frame, she did find them quite heavy on her feet and it’s worth noting that if you have a younger child they may find this a bit challenging. They are definitely great for exercise and I wish we had a pedometer to see how many calories they burned!
My partner and I are sadly both too heavy to have a go on these and I have to admit I was a wee bit jealous!
Overall the Moon Shoes have been a big hit! Whilst they need to be used with care (as is the case with any trampoline based product), they are great fun for playing outside and burning off some excess energy now the weather is a bit brighter.
As a parenting blogger with two young daughters aged 8 and 5, it’s fair to say this household has more than its fair share of toys! The girls absolutely love playing together, whether it be with character playsets, plush toys or games and we absolutely love being able to review new release toys on the market.
We have however become more conscious about our purchasing decisions of late.
Whilst at times there is no avoiding plastic (and let’s face it your purchases are often at the mercy of your child’s favourite toys), we always make an effort to pass on toys after the girls have outgrown them so they can be loved by other children. In an effort to be more eco friendly and look after our planet, we are also trying to avoid purchasing toys that waste unnecessary single-use plastic – opting for toys that are made from more sustainable or recycled materials instead. There has been a real shift over the last couple of years, and it’s great to see that toy manufacturers are taking climate change more seriously, swapping out traditional packaging and materials for more eco-friendly choices.
One such example is the new ECO Range from Character UK, a range of adorable soft cuddly toys that are of excellent quality and made with 100% recycled materials. We were lucky enough to be sent a few items from the range to check out with the girls. Here’s how we got on!
Cocomelon and Blippi Eco Plush
Suitable from 18 months, these cute and cuddly character toys are super soft but unlike other plush characters toys on the market, they are made entirely from recycled materials and sustainable packaging to help reduce waste.
Recycled products often get misconstrued as being low quality – but these are absolutely not. To be totally honest with you, you wouldn’t know the difference from a regular teddy when it comes to the plush itself – they are just as snuggly as other plush toys we already have.
Measuring around 8” tall, these soft toys are ideal for cuddling up to at bedtime or taking out and about on road trips. The character syles vary, but include two of Neve’s favourite characters – Blippi and Cocomelon.
Unlike some other toys whose packaging includes lots of plastic clips, ties and coated cardboard, the packaging of the ECO Plush range is made from sustainable FSC® certified cardboard, which can be put in the recycling after use.
Other character lines in the EO plush range include My Little Pony, Barney and the Teletubbies.
A great gift for Earth Day
The girls absolutely loved the ECO Plush toys, and as a parent, it’s always reassuring to know that your purchase decisions aren’t having a negative impact on the planet.
Not only were the toys super soft and cuddly (having stayed with Neve in bed every night since) but the girls loved the addition of a small green leaf emblem that was stitched onto the toy – a great little reminder that their new friend was eco friendly too.
I love that the packaging for the ECO Plush toys stand out on the shelves, making it really easy for parents to pick out an eco-conscious choice when they head to the shops. At £9.99 each, I also think that the pricing is fairly in line with other licensed character plush toys in-store; so you’re not having to pay over the odds just to get a more sustainable toy.
Overall, don’t really think you can go wrong with these – sure to be a big hit! If you’re looking for an eco friendly gift for a child this Earth Day, check out our sustainable wrapping options below too! 🙂
You can learn more about the range at Character UK and pick up the EcoPlush toys from Smyths Toys here with an RRP of £9.99 each.
Hi, I’m Lucy, a thirty something mum of two from Birmingham. A memory maker, tradition keeper, stationery addict and Mr Men fanatic. HR Advisor by day and sleep deprived Mama by night!
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