DK Gift Boutique for this Christmas season

DK Canada has once again put a wonderful Gift Boutique in order to offer fabulous titles for adults or children for this upcoming Christmas season.  I had the privilege to review one of the titles offered in the DK Gift Boutique and can tell you right away that this is a book that all LEGO fans would want to have.  

The LEGO Awesome Ideas book contain new ideas that will unlock the secrets of LEGO building and show your child how to create a world with their imagination.   When I was younger and received my first LEGO box, I had no idea that once day my own kids would play with these as well as their own.   I remember using a book with ideas on building things quite often.  That book I still have but it is nothing compared to the books that DK Canada has published in the past and definitively nothing compared to the new LEGO Awesome Ideas book.   First let me tell you about the cover.  This hardcover book has a 3D section which allow you to see the dimension of an item built with LEGO.  The bird in the left side corner can just start flying away almost!

The book is packed with stunning photography and informative text as it demonstrates how entire models are built up.  Also, the reader will obtain step-by-step visual breakdowns and offering alternative ways to build models.   Each chapter can be easily explored as it steadily creates a themed world and ultimately showcases a dynamic diorama of the complete build, showing readers that they too can build up an entire LEGO world from scratch — model by model, brick by brick.

 

 

The book covers five worlds:

Outer Space: mech walker, all-purpose robots, forklift robot, space rover, space equipment, planetary pod, space door, sci-fi doors and walls, gear doorway, research lab, hydroponics bay, lab tools, aliens and alien life, space-plants and scenery, micro-scale spaceship, micro-space fleet, micro-scale space buildings, Zycon shuttle, and outer space diorama.

Modern Metropolis: basic building, modular buildings, city buildings, city museum, building roofs, tables and chairs, furniture, around the city, making a car, city vehicles, auto bumpers, lights, signs, signals, farmer’s field, crops and vegetables, plants, on the farm, leisure activities, farmhouse, and modern metropolis diorame.

The Wild West: wagon, wagons roll, western scenery, cavalry fort, jailhouse, around town, Wild West saloon, building signs, tow items, steam train, train carriages, old mine, rolling riverboat, outlaw hideout, and Wild West diorama.

Fantasy Land: fantasy house, cube village, fantasy roofs, fences and pathways, waterfall, fantasy river, flowers, fantasy creatures, tree slide, tree-house, castle walls, castle tower, fancy towers, castle features, cream-pie catapult, and fantasy land diorama.

The Real World: cell phone, technology, stationary, kitchen scale, bathroom, science kit, banana, fruit and veg,  gingerbread man, cakes and pastries, popsicle, frozen treats, candies, box of chocolate, and real world diorama.

The book will show how to build the most imaginative world using techniques that will be easy to follow and do for anyone – kids or adults alike.   The images included in the book are bright and will demonstrate what the instructions are explaining.  I really enjoyed looking at all the examples included in this book.   I am speechless to see how the Fantasy river is made – so easy to do…. if only we had all the pieces required.  Another favorite of mine is definitively the butterfly and the flower gallery.  Oh and the adorable crayon box is just the perfect one to build for playing with dolls for my daughter. And to surprise someone this Christmas you could trick them with a false box of chocolate before giving a real one!

With creative model ideas and visual tips and techniques, LEGO Awesome Ideas will inspire anyone, from beginners to accomplished builders. It is definitively a perfect gift for the LEGO fan in your life this Christmas!  Don’t forget the LEGO Ideas Book and the LEGO Play which also contains a ton of ideas to build.

The Gift Boutique of DK Canada offers ideas for adults and children.   In the adults section you will see titles like Smithsonian Design, Musicals, Smithsonian Wildlife of the World, LEGO Star Wars Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy, The Sherlock Holmes Book, Marvel Avengers Encyclopedia, Desserts, Disney Book, Art a Visual History, Alpine Cookbook, UFC Visual History, Bon by Design The Art of the James Bond Films, Smithsonian History, Quen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family, Smithsonian Music, Paper Craft, The Tea Book, Smithsonian Great Maps, James Bond 50 Year of Movie Posters, Modern German Cookbook, Ultimate Star Wars, Smithsonian History of the World in 1000 Objects, Marvel Comics 75 Years of Cover Art, and Photography.

In the children section, DK Canada suggests titles like Smithsonian Picturepedia, Let’s Knit, LEGO I Love That Minifigure, Star Wars – Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Utterly Amazing Human Body, Great LEGO Sets Visual History, Smithsonian Cars, Trains, Ships & Planes, Star Wars Rebels Epic Battles Visual Guide, Senseational Illusions, Super Shark Encyclopedia, Strange but True!, LEGO Awesome Ideas, Sophie’s Little Library, Frozen The Enchanted Guide, Smithsonian Space! and The Big Book of Dinosaurs.

The LEGO Awesome Ideas is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

  

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Build and Imagine Playsets

It is Thanksgiving week-end in Canada and you can’t help but think that Christmas is just around the corner.  With Christmas coming, it is the perfect time of the year to seriously think about the gifts you might want to give to your kids, nieces and nephews.   I was recently approached to review a new prodcut by a company called Build & Imagine.   Laurie Peterson, an award-winning toy designer and mother, founded Build & Imagine after noticing that the kinds of play experiences she enjoyed as a child (involving building, creativity, and experimentation) were poorly represented in the girls’ section of most toy stores. She now develops magnetic building toys with leading female characters and rich narrative details to engage both girls and boys. The company got its jumpstart with a successful Kickstarter project, and will have five themed building sets available this fall.

About the product

If she builds it, she will play … and add an important “A” for art to the vital fields of a STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and math). That’s the mission behind Build & Imagine, an empowering toy line for youngsters ages 4 and up that starts them on a road to innovation. These magnetic construction sets are packed with foundational STEAM learning yet are enchanting for endless hours of imaginative play.

Each Build & Imagine StoryWalls play-set is made of colorfully illustrated magnetic panels that a child joins together any way she likes. The result is a scene that she brings to life with the enclosed dress-up dolls and more than 40 magnetic costumes and props. The illustrated details act as story starters, sparking imaginative play. The sets have received numerous awards from the Toy industry experts including Dr. Toy, Parents’ Choice, The National Parenting Center, Mr. Dad and many others.

Essentially, Build & Imagine sets put the child in the role of architect and storyteller, and offers adventurous leading female characters. The company makes three sets: Malia’s Beach House, Marine Rescue Center, and Day At The Beach.  You can also purchase the whole Coastal Community Collection in one shot if you prefer.

My Thoughts

I have received the Malia’s Beach House to review. I wasn’t sure how the product would be looking and wondered of the quality of it while I waited for the delivery.

The first thing I did when I received the box was to discover the packaging.  I was immediately impressed with the attention done in putting the pieces together inside the box.   First of all the box was sturdy and easy to open.  Then all the pieces were neatly stacked in a special tray which can also be used to store the pieces.  You will find all the pieces necessary to play with Malia and her friend Tyler and build the amazing beach house.

 

The pieces will allow your child to build a fun beach house using the magnetic pieces.  Each wall and floor will connect to each other because of the magnetic part included on the site of each of them.  Malia and her friend as well as the walls and floors are made of wood pieces that are covered with bright images.   Now the girls of the story wears underwear but that is because sticks accessories are included in the packaging for your child to change the way the dress.   The only part that I find a bit more fragile would be the magnetic pieces.   Part of me would prefer them to be a bit more ticker.   Because of this, I would suggest that a child ages 6-8 would be more careful to use it.

I find that the Malia’s Beach House (and the other sets available at Build & Imagine) are perfect to enhance the storytelling skills in your daughter.   Pretend play is important to develop skills of interaction and cooperation.  Having two characters in Malia’s Beach House makes it possible for your girl to have a friend to play with her while inventing adventure stories for Malia and her friend Tyler.  Mind you, your child can even decide to rename the dolls…  The bright colors and the playful setting will provide perfect creativity during quiet time or anywhere you travel because this can easily be all stored in a small plastic container to bring on vacation, the cottage, the RV, the grand-parents, or the beach for fun playing time.

If you are looking for quality in a toy, I think you won’t be disappointed with Malia’s Beach House.  The sturdy pieces will make playing last longer.   And it is a different kind of building system especially designed for girls which makes things even more interested.  It is a well-known fact that girls are more creative when it comes to storytelling and this set will allow a girl to develop even more skills and creativity in her stories.    I sure hope that Build & Imagine will also develop a line for boys so that they can also go on adventures like camping in the woods and hiking in a mountain, a fire station or police station, a farm and so on.   Mind you these ideas could also be done for girls sets as well…

And to complete the experience of playing with Malia’s Beach House, you can go to the website of Build & Imagine to download a digital story book when you sign up for their email list.  Note that these sets are not recommended for children under the age of 3.  Also two new building activity sets are scheduled to be available in October – the Fairytale Theatre and the Pet Portrait Studio.

Malia’s Beach House and the other sets available at Build & Imagine are perfect for this coming Christmas season as well as for birthday ideas.

Malia’s Beach House  is available for purchase at amazon.ca.

  

The two other sets are also available for purchase on amazon.ca.

 

The three sets are available for purchase on amazon.com as well.

   

Disclaimer: I received the product for review purposes from KidStuff PR and Build & Imagine. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

KNex Mighty Makers

Did you know that K’Nex has released a new line of building kit specifically designed for girls.   Called the mighty makers these kits will encourage your girl to build fun things to play with.  There are six set available at this point in time.

• Home Designer
• Going Green
• Deep Sea Dive
• Inventor’s Clubhouse
• Up, Up and Away
• Fun on the Ferris Wheel

For the purpose of this review, I have received the Going Green Building Set.

About the set

Reduce, reuse and rebuild with Zoe and Roland in the Going Green™ Building Set. Zoe isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She is always out in the garden helping her mom or hiking in search of new and different plants she has never seen before! Help Zoe build a garden, a green house and a flower box. Using the included tool accessories, help Zoe grow a large garden full of plants and flowers in the Going Green™ Building Set from Mighty Makers™. Most models can be built one at a time.

Features:

• Includes 127 K'NEX parts and pieces
• Create a garden with Zoe and her hedgehog, Roland
• Accessories include gardening tools, flowers, foliage, graphic panels and more
• Includes instructions for three different botany themed builds
• Mighty Makers™ Card challenges builder to explore additional botany concepts
• Ages 7+

My Thoughts

The Mighty Makers building set is as sturdy as the regular K’Nex set already on the market.   The only thing I would say that would be different is the colors of the part included in the set – with bright pink, green, turquoise, and yellow.   This particular set will allow your child to build a greenhouse where plants could grow before being planted in a garden.  The set also comes with a young lady and an hedgehog – Zoe & Roland.   Also included in the box there is some information about plant classification as your child learn about botany.

The set is definitively adorable. It contains over 127 pieces that can be put together to create three different botany themed builds.   Additional building graphics are available to download as well.

Part of me if delighted to find set with pastel colors in it as well as something more geared toward girls.   My girl enjoys building with the regular K’Nex set we own at home but having one set that has a character, an animal and pastel colors will bring even more creativity in her life.

Each set has different characters in it which makes it easy to collect in order to have all of them.  The set vary in prices depending of the size of the box.   These sets would make a great birthday or Christmas gift.  The Mighty Makers building sets from K’Nex are available for purchase at your favorite toy store, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

On Amazon.ca

   

On Amazon.com

 

 

Disclaimer: I have received the above mentioned products for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.