Vanilla Underground call themselves the home of officially licensed merchandise for all the family and to prove it have sent us a big bundle of items - including something for everyone here. Favourite TV, movie, book, music and game characters on pyjamas, t-shirts, stationery, backpacks, lunchboxes and more...


I gave Vanilla Underground a rough idea of what sort of things we like, plus some sizes, and so our package was mainly a surprise parcel. It was a pleasant surprise too - we were delighted! First up, our 9 and 10 year old boys. Minecraft Pyjamas for the pair of them.


A big hit - I've already washed both pairs twice. No runs, loose threads or shrinkage, I'm pleased with the quality. My 10 year old's pyjamas are quite thick too, ideal for Winter despite the short sleeves. The same goes for the 5 Nights At Freddy's pyjamas in the photo below - great cold weather lounging pyjamas.

Modelling so that you can actually see the pictures on the pyjamas isn't their strong point...

In the Summer we were sent 2 new Minecraft STEM Challenge books from Carlton Books - Build A City and Build A Theme Park. Both books contain all of the plans and techniques that a player needs to complete some really complex and beautiful building projects within the game of Minecraft.


Each of the Minecraft STEM Challenge books follows the same format, with explanations of basics behind building and how to create special or tricky shapes and objects, followed by a selection of themed builds.

This month's review for Carlton Books is a pair of books unlike any we've ever covered before - and they are a real hit! We've been sent 2 new Minecraft STEM Challenge books - Build A City and Build A Theme Park. These are exactly as they sound, books which will show your child how to complete some really complex projects within the game of Minecraft.


My boys love science and challenges, and STEM activities are something I actively encourage. Minecraft has been popular in our household since it was very first released and my eldest son played it. Since then all of our children have played, and as it's our policy that we should understand what they're up to online, we've also had a go.


I showed my 8 and 9 year old boys the books and they both chose one, then swapped, so were both excited by both books. I've never seen them both get into a project so quickly, and within minutes they had both chosen and made a good start on a project build.

I know you are thinking 'A Minecraft novel?' and maybe think it's just been churned out because it'll sell on the back of that, but you'd be wrong. This official Mojang book by Tracey Baptiste is a great story which is really well written and offers adventure and real life in a mix which really pulls the reader in. We want to have a happy ending and right from the start we doubt that will be possible...


The Crash refers not a computer programme, but a real car crash, which renders our main character in a full body cast immobile in hospital. Bianca has a broken body and is desperate to know what happened to Lonnie, who was driving at the time. No-one will tell her and she begins to suspect she knows why.

My youngest child is absolutely obsessed with Minecraft, and we have 5 players in the house, so I was intrigued by the idea of a fiction book for children. Diary Of A Minecraft Zombie Steve 3: The Lost Temple by MC Steve is a book for independent readers aged around 8+, so it's stretching my 6 1/2 year old, but he's been very determined to read it himself.


The book is set out as you would expect a diary, day after day, and each date has 2-4 pages. This breaks up the text and makes it seem less intimidating for newer independent readers.

The story is that of a Zombie named Steve from the game Minecraft. He works as an architect and wins a huge contract to develop the Isle Of Mists. When he sets off to carry out his work, his boat goes astray and he finds himself thrown into an adventure.

Simbrix are fairly new, so you may not have heard of them before. A very different sort of toy for children aged around 5+, they describe themselves as a 'Craft Toy', but that doesn't begin to cover it. We've been sent some Simbrix to review, and if you follow me on social media you've probably already spotted them in my photos because they are constantly covering my table...


All Simbrix kits come in a cloth bag - this is genius. They're tiny and arrive in multiples of 850. A cotton drawstring bag in which to store them is perfect. It's beautifully made and a really nice size too, so can store partially made models as well as loose Simbrix.

It's the new year and it has brought with it some fantastic new LEGO - new ranges such as Frozen and the Swamp Police, the relaunched Bionicle LEGO, and plenty of  additions to old favourites such as LEGO minifigures Series 13, Friends, Arctic and one of our favourites - The LEGO Movie.


Bionicle LEGO has been relaunched and there are 13 new figures - 6 protectors, 6 Toa heroes and the Lord Of Skull Spiders. My 6 year old loves these and has had great fun playing with them over the past couple of years. They are tricky for young hands to build, hence the 8-14 age range, but they stay together well and are very poseable, so play value is good.

The price point is excellent for children spending birthday money and Christmas vouchers and they retail between £9.99 and £14.99. You can find out more and get some cool background and build ideas on the LEGO Bionicle website.


 
Minifigures Series 13 is a brilliant collection. Only a couple of slightly less interesting figures and some really strong females, which should please a lot of people.

Today I am delighted to be able to tell you that LEGO have very kindly given me one of the fabulous new LEGO Minecraft sets to give away to one of my readers. The First Night set 21115 is my favourite set and at £39.99, it's the one which I think may well turn out to be the most popular this Christmas.


In complete contrast to The Ender Dragon set 21117 which we reviewed yesterday, The First Night is based on your ideal first night in the Minecraft game. This set includes a great little shelter which is hinged with removeable roof, and contains everything your Steve needs to survive the night and progress into the game.

LEGO Minecraft has arrived with an astounding amount of excitement in our house, and I don't believe for an instant we'll be the only ones. Although the entire range is designed for builders aged around 8+, my two youngest boys still think they're awesome. We had a look at the full range and gave our first impressions the other day, and today we actually got our hands on set 21117 - The Ender Dragon.



This is a large set with 634 pieces. Inside the box there are the instructions, 5 bags numbered 1-4, a bag containing the dragon wings and 3 base plates, and a loose base plate - please excuse the photography, this is Manchester in November, natural light is a rare phenomenon.

Minecraft is absolutely huge now, and it's been a feature in our house since it was in alpha version, and I remember very well the excitement when it came to the full game release. Ideally suited to LEGO on so many levels, I got hold of one the first LEGO Minecraft Micro World 'The Forest' set 21102  for Christmas 2012 for my partner.


The official UK launch of the new LEGO Minecraft sets took place the other day. Sadly I wasn't there, but I will be reviewing and launching a giveaway for a set or two within the next few days, so keep your eyes open!

There are 6 sets ranging from £19.99 to £89.99 - The Cave, The Farm, The First Night, The Crafting Box  and The Ender Dragon and The Mine.  All of the sets are quite complex with some small fingerwork and therefore have a recommended age range of 8+. Very different to the Micro Worlds and designed for a full size minifigure, these aren't encased in the cube shape, and are more usual LEGO style.