My two boys had a surprise early Easter gift in the post yesterday courtesy of Activision and Skylanders Imaginators. They've already played the game through a couple of times, but character releases shake everything up and add their own unique characteristics...


New characters have been released in waves and we've been sent the characters in Wave 4 to review including 2 very special edition Easter variant characters. The boxes themselves are gorgeous - the illustrations are really well done.

iExplore books are a series of books with an associated app. which brings them to life via Augmented Reality using a smartphone or tablet. iExplore Bugs by Hannah Wilson is fresh off the press at Carlton Kids Books and we've been sent a copy to review.


iExplore Bugs is an excellent quality hardback full colour book. 32 pages full of everything your average child could ever possibly need to know about the most fantastic and exotic bugs alive, including the Goliath Bird-Eating Spider and Queen Alexandra's Birdwing Butterfly.

The Digital Kids Show will return to Manchester's Event City this November 18-20th. Filled with all kinds of things that computer-obsessed youngsters love, we went last year and our boys had an awesome time.


This year the show is over 3 days and there is absolutely loads to do. Most of the programme will be the same each day, but some of the main stage acts and presentations will vary.

Everything in the giant Event City Hall and the show is especially suited to families with children of any age who would happily spend all day at a computer, whether playing, designing, editing, watching or learning, or all of those at once.

Today we were invited to Specsavers at Manchester's Fort Shopping Centre to help celebrate the launch of their new range of JCB Kids glasses for children. With promises of a real JCB Backhoe Loader and 'meet and greet' with the JCB Transformer, as well as eye tests and glasses if they were needed, how could we refuse?


It wasn't hard to spot Specsavers. Parked outside was, as promised, a genuine JCB Backhoe Loader with it's own glasses...

Roblox has kept children in my house entertained and shouting at each other across the room for the last 10 years. The blocky PC game have now teamed up with Jazwares and launched their own range of collectible toys featuring characters and accessories familiar to game players...


We've been sent a selection to review, including a Mystery Figure Pack, the Core Figure Pack - Mr Bling Bling and the Game Pack - Work At A Pizza Place. The figures are articulated, with a bend at the knee and hip and turning shoulders and neck.

This Easter LEGO fans visiting Manchester have a treat as the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre at the Trafford Centre has had a £1m revamp. The entire centre has had a shake around and the soft play climbing frame 'Fire Academy' has been completely removed, making room for the huge LEGO Ninjago City Adventure.


I took you on a tour of LEGOLAND Discovery Centre last year, and a lot of the attractions remain the same. The visit will appear just as before until you've walked through Miniland, then you'd believe you were in a different place...

I love it when a review is a treat for me, and a chance to try out 2 outfits from Simply Be's Holiday Shop is definitely one for me. Simply Be specialise in women's fashion, plus size and curves, with clothes in sizes 12 to 32, including tons of amazing brands such as Fiorelli, Figleaves and Marc Jacobs.

I'm the wrong side of 40 with 5 pregnancies and a serious hernia behind me. My last operation has left me with a swollen, lopsided tummy and a thick scar that feels much more comfortable with something soft over it. I mainly wear long skirts or dresses and loose waistlines and I still want to look nice, the same as anyone else.

Simply Be have a great selection of dresses that I really liked, including lots by Joe Browns (they have some gorgeous sundresses), but my job was to choose from the huge Simply Be 'Holiday Shop'. It was a genuine pleasure searching the site and knowing that everything came in my size.

Here are some of the things you could be getting up to with your family in the North West this Easter....

If you have an April event to add, please email it to me with the subject April 2017 and I'll add anything appropriate - we are particularly fond of those which are low cost or free....

Spring often sees the release of some of the more active toys, ready for outdoor play in the Summer. This Spring Spin Master have launched new additions for their range of Spy Gear: Ninja Gear and we've been sent the Transforming Ninja Sword and the Ninja Wrist Blaster to review.


The Spy Gear Transforming Ninja Sword (age 6+) is pretty awesome. Retracted it is around the size of a sturdy torch and in fact it is a real torch - but it unfolds at the touch of a button into a Ninja Katana 3 times the length...

Last March we reviewed Sshh! Don't Wake Dad! for Drumond Park and it's remained a favourite all year. This is a board game with a twist in the shape of a sleeping animated Dad, who snores his way through the game and makes everyone jump whenever he is accidentally woken by the sneaky cake thief...


You can find my full review of Sshh! Don't Wake Dad! here, but gameplay is very simple. Players use a spinner to move along the track that snakes across the board, heading for the fridge and the delicious treats it holds. Each square you land on is a risk and you can get sent back to the start quite easily.