Family Fun with Funko! (Ad - Review)

Disclosure: We were sent the items mentioned in exchange for this post - This post contains affiliate links

Funko are known for being the brand that covers all of your fandom needs and with licenced pop culture products from almost every fictional world you can think of of, including Batman, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, DC Comics and Hello Kitty to name just a few, they have helped to keep the MyMummysPennies household entertained during lockdown!

The lovely folks from Funko sent us a box full of fun for the whole family to enjoy at home. I've been a fan of Funko! Pops for a number of years but have always seen them as more of a grown up collectable than toys to play with. I have certainly changed my mind after receiving this box of Funko fun suitable for the whole family to enjoy. 




The arrival of our box of Funko goodies couldn't have been timed better, being stuck at home and looking for things to entertain us. We were sent a selection of products including the Pop! Vinyls, Mystery Minis, SuperCute Plushies, FunkoVerse game and more! Read on to find out about each of the products we received.

Funko Pop! Classic and Pop! Heroes

If you've heard of Funko they you will have heard of Funko Pop! Vinyl figures, I think pretty much everyone I know has a few of these on a shelf at home representing a movie series or character they love.  As Funko themselves say, 'Everyone is a fan of something', and displaying these distinctive  'chibi' style collectables are the perfect way to take home a little version of something you love! While some of the rarer Comic Con exclusive and limited edition Pop! Vinyls may be safer kept in their boxes, the smooth, robust vinyl and bright, detailed decoration of these funky figures mean that they can be played with safely and are ideal for imaginative play for older children and tweens!



This Hello Kitty Pop! (Classic) takes me back to when I was the same age as my daughter in the nineties and this little Japanese cartoon kitten with the big red bow was all the craze with my friends, still popular now with all ages, this one has been sitting on my daughter's desk supervising her stationery and her school work since she arrived!





Fans of DC Comics will of course recognise Harley Quinn. This is a character more for the grown ups but oozing with bad girl vibes, and more recently in the Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous emancipation of one Harley Quinn,  a strong dose of feminism she is certainly iconic and this Black Mask Club fugure forms part of the Heroes collection released to go alongside the aforementioned movie, also offering characters  such as Black Canary and Huntress as well as other versions of Quinn.

Batman. We can't really talk about iconic pop culture without mentioning the caped crusader now can we? My other half is a huge fan of the Dark Knight, especially the cheesier early incarnations. In fact, one of our last days out earlier in the year was to a race track day where he got to drive the original Batmobile! This 1989 version of Batman takes him back to his eighties childhood and was a welcomed father's day gift. This Pop! Heroes  was released to celebrate Batman turning 80  and comes complete with a batarang!

Funko Vinyl SODA!

A new and limited edition to the Funko family for 2020, only 10,000 pieces of this figure was released. Presented in a plastic soda can with a pop off lid this figure is very different to the Pop! style Funko figures but is still distinctive and collectable especially dressed in the retro blue and grey outfit. As an extra treat inside the soda can there is a round POG shaped collectable token too!

Funko and Harry Potter

If I had to name one fictional universe that is loved above all others by members of our household it would definitely have to be the The World of Harry Potter. The nine year old is a fully fledged Gryffindor and loves the original trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron while still enjoying the early books in the series, the almost teen sees himself as a Hufflepuff through and through and is a huge fan of Newt Scamander and the Fantastic Beasts movies series, and both the adults in the house are Potterheads too. We all thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Florida last year and are hoping that our planned trip to Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London goes ahead later this year! So as you can imagine when we found some Harry Potter licenced goodies in our box of Funko fun they were very popular.

The nine year old is all about the blind bags and the mystery box toys so naturally she claimed the Harry Potter Mystery Mini and even decided to do a YouTube unboxing video for it! 

The Mystery Minis have an RRP of £5.99 and come with one of 14 exciting Harry Potter themed characters. Which one will you find?!

Despite being full of sweetness and light, she does have a soft spot for a stylish bad girl with attitude so was very pleased to find a mini vinyl figure of Bellatrix Lestrange inside! As with all the Funko figures Bellatrix is well made and the attention to detail on her outfit is exquisite. She is a smaller figure than the usual pop range at just under 4 inches tall but still stands sturdy on her feet so would be perfect for displaying in a collection or also ideal for imaginative play as Elizabeth chose to do.

This Harry Potter SuperCute Plushies soft toy with glasses and Sorting Hat was a lovey surprise as I had no idea that Funko sold a range of soft toys to complement their other licenced products! This pint sized wizard in training is just adorable! He is just under 11 inches tall and super soft and cuddly but also has a flat base so can be displayed in pride of place alongside your other Potter collectables after you've finished playing with him. Again no detail has been missed as he is wearing very smart silky robes with hood, and even a tie with the Hogwarts emblem displayed on it. (Note he's not in house colours yet as he's still being sorted!) Harry is wearing his distinctive glasses which are made from moulded plastic to give a fantastic 3D effect and his head is topped with the famous Sorting Hat which you can lift up the brim of to see his lightening shaped scar embroidered on his forehead. The Harry Potter SuperCute Plushies are available in a range of your favourite Harry Potter characters. I managed to nab this one myself and have already added some of his pals to my wishlist!

Pop! FunkoVerse Strategy game - Jurassic Park

If your family is anything like ours, then you will have become quite familiar with a fair few boardgames during the last few months of lockdown. Playing a boardgame is an ideal activity to get the family engaged in something together and away from screens, not to mention the fact that many of them have an educational aspect as well as being fun!

We were thrilled to find the Jurassic Park expandalone edition of the Funkoverse Strategy game in our box of Fun(ko). I'd heard of this strategy game that is available in a number of different editions, but had never played it before. We've recently re-watched the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies so this was the perfect edition for us to play! The playing pieces are mini POP! Vinyl figures of Dr Malcolm and the T-Rex - they even have base plates to stop them falling over!

Perfect for those of us who like to be a bit more hands on with our fandom collectables, there are a number of different editions of this tabletop strategy game available depending on which movie series you are into and one of the best things about it is that you can build up your collection and mix and match your characters! Each game can be played on it's own though so you can still get started with just one edition.  The full base games come with four characters but we were sent the Jurassic Park expandalone edition which can be played on its own or used to expand the main game pack.

The Jurassic Park expandalone Funkoverse game is suitable for 2 players (or teams) and comes with two game boards or maps and two Pop! Vinyl figures as well as other counters and accessories. It's advised for ages 10+ which I'd say is about right due to the strategic thinking required, we played in teams so my 9 year old had some help from a grown up. If you're not used to strategy games it does take some practise but there are some great tips and instructions on gameplay as well as a video on the Funkoverse website which are great to get you started.

Thanks so much to Funko for sharing their goodies with us and introducing our family to a different and much more interactive side of the Funko product range that I was previously unaware of. Here's to lots more Funko family fun in the future!

When is the right time for your child's first mobile phone? #AD

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Carphone Warehouse and Nokia. All opinions are my own.

Choosing the right mobile phone is a big decision for anyone, this is a device that you will most likely use every day and you may be reliant on it for communication, for accessing news and for keeping up to date with your diary and activities, you may even pay for your shopping using it, or take advantage of electronic transport passes on your commute. Choosing the first mobile phone for your child is an even bigger commitment. When you hand your child a smartphone, you are providing them with the possibility of unlimited access to the Internet, and while this can be a great educational tool, it's also giving them a responsibility much beyond their years. You are trusting them to be sensible and set their own limits, yet how do you know if they are ready for such power?

When is the right age to have a first mobile phone?

Before you even start to consider which handset or tariff to opt for, you need to decide when the right age is for your child to have their first mobile phone. This is a question that doesn't have a 'one size fits all' answer. It will be different for every child and will depend on their own maturity level and circumstances. Can they exercise restraint? Can they be trusted not to use the phone during class or when they should be in bed? Do they have enough judgement to know what photographs are appropriate to post online? Do they 'need' a way to get in touch with you for emergencies?

We made the decision that our son would be given his first mobile phone for his eleventh birthday. This tied in well with him starting secondary school a week later as he would getting public transport independently for the first time and he would be able to utilise a smartphone to access apps and educational websites to help with his homework.

What should you consider when buying your child's first mobile phone?

One of the first things that I considered when we were browsing for Ben's first mobile phone was cost. I wanted to find a balance between a phone that had enough 'street-cred' to be 'acceptable' to a pre-teen and his friends, but also wasn't too high value and wouldn't, therefore, make him a target for theft. It also had to look good as my son can be rather fussy about what he wears and what he carries around with him would be no exception. Sturdiness was another huge factor, I have to admit that Ben takes after my side of the family when it comes to clumsiness and 'butterfingers' is a pretty apt nickname for us both! We certainly didn't want him to end up with a cracked screen after just a few days so we were in the market for a phone that would be fairly robust.

When it comes to the capabilities of the phone itself we were looking for an operating system that would last the test of time and features that would grow with Ben, we also wanted him to have a camera that he could have some fun with on our travels, taking pictures and videos to capture memories of all our family adventures.

Once we knew what we were looking for and had agreed on a budget, we took Ben to our local Carphone Warehouse to have a look at what they had on offer, Ben was immediately drawn to the Android One  range from Nokia and they really did seem like the perfect phone, a no-nonsense version of Android that has all the essentials in a sleek, easy to use handset a million miles away from the Nokia 8210 I had as a teen (Although I did love the polyphonic ringtones!)

How do you protect your child when they have their first mobile phone?

Just like any parents, once we had made the decision to purchase our child's first mobile phone, we wanted reassurance that he would be safe online and that we can keep in touch at any time.  We wanted to give our 11-year-old freedom and independence but equally be able to protect him from inappropriate content.

Thanks to Carphone Warehouse and Nokia, I was introduced to the Family Link app from Google. An app that offers that much needed reassurance to parents but also allows children to have the freedom to explore the capabilities of their technology within protected boundaries.

App Authorisation

For children who are excited about having the independence of their first smartphone, the first thing they want to do is download ALL of the apps they've ever heard their friends mention or seen advertised on TV or even the bus stop! Once we had the Family Link app set up, Ben was free to access Google Play Store and select apps to download, but each time he chose an app he had to request permission from me to continue, he could do this by either sending the request through to the parental app on my phone where I could either approve or decline or if I was in the room with him, he could hand me his phone to log in with my credentials and approve it instantly. There is the facility to vary the amount of control, so if I wanted I could change it so that he only needed my permission for paid apps or those with in-app purchases.

Screen Time Limits

One of my big worries was the amount of screen time Ben would have when he had his own device, he had always wanted five more minutes on the PlayStation or one more episode of whatever he was watching on TV and I was concerned about how we would be able to limit this with his phone. Family Link accounts for this and allows you to set up daily limits for screen time as well as set a bedtime period between which times the phone cannot be accessed. It also has a parental override so even if daily limits haven't been reached but you know that history homework is still sat on the desk waiting to be done, you can manually lock the phone so that your child is unable to unlock or use the phone, other than to make preset 'emergency' phone calls.

As well as limits, the app allows you to view reports of your child's activity on the device with a breakdown of the apps he has been using so you know if he really was researching for his science homework or just chatting to his friends online.

Location Monitoring

Another useful feature of the app is the ability to see where your child is located. When this feature is enabled, you can check at a glance if he is at that friend's house or almost home from school. It's also handy if the phone is left somewhere or even lost in the house.

Can you allow your child independence on the Internet?

The Family Link app took around 15 minutes to fully set up on my phone using my existing Google Account, including setting up a Google Account for Ben. 

For me, this app lets me set digital ground rules and gives me peace of mind that I can allow my pre-teen more independence to explore the online world without worrying that he is going to put himself at risk, run up credit card bills or even sit up all night watching Rollercoaster POV videos. He knows that he has a set time limit for screen time and he has to take responsibility for how he uses it.

Right now I still feel that he is too young for social media accounts, but many of his friends already have them, so if we do decide to relax this in the future I know that the Family Link app will allow me the confidence that I will be able to monitor his screen time.

With the help of the Family Link app I feel reassured that we made the right choice in the timing of our son's first mobile phone. He has the security of a way of contacting us if needed, the independence to explore and learn using technology and the approval of his peers and at the same time, I have the peace of mind that he is using technology in a responsible way.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Plush Toys #SentforReview

To celebrate the release of the third movie in the How to Train Your Dragon series, we have been sent a selection of the new plush toys available from Posh Paws to review. This post also contains affiliate links.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World sees the return of our favourite dragons and dragon riders and introduces a few new ones too including my daughter's new favourite, the Light Fury! Posh Paws have brought out a range of super cute toys to accompany the release of the Dreamworks movie at the beginning of this month and we were excited to see some of them up close.

The new range includes Bag Clips, Night Lights, Medium plush toys and Large plush toys with prices starting at just £5.99.

Both my children have been fans of the franchise based on the How to Train Your Dragon Books by Cressida Cowell for a number of years now and own all the books as well as a number of toys and novelties that they have collected over that time. They eagerly awaited the release of The Hidden World and we all went to see it on opening weekend, they both gave it rave reviews! Although my eldest is now probably at the upper end of the age range now, he has certainly passed his affection for it on to his younger sister who was thrilled to receive these Posh Paws goodies to play with!

Toothless Bag Clip

The bag clips are available in a variety of dragons including Toothless, Light Fury, Hookfang, Barf and Belch, Stormfly and Meatlug. They are approximately 10cms in height, are suitable for ages 3 years + and are available at an RRP of just £5.99 from your Clintons and Hamleys stores.

These adorable mini soft toys may be small but they are full of detail! The soft black 'fur' is textured to give the effect of scales, the tail features Toothless' unique red tail fin as made by hiccup and the face includes his distinctive green eyes in high quality embroidery. The large plastic clip is ideal to clip on to school bags or luggage so your child can take their new friend with them to school or along on their travels and the price is great pocket money value.

HookFang Medium Plush Toy

As any How to Train Your Dragon fan will know, Hookfang is the Monstrous Nightmare dragon ridden by Snotlout. Both warriors at heart, they are a fearsome duo but Hookfang has been known to ignite first and think second, not always doing what Snotlout asks! This plush version won't be breathing fire but does come with rather funky glow in the dark wings which makes him an ideal bedtime companion. Great quality and attention to detail, this medium plush also features embroidered facial features, with 3D eyes and a cheeky toothy smile.

Toothless Medium Plush Toy

Toothless is the last known specimen of the Night Fury Species, once thought of as the unholy offsping of lightening and death itself, but now proven to be a playful, inquisitive and intelligent, loyal dragon and of course Hiccup's best friend.  He is the Alpha, the king of the dragons and plays a significant role in The Hidden World movie (but we won't spoil that for you if you have yet to see it!)

The Toothless plush from Posh Paws is slightly larger that Hookfang but shares the high quality and attention to detail, as well as a soft but sturdy cuddly body. Just like the smaller bag clip, Toothless bears the distinctive red tail fin crafted by Hiccup and soft textured scale like fur. When the light go out he has an extra surprise in store, as well as glow in the dark wings and badge, his beautiful big green eyes glow also!

These 32cm medium plush toys are also available in Light Fury, Barf and Belch, Stormfly and Meatlug, each feature the glow in the dark wings and bear a shiney glow in the dark badge. They have an RRP of £16.99 and can be purchased at Amazon, Zoom, Harrods, Hamleys and Clintons.

Dragon night lights are also in the range at just £8.99 RRP and large 61cm Plush Dragons are available for £29.99 RRP.

What we thought of the new HTTYD range from Posh Paws

Elizabeth adores her new Posh Paws friends, the mini Toothless is attached to her favourite backpack ready to join us on our next adventure and the medium Toothless and Hookfag have joined her Hiccup and Astrid soft toys on her bed, she loves how their wings and badges glow once the lights go off! They all get a big thumbs up from us and would make perfect gifts for any HTTYD fan.

If you have a How to Train your Dragon fan, you won't want to miss our review of the latest Spinmaster toys released with the How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World movie (Including fire breathing dragons!)...  COMING SOON.

Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room from Smyths Toys - Review #ad

Escape rooms seem to be all the rage at the moment, they are a fun group activity that challenge your minds and encourage you to work together with others. Most of the ones I've seen around tend to be for grown ups and my puzzle mad 11 year old has been quite disappointed that he's not been able to experience the concept for himself yet. He was absolutely thrilled to to find that Yulu games have created an escape room in a board game that you can play at home!

Ideal for kids who love puzzles and perfect to play together as a family, Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room is aimed at children aged 6 and above and can be played by between 2 and 6 players. Gameplay includes a test of skill, strategy and luck and offers different levels of difficulty so that it can be played over and over without getting repetitive!

Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room - What's in the box?

Ben was very eager to get started and couldn't wait to open the box! Inside the box he found an instruction leaflet with game rules, a Timer strap, a Key Cage, a Quiz Master with 45 coloured puzzle cards, a Lucky Spinner, 2 sticks and 3 keys. There is some assembly required but this was simple to do and just took a few minutes to set up. The timer does require 2 x AAA batteries which are not included with the game so it's worth making sure you have these ready before you want t play. (As with most battery operated toys and games these days  - a small phillips screwdriver is required to install the batteries in their compartment.)

We were soon ready to play!

How do you play Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room?

The concept of the game is that one player is trapped and the other players have to work as a team to solve the three puzzles in order to release them! The game is played against the clock and it's all about - Search - Solve - Release!

Each puzzle should be hidden around the room you are playing in and the first task is to find each one, solve it and then use the key that you release to start the next puzzle once you have found that! You must play the puzzles in order and you can't move on to the next one until you have solved the one before and released the key!

The final key lets you stop the timer and release the trapped player!

Firstly, you need to choose which player will be 'trapped' and they wear the timer belt, I have to say that the belt isn't overly generous in sizing so we found that it was best for one of the children to do this. (Don't worry - if you need to release the belt for any reason there is an an emergency release button on the back!).

Once it's in place you set the timer, the instructions suggested that we set this for 180, so we did but you can set it for any time to suit those playing the game. Once it starts it has a rather loud ticking which does help to build up the pressure of the game!

Puzzle One: Key Cage

This one is all about perfecting fine motor skills! You spin the arrow on the top of the cage and that determines which wall (each has a varying level of difficulty) of the cage you need to use to try and get the key, using the special shaped sticks provided! It's a lot harder than it looks and it great practise for children perfecting their fine motor skills and pen control, especially those like my son who have hypermobile joints and find this a challenge. Despite this, he was determined to  beat the cage and was so pleased with himself when he did!

Puzzle Two - The Quiz Master

Once you have release the first key from the cage, it's time to tackle puzzle two which is the Quiz master, this time my daughter took a turn, she often has her head in puzzle books so she was eager to give it a go but being only 7, we did allow her to choose a green card (which are the easiest - yellow are medium and red are the trickiest). These challenges need you to use maths or science skills and knowledge to solve them, so are great for using STEM skills in a fun way. You turn the dial to the card number and then select the corresponding letter to the answer on the large dial - if it's correct, the key is released a third of the way! Three correct answers for three different cards and you have released your second key! 

Puzzle Three - The Lucky Spinner

Whereas the first two puzzles used skill and knowledge this one is all about luck! Insert your key into the top of the spinner and then spin. Choose up to three doors to open to see if you can locate that final key!, if you don't find the key first time, you may be lucky enough to to get a clue in the form of an arrow telling you in which direction the key lies! You have three goes to find it or you need to start all over again!

Did you Beat the Clock?

Once you have your final key you can release your trapped team mate and you have 'escaped the room!'.

Play again to try and beat your best time!

What we thought of Spy Code - Operation: Escape Room

We had great fun with this game, there was lots of laughter, a little frustration and a good deal of team work! The children worked together really well and supported each other in each puzzle and they happily used skills and STEM knowledge without realising. 

Each challenge completed gave the children a sense of accomplishment and was a great way to subtly build their confidence. Although each game only lasts about 10 - 15 minutes it's something that can be played over and over again without boredom as they are plenty of different aspects to it and the children loved the idea of trying to beat their previous time!

This would make an ideal gift for any puzzle loving child and would make a great game to play as a family after dinner over the festive season.

Where Can you Buy Spy Code Operation: Escape Room?

Spy Code Operation: Escape Room is available exclusively from Smyths Toys and has an RRP of £19.99 but is currently on offer at just £14.99 and as always with Smyths Toys, you can check the stock in your local store and 'Click & Collect' for free! 

We were kindly sent Spy Code Operation: Escape Room and some toy vouchers from Smyths Toys in exchange for writing this review, all opinions and images are our own.

Hatchibabies from Hatchimals - Toy Review

There's a new member of the Hatchimals family and it's set to be one of the most popular toys this Christmas!

This week we had a new arrival in our house in the form of of a Hatchimals Hatchibabies Egg!

My seven year old has been nurturing and playing with the Hatchibabies egg all week and today she was very EGGcited to hatch it and meet her new best friend!

Elizabeth is a huge fan of everything Hatchimals so she was just EGGstatic to have the chance to receive her very own Hatchibabies. As an extra surprise with the latest addition to the Hatchimals family, you don't find out if you have a boy or a girl until it hatches! Just like with a real baby!

We had great fun taking some gender reveal photos,  check them out on twitter below:

We’re EGGspecting! But will it be a hatchiboy or a hatchigirl?! We have to wait until the #HatchiBabies due date to find out! Join us on Friday for the big reveal! 05.10.18 @spinmasteruk #toys #suprise #Hatchimals #hatchifans #teamboy #teamgirl #topchristmastoys #genderreveal pic.twitter.com/FBI9zGTTpR

— Jen Dixon (@Mymummyspennies) October 2, 2018

Hatchimals Hatchibabies are available in 5 Species, Ponette, Cheetree, Chipadee, Monkiwi and Koalabee. The latter three will be store exclusives! Each of the varieties come in both hatchiboys and hatchigirls versions, but you won't know which you have until your Hatchibaby has hatched!

Can you Play with the Hatchimals Hatchibabies Egg before it Hatches?

Yes! This year there is even more in egg play than with any any previous Hatchimals product.

When you remove the egg from its box, you will need to remove the two plastic locks from the base of the egg. This will wake up the egg and it will be ready to play!

If at any point during in egg play you need to stop playing just hold the egg upside down for 25 seconds and it will stop. Wake it up again when you are ready to continue by rubbing the base.

Even before the Hatchibabies has hatched from it's egg, you will be able to see its eyes shining through the shell. Each of the eye colours indicates something different.

Red Eyes - Upset -  You need to rock the egg or rub the bottom.

Orange Eyes - Gassy  - You need to pat the bottom or tilt the egg.

Yellow Eyes - Happy - Continue to care for the egg or try tilting.

Green Eyes - Sick - Rub the bottom of the egg.

Blue Eyes - Cold - Rub the bottom of the egg.

White  - Sleepy - Put in the egg base for a nap or give it the cuddle buddy.

Pink  - heartbeat - hold the egg still and listen.

Eyes turned off  - listening - tap on the egg.

Elizabeth spent a lot of time playing with, caring for and talking to the egg before it had hatched, she loved how it reacted to her and cooed or rocked when she nurtured it. She thought it was especially hilarious when it burped!

How do know the Hatchimals Hatchibabies is ready to Hatch?

When the Hatchibabies eyes turn rainbow coloured (this means the eyes rotate through each colour) you know it's ready to hatch!

To encourage hatching hold and rub the bottom of the egg. If the movement stops inside the egg and you hear tapping, respond by tapping back on the egg. If the egg stops and you hear your Hatchibabies panting, hold the egg to hear the heartbeat. You may need to help your Hatchibabies hatch by peeling back extra pieces of shell. When your Hatchibabies has finished hatching it will sing Hatchy Birthday! You can now remove your Hatchibabies from the egg.

Keep the base of the egg a a nest for your Hatchibabies but dispose of the other shell pieces.

Hatchiboy or Hatchigirl?

Once you have hatched your Hatchibabies and given them a big cuddle, you should be able to see the gender quite easily from the colour of the fur, however if you're unsure, there is a secret scroll hidden at the bottom of your egg under your Hatchibabies, take this out to reveal if you have a Hatchiboy or a Hatchigirl!

We hatched a girl Ponette! She has purple fur with a turquoise tummy and stripe and a yellow bow!  She has a beautiful rainbow tail ans sparkly wings! Elizabeth was delighted as she was (not so) secretly hoping for team girl!

What's in the Hatchimals Hatchibabies Egg?

As well the Hatchibabies itself, and the secret scroll mentioned above, your Hatchibabies comes with it's own special accessories just like a surprise toy! 

Once your egg has hatches you can open up the little surprise compartments to see which accessories your Hatchibabies comes with. 

Our Ponette Hatchigirl came with a cute little brush for looking after her fur and grooming her, an adorable rattle with a 'H' monogram, her own bottle for feeding and a cuddle buddy in case she got lonely!

In addition to this, the pink frame where the accessories were hidden, comes out and converts into your Hatchibabies' own highchair! You can also use the bottom of the egg as a little nest for your Hatchibabies to play or sleep in!

Each Hatchibabies takes two AA batteries which are included and can easily be replaced when needed.

How do you play with the Hatchimals Hatchibabies once it has hatched?

There has been so much though put into the development of the Hatchimals Hatchibabies. You have so much play value and aspects of different play in one toy! 

The accessories encourage you to look after your new Hatchibabies and care for it just like you would with a doll. You can use the bottle to feed it by popping the teat in between the beak and pressing down gently on the lower beak. Once your Hatchibabies has been fed, it may have wind and need burping just like  a real baby so don't forget to hold her against your chest and gently pat the back of her head. You may hear a cheeky burp!

The Hatchibabies will also respond to the other accessories, such as the rattle and the the Cuddle Buddy, to use these ensure that the monogrammed H faces you and then bring it to your Hatchibabies chest.

The Hatchibabies is also a great interactive toy. 

It can even learn to talk - to teach your Hatchibabies some words, touch and hold both of it's feet while talking to it. Let go and it will repeat what you said! ( I can see this being abused by cheeky older siblings - all kind words please!!)

Your Hatchibabies loves to sing and dance too, give them their rattle and they will show you their moves!

Just like a real baby, your Hatchibabies loves to play games. You can play Peek-a-boo by covering it's eyes and it known two special games of it's own too! Animal Colours can be played by touching and holding the left foot for 3 seconds and then when you see the colour that matches the animal sound tap it's forehead. You win by getting 8 right! Bouncy Baby can be played by touching and holding the right foot for three seconds. When the music plays bounce your Hatchibaby backwards and forward, when the music stops, you stop - just like musical statues! Get 3 to win!

What do the different coloured eyes on the Hatchimals Hatchibabies mean?

The colour of the Hatchibabies eyes show you how your Hatchibabies is feeling. Each colour means something different and you can do something to react to this:

Red Eyes - Upset -  You need to put the Hatchibabies in the egg base for a timeout or pet it.

Orange Eyes - Gassy  - You need to pat the back of its head.

Yellow Eyes - Happy - Continue to care for it or tickle its feet

Green Eyes - Sick - Touch and hold the forehead to take its temperature and pet to comfort it.

Blue Eyes - Sad or Scared - Pet it or give it the cuddle buddy.

White  - Sleepy - Put in the egg base for a nap or give it the cuddle buddy.

Pink  - Cuddly - Pet its head or nuzzle its nose.

Purple  - Hungry - Feed it with its bottle

How do you get your Hatchimals Hatchibabies to perform their Secret Trick?

You may have noticed earlier that there was something on the back of the secret scroll that revealed your Hatchibabies gender. This is a clue to it's secret trick! Each Hatchibabies species has a different one. To discover what your Hatchibabies secret trick is rub the back of it's head until it's eyes turn purple then tap the from and back of the head (either side of the bow) twice at the same time. 

Elizabeth's Ponette Hatchigirl played a cowboy song!

How do you turn Hatchimals Hatchibabies off?

You may be having lots of fun with your Hatchibabies but sometimes both you and your Hatchibabies will need a rest. After two minutes of no interaction, your Hatchibabies will fall asleep. They can be woken again by touching the forehead or can be turned off fully by using the simple switch underneath. The two AA batteries can also be removed and replaced.

If you need to turn your Hatchibabies off while still in it's egg - before it has hatched, simple turn it upside down for 25 seconds.

What did we think of the Hatchimals Hatchibabies?

Elizabeth loves her Hatchibabies and gives it a huge thumbs up, she's really enjoyed caring for it and looking after it both inside and outside of the egg this week. The gender reveal aspect really built up excitement for her and her face was full of joy when she hatched a girl. I do wonder about not being able predict what gender you are buying and whether this would disappoint some children if they don't hatch what they were hoping for. At an RRP of £59.99, it's a high value toy to not know exactly what you are getting. Surprise toys are all the rage however, and lots of children love that build up and anticipation!

Sometimes toys like this are a great hit at first but don't have a lot of play value after the initial 'reveal' and are soon left to be ignored. The Hatchibabies has a variety of play options and the addition of cute accessories to help care for it so I can see it lasting much longer than it's predecessors.

Hatchimals Hatchibabies are aimed at children aged 5+ and I think that's just about right for the amount of understanding you need to learn and play the games, younger children my enjoy it, but I don't think they would get as much out of it and the small accessories would be a risk for very young children. At almost eight, Elizabeth needed a little help understanding some of the instructions but is able to play with it independently.

I can see the Hatchimals Hatchibabies being on the top of a lot of children's Christmas lists this year!

For more Hatchibabies fun check out the Hatchimals website and  #Hatchibabies on social media!

We have been sent a Hatchimals Hatchibabies for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.