KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker - Review and Giveaway

The KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker is set to be one of the must have toys for tween girls for 2018. Ideal for kids who love to craft and create, the KumiKreator from Cool Create comes with everything your child needs to make ten bright and colourful bracelets. Replacement threads can also be purchased to make even more!

Making Friendship Bracelets

Some things seems to stand the test of time so well and making friendship bracelets is certainly one of those activities. Twenty five years ago I would spend hours sitting there plaiting and twisting threads to make pretty bracelets for my friends and family and now a quarter of a century may well have passed (in what feels like the blink of an eye!) but my daughter also enjoys the same pastime.

She was super excited when she was sent the brand new KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker - from Cool Create to try out and couldn't wait to get started!

Kumi comes from the Japanese word Kumihimo meaning “gathered threads.” It is the traditional Japanese technique of braiding cords and beads. The KumiKreator makes creating beautiful and intricate Kumi fashion bracelets fun and easy to do in just minutes!

What's in the box with the KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker?

When she opened up the box (which incidentally comes with a useful carry handle and is also sturdy enough to keep the machine and all the bits so they don't get lost all around the house) we found the KumiKreator machine, 88 spools of good quality, brightly coloured thread, 10 clasps, 20 caps, 26 stickers, a wrist measuring guide, a design booklet and an instruction booklet.

Elizabeth was eager to get started but firstly we had to set up the KumiKreator, the instructions were easy to follow however we found this great youtube video really useful too.

How did we get on with the KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker?

To make her first bracelet, Elizabeth chose the Dazzle Design and carefully selected the required colours then attached them on to the wheel in the correct places, some of these were a little stiff to start off with so she needed my assistance to click them into place. I then helped her pull the thread through the tip of each plastic tube and then held them in place with the clip on the machine. Once we were ready to go Elizabeth took over completely and enjoyed watched her colourful creation come to life as she turned the handle. I again helped her with the stickers and measuring before cutting the end of the threads off on her first bracelet as well as attaching the end cap and the clasp. She was delighted with how her bracelet turned out and couldn't wait to get stuck in a make some more!

After the first design Elizabeth decided she wanted to let her creative juices flow and instead of following the patterns provided, made up her own colour patterns that turned out beautifully.

Elizabeth has so far made four bracelets all of which went smoothly, however like any machine of this sort, it is possible to get jams in the thread or spool so do check out these troubleshooting guides to fix any problems you encounter. Common issues could be the threads coming loose or getting tangled and our top tip for preventing this would be to ensure that each thread is threaded through the top of the spool and that they are all tightly tucked into the clip with the end of this clicked down to hold then in securely!

What age is the KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker suitable for?

The recommended age for the KumiKreator is 8+, but my daughter is seven and with a little assistance in reading the instructions and setting it up the first time soon got the hang of how it worked and was able to create her third and fourth bracelets completely on her own. I would say that in my opinion, with a grown up present for some help, the KumiKreator would be suitable for creative girls from the age of six.

Where can you buy the KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker?

The KumiKreator would make an ideal gift for a crafty child ( dare I say for Christmas or birthday ) and gives another dimension to the simple activity of friendship bracelet making. Once all of the threads in the starter pack have been used up, additional kumi fashion packs can be purchased for an RRP of £9.99, each of which will make up to 12 bracelets and include some exclusive colours not available in the starter pack. It is available from a variety of retailers both in store and online and has an RRP of £29.99 but I'm sure we'll see it on some fantastic offers on the run up to the festive season!

Win a KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker from Cool Create

Today (July 30th ) is International Friendship Day so to celebrate, I have a KumiCreator to give away to one of my lovely readers!

Simply follow the instructions below to enter:

Mymummyspennies Kumikreator bracelet maker giveaway




We were sent the Cool Maker KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Win a Pass The Pigs Games Bundle for Boxing Day Fun!

For our family, Boxing day is all about the games! 

We go round to the children's grandparents and enjoy a second Christmas lunch with the extended family, but once the food has been eaten there is one important rule...

The grown-ups have to play games and the kids get to choose which ones!

This means that each year the children have a new game on their list for Santa and this year it's Pass the pigs.

Pass the Pigs for Xmas!

You’ll be snorting with laughter if you play with these piggy games for Christmas. The original party animals, Pass the Pigs, use hilarious pigs for dice. Will you roll a sider or start makin' bacon? Having fun with friends, on the road entertainment, or just chilling out - the game is on for every pig in the parlour!

Fantastic fun for the whole family, Pass the Pigs is so easy to play. Simply throw the two piggies up in the air and see how they land. Compare the pigs landing positions with your scorecard and earn points, the first to reach 100 points wins!

Pass the Pigs comes in a handy travel case, pop into your bag and you are ready for a game anytime, so if you are travelling to see family it’s the perfect entertainment on the go. Pass the Pigs Party are ideal for when you want to play with family and friends at Christmas.

Pass the Pigs

Hours of fun are guaranteed with this exciting Pass the Pigs game. Perfect for taking on the road, the Pass the Pigs game comes in a handy travel case, so there’s never a dull moment to be had!

Pass the Pigs is a game of skill for 2-6 players, it comes with a handy carry case, two pencils, two pigs and a pocket-sized scorecard.

Suitable for ages 3+ and has an RRP of £9.99 so is an ideal price for a fun gift!

Pass the Pigs party

This is the ideal version for party animals and for playing with family over the festive period. Now there are EIGHT pigs in the game to play with. Roll your piggies to try and be first to match the position on your card, get bonus points if you do it on your first go! Be the first to rack up 100 points. Pass the pigs party is still great value with an RRP of £14.99.

In the box you get:

o 8 small plastic piggies (four pairs)

o Deck of 30 cards

o Carry case

You can find out more about the games at www.passthepigsofficial.com and don't forget to follow them on  Instagram,  Facebook and Twitter for the latest news!

I'm giving My Mummy's Pennies readers the chance to win a bundle that includes one of each of these games, worth a total of £24.98!

For your chance to win just follow the instructions in the Gleam widget below. Your details will not be stored by Mymummyspennies or Gleam and will only be used to contact the prize winner. Please read the terms and conditions. UK entries only. The giveaway will close at 11:59pm on Thursday 7th December 2017 and we will do our best to get the prize to the winner in time for Christmas!

Win a Pass the Pigs games bundle

Terms & Conditions:
1. The competition is open to all residents of the UK only. Entrants aged under 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian to take part.
2. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered.
3. To enter, please use the Gleam widget above, complete any mandatory entries and any optional entries you would like.
4. The winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries.
5. The winner will be sent Pass the Pigs and Pass the Pigs Party.
6. The closing date for entries is 11.59pm GMT on 7th December 2017.
7. The winner will be informed by email within 24 hours of the closing date.
8. The winner will be asked to provide a full UK postal address with postcode for delivery purposes.
9. The winner's name will be available on request
10. Address details will be passed onto an agency to post the prize out to the winner. I cannot be held responsible for prizes being lost in the post.
11. Entry to this giveaway confirms that participants have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
12.The promotor's decision is final in all matters relating to this giveaway.

This post contains affiliate links.

Summer Holiday Days in with BIC® Kids

The Summer holidays are here and like many parents, my first thought is to plan days out and activities to fill the days and prevent the dreaded uttering of 'Muuuuuuum, I'm bored.'

Boredom isn't as bad as its reputation makes out, however. In fact, boredom often breeds creativity! To start off the six weeks of summer, we had a day at home with a selection of BIC® Kids products sent to us to test out and create some artistic masterpieces to enter into the BIC Kids Billboard competition.

Both of my children love to draw and colour and were delighted with the new editions to their art drawer, they couldn't wait to try them out!

We were sent the following:

BIC® KIDS Kid Couleur 12 pack, RRP £2.99

The BIC KIDS Kid Couleur felt pens are durable and ultra washable felt pens with blocked tips. I have to admit that I am not usually a fan of felt tips, as I always worry about them staining hands and clothes, however, these washed off skin really easily and hopefully will be the same for clothes. A perfect way for kids to explore their creativity without too much lasting mess!

BIC® KIDS Evolution Ecolutions colouring pencils, RRP £2.99

The BIC® KIDS Evolution ultra-resistant, wood-free colouring pencils are ideal for everyday drawing and colouring. Both my children subconsciously suck or chew of pens and pencils when they are using them, a habit I discourage, but with the resistant chew-proof lead and barrel these pencils are nice and durable so I don't need to worry too much. 

BIC® KIDS Plastidecor® crayons, RRP £2.99

The Plastidecor® crayons don't look like your standard wax crayons, these look much more grown up and are ideal for children over the age of 30 months to create with. Recommended by teachers, these crayons don't have paper to peel away and instead can be sharpened easily and so far none have broken! 

Each pack of colours retails at just £2.99, which is great value given the quality. The colours of each variety are vivid and come in a rainbow of colours.

 Would you like to see your child's art work on a billboard in your local area? 

In partnership with Mumsnet, BIC® has launched a fantastic nationwide competition for all budding artists aged between 5-11, which will give 10 lucky winners the chance to have their artwork displayed on billboards around the UK – with one random winner taking away a fabulous £300 Tesco voucher. What’s more, there are tonnes of BIC® goodies available for those that enter.

“It doesn’t matter if your child thinks the sky should be yellow, the sun pink, or the grass purple – we want to see the nation’s most imaginative drawings. All you need to do, is send a photo of your kid’s best drawing by the 6th August. Entries will then be judged by our panel of expert creatives and winners will be notified before the billboards are launched in September,” says Rebecca Huda from BIC®.

I've entered both Elizabeth's and Ben's creative drawings from our fun day at home into the competition and if you have a creative child aged between 5 and 11, it's really easy to enter too, and you have until 6th August. Find out more here.

“I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity. I have received a voucher as a token of thanks for this post.”

Top tips for the perfect Family Movie night!

When the nights are dark and cold, there's something really comforting about snuggling up under a blanket with the family and watching a good movie or two.

To celebrate The LEGO Batman Movie hitting the cinemas this weekend, the lovely folks at Warner Bros have asked me to share my top tips for a perfect family movie night.

Choose a theme!

Kids love a theme, so why not go all out? Get them to choose a movie or even a genre and dress up, do some crafts together such as making Batman masks or draw pictures of their favourite superheros.

Prepare snacks together!

A great tie in to the movie night theme is to prepare some themed snacks together! Why not bake a decorate some LEGO cupcakes, make sandwiches shaped like LEGO bricks or   Or even just colour in some cardboard popcorn holders?

Get Comfy!

Why not make movie night extra special by making a den to watch it from? Get together some bean bags or couch cushions on the floor cover in blankets and snuggle up together!

Turn off the tech!

It an obvious one but sometimes it just needs to be said, switch off your phones, laptops and tablets to get into the spirit of family time and watch the movie with your children. It may not be the most exciting thong to watch for grown ups but at least you'll be ale to chat to them about it fterwards and they'll kow you were paying attention!

And Enjoy!

With these tips you should be all ready to enjoy your next family movie night, have fun! We'll be enjoying a LEGO Superhero movie night this weekend and making some LEGO themed snacks to enjoy together...

I'd love to hear all about your perfect family movie nights! Do share your tips in the comments below...

Win a fabulous LEGO Superhero movie bundle over on Twitter

RT & Follow to #win this fab bundle of #WBLEGO DVDs https://t.co/yThiC1m8bO #LEGOBatmanMovie #FreebieFriday E:11/02 https://t.co/OQYB4U1324 pic.twitter.com/WV6USzcDqf

— Mymummyspennies (@Mymummyspennies) February 2, 2017

Twitter giveaway terms and conditions

• This giveaway is open to UK residents only.
• ONE winner will be chosen by a random number generator and announced on @mymummyspennies Twitter account, they will also be contacted by direct message on twitter.
• If they do not respond within 28 days another winner may be chosen.
• Your details will be passed to Warner Bros and will not be passed onto any third parties.
• The prize will be sent directly to the winner from Warner Bros.
• The company reserves the right to substitute the prize for one of a similar value if the stated prize is not available.
• Entries using any automated process to make bulk entries will be disqualified.
• Competition starts on 02/02/2017 and ends 11/02/2017 11.59pm.

Disclosure: We received a DVD bundle in exchange for writing this post.

Win a Pudsey and Friends DVD this Children in Need

Today my children have gone to school dressed in spotty clothing and head boppers ready to donate to Children In Need Appeal. This charity campaign has always been close to my heart, even more so since I went in to labour six years ago and all of the staff on the maternity ward were dressed up and raising money for this fantastic charity.

This year, the stars of CBeebies have joined forces with Pudsey Bear in a one-off collection of favourite episodes. 

 The nation’s favourite bear Pudsey is bringing you a very special DVD compilation featuring 15 episodes from CBeebies’ best loved shows, providing over 3 hours of top entertainment in Pudsey and Friends, released by Abbey Home Media, raising valuable funds for this year’s 
BBC Children in Need appeal. 

For the very first time BBC’s Children in Need, and Abbey Home Media are bringing together all your favourite CBeebies shows on DVD to help disadvantaged children and young people throughout the UK. You can purchase the DVD for just £5 and a minimum of £2 from the sale of every  one will go towards helping children and young people across the UK have a safe, happy and secure childhood and the chance to reach their potential. This donation has been made possible through the generosity of the many companies and individuals involved who have either contributed their shows or services to this unique project with no charge.

This very special DVD compilation is a great way of entertaining young children with its familiar, well-loved characters and diverse range of fun and engaging programming whilst also helping raise funds for a fantastic cause. 

The collection features the following episodes:-

Twirlywoos – Turning; Peter Rabbit – The Tale of Old Rusty; Something Special – Fishing; Bing – Hearts; Teletubbies – New; In The Night Garden -. Cough
Charlie & Lola – I Can Train Your Dog; Timmy Time – Timmy’s Picnic; Sarah and Duck – Sarah, Duck and The Penguins; Chugginton Trainee Camp -The Furchester Hotel – Peckity Woodpecker; Octonauts – Porcupine Puffer; Cloudbabies – Rainbows Orchestra; Q Pootle 5 - Pootle’s New Spaceship.

This very special DVD compilation is a great way of entertaining young children with its familiar well-loved characters and diverse range of fun and engaging programming whilst also helping raise funds for a fantastic cause.

The lovely folks at Abby Media have given me a copy to give away to one of my readers! Just pop over to twitter, follow @mymummyspennies and retweet for your chance to win...

                                             

#RT & Follow to #Win this Children in Need Pudsey and Friends DVD from @abbykids #CiN E:20/11 #FreebieFriday UK only https://t.co/lSr7bda4At pic.twitter.com/HSfoovQhSq

— Mymummyspennies (@Mymummyspennies) November 18, 2016

Join us for some Halloween fun #NickJrPumpkinParty

Halloween is fast approaching and to celebrate I will be joining some blogger friends along with @UKMUMSTV and @nickjruk to co-host a very special Halloween themed Twitter Party! We've been send some very special crafty activities to have fun with and the children can't wait! As well as playing Halloween games, watching spooky cartoons and eating Halloween party treats, we'll be sharing it all on twitter where you can join in too! During the party there will be online spot competitions and fun and games to take part in at home too!

All you need to do is come and follow #NickJrPumpkinParty from 5pm to 6.30 on Monday 26th October to join in the fun! Be sure to follow the hosts too! I'm over at @mymummyspennies on twitter.

That's not all! Don’t miss the chance to win some more great prizes and to join in even more fun with the Twitter Frenzy This Friday 5-6pm #NickJrPumpkinParty



There will be a chance to win a prize every 6 mins including a mega prize bundle and a chance to win a family ticket to Kidzania!



Make sure you join in the fun by following #NickJrPumpkinParty from 5pm on Friday!

To give you a helping hand with half term tea times, Nick Jr are showing special Halloween themed cartoons every day from 4:30pm next week so make sure you’re tuned in each day to watch the Halloween themed shows:

• Monday 26th – Dora and Friends: Into the City – 4:30pm
• Monday 26th – Peppa Pig – 5:30pm
• Tuesday 27th – Paw Patrol – 5:30pm
• Wednesday 28th – Zack & Quack – 5:30pm
• Thursday 29th – Lily’s Driftwood Bay – 5:30pm
• Friday 30th – Wallykazam! – 5:30pm

Win a fabulous Halloween bundle!

As an extra special treat, we have be given a fabulous bundle of Halloween themed toys and treats to give away to one of our lucky readers! It's packed full of goodies and is sure to put a smile on your little one's face! 

If you'd like a chance to win just complete one or more entries on the Gleam widget below, it's super simple to enter! I look forward to tweeting with you on Monday! Good luck!

#NickJrPumpkinParty

Terms and conditions

UK entrants over the age of 18 only.

Entrants will be submitted to the random draw. All entrants must complete the mandatory entry on the gleam form.

All times are in GMT.

The giveaway ends at Giveaway ends October 30th at 11.59 GMT.

Blog Owner not responsible for non-delivery of prize. Prize provided direct from promoter.

Entrants must leave a means of contact: either twitter handle or email address.

Prizes must be claimed within 7 days, otherwise another winner will be selected to replace the non-claimant.

The prize is the item featured in the post (Halloween bundle) and there is no cash alternative.

Please allow up to 28 days for delivery.

Winner must supply a postal and email address which will be used only to send out the prize.

Multiple entries will be disqualified.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

Making Frozen Snowflake Jewellery

My daughter loves anything Frozen themed at the moment (show me a four year old that doesn't!) so when we were sent the Craft Box Snowflake Jewellery Kit from Interplay to review I knew she would be delighted! This simple jewellery craft set is aimed at children aged four and above and contains everything you need to make ten pieces of sparkly child friendly jewellery that looks great with an Elsa dress for fun dress up play.

As with all Interplay kits, the box contains everything you need to get started, with an easy to follow illustrated instruction booklet, over 300 colourful beads, 10 beautiful snowflake charms, plastic stretch cord and 5 plastic clasps.

Elizabeth was thrilled when she saw the kit and couldn't wait to get started. Although the set is not Frozen branded as such, the colours and snowflake theme, immediately make you think of the hit Disney film and my daughter declared she was making an Elsa necklace and bracelet to wear with her Elsa dress when we go to see Disney on Ice later this month!

The beads included in the set come in a variety of shapes and colours, all with an icy feel to them. Elizabeth carefully chose the beads that she wanted to use and then settled on one of the ten metal charms to finish it off. I measured and cut the thread for her and after that she didn't need much more help until it came to tying the knots at the end. 

She really enjoyed the activity and was proud of herself for being able to create something that she really liked. I was impressed at her threading skills and would recommend a set like this for any child to practice their fine motor skills with. 

Elizabeth has decided to make some more bracelets for her friends and has promised one for me too!

The Craft Box Snowflake Jewellery Kit from Interplay offers great value with a lot of  play for the price and at the end you get a lovey keepsake. It is available for just £7.99 from Amazon
 and other good toy stores. This would make a great gift for a Frozen fan and a few kits would make the ideal activity at a Frozen themed birthday party!

The lovely folks at Interplay have given us another kit to giveaway to one of our readers, so if you think your little one would love to make some Snowflake bracelets then follow the instructions below.

Good Luck!

Win a Snowflake Jewellery kit

Win a fun packed UK Seaside Holiday in 2016!

Have you started thinking about your holiday for 2016 yet? How would you like to win an amazing fun packed Seaside holiday including lots of extras? 

Photo credit: David Street - Greater Yarmouth Tourism

The wonderful folk at Greater Yarmouth Tourism are offering My Mummy's Pennies readers the chance to enter a pretty awesome competition. One lucky reader could win a 7 night holiday for up to 8 people in Great Yarmouth in 2016. They will be able to experience the golden sands of Yarmouth, walk the Golden Mile, enjoy an ice-cream by the sea and lots more...

Photo credit: David Street - Greater Yarmouth Tourism

The very lucky winner and their family will be staying at the fantastic Haven Seashore in a caravan with a beautiful sea-view and can choose their dates from the 2016 season including school holidays.

But that's not all...

Photo credit: David Street - Greater Yarmouth Tourism

In addition to the holiday, the amazing attractions of Great Yarmouth will be supplying passes for the winner to visit them during their stay. The attractions include:

• Thrigby Hall 
• Great Yarmouth Sealife Centre 
• Hippodrome Circus 
• Great Yarmouth Pleasurebeach
• Time & Tide Museum 
• Deluxe Afternoon Tea at Sara's Tearooms
• Great Yarmouth Stadium (Greyhound Racing plus a meal)
• Merrivale Model Village
• Retroskate
• Hirsty’s Family Fun Park
• A Meal at Lacon Arms Hemsby

Photo credit: David Street - Greater Yarmouth Tourism

How fabulous does that sound? If you would like to be in with a chance of winning this amazing holiday packed full of activities then just follow the instructions in the widget below to enter the competition. The competition will be hosted across 10 family blogs and there will be one very lucky winner!

Good Luck!

Greater Yarmouth Holiday Comp



Terms and conditions

The competition runs from 11th September 2015 to 16th October 2015. The prize up for grabs is a 7 night holiday for up to 8 people staying at Haven Seashore, Great Yarmouth during the 2016 season(including School holidays), and tickets to visit Sealife Centre, Merrivale Model Village, Pleasurebeach, Great Yarmouth Racecourse, Retroskate, Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens, Hirsty's Family Fun park, Great Yarmouth Stadium (including three course meal) , Time & Tide Museum, Hippodrome Circus, a meal at Lacon Arms Hemsby and an afternoon tea at Sara's Tearooms. (Please check with each attraction before visiting on opening dates and times). Travel is not included. 

To enter.:
Entrants must enter via the Gleam Competition widget, each action will give one entry to the competition.
The competition is being run over ten blog sites, but you may only enter via one site.
The blogs taking part are Hex Mum, Boo Roo and Tigger Too, Emmys Mummy, Lucy's Madhouse, My Mummys Pennies, Mummy and The Chunks, A New Addition, Me The Man and Kids, Blog By Baby and Mummy 2 Five.
The winner will be chosen randomly via Gleam at the end of the competition.
Winner must comply with Haven's holiday booking conditions.
The competition is being run by Greater Yarmouth Tourism.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

This is a collaborative competition with Greater Yarmouth Tourism.

FabLab Bathbomb Making Kit - Review and Giveaway

I love a relaxing bath, and adding a beautifully scented bathbomb to the mix adds to the experience! Even the children love a fizzy treat in the bath. They also love to experiment so when we were sent the FabLab Bathbomb Making Kit from Interplay they couldn't wait to create their very own bathbombs!

The kit mixes science with scented fun and would make a great activity for a sleepover or party! The set is aimed at ages 8 and over but younger children can enjoy it with adult assistance.

Inside the box you get:

• 1 Pot of Sodium Bicarbonate (Blue)
• 1 Pot of Sodium Bicarbonate (Pink)
• 1 Pot of Citric Acid
• 2 Bath Bomb Moulds
• 2 Plastic Spoons
• 1 Measuring Beaker
• 1 Pair of PVC Lab Gloves
• 5 Sheets of Pink Tissue Paper
• 5 Lengths of Red Ribbon
• 12 Page Instruction Booklet
• 1 Pipette
• 5 Gift Tags

A small amount of liquid soap or shower gel is also required and not provided in the kit and you can add a scent with a drop of perfume too.

The full colour instructions had both pictures and text and were easy for Ben to follow without much involvement from me. Although the chemicals in the set were not harmful to skin I was pleased that the gloves were provided for Ben to use to prevent any irritation.

We started off by measuring the Sodium Bicarbonate and Citric Acid out and then mixing them together then using the pipette added tiny drops of shower gel before mixing again. Both children really enjoyed this part, they were excited by the change in consistency when the ingredients were mixed together.

Once the mixture was as described in the instructions, Ben started to spoon it in to the plastic mould and pack it down to create the round bath bomb shape.

This is where things started to differ from how they were described, at first our powder seemed to dry and crumble as soon as the mould was opened, next time we tried adding sightly more liquid as listed in the 'tips' section of the instructions but then it started to fizz in the mould. It took a few attempts but eventually we were able to get a couple of round shaped bathbombs that looked great! We left them to dry on the windowsill for a day and they hardened and became much easier to handle and wrap in the pretty pink tissue paper.

The Sodium Bicarbonate comes in two colours, so you can make pink or blue bath bombs or mix them together to create a marbled effect.We did this and they looked really effective.

Ben who is 8 this month, thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, he loves discovering how things work and was asking lots of questions about the reaction between the ingredients and why they fizz up in water. He even used the supplied tissue paper and ribbon to wrap a couple up to give as a thank you gift to Nanna for taking him out for the day.

Elizabeth who is much younger did get frustrated when things didn't go to plan the first time and got a little bored with the whole process but she is a lot younger than the suggested age so that isn't surprising. I can see this activity being something she would absolutely love in a few years time.

We contacted Interplay mentioning the fact we'd had issues with our first few attempts and they came back with these helpful tips:

• Use some oil to lightly grease the inside of the mould before starting to add the mixture in.
• Leave the filled mould in a warm dry place such as a windowsill for around 30 minutes before attempting to open it.

Although not all the bathbombs we made went entirely right, they all smelt delicious and were fun to try out in the bath! We have a small amount of ingredients left and Ben wants to use them to make a special gift for Gran's birthday.

Although the colours of the packaging seem to market this at girls, I would recommend this set for both boys and girls age 8 and above as a great activity to get them thinking about the way different chemicals react with each other while also having fun! They also make ideal home-made gifts from children for friends and family!

With pretty much everything you need to make 12 bath bombs and clear, easy to follow instructions I believe this set is great value at an RRP of £12.99 and would make a great gift.

If you want to try making your own bathbombs then we have just the giveaway for you! The lovely folks at Interplay have given me a FabLab Bathbomb Making Kit to giveaway to one of my readers!

Just follow the rafflecopter instructions below for your chance to win...

Good Luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway