OKIDO Which Way? Coding Game Review (for age 4-8+) Sent by OKIDO

I really like OKIDO. My boys have enjoyed their magazines for many years and now they are branching out with a range of kits and games. We've been sent the OKIDO Which Way? Coding Board Game to review. Everything OKIDO do brings together creativity with science, making it not only rewarding and fun, but educational and really accessible to all children - whatever their ability or gender.

Which Way? Coding Board Game is a bit young for my own children, so I enlisted help from some of the children who play in my garden all Summer, but they don't appear in the photos or video.

I'm really impressed right from the start. This is a game which teaches young children to think 'like a coder' and prepares them for genuine computer programming and use. The design is simple genius, a line-following robot car with a magnetic board and track pieces, which are designed to replicate blocks of computer code.

Botley The Coding Robot Activity Set Review Age 5-9 (sent by Learning Resources)

Learning Resources might not have the snappiest name in the business, but they have some of the most interesting toys. Designed, as you'd expect, to stimulate your child's brain while they play, the hardwearing and long-lasting toys and games from Learning Resources are not only used at home, they're also popular in schools and nurseries.

They've sent us the Botley The Coding Robot Activity Set to review. This is aimed at children aged 5-9. My youngest child is 8 and he's reviewed with a 9 year old friend.

Opening the box is exciting because it has a little window on the front and is full of colour. You will need 5 x AAA batteries (3 for Botley and 2 for the Remote Control) and a tiny Phillips screwdriver, otherwise it's ready to go straight out of the box. Minimal packaging, nothing to undo and a useful storage box for afterwards. Christmas morning-friendly as long as you've got those batteries.

KURIO SMART 2 in 1 Tablet Review Age 6+ Sent for review

One of my favourite things we've been sent to review this year is the KURIO SMART 2in1 Tablet. Subtitled as the 'Ultimate Android Tablet for kids 6+', this gorgeous gadget has a 10" IPS screen, detachable Bluetooth keyboard and magnetic protective case. It looks gorgeous and performs really well. Set up was easy enough too...

Packaging is minimal and very effective. My parcel had clearly been thrown around and my tablet is thankfully undamaged. Inside the box are the tablet and keyboard, protective cover/case, quick start guide, power cable and adapter.

The Case is gorgeous. It has hidden magnets which hold it closed and also in place when folded as a stand. The keyboard is also attached by magnets. The tablet is held in position by small plastic corners which have a good tight grip without feeling dangerous against the screen.

Digital Kids Show is back - 10th/11th November at Manchester Central

Digital Kids Show will be back for it's third year this November, bigger and better, and in a brand new location! This year it will be taking place at Manchester Central, which is much easier to get to if you don't have a car. The event runs over the weekend of 10th and 11th November and we'll be there again as guests to review!

My boys are the sort of kids who carry Funko Pop! drinks bottles and wear retro t-shirts. They're huge fans of anything digital, so they are very happy that we'll be going back. The show covers just about anything tech, gadget, game or internet related which is child-safe and kid-friendly.

I love Digital Kids Show because I feel like a 'kid in a sweet shop' with all of the STEM toys, games and tech on offer. It's always so much fun and I get to see a hint of some of the independent toys which will be coming up next year...

Your Full Day Ticket includes all this (and more to be announced)!

Meet & Greets with popular You Tubers* / Ice skating / Virtual Reality / Minecraft competitions /  Fortnite tournament / Indie gaming zone / JustDance2019 competition & prizes / Family Fair rides / Giant inflatables / Under-5s inflatables / Spinning Bumper Cars / Live shows including Little Fix & DJ set with Clint Boon / Princess Parlour & Superhero training / Last Man Standing / Build with Geomag / Code robots with BinaryBots / Play with Gravitrax / Code in Minecraft / Scooter Disco / Thunderbirds

It's nice to see something especially for the grown ups this year. Personally I'm a huge Clint Boon fan, I won't be wearing my 1990 Inspiral Carpets Cool As Heck T-shirt though...

There are going to be 11 different zones and here's a taste of what you'll find...

The Greatest Show! - The live stage with a host of stars including original Minecraft legend iBallisticSquid, Amy Lee, The Wizard, Kiddyzuzaa, AshDubh, Speedy, SB737, DJ Clint Boon, Little Fix, DragonHat, BinOfTrash, Flax and aerial circus and dance artists, Zu Aeriel, and more....

CozyPhones Children's Headband Headphones Review

I'm sure every parent of school aged children spends far too much of their time saying "turn it down" or having to enjoy DanTDM or Little Mix on repeat for the 45th day in a row. An obvious solution that you may not have thought of is headphones. CozyPhones Children's Headband Headphones have been designed specially to be comfortable and easy to wear.

We've been sent a pair of CozyPhone Headphones and Gary clearly has influence here because my 7 year old surprisingly chose the Cat Headphones (Frog, Emoji, Unicorn and several others are also available). Packaging was completely minimal and effective, saving waste and postage charges.

Unlike earphones, which children find hard to wear and distracting, or regular headphones, which get dropped and broken and are very heavy for children, CozyPhones are speakers housed in a soft fabric headband.

Digital Kids Show comes to Manchester this Autumn

Updated to add Minecraft Vloggers and other TV and internet stars and celebs! - see the end of the article!

This October the first ever Digital Kids Show will take place at Event City in Manchester. A 2 day event bringing to life digital entertainment in a fun a friendly format for children and their grown ups. Six different zones will ensure there is something to interest everyone - I'm just now sure how long we'll be spending at each!

I get tons of press releases each day and I read them, but mainly I don't have time or inclination to share, however when it's really relevant to my audience and something I think is pretty awesome, then it's great to be able to tell you about it.

The long-standing Children’s TV duo Dick and Dom will kick off proceedings - which is enough to get my teenagers giggling and wanting to go...hmmm...

The six zones will include:

Gaming and Retro Tech - well, what more do I need to say, this is one of our favourite things. The very best retro and next generation computer games and tech, everything from Mario to Minecraft. There will also be some of the latest VR gaming and gadgetry.

WD My Passport Ultra 1 Terabyte Portable Hard Drive Review And Giveaway

If you are looking for an unusual Mother's Day gift that protects what is of value and could save a lot of heartache and annoyance as well as being beautiful, then My Passport Ultra might be just the thing.

Western Digital (WD) are specialists in making sure you don't lose any of those precious memories saved on your phone, tablet or computer. They sell a huge range of back-up and storage solutions to meet any need you may have, and one of their most popular is the My Passport Ultra portable hard drive. Not only user-friendly and useful, available in 4 colours and with matching accessories it looks darn good too...