NOW CLOSED Hasbro toy testers feedback thread

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

This thread is for the 20 lucky Hasbro top 10 toys and games testers. By now you should have got to grips with your test toy/game, filmed your child(ren) playing with it and sent your footage off to Hasbro. Thank you for doing all of that - we hope you enjoyed it! One last task we'd like you to complete is to add your feedback to this thread.

Below are some feedback questions but these are just to get you started - please feel free to add any other comments you have as well. Hasbro sent you some questions to help you with filming - if you'd like to give written answers to any of those questions as well, please add them here (as well as the question so we know what you're talking about!). Please make sure you state what toy/game you tested in your feedback.

1. What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?
2. What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?
3. How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?
4. How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?
5. If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?
6. is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?

Thanks
MNHQ

We had the Playskool Elefun Ball Popper.

1. It was quite hard to put together- DH had to do it because the parts were quite stiff, but it did seem good quality and up to heavy use from small children. It was simple to use and although the music was annoying it didn't last that long! It came with 5 balls which by some miracle we still have, but I can't imagine they'll stay found for long!

1. DD1 (2.5) enjoyed the toy and it was something she liked playing with me. There was nothing she didn't like or frustrated her, although DH got annoyed at the balls flying round the room- I had to explain that that was the point!

1. It didn't engage her for very long. She played with it quite a lot the first day, a little the second, and then barely at all until we encouraged her to for the filming. We really ought to have filmed her the first day because she had lost interest by then. I think it may be more suitable for a slightly younger child. I may take it to my dad's house and she can play with it when she visits there.

1. I thought it was expensive for the amount of use she got out of it. It is a well made toy and fun, but not for long! Plus it requires huge quantities of batteries. I would say it would be a better toy for grandparents etc to have at their house.

1. I can't think of any improvements to the toy- except it doesn't really DO enough, DD1 gets more use and enjoyment from toys such as blocks and cars that she can use her imagination with. This toy doesn't require any imagination. (she has had more use from the car we made from the box the toy came in....!!!)

1. As a parent with a limited budget I would find it hard to recommend this toy, due to its cost/use ratio. However as a toy at a friend or relative's house where it's played with occasionally as more of a novelty it would be more suitable I think. I would have said it is more suitable for a slightly younger child- maybe 18mo-2yo, or a child DD1's age whose motor skills are not as good as hers.

I'm sorry this isn't a particularly positive review, but we were very excited to be chosen as product testers and would like to thank Hasbro for the toy (and the box it came in!).

Oh, can i go first?

We tested the 'Littlest pet shop tree house'.

1- The tree house is very well made, really sturdy toy, both dd's (age 5 and 7) were so excited wher it arrived and couldn't wait for me to remove the packaging (which didn't take too long), its a good size, lots of things to do (swings, wheel, lift), i like the fact theres not too many tiny bits (appart from the little apples from the tree) so its easy to get out and put away. Loved the little chipmunk toy that came with it that walks (dd2 plays with it a lot).

2- Both girls loved the bits that move, they loved the wheel as when the wheel goes around the lift goes up or down, dd2 loves the walking chipmunk and has often played with it on its own (without the tree house) to make it walk along the floor. Dd2 did get a little frustrated with the little apples which you pop into a clear ball appartment and they drop down to the bottom level of the tree house, a few times they got stuck and we had to give the tree house a shake.

3- Both dd's have played with it every day sinse it arrived, we had to buy some more animals to use with it as only one is suplied with the play set, both dd's play with it for around an hour at a time. I think its a great toy for imaginitive play as you can do so much with it and both girls engage with it really well and will share it (play together).

4- I did think this toy was slightly over priced, i would not have bought it myself unless the dd's were huge 'littlest pet shop fans' which they were not before we got the tree house but they have deffently got lots out of it (played with it alot) so i guess its worth the money.

5-What would i improve? dd1 struggled to get the swin on the bottom levey to go around so this could be improved, also would be better if you had another figure with the set as if this is your first set you would have to go and buy more to be able to realy play with it (as you need one animal in the wheel and one in the lift), but over all its a great toy.

6- I would deffently reccomend this toy for children aged 4-8 years, its one of the best toys we have in our house and it gets played with a lot.

Sorry marne I got in first!

Thats ok,i should learn to type faster

Lightsaber

1. My initial impression of the lightsaber on unpacking it was rather the same as all the other lightsabers, usually that of 'how much mess will he make with this one?!'. But then I pressed the 'Try Me' button and heard the whooshing sound and knew we had a whole new toy on our hands here. What I liked about it the most was the sounds it made, especially on motion. I also like the way it lit up. Very authentic, especially on camera much to DS' delight. In my son's eye, the only thing wrong with it was that in daylight, it didn't really light up all that great. I also didn't the battery life in it was great. DS was also slightly disappointed that it wouldn't chop things in half ...

2. My DS wasn't frustrated by the product at all. Initially it was all he would play with, but as is his way it has been sidelined for Harry Potter lego for now. I'm under no illusions though that as soon as he is back in school and his cronies are coming round for tea once more, the light sabers will be out in full force again. DS has five other light sabers and this is without doubt his favourite.

3. My DS found this toy engaging for a couple of hours. Once he'd been around stabbing and jabbing everything and released the cat who had been taken hostage in the trampoline (he slept through it all, worry not) he left the lightsaber alone. I'd say he's played it with it four or five times in the past 10 days.

4. I wouldn't pay £39.99 for this lightsaber. I wouldn't pay £39.99 for any lightsaber. As good as it is, I don't think it is worth £40 and would only pay that kind of money for a toy that my DS would get more out of (ie one of many components or construction kit etc). DS is 7 and is probably only going to be really playing imaginative play for a few more months. The thing with imaginative play is that its doesn't need to be all singing, all dancing - the clue is in the title I guess - and because of that, I wouldn't pay the £39.99. I'd pay for one of the basic ones and let his imagination do the rest. Having said that, because I wouldn't normally pay for a toy like that, DS had the time of his life with it! So what do I know! I would however probably pay £20 for this lightsaber.

5. I would improve the lightsaber by somehow improving the brightness of the light in daylight/outside. All us mum's in the playground with 7yo boys all send them outside to play when they have their lightsabers/swords etc out as they are an accident waiting to happen in the house (be it broken ornaments or a younger sibling getting jabbed in the eye or head etc etc) so perhaps finding a way to make it brighter outside would be helpful. I'd also like a quieter volume setting as it really is quite loud! That might prolong battery life!

6. I would recommend this toy (but not at this price) to parents with boys who like Star Wars. I'd probably say my son (at 7 1/2) is at the top end of the age spectrum for it and would say it would be most suited to 5 - 7 year olds.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to trial the lightsaber. My son has had a wonderful time with it, the poor dog has been whalloped with accidentally about four times, my baby daughter thinks the light and the whoosing is hilarious and I think my husband is a bit envious of it. It is without doubt the 'daddy of lightsabers' as far as we're concerned and it's been a real treat :D

We had the Simon Flash game to test

1. It was very enticingly packaged - and very well packaged too! It took us about 30 minutes to unpack! It consisted of 4 plastic cubes with lights, which seemed to be very well constructed and very sturdy. Nice to feel as well. DCs, aged 10 and 14, were very keen to try it. It arrived when I was out, in a cardboard box labelled "Simon Flash" - so DS2 was very quick to look it up in the Argos catalogue to see what it was all about!

2. Both DS1 and DS2 enjoyed playing with Simon Flash, with DS1 (aged 14) being particularly enthusiastic about it (unusually so for him). DS2, was frustrated by 2 of the games, he felt they were not sufficiently challenging. These were the games where you were required to put the cubes in sequence, there seemed to be little "skill" in it. On the other hand he did enjoy the challenge of remembering light sequences for the other 2 games.

3. They have only played the game by choice once, when they first had it. They played for just under an hour I think. Maybe would have played for longer, or chosen to play with it more often, in the winter. However they enjoyed playing with it when I asked them to, so that I could film them. We also took it round to a relatives one evening, and played one of the games as an after dinner round the table game which was good fun. Everyone had one or 2 goes each at remembering a sequence and then passed the cubes to the next person. Everyone else was helping (by shouting out the sequence) or watching.

4. DH and I both felt this is expensive at £26.99. There is not that much to it, and as the cubes each require 2 AA batteries, is expensive for what it is. On the other hand the cubes do come provided with batteries, which helps enormously. (We wondered if they would all run out at the same time!

5. We all loved the carrying case, this is very useful for keeping all the cubes together while preventing them from lighting up if the game is not in use. However DS2 had problems opening the case so think that this could be improved possibly.

6. As DS1 and DS2 did not actually play with it for long, we would recommend Simon Flash to parents of slightly younger children, perhaps 6 or 7 year olds. Think they would get more enjoyment out of it. I would also warn them that it is rather expensive for what you get. Would also recommend to someone who was looking for party type game.

Thank you Mumsnet and Hasbro for giving us this opportunity, we have all really enjoyed it and the filming has given us some great laughs!

Light saber

1. First impressions were very good, as the light saber immediately lit up and made sounds, prompting a few "cool!" and "awesome!" exclamations from my DC.

2. All my children enjoyed playing with the light sabers. They liked the light and sound effects best. The only think they didn't like was if they accidentally got whacked in the face! My eight year old son said he would like it even better if it retracted and he could put it into a bag and carry it around.

3)My children were quite happy to spend about 10-15 minutes playing with the light sabers each time, and would go back to them though out the day.They were quite keen to play with them (and show them off) if any friends came round to play. The novelty seems to have warn off a bit now, but if I got them out and said "do you want to play with these?" they probably would for a bout 15 minutes.

4. I think the RRP is quite high. You really need to have two for full enjoyment, which would total £80, so it would have to be a Christmas present, rather than just a treat. I would have expected to pay nearer £20 for one light saber. Having said that, they are quite impressive, and haven't broken even though they've had a thrashing, so the quality is obviously good.

5. I don't think there is anything I would like improved.

6. Yes, I would recommend it parents of other children. It was a bit much for my 6yo DD to handle, but my 8 yo DS loved it, 12yo DS took playing with them very seriously. I can imagine even teenagers (and definitely dads!) would be quite happy to have a bit of a duel if they got their hands on a couple of these. DS2 had a cheap light saber for his 4th birthday, and absolutely loved it, so maybe some younger children would be OK with this.

Thank you Hasbro and Mumsnet! You really did brighten up our summer!

1. What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?

i tested the bop it game. i have 4 children between the ages of 6 and 14 and every single one of them loved it! they all kept trying to beat the high score. There is a multiplayer option so more than one child can play at the same time, which is a bonus, but great for only one child too. it is very addictive, the only problem/bad point was that I had to share it with the kids!

2. What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?

As before they loved it, they already have the previous 2 versions and it was already their favorite game, and the new version has different features. it would be impossible to get bored with it. even my youngest loved it. the only thing that frustrates ME is when one of my children beat my high score!

3. How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?

they would quite happily play with it for as long as id let them!

4. How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?

brilliant value for money! worth every penny!

5. If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?

nothing at all, its a brilliant design.

6. is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?

yes definitely would recommend this toy! all my childrens friends want one. i wouldn't just recommend it to children the ages of mine but i would also recommend it for teenagers and adults, from 5 to 100! everyone will enjoy it. its also good for improving co-ordination and concentration.

We tested Cookie My Playful Pup

1. What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?

On opening the box I was impressed by the size of the dog, it was lifesize. It was also very soft and cuddly, unlike many interactive toys. The girls' first impression must have been favourable as they started squealing in excitement!

2. What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?
   "I love it, it's so cute." DD age 8
   "Its just like a real dog!" DD age 10
   They really enjoyed playing with Cookie and DD age 8 sleeps with it. Getting it to wag its tail was a bit tricky at first.

3. How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?

Eldest DD played with it briefly but soon got bored. Youngest loved Cookie and still plays with it a lot a few weeks on.

4. How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?

I think the RRP of £74.99 is far too much for this toy. It is a nice toy but for that price I'd want it to walk and sit.

5. If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?

See above.

6. is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?

I would happily recommend it if it was on special offer as it is a lovely toy, just over-priced.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to test Cookie, the girls were over the moon. Sadly they have lost the purple squeaky bone. Is there a way to order a replacement?

We tested the 'Littlest Pet Shop Treehouse'

1. What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?

My initial impression of the toy was that it looked very interesting, lovely bright colours and had a lot of little activities to do with the characters (slide, lift, shute for the acorns, swing, seesaw, house to name a few!) This is what I like about it the most, it has a lot of play value to keep my dd's interested. The only thing I didnt like was that there is only 1 character with it.

2. What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?

Dd loves the treehouse and the little chipmunk character that comes with it. She loves posting the little acorns down the shute and catching them in the trolley for her chipmunk to push around! The only thing that frustrates her is trying to push the character onto the little pegs so they stay on the seesaw/lift etc, she finds this quite fiddly (and so do I!)

3. How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?

I would think my daughter has played with the treehouse for at least 30minutes every day since we received it! She loves it! Since receiving it we have purchased some more littlest pet shop characters and sets for her (with her birthday money!) So its her new 'thing' at the moment and she adores them!

4. How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?

It does seem like quite an expensive item, but it is very well made, seems very sturdy and like it would survive some heavy play! and has a lot of play value so I would say its worth the money

5. If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?

As I say above we have a few other littlest pet shop items (purchased second hand so from previous ranges) which have a magnet to the foot of the character and in the equipment which makes it much much easier for dd to play with it and keep the characters on the swings etc. I totally understand from a health and safety point of view why magnets are no longer used but something similar would seem a much better alternative than the fiddly pegs!

6. is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?

Yes I would recommend it to other parents of children of the same age and probably up to 8 if they were into imaginiative play with these kind of sets it would be perfect for them :)

Thank you again to Mumsnet and Hasbro for giving us the opportunity to take part in this test, we have all enjoyed it :)

ooh first to review the nerf vortex nitron then...

Overall impressions on opening were

"wow"
"awesome" and the like. i rather wish we'd had the camcorder packaged seperately from the toy as Ds's face on opening the blaster was soo animated and excited, would have made great advert. (perhaps for future tests pack camcorder in seperate packaging to arrive before toy)
I thought first impressions were good, it was huge and looked the part. Very cool for an 8 yr old boy,

There wasn't anything about the toy that I didn't like, Ds kept taking the sights off the top, said they were pointless, Ds's friend, (40 yrs old) also took the sights off and said they got in the way :) They had lights on but didn't really do anything, I had to encourage him to put them on for filming. Most of the time he played with it without the sights. This was the only thing that we disliked.

Ds spent hours and hours playing with this, it came to friend;s houses, the park, (where we lost loads of discs) to a pub lunch, they played indoors, outdoors, ds played on his own and with his siblings and friends. I did feel it was an engaging toy but alone I think it has limited play value. Much more fun if someone else has one or something similar, luckily we have lots of nerf blasters so we had enough to go round. Everyone wanted to play with the new one though.

I do think it's a bit pricey I have to say, If we hadn't had the chance to play with it, I would probably say no if Ds asked for one, although having played with it and seen how much ds plays with it, I probably would pay the rrp for it. For main birthday or christmas though , not just as a pressie.

Personally I would make the sounds a bit louder and a bit more.. I don't know, just a bit more. At the moment you can hear the discs whirring but thats all, maybe thats so it doesn't get on parents nerves but as it's mostly an outdoor toy, i think you could get away with it. Ds would take off the sights as I said.

Deinately recommend to this age child, (ds just turned 8), his mates can't wait for it to hit the shops, they all want one. I would also recommend it for older children, ds's older brother, (almost 14) played with it almost as much as ds1. :)

We have enjoyed this toy, thanks very much.

Just to add, classic line from Ds whilst playing was

"now thats what you call a blaster"

We tested the Bop It XT

1) What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like? There was nothing we didn't like (apart from maybe the usual grumbles about taking it out of the packaging - I think a knife was involved in the end) It looked robust, and was attractively designed. Even before they turned it on the children were fiddling with all twisty, flicky bits. For myself, I love the fact that it has a volume control...

2) What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them? They really like it. Mine range in age from 7 (just under recommended age) to 13 and they all enjoyed playing it. They particularly liked the multiplayer mode although egging each other on to higher and higher individual scores was another favourite. They were frustrated by the 'shake it' command as it seemed a bit touchy and didn't always work (not sure if they were just not rough enough) so they kept it off the setting that included it. DD was frustrated in a good way by the fact that she, at 7, could only get high scores in the teens whereas DS1 at 13 was getting in the 70's but that's just healthy competition

3) How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not? They're still playing with it - maybe not everyday but at least every other day I'll start hearing the noises and one of them will have picked it up and attempted to beat their own high score. Once one of them picks it up it'll end up being played with for around an hour or so - it's very addictive.

4) How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)? It's definitely value for money. We had an older version that the DCs used for a good few years before it was accidentally broken. I can see the same happening with this one. It's not a pocket money price, but it's perfectly fine for birthday/christmas presents.

5) If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be? DD - "getting rid of shake it" DSs - couldn't think of anything.

6) is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child? Yes, because it keeps them quiet, it engages them, and it encourages and fosters team playing. I'd recommend it for older children or even adults, but maybe not younger. DD is only just below the minimum age rec and although she loved playing it, she's just not fast enough. If she hadn't been playing with her brothers I'm sure she would have lost interest (obviously all children are different)

We tested MONOPOLY ELECTRONIC BANKING

1. What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?

Liked the new board with the photos and some new places that weren't on the original board. Kids prefered the old playing pieces (scotty dog etc have been replaced with a burger, mobile phone, skateboard and rollerblades which felt a bit cheap and tinny and the burger especially is hard to handle).
As you don't need to sort out the money, the game is much quicker to set up which was good. The electronic banking unit was easy to use, but without actual money you can't acumulate cash for when you land on free parking and the children didn't have to think about how much money they had or calculate anything themselves so game was dumbed down a bit.

2. What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?

Kids liked the photos on board as we were in London recently and so they recognised most of the places. Dd especially frustrated as she kept landing on free parking without getting any cash like she would on traditional board.
Liked the money transfer unit and the noise it makes although had no idea how much money they had at any given time as it flashes up on the screen and they then promptly forgot what it said.

3. How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?

No such thing as a quick game of monopoly in this house so played for about an hour and then abandoned. Was engaging and we all enjoyed it.

4. How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?

RRP £27.99 so more expensive than some board games, but its Monopoly so people will pay that amount for a traditional and well known game. Not sure if I would pay that to replace a game we already have and still enjoy playing the traditional way.

5. If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?

Make the gaming pieces a bit more substantial and sturdy like the traditional ones, these ones make the game feel cheap.

6. is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?

I would recommend Monopoly to anyone with children of the same age as mine, it's a great way to spend a wet afternoon, not entirely convinced that i would recommend the electronic version though and 2 of my 3 dc still say they prefer the older version of the game where "actual" money changes hands!

Thanks so much for our new Monopoly Game, we enjoyed playing it and certainly will use it lots once we get into winter and they can't play outside.

I can't get the questions to copy and paste on my iPod so here goes from memory:
We tested the Ultimate Optimus Prime

First Impressions: far too much packaging, it took 10 minutes and a pair of scissors to disentangle Optimus from the many anchor points before we could actually start building.

Once they got it free, they had a stab at transforming it ad hoc but soon reverted to instructions as it's really complicated ( they're still not entirely sure how the arms twist to fold into the truck shape.)

At £70 there's no way I would have bought it, that's one child's entire Christmas budget on one toy. That said, they played with it for about 3 days which is a long time in our house!

Overall it's a good toy, and the kids soon worked out how to transform it without instructions, they really loved the gun too, although DS pointed out that when you push back the front bit of the gun the "lasers" would end up shooting at the gun (he's a bit of a geek), so I stepped in and said perhaps it focused the beam with mirrors, I think I got away with it.
Is there any way to get the legs to move forward so when Optimus holds the gun he doesn't fall forwards?

We had the Playskool Elefun Ball Popper

1. What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?

My initial reaction was the amount of packaging I had to saw through to get it out, then how hard it was to slot some of the pieces together - I had to get DP to do the ears! I finally got it all out and assembled then had to send him to hunt down a screwdriver to put the batteries in.
I loved the bright colours and the fact it was so solid - looked fairly indestructible for my 2 boys.

2. What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?

My 2 year doesn't like the noise it makes to blow the balls out, he'll pres the button to turn it on then run away and tells me he "hates it" but my 1 year old likes it. My 1 year old really likes the music and dances along.

3. How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?

My 2 year old wasn't interested in it at all but the 1 year old would play with it for about 10 minutes at a time before he'd get bored and wander away. At one stage he even used it as a baby walker to push along in front of him. I found it really hard to get consistent footage of them playing with it to be honest. So based on that I wouldn't say it engaged them - maybe if the music played for a little while longer or the eyes moved it might have grabbed them more

4. How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?

While the toy was very sturdy and well made I personally wouldn't pay the RRP's for the toy as it was more of a novelty thing for my boys and didn't really engage them.

5. If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?

The only thing would be if it did something else - even if it said hello to them - thats something they would like or if another body part on it moved when the music played

6. is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?

I think its more suitable for younger children, possibly around 8 or 9 months old as although my one year old liked it it was only for very short periods.

I would like to thank Hasbro for the opportunity to take part as well - I was delighted to be chosen and hope the feedback helps :)

1. We had the Rock n Roll Elmo. Overall first impression was huge excitement with DS yelling ?He?s got drums!?. Although for quite a while I didn?t realise it was already set to the ?try me? setting so for a good 30 minutes I wasn?t using him to his full capacity?not pressing his foot but his hand instead etc?I liked the fact he came with a microphone, drums and a tambourine and that the instruments were going to be able to be ?held? by Elmo himself.

2. They were both were initially very excited. DD 2.4 liked the fact his mouth moved open when he sang although she kept trying to feed him food! And she liked to carry him around under her arm. She was most dismayed that he didn?t always say ?Please? and ?thank you? though after she?d handed him something!
   DS wondered endlessly why Elmo said ?Zee? instead of ?Zed? when singing the alphabet song. DD got frustrated at how easily Elmo fell over. And often he asks for an instrument that wasn?t in keeping with what they were doing. EG: They?d put him in front of the drums and pressed his foot but by then he was asking for the microphone?but they both took quite quickly to pressing his foot in order for him to move.

3. When we initially got it, they both spent over 30 minutes playing with him and were very excited. This soon descended into fighting however, with DD carting Elmo off under her arm. DS quickly got bored, after the initial excitement he announced he didn?t want to play with Elmo anymore, although randomly has been singing the songs. He wanted to know why Elmo didn?t really ?shake? the tambourine, just held onto it.

4. This toy is £70. To me that is a lot on one item and I probably wouldn?t buy this sort of character toy as I think it would have limited appeal. I had to suggest playing with Elmo, they didn?t just pick him up to play with, although DD did but not to play music with him just to cuddle him and try to stuff food in his mouth. If a child is really into Elmo and music then it?s great but my two fought a lot over it.

5. I would change it so that Elmo could use the microphone and the tambourine at the same time. And a few more manners and positive feedback statements in there. I thought the microphone could have been a bit longer and perhaps a brighter colour since we kept losing it. Drums could also have been a little bigger in size. And if he could have moved his arm when holding the tambourine I think that would have been great. In fact, if the instruments could have been a little more interactive I think that would have improved things a lot.
   DS wanted the microphone to do something, when he was trying to sing into it he wanted to know why it wasn?t ?working?.

6. On the box it says 18 months ? 4yrs. My nearly 4 yr old quickly got quite bored with playing with it but then loved dancing to him anytime he ?came on?. The 2.4 yr old was fascinated. I would say it?s perfect for 2 year olds, maybe up until 3 yrs old. They both enjoyed it more when we played together with it and had a little concert etc?

Agree that the camcorder should have come before the toy, or at least not in the same packaging. The initial exctitment on opening the box and first seeing Elmo should have been captured...

Ultimate Optimus Prime.

1. What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?

When we first took it out of the delivery box, everyone was very impressed with the packaging. This toy is huge, and the packaging made it look even bigger. Once released from it's cardboard prison, it was still enormous. And heavy. It's an extremely detailed toy, and it feels like a quality product. The only thing I didn't like was the noisy mechtech, but I suspect that wasn't designed for me.

2. What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?

The boys loved it. They adored the noisy mechtech (naturally) and fired it constantly . My younger son (8) found transforming the toy extremely difficult, and I imagine that a younger child (it is recommeneded from age 5) would throw the mother of all hissy fits attempting to turn the suit thingy in to the trailer.

3. How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?

They spent several hours playing with it initially, and learning how to transform it. This quickly turned in to a game with all their other transformers which lasted for several days. For all its complexity, it is essentially an action figure, and they were able to use their imaginations to involve it in their regular games. They also found new ways of transforming it to give it different abilities (jet packs etc) so I thought it was quite versatile.

4. How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?

Hmm. I do think that this is an extremely expensive toy. I can see how much detail and work has gone in to producing it, but I don't honestly think that the children really appreciated that. I have to say that I think it's over priced for the age range it appeals to.

5. If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?

A volume control on the mechtech. That thing is ear splitting.

6. is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?

I would recommend it for children of 8 and up, but not for younger children. I can just see some 5 year old Christmas morning screaming and wailing while a super harassed parent frantically tries to save Christmas by turning the robot in to a truck. And then crying with self loathing when they fail.

Thanks Mumsnet and Hasbro for keeping the children occupied for a bit so that I could hide in the garden.

Nerf Vortex Nitron

1) What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?
My 10 year old son was so excited when the parcel arrived and couldn't wait to get the box opened. We have a couple of Nerf blasters already so it was really what I was expecting. I did think it was quite heavy partly due to the 6 C batteries but it didn't seem to bother my son. We didn't really see the point of the sight on the top, the lights flashed but there was no real benefit to having it and it spends most of the time on the shelf. It does need batteries and whilst this is indicated on the box if it isn't spotted it would be a nuisance as C batteries aren't the type you normally have stocks of.

2) What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?
My children loved it and think it is the best toy they have. They already have a couple of other Nerf blasters so this one added to the fun. They did get frustrated as the discs do jam and found it annoying if they were in the middle of a game

3) How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?
My children have played with it every day and spend probably an hour at a time playing with it. I do feel that if you only had one it wouldn't be played with for as long as the fun is having a few people with them and running around outside playing.

4) How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?
Initially I would have said that it is quite expensive however seeing how much time they have spent playing with it then I would say it would be worth it. It has been played with every day and they never seem to tire of it.

5) If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?
I can't think of anything

6) is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?
My eldest son is 10 and I would certainly recommend it for children his age as well as older children. My younger son is 5 and he has played with it a lot but he does find it heavy.

Suimon flash

1. What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?

It was beautifully and attractively packaged, and the storage carry case was a bonus. My only problem with the carry case is that because the buttons are exposed, its very easy for them to get pressed in and activate the game accidently. Might not be a good idea to have a bleeping electronic game in your suitcase on a plane!

2. What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?

The children loved the game, and I don't think there was anything they disliked about it.

3. How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?

Its a very engaging game, they can play with it for short periods, but were also happy to play with it for an hour or so. They could also play with it separately or together, which is also useful.

4. How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game

Given that it appealed to both children, I would say it was worth the money!

5. If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?

The storage case, I'd protect the buttons so it didn't activate the game.

6. is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?

I think its suitable for a wide range of ages, including adults! I like it!

1) What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like? I got the barking dog, first impressions it was really cute and fluffy and has a squeaky toy. I don't like that it makes noise (but then that would defeat the purpose I suppose), I really liked that you could turn the thing off (I'm not helping much am I?). DD's were really enchancted by the different noises it made and that it 'eats' the toy bone, my youngest has been taking it to bed with her, I thin kthe girls would liek for it to move a bit or for all legs to be moveable.

2) What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them? The only thing my girls didn't like was the fact they had to share , the would have liked for it to move, or the back legs to my moveable too. My youngest wants accessories, we were going somewhere and another child had a toy cat in a basket....she wants a basket for her dog now! Also the lease keeps coming off as it's velcro which made dd2 cross as my baby neice kept removing it. If the dog has accessories available on sale seperately my child would be spending all her pocket money saving for things like a dog bowl, brush different types of tags (yes I realsie I have raised superficial children).

3) How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not? DD2 is permanently attached to the dog, she even takes it to bed with her, and first puts it to sleep, I only let her do this on the provisio if it started barking in the night she dealt with it and she did, she actually switched it off when she accidentally set it off in the night! My youngest neice loves it too, has attempted to feed it with her spoon.

4) How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)? for what it does, I would expect it to be around the RRP it's shown ason Argos.

5) If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be? Make it walk, and do lots of accessories for it!

6) is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child? I would, I think my sister will get one for her youngest dd who absolutely adores dogs and spends a lot of her time calling over strange dogs when they're out and about. It actually is very appealing for an animal loving child, it was appealing to my non animal loving child too as it's cute and fluffy, I'm hoping it will convince my eldest child that animals are nice.

Rock and Roll Elmo

1) What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?
DD was very happy with it, it was fairly sturdy, , kness bent and moved from side to side not the usual generic standing still and just sang. I liked the fact that the instruments were part of the play and he'd ask for a specific instrument. That manic laugh was a bit creepy but that's my opinion not DD's.
I like the fact it had manners, please and Thank you, not many toys do that and it's great that this toy does.
2) What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?
Again as a previous poster said, it's mouth opened wide but not for food, not for want of trying though. She liked the fact that he was able to be understood 'elmo likes to play the drums' and she handed him the drums. She liked that she could sing along and knew the song 'ABC' altough she got a little confused when he added his own ending and didn't sing the traditional ending to the ABC song.
3) How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?
She played with him for a good few hours on the first day and even took him to bed with her. She engaged well and interaction was easy
4) How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?
Personally I wouldn't pay £70.00 for it, although it did do more than the standard 'sing alongs' , you can add drums and from what I can gather more instruments can be bought seperately. This is appealing at the right price.
5) If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?
The toy knows when you give it the microphone/tambourine/drums/ perhaps when the child cuddles the toy or pics it up , which most children do it could say 'Elmo likes cuddles' or something like that
6) is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?
I probably would recommend it, my friends child came over and he was the same age as DD and he loved playing with it and couldn't put it down. But I suppose like all toys they get bored quickly

So, just one tester left to post?

Come on!

im intrested in the puppy feedback, DD1 is obessive about furreal pets and has seen this one and wants to save her ppocket money for one, but at the much im relucant to let her.

We were lucky enough to win the electronic Monopoly. Thank you and here are our comments on the game! Sorry to take so long - we have just moved country, house, schools so have been a bit busy!!!

1. What were your overall or initial impressions of the toy/game? What did you like about it most? Was there anything you didn't like?

My kids (15, 13 and 9) liked the fact that the London properties had been updated and the game given a more 'modern' feel but I preferred the old version which brings back lots of childhood memories! Again, the kids liked the electronic bank but at first we weren't sure whether one person should be banker as in the old game, or whether each player should insert their own card into the banking machine. We tried both versions!

2. What do/does your child(ren) think of the toy/game? What do they like most about it? Is there anything they don't like/anything that frustrates them?

When we played with one player being the banker, there wasn't much for the actual player to do, unlike the traditional version where each player handled their own money. As a parent, I think there is less 'brain power' needed with the modern version. I think the older version was good for younger kids to practice counting and arithmetic.

I also found the large amounts distracting (eg 10 M or million) and preferred the older smaller but unrealistic amounts. My kids, however, didn't see this as a negative and my 9 year old especially liked the big numbers!

3. How long do your child(ren) spend playing with the toy/game? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy/game for your child? Why? Why not?

Yes engaging but as another mumsnetter commented, Monopoly is a long game. We have played this 3 tmes now - once for 2 hours and we carrid the game over to the next day an once for 1 hour but we started to play too late in the evening and everyone got tired and irritable!

4. How would you rate the value for money of the toy/game (please see here for RRPs)?

Quite pricy but typical of other similar games so reasonably good value for money. This is a classic so I don't think we would get bored with it easily.

5. If there was one thing you could improve about the toy/game, what - if anything - would it be?

Can't think of anything that I would necessarily change.

6. is this a toy/game you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Or would you recommend it to parents of a younger or older child?

Yes I would recommend this game to families with kids of a similar age. We 'replaced' another game called the Game of Life a few years ago with the updated electronic version and my kids prefer it to the old one. We also have computer Monopoly which my kids enjoyed wen younger. I definitely feel that this appeals more to children than adults who, like me, might think back nostalgically to wet caravan holidays and long games of Monopoly with paper money and top hat, waiting for the sun to come out!