Fly the Flag
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Redakai Trading Card Game
If your son is like mine they will loves all the different collectors cards and different trump style games that you can collect. I was asked by Blogmatch to review a new card game called Redakai. I was sent the starter kit for my son to try out which has everything you need for basic game play.
The Redakai starter set contains two packs of the cards, the instructions and a plastic box which is ideal for storing the cards in. The Redakai cards are different from the normal cardboard cards you get, they are made of plastic and have a holographic look and feel to them.
As you hold the card in your hand the designs seem to move, lightning bolts shooting across the page, water splashing about and monsters jumping out at you. This makes the game more visually interesting before you even start playing it.
There are three different types of card. There are two hero cards which represent the players. There are a number of different style attack cards which you use to attack the other player with and there are also monster cards which help to increase your power. Game play is simple and the rules are easy to follow. You start out with your hero card and the rest of the attack and monster cards are shuffled and divided between the players. You then take it in turns to draw a card. If its a monster card you get to add it onto your hero and it increases his attack or defensive capabilities. An attack card gets placed on the opponent and if it succeed it can wipe out one or two of the red life bars. If all three life bars go red you lose.
The stackable nature of the game makes it unique and also very visually appealing. You can easily see how strong a character is and how near death they are. It is also very easy to play, we were playing it within seconds of reading the rules. My son loved this game and he wanted to play it again and again. The handy box for carrying the cards in makes it very easy to transport without losing the cards which is a problem with some of these card games.
The game is based on a show which is on CNN but you do not need to have seen the show to be able to play. The starter pack is £9.99 and you can also buy individual packets of cards at around £3.99 to supplement your collection. It is a good game and I can see it becoming a playground hit. It is aimed at boys aged 6 – 12 years old but I am sure girls will also enjoy it.
For more information visit the Redakai website
Disclosure: I received a starter set for the purposes of this review but the opinions are my own
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Free Netflights Puzzle Pack for Kids
As it is nearly summer your thoughts may be turning towards family holidays. You may have your holiday already booked or you may just have started looking for something. The summer is definitely a chance to go somewhere different and hopefully enjoy some sun.
If you have ever travelled with young children you know that it can be a nightmare to keep them entertained. If you are travelling by air you often need to check in ages before the flight is due to take off. Once you have cleared security there is often a long wait until it is time for the flight. Airports are not the most entertaining place for a child. There is only so much looking at duty free shops they can do before they get bored. If your children are like mine they will end up wanting toys and not understand that there is not room in the suitcase for everything in the shop, a sure recipe for falling out.
A long car journey can also be a nightmare, the children have nowhere to go and there is only so long they are happy to look out of the window before the inevitable chorus of “Are we there yet?”, ” How much longer?” starts up. I always pack a surprise bag to try and keep my son amused. I keep the contents secret but it often contains things like card games, colouring pens and pads, books and other small things that are easy to carry. When he gets bored I whip it out and it keeps him happy for a while.
I was pleased to learn that Netflights.com have created a free puzzle pack that can be printed out and taken on holiday with you. It can be easily download from their blog. The puzzle book contains colouring in, join the dots, mazes, a word search and also has a nice I-Spy type game. In this game you have to see how many of the listed items you can spot while you are on your travels. It looks perfect for ensuring a little bit of peace and quiet at the airport or while on a long car journey. You can download as many copies as you want, so if one gets damaged you can just get another one really easily.
I’ve also joined Netflights google plus page https://plus.google.com/115434001465641342201/posts so I can keep up to date with any future promotions or activities they might be planning.
I would love to know what you think of the pack, do go and download it and try it out with your kids.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but the content is my own.
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Bloodman by Robert Pobi
Bloodman is the first novel by Robert Pobi and it is a gritty psychological thriller which, like the title suggests often contains grisly descriptions. It is not a book for the faint hearted. After nearly thirty years away from home, FBI consultant, Jake Cole has reluctantly returned to Long Island. His estranged father, an artist, has managed to set himself aflame in a drunken state and hurled himself though a window. His father is also suffering from Alzheimer’s and Jake needs to sort out his affairs.
Jake has only been home a few hours when he gets a call from the local sheriff, Mike Hauser. A young woman and her child have been found murdered and skinned alive. Jake’s work for the FBI involves looking at crime scenes and reading the killers unique artistic signature offering unique insights into the case. The sheriff is out of his depth and is hoping Jake can help. Once on the scene Jake recognises the killers signature is the same as that of the person who killed his mother many years previously. Meanwhile Hurricane Dylan is steadily advancing and it is going to hit land just where they are. It is going to be the biggest hurricane to hit this part of the land since 1938.
I enjoyed this book, it was exciting and kept me turning the pages wondering what would happen next. The characters are interesting, Jake himself is a tattooed ex-junkie who has turned his life around. His amazing memory has given him a unique edge in spotting things at the scene of a crime which makes him ideal for the job he does. The local sheriff did come across as completely out of his depth and hoping for someone to take control. There are great descriptions of Jake’s wife and son who act as an oasis of calm for Jake amongst all the drama. Although Jake’s father is in hospital for much of the story and is unable to speak, he still comes across as a strong and forceful character and one particular scene in the hospital will play on your mind. His father obviously knows something but is unable to tell and has left paintings behind which may provide an insight. It is up to Jake to decipher the mystery before it is too late.
As the book progresses it is clear that a serial killer is out there and is linked to Jake in some way. The murders are described clearly, you clearly get a picture of the blood dripping and the state of the bodies at the scene and if you are at all squeamish this is not the book for you. The book has a fast pace and takes you on a roller coaster ride to the end, with shocks and thrills and an unexpected and disturbing ending. This is a fabulous thriller that will keep you awake at night.
RRP £6.99
Published by Arrow, Bloodman is available in paperback and ebook format.
- ISBN-10: 0099570963
- ISBN-13: 978-0099570967
Disclosure: I was sent the book for review but the opinions are my own
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My First Justin’s Jokes by Justin Fletcher
If you have young children you will be more than familiar with Justin Fletcher. He has captivated children on CBeebies for some time with his shows Justin’s House and Gigglebiz. As well as doing that he has recently bought out a new album “Hands Up” and somehow found the time to release a book for pre-school children entitled “My First Justin’s Jokes.”
The first thing that struck me about the book was the bright vivid colours and the lovely cartoon illustrations. Each double page spread contains a photo of Justin involved in an activity relevant to the jokes on the page with eye catching illustrations to bring the jokes to life. For example a page of beach jokes has Justin buried in the sand with only his head showing and a seagull perched on his head.
The illustrations alone will provide plenty to discuss with a young child but also embedded on each page are two or three simple jokes. These are the sort of jokes children love to learn and tell again and again, “What did the sea say to the sand? Nothing, it just waved”, “Why was the beach wet? Because the seaweed”. It is certainly not a book you would expect to read with the kids and get peace and quiet.
I read this with a three and a five year old. They were captivated by the pictures and engaged by the jokes. The jokes were repeated long after I had finished reading the book with them and I suspect will make an appearance for many days. They wanted to tell everyone the new jokes they had learnt so the book definitely encourages social skills. My eleven year old son was also amused by the jokes and repeated them to me a few times. If you are looking for a good giggle with your kids this book is definitely worth picking up.
Disclosure: I received a book for review purposes but the opinions are my own
RRP £4.99 Published by Faber Kids.
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