THE HARUMIKA BRIDAL COLLECTION
- Fashion designer creates Kate’s wedding dress for mini mannequins -

Kate Middleton’s style is creating a fashion fever across the nation as the Royal Wedding is drawing nearer. Kate’s fashion influence has even inspired a new project, carried out by an up-and-coming graduate from the renowned London College of Fashion, creating mini replicas of her outfits.

The designer, Chloe Bayly 24, has created the range of Kate Middleton inspired outfits, including her prediction of what Kate’s wedding dress will look like, using Harumika, a fun and easy to use creative toy that combines art and craft with fashion.

This unique collection designed exclusively for Harumika, features miniature replicas inspired by Kate Middleton’s most iconic outfits.
Harumika has been a hit with all ages since it launched in 2009, with sales in 2010 increasing over 300 per cent since its launch (source NPD Eurodata). The Bridal Collection is expected to see sales rocket even further as wedding fever grips the nation.

Chloe Bayly researched into iconic wedding dresses before coming up with her prediction for the big day. Step-by-step “get the look” tutorials have been filmed and posted on YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/BandaiUK) enabling girls to recreate the outfits for themselves.

Chloe Bayly from London College of Fashion comments:
“Kate Middleton is developing into a style icon as young girls aspire to be like the future princess. I am hoping the mini-collection inspired by her classic outfits will allow girls to style their own outfits and even recreate Kate’s dress after her big day.”

Vicki Elmer, girls’ product manager for Bandai, the toy company that makes Harumika, comments:
“Harumika is a great product for encouraging children’s creativity as it allows girls to imagine and craft their own fashion designs with ease. With the Harumika Princess Kate-inspired mannequins girls can recreate their favourite trends and outfits they see on their role models.”

The Harumika Bridal collection is available now from Toys R Us and allows children to get creative and design their own wedding dresses. Harumika is tipped to be a must-have toy in 2011 as experts predict a return to traditional value-for-money, craft-making toys that encourages children to use their imagination.

Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict
Our junior reviewers absolutely loved this, both Charlotte and Annabelle are at an age when they already enjoy experimenting with both drawing fashion designs and dressing their dolls in different styles. What they loved about this product was having tried cardboard cut-out dolls this is such a superior product, using simple pieces of fabric and the ingenuity of the Harumika mannequins means that very easily they can create their own designs. Brilliant product-Highly Recommended!

BADGE IT! IS BACK
Badge It! returns by popular demand after calls from the craft loving public to reintroduce this much loved toy. Released in the UK in 2003, over 1/2 million makers were sold in the first year and Badge It! picked up the ‘Creative Toy of the Year’ award. Now with craft making experiencing a surge in popularity Badge It! returns.

The Badget It! maker has got quick, simple, no-mess badge making all buttoned up! Make unique, high quality metal badges in seconds of your favourite pop star, footballer or pet. The award winning design makes creativitity simple as there’s no glue and no mess. You can use photos, pictures from magazines or your own drawings to make the badges you want. So get creative, and wear your badge with pride!

Badge It! Maker RRP £19.99
Refill pack RRP £8.99

Starter set includes Badge It! maker and 15x3cm badges. Refill packs available separately. Badge It! will be available from Argos, Toys R Us, The Entertainer, Smyths, Amazon, Toymaster (selected stores) or direct from www.bandai.co.uk

Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict
The measure of success of this was the speed at which the badges were used up. Once the instructions were understood, the badge-making began, this was really popular and all the Hot Brands adults were soon presented with their own badge by the junior reviewers. Simple and easy to use and very creative. Highly Recommended!

THE EGGBODS HAVE LANDED!
This March saw the landing of the inhabitants of Planet Egg – the EggBods!

Ranging from the most feared pirate on Planet Egg, Captain Hard Boiled, to the dancing sensation and star of ‘Shell Cracker’, Eggalina, there will be eight EggBods to collect from Bluw Toys.

You can have great fun with your EggBods by mixing ‘n’ matching their heads with other EggBod bodies. Create the magical singing sensation ‘Fairy Factor’ by mixing Fairy Tinkershell with Eggs Factor, or pop Fireman Scramble’s head on Egg Bot’s body to create ‘Robo Fireman’.

Once you’ve made your ideal EggBod, bring them to life by winding them up and watching them walk around and move their arms.

With their cool designs and limitless play possibilities, EggBods are set to make you go egg-static - so wind them up, swap them around and collect them all!

The Full EggBod Range:

Egg Bot was created by a mad scientist in his laboratory by mixing pure egg with steel. Egg Bot went out of control and now uses his laser to blast his enemies.

Fireman Scramble is ready to come to the rescue at any time! He’s got his extinguisher to put out any flames and he rides around in his big red fire truck, always ready to save the day!

Crack Commando is the perfect solider and is ready to lead his troops into combat. He uses his battle rifle to fight off enemies and can drive a tank, fly a helicopter and parachute into the hot zones!

Captain Hard Boiled is in charge of the most feared pirate ship around: The Black Pudding. He sails the sea seeking out treasure and, most of all, wants to find the legendary Golden Egg.

Fairy Tinkershell is the most magical fairy on Planet Egg. She lives in her fairy palace, fluttering around all day and uses her wand to cast her spell and make everybody’s wishes come true!

Eggalina Ballerina is the most brilliant ballerina on Planet Egg. She’s danced in ‘The Shell Cracker’ and ‘Swan Egg’. There’s no dance move she can’t do!

Nurse Eggwhite is always ready to rush to the rescue. Her nurse’s bag has everything she needs to make all ill EggBods feel fantastic again.

Eggs Factor is the star singer. There’s no song she can’t master and she’s got a massive hit single and album coming out soon!

The full range of EggBods will be available from all leading toy retailers. For more information visit www.eggbods.com

Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict
Perfect as an alternative to chocolate as an Easter present. Our junior reviewers loved the fact that you can swop the heads and they way that they march across the table. Fairy Tinkershell was a great favourite.These are great fun, our reviewers really enjoyed playing with them.

EASTER FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY WITH HASBRO CARD GAMES
Be cheetah fast with Ratuki, the new card-slamming family frenzy card game from Hasbro where the first to five wins! With each card featuring different number displays, including Roman numerals, numbers and dice, players must race against each other to complete runs of five and shout “Ratuki!”

There’s no room for slowcoaches in this fast and furious game as the first player to get rid of all their cards and collect the most runs of five wins!

When you’ve mastered the lightening-speed skills required to become theRatuki champion, why not try your hand at the other card games Hasbrhas to offer? Featuring Boggle Slam, Monopoly Deal, Pictureka!, Cranium, and brand new Cluedo and Game of Life, Hasbro’s card game assortment offers exciting game play for the whole family!

Hasbro card games are pocket-sized, packable and very playable and for pocket-money prices they are ideal for rainy days in or travelling this Easter!

Ratuki
Players: 2 to 5 Age: 8 years + Available: Now SRP: £7.99

Hasbro Card Game Assortment
Age: 6 years + Available: Now SRP: £7.99

Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict
We and our junior reviewers sampled Ratuki, and you certainly need to be alert if you want to play this game successfully, as it can be played very fast, particularly by our junior reviewers as we were still trying to make sense of the rules! Great fun, and like any new game after a few goes, everyone was joining into the spirit of it! Perfect for taking on holiday, a great family game!

STICKER DOLLY DRESSING: WEDDINGS - ROYAL WEDDING SPECIAL EDITION
To celebrate the Royal Wedding, Usborne are publishing
Sticker Dolly Dressing: Weddings - Royal Wedding Special Edition
Girls will adore dressing and accessorising the beautiful brides, bridesmaids, and handsome grooms for their fairytale weddings. Follow the brides and grooms as they prepare for their big days, including trying on dresses, choosing the cake, getting ready and the first dance.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sticker-Dolly-Dressing-Weddings-Usborne/dp/1409535371/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303342278&sr=8-1-fkmr0

Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict
Our junior reviewers have long been great fans of the Usborne Sticker books and they particularly liked the Royal Wedding Special Edition. Full of stickers and colourful designs this was a particular favourite. Very topical, and great fun. Highly Recommended!

LITTLE MISS PRINCESS ARRIVES IN TIME FOR A VERY SPECIAL WEDDING

Mr. Men introduce a sparkling new royal character to mark the 40th anniversary of the iconic children’s character books
By Royal invitation from Her Majesty the Queen of Dillydale, you are warmly invited to a very special wedding. Start perfecting your curtseys, polishing your tiaras, and get ready to welcome Little Miss Princess with a right royal wave!
She is the newest addition to the Little Miss family, continuing the hugely successful, classic Little Miss range. Little Miss Princess lives in a castle with turrets and a moat. A very big castle. A true royal princess at heart, she accessorises with sparkly blue jewels on her golden crown.
One day, kind-hearted Little Miss Princess decides to help her fellow Little Miss and Mr. Men friends with their chores. But being a princess, she isn’t used to doing things herself, so everything doesn’t quite go to plan!
Little Miss Princess becomes book number 34 in the series. She is the first new Little Miss since 2003 when Little Miss Whoops was published.
The second title: Little Miss Princess and the Very Special Wedding, follows Little Miss Princess’ attempts to get to a very important wedding on time but is hindered by lots of Mr. Men mishaps along the way!
These timely additions to Egmont’s Little Miss range are the perfect gifts for all Little Miss and princess fans, plus the perfect wedding favour for bridesmaids of all ages.

http://www.egmont.co.uk/product.asp?prodid=2430&catid=

Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict
A very sweet little book, our junior reviewers loved this. The illustrations are charming and the story is full of humour. it has been read and re-read, a definite bedtime favourite!

World Of Happy!
Synopsis:Egmont proudly presents its launch range of Giles Andreae’s joyful new brand: world of happy!
Thirteen titles launching in April bring parents everywhere contemporary stories with positive and uplifting messages
The thirteen stories are playful, quirky, joyous and heart- warming. Each book is about a different animal and deals brilliantly with a new emotion, such as love, happiness, courage, trust, manners, teamwork and being yourself.
Children will love the funky, colourful animals and funny stories about belching sharks, dancing hippos, knitting gorillas and drumming crickets. Adults will appreciate the sophistication, quirkiness and philosophical content. World of Happy delivers something emotional rich and complex, while being easily accessible to children.

Instantly recognisable, with iconic covers, lively insides, these are stylish and affordable books for children and parents alike.
The books started life as thirteen, two-minute films on CBBC and the books will benefit from frequent repeats on CBBC and BBC1.

World Of Happy: The Little Penguin – Giles Andreae,
There was once a little penguin who was FRIGHTENED of the water.
“This is no way for PENGUINS to behave,” said his father.
“Be gentle,” said his mother, “for ALL of us have fears that others may find hard to understand ... Come, Little Penguin. Come into the WATER with me.”
And so begins a little story about BRAVERY and TRUST - a joyous treasure for the whole family to share.

http://www.egmont.co.uk/product.asp?prodid=2463

Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict
All the books in this series are about real life dilemmas, but translated to the world of animals, the children will love the illustrations and the adults can help the children to understand the bigger messages. We loved this series, very thoughtful, and perfect for reading together. Highly Recommended!
Green Banana Series: Flora the Fairy-Tony Bradman, Emma Carlow
Flora the fairy loves going to visit Nana and Grandpop. But she is scared of their cat Rufus. He stares at her and silently follows her around. When Rufus has to stay outside because of her, Flora feels bad. What is she going to do? Luckily Nana and Grandpop have a plan to show Flora that Rufus only wants to be friends – with the help of a little fairy magic!
A delightful story about a little girl discovering friendship in an unexpected place! Perfect for kids who are overcoming early fears. Suitable for ages 4 and above.

http://www.egmont.co.uk/product.asp?prodid=1000&catid=3

Blue Banana Series: The Glow-worm Who Lost Her Glow-William Bedford, Sophie Joyce
Poor Georgina has lost her glow! Without it, she's not a proper glow-worm. So she sets off on a brave journey to find it again. On the way she meets all kinds of creatures - cockerels, moles, mice, weasels, humans, and a very special boy glow-worm. And she learns an awful lot about light and dark, too! A heart-warming story about a little glow-worm's search for her missing glow... and love! Plus really engaging and interactive facts and activities about Light and Dark.

http://www.egmont.co.uk/product.asp?prodid=1109&catid=22

Hot Brands Cool Places
These books are great for first and developing readers,the stories are charmingly illustrated, with really cute and thoughtful stories, we loved Flora the Fairy, and the utterly charming The Glow-worm who lost her Glow, which is one most adorable approaches to science we have seen.
Royal Wedding Doodles
If knitting your own Royal Wedding is a bit too much effort, doodle your way towards William and Kate’s big day instead
• From designing the dress and adding the accessories to finishing the flowers and completing the cake, there are many pretty pictures to complete and colour
• Scrapbook pages are included, for sticking in mementos from the Royal wedding, to create a record of Kate and William’s happy day
Find free doodles, competitions and details of our range of doodle books at www.doyoudoodle.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Royal+Wedding+Doodles&x=0&y=0

Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict
There are plenty of creative activities to undertake, the website is full of other opportunities. It also encourages children to use their imagination, and to keep adding to their creations. Perfect for the Easter holidays!

Puddletown Tales-Gretel Parker
Far away in a glorious valley nestled among the hills, live the creatures of Puddletown. In Mrs Mouse's Cupcakes, the true meaning of friendship proves to be the best recipe of all , while an unexpected birthday surprise is unveiled in Peggy's Lost Pennies. These delightful tales were inspired by Gretel Parker's fascinating needle-felt sculptures, whose photographs appear in the foreground of each multi-layered scene.
http://www.templarco.co.uk/novelty/puddletown_tales.html

Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict
We reviewed Peggy's Lost Pennies, an absolutely charming story, the illustrations are beautiful, and the book is a wonderful 3D creation. Our junior reviewers loved it. A perfect gift!

ANIMAL ANTICS WITH TINGA TINGA TALES

Join in the fun with Tinga Tinga Tales toys. The popular TV show tells stories of how your favourite animals came to be; why the Elephant has a long trunk, why Tortoise has a broken shell or why Giraffe has a long neck. Not only great fun for children, but a percentage of proceeds from the toys go to a foundation set up to offer education for children in Africa. 15cm Small Plush Collect your favourite Tinga Tinga Tales animals

15cm Small Plush
Collect your favourite Tinga Tinga Tales animals with these beautifully detailed small plush toys. Assortment includes Monkey, Lion, Hippo and Elephant.
SRP £5.99

Up Down & All Around Monkey
This monkey soft toy with hands and tail can grasp and hold, letting him hang onto all kinds of things around the house! His built in sensor lets him know if he’s up or down, just press his hand to get him giggling and talking!
SRP £24.99

25cm Plush with sound
Press the tummies of these soft cuddly animals to hear the Tinga Tinga Tales theme tune. Assortment includes Monkey, Lion, Hippo and Elephant. SRP £16.99

Collectable Figure Set
Collect your favourite Ting Tinga Tales characters with these detailed figures. Set includes Monkey, Lion, Tortoise and Elephant. New to 2011 will be Tickbird, Yellow Monkey, Chameleon & Zebra. SRP £9.99

All Tinga Tinga tales products are suitable ages 0+ plus and available from Argos, Toys R Us, Tesco & Amazon.

PUZZLE TIME WITH POOH, PIGLET, TIGGER AND ROO!

Get ready for the eagerly awaited release of the Winnie the Pooh feature film with a brand new range of puzzles from Jumbo. Using iconic new imagery from the upcoming movie, these puzzles are ideal for all new or classic fans of the much-loved Disney character. Suitable for children aged three and up, look forward to hours of fun puzzling with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Roo deep in the hundred acre woods.

The 24 piece Winnie the Pooh shaped floor puzzle is perfect for even the smallest fingers to piece together. Play as Christopher Robin and puzzle his friends in a bright and colourful outdoor scene to create a giant Winnie the Pooh! RRP £6.99, available from Smyths & The Entertainer.


Jumbo also have another exciting offering with the Winnie the Pooh four in one puzzle assortment featuring loving images of all your favourite characters. These puzzles are so much fun mum and dad will want to join in too! RRP £6.99, available from Smyths & The Entertainer.

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