With the summer holidays rapidly approaching, parents will be looking for creative ways to keep the kids entertained over the long school break. If you are looking for something different to do with the kids this summer, the Smartbox ™ Family Days Out package could provide the perfect solution.

Priced at just £39.95, there are 45 fun activities to keep the whole family entertained, including a visit to the Bushcraft Workshop in South Wales where you are instilled with ancient bushcraft’s most fundamental skills.

For creative kids, a trip to Great Torrington’s glass blowing centre will provide an unforgettable experience. Discover how red hot molten glass is removed from the furnace and then transformed into goblets, vases, jugs and lead crystal glassware. You will even be allowed to take your masterpiece home as a souvenir.

Other experiences in the Smartbox Family Days Out gift box include:

· Fudge tasting in Bath or Cambridge

· A day at the Pony Centre, Cornwall

· Exploration of WWT London Wetland Centre

· Manchester United Stadium Tour, for football fans young and old

Smartbox gifts are available from selected high street stores and their online counterparts, including John Lewis and Clinton Cards, or directly from http://www.smartbox.com/uk

LUCKY KIDS BAG ULTIMATE FIRST JOB
Nineteen lucky kids from the UK have bagged themselves the ultimate first job – as a toy tester for major toy company, Mookie Toys. The kids all entered the competition hosted by Hot Brands Cool Places to become part of the official junior Tailball Testing Team, and are now tasked with trying out the products and telling Mookie what they think.

Amy and Sian Harrison, Amelia, Maddison and Kelsey Harper, Brandon and Lewis Pawlett, Ellie Adams, Matthew Wheeler, Cashal Morey, Cameron Edwards, Louis, Oliver and Alicia Mardlin, Cleo Williams-Green, Kai Knight, Tyler Ahmed, Brandon Durham and Arran McLuskie have all been chosen as an official Tailball Tester.

The lucky kids and their families will receive samples of all five products in the Tailball range – Tailball Back Pack Attack, Tailball Extreme, Tailball Light, Tailball Rocket Zoomer and Tailball Flyer. They will also be provided with a special pack full of ideas of where to play and how to get the most from the Tailball Tester experience.

Any great suggestions made by them could even make it into a new and improved Tailball product in time for summer 2011.

Ellie Adams comments:
“I am really pleased to have been chosen as part of the Tailball testing team. I plan to try it out in the garden with my family and friends, as it’s great to get outside and play now the weather is better.”

Offering a fresh new take on the traditional bat and ball game, Tailball is perfect for kids who love to get out and about. Tailball features a unique ‘tail’ design to make it easier to hit, improving hand to eye co-ordination and also making it more fun for all the family.

Guy Orr, head of product development at Mookie Toys, comments:

“It’s great that these lucky kids are able to join our junior Tailball Testers team. At Mookie we pride ourselves on designing games that kids will love, so who better to try out our new product than our very own junior Tailball testing team? We were impressed by a number of the entries, and these particular kids really stood out. We hope they and their families enjoy testing out the products – especially as Tailball is the perfect summer toy.

“All the testers will play a key role in telling us what they like about the product, and more importantly, how they think we can improve it. Who knows, we might even discover a potential toy designer in the making who is lucky enough to see some of their ideas put into practice in our future products!”

The Tailball Range

Tailball Back Pack Attack
A perfectly-sized package in a handy backpack that’s easy to transport to the local park, Back Pack Attack includes all the Taillball essentials, and can be played everywhere. Approximate RRP £29.99

Tailball Extreme
Families can get together and challenge each other to a game of Tailball Extreme, strictly for outdoor use. Approximate RRP £14.99

Tailball Light
At home with the rain? Don’t worry; you can still get your Tailball fix with Tailball Light – a game that can be played both indoors and outside. Approximate RRP £12.99

Tailball Flyer (RRP £8.99) and Tailball Rocket Zoomer (RRP £9.99)

Like a game of Frisbee or throw and catch, but simply better.

Tailball is available to purchase at Toys R Us stores nationwide.

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