Lite Sprites Review

Christmas is on the way and with young children in the house, we’re constantly bombarded with adverts for every toy imaginable. Narrowing down which toy is worth the money in terms of durability and appeal can be increasingly difficult. Keeping this in mind I was happy to review the new Lite Sprites toys. Adorable little sprites that seem reminiscent of my own childhood, these cute little dolls light up and can magically share colour with each other. So is this one of the must have toys?

When you first switch on a Lite Sprite it will glow with colour, a button at the back also allows you to cycle through this individual Sprite’s favourite shades. They also have a ‘share’ button which when pressed will share their current colour with any other Sprites standing nearby. This alone seems to provide amusement, my own children (boys included) loved the ability to change the colour of all the Sprites.

We also received a Lite Sprite Wand, this comes in a set with a Sprite named Prisma. This fabulous little addition allows you to scan in colours from your house which you can then transfer over to the Sprites. There’s also a variety of spells to cast,  you can make your Sprites float through a combination of colours, or play a colour finding game.

There’s a thorn in the side of Lite Topia though, the Lite Sprite called ‘Bleak’ can infect both the Sprites and their enviroment with her lack of colour (she merely glows white). She can even affect the order with which the Sprites cycle through colours. But a quick wave of the Lite Wand using a Bleak Spell can unlock her undesirable characteristics and she will behave as all the other Sprites do.

Each Sprite comes in their own pod which we hung upon the Tree of Lite. The Tree also glows with colour and can be rotated by hand which causes magical music to play.

That’s only a very brief rundown as in truth, despite a couple of weeks play we’ve still to unlock all the Sprites abilities, particularly using the Lite Wand. I’m very pleased to report that my kids have not grown bored of the Sprites, they are still brought out daily and provide hours of creative play.

This is the kind of toy that I would have loved as a little girl, in fact I still enjoyed helping the children seek out new colours. It all feels good quality and robust and I have no fears for it’s durability. My youngest did decide to rearrange the Sprites pods and the Tree of Lite’s leaves, but nothing bent or cracked and I’m sure this will last a long time.

Would I recommend this?

Definitely, it’s a fun and engaging toy that has provided my children with hours of amusement. It has a modern feel with the use of lights and music that even in this console obsessed age it can hold it’s own. The introduction of additional playsets, the wand and Bleak mean there’s always new elements to play.

Could it be improved in anyway?

I had to really give this some thought, honestly the Lite Sprites are great as they are. Ultimately though I’d just like to see the range continue to grow. I really like toys which can be added to, so more playsets, more Sprites with different abilities would be wonderful.

Details

We received the following items to review:

Prisma and the Lite Wand RRP £29.99

4 Lite Sprites RRP £14.99 per individual Sprite

Tree of Lite RRP £39.99

Other playsets are available including a Waterfall, Swing, Flower and Windmill, each priced at RRP £19.99

Available to buy in store and online from all good toy shops.

Countdown To Christmas Tutorial!

I love Christmas! I love the decorations, the food and the exciting lead up. Most of all I love the excuse to get crafty. With this in mind I’m bringing you today’s tutorial. Inspired by my son’s constant need to know exactly how many days there are left to go, this is our homemade countdown calendar. You start at the beginning of December with 24 numbered baubles, each day turning one over until there is only one bauble left to turn! There’s also a handy box at the base, which you can fill with sweets to eat daily. You could also save all the sweets to enjoy on the big day.

You Will Need

A piece of thick card (I used mount board)

Thin card to cut baubles and star from

A cardboard box

Sweets

PVA glue

Paints (I used green and gold)

2 styles of Christmas wrapping paper

24 small buttons (these don’t have to match)

Black felt tip to write numbers ( I used a permanent one)

Small amount of coloured thread

Small sequins to decorate

Step 1

First begin by drawing out a triangle onto the thick card or mount board. Mine measured 37cm wide and 46cm high. Next place the cardboard box under the triangle and draw a rectangle the same size depth as the box but the same width as the bottom of the triangle.

Step 2

Cut out your tree shape using a sharp craft knife. Paint the top part of your tree green (leave the rectangle at the base unpainted). I used acrylic paint as it’s quick drying and waterproof when dry.

Step 3

Glue a piece of Christmas wrapping paper onto the unpainted rectangle. Then cover the cardboard box with a different design of paper.

Step 4

Take the thinner card and draw out 24 identical circles. Cut out and paint both sides (I chose to use gold acrylic paint), it may take several coats. Once dry draw the numbers 1 – 24 onto the circles using a black marker. Punch a hole into the top of each circle.

Step 5

Lay all the circles onto the tree and mark where you would like them to hang. Using something sharp, punch holes through the tree where you made your marks.

Step 6

Cut some pieces of thread and fold in half. Push the folded end through the hole in the circles, then thread the two loose ends through the loop to attach.

Step 7

Push the two loose ends through the correct hole on the tree. Then take a small button and tie the thread at least two or three times through the button’s holes. The following picture shows what the back of the tree should look like.

Step 8

I had some spare wooden letters that I painted gold and stuck to the front of the cardboard box to read ‘Countdown’. You could of course just write this on the front.

Step 9

Glue the box onto the decorated rectangle at the base of the tree. Glue some small sequins (I used snowflake shaped ones and a cherub on the star) around the tree to decorate. Cut out a star shape and paint gold before attaching to the top of your tree. Fill the box with sweets and hey presto a wonderful Christmas countdown!

 

The Littlest Angel DVD Review!

The nights are drawing in, the weather’s turning colder and we are all starting to snuggle up on sofas with our families to watch heartwarming films in the lead up to Christmas. Or at least that’s what seems to happen in my house. We have a rather large collection of said films, which seems to get larger year on year. When I therefore heard about the new film/DVD ‘The Littlest Angel’ I jumped at the chance to review it with my kids.

A brand new film all about a small angel who can’t quite fit with the heavenly program. While all the other trainee angels are growing their wings through endless good deeds, Littlest has a crooked halo and is always late for class. The film follows his trials and tribulations in the lead up to the first Christmas, will he get back to heaven in time for the big event?

My first impression is that this little film has a brilliant ability to captivate my children, I didn’t hear a peep throughout the whole movie. It’s a very sweet little tale that any parent could approve of and it fits wonderfully with the impending festive season.

My next impression was that the animation was quite different to the usual style of computer animated films. It’s more rounded and slightly less detailed (intentionally). My husband thought it looked a bit like computer animated modelling clay. Overall it actually added to the ‘cuteness’ as everything in the film was big, round, cuddly and bright.

I also found my attention wavering in places. I think this is primarily due to the film’s pacing, it’s not hugely fast paced especially at the beginning. In fact I’d say it had more of a television speed, rather than a movie. If I had been the editor I would have split it in to two or three episodes but that’s just personal preference on my part. My children certainly stayed engaged the entire time.

Would I recommend this?

As a sweet little family friendly film I think this movie hits the mark. I didn’t personally find it overly engaging, but I think this film (unlike some bigger name animations of recent years) is one made for the kids. If you are looking for a cute little festive film that your children will enjoy, then this little DVD fits the bill very well.

Could it be improved in anyway?

I’d like it to have been split up into two or three episodes as I mentioned before but that’s just my own personal opinion. A cute little box set with a cuddly ‘Littlest’ might have been cute too as this would make a lovely present.

Details

The Littlest Angel is out on DVD (RRP £12.99) and Download to Own and Rent 10th October 2011 courtesy of Lions Gate Home Entertainment.