Toys n Fun

Lego Duplo adds to Disney Princess line

2012-06-26T10:13:00.000+01:00

Four new products realised in a variety of price points.
The Lego Duplo brand is strengthening its relationship with Disney through the launch of its new Disney Princess building sets, aimed at pre-school girls between the ages of two to five years. There are four sets on offer each including a Disney Princess complete with handsome prince, with the choice between Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella.

Various sizes and prices are on offer, starting with Sleeping Beauty’s Room (£9.99) and Snow White’s Cottage (£12.99), extending to the deluxe Cinderella’s Castle (£39.99).

Cinderella’s Castle features Disney’s Cinderella and her Prince, with the castle consisting of tall towers, big doors, chandeliers, a staircase, twin beds and more.

Cinderella’s Carriage includes a decorated Pumpkin Coach with opening and closing doors as well as a white horse, a grand clock tower portal and a glass slipper brick (£19.99).

Snow White’s Cottage comes with big bricks and attractive furniture and little girls can take the Princess to play in the woods. The set also includes a rabbit, bird brick and a plate of apples.

Finally, Sleeping Beauty’s Room includes the Princesses bed and blanket, as well as a Fairy Godmother Brick, re-creating the iconic Disney scene.

Brand manager, Claire Bradley, has said: “Disney offers the Lego Duplo brand a great opportunity to appeal to an Intellectual Property hungry audience, offering strong relevance to pre-schoolers, particularly those in the older age bracket of three to four years. The new Disney Princess range is the ideal introduction to the world of construction for pre-school girls, and offers parents a variety of price points which we hope will drive trial of Lego Duplo.”

Gibsons Jubilee Puzzle

2012-06-25T14:20:00.002+01:00

To mark the celebrations over the Jubilee, Gibsons is launching a limited edition 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle titled Proud To Be British. The jigsaw will feature some of the most memorable highlights of the occasion, including the Red Arrows fly-past, and the 1,000 boat flotilla. Each limited edition Proud To Be British jigsaw puzzle comes with a serial number certificate creating a collectable, patriotic souvenir. Each image captures the occasion with the Union Jack flag adorning hats, umbrellas, clothing and entire street parties, The Proud To Be British jigsaw puzzle will be available for delivery mid-July.

Olympic / Euro 2012 Special

2012-06-22T12:38:00.001+01:00

We take a a look at just some of the officially licensed merchandise for Euro 2012, the England football team and London 2012.
With both the Euro tournament and the Olympic and Paralympic Games due to captivate the UK from this month, how can toy retailers take advantage? Samantha Loveday brings you a guide to the officially licensed merchandise for Euro 2012, the England football team and London 2012.

GOLDEN BEAR
Master toy licensee Golden Bear has a vast array of official mascot products, and, with just weeks to go, is urging retailers to stock up quickly.
Wenlock and Mandeville are available as everything from cuddly collectables, through to soft key rings and giant 80cm plush.
As part of the 80 SKU collection there are plenty of souvenirs which the firm believes are ideal for impulse purchases. These are displayed in CDUs and range from commemorative eight-colour pens to collectable figures of Wenlock in a number of sporting poses. There are also some unique renditions of the mascots such as the Union Jack Wenlock and also a version dressed as a Queen’s guard.
Golden Bear also has Wenlock and Mandeville Mini Sketchy-Fun scribblers and dominoes sets, all of which sport the London 2012 colours and logos.
In addition, the firm is offering Pride the Lion which is available in a choice of red, white or blue, with a mane of all three colours.

CARTAMUNDI
Cartamundi has a collection of Euro 2012 products.
First up, the Euro 2012 Donkey Game (£2.99) is a two-in-one card game which includes the Black Peter game, where players must collect and discard as many pairs as possible, while trying to get the ‘Donkey’ card; plus the Pairs game, where the winner ends up with the most pairs.
Euro 2012 Poker-sized Playing Cards (£3.99) are aimed at age eight and up and feature Euro 2012 imagery, while the Euro 2012 Bridge-sized Playing Cards (£2.99) are standard sized cards featuring similar imagery.
Finally, Cartamundi has Euro 2012 Twin Bridge Set Playing Games (£5.99). The themed set contains two packs of cards with different reverses.

HORNBY
Hornby was granted its licence back in 2009 and has an extensive range of product across all of its brands: Corgi, Hornby, Scalextric and Airfix. The collection includes die-cast model vehicles, die-cast figurines, 3D die-cast key rings, London 2012 train sets and a Scalextric Velodrome Cycling set among other items.
The Mini Olympic Torch is the latest addition to Hornby’s London 2012 line-up. The 1:5 scale die-cast model is currently being allocated as demand is exceeding supply.
One of the firm’s best selling ranges is Great British Classics. Since its launch in October 2010, the collection has been flying off shelves and breaking Hornby records. The line consists of five iconic British vehicles: the Routemaster, Mini, taxi, Concorde and tube train. Each vehicle has a decoration by the London 2012 tourist icons and Union Jack Flag designs. Both the Concorde and tube train are only a few per cent away from being sold out.
Finally, the Destination London 2012 range is a collection of 40 Olympic and Paralympic taxis, with decoration inspired by the official pictograms. From a base production exceeding half a million units, Hornby is reporting to have less than 20 per cent of the product left, with the busiest period of retail activity still to come.

MV SPORTS
MV has an official Team GB collection of bikes, scooters and accessories focusing on the strong, patriotic livery of red, white and blue. The firm says it is also the only range which displays both the lion’s head motif and London 2012 insignia.
The cornerstone of the line-up is the selection of Team GB bicycles. The firm has Team GB BMXs in 12, 14, 16 and 20 inches, while there are also two new racing style models in 20 and 24-inch sizes. These combine sleek frame design with Team GB graphics, along with racing bike style drop handlebars.
In terms of scooters, MV Sports offers a Team GB in-line scooter aimed at beginners; a Team GB BMX stunt scooter; and a Team GB racing scooter with high spec precision bearings and large wheels.
MV also has a range of helmets and protection gear to complement the wheeled line-up. Three new helmets include a beginner’s kid’s helmet, a racing style and a BMX model. Other accessories include bicycle bells, drinks bottles and saddle covers, a supporter’s bike flag and a couple of combination sets.

LEGO
Lego has launched a special edition range of Team GB Minifigures.
The collectable range will only be available in the UK to commemorate the event.The Minifigures spark the sporting imagination, so kids can stage their very own Games.
At £1.99 each, the Team GB Lego Minifigures will be in stores from July 1st 2012.There are nine exclusive characters in the line-up, including: Brawny Boxer; The Stealth Swimmer; Relay Runner; Judo Fighter; Tactical Tennis Player; Flexible Gymnast; Wondrous Weightlifter; Horseback rider; and Agile Archer.

TOPPS
Topps boasts the official England trading card game, Match Attax England 2012.It features all of the players from the England team, as well as top players from other footballing countries. There are over 200 cards to collect, featuring the latest player stats and photos, plus rare ‘Man of the Match’ special cards and new limited editions. The starter pack is £3.99 and includes a limited edition card of Wayne Rooney, plus a collector binder, a pitch to battle opponents on and 11 cards.
Topps also has the England 2012 Official Sticker Collection, which includes over 302 stickers in a 64-page album. It retails at £1.49 and features in-depth player stats and all the current England squad, plus greatest ever players, goals and classic moments, as well as stars of teams from other countries.

WINNING MOVES
Winning Moves has produced its biggest ever product range for a single licensor with its London 2012 collection of games and puzzles.
The games have been designed to span a broad price range and to cater for the whole family.
Pocket money items such as Top Trumps and playing cards retail at £3.99, with mid-price items like the three souvenir jigsaws start at £7.99. Higher priced items include the London 2012 Monopoly game and the Top Trumps Tournament game, while Winning Moves has also produced a ‘bite-sized’ Trivial Pursuit especially for London 2012.
On top of this, the company has launched a London 2012 version of the word game Bananagrams (£16.99). Staying true to the original game, five coloured ‘joker’ tiles featuring various Olympic sports pictograms have also been added.

Vivid Signs Little Mix

2012-06-20T15:28:00.000+01:00

Firm teams up with music merchandiser, Bravado, to launch range based on The X Factor winners. The new range will include Little Mix Collector Dolls, micro-sized Celebz dolls, accessories and games and puzzles and will launch in November, in time for Christmas. Little Mix was the first girl band to win The X Factor. The four girls - Jesy, Perrie, Leigh-Anne and Jade - who have just finished their UK country-wide X Factor arena tour, are set to blitz the music charts this autumn and are currently planning further tour dates. "We are thrilled to be working with Little Mix and look forward to delivering a full product range to fans and collectors in time for Christmas," said Neil Bandtock, Vivid UK anaging director. David Boyne, Bravado’s UK MD commented: "We are delighted to bring together Britain’s most exciting new girl band and Britain’s leading Toymaker Vivid, I am confident that between us we will be delivering some of the most exciting product the market will be seeing this year." Jane Kennedy, director of licensing at Modest Management, concluded: "We are delighted to be working with Vivid as the fashion doll and accessories partner for Little Mix. The girls love fashion and so it’s fitting that this passion is being extended into their doll line."

Skylanders Giants details released at E3

2012-06-19T14:06:00.001+01:00

Eight Giant figurines will be available at launch; Trailer makes its debut.It has been revealed at video games expo E3 that eight of the new Giant-sized Skylanders figurines will be available for kids to collect this autumn.
In addition to the eight Giants, eight new regular sized Skylanders will be released.Eight of the new batch will use 'Lightcore' technology, which enables the Skylanders to light up - without the use of batteries - when placed on the Portal of Power.
It has not been specificed which Skylanders figurines, whether they be giant or standard sized, will be Lightcore versions. Also coming is Series 2 of Skylanders, which will be comprised of 24 new figurines.

Not Long Now!

2011-11-22T11:13:00.001+00:00

With only a few weeks left until the big day, we were wondering what toy it at the top of your little ones list? Is it the first fully auto disc shooter, Nerf Vortex Disc Blaster? Limitless learning with the new LeapPad Explorer? or are they big on Moshli Monsters and after the Moshi Tree house? Or maybe they are after something a little more classic like a good old game of Manopoly or the classic Rubiks Cube? Why not comment below and let us know what you'll be putting under the tree this year?

Congratulations !

2011-08-04T09:39:00.000+01:00

The results are in for last months KSG Sequin Art Competition, and our lucky winner is Angela Hunt from Lamberhurst!

Well done Angela, your Butterfly Stardust Sequin Art is on it's way to you.

Thank you to all those who entered last month, don't forget to check our competition tab at the top of this page to see this months great competition.

Tomica Fun Day has Arrived!

2011-08-03T08:11:00.000+01:00

Our Tomica Fun Day is here! why not come down to our Southend store and join in the fun?

We will have a large set up of the Tomica range so you can come into the store and really get hands on with the Tomica products from Tomy. Come and help build a railway and road system using the Tomica products available.

Peppa Pig is here!

2011-08-02T10:57:00.000+01:00

Another weekend gone and I can't believe how quick Monday flew past, we had fantastic weather here in Essex which makes a nice change, I hope it was good where you were too.

So it's the start of a new month which means it's also time for another one of our FREE competitions.

This month we are giving away a Peppa Pig's World of Play sets worth £29.99. It includes 6 play set scenes which pack down in to an easy store carry case so that you can take your Peppa Pig fun with you where ever you go.

As always it is so easy to enter, all you need to do is click on the Competition tab at the top of this page and answer our simple question.

New My Little Pony Range in Store!

2011-07-29T10:29:00.000+01:00

Our stores across South East Essex have just taken delivery of the new My Little Pony toys. Great items like these:

Your new pony friend needs a special look — and she wants you to help her decide on it! Try on each of your STARSONG pony figure’s three sets of ponytails to see how she looks. Will it be curly, braided or wavy? Only you can decide which look is just right for today!

It’s an out-and-about errand day for your Mum and little PINKIE PIE pony figures, but they wouldn’t dream of getting on the road without without you! Open the door of their cute pony-sized car vehicle and put your Mum and PINKIE PIE pony figures inside so that they can begin their day. With their grocery bag, mug and snack bag accessories, they’ve got everything the three of you need for a full day of visits, stops and tons of fun!

Click Here to find your local Toys n Tuck Store

Lego Minifigures Series 5 are Here !

2011-07-28T12:57:00.000+01:00

Here they are again, Lego have now released Series 5 of their popular Mini Figures with all new characters to add to your collection.

With 16 to collect including a Boxer, Dinosaur Suit, Egyptian Queen, Clown, Student, Gladiator, Cave Woman, Fitness Instructor, Viking, Gangster, Sherlock Holmes, Zoo Keeper, Eskimo, Lumberjack, English Guard and a Snowboarder. They will make a fantastic collection.

Each bag contains one of the above figures and are available from our website on the link below:

Lego Minifigures Series 5 Mystery Bag

At the moment we only have the Mystery Bags available but we are hoping to be able to offer individual figures very soon.

Tomica is Coming to Southend

2011-07-27T09:32:00.000+01:00

Our store in Southend on sea is having a Tomica Fun Day. For the whole day we will have a large set up of the Tomica range so you can come into the store and really get hands on with the Tomica products from Tomy. Come and help build a railway and road system using the Tomica products available.

To celebrate our Tomica Fun Day, as well as being able to play with the range, we are also offering a fantastic 50% Off the whole tomica range! That's right, every Tomica item in store is only half price. So you can play with the toys to find out which is your favaourite and then pick it up at a bargain price.

For more information on this and other events, please visit our Southend website below:

www.southend.toysntuck.co.uk

Hexbug Habitats Available

2011-07-26T12:03:00.000+01:00

Last month we showed you the new Hexbugs that have come in to stock. We had them all from the Nanos to the Inchworms.

The one thing we didn't have back then was the Habitat sets to put your Nanos in, well now we have them. We have put a summary below of all the habitats available.

We would love to hear from you and what you think of the new Hexbug craze? When we first saw them at the Toy Fair, well we just didn't get it! We couldn't see that they were going to be this big, but we were wrong they have gone down a storm and are selling really well. Please comment below and let us know what you think? There is no sign up necessary, just fill in the boxes and post your comments.

Hexbug Nano Habitat Set - £24.99

Hexbug Nano, the robotic creature that behaves like a real bug. The Nano is the newest automonous robotic creature in the HEXBUG lineup. Your HEXBUG Nano will flip itself over back onto it's legs all by its self. Your Nano will also come with an online code so you can go onto the internet and continue the fun there.

This habitat set is the perfect addition to any Hexbug collector or a great way to start. This set comes with 2 extremely rare Nano Bugs inside.

Hexbug Nano Elevation Set - £34.99

Take your HEXBUG Nanos to the next level with the Elevation Habitat Set. Use the included standoffs to build multiple levels and let Nanos reach them using the included spiral ramp. Included One Way gates help you guide your Nanos through the Habitat Set.

Each Elevation Habitat Sets comes with 2 extremely rare Nano mutations and 52 easy connect pieces, giving you the freedom to get creative and customize your habitat.

Hexbug Nano Raceway Set - £34.99

Put your HEXBUG Nanos to the ultimate speed test with the Raceway Habitat Set. Use the included easy connect pieces to customize your track. Included Starting Gates and Magic Track hold Nanos in place until you release them and then the race is on! Whichever Nano passes through the Finish Gate and raises the checkered flag is the winner!

Each Raceway Habitat Sets comes with 2 extremely rare Nano mutations, special Nano Speed Shells and 28 easy connect pieces, giving you the freedom to get creative and customize your Nano Raceway.

Hexbug Nano Bridge Battle Set - £29.99

Battle your HEXBUG Nanos with the Bridge Battle Habitat Set. Nanos enter the arena through one-way gates and battle against one another until only one remains!

Each Bridge Battle Habitat Sets comes with 2 extremely rare Nano mutations and 29 easy connect pieces, giving you the freedom to get creative and see how many ways your Nanos can battle!

We also have starter sets available

Nano Starter Set - £13.99

Nano Spiral Starter Set - £19.99

And if that's not enough habitat for you .....

You can extend your sets with these add on packs!

Straight Bridges
Only £9.99

Hex Cells
Only £9.99

Curved Bridges
Only £9.99

And don't forget to leave us your comments below!

Last Week of our Competition

2011-07-25T10:28:00.000+01:00

There is now only one week left for you to be in with a chance of winning this months competition. We are giving away a Stardust Sequin Art to our lucky winner, and all you have to do is answer our simple question.

So make sure you don't miss your chance of winning and click on the Competition tab at the top of this page to enter.

And the best part is it's absolutely FREE!!

Disney Cars 2 Out Today

2011-07-22T09:52:00.000+01:00

The long awaited move has now arrived at Cinemas today, Disney Pixar Cars 2. Join Lightning McQueen, Mater and all the gang as they visit the United Kingdom.

The original Disney Cars was a smash hit, with the associated toys still flying out the door years after the movie had come out. Well, the new addition to the Cars Movies is going to be no different, we have had the toys in store for a while now but what better time to buy your favorite character and take it along to watch the movie on the big screen!

We have four shops across South East Essex so why not pop in store this weekend and pick up your Disney Pixar Cars 2 toy before we run out of stock.

Please use the links below to find your local store:

Southend-on-sea
Rayleigh
Maldon
Billericay

Lord Sugar & Papa Smurf !

2011-07-21T10:14:00.000+01:00

Over on our Facebook Page we were discussing how similar Alan Sugar and Papa Smurf are!

Which then got me to thinking, everyone makes the connection between Rooney and Shrek and wondered if there are any other Celebrities that look like cartoon characters or toys.

Comment below and let us know if you can think of any more!

Football's go to Lancashire!

2011-07-20T09:51:00.000+01:00

The Lancashire Police have just bought another batch of sponge balls from us today, so the kids of Lancashire are about to get some new footballs, they must get through quite a few as they are one of our biggest customers for these balls.

They issue them out to kids in the community to stop them playing with hard, heavy leather that damage cars and peoples property. These sponge balls are heavy enough that they do not blow away in the wind and you can kick them straight but soft enough that they would not go through a window, dent a car or hurt a passer by if they were to get hit by them.

We also sell allot of these to schools throughout the UK, again because they are safe to kick around people and windows they find them ideal to use for their sports activities, and a lot of the time they will only allow their pupils to bring this type of ball in to play with at lunch time.

To see our full range of sponge footballs please use the link below:

Sponge Footballs at Toys n Fun

How can we do better?

2011-07-19T11:13:00.000+01:00

We are always looking for ways to improve our service and give you "The Customer" the best online shopping experience as possible.

We could sit here and rack our brains about how we can do this, but we figured that the best people to ask would be you guys.

Why not use the link on the right to head over to our site Toys n Fun and let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below, there is no sign in necessary and we want to hear from all of you,

We look forward to your comments.

Blast from the past!

2011-07-18T10:24:00.000+01:00

I've just had some new Galt items put on my desk to put up on the website. One of these items is a "Super Marble Run"

I remember having this as a child, you build up the plastic tubes towers and connect them together with various runs, tubes and obstacles then drop the marble in the top and watch it cascade through your creation.

This got me thinking about all the old toys I used to play with that you don't see very often like Stickle Bricks and He Man action figures. There must be loads of toys like this and would like to hear what your favorite old toys were from your childhood?

Hexbugs now in stock!

2011-06-20T12:11:00.000+01:00

That's right, everyone has been going mad for these little critters and now we have them at fantastic prices. Both in our stores and online at www.ToysnFun.co.uk

Hexbugs are small robotic creatures that behave like bugs and work on various sensors to give different behaviors. So the Hexbug Ant will scurry along the floor until it's tentacles come into contact with an obstacle in it's way and then it will change direction, just like putting your hand in front of a real ant.

The Hexbug Crab on the other hand will seek out a dark place to hide and stay there until either the hiding place is moved to let light in or a loud noise will scare the crab out of hiding to find somewhere else.

Checkout some of our bugs bellow:

Hexbug Originals - Only £8.99

HEXBUG feels its way around sensing objects in its path and avoiding them. And it can even hear! You can control where it scurries through a hand clap, loud noise or table slap. The robotic bug will travel forward until it hits an obstacle or hears a loud noise. It will then backup in a half circle and then move forward in a different direction. HEXBUG comes in five distinct shapes and colors.

Hexbug Ant - Only £8.99

The high speed robotic creature that reacts to touch. The Ant will race forwards until it encounters and obsticle and then races backwards.

Hexbug Inchworm - Only £15.99

Hexbug Inchworm is the robotic creature that you control. The first full range control robotic creature in the Hexbug lineup. Dual band control means that two seperate Inchworms can be controlled at the same time.

Hexbug Crab - Only £12.99

The robotic creature that reacts to light and sount. Crab will hide in shaded areas until a loud sound or exposure to light chases it out into the open.

Hexbug Nano - Only £5.99

Hexbug Nano, the robotic creature that behaves like a real bug. The Nano is the newest automonous robotic creature in the HEXBUG lineup. Your HEXBUG Nano will flip itself over back onto it's legs all by its self. Your Nano will also come with an online code so you can go onto the internet and continue the fun there.

KSG Launch a New Range!

2011-06-07T09:57:00.000+01:00

We have just put the start of KSG's new range on our website. It combines two of their popular ranges together! Sequin Art and Stardust Creations.

Now you can add sparkle to your sequin art pictures with stardust glitter. Simply peel back the sticky covers from the picture and add the coloured glitter, and then add the colourful sequins to finish off your design! and all for the low price of £12.99

Click Here to visit our Sequin Art section to checkout these new designs.

New Competition

2011-05-27T10:57:00.000+01:00

We have just launched our new competition for June, this month you can be in with a chance of winning a fantastic Tomica rail set.

And the best thing about our competition is it is absolutely FREE, that's right theres nothing to pay just answer a question and send it in to us here.

You can either visit our site at www.toysnfun.co.uk or click on the Free Competition tab at the top of this blog.

Sponge Balls Back in Stock!

2011-05-23T12:37:00.000+01:00

They have been out of stock for a little while but the waiting is over! They are now back in stock, we have all three colours available Red, Blue and Yellow. These balls come in size 5 which are ideal for children to take to school, as allot of schools will only allow this type of ball in the playground as they are soft and won't break anything if they hit it.

Get yours now for only £3.99! - Click Here to visit our sponge ball page.

If it sounds to good to be true?

2011-05-17T11:00:00.000+01:00

We've all heard the saying, "If it sounds to good to be true ..... then it probably is?" and in many cases it is good advice. But there is also an exception to every rule and our competitions are exactly that.

Every month at Toys n Fun we run a FREE competition. That's right, it costs absolutely nothing to enter, all you have to do is answer a simple question and be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes.

And to make things even easier we have added the competition page to this blog, just click on the tab at the top of this page to see this months fantastic competition.

Get connected with Twitter

2011-05-17T10:31:00.000+01:00

Our twitter page has been up and running for a while now, and we thought it would be a good idea to have everything in one place so we have created a twitter page right here in our blog!

Just click on the tab at the top of this page to see everything that is going on in our Twitter Page.