Character Toys Archives - My Mills BabyMy Mills Baby

So the kids had another character-based treat this week. This time they were got their mitts on some fabulous soft toys, figures and playsets from the popular Pip Ahoy! series from Channel 5′s Milkshake. Their mission? To play with, fight over and thoroughly road test the toys - it’s a hard life hey?

“Currently airing on Channel 5’s Milkshake, Pip Ahoy! revolves around the adventures of Pip & his friends in their seaside town. Featuring the voices of David Jason & Stacey Solomon, the program aims to bring fun & laughter into every home, with its mixture of the extraordinary & the familiar. Pip & his friends will carry out a rescue here, solve a problem there, taking care of their close-knit community & looking out for others. But this is not to say that the show is anything but warm, boisterous, silly & fun – a perfect combination.”

The show was an instant hit with the children. The colours are are really vivid and the theme tune by Stacey Solomon (sounding very much like Lily Allen) is suitably catchy. It’s aimed at preschoolers and is a nice gentle mix of zany and educational so there’s no argument from Heidi at 1.5 years, and Dex at 3.5 years, when I pop it on. It is on at a unholy time though at 6.55am on weekday mornings - thankfully not even my little terrorists are up at this hour meaning it’s one for the trusty series link!

The Pip Ahoy! Toys from John Adams

Don’t have time to read the whole review? Or just eager to see these toys in action? Check out my vlog instead:

Talking Pip Plush (RRP £14.99)

First up there’s the Talking Pip Plush. This features a mix of textures from felt to embroidery to super soft fur. There are no hard seams or choking hazards such as button eyes, so he’s suitable from birth (fab for miniature fans of the show like Heidi). More so as his oversized head, spiky hairdo and soft limbs make him perfectly clutchable for those who are just getting to grips with their hands.

Clad in his in his classic red t-shirt and blue shorts with an effervescent smile, he’s been a big hit and has accompanied Heidi to bed on many occasions - In fact Craig and I often have a giggle when she rolls onto him and he exclaims “Let’s play pirates!” at 3am.

With 11 fun signature phrases, he’s fab value for money at an RRP of £14.99. The volume is perfect; loud enough for your child to hear, but not so much as to startle mum when she has a stress headache. You press his tummy to have him speak, which is well concealed and safe for little ones, whilst being easy to activate - so no fumbling around inside the stuffing - bonus!

Skipper’s Bucket Tug Boat (RRP £14.99)

Skipper’s Bucket is his tug boat which features heavily on the show. Complete with large Skipper figure wearing his life jacket and a massive grin, this boat comes with everything pre-schoolers need to recreate scenes from the show and set their Pip stories in motion. Supposedly for ages 3+, it’s definitely been fun for Dex, but there’s no really tiny bits for Heidi either so I’m happy for her to play with it if I’m there to supervise.

The life ring and rope enables youngsters to pull the boat along on its wheels, which in turn activates a rocking mechanism which makes the tug rock as if it were really riding the waves! There are also plug in points for Hopper and other characters so they can join Skipper in the sailing adventure too. I really love this aspect to the toys which means the figures can hop from toy to toy as you build your collection.

Better yet, this toy also floats on water making it super versatile and double the value for money.

Bubble Train (RRP £19.99)

Heidi’s favourite of the lot! Once again this is recommended for ages 3+ but there are no small parts that could be a problem, and she really loves the push-along aspect.

Mr Morris is in the cab and he’s ready to take Pip and his friends on a train journey. All the carriages are fully articulated and the seats move the figures up and down as the train moves along. Featuring plug on points for all of the Pip mini figures (sold separately), the Bubble Train also includes a chimney spout with moving bubble effect as well as Mr Morris figure whose head moves with the train!

Lighthouse Playset (RRP £29.99)

Last up in terms of playsets, Pip fans can recreate their favourite lighthouse adventures with the Lighthouse Playset. In a bright colourful design, this cool toy comes with a whole host of features and accessories for imaginative play. There’s a robust working lift that can withstand a fair bit of tugging from over-excited hands, and plenty of additional plug-in points for Pip and all his friends.

Need to launch the Rubber Duck boat? Just push down the life ring stand and watch the boat set sail. The Rubber Duck boat will accommodate two figures and also floats in water so little ones can continue the Pip Ahoy! fun at bath time too! Complete with opening doors, moveable accessories – including the obligatory pizza and mugs - Skipper’s Lighthouse Playset also includes a Pip figure.

Alba Soft Toy (RRP £9.99)

Finally, there are also smaller non-talking plushes for younger fans priced at £9.99 each! Heidi has Alba and has been clutching her by the throat ever since!

Righto, we’re worn out from all this toy-testing. Needless to say the playsets have really captured Dexter’s imagination and I’m impressed with their sturdiness and versatility. The colours are bright and vivid and both Skipper’s Bucket and Rubber Duck (the two boats) also float in water so you’re getting double bubble.

At great price points to boot, I’m really chuffed with the entire collection and would happily recommend them to parents of Pip fans everywhere.

Grab yours from JohnAdams.co.uk, or say hello on Twitter @JohnAdams_Toys

If the Twirlywoos aren’t household names in your home yet, they soon will be.

Yep, the very latest show from the Masters of Preschool TV CBeebies, is seriously catchy stuff. Created by Anne Wood, they follow in some pretty big footsteps (In the Night Garden, Teletubbies) and feature some equally some engaging characters.

Great BigHoo, Toodloo, Chickedy and Chick are “sort of” birds who love to learn. Alongside the very loveable Peekaboo (a sea urchin), each episode they leave their home “the big red boat” to explore a theme such as ‘out’, ‘up’ or ‘down’.

Four years in the making and launched in February this year, this is slick children’s television. “The characters know less than the children do so that gives them a feeling of confidence in their own learning” says Anne Wood, and the action is a curious mix of stop-frame animation and live action sequences set in the real world, to encourage an understanding of the world around them. At 15 months & 3 years, it’s perfectly paced for Heidi and Dex and is now a firm Mills family favorite in its daily slots of 09:35 & 13:35 on CBeebies.

To top it all off, there’s a seriously catchy theme tune that you won’t be getting out of your head anytime soon…

Great BigHoo, Toodloo, Chickedy and Chick, and Peekaboo have been faithfully recreated by Golden Bear Toys. These are the same guys that brought us the INTG toys thousands of our children snuggle up to at night, so you’re assured of high quality baby-friendly toys that can withstand some serious preschooler-loving. Suitable for children over 10 months, there’s no hard seams, beautifully soft material and each character will sing their signature phrases when their tummies are pressed.

Perfectly proportioned to complement the show, Great BigHoo sits some 30cm high, with Toodloo 25cm, and Chickedy and Chick around 19cm. They’re clutchable around the neck for smaller hands, and sit upright with ease when accompanying your child to bed, on travels or for snuggling up and watching the show.

I’ve popped a mini unboxing vid for you can see these guys in action. If you can (somehow) look past my chin & obvious excitement (thanks Craig - good job…) I’ll walk you through the key features & you can see the kids reaction to them…

Reasonably priced to boot with the largest toy (Great BigHoo) at just £16.99, they’ll make the perfect pressie for your little adventurer this Christmas (don’t all throw things at me at once, we are now 4 paydays away!).