Shock horror! There are only 45 days until Christmas and as always I need inspiration for both big presents and stocking fillers.
In our house, we do stockings first thing in the morning and big presents later in the day. With great timing, Wicked Vision has sent me three products – in the stocking fillers price range – to review.
The stocking fillers
First up is The Duncan Yo-Yo priced at £10 (Duncan claim to be the original and number one yo-yo brand). It’s a light-up yo-yo so looks cool and instantly got Sofia’s interest despite being recommended for six years plus. The great thing is, it comes with batteries already installed and also replacement batteries.
It’s incredibly difficult to photograph a yo-yo in action…
It’s well made and the blurb reliably informs that it is a perfectly balanced, ball-bearing yo-yo. It certainly seems a lot smoother and slicker, and not the tangled mess I remember yo-yos being from my playground days.
so here’s a pack shot.
Sofia couldn’t do the tricks. However, the slick movement coupled with the light and colour made it a big hit. My two-year-old twins were mesmerised by changing colours and loved watching their big sister play with it. They were very entertained minus the tricks. This would definitely be a winner for those with a bit more skill.
The Chameleon Flying Disc (£6) is a Frisbee with a thermo active technology twist: it changes colour with just the heat of your hands!
Chameleon Disc in green
The kids liked it. Whilst it doesn’t change colour quite as dramatically as the website picture shows, it did noticeably alter when they touched it, which they enjoyed.
I like the fact that it’s made of soft foam so can be used indoors – as well as outdoors – safely. It comes in four different colours. It says suitable from three years but, at two, the twins were more than capable of chucking it. The textured surface made it much easier for them all to grip, and even catch sometimes!
* The Chameleon Disc is no longer available on the site, here are some alternatives from Wicked.
Socker Boppers
Wicked Socker Boppers are inflatable boxing pillows (£10). I initially had mixed feelings about these, as I wasn’t sure I should be encouraging my eldest daughter to box. However, they are fantastic fun and all three girls absolutely love them; I love them! In my opinion they are safe, but certainly require proper supervision.
They are very padded, featuring a ‘double cavity air chamber’, which provides extra cushioning. All four of us could comfortably get our hands into the gloves and even the two-year-olds could bop without them falling off.
They are made from heavy-duty vinyl and have taken quite a pounding without any hint of a puncture, but they do come with one repair patch just in case. They have also stayed fully inflated for the week we’ve had them, and Sofia was able to blow them up herself without any help.
There are only two soccer boppers in a pack; it would be a lot more fun to have two sets so you can have a proper little spar.
All perfect stocking fillers.
Read: Good games for four to eight year olds
8 Comments
I must say Fran these toys sound expensive to be “stocking fillers”. That totals £26 for 3 items. I am obviously becoming older as I feel that we spend far too much at Christmas. As we are with you this year I for one will not be going out and getting a real tree for £50 plus like I normally do. It does look lovely when decorated but really Christmas should be celebrated over 2 days not a whole month or more!!!
I suppose it is very subjective. I viewed them as stocking fillers, but maybe a lot of people would agree with you. Interesting question actually: How much do people spend on stocking fillers?
some great things never heard of either thanks Fran! Stocking fillers for us are generally items under £10, medium pressies £10-£25 and the big pressies £40+
We do pressies from us in the stocking/bedroom done first thing and pressies from the rest of the family/friends under the tree, just like I did with my folks!
Stocking fillers this end are hama bead boards (around £5 for 3), tubs of beads to go with it, some DVD’s, sweets, books, and some clothes.
Medium is usually clothes/shoes, lego, and toys that accompany the ‘big’ pressie – fewer of these though.
Large is usually (in an all pink household) something big and only one of them that is over £40/£50 – this year its Barbie and Sofia the First for Lyra & Hattie! Beatrix is harder, but as I get through toys fairly quickly childminding, she may get a trike as the boys I mind have just broke hers!
Christmas for us is the build up, the anticipation, the Christmas films on a Sunday in December, going to see Father Christmas, crisp walks, decorating the house with holly and ivy, making dec’s as family, baking together. I couldn’t and wouldn’t want to confine it to two days, as with young kids they love it all, and things seem to go so fleeting and fast its nice to have it drawn out a wee bit so they get to grips with it! Also it takes the best part of 2 days to decorate in our house so Christmas would be over before we finished trimming! Ooo I don’t know if I can wait until December – but I will – anything before December 1st is criminal (but we may have to sneak a watch of the Polar Express while we put the Christmas lists in the fireplace for FC to collect tonight !!)
Thanks so much for the comment Hannah. It’s great to hear other peoples’ accounts. I guess I viewed these as stocking fillers as they were £6-£10. We have books and chocs too in ours, and mainly things that are around the £5 mark. My brother and I didn’t have stockings, we just had medium and big presents. My mum never spent a bean on herself all year round and then used to go absolutely crazy at Christmas on us two (actually quite surprised we are not totally spoilt now!).
When I was young, we never put the Christmas tree and decs up until after December 10th (my birthday). My mum didn’t like to confuse the two things. So, even now, we put the Christmas tree up some point soon after the 10th. It gives enough lead in without feeling OTT. It definitely comes down by the 6th Jan. After Boxing Day I start to feel a bit depressed about seeing the tree and decs still up as the anticipation has obviously gone.
Sofia was very lucky to be bought a lovely stocking a few years ago by my sister-in-law. I wanted to buy the exact same ones for Maria and Gabby, but was flabbergasted at the price: http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/millyandpip/product/personalised-christmas-stocking With the personalisation, it came to £78! Cannot justify that kind of expense 🙁
Totally agree with you Jean that its all to early and too commercial in the shops, drives me batty when you see Christmas Chocolate for sale in August, and its expiry is in the November!?
I made the girls their sacks (www.facebook.com/finderskeepersrossett – in the Christmas album) and charged £20-£25 each for them but they are huge & a lot of work!
We’re having to find a new church for Christmas eve as our local is now run by a vicar who never appears for the Christmas service and a miserable stand in appears, and gives the whole meaning absolutely nothing! I LOVED The Wells Catherdral service, so think we’re going to have to got to Chester this year! This is still getting me pre-festively festive just talking about it!!! Elf was great last night 😉
They are lovely Hannah. I can quite see why they would be priced at £20-£25.
I can appreciate Hannah’s thoughts and certainly admit when the boys were little obviously Christmas was longer than 2 days. Our tree would go up a week before Christmas along with all the other decorations. Then down by the 6th.
I had a pillowcase as a child and this carried on with the 3 lads. Only small silly items in the pillowcase then presents from under the tree about 11a.m with a cup of coffee.
I did take the kids to Christingle services or an afternoon Christmas Eve service.
Now I attend Salisbury Cathedral Christmas service, which is lovely, the Sunday before Christmas Day.
It is all the adverts and commercialism that appears sooo early now that I object to.
It seems we are missing the point of this time of year.
I remember my pillowcase very fondly too Jean – we all fought over the supremely special Mickey Mouse one, and no one wanted the odd flesh coloured one!! I don’t want to make it all about ‘stuff’ for my girls, so as I’m not selling craft this year, December (& November) is a lot freer to plan lovely things together! I love hearing everyone’s different traditions too, its very heart warming! xx