Spring has sprung and we're enjoying the lovely warm weather so I think we might actually be able to set up the new sandpit on our patio very soon, which the Madhouse kids are very excited about ! In the meantime, they can still play with sand indoors, thanks to the magic of Moon Sand.
We already had a few sets of Moon Sand here at The Madhouse - in the past, we've reviewed the Moon Sand Candy Factory and the Moon Sand Ice Cream set as well as buying extra sets and sand refills - and they've always got a very warm reception so we were really pleased to be picked by BlogMatch to review the Moon Sand Pet Shop set.
Although the kids always love them, some of the Moon Sand sets are a bit lacking in variety when it comes to the moulds but this is certainly not the case for the Pet Shop set, which contains an impressive selection of 13 moulds, allowing you to make everything from cats, turtles, dogs, flowers, people and bunnies to radishes, bones, carrots and dog food. The huge variety means that you can actually make up stories with your creations, which is rare for a Moon Sand Set, which usually puts the emphasis on having fun creating the shapes.
The sand is quite crumbly so lots of the moulded shapes come out less than perfect, especially when the younger Madhouse Mini-testers were having a go, and you'll end up with the two colours of sand getting mixed together, but as long as you don't have a perfectionist in the family (ahem Sophie!), this won't be a problem.
The packaging is ingenious. You can use it as a play station and just shove everything back inside and close it up when you've finished so tidying up takes literally a couple of minutes - not counting the quick vacuum session afterwards because it gets everywhere ! It is easy to hoover up though (especially with out fab new Dirt Devil Tempest vacuum cleaner) and laying out a play mat or - even better - putting the play table outside on the patio gets around this problem.
Moon Sand promises to be the sand that never dries out and I can confirm that even that the packs that we have had and that have been open for a couple of years are still as fresh as the day we opened them - it really is magical stuff ! You do have the option of baking it in the oven so that it goes hard and you can then paint it, although the kids never want to do this when I suggest it because they enjoy making shapes, then breaking them up and starting all over again.
It's lovely to find a toy that siblings of all ages can share, even if the fiddly moulds are too difficult for younger players to use with any success.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £14.99
The sand is quite crumbly so lots of the moulded shapes come out less than perfect, especially when the younger Madhouse Mini-testers were having a go, and you'll end up with the two colours of sand getting mixed together, but as long as you don't have a perfectionist in the family (ahem Sophie!), this won't be a problem.
The packaging is ingenious. You can use it as a play station and just shove everything back inside and close it up when you've finished so tidying up takes literally a couple of minutes - not counting the quick vacuum session afterwards because it gets everywhere ! It is easy to hoover up though (especially with out fab new Dirt Devil Tempest vacuum cleaner) and laying out a play mat or - even better - putting the play table outside on the patio gets around this problem.
Moon Sand promises to be the sand that never dries out and I can confirm that even that the packs that we have had and that have been open for a couple of years are still as fresh as the day we opened them - it really is magical stuff ! You do have the option of baking it in the oven so that it goes hard and you can then paint it, although the kids never want to do this when I suggest it because they enjoy making shapes, then breaking them up and starting all over again.
It's lovely to find a toy that siblings of all ages can share, even if the fiddly moulds are too difficult for younger players to use with any success.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £14.99
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good review - i have never bought moon sand from a shop before, we have made it at the children's centre but it has never worked. Not sure if it is something that i will buy, may stick with playdough??
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, sounds like a game I could buy for the kids!
ReplyDeletethis looks good, we like moon sand !
ReplyDeleteIt looks ace - I have that I've been keeping for my little ones 3rd birthday, so I do hope he enjoys it :)
ReplyDeletei really like the moon sand, i brought a few sets for our daughter at xmas and for her birthday. she played for hours with it. i like how it doesnt dry out as kids will be kids and leave the lids off the sand. its nice and easy to clear up, hoovers up well.
ReplyDelete