Everything's Hunky Dory ! #FindingDory toys review

When school first broke up for the Madhouse kids, the weather was far from summery, so I told them that they could choose a film to go and see at the cinema. Their decision was instantaneous and unanimous : Finding Dory ! I have to admit, even as a grown-up, I thought it was a cute story and it was great to see Dory getting as much attention as her fin-tastic friend Nemo ! We were delighted to receive a selection of Dory toys to review, which have all been met with squeals of delight.

First of all, we discovered this box set of four Dory-themed jigsaw puzzles from The Disney Store. Each completed puzzle measures 28.5cm x 24.5cm but the pieces are different sizes, so they contain 16, 24, 32 and 48 pieces. This is a great way for young children to challenge themselves to gradually increase the difficulty of their puzzles.

The pieces are chunky, easy to slot into place and they stay firmly attached when you slice sections around on the table to move them into position. For added wow-factor, all four of the designs have sparkly foil detail in the pictures.

Pierre started off doing the first puzzle but big sister Juliette soon put in an appearance and started on another one ! With four puzzles to complete, there were plenty to go round so there was no squabbling.

It's a great way to while away a wet afternoon. My only very slight criticism is that they should have put the puzzles into resealable bags to help keep each one separate inside the box. (RRP £6.95)

We also received this gorgeously cuddly Dory toy from Disney Store (RRP £18.95), which Pierre can't stop hugging - he even ended up trying to perfect his fish face so that he could look just like her ! The attention to detail is amazing, with sparkly details, big expressive embroidered eyes and - our favourite thing of all - the yellow plastic tag on her fin, which you will recognise from the film if you've seen it. She's beautifully soft and the plush is so silky that you won't be able to resist stroking her. It's a pretty big toy (20 x 12 x 44cm approx) so it's perfect to use as a cushion when you've finished cuddling her at bedtime !

Zuru have also introduced a Finding Dory range to their popular ROBOFish collection (£9.99 each). As well as the Dory ROBOFish that we received, you can buy Nemo, Marlin and new character Bailey from the film, as well as a Dory Coffee Pot Playset just like in the movie and a Nemo Track Play Set complete with ROBOFish Nemo.

ROBOFish are water-activated so you just drop them in your bowl, bath, paddling pool or swimming pool and they'll go swimming around, using movements that mimic a real fish. They automatically stop when you take them out of water and dry them off and they have a “power save” mode, which automatically switches them off after one minute to save battery power. With the all-new ‘tap-tap mode’, just tap the side of the tank to reawaken your fish and enjoy more underwater fun. I was very impressed to see that not only do they come with batteries installed, you also get extras in the box - huge kudos to the manufacturers !

To celebrate the release of the much-anticipated Disney Pixar film Finding Dory, out in UK and Ireland cinemas on 29th July, Disney Store is hosting a series of exciting instore activities for kids and families taking place from 24th July to 3rd September. The Dory’s Quest activity, which takes place in Disney Stores across the UK and Ireland (except Covent Garden and Manchester Trafford Centre), sees guests take on the role of underwater explorers who will join Disney Store Cast Members to help Dory find her family, navigating around a giant board game to get Dory from start to finish. The journey takes Dory to many locations where she meets familiar and new characters from the film. Guests will undertake a range of tasks as Dory lands on different locations. They will learn about life under the sea, test their knowledge of the ocean, learn to speak whale and even test their memory in true Dory style. Sounds like a great way to keep the kids busy during the holidays.

Disclosure : We received the products in order to write an honest review.