Pokémon Company International Launches First-Ever Family Board Game, Pokémon Trading Card Game Battle Academy

The Pokémon Company International Launches First-Ever Family Board Game, Pokémon Trading Card Game Battle Academy

Get ready to make your family game night a bit more interesting with the new global release of the Pokémon Trading Card Battle Academy. On the heels of last week's Pokemon Go Fest, a virtual event, full of rare Pokémon sightings and standoffs with Team Rocket, we now have a brand new game to add to our Pokémon collection!

The Pokémon TCG is a classic board game that is a beautifully styled board game with colorful artwork, and familiar core characters, Pikachu and Charizard. This new way to experience Pokémon will now put Pokémon in the hands of players who never played the card game or even the video games. 

My son finally caught Snorlax during Day One Pokémon Go Fest!

How to Play 

The object of the game is show off your great skill and strong Pokémon. The first player to knock out four of the opponent's Pokémon wins the game. Each player gets their own deck 60-card deck; you get a Pikachu deck and a Charizard deck. Each deck includes everything you will need to start the game, and since they are official Pokémon TCG cards, you get special GX cards just for the game. You get beautiful foil cards as well as energy and trainer cards. If you tire of the included decks, don’t worry, because you can include your own decks to really personalize the play experience. For advanced play, use the Mewtwo Deck. You also get a beautiful foil slammer-like coin to flip throughout gameplay to see who goes first and for the attack bonuses.

Overall this game is a true introduction to the proper play of Pokémon, if you Pokémon TCG on your iPad or tablet, it plays the same, except this is a board game and it really makes this play experience a lot more accessible to families just starting their Pokémon journey. 

“For more than 20 years, the beloved Pokémon Trading Card Game has connected people across the globe over their shared love of collecting cool cards, trading them with friends, and playing the official game,” said J.C. Smith, senior director of consumer marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “With Battle Academy, we are excited to give families a fun and accessible way to spend quality time together while bonding over something both kids and longtime fans of the franchise adore: Pokémon TCG cards.”

Who Should Play?

We actually got a free sample for attending The Toy Insider’s Sweet Suite at Home, and we watched a demo of the game. As a Pokémon player since 1997, I found the collectibility of this game to be really appealing, but I can see young players really enjoying the board game. My son is turning seven and since isolation began in NYC in March due to COVID-19, he has been playing Pokémon. I explain to him all of the time, it's not who you use to play, it is how you play the game. I think a classic-style board will really appeal to younger Pokémon players, and folks like me who have been playing since their teens will be able to enjoy the nostalgia and enjoy a family game night with their own favorite pastime. 

I find this new board game to be the perfect addition to the new Pokémon Trainer’s or Pokémon Master’s gaming cabinet. To make your opponent’s Pokémon faint takes great skill and not just highly leveled Pokémon. Pokémon TCG board game will give the newest Pokémon Trainers the opportunity to learn the rules in an easy way.

Do you have a budding Pokémon Master in training at home? Check out this game! It is available at all mass retailers, hobby shops, and even Pokémon Center. The game retails for $19.99 making it the perfect price point for a gift - you get three decks for under $20, which is a great deal!

Thank you have Pokémon International Company for gifting this game to us for attending Sweet Suite at Home. Stay tuned for our unboxing, review, and gameplay on our YouTube channel!

About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.

Happy National Mutt Day! Join Adopt-a-Pet.com & Basic Fun Toys! in Spread Pet Adoption Awareness

It's National Mutt Day, and Adopt-a-Pet.com alongside Pound Puppies are teaming up to spread awareness of the importance of pet adoption. Basic Fun! Toys rounded up a bunch of bloggers and influencers to share this worthy cause with a fun campaign playing to the tune of a 20-year-old earworm, Who Let the Dogs Out by The Baha Men. If you're on TikTok (make sure you follow me + Basic Fun! Toys), and share your own furry friend to the tune of Who the Let the Dogs Out! Use #NationalMuttDay and tag Basic Fun! Toys on either Tik Tok or Instagram, too. 

@toymom Who let the dogs out?! ##PoundPuppies ##PetsOfTikTok ##adoptapet ##NationalMuttDay ##wholetthedogsout @basicfuntoys ##ChiliDogYum ##fyp ##adoptdontshop ##dogs
♬ Who Let The Dogs Out Remix - Tik Tok

Basic Fun! Toys recently re-released the widely popular '80s toys Pound Puppies. I had a few Pound Puppies when I was little, so watching my children enjoy their own Pound Puppies really warms my heart.

The message of Pound Puppies is that adopting your pets should be the norm. There are just too many animals abandoned, lost, and left alone to roam this Earth without fur-ever homes. 

Pet adoption and

rescue powered by

Adopt-a-Pet.com makes it really simple to search for your next furry family member. Search through thousands of eligible pets waiting for their fur-ever homes through their database organized by state. They recently launched an innovative peer-to-peer adoption service called Rehome by Adopt-a-Pet.com, which allows pet owners who no longer can care for their beloved pets to rehome them directly through Adopt-a-Pet.com. This is a free service for pet owners who are also helpless in having to give up their fur-ever friend, which can be so many reasons. We adopted our beloved cat, Mugs, after his original owner had to give him up due to him moving. He was going to put him down, and this happens more often than you think, which is why I firmly believe in Rehome, no judgment, free to use, and it gives adopters and their original owners peace of mind.

If you cannot adopt a real pet, consider adopting these adorable Pound Puppies by Basic Fun! Toys. They come in a variety of colors and even sizes, they even have the Pound Puppies newborns with little diapers, too. Find them on Amazon, Walmart, and at Target now at the suggested retail price of $19.99. They are much lower in price now and will make great gifts for the holidays! 

Thank you so much Basic Fun! Toys for letting us share in on this paws-itively worthy paws!

About Basic Fun! 

Basic Fun! is a dynamic global marketer of classic and innovative children's entertainment products for today's kids. The company plays in many core toy categories including classic heritage toys, novelty collectibles, building toys, youth electronics, plush, vehicles, dolls and activity/discovery. Basic Fun!'s key brands include: Tonka, K'NEX, Lite-Brite, Fisher Price Classics, Care Bears, Mash'ems, Cutetitos, Playhut, Ant Farm, Arcade Classics and many more! For more information, please visit basicfun.com. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @BasicFunToys, 

#BasicFunToys

About The Baha Men

The Baha Men rode a massive wave of success in the early 2000s following the release of hit single, ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’. Featured in major motion pictures and chanted throughout sports stadiums around the globe, the Baha Men unleashed a revolutionary form of Caribbean pop that permeated American pop culture. Released on July 26th, 2000, the hit single would go on to earn the band several awards including a 2000 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, as well as Billboard Music Awards for World Music Artist and Album of the Year. The group would also win a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favorite Song the same year, then follow it up with another Kids Choice Award for Favorite Band in 2002. Their worldwide success also propelled them into the film industry, where they saw several of their songs featured in movies such as Miss Congeniality, Around the World in 80 Days, Garfield: The Movie, Men In Black II, and most notably, The Hangover. The band is currently supporting its latest global Sony Music release, “Take A Chance”.

About Adopt-a-Pet.com 

Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, helping over 18,000 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their purebred and mixed breed pets for free to millions of adopters each month. Sponsored by companies including Purina, Chewy, and Bayer Animal Health LLC, Adopt-a-Pet.com helps homeless dogs, cats, and even rabbits and other animals go from alone to adopted.

This post contains affiliate links. Should you click through, I get a small commission at no cost to you. If you do happen to purchase through my links, please let me know so I can thank you personally!

Crazy Toddler? Cure Toddler Boredom with the Best Toddler-Friendly + Family-Friendly Board Games!

STUCK INSIDE? YEAH, US TOO! We have lots of kid-friendly games to share with you to prevent the summer slide, keep boredom at bay, and bring the whole family together!

Goliath Games brings everyone to the table, or to the floor in our case, with their great line of toddler-friendly and kid-friendly games. 

I am a mom, I'm tired and I have two boys who are always not tired! I have a seven-year-old, and brand new three-year-old, and during these tough COVID-19 times, I have truly searched for the best games and toys to keep toddler tantrums at bay. No matter what you do, the witching hour comes every day, and tears, screams, and tantrums all ensue within moments. As quickly as a tornado twirls through a quiet town, your kiddo's tantrum ends, and how you handled that tornado could either be devastating or without little damage. What does a parent do? I read so many articles on this subject, and no two toddlers are alike. Keeping toddlers busy is one thing, and that is why I am suggesting these amazing games!







Toddlers are a species all of their own; they are learning how to formulate sentences, asking for things instead of taking things, taking turns, and just coping with their world of emotions. Check out this great article I found that sums up what toddler life is all about. The article basically says to just back off, and let toddlers just be themselves during these outbursts (within reason, of course). 

This brings to why I love games by Goliath Games, you don't have to stand over your kid and encourage proper gameplay. You can get children as young as two years old involved to play, and you don’t have to play by the rules, which tends to make kids lose focus and get frustrated! 

When you do sit down with your kids and play, be sure to highlight the learning aspects of these games to make each board game experience an educational and fun one! 

Not only have I included great family games perfect for kiddos as young as two, but I also added in classic games by that parents can enjoy with friends or the older kiddos.

Toddler and Kid-Friendly Games

Banana Blast - Toddler Favorite! Place the bananas in the base, and roll the dice! Pull out one or two bananas, and when the monkey, Banana Joe, pops up you have to be the first to catch him! This game is nothing but laughs and smiles all around, and not only do you hone counting skills and taking turns skills, but your kiddos will also want to play it again and again. The rules are so simple that parents can leave the older ones to oversee the game. Go ahead, have a cup of coffee! For two to five players, ages 4+ Walmart $19.54

Pop The Pig - Toddler Favorite!

• Top-selling preschool game with over 200 million views on YouTube
• Players take turns rolling the die, feeding the pig, and pushing down on his head
• Each pump makes his belly grow bigger, bigger, and bigger until... POP!
• Teaches numbers, colors, and counting
• For 2-6 players, ages 4 and up
• Available at Walmart and  Target

Gator Golf

• A hole-in-one is a lot more fun with Gator Golf!
• Putt the ball into the Gator's mouth to score, and he'll toss your ball back with his tail for more golfing fun
• Be the first player to score three points to win
• Active game helps develop large motor skills and gets kids moving indoors
• For 2-4 players, ages 3 and up
• Available at Walmart and Target 

Build or Boom is a wonderful game for kiddos that is explosively fun! Build a tower according to the card as quick as you can, or go boom! This game is always at the top of our game pile. Toddlers and pre-schoolers can hone their fine motor skills and agility with this game! For 2 players, 3+  Walmart $16.39 | Amazon $15.34

Dragon Snacks is a magical game that the whole family loves. Help this poor dragon who ate too many snacks! Not only do we love playing it and helping the dragon relieve his tummy troubles, but we are also trying to figure out how this dragon's tummy becomes visible! This game focuses on color learning and teaches patience to toddlers, and is just a fun game that brings us a lot of smiles! For two to four plays, 4+ Walmart $14.88 | Amazon $14.88 

MORE REVIEWS COMING SOON!

I will be reviewing these Goliath Games soon! Follow me to get notified when I update this blog! 

Burping Bobby Amazon $19.99

Dino Crunch Amazon $19.99

Johnny Skull Amazon $24.99

Rattlesnake Jake

Classic Board Games for Tweens, Teens, and Adults - These games have kept us busy throughout our shelter in place. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit that notification bell to get alerted to my video review. You can also find me on Amazon Live! where I will be demoing the games below, and the kid-friendly games that I mentioned above!

Sequence, Pressman - This is a new game for us, and we love the challenge! 

It's fun, it's challenging, it's exciting, it's Sequence! Play a card from your hand, and place a chip on a corresponding space on the game board. When you have five in a row, it's a Sequence. Learn to block your opponents or remove their chips, and watch out for the Jacks - they're wild! With a little strategy and luck, you'll be a winner. For 2-12 players, ages 7 and up. Amazon $17.97

Rummikub, Pressman - remember that clacking of the tiles when you shuffled the cards? That sound reminds me of New Year's Eve or a family game night. This classic game is effortless and will always be a mainstay in my game closet. Walmart $14.97 | Amazon $13.77 | Target $14.99

With more than 55 million units sold, Rummikub is one of the world’s best-selling and most-played games. Players take turns placing numbered tiles in runs or groups, Rummy style -- the first player to use all of their tiles wins! Fast-paced, easy gameplay is ideal for people of different ages to play together. Rummikub reinforces STEM skills like sequencing, pattern recognition, and planning. 

For 2-4 players, ages 8+

Mastermind, Pressman - This is a fast and fun strategy game. Players each take turns solving codes. This game focuses on STEM and strategic thinking, which makes it a great game to introduce to grade school kids. Walmart $9.99 | Amazon $9.49 | Target $14.99

Let me know if any of these games were helpful to you, and if you have any recommendations, I would love to hear them! Comment below with your toddler horror stories! 

This blog post contains affiliate links. Should you click through, it is at no cost to you! Please let me know if you do shop through my links, so I can thank you directly! I also may have been gifted products for my honest review, all opinions are my own. I give detailed and honest reviews, so follow me for more! 

LEGO Makes Beautiful Music With LEGO Ideas Grand Piano Release August 1, 2020

Master Pianist meets Master Builder in the LEGO's next major announcement, LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™!

For a truly one of a kind experience, the new LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ mixes the world of music and LEGO with an intricate build fit for a music lover. Place this beautiful piece on a display shelf or mantlepiece as a great conversation starter. Not only does it display beautifully, but you can also actually play it with the help of the LEGO Powered Up app. The app gives you full control of the musical notes and the piano keys. You do not need to be musically inclined to play it, as it includes 10 preset songs and becomes a LEGO player piano. just want to sit back and enjoy the music which allows them full control of the musical notes and piano keys that you can autoplay. 

This 3,662-piece LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ will impress fellow LEGO enthusiasts with its mixed media approach, and measuring over 8.5” (22.5cm) high, 12” (30.5cm) wide and 13.5” (35.5cm) deep when closed, it is the perfect size to display. At an eye-opening $349.99, this build delivers in beauty, class, and quality! This would make a special gift for that music lover in your life or even a special music teacher who paved the way for your musical greatness!

LEGO aficionado and music teacher Donny Chen designed this set and used his passion for music and LEGO building to make beautiful music together. For a neat personal touch,  the LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ even features a music sheet composed by Donny himself.

Donny Chen explains the process of this build and his passion for music:

When I’m not building with LEGO bricks, I’m teaching, tuning or writing music on my piano. So, when I first discovered LEGO Ideas, I knew I wanted to build something that not only combined my two passions, but also looked visually stunning. It’s truly an honour to see my idea brought to life by the talented people at The LEGO Group and I hope it brings joy to all the other music fans who voted for the idea on the LEGO Ideas platform.

I truly love how LEGO inspires so many people to pair their passion like music or even racecar driving and mixes it with building LEGO, this gives other LEGO builders the opportunity to experience their craft. LEGO Ideas is one of my favorite lines from LEGO. 

Specs

The LEGO model features: 

• ALL the features of a real grand piano. 
• Opening lid, key cover, stand for music sheet, keys with working hammers and dampener pedal. 
• Printed music street (exclusive to this set). 
• Piano stool with adjusting height. 
• POWERED UP! App enables the piano to become playable with several songs to choose from. Pianola (automatic playing) is also possible. 
• Features bluetooth hub, motor and sensor (previously exclusive to LEGO WeDo). 

21323 – LEGO Ideas Grand Piano

• RRP £349,99, €349,99, $349.99
• Aged 18+ 
• 3,662 pieces
• Product available direct from LEGO site and from LEGO Stores

LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ will be available directly via LEGO.com and LEGO Stores from August 1st.

Thank you to LEGO for sharing their images and specs with me to share with my readers. Should you choose to click through my links, kindly note that they are affiliate links that are active 

Take the #UpsideDownChallenge - Fun, New Game by Vango Toys Unboxing + Review

My whole world got flipped, turned upside down. Bust boredom and have lots of laughs with a great new game, #UpsideDownChallenge by Vango Toys! Perfect for kids ages eight and up (if you have young readers, then this is great for them, too!), and for two to six players. Gather around a table, and grab some pens, you and your family are in for a treat! The #UpsideDownChallenge tests your skill and your agility. Pull a challenge card for the whole group, and one at a time each player draws, writes or completes a physical challenge.

Drawing a picture or writing a word like their name will come up and each card has different allotted time to complete each task. Challenge cards include physical challenges where you will be asked to put one cup of water to another, but the twist is that you're basically drawing upside down! That's the fun of this game, not only is it challenging, but truly provides lots of giggles.

Find it now on Amazon for $19.99. The #UpsideDownChallenge will also be available at Target on July 26, 2020, as well as Books-a-Million! This awesome game is also available now in Canada at Mastermind Toys.

Vango Toys is a hot, new toy company with some exciting games and toys in the works! Be sure to follow them on Instagram for the latest updates!