Some nostalgia with my vintage My Little Pony Lickety Split
Zoey seems to be following in my footsteps and loves My Little Pony just as much as me, of course the toys have changed somewhat now and have, dare I say it, more magic about them with their glittery design and very pretty big eyes and accessories. I was therefore very excited when I was recently asked to work on an exciting campaign to celebrate the launch of the new My Little Pony: The Movie and a fantastic new range of toys. All three of my kids love watching My Little Pony on TV (although the boys may refuse to admit it) so I couldn't wait to take them to see the movie.My Little Pony The Movie brings Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Apple Jack, Rarity and Fluttershy to the big screen for their most exciting adventure yet. When the menacing Storm King invades Canterlot with plans to steal the magic from the ponies, the very future of Equestria is at stake! Armed with nothing but determination, loyalty, and a bottomless bag of cupcakes, the Mane Six embark on an action packed heroic journey that takes them beyond the borders of Equestria for the first time ever. The movie is wonderful as it teaches children all about the importance of friendship, kindness and courage. One thing that rings true from the movie is that "challenges are best met with friends by your side, and that there really is no force stronger than the Magic of Friendship."
My Little Pony The Movie Toy Range
To coincide with the release there has been an exciting new range of toys created, some of which we were lucky enough to have been sent.
My Little Pony: My Magical Princess Twilight Sparkle
If you have a My Little Pony fan then I can guarantee you they will instantly fall in love with My Magical Princess Twilight Sparkle once they set eyes on her just like Zoey and I did.
She is in a word, beautiful, with so many special details such as her sparkly pegasus wings, big pretty eyes and eyelashes, a light up unicorn horn, not to mention the fact that she responds to sound and touch and actually talks to you, telling stories and talking about spells with not just one or two phrases but 90 plus.
How beautiful are Princess Twilight Sparkle's eyes and long eyelashes!
Pretty luminescent pink sparkly Pegasus wings
We love her interactive features which bring her to life, when you touch her horn it lights up and she talks about her magical spells and press the Star Button on her hoof to hear her friendship advice, stories or songs. She is poseable so you can sit her next to you and she can move her head and hoof too. No princess would be complete with her tiara which can be removed if you wish to groom or style her mane, or even try on yourself which Zoey likes to do.
With Princess Twilight Sparkle's interactive and responsive features she is truly magical and shares some wonderful advice on friendship which is so nice to see in a toy these day. We love her.
Princess Twilight Sparkle is available to buy from toy retailers such as Smyths Toys, Argos and online from Amazon with prices starting at £99.99.
My Little Pony Seashell Lagoon Playset
The Seashell Lagoon Playset is a fantastic set which fans of the My Little Pony the Movie will recognize and love.
It comes with a Pinkie Pie seapony figure which has a pretty mermaid-like tail and the set is the perfect place to go on adventures and encourages imaginative play and creativity in children.
There is so much to do in Seashell Lagoon with places to swing from, spin on and a hammock that can be rocked while your pony enjoys some chill out time, both the twins said they wished they could go to a real life place like this which I had to agree would be seriously awesome. Zoey's favorite feature is the fact that you can add water to to create bubbles inside the front window of the playset, imitating scenes from Seaquestria by pressing the pearl-shaped button which also activates lights. It is the magic touch in this toy that we have now come to associate with My Little Pony.
Also included in the playset is an exceptionally cute little fish friend and a vast array of fourteen different accessories, such as beautiful tiaras, perfect for pampering and dressing up your Pinkie Pie in front of her seashell mirror which Zoey has informed me she loves.
Due to the numerous play options in this playset, coupled with the accessories included and the familiarity with the movie for fans; this toy is fantastic for engaging your child and sparking their imagination which leads them to be engaged and returning to play with it time and time again - a big win for parents who dread the play with once and abandon toys out there. I should also mention that although it may look pink and girly, I bet a lot of brothers will be happy to join their sisters in playing with it, that is if Zachary is anything to go by, he loves joining Zoey on Seaquestria adventures and together the twins have had a lot of fun putting it to the test.
The Seashell Lagoon Playset is available to buy from toy retailers such as Smyths Toys, Argos and online from Amazon with prices starting at £29.99.My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Figures
We were also sent a selection of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic 3 inch Figures which come with their own clip on accessories. We were sent Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Lyra Heartstring and Princess Twilight Sparkle and all of these ponies have a fresh new look inspired by the movie.
Zoey and her friends loved these, especially Pinkie Pie and her clip on cupcake accessory. Zoey loved Pinkie Pie so much she started kissing her before we even got her out of the packaging.
The figures are available to buy from Smyths Toys, Argos and online from Amazon.
Our Verdict
Working on the My Little Pony campaign has been a wonderful experience for me and my kids, we have not just reviewed toys and watched the movie but we have talked about friendship and what it means.As part of the campaign I have taken part in wonderful Twitter parties #MyLittlePonyMonday which have resulted in some interesting conversations with other parents on the value of friendship for children and kindness and how My Little Pony is a fantastic tool to expose children to such values from a young age in a way they can relate to. The six ponies in My Little Pony uphold these values, and through watching the TV show and the movie, the kids are learning from them and it helps to reinforce what we, as parents, try to teach out children. They can then go on to put what they have learned into practice through play with the toys as well as in real life with friends and family. I have seen this firsthand with my children and find myself often referring to the My Little Pony characters when we talk about being kind to friends and friendship.
As for the toys, we love them all and can highly recommend them. They are well designed and great quality with engaging features that children will love. Zoey adores the My Little Pony toys she has received and is pretty much always found with a pony figure in her hand or nearby these days. I also have to admit that my love of My Little Pony is stronger now at my age, than it was when I was a child. I feel very lucky to have a little girl who loves My Little Pony and it is lovely that we are making special Mummy and daughter memories playing My Little Pony together which she will hopefully carry forward to adulthood and continue when / if she has a daughter herself which feels extra magical.
