Review: Hot Dots Jr Fairy Tales set for getting started with Hot Dots interactive learning
When I was packing to go on holiday over Easter, one of the toys I didn’t want to forget was a Magical Talking Wand. Three-year-old Big Girl adores her wand, which is part of the Hot Dots Jr. Princess Fairy Tales Interactive Storybook Set we’ve received to review from Learning Resources, and I think it’s a brilliant toy for travelling or using on the go.
Hot Dots Jr. Princess Fairy Tales Interactive Storybook Set (£18) contains four colourful princess-themed interactive books and the Magical Talking Wand, which can be used across the Hot Dots product range, offering children self-checking activities to teach early literacy and numeracy skills.
When going away, I packed the wand and two of the books and some of the Hot Dots Jr Jolly Phonics cards I’ve previously reviewed. I think the princess set is a good starter set for the Hot Dots range, as having the wand means it’s easy to add on extras, such as educational cards and booklets at a later stage.
The fairytale books, however, don’t necessarily have to be used with the wand at all. I brought the small 24-page books along to the beach, and I first read the The Princess and the Pea and The Twelve Dancing Princesses out loud to Big Girl without interruption.
When we read the stories a second time, I also read out the 11 activities in each for her, letting her use the wand to answer the questions. The activities in the fairytale books focus on recognising patterns, counting, quantities and more, and the wand glows in green and reacts positively when she answers correctly.
I think Hot Dots Jr. Princess Fairy Tales Interactive Storybook Set makes a lovely birthday present, as it’s a fun set, which also happens to offer educational benefits and the opportunity for parents to buy add-ons from the Hot Dots series.
We’re yet to reach a stage where I can give the fairy tale books to Big Girl to do on her own, as I now read out the questions, but there are other Hot Dots products, such as the cards, which she can enjoy without my intervention.
And learning with a pink Magical Talking Wand at hand is pretty awesome for a three-year-old princess fan!
The Hot Dots Jr range also includes a similar set with four favourite fairy tales and a talking owl pen
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