REVIEW | FLATOUT FRANKIE

One of the great benefits about writing a kids blog is that you get chances to review things like toys! We were very happy to hear from the makers of Flatout Frankie - a New Zealand brand of cardboard designed toys. The flat pack toys are not only creative but also easy on the environment and very smart on space!

The kids were very excited to fetch home a large flat packed parcel containing one racer car and a cooking oven. I had to explain to the kids that it was like making a big puzzle which they thought was a great idea. Today we had a chance to build it all together with the kids in the afternoon sun and it was such a fun thing to do together.  We started with the racer car and our 3 year old was very excited to get to help Daddy put it all together. We are happy to report that the putting together part was easy! Sometimes you buy things that sort of takes too long to put together and by the time its done there might be frustration in the air, but no such thing here. The design is well made and you just need to fold and insert. The racing car was done in about 10 minutes and then the little guy was off....Vroooooom!

Since its made of cardboard its easy to lift and run with for the little ones. It was a big hit straight away. All sorts of car noises came out of him as he ran around trying it out. While he was occupied we started on the cooking oven. It was made in 3 easy steps and then it was ready to start cooking with. M was so excited to see it done and it took her no time at all to run and get some play food and start cooking away. In fact the announcement of a newly opened restaurant came after only 10 minutes of playing with it. We were all invited of course to try out the menu.

These sort of toys get a big tick of approval from us. Not only are they fun to play with but they are something you can build with the kids and they encourage creative and active play. I also love the fact that they are 100% recyclable and when the kids are done playing with them you can always flat pack them for easy storage and take them out again and again.

Another plus is the fact that they get a second life after the kids have decorated them (you can of course also leave them in their white, striking bold graphic state as well). My son had a great time painting on lights and racing stripes on the side of the car and I think it added to the love of the car since he made it his very own. After the kids had a go with the car and the oven they switched toys and then another hour passed and new experiences were had. Definitely four thumbs up from this family!!

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