by Stone Marshall | Jan 8, 2019 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Full-sized joy for pint-sized people: here’s a happy mix of parent-pleasing, hygge-style presents, ‘cool aunt’-worthy clobber and the glittery, slimy, noisy stuff that children really want
Dinosaur excavation kit
Hearing the pitter-patter of tiny palaeontologists? Feed their passion with this delightfully dusty dinosaur excavation kit, complete with hammer, spade and brush. Kids can build the skeleton once they’ve unveiled it. Small Dinosaur Excavation Kit, £3.95, rexlondon.com
Circus play tent
Djeco Multicoloured Tent Hut, £49, alexandalexa.com
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A million times better than bedsheets for building the den of dreams, Djeco’s charming circus tent achieves the nigh-on impossible by being both brilliant kids’ plaything and pleasing home accent. Spot on for story time. Djeco Multicoloured Tent Hut, £49, alexandalexa.com
Minecraft water bottle
Kids minecraft water bottle
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Combining two of 2018’s biggest things: Minecraft and reusable water bottles. Bet your bottle isn’t called a FUNtainer though, is it? Being an adult sucks. Minecraft Thermos FUNtainer Water Bottle, £15.59, minecraftshop.com
Unicorn dress
Upcycling unicorn dress, £59, minirodini.com
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Super-stylish Scandi kit for kids, Mini Rodini’s party line is playful, printed and planet-friendly – like this upcycled organic cotton dress, featuring the mythical beast du jour. Upcycling unicorn dress, £59, minirodini.com
i-Top
i-Top Electronic Spinning Top Game
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Before you say it, not a spinning top. This year’s best-selling, spectacularly addictive, light-up game – in three play modes. Does kind of act like a spinning top … i-Top Electronic Spinning Top Game, £14.99, johnlewis.com
Little people, big dreams
Little People, BIG DREAMS board books,
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Introducing children to inspirational women from Rosa Parks to Georgia O’Keefe through inspiring, accessible illustrations, the beloved Little People, Big Dreams books have long been bestsellers. These stories have now been opened up to younger readers, published as board books in simple sentences to read aloud to babies and toddlers. Start them early on Angelou, Earhart, Kahlo and Curie. Little People, BIG DREAMS board books, £5.99, amazon.co.uk
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DIY snow globe
The Snowman make your own snow globe, £12.99, gosh.org
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Kids can create their own Snowman snow globe in this very merry tribute to Raymond Brigg’s classic Christmas story – with all profits going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. The Snowman make your own snow globe, £12.99, gosh.org
Cra-z slime studio
Cra-z Super Slime Studio, £29.99, argos.co.uk
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A serious slime station that lets kids create gunk in a miscellany of glittery and high-glow shades. Cra-z Super Slime Studio, £29.99, selfridges.com
Leo loungewear
LeonDré lounge wear set, £20.99, pandalondononline.co.uk
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Leopard-cub-print loungewear from the coolest kidswear company in the playground. Hear them roar. LeonDré lounge wear set, £20.99, pandalondononline.co.uk
Lego creative box
Kids lego
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Lego might come kitted out for every Potter, Avengers or Star Wars story, but nothing beats the magic of making up your own. Get them going with the classic creative box: almost 800 bricks in 33 colours, primed for wizards, distant galaxies, and parochial shop scenes. Whatever they’re into. Lego Classic Large Creative Brick Box, £39.99, shop.lego.com
Lush rainbow fun
Kids rainbow
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Multi-purpose, mouldable bath putty in enough shades to sing a rainbow – each with their own so-good-you-could-eat-it (they are non-toxic, but not advisable) scent. Shape it into any magical bath monster you like, then use it as bubble bath, body wash and shampoo. Infinite fun. Rainbow Fun, £8.50, lush.com
Monopoly: Fortnite Edition
Monopoly: Fortnite Edition Board Game, £21.99, Smyths Toys
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They’re obsessing over Fortnite; you’re worrying about Fortnite addiction clinics? Take it offline with the Monopoly: Fortnite Edition. Recognisably Fortnite, reassuringly analogue. Monopoly: Fortnite Edition Board Game, £21.99, game.co.uk
The Week Junior
Kids TheWeekJunior
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A clever current affairs weekly that encourages curiosity and critical thinking, covering the news clearly and compellingly, without ever condescending. The Week Junior, from £21.50, theweekjunior.co.uk
Football pencil case
Kids PencilCase1
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Just when you thought double maths couldn’t get anymore exciting, bag-makers to the young and fun, Smiggle, only went and put fake grass and a football table on a pencil case. Totally appropriate for adult meetings too. Football Grass Hardtop Pencil Case, £15.99, smiggle.co.uk
Fox hat
British Heart Foundation’s girls’ knitted fox hat, £4.99, available at 530 BHF shops nationwide
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Cute, cosy and all for a good cause. Knitted fox hat, £4.99, available at 530 British Heart Foundation shops nationwide
Colour-in cape
Selfie Clothing Co Colour-In Cape, £25, kidly.co.uk
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Of course a self-made, modern-day superhero would colour in their own cape. Super-cool super-hero-wear in three fun cartoon designs. Selfie Clothing Co Colour-In Cape, £25, kidly.co.uk
Wooden workbench
Kids wooden workbench
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Smart interior design meets DIY with Le Toy Van’s workbench, packing in 12 top tools, a chalkboard and a workbench, all in stylish muted colours with a high-end wooden finish. Le Toy Van’s Alex’s Work Bench, £114.95, cottagetoys.co.uk
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Poopsie unicorn slime surprise
Poopsie Unicorn Slime Surprise, £49.99, argos.co.uk
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A half slightly grotesque, half totally genius gift for anyone who likes any of the following: slime, glitter, unicorns or toilet humour. In other words, all children, and most adults. Unashamedly bringing together all four, this is one of this Christmas’s biggest buys. It comes with a handy keyring, so you can carry your high-sparkle-unicorn-slime-poo with you wherever you go, if you are a child with keys. Poopsie Unicorn Slime Surprise, £49.99, argos.co.uk
Basketball laundry hoop
Basketball Laundry Bag, £16.95, rexlondon.com
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Since a Mary Poppins-style spoonful of sugar is frowned upon these days, we’ve had to up our game. Try this smart basketball laundry hoop to keep them entertained and orderly. Basketball Laundry Bag, £16.95, rexlondon.com
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Thomas bear
Jellycat Thomas Bear soother
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A cuddly bear cub comfort blanket with velvety bits, fluffy bits, gingham bits and chewable bits. 100% hugs. Jellycat Thomas Bear soother, £13, jellycat.com
Dark points sweater
Starstyling red glow points sweater, £48.99
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By day, a jazzy spotty sweatshirt from Berlin brand Starstyling. By night, its polka dots glow in the dark like stars. Also comes in adult. Result. Starstyling red glow points sweater, £48.99, trouva.com
Robot Tobbie
Robot Tobbie, £30, sciencemuseum.org.uk
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Tobbie is an interactive, bug-eyed, six-legged robot – kids start by building it, then programme to either trail their movements (will also follow other Tobbies, annoying siblings etc) or “explore”, using infrared sensors to avoid obstacles. Stem-informed and surprisingly sweet for a hexapod. Robot Tobbie, £30, sciencemuseum.org.uk
Dancing kangaroo
Kids kangaroo
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Every parent’s pre-plastic paradise, design store Skandium sells architectural wooden toys from everyone from Eames to Georg Jensen. Plan Toys’ sustainable kangaroo stroller is perfect for artsy new walkers. Dancing kangaroo, £21.99, skandium.com
Sweet tooth pencils
Sweet Tooth Pencil 4 Pack
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Sweet treat stocking filling pencil pack. Inedible, sadly. Sweet Tooth Pencil 4 Pack, £5, neon-sheep.com
Make your own matryoshka
Create your own matryoshka, £16, tate.org.uk
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Kids can draw their own designs on this full family of DIY nesting dolls – with wipe-clean coloured markers, so they can create their Russian masterpieces again and again. Create your own matryoshka, £16, tate.org.uk
Professor Astro Cat’s Human Body Odyssey
Professor Astro Cat’s Human Body Odyssey by Ben Newman & Dr Dominic Walliman, £14.07,
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This cool cat navigates the marvels of the human body in an engaging, educational (and medically approved) illustrated adventure. What does yours do? Professor Astro Cat’s Human Body Odyssey by Ben Newman & Dr Dominic Walliman, £14.07, guardianbookshop.com
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Miffy backpack
Kids 0000s 0010 Miffy-Bag,-£15,-miffyshop.co.uk
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Chic striped school bag from everyone’s favourite Dutch bunny. Cute as a button-nose. Miffy Eva Backpack, £15, miffyshop.co.uk
L.O.L. Surprise doll
L.O.L Surprise Pass The Surprise Electronic Mystery Passing Game, £14.99, johnlewis.com
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If you thought playing with the doll of the year was a little bit like pass the parcel without the passing, you’ll be pleased to see the L.O.L Doll becoming sharable. This hot-potato-style game is still joyously pink, plastic and full of surprises. L.O.L Surprise Pass The Surprise Electronic Mystery Passing Game, £14.99, johnlewis.com
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Furry pram suit
Faux fur pram suit,
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Because if you think babies are adorable, you should see a baby dressed up like a bear. Faux fur pram suit, £39, mamasandpapas.com
Adventures of extraordinary women
good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2, by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, £22, guardianbookshop.com
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Revolutionary bestselling bedtime book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is back, with another 100 inspiring, exciting stories of extraordinary women, from Nefertiti to Beyoncé, Rosalind Franklin to JK Rowling. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2, by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, £22, guardianbookshop.com
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Bamboo bowls
Liewood bamboo bowls, £17 for two, kidly.co.uk
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Bamboo pussycat bowls for pretty pink breakfasts. Purrrfect. Liewood bamboo bowls, £17 for two, kidly.co.uk
Electronic piano mat
Giant Electronic Piano Mat
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Have your own Tom Hanks moment at home with this fun floor piano mat. Cough. We mean help them have their Tom Hanks moment, obviously. Giant Electronic Piano Mat, £24, johnlewis.com
Star music mobile
Star music mobile
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A cotton star with culture – Fern Living’s handsome mobile plays Brahms’s Lullaby. Star music mobile, £17, alexandalexa.com
Balance bike
Balance bike
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Smarter than stabilisers, the lightweight balance bike goes from tricycle to two-wheeler, helping kids hone balance, steering and Wiggins-worthy swagger. Balance bike, £109.95, micro-scooters.co.uk
Cloud night light
Cloud Night Light, £5.95, rexlondon.com
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![LEGO Minecraft series expands in 2019 with BigFigs [News]](https://www.stonemarshall.com/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-164.jpg)
by Stone Marshall | Jan 8, 2019 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
From humble beginnings as a single microscale set, the LEGO Minecraft series has grown into a cornerstone of the LEGO product line. In addition to two new minifigure-scale sets, the January 2019 wave includes a new concept — buildable “BigFigs” of Minecraft characters.
The initial series of BigFigs includes playable characters Steve and Alex as well as a Skeleton enemy character (or “hostile mob” in Minecraft parlance). Each BigFig set also comes with a smaller secondary character — Alex comes with a chicken, Steve comes with a parrot, and the Skeleton comes with a Magma Cube. We’ll be bringing you hands-on reviews of these sets very soon, but for now you can take a look at the official images below.
21148 — Steve with Parrot
159 pieces | $14.99 USD | Available January 1, 2019
Steve with Parrot
Each BigFig includes a play feature. Alex and Steve each have a lever on their back that raises and lowers an arm. This play feature is perfect for mining or fighting or punching trees.
21149 — Alex with Chicken
160 pieces | $14.99 USD | Available January 1, 2019
Each BigFig includes a pixelated accessory built out of large new pieces adorned with tiles. Steve has a stone pickaxe, Alex has a diamond sword, and the Skeleton has a bow.
21150 — Skeleton with Magma Cube
142 pieces | $14.99 USD | Available January 1, 2019
The Skelton BigFig features a removable iron helmet which can also be worn by Alex or Steve.
21152 — The Pirate Ship Adventure
386 pieces | $39.99 USD | Available January 1, 2019
The Pirate Ship Adventure is the first LEGO Minecraft set to include the Dolphin, Turtle, and Parrot mobs. The Pirate minifigure is also a new addition to the selection of player “skins” for LEGO Minecraft. This set also includes a brand new pixelated flame piece for the hapless Zombie who stayed out past dawn.
21151 — The End Battle
222 pieces | $19.99 USD | Available January 1, 2019
The End Battle brings a very welcome redesign of the Ender Dragon boss mob. The original Ender Dragon from 2014 was a little oversized and its use of curvy wings stood out in an otherwise blocky series. The new version is slimmed down, has brick-built wings, and can now shoot purple firebolts. This set is also a fraction of the cost of The Ender Dragon set from 2014, so I suspect it will be a very popular one.
The set also contains a new Dragon Slayer minifigure and a code to unlock this skin in the Bedrock Edition of the game.
by Stone Marshall | Jan 7, 2019 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
When it comes to leaks and speculation over new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters, Minecraft is usually near the top of the list. That’s because prolific fighting game leaker Vergeben (an anonymous tipster who correctly predicted other Ultimate additions like Ridley, Isabelle, Incineroar, and Simon Richter) continues to state that the sandbox game will feature in the latest Smash. Except, maybe not the way you thought it would.
In a recent post on the GameFAQs forum, Vergeben backpedaled a bit on previous reports that Smash Bros. Ultimate would be getting a playable character from Minecraft, instead suggesting the crossover might take another form entirely.
“Minecraft is in Smash but represented with a boss,” they wrote. “I am curious if Minecraft representation about being a fighter or AT [Assist Trophy] was an intentional misdirect now. But there you have it.”
Beyond the news that a Minecraft character won’t be in the game, the inclusion of a new boss likely has even bigger implications. Since all the bosses included in the game at launch have already been datamined, that means this one would have to come via downloadable content — assuming Vergeben is right that is.
As for the specific boss, our best guess is that it would be the Ender Dragon, the first boss to appear in Minecraft. Then again, Vergeben doesn’t seem as confident as usual on this one, so we wouldn’t count on fighting a blocky, pixelated dragon in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate just yet.
“I’m not entirely sure what all it means,” they wrote. “But I was told earlier that exact quote that I shared from my most accurate of all sources. I’m as confused & curious as you are what the implications of that mean.”
So there you have it. When it comes to Minecraft and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate even the top leaker isn’t sure what to think, but for now, it definitely seems like something big could be in the works.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches December 7 for Nintendo Switch.*
![LEGO Minecraft Big Figs Series 1: 21148 Steve with Parrot, 21149 Alex with Chicken, and 21150 Skeleton with Magma Cube [Review]](https://www.stonemarshall.com/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-163.jpg)
by Stone Marshall | Jan 7, 2019 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Minecraft keeps getting bigger — and I’m not just talking about the game’s record-breaking sales. The original LEGO Minecraft set I helped design back in 2011 as part of LEGO’s early Ideas platform was microscale, mostly due to the steep constraints of hitting a roughly $30 MSRP target. Later, that first wildly successful set was followed by more microscale sets, and finally in 2014 the theme got upgraded to our original vision by introducing minifigure-scale sets. Recently, LEGO bumped up the scale a bit with 41612 Steve and Creeper BrickHeadz. Now LEGO Minecraft is upping its game once more with a new line called Big Figs, and we’ve got the first series comprising three sets to review: 21148 Steve with Parrot, 21149 Alex with Chicken, and 21150 Skeleton with Magma Cube. Each of the sets contains a large figure paired with a small animal from the game, and will be available January 1 for $14.99 USD.
The box and contents
With each set hovering around 150 pieces (159 for Steve, 160 for Alex, and 142 for the Skeleton), it’s no surprise that the small bags in each box aren’t numbered.
The last page of the instructions notes that these three sets comprise Series 1 of the Minecraft Big Figs, though the box exteriors don’t indicate any series markings. It’s a safe bet that more characters are already in the pipeline.
For being such small sets, there’s a large diversity of colors, though Alex takes the cake for best parts, in my opinion, with an interesting smattering of orange and sand green along with six teal 1×1 tiles. Each set also includes unique printed tiles for the characters’ faces, and both the Chicken and Magma Cube feature printed tiles for faces also.
If you’ve been itching to get your hands on a few of the new bracket elements we first encountered in the latest Modular, 10264 Corner Garage, then you’ll like these sets, which each come with several. You’ll get 2x in dark grey and 1x in tan from Steve, 2x in dark grey and 1x in yellow from Alex, and 2x in white and 1x in black from the Skeleton.
The sets also feature new unique elements for the weapons, which are likely to always be exclusive to the Minecraft Big Figs due to their highly specialized nature. Steve is equipped with a pickaxe, while Alex and the Skeleton wield the sword and bow, respectively. The weapons are a single plate thick and have solid studs on one side and hollow studs on the other. They’re not quite symmetrical, with the hollow-stud side also have a few anti-studs.
The build
Both Steven and Alex feature blocky bodies that are identical except in color. The torso hides a small lever that activates their main play feature of a moving arm.
The legs and head are attached with Mixel-ball joints, and each of the feet employs the 2×2 brackets I mentioned previously to give the feet a nice set of anti-studs to grip LEGO plates when standing.
Lacking a body, the skeleton’s interior is also its exterior, so there’s not much to cover in terms of hidden techniques. Likewise, the Chicken and Parrot are quite simple builds from the perspective of techniques. The Magma Cube is also rudimentary, but it does feature a little mechanism to let it stretch for a jump.
The finished models
If you’ve played Minecraft at all, you’ll immediately note how remarkable the resemblance and proportions of these characters are to their in-game counterparts. LEGO Minecraft minifigures may look odd with cubic heads, but these larger brick-built figures look right at home in brick form. Each character comes with a 6×6 plate to stand on, though Steve and Alex balance fairly well without them (the Skeleton is a bit more precarious).
The range of motions achievable by the characters is very, very close to that of the game, making you feel as though you’re seeing a part of the game actually brought to life.
The finger-activated lever on Steve and Alex’s back works well, with the weight of the arm naturally returning it to a resting position. The tools are molded in the color of their lowest level material: wood for the pickaxe and stone for the sword (bows are always wood). They rely on tiles to indicate their upgraded source material, with Steve carrying a stone pickaxe and Alex a diamond sword. It’s a cool feature that allows kids to swap out the source material by simply adding tiles from their own collections, but I do wish the base weapons also had upgraded colors. I’d bet that’s something we’ll see in the future as the line continues.
The accessories can be swapped between hands, requiring a 2×2 tile on the arm to be removed and replaced. One minor criticism is that LEGO didn’t bother molding the 1×2 brackets for the hands in tan, opting to use the existing dark tan element.
The skeleton is wearing an iron helmet and — somewhat surprisingly — it’s not only removable, but it fits all the characters, portending a nifty system of interchangeable armor. His bow also features a spring-loaded dart shooter with a solid brown dart (plus an extra). The dart shooter just stuck on the side of the bow and not integrated at all, so it looks a bit tacky but is also easy to remove.
The three companion animals are all excellent renditions, rivaling the larger characters for accuracy.The chicken is easily my favorite, however, with an uncanny resemblance to the squawking model in the game. These will make perfect desk companions.
The baby Magma Cube may be tiny, but he can still hurt! The little “jumping” mechanism simply splits the body by about a brick when the cube is lifted by the top half. For such a simple mechanism, it conveys the creature’s motion quite well.
Conclusion and recommendation
Let’s be honest, adult fans of LEGO don’t always love Minecraft or the LEGO Minecraft theme. And that’s OK. Not every theme needs to cater to the adults in the crowd along with its core audience of 6-12-year-olds. But we here at The Brothers Brick always advocate excellence in building, regardless of the theme. And the LEGO Minecraft Big Figs are excellent. They’re amazingly accurate models, they’re sturdy enough to withstand kid play, and they don’t rely on any specialized elements apart from the accessories. This scale fits LEGO Minecraft perfectly. Now there’s just one thing we’re missing: some scale blocks to accompany them.
21148 Steve with Parrot includes 159 pieces. The set will be available January 1st, 2019 from the LEGO Shop (US $14.99 | CA $19.99 | UK £12.99), Amazon.com, eBay, BrickLink, and elsewhere.
21149 Alex with Chicken includes 160 pieces. The set will be available January 1st, 2019 from the LEGO Shop (US $14.99 | CA $19.99 | UK £12.99), Amazon.com, eBay, BrickLink, and elsewhere.
21159 Skeleton with Magma Cube includes 142 pieces. The set will be available January 1st, 2019 from the LEGO Shop (US $14.99 | CA $19.99 | UK £12.99), Amazon.com, eBay, BrickLink, and elsewhere.
The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick early copies of these sets for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
