Today it was pretty rainy so no outdoor play. Instead we decided to go to a movie. We went and saw Hop. Eva liked it. Allison and I had some laughs while watching it too. It is always funny when Eva watches a movie with us. She laughs hysterically when we laugh at anything in the movies. So, she had a great time watching the movie. As we were leaving Allison asked Eva what her favorite part of the movie was. She said that it was when E.B. and his father reunited. That was so cute.

Later we went to BJs and while we were there I promised that if Eva was good she could have a surprise when we returned home. She was, so when we got home I gave her the Mega Bloks Dora’s Garden Gazebo buildable playset. For the most part this was something that Eva was excited about. She played with the set and even incorporated her existing toys into the mix. The one thing that was difficult for her was taking off the top of the Dora figure’s body and then reattaching it with the bottom of the body. Actually she could take Dora apart but had difficulty putting it back together. I think that because it was a little difficult for her to push together and the fact that the legs moved and made it hard for her to get a good grip was what made this something that I had to do over and over.

Here’s what I’m talking about. This was Eva playing with the Dora figure. It comes with two skirts, a blue one and a pink one. A three year old wants to change the clothes on her toys over and over again. When she gets a new doll the clothes comes off so quickly and I’m usually the one putting them back on. I thought that Dora would be a little easier for her to work with but it was even a little tough for me.

The set itself is very bright and colorful. I would have liked a few more pieces with it but it is meant to be built upon with other playsets. A couple of Dora’s friends would have been nice to see in the set.

Eva was pretty excited to play with this set. She liked that there were things like a watering can, a blue bird and the umbrella and table. She saw that there was a table and went to her dollhouse and got Dora a chair, and some pizza.

Eva played a good long while with this set. She needed a little bit of instruction with how to put the pieces together but once she did she had little trouble building as she wished. Again I wish that there were more bloks in the set so that she could created more combinations. A couple of the smaller bloks would be good to add to this set. The retail price is $14.99 and that seems high for so few bloks. Also most of the pieces just make things specific to the set rather than generic looking bloks that could be fitted together in more combinations. Here is the set. It comes with a gazebo, patio table, watering can, planting pot, pine tree, blue bird and a beautiful blooming sunflower. There is also the Dora figure with two separate skirts. This set is a fun one for kids to have some open ended play and Eva will definitely be developing those fine motor skills using this set.

The concerns I brought up earlier are some that I can give to Mega Bloks Family Club. I am sure that there is an aspect of this club where parents can leave feedback. By joining this club members can receive a Printable Coupon for $5 off any $30 or more Mega Bloks purchase. Club members are also eligible for exclusive offers, contests, sweepstakes and promotions on Mega Bloks toys. Members will also get info on the new Mega Bloks toys for kids ages 1 to 6. There is even an education and informative blog with leading mom bloggers (ahem, let’s get some dads in there too, I mean Mega Bloks, a perfect toy for dads to engage their kids). Also there is an e-mail newsletter with some building ideas, toys for kids 1 and up and other helpful information. You can sign up at http://familyclub.megabloks.com. I like that there is a club like that

Disclosure: I received this toy as part of Team Mom on behalf of Mega Bloks.

About MEGA Brands Inc., a trusted family of leading global brands in construction toys, games and puzzles, arts & crafts and stationary, has launched the Mega Bloks Family Club. To celebrate the launch, it’s time to explore with Dora the Explorer! For more information about MEGA Brands and The Mega Bloks Family Club, visit http://familyclub.megabloks.com