Practice Your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Moves with Flair

Next up we have the Turtles Combat Shell, this is a dressing up item which allows your child to wear a turtle shell just like one of their favourite characters. This is made of hard olive green plastic  with brown webbed adjustable straps to fit around the shoulders and a thicker waist band which fastens with velcro. The shell was very easy to fit. Your child simply places their arms through each shoulder strap and then it is fastened at the waist. Bud found it really easy to put on himself and Little Miss, who was entranced by the shell as soon as she saw it, manages to put it on one shoulder too! 

The shell has a handle on the under side of the shell which allows it to be carried or used as a shield. The back of the shell has typical turtle shell detailing and features the back part of the turtle's utility belts too. This means that there are two loops which allow for the weapon to be stored and carried in there. Obviously, as Leonardo only has one sword you only need to use one loop but having both allows for the shell to be used to be those turtles who carry two weapons. It's worth pointing out that the holders have sprung covers inside them which need to be pushed down in order to place the weapon inside. Bud really struggled to do this on his own and needed help when placing his sword on his shell. I think an older child, perhaps seven or eight would be able to manage it by themselves. This same sprung cover means that it can be tricky to pull the sword from the holder too. It isn't a quick draw at all but at least it means that you are unlikely to lose any of your weapons by them falling off the shell. Again the shell is recommended for age 4 and above, and has an RRP of £19:99

The Combat Shell and Leonardo Katana Sword are a fantastic duo and offer a really simple way for your child to dress up and role play as their favourite turtle without needing to put on a full costume, or get changed. Bud loves to wear his, and him being able to put the shell on by himself is a definite bonus - fancy dress costumes can be tricky - and he can often be found in the garden practising his 'turtles moves'. At £39:98 for both items, they aren't inexpensive but both are excellent quality and would make a great gift for a mini Turtles fan, you would only need to buy the shell once but, of course, all of the turtles' weapons sets are available in the soft foam range so you can match your choice to your child's favourite character.

The third item in our parcel is definitely my favourite. The Leonardo Ninja Practice Pal is a soft figurine standing 16 inches tall. Modelled to look like each of the turtles your child can choose their favourite. He isn't just a figurine though. If you tap him on his chest he will make one of more than ten (I've counted around fifteen) different phrases. These range from noises like 'awww' and punching sounds, to longer phrases like 'this is gonna be epic', 'prepare to dish out the mighty wrath of justice!' and, of course, 'Turtle Power!' 

The fact that he is a 'Ninja Practice Pal' means that the figurine is meant to be thrown around. He's soft but he's tough and enjoys cuddles just as much as Ninja training. I've found it interesting how my two have responded to him. Bud sees him as a battle opponent and loves to throw him around and hit him with the Katana sword, and basically making him say 'ow' whereas LM will spend ages talking to him and laughing when she presses his chest and he 'talks' to her.  I think some people may be concerned that this toy may encourage violence (in having to 'hit' the toy to make him talk) but Bud knows he doesn't hit anyone else and, sometimes, having an outlet where it is OK to hit something and to get a satisfying response can be a good thing for a child in an angry mood!

The detail on the Ninja Practice Pal is really good. He does look like a soft, mini version of Leonardo and it's good to see his trademark grin and blue bandana in place. I'm happy to say the latter is firmly affixed so there is no chance of losing it. He is powered by three AG13 batteries which are included. To activate him simply pull the plastic tag out of the battery compartment and he will start to talk. His battery pack is in a velcro pocket on the figurine's back which also forms the voice pack too. The toy is also suitable for age 4 and over.

Leonardo is hugely popular in our house and not just with the children, there have been a good few adults reliving their childhood turtle fan days by playing with him too! At £34:99 it is a more expensive toy than many in the Turtles range but he is beautifully soft, great for fighting and cuddling and has been played with every day since his arrival in our house. We would definitely recommend him.

And, just in case you were wondering, these toys definitely aren't just for boys. Little Miss loves them too, as she is only little we have been heavily supervising her while wearing them but she loves all three of these toys just as much as her big brother. I can see them continuing to be popular in our house for many years to come. Check out how much fun it is!

If you're a Turtles fan why not check out our review of the Turtle Battle Shell Figures?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys are available from Flair and all good toy retailers.

Disclosure: We received the toys in exchange for an honest review.