Last weekend, I took my two youngest to Covent Garden, London, to watch the new Smurfs movie, a complimentary viewing for a select number of bloggers and their families supplied by Jakks Pacific to launch their new Smurf-tastic toy range. This was my first experience of a blogging event and I was very much looking forward to it.
DD was so excited, she kept asking every day for two weeks since I told her we were going if today was the day! When I shook her gently awake on Sunday morning at stupid o'clock (we had to catch the 7.30am train in order to arrive in time for our special showing), the first thing she said upon opening her eyes was "we're going to see the Smurfs" and literally bounced out of bed!
Having carefully laid out her white clothes and Smurf hat chosen especially for the viewing, she was dressed and ready for her Smurfy adventure! Once we had met up with my friend and her family (madmumof7), she was even game for a bit of blue facepaint!
When we had all gathered on the platform to wait for our train, it was quite a sight - it looked like a Smurf takeover!
A quick train ride and we arrived in London Euston in record time. The excitement built as we hopped on the infamous London Underground and the children enjoyed another train ride. (Despite living so close to London, we don't visit our buzzing capital that often so it was a fun trip for the adults too!)
As we exited the Underground and walked towards the cinema, I marvelled at the quietness of the streets - I have never seen London so calm (not surprising as it was only 8.30am and a Sunday morning!) and I loved it. I made a mental note to plan to come again at the same time and watch the bustling city gradually awake, breezing into cafe's and shops as they opened their doors.
After stopping for a quick coffee & toilet break, it was time to join the other Smurfs. It was great to see the other bloggers' families dressed in a variety of Smurf costumes, including an adorable Smurf baby and a very cute Papa Smurf!
When the doors opened, we were greeted enthusiastically by blue-haired hostesses and bespectacled hosts with lots of oohs and aahs as they saw the children's costumes.
They engaged the children in animated conversations whilst the parents confirmed our arrival, and then invited us to choose a drink, bag of popcorn and bag of sweets each for the movie.
When we were led into the theatre, a Benny Hill scene played out as we shuffled our party of 10 in one row, found it didn't seat all of us, shuffled into another, swopped seats around so the kids sat next to their friend of choice, and then just before the movie started most of the kids moved to the front row leaving the adults spaced far apart!
Being a Smurf fan from an early age myself and enjoying the first Smurf movie, I was looking forward to watching number 2 almost as much as the kids, and I'm pleased to say I wasn't disappointed. It was a great family movie with laugh-out-loud moments, even for the adults, and a lovely moral-of-the-story ending. The animation was amazing and my children have never kept so still and quiet.
Getting to watch the movie was a fantastic invitation on its own, but the fun didn't stop when the credits started rolling. Enter the blue haired ladies and bespectacled men again to further entertain the children with fun and games in the after-movie party!
Fantastically organised, the children were divided into groups, making sure families and friends were together, and led to one of the fun activities. Our group's first was a treasure hunt where DS3 found the first hidden smurf toy, then a photo with Smurfette, a science lesson in making Smurf juice, and lastly a chance for the kids to peek into Smurf world.
We also got a chance to look at the Jakks Pacific toy range and I noticed lots of children's eyes light up as they saw them.
Once every group had taken part in each activity, it was time to announce the winner of the best dressed Smurf, but generously there was not one prize but four! The runners up got a selection of figures and playsets from the Jakks toy range and although my children didn't win, I was very pleased to see my friend's daughter receive a prize. She couldn't wait to get it home and was already playing with it when I popped round her house half an hour after we got back!
Every child also received a party bag when we left with a Smurf figure and other bits and pieces, so everyone was a winner, and DD was very pleased to find a Smurfette in hers!
Many thanks to Corinna Henson of @nortonandco for inviting us and making it a totally Smurf-tastic day for everyone!
Disclaimer I was not employed to write this review and all the opinions are honest and my own
DD was so excited, she kept asking every day for two weeks since I told her we were going if today was the day! When I shook her gently awake on Sunday morning at stupid o'clock (we had to catch the 7.30am train in order to arrive in time for our special showing), the first thing she said upon opening her eyes was "we're going to see the Smurfs" and literally bounced out of bed!
 |
| Smurftastic! |
When we had all gathered on the platform to wait for our train, it was quite a sight - it looked like a Smurf takeover!
 |
| An unusual sight |
A quick train ride and we arrived in London Euston in record time. The excitement built as we hopped on the infamous London Underground and the children enjoyed another train ride. (Despite living so close to London, we don't visit our buzzing capital that often so it was a fun trip for the adults too!)
As we exited the Underground and walked towards the cinema, I marvelled at the quietness of the streets - I have never seen London so calm (not surprising as it was only 8.30am and a Sunday morning!) and I loved it. I made a mental note to plan to come again at the same time and watch the bustling city gradually awake, breezing into cafe's and shops as they opened their doors.
After stopping for a quick coffee & toilet break, it was time to join the other Smurfs. It was great to see the other bloggers' families dressed in a variety of Smurf costumes, including an adorable Smurf baby and a very cute Papa Smurf!
When the doors opened, we were greeted enthusiastically by blue-haired hostesses and bespectacled hosts with lots of oohs and aahs as they saw the children's costumes.
They engaged the children in animated conversations whilst the parents confirmed our arrival, and then invited us to choose a drink, bag of popcorn and bag of sweets each for the movie.
When we were led into the theatre, a Benny Hill scene played out as we shuffled our party of 10 in one row, found it didn't seat all of us, shuffled into another, swopped seats around so the kids sat next to their friend of choice, and then just before the movie started most of the kids moved to the front row leaving the adults spaced far apart!
Being a Smurf fan from an early age myself and enjoying the first Smurf movie, I was looking forward to watching number 2 almost as much as the kids, and I'm pleased to say I wasn't disappointed. It was a great family movie with laugh-out-loud moments, even for the adults, and a lovely moral-of-the-story ending. The animation was amazing and my children have never kept so still and quiet.
Getting to watch the movie was a fantastic invitation on its own, but the fun didn't stop when the credits started rolling. Enter the blue haired ladies and bespectacled men again to further entertain the children with fun and games in the after-movie party!
Fantastically organised, the children were divided into groups, making sure families and friends were together, and led to one of the fun activities. Our group's first was a treasure hunt where DS3 found the first hidden smurf toy, then a photo with Smurfette, a science lesson in making Smurf juice, and lastly a chance for the kids to peek into Smurf world.
We also got a chance to look at the Jakks Pacific toy range and I noticed lots of children's eyes light up as they saw them.
Once every group had taken part in each activity, it was time to announce the winner of the best dressed Smurf, but generously there was not one prize but four! The runners up got a selection of figures and playsets from the Jakks toy range and although my children didn't win, I was very pleased to see my friend's daughter receive a prize. She couldn't wait to get it home and was already playing with it when I popped round her house half an hour after we got back!
Every child also received a party bag when we left with a Smurf figure and other bits and pieces, so everyone was a winner, and DD was very pleased to find a Smurfette in hers!
Many thanks to Corinna Henson of @nortonandco for inviting us and making it a totally Smurf-tastic day for everyone!
 |
| Smurf On! |
Disclaimer I was not employed to write this review and all the opinions are honest and my own
