Tinkle Buddy Box

On 18th of April 2017, we were returning from a tiresome road journey back from Gujarat in this sweltering heat. 

We had chores lined up and a weary body to contend with. My younger one was blissfully active as he had caught up on his sleep in the car! Pleasures of Childhood! The thoughts on how to keep him occupied in the afternoon and get some rest sounded like two conflicting goals. 

But someone up there conspired to alleviate my misery. On our doorstep was a delivery boy, waiting with a box of Tinkle Buddy Box. 

I simply told him it was a pre-birthday gift arranged by his Angels. Kids love surprises and mine is no exception. After the mandatory bath, he settled with his Buddy Box and was engrossed happily for at least three hours. To my relief, I got my dream nap undisturbed and without having to worry over him. 

So, I would like to share in his words his opinions on the world he discovered in that box. A journey in the words of an eleven year old rather than an intellectual dissection by a 40+ worldly wise woman who has lost the innocent childlike wonder. 

The box comes in bright colours and neatly packed stuff. We will take the tour as it unfolded. However, there is a cute introductory booklet by Suppandi giving a peek into the various activities rolled into the box.

Being an Avid Reader, naturally he gravitated to The Tinkle Super Special Book which is 192 pages filled with pure entertainment. Central characters being Shikari Shambhu, Suppandi and hilarious accounts of their (mis)adventures which sure tickled his funny bones. It is loaded with Trivia that added to his general knowledge and made for a great Quiz to let us know we are so ignorant! It added to my repertoire of a few things that I should have known but forgotten. 

Tinkle Holiday Special Book was labelled by him as a sombre affair of Adventures by Aliens, inanimate objects like batteries, slippers and ancient objects like mummies.

His vote for the favourite one goes to Tinkle Super Special!

The next to grab his attention was the Tinkle Board Game akin to the good ol' Snakes and Ladders. It comes with its own flavour of fun. The green fibre Dice almost looked like a Candy to him and we did pull his leg to not gobble it accidentally! Our punishment for the teasing was we as a family had to set aside our time to play the Board game. As a family, it turned around as a Fun Bonanza of peals of laughter. The varying and cute penalties won his heart! He happily coloured himself a black moustache. 

I, happily, discovered I could recite the table of eight but also haltingly (much to my chagrin). The material of Board game however is not likely to last the rough and tumble of this eleven year old who thinks it can be utilised and moved around as he wants (sometimes drumming on it lightly to sometimes pushing it around). I would settle for a  little tougher material but all in all it makes an interesting family game of leg pulling and surprises. 

He and his elder brother together endeavored to put together the Shambhu's Adventure Jigsaw Puzzle. It contains 108 pieces. It took them around 30 odd minutes to bicker, poke fun, call each other mild names to get it all into a pleasant and complete picture. 

The stickers, however, did come out and will not last more than few uses. They aim to take lesser time the next time around.

Being a DIY guy, next he picked up the Super Special Activity Booklet. There are 16 fun activities using paper, pencil, glue, bottles, straws, scissors, books to make handy stuff for use, for example, a cute little pencil box and a snaky card. He plans to attempt few more in days to come. 

His delightful squeal at the Tinkle Badges of his favourite characters like Wingstar, Defective Detectives, Shambhu and his ludicrous Suppandi, had to be heard and enjoyed. 

The Tinkle Paper Plane Activity was the quickest to reach its conclusion and also reached its perishable end pretty fast. That is how eleven-year-olds operate I guess! 

The Tinkle Card Game features Suppandi, Shambhu, Tantri in various colour codes. Two to six can play it. The twosome brothers had fun combining them colour-wise and character-wise. Quite some noise emanated in form of giggles while forming rules or dealing cards. He says "It is an eye stimulation game".

Suppandi's Auto Rickshaw Box: It has twin activity of creating its shape and colouring it intricately. It sure promises hours of creative, crazy affair with imaginations and colours. It has to be folded and creased. A boon for a mother who wants to be left alone to do her chores without supervising every move. It is pre-cut and pre-creased. No need for cutting and using scissors. What relief!
All in all it was an engrossing buddy for my little one. 

The box comes in with a Subscription form and a special introductory discount offer price for a period of six and three months. 

Fills up hours of an active kid's daily vacation schedule with a little family time thrown in the Board game and lot of "Me" time reading and making stuff as instructed.

By Sonnal Pardiwala