After we opened the package and read the directions, literally within seconds the batter was mixed and within a minute our three little chocolate cakes were cooked using the microwave! The measuring devices were easy to understand and use, because adding water was all was required, and symbols are used to measure rather than numbers.  A great safety mechanism when cooking the cakes is that the microwave cover also turns colors to help identify if the cakes are too hot to open. Included in the kit are 12 different tools (measuring spoon, rolling pin, fondant mold, detail stampers, letter stampers, pattern plates, cookie cutters) and a variety of different mixes (3 coookie and 2 cake mixes).

We then decided to cover our cakes with pink fondant.  This is where we both thought using the Easy Bake Set, really wasn’t so easy, and if you are using this kit with younger children, it may be handy to be there to supervise for any questions, guidanceand help. Pink is an understatement, this pink was the brightest, boldest pink we had ever seen and joked that if we turned the lights off, it would probably glow in the dark.  After we worked for what seemed like 10 minutes making the fondant, we were ready to roll it and imprint it with the different tools included in the kit. We rolled and we cut and we pressed and we tried, though they looked like cakes, despite our creativity, they definitely did NOT look like the beautiful creations on the box that we tried to emulate.  Over an hour or so later, our three, bite sized creations were complete.

Here are some of my thoughts:

- You may want to experiment with the cookies, frosting and sprinkles first before jumping right into the fondant to practice using the tools more successfully

- All the tools needed were in the box, but we did find it helpful to use a very small spatula to mix the fondant and a toothpick might be helpful to remove the fondant from some of the molds if it gets stuck in some of the crevices

- I did think this would be a great way to incorporate into a home birthday party where all of the kids can work cooperatively and use their creativity to create a variety of unique desserts using different stations for mixing, cooking and decorating

So to answer the question, are Easy-Bake kits as easy as they look? Yes, making the cakes and cookies are definitely fool proof, decorating them can be a bit more of a challenge. Though we were both not so proud of our final products, we shared a lot of laughs, giggles and family time so though we were more disappointed in ourselves for not being able to create the cutest cakes in the world, if you value the process and not the final product, anyone can be an easy bake overnight success!

Hasbro provided the Easy Bake kit free to facilitate a review.  The opinions expressed in this entry are purely the bloggers own.

Photo credits to Derek Wilmot

My little “Lego Lover” friend was very eager to help construct the pyramid.  With only a bit of cueing for placement of the pieces, after 20 minutes, we had maybe put together 1/4th of the game, so thinking we’d have time to play the game faster, I began assembling the pyramid in super-speed, giving him a few suggestions of bricks to find along the way. It took us a solid 45 minutes to get the pyramid together, with me hustling for about half of it.  Due to time constraints we had to postpone playing the game, but my friend was happy to play with the pyramid.

A week later we got together to play the game. I started to read the directions and initially got seriously confused. The goal of the game is to move your LEGO adventurer first around the base of the pyramid and then ultimately up and down the pyramid, trying to get to the top to defeat the mummy King Ramses. Along the way the adventurer collects colored crystals and looks under the secret temples to guess what color crystal is hiding underneath. Players will need to use their memory so that later on they can remember what colored crystals are hiding underneath each secret temple.  With each turn guessing the correct color of a crystal will allow them to move  move up, down and laterally to different levels on the pyramid.  Simultaneously, with a roll of the dice, mummy’s are released from the top of the pyramid, preventing your adventurer from accessing different levels on the pyramid, as well as allowing for rotation of the levels of the pyramid to change the path to the top. Once the first adventurer reaches the top of the pyramid and rolls the dice to a mummy, they defeat King Ramses and get access to the treasure room hidden in the base of the pyramid.

In the manual I found a link to games.LEGO.com, where there were animated tutorials providing the directions using a visual demonstration.  They made so much more sense, I would recommend this over trying to read the directions.  If your child has difficulty with multi-step directions they will most likely need some assistance in remembering the sequence.

So as is typical of LEGO’s in general, fine motor skills and hand strength are required in the process of building the pyramid. This particular game includes visual memory, as each person has to remember the color of the crystals located in the secret temple to gain as many crystals as possible to make moving up and down the pyramid easier. Visual spatial skills are involved to determine exactly how many spaces are between the edges and temples when building the pyramid. Though I was not successfuly in learning this game right out of the box, after 30 minutes of play, we became much more confident. I think this game would appeal very highly to the 8-12 year old boy. Not only does it include the ability to recreate a very detailed and cool Egyptian pyramid, but this game does promote customization with changing the rules and team building through cooperative group play.  At the very least, this makes a rather cool pyramid where children can create their own imaginative play.

Though LEGO provided a free copy of Ramses Pyramid for review, the opinions are purely the bloggers own.