ROAD TEST: Disney Hooyay is finally here. Here's our verdict, according to my 2yo and 4yo. 

Back-to-back rainy days used to mean cosy sleep-ins and binge watching the latest must-see show.    

Nowadays as a mum of a toddler and a preschooler, a forecasted run of rainy days strikes fear within me.  

What will the kids do all day? How will we stay entertained inside?! 

Fortunately, the new Disney Hooyay toy range has just been released at Big W, and we thought we'd trial some of them amid a spell of wintery rainy days. (Bless you, Mickey!) 

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I was still picking the last of the homemade playdough out of the carpet (never again) when the box of bright and fun toys landed on our doorstep. (Oh, and not a potentially floor/wall/furniture damaging item amongst the batch. No really, thanks Mickey.)

Mister just-turned-2 and Mister four-year-old are already very well informed on the Disney-verse via the TV show, Mickey Mouse Fun House, so they instantly recognised all their favourite characters. 

But as any parent knows, excitement levels over new toys can swing widely between a few seconds to endless hours of entertainment, so I was curious to see where the Disney Hooyay range fared on the long-term fun factor scale. 

Bring on playtime.

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Mini music stars

Guitars and piano mats and drum kits – oh my. My kids immediately gravitated towards the lights and sounds of the Rock ‘n’ Swap toys. 

There are four educational musical toys in the range: the Mickey Guitar, Donald Drumkit, Tigger Music Mat and Minnie Microphone. I thought it was pretty impressive that we can switch them between a musical mode for rocking out and an educational mode to learn things like numbers and the ABCs – all spoken in the character’s signature voices. 

Each musical toy also has features specific to the instrument. 

The guitar has a whammy bar and strumming strings, which sent my eldest son into a full air-guitar performance – and worked out his fine motor skills. 

Meanwhile my youngest tested out his coordination and physical development by tapping the drum sticks and jumping on the piano keys mat. (Bonus: both these instruments have a 60 second record function to capture their music masterpiece, which we've found is pretty entertaining to listen back to.) 

And then there’s the microphone. Well, what kid doesn’t love to hear their own voice amplified?! The kids have been all over this one.

But here’s where the Rock ‘n’ Swap range gets ultra-clever. 

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My eldest noticed each of the Disney character heads can be lifted out of each instrument, so I suggested he swap them between the musical toys. 

It was like magic. “Now Mickey is inside the piano!” 

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We loved that the unique Rock ‘n’ Swap technology is what creates an exciting customisable experience for the kids, and also means each musical toy has a huge range of different sound modes. 

This will be most appreciated by anyone who’s ever had a toy that only plays one song on repeat. And then that toy one day mysteriously disappears to that big toy box in the sky… *cough*

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Plush gets interactive

Stuffed toys make adorable baby gifts, but once you’re in toddler town, they rarely get much play time… or so I thought. But the Disney Hooyay Plush toys I was surprised by.

There are three interactive plush toys in this range; a Mickey, Minnie and Winnie the Pooh – and like the entire Disney Hooyay range, they’re designed and made here in Australia.

The Hug and Play Mickey and Minnie were absolute hits with my boys. 

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And yes, they’re soft and cute and cuddly. But the real fun for my youngest son, who has just turned 2, and was finding and pressing the six interactive learning buttons located in Mickey and Minnie’s soft hands, feet and ears. 

When pushed, the character reacts with fun sayings about things like body parts as well as numbers and letters. 

It's sensorial meets educational play at its finest, and I'm here for it. They'd make excellent toys to the other kids in our family, and both my boys' friends as the world of birthday parties grows busier for us.

Side note: Listen to Mamamia's podcast for parents, This Glorious Mess. Post continues below.

When my 19-month-old niece came over for a playdate recently, she was also entranced by the Disney Hooyay plush toys. With the entire range recommended for children 18+ months, I felt confident she could join in the fun. 

My little niece loved all three soft interactive toys but her favourite was the Real Feels Winnie the Pooh. 

Designed for quiet moments, this toy has a night light, sings lullabies and speaks positive and encouraging messages in the character’s soothing voice.

Smart tech fun

One of Mister just-turned-2's current favourite games is to pick up my (real) smartphone or tablet and imitate me using it. 

You know, by touching the screen with those little fingers, or walking around while holding it up to his ear. It’s super cute – and a gentle reminder of how much of a sponge kids are with observing what we do!

But every time he plays this game, I can’t help but brace for that moment when the phone or tablet will invariably be dropped to the floor. Current casualty count: two cracked phone screens.

Because of that, I think the person that was most excited about the Disney Hooyay Find and Play Tablet and Mickey and Minnie Smart Touch Phone was... definitely me. 

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These toys were a quick-fix substitute for those moments when I actually needed to use my own smartphone or tablet.  

But it wasn’t just me winning – both these device-inspired toys have plenty of interactive buttons that are fun to press and have loads of educational value. 

The Tablet with its individual alphabet keys came at the perfect time when my 4yo was in the world of learning to read letters. 

My son especially loved the interactive ‘question’ buttons, where you have to locate a certain letter or matching image. 

To him, it was all just a game, but for me, it was a useful way to bolster his blossoming letter recognition skills. 

Then there’s the Smart Touch Phone, which is recommended for kids 6+ months, making them a great early learning toy in this range. 

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Featuring either Mickey or Minnie’s voice, these can switch between music or numbers mode and the light-up buttons can be pressed and played with to your youngsters' content. 

The other big tick for both the Smart Touch Phone and the Tablet was their portability. For long car rides or waiting room moments, these are small and light enough for playtime on the run. 

Final verdict? 

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The entire Disney Hooyay range brought light and joy to gloomy homebound wet weather days. But the beauty is that my kids continued to interact with these fun, educational and interactive toys – rain, hail or shine.

The Disney Hooyay toy range is where imagination can start. Find them now at Big W, Target, David Jones and Toyworld.

Feature Image: Supplied.