• Christmas small world play
    Christmas - Friends of Sylvanian Families - playing - toy review

    Christmas small world play {Sylvanian Families Christmas Set}

    December 15, 2016 - By 

    My 5 year old loves small world play. She always has done and I love getting her toys to support this. She has a lot of Playmobil and Sylvanian Families toys, both of which are perfect for this. Small world play is really important as it encourages a wide range of skills, including language and literacy, understanding of the world and working together. It encourage children to use their imaginations, express thoughts and experiences into their play, whilst exploring the world in which they live. I’ve noticed that my daughter’s play has taken a decidedly festive turn recently. I often hear…

  • minions gift guide
    Gift guide - parenting - playing - toy review

    Minions: a gift guide for kids

    December 12, 2016 - By 

    I know I said that I wasn’t really writing many gift guides this year but I couldn’t resist posting another one. My children are a little Minion crazy. There’s just something about those little yellow dudes and they have inspired playdough and bento in our house. Our favourite films featuring the Minions are the Despicable Me franchise. The films focus on Gru, a super-villain (who later becomes a dad and superhero); his yellow-coloured Minions; and his three orphan girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes. It began with the 2010 film, Despicable Me, and its 2013 sequel, Despicable Me 2. A prequel…

  • Disney Frozen Northern Lights
    parenting - playing - toy review

    Disney Frozen Northern Lights

    December 8, 2016 - By 

    I have some exciting news to share for little Frozen fans! Prepare yourselves, because the world of Arendelle will be returning with Frozen Northern Lights, when Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven will be embarking on an epic journey to restore the glimmer of the Northern Lights. Frozen Northern Lights This is an original story from Anna and Elsa’s kingdom which will include an all-new original series of animated LEGO shorts, and a companion collection of books. The shorts will be compiled as a special and will feature the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad. We were sent a…

  • christmas gift guide for kids
    Christmas - Gift guide - playing - toy review

    Christmas gift guide for a 5 and 6 year old

    December 4, 2016 - By 

    Has your Christmas present panic buying set in yet? Despite feeling quite organised last month I have bought very few presents so far this year. Luckily I have made my lists, I just need to spend some time buying and wrapping everything. My daughter had her birthday last week so I always find her a little trickier to buy for as she has received everything she asked for. I thought it was about time I brought together some of my favourite toy reviews from the past year, with some of the toys my children will be receiving this year. Christmas…

  • Ikea soft cushion
    playing - toy review

    Role play toys for children from Ikea

    December 2, 2016 - By 

    And now for something completely different. We’ve reviewed a few techy toys recently, such as the awesome Leapfrog LeapBand Activity Tracker and the Star Wars Rogue One Interactive Imperial Stormtrooper figure, so today I’m happy to share the new range of soft toys from Ikea. Our family fully embraces the Ikea lifestyle. We eat from Ikea plates and bowls, have lovely Ikea shelving and toys boxes in the living room and my daughter sleeps in an Ikea bed with a room full of Ikea furniture. Despite my fondness for vintage, I also love clean white furniture; it’s functional, great value and…

  • Real Construction from Jakks Pacific review
    playing - STEM activity - toy review

    Real Construction from Jakks Pacific {toy review}

    December 1, 2016 - By 

    If you’re looking for something a little different you my be interested in our latest review of Real Construction. These exciting sets combine tools and wood-like material, allowing your children to safely get creative and saw, nail, screw and build new designs. We received the Real Construction Starter Set (RRP: £9.99) and the Real Construction Deluxe Work Shop set (RRP: £24.99), to try out at home. My son loves to make things and be creative so was pretty excited to see these toys. Real Construction Starter Set (RRP £9.99) The perfect set for the beginner craftsman! The Real Construction Starter set…

  • Leapfrog Leapband Activity Tracker
    playing - toy review

    Leapfrog Leapband Activity Tracker

    December 1, 2016 - By 

    Over the last few weeks my 5 year old has been trying out the Leapfrog Leapband Activity Tracker. This is a cute little watch that holds a wealth of activities and games suitable for kids. The activity tracker encourages active play and healthy habits through 50 fun challenges. Kids can get active with a customisable pet pal as they play games and complete challenges together. Earn points and unlock rewards for being active, caring for a pet pal, and completing challenges. My daughter chose the monkey and this is the picture you see when the screen is locked but there are…

  • Star Wars Rogue One Interactive Imperial Stormtrooper figure
    Hasbro Toy Tribe - playing - toy review

    Star Wars Rogue One Interactive Imperial Stormtrooper figure

    November 28, 2016 - By 

    We’re counting down the days until the latest Star Wars film is released at the cinema. The Force Awakens was the first Star Wars film my son watched at the cinema and he was pretty well hooked on all things Star Wars since then. He has been watching the new trailers and we can’t wait to go and see it when it comes out. Star Wars toys feature pretty highly on his Christmas list and I have been looking forward to seeing what came out. He is obsessive about Lego Star Wars so I was interested to see what he…

  • personalised gifts from the Disney Store
    parenting - playing

    A magical Christmas tea party with a sprinkle of Disney magic

    November 23, 2016 - By 

    A little bit of Disney magic came to our home this week. The children were the lucky recipients of a parcel from the Disney Store, and in honour of our new visitors, we threw a Christmas Tea Party to celebrate. Our family has aways been under the magical spell of Disney and we all have our favourite characters. Us grown ups have been planning a surprise to Disneyland Paris next year so we were delighted to welcome some new friends into our home. I’m sure you know that you can buy plush versions of your favourite Disney characters, but did…