Last year I went to a workshop at my son’s school to learn how they were taught Phonics. Reception is a really important year and I have seen my son learning so much, his reading, writing and letters are coming on in leaps and bounds. I’ve mentioned before that we’re currently working with KD UK and they kindly sent us a Peppa Pig Fun Phonics toy to help him learn. This is a lovely bright toy with a handy handle which makes it easy to hold and carry. My 3 and 4 year old have both been enjoying playing with…
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As much as my children love their toys I’ve found we can often have just as much fun with toys which cost pennies. This week my 4 year old has spent hours on his cardboard box city and today I wanted to share our no sew bean bags with you. Materials needed to make no sew bean bags: Duck or duct tape Craft seal-able bags Lentils Scissors How to make no sew bean bags: I bought a bag of lentils from my local health shop and divided it into three craft bags. I did this just in case my no…
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Everyone knows how important play is. My 3 and 4 year old love to play games and this year Father Christmas brought them a few good ones, ones they can play on their own, with each other or together as a family. One of their favourites is the Peppa Pig Hide and Seek Game. The Peppa Pig Interactive Hide and Seek Game is great for even the youngest of Peppa fans. This fantastic interactive game for 1 – 4 players of varying ages – means that every fan of Peppa Pig can enjoy it. The game includes a ‘talking’…
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The weather has take a turn for the worst recently so we’ve been stuck indoors more than we’d like. Over the Christmas holidays the children really started to enjoy playing family games. They don’t always grasp the rules and sometimes there’s a little cheating going on but it’s great to see them having fun with indoor games and learning new skills. Yesterday we had fun with simple noughts and crosses but we made it a little different by using the children’s toys and making a large washi tape grid on the floor! Noughts and crosses, or tic-tac-toe, is usually played…
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My 4 year old has just started to become interested in games we can play as a family. With excellent timing we were sent the Play-Doh version of the new Shuffle card games. We had lots of fun with it and I’m pleased to say I have a couple to giveaway at the end of this post. The Play-Doh version of Shuffle is aimed at ages 4 and over. Put simply, game players take it in turns to match their cards which display Play-Doh creations to a centre card by word, colour or story association. You can be as creative…
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I hope you noticed the new shiny badge over there on the right? I’ve been recruited by KD UK (formerly InspirationWorks). They make electronic learning toys based on popular children’s characters, think Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam, Disney Princess, In the Night Garden, as well as a few of their own brand lines. My nearly 3 year old has a healthy obsession with Disney Princesses so was pretty happy to be sent the Disney Princess My Magical Secret Book to review. It’s very pink and pretty and my daughter has been carrying it everywhere she goes for the last couple of weeks.…
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Much as we love to play outdoors the temperature has noticeably dropped and we are spending more time indoors. My children love den building. It’s fun, cheap and easy to put away – what’s not to love? According to Philips making dens inspires UK children’s imagination more than watching TV or playing computer games. I thought I would share our top tips for den building: First of all clear a decent sized space Make use of any chairs/sofa/table or even a washing line strung between a couple of chairs Use what you have to hand such as quilts and blankets,…
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Over the summer you may remember we went to see the new Thomas and Friends film, Tale of the Brave. My 4 year old has always loved Thomas and when he was younger never went anywhere without his wooden Thomas and Gordon – it was a sad day when he grew out of that particular habit. Both my children enjoyed Tale of the Brave so were happy to be sent the new Fisher-Price Thomas and Friends Take-n-Play Roaring Dino Run Playset, which was inspired by the new Thomas and Friends DVD Tale of the Brave, to review. Take and Play Roaring…
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You’ve probably guessed I have a huge amount of nostalgia for my own childhood and toys. I would have kept all my old toys if I could for my own children to play with and enjoy. I loved my dolls and my daughter does too. When I was 4 I remember receiving a doll for Christmas. My mum made the dolls’ bed and blankets and I kept it for a long time. If the very mention of Tiny Tears brings back fond memories then you’ll love the new refreshed range. As a first introduction to motherhood, generations of mums and…