• Summer Reading Challenge Silly Squad
    Family Life

    How to take part in the 2020 Summer Reading Challenge

    May 15, 2020 - By 

    The Summer Reading Challenge is always a highlight of our summer. We love the summer holidays but this year will obviously be totally different for everyone. Home learning gives shape to our days at the moment and I’m not quite sure what we’ll do come the summer holidays. I don’t think we’ll be going away anywhere which means 6 long weeks to fill, without the weekly routine of our timetable from school and online classes. Thankfully it looks like we will be able to rely on the Summer Reading Challenge to keep us motivated with our reading! The 2020 Summer…

  • What books featured in our Book Advent in 2017
    Advent crafts - book review - Family Life

    What books featured in our Book Advent in 2017

    January 4, 2019 - By 

    I was in two minds about having a Book Advent last year. Although we had  books from the previous year I just didn’t have time to wrap them all individually. However my 7 year old wanted to know why our Christmas elves hadn’t brought the books when they arrived with the Advent calendars, so I quickly got them out so she could enjoy reading them. What is a Christmas Book Advent? The idea of a Christmas Book Advent is simple. Alongside your daily chocolate treat you can also consume something a little longer lasting – a book! We love reading and…

  • Our 2017 Book Advent books (perfect for 5-7 year olds)
    Advent crafts - book review - parenting

    Our 2017 Book Advent books (perfect for 5-7 year olds)

    November 23, 2017 - By 

    I can’t believe it’s time to start getting ready for December 1st and our annual festive Book Advent. Do you organise a Book Advent? It’s a lovely way to bring out some of those classic Christmas books, as well as more modern classics, and cuddle up with a good book. We love to read and this time of year is even more perfect for picking up a longer book and sharing it with your child. My children are 5 and 7 but are happy to share their Book Advent books (thankfully!). The first thing I did was to get last…

  • Join BEAR & Puffin's Big Book Club!
    Happy By Nature - parenting

    Join BEAR & Puffin’s Big Book Club!

    September 18, 2017 - By 

    Little bookworms are going to love the new partnership between BEAR Nibbles and Puffin Books! BEAR & Puffin’s Big Book Club is an online hub packed full of resources and book related activities to keep little ones busy. A new ‘Book of the Month’ is launched every month, these include favourite childhood classics as well as new releases. Create a reading den, stock up on your favourite BEAR Alphabites and spend the perfect afternoon reading a good book. Let us show you how we did it! Creating the perfect reading den The blanket den under the dining room table has…

  • Star Wars books for 7 year old
    book review - parenting - Star Wars crafts

    Star Wars Reads 2017

    April 20, 2017 - By 

    Now in its sixth year, Star Wars Reads, a celebration of Star Wars and reading, has returned with a month-long campaign throughout April. Last year I wrote a post about my son. The only books he would read were Star Wars related, with a few Angry Birds and Minecraft books thrown into the mix. I really thought a year later I would not be writing this post but guess what? He’s still the same. Slightly bigger perhaps but still only reading Star Wars books on his own. Together we have managed to read a few Roald Dahl books, we’ve just finished reading Matilda. And…

  • homestyle - interiors

    Creating a reading corner for children

    March 29, 2015 - By 

    I have always loved to read so it’s no surprise that I wanted my children to love reading too. They’ve been members of the local library since they were weeks old and we regularly attend Storytime sessions and read before bed. I wanted to create a book corner for my children in each of their bedrooms. They both have quite different taste in books and I wanted to make sure they had easy access to their books but also be able to keep them tidy too 🙂 For the past few years we’ve used a fantastic cardboard box from bigbooklittlebookcardboardbox.…

  • book review - Kids crafts - sewing

    Looking back over 2014

    December 12, 2014 - By 

    Is it too early to be feeling a tiny bit fed up about Christmas? I’m beginning to feel the strain of two excited children, a very cluttered house, presents to wrap and quite a few meals to plan and cook too. So I thought I would take a break from reality and instead look forward to 2015 with a little look back at this year. For me this has been the year of books as I’ve really got back into reading. Some of my favourites have been The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson and A Single Breath by…

  • book review - Brand Ambassador - World Book Day ideas

    Celebrating World Book Day with Miles Kelly

    March 3, 2014 - By 

    I love working with Miles Kelly. Not only do they publish brilliant books they also come up with some really fun ideas to celebrate and promote reading. I’m sure you’re all well aware that World Book Day is coming up soon which is one of the biggest celebrations of children’s books and reading. This year my 3 year old will be going to nursery in his favourite pyjamas and taking his favourite book with him. We’ve also received a book voucher which we’re looking forward to spending soon. Celebrating World Book Day with Miles Kelly I was offered the chance…

  • book review

    Tell Me A Story

    November 21, 2013 - By 

    When I had my first child I was overwhelmed with the number of books suitable for him. We’ve always loved books so it was pretty natural for me to read with him too. Every week we would go to the library (we still do now!) and we read books every day. I’ve discovered authors in lots of different ways – through friends’ recommendations, through blog events, through the Bookstart scheme and through trial and error.  What if there was a book for adults which would do all the hard work for them? Well, there is! Tell Me A Story –…