Toy Review: Zoobles - play & collect

When I was asked if I wanted to review Zoobles, a new toy and collectible for girls around the age of 4 years, I did two things: First, I checked Google because, being the mum of a 5 month old girl, I am really no expert for pre-school toys, and when seeing their cute little faces, I jumped up and down in excitement thinking they'd be the perfect toy for my niece Ellie. 

Zoobles are small fantasy animals that come as a little ball (about 3cms in diameter) but magically spring alive when you place them on their 'happitat'. A happitat is the Zoobles' unique living space where they can curl up and sleep if they are tired or transform into cute little animals that blink, wag their tail or wink. All this happens with the help of a little magnet that sits on top of the happitat.

We received Zooble Icetasia and her daughter Iceabella for our review and we both agreed that they are just super cute. Icetasia and Iceabella look like fantasy teddy bears and come in a pale lilac colour and with a cute little snowflake motif that gives them a wintery feel.

I personally think that they are reasonably priced with £5.99 for a single Zooble and £9.99 for a double pack. I can imagine though that it might get pricey, if your little darling decides she wants to have all Zoobles in her not so little collection. What I really liked about them is that they come in such a great variety. There are not only the normal Zoobles but also Hair Zoobles with hair extensions to style, light up Zoobles that glow when you place them on their happitat and special edition packs all costing between £7.99 and £9.99. They would make great birthday presents for friends, stocking fillers or even a reward for when your little one has collected enough stickers on her reward chart. The larger play-sets cost about £20 and are fantastic present ideas for Christmas or a birthday.

Overall, a great toy and collectible that can improve children's role playing skills and helps them use their imagination and creativity.  

Disclosure: I was provided with a Zoobles double pack for the purpose of this review. All my words are my own and have not been influenced by Spin Master.

Silent Sunday

 

Mummy Alarm Review: Leap Frog Twinkle Twinkle Little Violet

Amy is a great sleeper, don't get me wrong, but getting her to settle down for bedtime can be a real struggle sometimes. She is just too interested in everything happening around her that she just can't switch off and relax. We have been thinking about different ways to help her wind down, e.g. taking her for a walk in her pram, sitting on the swing with her or giving her a calming bath. None of it did really work, so I was delighted when the lovely people from Leap Frog offered to send us a toy called Twinkle Twinkle Little Violet.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Violet is a soft cuddly toy that has two functions: a) it helps children to explore first words and counting and b) it gently teaches them to settle for bedtime.

Amy absolutely loves her new fluffy friend and I can't believe just how quickly she has got used to settling with Violet. As soon as she listens to the lullabies, Amy calms down and you can't believe how cute she smiles when Little Violet tells her "Night Night". It's just adorable. Her absolute favourite, however, are the environmental sounds that are the second sound setting that the toy comes with. You can hear a train, the ocean, a carrier bag in the wind (at least that's what I identified it as) and many more sounds which all send Amy to dreamland within minutes. How good is that? You can choose between two settings for sounds and music and either let them run for 10 or 20 minutes. We usually have Violet set for 20 minutes and in general, Amy doesn't need any longer to fall asleep, however, we sometimes have to give her an extra ten minutes to make sure she really is fast asleep. Unfortunately, this is where I can find the only little thing to moan about. Violet obviously does not know that Amy is almost asleep and gives her another cheerful "Night Night", so it can happen that my baby girl happily opens her eyes and gives Violet another big smile before settling again and cuddling with Violet's soft blanket.

Twinkle twinkle Little Violet is available in Leap Frog's Online Store as well as in all good toy stores and costs around £15 - in my eyes an absolute bargain because this toy is an absolute life saver and must-have for all parents of little ones that struggle going to sleep.

Mummy Alarm Review & Competition: John Crane's High Tea Shape Matching Set

Some toys are almost too pretty to play with. One of them is John Crane's High Tea Shape Matching Set that we were sent to review.

It consists of a gorgeous wooden two tiered cake stand and 15 different types of beautifully coloured and decorated cakes that look so yummy that little mouths might want to try them. Amy is still a bit young to be able to match the shapes but she loves looking at the beautiful colours and touching the cakes. In fact, when I opened the parcel that the lovely people from John Crane Ltd had send us, I was (for a very short moment, of course) tempted to keep the High Tea Set for myself. Not to play with it obviously but to put it up for decoration. It really is that beautiful!

The small wooden cakes can be matched to their places on the cake stand either by their shape or by number. This does not only allow little ones to develop hand/eye coordination but also to improve their shape recognition and to practice their first numbers. The High Tea Shape Matching Set does also make a great toy for pretend play. I can already see Amy and her cousins and friends having their own little tea parties. I just hope Mummy gets an invitation too.

The High Tea Shape Matching Set is available from all good toy stores including Dillon’s ToyBox and retails at £23.95 - brilliant value for money, if you ask me. It is easy to assemble (all you have to do is screw the tiers on to the stand) and Amy will be able to play with it for years to come. Given the fact that both the cake stand and the cakes are made of wood, I am sure that even a little sister (no, nothing is planned) will be able to play with it in a couple of years. Also, you can combine it with many of the other toys from John Crane Ltd. - I already have my eyes on the Tea Time Set and the Daisy Tabletop Kitchen.

If you want to be one of the first to know when new John Crane Toys are hitting the shelves, why not follow  John Crane on Twitter and 'like' their Facebook page? Want to see what the team is up to behind the scenes? Check out the John Crane Blog. 

 Win 1 High Tea Shape Matching Toy with Mummy Alarm and John Crane Ltd.

How to enter the competition:

1. Leave a comment telling me what your favourite cake is - required

For extra entries:

3. Comment on one of my non-competition posts and let me know which one you commented on

4. Subscribe to Mummy Alarm's RSS Feed

5. Follow @caro_mad on Twitter and tweet "Win a High Tea Shape Matching Toy with @caro_mad and @johncraneblog. Enter here: http://bit.ly/ntMjAI - Pls RT #win #comp"

6. Like Mummy Alarm on Facebook

7. Use the +1 button below and share on Google+

Please, use separate comments for each entry. Failure do to so will result in only one entry per person.

The closing date of the competition is 12/08/2011
The winners will be chosen at random.
The winners' names will be shown on this page.
Competition is open to residents of the UK only.
The prize is non-refundable and cannot be transferred. No cash alternative is available.

ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Mummy Alarm Competition: Win 10 Write & Spell Books from ZooBooKoo

If your little ones are anything like me when I was in my first years of school, the summer holidays won't stop them from wanting to practice what they have learned during the last term. But don't fear, Mummy Alarm is here to safe your sanity by offering 10 lucky readers a prize that will keep your little brainiacs occupied and give you a well deserved break.

Win a new Write & Spell Book from ZooBooKoo for your child and choose between the Reception Words Write & Spell Book for school starters or for slightly older children the Year 1 & 2 Write & Spell Book with the next 50 high frequency words. The write and wipe 8-page booklets have a sturdy backing to lean on and come with a dry wipe pen. Both booklets contain over 50 high frequency words which form the target learning aims for all Year 1 & 2 students and help your little ones to catch up or prepare for an exiting new year at school. With Write & Spell Books children can practice again and again without killing a whole forest, perfecting their spelling and their cursive handwriting. Being the perfect A5 hand-bag size, they are great on the go, too.

How to enter the competition:

1. Leave me a comment telling me what your favourite word is - required

2. Visit ZooBooKoo's Facebook Page and tell them why you think your child should win and come back to tell me you have commented on their page - required

For extra entries:

3. Comment on one of my non-competition posts and let me know which one you commented on

4. Subscribe to Mummy Alarm using the email form in the right hand corner

5. Follow @caro_mad on Twitter and tweet "Win 10 Write & Spell Books with @caro_mad. Enter here: http://bit.ly/nFXmWb - Pls RT #win #comp"

6. Like Mummy Alarm on Facebook

7. Use the +1 button below and share on Google+

Please, use separate comments for each entry. Failure do to so will result in only one entry per person.

The closing date of the competition is 13/08/2011
The winners will be chosen at random.
The winners' names will be shown on this page.
Competition is open to residents of the UK only.
The prize is non-refundable and cannot be transferred. No cash alternative is available.

ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

9 top tips for Baby's first Easter

Your baby may be too young to decorate a hard-boiled egg or go on an egg hunt, but there are still plenty of ways to make Easter an educational and enjoyable event. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Hide and seek

One of the best games to play with your baby is ‘peek-a-boo’ or ‘hide-and-seek’. It’s traditional, simple to organise, educational and lots of fun. To develop your baby’s thinking, memory and hand-eye coordination skills, hide a plastic egg under a cloth or cup. Say “Where’s the egg?” If your baby is at the reaching and grasping stage, she will look for it, even though it is out of sight. From the age of nine months, your baby may deliberately prolong the fun by hiding the object for you to discover.
If you have a spare tissue box, fill it with Easter ribbons or brightly coloured fabrics. Your baby will delight in pulling out the materials one by one. She will also discover that when you put the materials back in the box, they continue to exist even though they are hidden from view.
To encourage logical thinking, problem-solving and exploratory skills, hide behind the sofa and call out your baby’s name. When your baby discovers your hiding place, she will learn that you haven’t just vanished because you are out of sight. This teaches your baby about object permanence and stability. Psychologist Jean Piaget suggested that this awareness was typically achieved at about six months of age. However, recent studies show that if peek-a-boo games are played regularly, babies understand these concepts from about two months of age.

Easter puppets

A rabbit puppet and a pop-up frog are wonderful hide and seek toys. They provide a wealth of learning opportunities from visual stimulation to speech and language development. They also encourage rich parent-baby interactions and the element of surprise that babies love so much.

Easter books

Three-dimensional books with large, brightly coloured illustrations, textured materials and hide-and-seek pictures that encourage interaction make great Easter presents for babies. Your baby may investigate the properties of a texture with her finger tips or turn the pages to discover something new. Your voice and facial expressions will capture your baby’s interest and attention and liven up her experience of the world. Best of all, your baby will enjoy cuddling up to you, which has a huge impact on her future learning and development. Research shows that babies who are regularly cuddled have bigger brains than babies who are deprived of close loving physical contact.

Easter treasure basket 

Line a shallow basket with a soft bunny blanket and fill it up with Easter-themed objects such as a plastic egg, a textured book, a soft toy rabbit, lamb or duck and a mealtime set. Include a toy that your baby can safely chew on.
When your baby can sit up with or without support, a treasure basket filled with interesting and engaging objects will develop her sense of curiosity. When your baby explores the objects, she will find out about weight, size, shape, taste, smell, sound and temperature. Every time a new object is explored, highly sensitive nerve endings in the skin will send messages to her brain. In this way, information is collected that will lead to the later recognition of objects.

Easter songs

Focus on Easter songs such as ‘Peter Rabbit’ and ‘5 little Ducks’. Even if your baby cannot understand the words, she will enjoy the sound of your voice and your facial gestures and body movements. These time-honoured songs have a repetitive theme, which help to establish a sense of order (mathematical reasoning) and a sense of security. They also provide a powerful stimulus in terms of language and social development.

Easter games

A simple activity such as rolling a plastic egg across the floor will encourage a whole range of mobility skills as well as hand-eye coordination and sensory exploration. When your baby is a little older, you can sit on the floor and roll the egg back and forth or roll it down a slope for your baby to catch. An egg that makes playful sounds will provide an endless source of amusement and fun. Best of all, your quality interactions will make a huge difference to your baby’s emotional development and learning.

Nesting eggs

Towards the end of the first year, your baby will enjoy activities that encourage use of the pincer grip. A multi-coloured nesting egg set for example, provides a wonderful, educational opportunity. When your baby tries to nest the eggs, she will learn about size and space, which forms the foundation for mathematical and spatial awareness. These skills will stand her in good stead for the future.

Easter outing

The spring air provides the perfect opportunity to tantalise your baby’s sense of smell. The fragrance of flowers, cut grass, new leaves growing and the smell of rain will help your baby learn about the world. Fresh air contains high levels of negative ions that can have a positive impact on your baby’s health and brain function. Sunlight provides Vitamin D that your baby needs to grow strong, healthy bones and offers protection from a number of common ailments and disorders.
Activities that the whole family can enjoy together might include a visit to the river or pond to see the ducklings, a trip to a farm to see the baby animals or the excitement of an Easter party, which includes relatives and close friends. Avoid dressing up as the ‘Easter Bunny’ since the costume might unsettle or even frighten your baby.

Capture the occasion 

This year, Easter falls on Sunday 25th April. To mark the occasion, dress your baby in an Easter-themed outfit. Your baby will look adorable in a bunny costume. Capture the moment on camera. A photograph will provide a fond memory of your baby’s first Easter for many years to come.

Can you remember you celebrated your baby's first Easter? Did you dress them in a funny costume? Did you all go for a big walk or do you have special Easter traditions in your family?

National Schools 'Storyonics' Competition

I usually don't publish press releases but I think this one might be interesting for all mums and dads of children in year 5 and 6 year of primary education. There are some great educational toys up for grabs and the literacy competitions offered for the different age groups do really look fun. I still remember taking part in reading and literacy competitions when I went to school and I absolutely loved them. If your little one's year loves a challenge then let their teacher know that registration is now open for the National Schools Storyonics Competition. 

There are over £10,000 worth of prizes including 500 sets of 'Storyonics for PC/Whiteboard' worth £19.99 for 500 lucky participating schools to be won in the prize draw. First prize for the winning class is £1,000 worth of educational toys and games with second and third prizes of £500 and £250 respectively. At the beginning of September participating schools will receive 12 slides each with four images. The class selects one image from each slide and creates a story for submission before the half term break. This is a wonderful opportunity to encourage imagination and creativity while incorporating curriculum literacy skills in a fun way.
The competition is run by ZooBooKoo to celebrate the National Year of Communication and in recognition of schools' services to children's literacy learning. The competition is supported by The Communication Trust and Volunteer Reading Help.

Schools can register by visiting www.zoobookoo.com and clicking on Storyonics Competition. It only takes one minute to register - a minute which will bring hours of fun to your child's learning and the chance to win great resources for your school. So do remember to mention it to your child's teacher.

Join the revolution and change your community with the co-operative

 

There are many great initiatives that support local communities. One of the oldest and most influential initiatives however is over 167 years old. Back in 1844 a group of ordinary people in Rochdale created a business that was owned by its customers and that reinvested in the community it was located in. Although, it was a completely new concept the business that you all know as the Co-operative now became a huge success and started a revolution across the country which is still growing strong. The video below shows you how it all started and also gives you a great impression of how strong the Co-operative's impact on local communities still is. 

 

 

 

Today in the UK, as well as The Co-operative Group with its six million members and 5,000 outlets across its family of businesses including food, financial services, travel, pharmacy and funerals, there are thousands of other co-operators who share the same heritage. They are people like you and me – people with ideas, dreams and visions – but they have empowered and brought their own revolutions to life. There are lots of great success stories about brilliant community projects and all of them are equally inspiring but the community group “Play Montgomeryshire” really stood out for me as a former teaching assistant. The group provides families with free or low cost activities that give children greater opportunity to learn through play. One of their services, the Machynlleth Toy Library, came under threat of closure when its existing funding was cancelled. The library is a well-loved part of the local community, and Mieke and the Play Montgomeryshire team were determined to save it. The group approached The Co-operative and secured a donation of £2,000 from their Community Fund. As a result, they are now confident that the library will continue to serve local children. 

 

 

I have only just moved to my neighbourhood but I know that there live many young families in my area that can't afford to take their children to softplay areas, the zoo or to a football game. Let's be honest, if you have a mortgage and bills to pay, splashing out on fun activities that stimulate your little one's creativity can be difficult or even impossible. Community projects like “Play Montgomeryshire” are a massive help for young families, so if you have an idea on how to help improve your community why not start your own revolution? Apply on the official website or vote for other great projects. You can keep up to date with them on Facebook or even better join the revolution and get involved!

 

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