Thames & Kosmos 'The Colour Monster' Game - Review

[AD/Gifted - We received a copy of the game for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

When we were offered the chance to try out the new 'The Colour Monster' game from Thames & Kosmos, I jumped at the chance. It is based on the popular children's book of the same name and although we aren't familiar with it (although I'll definitely be buying a copy now!) the premise of the game really appealed to me, especially with having an autistic child who sometimes struggles with emotions.

The Colour Monster encourages discussions of emotions and how to help children understand them. 

Inside the box you get:

• a game board
• dice
• Monster figure
• child figure
• 2 x shelves
• 8 x jars
• 5 x colour tokens

Before you begin, you need to build the two shelf units and place the jars circle side facing out. The Monster and the girl figure will both begin on the pink splash of colour on the game board and the colour tokens will go on the relevant splashes. Each colour represents an emotion; pink is love, green is calm, blue is sadness, yellow is happy, black is fear and red is anger.

Each player takes turn to roll the dice and they can the move the Monster or their friend (who is there for support) across the game board. 

Once you have stopped on a colour, you must tell everyone something that makes you feel that emotion then you pick a jar to put the colour token into. Each jar will have a colour on the back so you have to guess the right one to get a match. Three of the jars have mixed emotions. If you get the right jar, you slot the token in. If you get the wrong jar, you must put the jar back. If you choose a jar with mixed emotions, you must turn it around so that the colours are on display. If all three end up being turned around during the same game, the Monster will be confused and overcome with emotion and need to go to bed. You win if all the tokens go into the correct jars without the Monster becoming confused.

Both C and E absolutely love this game and have even been asking Daddy to play it with them while I've been at work. It's not like any other game we have played before and it is so nice to encourage a discussion. It made me realise that I very rarely talk about my own emotions with the kids so doing that for a change was refreshing and it is lovely to hear their thoughts and feelings too - some of which did surprise me a little.

The drawings are stunning and it's just a lovely family game that will grow with us and be played a lot. It's recommended for children aged 4+ and retails at £38. You can find out more about The Colour Monster at Kosmos Games.

Mrs Wordsmith Social Journey Subscription Box - Review

I am fortunate enough to be able to bring you a lot of reviews from toys to homeware products and very rarely do I come across something that I fall in love with instantly, but that's exactly what happened with Mrs Wordsmith's Social Journey.

Mrs Wordsmith Social Journey is a subscription box suitable for children aged 2-5 years old and its aim is to develop deeper social and emotional intelligence through introducing new vocabulary on the basis of words that the child will already know.

Instantly, anything with the word "social" in it, and I am like a moth to a flame. One thing that I haven't written much about on the blog yet is the fact that C has been officially diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder which really affects his ability to interact socially. Before receiving our one month's subscription to the Social Journey, I thought that it would be a great way to help him add to his vocabulary (even though he is at the higher age range and will be 6 next month) and maybe help him verbalise his feelings and emotions better. I went into this review with positive thoughts and it has completely blown that out of the water and excelled my expectations.

Inside your box you receive:

• Instruction booklet
• A Picture Book
• Word of the Day Activity Book
• Word of the Day stand
• Word Cards

The first thing that you are instructed to do is read your picture book. Inside that book there are five sets of words and for this month's box, they were: Self-awareness - hungry words (hungry, peckish, starving and thirsty), Resilience - eat words (eat, nibble, gobble, gulp), Creativity - make words (make, invent, design, concoct), Communication - funny words (funny, silly, hilarious, hysterical) and Community - share words (share, collaborate, include, together). Each set of words begins with a short explanation of the types of word you are going to learn about then each individual word has its own short story and beautiful illustration. You are also prompted to ask your child a relevant question at the end of each story.

C absolutely loved the illustrations and found himself in fits of giggles at some of them (mostly the bubble beards in the 'Hilarious' story). The stories were well suited to his age and he understood them all. It was really lovely to see the same characters throughout the book as it held it all together. Involving your child at the end with a question is a great idea. A lot of the time, C would just say "I don't know" but once I pushed a little more, he really thought about it and gave me some great answers. For example, in the 'Invent' story, you are prompted to ask your child what they would invent if they could invent anything. After a few seconds of thought, C replied, "A robot that would do all of the things that I don't like doing."

Once you have finished your picture book, next up is the Word of the Day Activity Book. This book contains a sheet of paper focusing on each of the 20 words that your child has been introduced to in their picture book. You place your activity book on the stand with the first word displayed for a day or two so that your child can soak up the meaning.

Each word has three activities: Say It (where you will read the word aloud and encourage your child to repeat it, focusing on the pronunciation), Trace It (having your child trace around the outline of the word. This is configuration and will help your child become familiar with it and be able to recognise it when it's in a longer text) and Pencils At The Ready where you rip off the activity sheet from the book and do one of four activity types.

• Letter jumble - circling the letters which appear in the word to recognise letters and identify letter shapes
• Colouring - colouring the illustration to boost the retention, develop fine motor skills and improve concentration
• Free writing - practising forming letters independently
• Drawing - encouraging your child to engage with and interpret their newly learned word

This is a great way to get your child learning. C has had so much fun doing these that it doesn't even feel like he's learning. After we have finished our word for the day, we put another up on display until the next morning, where he can't wait do his activity sheet. The fact that it's one a day for 20 days is a good thing as I feel like he has enough time to take in and remember what he's learning, rather than being bombarded with a lot at once.

Finally, the Word Cards. These come in their sets and, as you can imagine, each of the words that your child will have learned previously has it's own individual card with the word and accompanying image from the picture book. There are different tasks that you can do, depending on how difficult you want it to be.

• Peek-a-boo - look at the card and read the word aloud. Cover the word and see if your child can remember the word based on the picture.
• Storytime - see if your child can tell you a story based on the picture and you can help by asking a question that is relevant.
• One player game - set all the cards out and see how fast you can put them in the right category
• Two player game - place the cards in a pile face down, each player draws one card each then race to see who can get their card into the correct category first.

I loved doing these with C and truly felt like it was a little bit of a bonding moment. One thing he really struggles with is losing a game so the two player game is definitely one we will be playing a lot of to try and get him used to it and not have a meltdown. I've also discovered that he has a eidetic memory and the covering of the words is simple for him!

I honestly cannot recommend this enough and I would go as far as to say that it is probably my favourite thing that I've reviewed to date. For someone like C with ASD, visual stimulation and learning is fundamental but your child doesn't need to have ASD to really benefit from this. It will be amazing for starting school and if you begin this early on, they'll be flying when they do eventually go into school. I've since overheard C ask his little sister if she is feeling peckish and telling her that he is starving. It is really nice to hear him using his new words and putting them into context.

The Mrs Wordsmith Social Journey is £21.95 per month but you can choose one bulk payment of £233.40 which works out at £19.45 a month and they also ship throughout Europe and the US.

You can find out more about the subscription at the Mrs Wordsmith website.

(We received this subscription for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

E, you are three!

Two weeks ago my darling daughter E turned three. I know I say this every time I write an update on the children but time has honestly flown by and I can't believe that she's officially not a baby anymore. I think it's a bit more bittersweet because although I'm loving watching her grow up, it's hard because she is my last baby.

For the first two years of her life we co-slept and absolutely loved it but now she successfully falls asleep herself in her own bed, we've potty trained and she doesn't take a bottle or dummy anymore. Nope, I definitely can't get away with calling her my baby but I'll still do it anyway!

Personality-wise, she is amazing. When she was born, her older brother C was just turning two and I remember thinking, "He is just so funny. No other kid is going to compare." Then E came along. She is forever pulling funny faces, putting on accents to make us laugh and even the lines she comes out with have us in stitches.

Chris and I make an effort not to push gender stereotypical toys on our children and we let them play with what they like. E is a massive girly girl in the sense that she is obsessed with Disney Princesses and loves to do her hair and make up in front of a mirror. As much as she likes donning a dress, she is happiest in a pair of trainers and leggings or jeans, and pretending to be Wonder Woman or Maria Hill to her brother's Nick Fury. Yep, she's a Marvel and DC Comics lover too.

She is very much a diva and can throw a tantrum like no other. I see her huffy face 85% of the day and I've lost count of how many times she told me that she's not my friend anymore. She can be a grump but she is very cuddly and always tells us that she loves us. She and her brother are constantly fighting and bickering but I know that she loves him really and her little eyes light up when he gets out of school and she can't wait to speak to him. E is very into her family. She will always be asking to visit her grandparents and having a cousin who is four months older than her is fantastic. They are like two little old ladies when they get together and it's adorable to watch them interact. They'll always be swapping shoes and holding hands.

E has a brilliant imagination and can keep herself occupied quite easily. Even on car journeys, she'll give each of her hands little personas and make them have conversations. She won't really sit still long enough to read a story which is something that I want to try and work on with her but she has a great vocubulary, understands everything and can speak well. I just want to encourage her a bit more before she starts nursery next September.

I can't wait to see what the next year brings!

 

How Peppa Pig Helped Us with Potty Training

My darling daughter E will be three in four weeks time. We only potty trained her brother C last March when he was 3.5 years old but because her language and understanding was fantastic when she turned 2 last September, I decided to introduce her to C's old potty.

She was having absolutely none of it and would scream and cry anytime I suggested using it. I didn't give up but I also didn't pressurise her. I would just suggest trying again every other week but it was always met with the same crying and squealing. With C finishing preschool at the end of June, I was determined to train over the summer. Everyone says that summer is the best time to potty train so I was willing to give it a go.

We received a fabulous bundle of Peppa Pig potty training goodies and because E is a big Peppa fan, I hoped it would sway her a little bit. Usually when she'd see C's old potty, she'd run away from me. I got her to open the box herself and seemed really pleased with the contents. We received a Peppa Pig Steady Potty (RRP £9.99), Peppa Pig Training Seat (RRP £8.99) and Peppa Pig Step Stool (RRP £8.99) - all of which have images of Peppa dressed as a princess on them (another of E's loves!) - as well as a copy of the Peppa and her Golden Boots book (RRP £5.49) and some Peppa Pig Hand and Body Wipes (RRP 75p per pack).

I left the potty sitting out for the first day and she surprised me by sitting on it with her clothes on to get used to it.  I felt like this was a breakthrough in itself so I was happy enough to go forward with proper training the following day. I cannot believe how well she is doing and I have Peppa to thank! Right now we have been using the potty for around a month and E is completely dry during the day with no accidents. We are yet to use the insert and stool because I think she's a little afraid of the big toilet but there is no doubt in my mind that they will make the transition from potty to toilet easier for her.

The Peppa Pig toilet wipes have been great for giving her independence and she's happy to wipe herself, help me flush the contents down the toilet then wash her hands afterwards. She seems comfortable when sitting on the potty and she has now sussed exactly what way to sit so that nothing spills out. The feet of the potty, feet of the stool and edges of the insert are non-slip too so that puts both of us at ease. The Peppa and her Golden Boots book helped in the early days because she was able to sit and flick through the pages whilst sitting down and trying to go - it now gets read a lot a bedtime!

If you're struggling with potty training your little one, I definitely recommend character themed training sets. They are even available in George Pig style.

(We received these items for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

Preparing C for Starting 'Big School'

I cannot believe that my little premature baby is turning five and will be starting primary school soon. Last summer, before he started preschool, all I really did was buy him some new wellies, a coat and a backpack so he could bring home any drawings that he did or crafts that he made. Now that he's going into Primary 1, I feel like I have so much more to do to prepare him.

If you are a regular reader, you'll know that we are currently awaiting an autism assessment for C. His preschool keyworker made him his own little transition book with photographs of his teacher and classroom assistant as well as work sheets to complete and photos of the classroom, lunch hall and toilets. He's also great with maths so I've picked up some workbooks and he's even taught himself to read so I'm planning on getting him some First Readers to have a go at throughout August. He does struggle with zips and buttons so I'm hoping we will get our occupational therapy appointment before school starts but until then, I'm trying my best to teach him how to do them himself.

C is pretty obsessed with anything character-related so his little Cars 3 backpack from Sambro is perfect for him. We saw the movie a few weeks ago and he instantly became obsessed. The bag is the perfect size for his age (32cm x 26cm x 10cm) and I love that the front is a wipe clean plastic. His preschool backpack would cause rain to leak through, making his books and pictures a bit damp, so this will be much better for the year ahead. He was very excited to see the large image of his favourite character - Lightning McQueen - and red is his favourite colour. It's definitely got him excited to start school and show it to all his friends. It's quite spacious too so carrying his pencil case, books and work will be a doddle.

In preschool, obviously he didn't need any stationery items as it was more of a free play setting. I know the formal setting of primary school will be a massive change for him but he's very logical and I know that when he sees his placecard on his table, he will realise that it's own little chair and table just for him. The Sambro Cars 3 stationery items are perfect for his first journey into this formal setting. The filled pencil case (remember those? I know I had one in primary school!) includes everything that he might need from a notepad to pencils and an eraser and sharpener. The super stationery set has even more of these items and lots of pencils - I know he'll need a ton to get him through the year but the four pack of gel pens are the most exciting for him because they are glittery! All of the Cars 3 items can be purchased from Very.

I've already ordered and received his embroidered school jumpers, polo shirts and PE t-shirt so all I have left to tick off my To Buy list are his school trousers, shoes, PE plimsolls and joggers, lunch bag and bottle and maybe a new coat. I don't think I'm doing too badly!Are you prepared for back to school yet?

(We received the Sambro items for inclusion in this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Helping to Introduce Your Baby to the Bottle

There are many reasons why you might consider introducing your baby to a bottle. You may want to start feeding your little one some expressed breast milk; or, knowing that you will be returning to work, you want to ensure that they have some milk whilst you are away from them.

Whatever the reason, this guide will help with how to go about giving your child their first bottle, top tips in the early stages of introducing your little one to a bottle and tactics that you can use when your child refuses the bottle.

How to give your child their first bottle
The common issue for babies being introduced to a bottle is that they will need to use a different sucking action compared to when they were breastfed. It will take them time to get the hang of this new feeling.

To help, try to give your child their first few bottles when they are relaxed and happy as opposed to instances when they're hungry and more likely to want fed by a method that they are used to. It could also be wise to offer your baby a bottle in the evening once their regular feeding has ended - you don't have to give them much milk, as it will be more about getting your child used to the feeling of the bottle's teat.

Another tip is to get someone else to give your baby their first few feeds from a bottle - their dad or a friend or family member - as that way, your baby will not be near you and smelling your breast milk. It may also be best if the mother is out of the house while the baby is being bottle fed, as many babies can smell their mothers even from a distance. You only need to do this a handful of times until your child is used to drinking from a bottle.

Refrain from forcing your baby to feed from a bottle too much, and only feed them enough milk until they let you know that they've had enough. This needs to be a smooth transition, so your child will be more likely to refuse if they aren't enjoying their bottle in the early stages.

What to do if your baby is resisting 
If you are struggling to get your baby to make the transition from breast to bottle, there are some techniques that can help.

You should take the time to find a suitable product for your baby. A bottle with a nipple-like teat that is similar to your child's dummy will likely make it more appealing to your little one, for instance. A slow-flow teat can help if your child gags due to regular teats delivering them too much milk at once.

A First Sippee Transition Cup from Tommee Tippee ticks all of these boxes, not to mention the fact that they are specially designed for a baby's first sips and has a super soft spout that is gentle on your child's sensitive gums. These cups may be well known to you, following a dad's desperate search last year to find a replacement cup for his autistic son. The plea received over 12,000 retweets and the full story can be read on the BBC website.

It's not just the design of the bottle or cup that can help your baby with the transition. Your baby may start sucking from the cup or bottle's teat if you place some breast milk on it and your child recognises the familiar taste.

Let your infant get used to their new bottle or cup in their own time too. Don't be too quick to take it away and give up if they begin to just chew on the teat - let them do this for now as they may switch to sucking on it once they are familiar with the feeling.

Babies may also feel more comfortable drinking from a bottle or cup when they are held in a different position to how you breastfeed them. Feed them from a bottle or cup when they are in a semi-upright position in a car seat, for example, or by having them on your lap but with their back to your chest.

Hopefully with this advice, your baby will be reaching for their bottle or cup for their feed before you know it!

(This is a sponsored post.) 

 

Bigjigs Medieval Train Set - Review #PlayPatrol

We were so excited to recently become a part of the Bigjigs Play Patrol, meaning that we will have the opportunity to review some toys from the Bigjigs Rail range. This could not be more perfect for C as he's very much a typical boy who has adored trains since he was a baby. Since his little sister E has grown up, she loves playing trains with her big brother too.

The first set that we received was the Medieval Train Set and honestly, it's as though Bigjigs knew how much C loves this type of thing. He actually requested to dress up as a knight for Halloween last year. As you can imagine, he was delighted and instantly asked to play with the knight figures.

The Medieval Train Set contains 46 pieces in total which looked a little scary in the box and instruction sheet but I was able to put it together in less than five minutes. The castle is the main feature with a train track that runs through it and lots of figures of people, trees, a target and well.

The attention to detail in the set is fantastic. The Queen's colours are blue and the King's are red and there are even blue and red banners for the front of the castle and matching stands. Each person is painted front and back which I thought was a lovely touch as you can see all the detail in their clothing.

C is a massive fan of role-playing so his favourite thing to do is to have the jester make the King and Queen laugh or have the knight rescue the gold from the train which is being protected by a scary dragon. The set helps children with dexterity, imagination, creativity, co-ordination, problem solving and cause and effect. The thing C struggles with most is getting the train around the entire track whilst the three carriages are connected by the magnets. He tends to go a bit fast when he's excited which means the wheels don't always stay in the right place - he's getting there though! 

I've been observing both C and E playing with the Medieval Train Set together and it is just so lovely to watch. They really enjoy creating scenarios for the characters together and coming up with new ways to play. The chunky wooden pieces are very well made and smooth so they are perfect for little hands to play with. My two can also be quite rough with playtime so I always look for toys that will last. I'm pleased to say that the set has withstood the force that C and E have exerted on it - even the thinner, castle pieces - definitely a plus when you have young children! 

The Bigjigs Medieval Train Set is suitable for children aged 3+ (although I have been letting E aged 2.5 play with it when supervised) and it retails at £42.99.

You can find out more at the Bigjigs website or you can keep up to date on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

(We received this item as part of our role as Bigjigs Play Patrol bloggers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

BRIO School Playset & Village Modules - Review

We are massive fans of BRIO toys and we have been lucky enough to review a few items from the range in the past. If you aren't familar with the brand, BRIO have been creating high quality toys since the end of the 1800's. Originally founded in Sweden, today the family run business has developed into a global company. The idea is that the simple designs spark creativity and encourage development.

I was really excited to receive the new BRIO School Playset for the children to review. The set contains 22 pieces which are a mixture of plastic and wood. Four year old C does request that I build it for him as he has a bit of trouble with needing assistance for a lot of things. The two base pieces slot together easily, and it's just a case of putting together the walls and other bits that are super simple - it can be done without even reading the instructions.

Since C started preschool, he has enjoyed roleplaying where he is the teacher with a class full of students so he has really loved using the two figures that come with the set as a teacher and student. He will make the teacher let the student have outside time where he can play on the attached slide then have the teacher stand in front of the blackboard, ready for the days lessons. The set does not require batteries so children are encouraged to use their imagination. I love watching C act out little scenarios.

In addition to the School Playset, we also received a BRIO Village Module. The expansion module is simply 14 additional pieces that you can use to either expand your school playset or create extra buildings to create a proper village style scene. They are really bright and colourful which is something that I love to see with preschool toys. These slot together in the same way as the School Playset and you can use the pieces to create differently shaped buildings. When built, the sets are very sturdy and can even withstand a boisterous two year old playing with them.

C has had lots of fun playing with these sets, especially using them with his BRIO Rescue Set that we reviewed a few months ago.  I love that the BRIO range work together quite well and I can almost see the cogs whirl round in C's head when he plays with them, wondering what situation he can put his characters in next.

The BRIO School Playset retails at £29.99 and the Village Module is £19.99. They are available to buy from all good toy shops and online retailers. Both sets are recommended for age 3+.

You can keep up to date with at the BRIO website, Facebook and Twitter.

(We received these items for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

 

ASDA Little Angels Day & Night Pants - Review

We potty trained C quite late, last March, at 3.5 years old. We really struggled getting him used to the idea of using a potty or toilet but when he overcame his fears, he took to it well and he was fully dry during the day within around seven to ten days. Keeping him dry at night was another story.

C just wasn't waking at night to go for a wee and I was constantly having to wash his bedsheets daily and change his pyjamas in the middle of the night. I definitely did not want to revert back to using a nappy for bedtime as I felt that it may either confuse him or make him think that he wasn't a "big boy" as he proudly told me he was when he switched from nappies to boxer shorts.

ASDA's baby and toddler brand 'Little Angels' have got Day & Night Pants in their range and I felt that they were the perfect solution. Children do have accidents, no matter what age they are so you can purchase them in size M (4-7 years) and L (8-12 years). They are there to provide confidence for your child. I actually used to use the regular Little Angels nappies when he was a young baby so I was sure I'd get along with the pants.

We received a pack of the M size boys pants for C to try out. At first he did question why I was putting a nappy back on him but I told him they were his special football pants for bedtime in case he needs a wee but can't make it to the toilet. The fact that they are thinner than his sister's regular 6+ nappies helped me convince him that they weren't actually the same! C does love football so he wasn't too upset and happily went to bed wearing them. I felt happy too because he was able to move freely and they weren't restricting. The next morning, he had no redness or marks where they had dug into his skin. He had no complaints so I imagine that he felt comfortable wearing them.

The pack contains 10 pairs of pants so we used one each night and it was sort of hit and miss. Some nights he was dry and others, it was slightly wet the next morning. When putting them on, you do so like regular pants but you rip the sides to take them off. Quick and easy in the morning! The pants are super absorbent so we never had any leaks or irritation on C's skin. We had previously been using a bigger, more expensive brand of night time pants and honestly, these are just as good and a fraction of the price at just £3.87 per pack of 10. I would definitely recommend them to any parent who is either in the same boat as us or has a child who will occasionally have a day time accident. I can definitely see us using them when potty training 2 year old E - especially to pop one on for the school run!

(We received a pack of ASDA Little Angels Day & Night Pants for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)