More-2-Explore Adventure Belt - Review

If you are a parent to a toddler, you'll know that they can sometimes be a bit of a flight risk. In saying that, my eldest child C (now 5) was, and still is, a little clingy and fearful so would always hold my hand tightly when we went out walking. His little sister, on the other hand, has no fear of anything and does a mad dash any time Chris or myself happen to let go of her hand for even a millisecond. 

 

We have tried the usual techniques of hand holding, a wrist strap or harness but none have really felt 100% comfortable - until we tried the More-2-Explore Adventure Belt. 

Wrist straps and harnesses required the parent to keep a hold of one end, either in their hand or round their wrist. As I have two children, going to the shop with them both by myself could be a bit stressful. I'd be holding C's hand then have a hold of E's harness with my other hand, all the while trying to choose what to buy, carry a basket and try to keep E on the right side so that I don't get tangled in harness! 

I didn't realise that a solution to that problem even existed until I was offered the chance to review a More-2-Explore Adventure Belt. These are actual belts that go around the parents waist and child's waist, with a strap connecting them, meaning that you are completely hands free to do what you need whilst also ensuring that your child is kept safe and close by. 

The belt comes in a range of different colours and patterns and E was so happy with her Panda belt. I'm not the thinnest of people but the adult belt fits a waist of 75-100cm so it was comfortable for me to wear. The child's pouch is recommended for children aged 2-5 but can be used up until the age of 8.

E loved the feeling of independence that the Adventure Belt gave her. Although she was still attached to me, walking without holding my hand and being able to walk freely made her feel a bit grown up. The elasticated bungee between the adult belt and child's pouch can be adjusted from 40-80cm and it can be removed completely, leaving the child just wearing the pouch when out of dangerous areas. Everything is attached using buckles so there's no risk of a child being able to undo them themselves.

I've been calling the child's part a pouch rather than a belt because that's exactly what it is! E is able to carry small toys inside the 10.5x10cm pouch which is a bonus for her. She is always wanting to bring a toy everywhere. I've loved being able to go shopping easily and carry my bags home with ease.

The More-2-Explore Adventure Belt retails at £14.99 and is available to buy from the More-2-Explore website. You can also keep up to date on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

(We received the Adventure Belt for this 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 Confronting Nature Aids a Child's Development

Parents, teachers and children's attitudes to nature have shifted dramatically since the 1970s. During the 1970s to the late 1990s, being sent to bed would be considered punishment for a child, as they wouldn't be able to play outside. Now, the bedroom is no longer considered punishment.

This is because the bedroom is home to a whole digital world, made up of social media, games consoles and smart devices. Essentially, they are distracted from the world outside their window.

Designers of natural outdoor playground equipment Infinite Playgrounds explores how and why a child's experience has been limited when it comes to the outdoors in modern age.

Screen schooling
Despite the possibilities of offered by smart devices in terms of learning, playing and communicating, the TV remains popular with British children - 2.5 hours a day, or 17 hours per week on average. As well as this, children are also spending more than 20 hours a week online - mostly spent on social media apps and websites.

So what impact is the dominance of tech in our children's life having on their opinions on the outdoors? A screen-based lifestyle is considered by many as one of the main reasons why more children are choosing to stay indoors, instead of going outside. However, some also believe that although smart technologies can be educational, it is the well-meaning sensibility of parents that are limiting children when it comes to outdoor play.

The potential of unsupervised play
As parents rely on "stranger danger" to educate their children on potential threats, the radius around the homes where children play is decreasing. Since the 1970's, this area has shrunk by almost 90%.


Figures from 1971 suggest that 80% of seven and eight year olds used to walk to school alone or with a friend. Nowadays, this as decreased to just 10%, with many being accompanied by their parent or a guardian. If this is the case when walking to school, then the chances of a child roaming freely in natural settings with their friends are slim. No one is at fault in this scenario, parents simply want their children to remain safe; however, an almost overprotective approach can compromise a child's mental and physical health.


The physical impact of indoor and outdoor play
Playing outdoors brings many health benefits to children. This is because outdoor play is associated with an active lifestyle, whereas inactive lifestyles are associated to those who remain relatively immobile indoors.

Physical health
As such, the growth of indoor play and activities has had a negative impact on children's physical health and wellbeing. Around three in ten children in England that are aged being 2 and 15 are considered overweight or obese. If these current trends continue, then by 2050 more than half of all adults, and a quarter of all children, will be obese.


Mental health
In addition to physical issues, a child's dependence on digital has given rise to an increase in mental health problems. The Good Childhood inquiry found that between 1974 and 1999, the number of children suffering from emotional and behavioural problems increased drastically. Now, one in ten children between the ages of 5 and 16 have a mental health disorder that has been clinically diagnosed.


Living away from the countryside has altered many children's perceptions of reality and changed their physical state of mind. As well as mental health problems, a lack of engagement with the natural world has meant that many children can't learn the resilience and natural problem-solving skills that come with being outdoors and fending for yourself.


How the great outdoors can help
If a child perceives exercise and the outdoors positively, they are likely to do the same in adulthood. If a modern society is to stay healthy throughout their lifespan, children should be looking to play outdoors to make exercise a part of their everyday lives from an early age.


Natural landscapes support more varied and imaginative ways to play. By going beyond the boundaries, children can open themselves up to new experiences and sensations that they may not have otherwise experienced. Our natural world is highly complex, with an abundance of shapes, textures and spaces for children to explore, discover and hide within.


It's clear that the right type of play can be crucial to a child's mental and physical wellbeing. Letting go of the smart device and getting children outside to explore the great outdoors might just be the making of them.

10, 9, 8... Owls Up Late by Georgiana Deutsch

C has always been a massive bookworm. He will be five next month and has taught himself to read. Our house resembles a bookshop and I love it. C is always happy to get a new book to read.

10, 9, 8... Owls Up Late is a brand new book by Georgiana Deutsch. It's recommended for chidren aged 1-4 and the story is about a mother owl trying to get her ten baby owlets to go to bed. 

They are all busy being noisy and having fun and it's a great little book for children who are reluctant to go to sleep. The peep-through parts add a bit of excitement and it uses the concept of counting owls to make bedtime a fun, educational and relaxing experience.

The colours of the book are mostly pale and muted - great to help children relax before bedtime. It creates a tranquil mood and ends with all owlets cosily in their nest, encouraging little ones to fall asleep too.

The rhyme makes it easy to read and lovely for children to listen to and follow. C has learnt a few new describing words and the counting guide at the end is great for teaching children numbers. We've read it a lot to two year old E, hoping that she will remember number orders. 

10, 9, 8... Owls Up Late was published by Little Tiger Press yesterday (10th August 2017) and can be purchased from all good bookstores for £10.99.

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

Toddler Proofing the House with Fred

I have to admit that when it came to baby or toddler proofing the house, I did the minimum and just hid things away that could fall on the children, tucked away leads and put a stairgate on the bottom of the stairs. I tend to spend 99% of my time in the same room as my children so I always thought they'd be safe. 

My eldest, C who is almost 5 years old, was never a child who would go off and touch things he wasn't supposed to or attempt to climb the stairs (I don't think we actually got a stairgate until he was about a 18 months old!). Two year old E is another story. I swear she touches and climbs everything just to wind me up so I definitely felt that some safety measures had to be put into place with her around.

Fred is a brand that has completely revolutionised home safety products. Did you know that 75% of accidents in children under 5 happen in the home? That's a high statistic and it made me realise that a few things in my home that I'd never thought of before could cause an accident. I chose three products from the Fred range to help make my home a bit safer for the children: Adhesive Double Door Block, Plug Socket Covers and the Door Slam Stopper.

The Adhesive Double Door Block (£5.99) was something that I chose because whenever I'm in the kitchen cooking or doing the dishes, E will always open the cupboard under the sink where we keep cleaning products. I'm forever telling her not to but she's a toddler, of course she won't listen! 

When I first opened it out it seemed like because there were a lot of pieces, it may be difficult to actually install but I couldn't be more wrong. I simply wiped down the inside of the cupboard, removed the adhesive strip and stuck it inside at the top so that when I closed the door, the red plastic stuck out. From there, I simply attached the block and that's it! The only way that the block can be removed is by pressing the two sides and pulling it off - a dual action that children cannot master. It uses SecureHold and ExtremeHold adhesives so there is no risk of it coming off accidentally. 

The block sits right against the doors so there is no room for little fingers to get trapped. It comes with an EZ-Dock too so you can always place the block in it and find it when not in use.

I've used plug socket covers in the past (cheap ones from the pound shop) and they have been almost impossible to remove and I was always breaking nails when trying to pull them. Fred's ones (£4.99 for 6) are amazing! They have a little removal tool that you flip up which makes them easy to remove from the socket. They take a tiny bit of effort so that little ones can't remove them too. They lock with a click and the design means that there is no way that children can grab at them and pull them out.

The Door Slam Stopper (£5.99) is probably the one that I needed most. My children are forever playing in the hallway for some strange reason so would be constantly opening and closing the door to the living room. Both kids are also obsessed with making sure doors are closed so I always find myself saying "Watch your fingers!"

These are so handy and I can't believe I never had them before. The actually stopper is made of rubber and stretches to fit on your door. I keep them high up so that the children can't reach them and remove them but even if I did place them lower down, I don't think they'd be strong enough to pull them off the door. Again, they come with a little EZ-Dock holder with an adhesive back so I've stuck that beside the door to hold the stopper when it's not in use. 

All Fred products are bite and choke safe as they are made from non-toxic food grade material - we all know how little ones put everything in their mouths - so there is no worry of them biting off a chunk of anything. 

I can't believe how quick and easy it was to make my house 100% safer and at a really reasonable price too. I feel like I'm a little bit less on edge and can leave the kids to do as they please (well, kind of!) and know they are completely safe.

You can find out more about the range at the Fred website. 

(We received these products for the purpose of this post.) 

 

Bigjigs High Level Expansion Set - Review #PlayPatrol

We absolutely love being a part of the Bigjigs #PlayPatrol. We have already reviewed three items of the Bigjigs Rail range and were so excited to receive our next item. We never know what we are going to get so it's always a lovely surprise. 

 

This time round, we received the Bigjigs High Level Expansion Set. As the name suggests, this works best as an add-on to a track set but if you already own some Bigjigs compatible trains, you could probably use it as a standalone. 

 

The set is comprised of 27 pieces; 17 pieces of train track and 10 girders of a different height. I have to admit that I got myself a bit confused whilst setting it up (although that could be because I had two excited children chattering in my ear). I made sure that I had each girder in height order to make it easier for me to know which one corresponded to the letter in the instruction sheet. They don't go in size order so I think that threw me a bit. 

 

Eventually, I got that track built and I was pleased with how sturdy it is. Each girder has little grooves to hold the track in place so I don't have to worry about the children playing a little too roughly and me having to fix it over and over again.

Both C and E really enjoy this track because it's so different to any other track that we have had. The circular shape is new, as is the fact that there are two levels to it. E gets very excited and refers to it as a "train slide" - super cute! She was also excited to see the little plant and animal images on the sides of the girders. These are made of plastic and I like that there are two different textures to the track. They also add a bit of colour to the plain wooden track. 

 

I've found that the children need to focus a bit more when moving the train around. If they take their eyes off for a second, they tend to lose momentum so it's great for hand-eye coordination and dexterity. They have been playing together with two trains most of the time and using their imaginations to construct a little scenario that is happening between them. 

 

If your children are fans of train tracks - they will love this! The Bigjigs High Level Expansion Set retails at £34.99. You can find out more at the Bigjigs website and you can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

(We received this item as part of our role as member of the Bigjigs #PlayPatrol. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

 

BRIO Farm Set - Review

We have reviewed a few different toys from the BRIO range over the past couple of years and I always get excited when we're offered something new to test as they've quickly become one of our favourite brands. I love that they encourage children to use their imaginations - and most importantly - no batteries are required!

The past few sets we have reviewed have been for an older age group (3+) so when we were offered the BRIO Farm set which is recommended for age 18 months+, I thought it would be perfect for 2 year old E.

The set is comprised of:

• barn
• farmer figure
• cow figure
• horse figure
• four fences
• bucket
• wheelbarrow
• spade
• hay bale
• water faucet 

 
In typical BRIO fashion, there is a good mix of plastic and wooden pieces, which is great from a texture point of view but also makes the set durable. The barn doors open and close and there are spaces for the hay bale to sit for the farm animals to "eat" it.

The fences connect together so you are able to leave it open or close it completely to keep the animals inside. This was a little bit difficult for the children to do themselves so I did need to help them with it. 

At the side of the barn, there are two circles where you can keep the water faucet and bucket. The bucket, wheelbarrow and spade all have a circle attached, meaning you can pop it over the wooden farmer's head for him to use them.

Both four year old C and two year old E have enjoyed the open ended play with this set. They like to put the characters in different scenarios and make the farmer look after the animals from getting them water, carrying the hay to the barn in the wheelbarrow and making sure to bring the animals into the barn from the pen at night time. They love imaginative play and this is a great set to encourage that.

The BRIO Farm set retails at £39.99. You can find out more at the BRIO website and you can also keep up to date on Facebook and Twitter.

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

 

Lucy Locket Wooden Biscuit Set Counting Game - Review

I've always said that the best thing that I ever did for my four year son C was give him a sister. E is two years old so is mobile, can talk and communicate well with her big brother. The closeness in age means that they can play games together happily. One of their favourite things to take part in is pretend play. We have a wooden kitchen set, cleaning set and tea set and they will play with them constantly, if they aren't making up little scenarios with their toy figures!

When Lucy Locket offered us the chance to review one of their Wooden Biscuit Counting Sets, I jumped at the chance because I thought it would go down well with the children and it didn't disappoint.

The set comes in a small box (15cm x 11cm x 6cm) and contains 10 wooden biscuits (five different types) and one tea cloth. Each piece is made of thick, durable wood, which is smoothed down making it perfect for little hands. I love how bright and colourful they are and they replicate real biscuits. I always fancy a pink wafer when the children are playing with it!

C and E both enjoyed pretending to be having afternoon tea and sharing out their biscuits evenly between them. E can be quite difficult when it comes to sharing but she surprised me when playing with this set. She would even pretend to be baking her biscuits in her toy kitchen then feed them to myself and her daddy. 

Not only do you have the pretend play and sharing aspect, but they soon discovered that each biscuit has a number on the reverse. C is starting primary school and September and has recently been teaching himself how to add numbers together. These have been a great tool for me to assist his learning. E, on the other hand, is a little bit younger so is only just learning about numbers and how to put them in order. She previously would skip a few out but this set has been great for number recognition and I'd often line some up in order then ask her to pass me the number which comes next, making it into a fun game. She does prefer to stack them then knock them all over though! 

I love the attention to detail that has been put into the Wooden Biscuit Counting Set, especially with the different shapes and paintwork of the biscuits. I cannot recommend this set enough as it's been both fun and educational and my children have been playing with in constantly since it arrived.

The Wooden Biscuit Counting Set retails at £16.00. You can find out more about their fantastic toy range at the Lucy Locket website or you can keep up to date on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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

 

Turning Tears into Smiles with Elastoplast

I have always been a huge advocate of getting kids outside and playing rather than being stuck inside on tablets and games consoles. I spent 99% of my childhood playing outdoors and I knew I'd get my own children to like the outdoors too. 

  My youngest child, two year old E, has no fear whatsoever. She will run around everywhere and climb anything that she comes across with no thought of any consequences. I follow her like a little puppy as I'm so afraid that she will hurt herself. I know that I need to let her do her own thing more and stop wrapping her in cotton wool. My four old son C is the polar opposite. He worries about the littlest of things so he gets very afraid to do things sometimes and always needs reassurance. We are currently in the process of having him assessed for autism so I'm not quite sure if that goes hand in hand. Despite this, he still loves being outside and exploring the world around him.

As all parents know, little ones are not always as steady on their feet as we are, so bumps and grazes are inevitable. Both of my children like to think they are independent but when they fall over and hurt themselves, a mummy or daddy cuddle is always needed. Kisses and hugs work better than anything as well as reassurance that they are superheroes and falling over happens to everyone. It's all part of learning and growing up! 

Mums and dads are there to soothe their pains and let them know that they will be okay. When this happens to C, he does take it really badly and almost becomes obsessed with his injuries. When he was two years old, he fell and cut his chin on his toy wooden market stand and was left with an impressive scar. Almost three years on, he still talks about "how sore it is" to this day! I do find it hard to calm him and relax him but the promise of ice cream always works a treat - as well as promising a plaster! For some reason, plasters are magic and instantly make the pain better. It's even better when they are character ones! C is obsessed with Star Wars and I'm pretty sure E thinks that she actually is Elsa so these new character plasters from Elastoplast instantly stop tears and make the kids happy.

Elastoplast are my favourite brand of plaster because the quality is fantastic and much better than the cheaper replicas. They've been sold in six countries across the world since 1924 so I'm clearly not the only one who would sing their praises! I feel that they are a brand that you can rely on - I often find myself reaching for one of their plasters when I've cut myself whilst cooking - not just for kids!


This post is an entry for the Britmums #TearsIntoSmiles Challenge, sponsored by Elastoplast http://campaigns.elastoplast.net/plastermoments/uk

 

Christmas Crafts with Baker Ross

We have been Baker Ross Bloggers for over two years now and C still gets excited when he receives the boxes in the post. I knew that this month's box would go down well because he is so excited for Christmas this year because he understands it more.

Here's what was in our box:

• Santa Christmas List Kits (£3.99 per pack of 5)
• Christmas Scratch Art Scenes (£2.95 per pack of 6)
• Christmas Bauble Colour-in Window Decorations (£2.75 per pack of 12)
• Snowflake Fingerprint Decoration Kits (£1.99 per pack of 6)
• Santa Mix & Match Decoration Kits (£3.49 per pack of 6)
• Elf Mix & Match Decoration Kits (£3.49 per pack of 6)
• Gingerbread House Photo Frame Kits (£1.49 per pack of 5)

Firstly, the kids were pleased to see easy crafts that they know how to do. The Gingerbread frames, Christmas list kit and Santa and Elf Mix & Match are the ones where you peel the backing off the foam and stick them on the 'base'. 

At 4 and 2, they have both mastered these and now they can work away at them themselves, E only needs helping removing the backing. Although they are so used the the foam Baker Ross products, I feel like they don't get bored because the themes and pictures are so different at the end. 

They were both really excited to write their lists and put their photographs in the gingerbread house and hang them both up. We even hung our Mix & Match Santas on the Christmas tree. These were probably my favourite of the foam activities as we liked how you could make Santa look a bit untraditional.

Both children love to colour so the window bauble decorations went down well. We dug out the markers and let them get to work. There are 12 in a pack and you can choose from Santa, an angel, a penguin, a robin, an elf and a snowman. They make a nice, personalised change to regular Christmas window decorations.

The Scratch Art kits were great! C was a bit confused at first as he thought you had to colour them but when he got the hang of it, he loved it. You just need to use the scraper supplied to scratch off some of the blackened image to reveal rainbow colours underneath. 2 year old E got a little stressed out over it though and did throw her scraper across the room a few times. I think she was maybe a bit too young for it! There are six different Christmas scenes to choose from.

Finally, both children adored the fingerprint snowflakes! If it means they get to get messy, it's a winner! There are three different inkpads (purple, blue and pink) and the same colours foam snowflakes, ribbon and gems. I gave them complete free reign to put their fingerprints and gems anywhere and I think they did a pretty good job! The ink washes off easily too - thankfully!

C and E have had so much fun doing their Christmas crafts and as you can see above, the prices are fantastic for what you receive. They also have 20% off their Christmas range until midnight December 9th so you should definitely take advantage of that!

(We received these items as part of our role as Baker Ross Bloggers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)