Cold weather is the surest thing to send your kids indoors. Which is great until they’ve been inside watching TV for two days straight and everyone is going crazy. Then it’s time to get your kids back outside. Outdoor play is crucial for kids. Continue reading “How to encourage outdoor play when it’s cold?” »

Play is your child’s full-time job — and there’s nothing else that instructs her quite as well in both physical and intellectual development. Playing teaches problem-solving (What can she use to take a picture? What does she need to do to get Teddy ready for bed?). Continue reading “When should a child stop pretend play?” »

Whether they’re our own kids, or those of friends and family, many of us don’t pause to consider the role of play in children’s lives. We just take it for granted that they spend spare moments pushing toy trucks around or pretending to be dragons (or sometimes both) and while it’s fun (definitely for them, and sometimes for us) don’t assign it much significance beyond that. Continue reading “What is the purpose of a toy car?” »

Homework is a fundamental, unavoidable and often stressful part of school life for kids. With distractions increasing and attention spans decreasing, even the best students sometimes find it difficult to find the motivation to do their homework. For parents with less academically minded kids, trying to get them to complete it can be an absolute nightmare. Continue reading “How do children benefit from having small whiteboards at home?” »

Looking for the perfect gift idea? No matter their age or whether they are a girl or boy, you cannot go ‘far far away’ wrong with these enchanting unicorn toys. No matter your budget you’re sure to find a gift that wows, be it a cuddly plush, rainbow slime, or something perfectly personalised. Continue reading “Most Magical Unicorn Toys for Girls and Boys of All Ages” »

From birth to early childhood, children use their five senses to explore and try to make sense of the world around them. It’s an important part of early childhood development, and providing opportunities for children to actively use their senses as they explore their world through ‘sensory play’ is crucial to brain development. Continue reading “What age should you start sensory play?” »

Activity cubes are the toy of choice in most waiting rooms, and it seems with good reason. They are contained, in that they don’t generally have too many loose parts to get lost, kids love them and they are engaging, fun and great for development all at the same time. Continue reading “How does an activity cube help development?” »

Activity cubes come in all shapes (well mostly cube-shaped, but triangles, tables and just big boards can be found as well) and sizes. The idea is that they offer lots of different activities for your little one to enjoy in one compact toy, and generally, they don’t have too many loose pieces to get lost of swallowed, which may be why they are so popular in the waiting rooms of doctors and dentists. Continue reading “What age are activity cubes for?” »

If there is one thing that we consider is a must in any household with babies and toddlers is an activity cube. An activity cube is a cube that has different games for babies and toddlers to play with. Each side of the cube and the top part has a different activity to play with. Most activity cubes have 4 sides but there are some that have 6 sides. Continue reading “Should I buy an activity cube for my child?” »

Blocks are perhaps the most basic kinds of toys, but they’re anything but boring. Blocks are universally entertaining, but while your little one discovers the joys of building and stacking, they’re also learning a lot. Continue reading “Why are stacking toys good for babies?” »