Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Vicki Hunt, Rosalind Kingston-Jones, Sophie May and Stuart Taylor
Organic Cotton Kite Flying Skort with Pockets
This bright bold skort is a big hit with my 3-year-old. She will always choose either a dress or a skirt, so this item really appeals to her, but hidden shorts mean it’s also practical for climbing and adventures. It’s a high-quality piece, made with beautifully thick organic cotton and AZO-free dyes. It has a wide, comfortable waistband in a contrasting colour, and two deep pockets, perfect for collecting treasure. Ducky Zebra designs are all about confidence and kindness, and this skort really captures the brand’s values. The print has elephants, zebras and puffins flying kites amid rainbows, which is joyful. AE
£24.50 duckyzebra.co.uk
Happy Squares Rude Medium Set
Happy Squares have collaborated with Rude Studio to create this fabulously colourful and vibrant set of building squares. Made from thick and durable recycled cardboard, the squares join with card connectors to create all manner of large-scale structures. The squares are versatile and encourage open-ended play – children might want to create a rocket, a shop, a reading corner, a kitchen, a doll’s house. They tapped right into my children’s love of dens (3 and 7). It’s a simple idea, yet so impactful. The patterned designs really add to that and I was happy for the structure to take up half the living room because it was like a fabulous art piece! The recycled cardboard makes the squares tactile and soft and they’re a pleasure to play with. They pack away flat and come with an organic cotton bag for storage. AE
My First Farm
This beautifully made wooden farm is full of surprises – barn doors that slide open and shut, a tractor with a trailer for carting around the animals, even a lift to carry bales of straw up to the first floor. It packs away and has a sturdy handle to help little ones carry it to its next play space. My son has loved discovering everything it has to offer, including the six farm animals, bales of straw and his current favourite, the tractor, which has now made its way into all the other games he plays. With so many figures, the farm creates endless options for open-ended play. RKJ
£55 binkyshop.co.uk
Bella Velio
At 10 months old, Billie got her first taste of riding a bike, before she can even walk! Her stylish Bella Velio in powder pink with walnut veneer looks beautiful. The bike oozes quality from the minute you open the box. It’s easy to assemble, with all the tools needed included, and Billie was soon sitting on her bike, smiling and holding on as we pushed her round the house using the extendable rear handle. Stiffening the rear wheel enables an adult to steer, and as the child gets older, this can be loosened to help them learn to balance and steer themselves. The bike also rolls nicely over grass and on compact trails. We built a little obstacle course in the garden with rollover ramps, balance beams and twisty turns. Using the handle was a brilliant way for Billie to experience these features safely. To start your child’s biking journey, the Bella Velio is perfect. ST
£175 earlyrider.com
Toddler Activity Cards
These cards are brilliant for inspiring my curious 2-year-old! They are always on the go and the activities have been perfect for helping channel that energy into something fun and educational. The set of 50 cards offers 100 different activities based on the Montessori method. Each idea is easy to set up, using simple items we already have at home, or can easily pick up in charity shops. My toddler is especially drawn to art activities and anything that lets them explore using their hands. The activities are broken down into five areas of learning: gross motor skills, practical life, language, exploration through the five senses, and art. It feels like we’re covering a lot developmentally but in a natural and playful way. I’ve noticed they’re more confident and even a little more independent since we’ve started including these in our routine. I highly recommend these cards if you’re looking for simple, Montessori-inspired activities that help your toddler learn while having fun! Suitable up to 3. SM
Wipeezee Child Apron and Splash Mat Bundle
This bundle is ideal for cooking, crafts and mealtimes. We really enjoyed the turquoise sea creatures design. The fabric is 100% waterproof, which got thoroughly tested when we used the mat as a table cover when tie-dyeing. Thankfully, not a drop leaked through. And the mat itself cleaned up really well afterwards with a simple wipe. The fabric is soft, lightweight and non-slip, and the size offers good coverage. You can also use it as a floor mat so it’s useful beneath a highchair too. The apron is made of the same soft and waterproof material and the neck strap has an adjustable slider buckle making it easy to get on and off. AE
£25.48 bibetta.com
Frog City 53 Bike
This is a fantastic, lightweight, geared children’s bike, designed to give the rider a more upright position. My daughter found it very comfortable to ride and loved features like the panier rack and kick stand, as well as the gorgeous teal colour. She has not ridden a geared bike before, but she was able to get the hang of changing gears, and it’s meant she’s had more success on longer rides involving hills. This is a city bike, rather than a mountain bike, and the more leisurely riding position comes from the bike’s longer head tube and raised, slightly swept handlebar. It really suited my daughter and is great for children who perhaps take a gentler approach to cycling, or who want to use it for getting about on roads. We found the quick release saddle useful for finding just the right height, and the step-through frame makes mounting and dismounting easy. A brilliantly designed children’s bike. AE
£550 frogbikes.com
Yoga & Mindfulness Memory Match and Snap Game
This pack offers the classic games of snap and pairs but with a yoga and mindfulness theme. The jumbo cards are bigger than normal playing cards, so they’re easy for children to handle, and the yoga poses featured are nicely illustrated on bright but calming colourful backgrounds. I really enjoyed having a wellbeing theme for the game; it seemed to rub off on my children and kept the spirit positive rather than overly competitive. We started playing that whenever someone got a pair, we all did the pose. The cards inspire movement, and you can be creative with how you use them. We also tried shuffling them, picking five and then putting together a sequence. They come in a handy box with a sleeve for storage and portability. AE
£10.95 innerchildyogaschool.com
A Little Slice of History Card Game
This is a great matching game for 6+ that introduces young players to different historical characters. Each card has a one-liner about the history hero’s achievements and includes symbols related to their roles. The descriptions are wonderfully succinct, so it is easy to pick up knowledge about the historical figures. For example, Billie Jean King’s description is “I am a tennis champion and equal rights campaigner” and Mahatma Gandhi’s is “I was a non-violent Indian leader”. There’s a diverse mix of heroes, and players must match the symbols on their cards to the cards already played. An interesting picture builds up of the connections between the history heroes. The game comes in a neat little box so it’s a good one to pop in your bag for some family entertainment when you need it. AE
£12.99 historyheroes.co.uk
Wake the Tiger
Wake the Tiger is an immersive art experience, described as a walk-through labyrinth of exploration, and a voyage of discovery through kaleidoscopic realms of the imagination. It showcases over 40 interactive spaces. I visited with my 1-year-old son and 3- and 6-year-old nieces, all of whom enjoyed the variety of fantastic, immersive installations. The range of ages meant they all gained something different from the sensory ‘amazements’. You walk through at your own pace, first through an abandoned paint factory, before journeying into the Dream Factory, and finally transcending to the OUTERverse. It was a brilliant and unusual activity that sparked everyone’s imaginations, although the 3-year-old is still asking where the tiger was. RKJ
Adults £15, under-16s £12.50, under-5s free with family tickets and concessions available wakethetiger.com
Magical Advent Calendar: Personalised Christmas Elf Letters
The Magical Advent Calendar brought an enchanting touch to our Christmas season, filling our home with excitement and wonder. From the first letter, my daughter was completely captivated by the magical stories of Elfie and the gang. Each day, she eagerly awaited the next chapter in their adventures. But the magic didn’t stop there – the letters also had a wonderful impact on her reading. Before we started this tradition, she struggled to stick with longer books, often losing interest. The daily letters changed that. The excitement of discovering what happened next encouraged her to read consistently, and she began to see the joy in following a story to its end. Even as she grows older, I’m confident the magic these letters bring will keep her engaged, making the countdown to Christmas as special as ever. VH
£42.95 internationalelfservice.com
Frog-in-a-Box
My 15-month-old squealed in delight the first time the frog jumped out of this jack-in-a-box toy, and it continues to generate giggles each time he comes back to it. Although he is yet to master the ‘loading’ of it himself, the game of peepo can be repeated time and time again. The frog squeaks and rattles, and the lily-pad lid has crinkle petals and different textures to explore. It is soft and safe with removable, machine-washable box and lid covers. A fun version of a classic. RKJ
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Published in issue 92. Accurate at the time this issue went to print.
