Freddy the Weatherman - Bigjigs Play Patrol Mission #1

My little Play Patrol Agent Freddy was delighted to be picked by Bigjigs to carry out a series of secret missions over the coming months, where he will be trying out a selection of their toys and putting the fun to the test!

His first mission was to test out the Bigjigs Magnetic Weather Board. On Sunday we had a wonderful family barbecue to celebrate Freddy's 5th birthday, which is next week.  Once everyone had left, Freddy put his new toy to the test in the garden.  Donning his new uniform of baseball cap and T-shirt he took on his Play Patrol Agent role very seriously. Being outdoors was the perfect location to see exactly what the weather was doing.

The Bigjig Magnetic Weather Board is a lovely, educational toy, perfect for the bedroom, playroom or classroom.  The large wooden framed structure helps children to learn about the seasons, the weather, time and dates, all within the context of a yearly calendar.  The wooden magnetic pieces can be positioned into the relevant spaces, allowing children to record what they did, when they did it and what the weather was like.  A clock face with moveable hands also allows little ones to record the time.

Each of the date, year, season, day, month, activity and weather pieces are made of wood with a magnetic back allowing them to be stuck onto the board.  The colours and designs are appealing making this a fun activity for children to enjoy.  The clock face has words as well as numbers to assist the learning of terms such as half past, quarter to and o'clock. Freddy has always enjoyed playing with toy clocks and seeing how the hands go round.  This will hopefully help him to take his time-telling to a new level!

Being magnetic allows little ones the chance to be creative and explore the different combinations of dates and times through play.  They can learn letter and number recognition, practice counting skills, enjoy colour matching and also learn the spellings of the days, months and seasons of the year.  Older children will enjoy filling out the daily record, making them more aware of time, the weather, seasonal changes and the calendar.

It is a great starting point for discussions about weather and time related things.  For example it prompts children to think about why it rains or what causes the wind to blow, sparking their quest for scientific knowledge.  It also gives them an opportunity to understand how days, months and seasons fit together within a year.  

Freddy has been enjoying having his Weather Board to record his days on.  It is a lovely toy to go alongside his enquiring mind. It has the potential to last for years (and as it includes pieces for the years up to 2020 it will literally last until then!)  It will grow with him as his ability to tell the time and read the words improves. 

                            

The handle allows the Weather Board to be easily carried, while the magnetic pieces stay safely attached to the board.  So Freddy had some fun in the garden putting the fun to the test up the slide, on his climbing frame and on the grass.  This proves that Bigjigs Play Patrol agents can have fun anywhere!!

Using his Weather Board up the slide!!

I love the traditional and highly educational toy.  It aids concentration and dexterity in children aged 3 and over.  It's a real classic piece with lots of play value.  As with all Bigjigs toys it is made using responsibly sourced materials and conforms to EU safety standards.

Telling the time out on the lawn!

I'm sure that Freddy will enjoy this for years to come in lots of different ways.  He has already invented his own game which involves throwing the pieces at the board to try and make them stick.  He thinks it's a great laugh...but what he doesn't realise is that he is learning all about magnetism too!!

Carrying his new toy on his climbing frame!

Filling in the 'Today' section on the Board together is a chance to chat about the child's day with them, which is a lovely way for them to recount what happened and consolidate memories.  Communicating with children is vital for their language development, and boosts their self-confidence too. It's a lovely activity to share at the end of a busy day.

You can find out more from the other Play Patrol Agents on the Bigjigs Facebook page and browse their beautiful range of toys at www.bigjigstoys.co.uk.

There's No Business Like Snow Business

It was a treacherous drive to school and nursery this morning, but thanks to the new Winter tyres that Ian bought 'just in case' I managed not to slip and slide.  I really recommend having them if you are, like me, a rubbish driver!  Every other year I have done 180 degree spins and end up facing the wrong way and crying!  I felt so much more confident, and even though I didn't get into anything over second gear, I managed to deliver the kids to school in one piece and untraumatised by their mother's driving skills.

The snow did not abate at all and by the time I had to pick up Freddy three hours later, there was a good three inches on my car.  I opened the door dropping a tonne of the stuff from the roof onto my car seat and had to endure a cold bottomed drive to nursery.  Freddy's nursery is off the main road, down a tiny side road with a 90 degree turn into the drive which is surrounded by high walls.  Scary stuff as the road was now impacted with icy snow.  I inched round the corner without hitting anything (I thank my new tyres again) and managed to collect him safely albeit with a wet bum.

We drove back home and I Googled school closures as the snow was getting heavier and I was worried about Ella and her one hour bus journey, only to discover that Kizzy's school had closed 15 minutes earlier.  Another trip out in the Arctic conditions to rescue her.  She was panicking thinking I wouldn't know to get her as I don't listen to the radio so didn't hear the announcement.  She had asked the school to phone me and they said they wouldn't and if necessary she'd have to walk home!!!  I'm just glad I had checked online.  It was blizzardous by now and I wouldn't have wanted her to walk home in her little school shoes on her own.

By now Ian was on his way back from Birmingham and had already witnessed two accidents on the M6.  I always worry about his commute when the weather is bad and was relieved to know that he was on his way home.  We also heard that the bus company was suspending its service from Shrewsbury and so Ella had to leave college early to catch the last bus home or risk being stranded! With everyone heading back to the safety of home I was able to at last relax and do the one positive thing that everyone loves to do in the snow...PLAY!

What's Hot, What's Not - January Edition

What's Hot

TV  The new year heralds the start of a lot of great new TV shows and the return of many favourites that disappeared over the festive period.  American Horror Story - Asylum is one of the best things I've seen on TV for a while.  I love the bravery of the producers to use the same cast from the first series, throwing them into different roles and settings.  Genius!  It's very scary with great special effects and incredibly creepy music.  Other favourites include Pram Face, Revenge, Glee, Dancing on Ice (don't judge me) and the imminent return of series 7 of Dexter!  I know I am a bit of a telly addict but I love sitting on my sofa with the kids being entertained.  I am so easily pleased :)

My Crock Pot Slow Cooker this has been a bit of an under used product in my kitchen until recently.  I don't know why it has taken me so long to appreciate the benefit of chucking in the ingredients in the morning and having a warming dinner ready to serve up in the evening.  I guess Freddy being at nursery has made this easier as prior to that I would have a demanding toddler trying to 'help' (or attempting to wield knives and throw vegetables).  Warming stews with dumplings are the perfect antidote to this cold weather.

JooMo It may only be a face wash but it has been quite life changing!  This is the first winter that my face hasn't flared up with an attack of red, inflamed and itchy dry skin.  I put that down to using JooMo which is made of all natural ingredients.  It's all I use now and it works.

Being A Grandma I get to have cuddles and feel all the love in the world, but I have none of the responsibility.  Holding newborn Ted I wondered how I ever coped with a baby.  It suddenly felt like an enormous task to have to look after an infant.  I knew at that moment that my own baby producing days are over.  Plus I know the joy of welcoming the next generation into our family and it's wonderful.

What's Not

This Weather It's cold...but not impressively so.  It is still wet and the waterlogged fields and high rivers are not subsiding giving rise to a lingering degree of worry and concern.  We are told it will snow but then it doesn't.  A few weeks ago it was unseasonably mild and many flowers started to make a tentative appearance. They have all died.  I guess this is typical UK weather with its non-distinct seasons, where our little island is at the mercy of the weather fronts that come in from around the planet.  But it is still suckish not knowing what will happen from one week to the next.

Bugs The kids have only been back at school for 5 minutes and both Ella and Kizzy have got poorly.  Ella was off yesterday and Kizzy was sent home today.  The post Christmas spread of germs is always a problem and is a reminder of how easily serious epidemics can occur.  I don't feel right, but I just have to get on with things whilst feeling slightly sick, slightly coldy and slightly dizzy.  Oh the joys!

Sponsored NSPCC Event I am all for helping out charitable causes when I can.  Yesterday Kizzy came home really excited about the assembly she had had at school that morning.  A woman from the NSPCC had come to their school to talk about the work of the charity.  It included some very emotive material which pulled at Kizzy's heart strings.  Her school is taking part in some sponsored sporting events on behalf of the charity.  I usually sponsor her for a few pounds as do her grandparents. However, the NSPCC encourage kids to get as many sponsors as they can by offering a reward system.  A green badge for up to three sponsors, escalating to a gold medal for those who fill the whole sheet with sponsors.  The kids were told to get their parents to take the form to work to ask colleagues to sponsor them to get as many names on the form as they could to get the gold medal.  When I said to Kizzy that this wasn't happening she was disappointed. Am I just mean or is this method of fundraising just fundamentally flawed?  How much of the much needed funds are spent producing badges and medals (which will probably wind up in the bin eventually anyway)?  Why should children be made to feel like they have let the charity down if they don't get a gold medal?  Why do the children contributing need a reward at all?  This is to raise much needed cash for underprivileged and at risk children. Knowing you have contributed in any way should be reward enough.  Do we live in a society where nobody will do anything unless they are personally rewarded?  I just think it is all wrong and don't understand that in an economical situation where every penny counts why this charity is wasting our donated cash unnecessarily and turning the fundraising into a competition which causes division and disappointment.  Shame.