The Hape Robot Factory Domino Set Review

 

My children loved this interactive domino set. It is unique and gives hours of fun. Smart and original, it builds lots of different skills.  We highly recommend it. A brilliant toy. 

 

Sure to be a big hit amongst both parent and child, take the domino phenomenon that one step further with this thrilling Domino Robot Factory from Hape, suitable for 4 Years +. Jam packed with a series of additional fun and interactive elements including; tipper car, crazy ball track, tipper arm and ramps help form an exciting robot themed production line to add plenty of drama and spectacle.

With the Robot Factory Domino Set use stored energy to catapult the wooden ball into the air, motor along the double sided track before momentum travels through the spinning arm. With the end in sight watch as the finishing flag begins to fly, that’s just one suggestion of ways to play. With no instructions or rule book to follow the build is in your hands, with each creation is sure to result in a different outcome.

 

Surprise awaits round every corner with this fantastic Domino set. As momentum builds through the course helps to introduce children to the concept of potential energy, momentum and gravity, as well as understanding the principles of (STEM) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics learning.

 

Beautifully crafted from the highest quality natural materials Hape are proud to use only water based paints, tested rigorously to ensure that customers get the best value for money and quality in their toys. So what better example than Hape’s very own Domino set.

The Robot Factory Domino Set is available to buy online for £49.95 from Wicked Uncle.

 

KEEPING IT PIN-TASTIC WITH LITTLE ONES

It’s a fine line –  bulking out your home with toys that keep the little ones thriving without completely destroying that minimalist, Scandi styled space. We’ve pulled together our top three places to buy brilliantly inspired yet beautiful toys for little ones – meaning your house is still perfectly Instagrammable and you have a happy camper in the mix!

 

Hape

The selection of wooden toys from Hape are a firm Frost favourite. Retro in appearance but advanced in stimulation for little ones, you get the best of both for a modest price. Our personal favourites are the gorgeous pound and tap bench, the rotating music box and most of all… the SOLAR SYSTEM JIGSAW. A jigsaw of beautiful colours that will, when done right, look like a purpose built mosaic in your living room. Check out the Hape site for more details.

       

After Noah

This family run business is cuteness to the core. Packed with traditional looking toys, its box of ABC building blocks and wooden jungle animals will help with your little one’s learning AND your house still looking like a Pinterest board – winner!

 

Mulberry Bush

Dancing alligators, Mr Mushroom hammer pegs and Bernie’s Ride On Bus are three of our favourites from Mulberry Bush. The site features tonnes of brands which are playing in this space and is dedicated to retro looking wooden toy which are BEAUTIFULLY crafted.

A Quarter of Mums Lack Confidence Introducing Solid Foods to Their Baby

 

  • New Start4Life campaign launched to boost parents’ confidence in weaning their baby
  • New survey shows one in four mums (26%) did not feel confident introducing solid foods[1]
  • Findings also reveal common misconceptions around the signs that a baby is ready to start weaning

Public Health England (PHE) has launched its first ever Start4Life campaign to help parents introduce their baby to solid foods.

 

Official advice is that most babies should not start solid foods until they are around six months old. By this point their bodies are better able to cope with solid foods and they are more able feed themselves. They are also better at moving food around their mouth, chewing and swallowing. The last UK Infant Feeding Survey showed that three-quarters of parents had introduced solid foods by the time their baby was 5 months old.

 

A new survey of 1,000 mothers of young children conducted for Public Health England found that common myths persist about the signs a baby is ready for their first solid foods, including:

  • Just under half of mums (46%) think wanting extra milk feeds is a sign that babies are ready for solid foods;
  • A third of mums (32%) believe that a baby chewing their fists is a sign that they are ready to start weaning;
  • Just under a quarter of mums (24%) believe that waking up in the night is a sign a baby is ready for weaning.

The survey revealed that many parents have concerns around weaning with more than a quarter saying they didn’t feel confident when they introduced solid foods to their baby. Choking topped the list of worries about weaning, with mums also concerned about allergic reactions to new foods, how much food to give their baby, and concern that their baby won’t eat enough or will reject food.

 

A brand-new weaning hub has been launched on the Start4Life website to help parents during their weaning journey. Packed with NHS-approved advice and tips for each weaning stage, plus simple, healthy weaning recipes for different age groups, it puts everything parents need to know in one place. It also includes new videos showing the signs that indicate babies are ready to wean, how much food to give, and weaning tips from other parents.

 

Public Health England nutritionist Orla Hugueniot said: “Introducing solid foods is an important stage in a baby’s development. It’s a great opportunity to guide their taste preferences and help them learn healthy eating habits that will stay with them for life.

 

“We know that parents have lots of questions about weaning and that many feel nervous about it. That’s why our new weaning hub on the Start4Life website puts all of the NHS advice in one place, helping parents to be more confident and enjoy this big milestone in their child’s life.”

 

Developed in partnership with parents, the weaning hub makes it easy for parents to find answers to their weaning questions and get information relevant to their baby’s age and weaning stage.

 

The campaign is being launched as part of the Start4Life programme, which aims to help parents adopt healthy behaviours during pregnancy, birth and their children’s early years.

To find out more visit: www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning

 

 

THE 10 FUNNIEST JOKES OF ALL TIME

“Why was the sand wet?”, “What do you call a blind dinosaur?” and “What did the policeman say to his tummy?” have been voted the funniest gags EVER according to children.

The recent Beano survey polled kids aged 7-12 to clear up once and for all which gags get the most giggles but in all honesty, the findings are consistent with our adult laugh-o-meter too…

Check out the innocent gems below:

 

  1. Why was the sand wet? Because the sea weed! (52%)
  2. What do you call a blind dinosaur? Doyouthinkhesaurus (45%)
  3. What did the policeman say to his tummy? Freeze you’re under a vest (44%)
  4. Doctor, Doctor! Help, I feel like a pair of curtains! Pull yourself together then (42%)
  5. What’s the fastest vegetable? A runner bean! (41%)
  6. What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite! (40%)
  7. What’s brown and sticky? A stick! (39%)
  8. What do you call a blind deer? No eye deer (38%)
  9. Why should you be careful when it’s raining cats and dogs? You might step in a poodle! (38%)
  10. Do you want to hear a joke about pizza? Never mind, it’s too cheesy (37%

 

Beano’s national school joke competition is open for entries from April 1st. Primary school pupils or teachers (on behalf of their pupils) can enter via www.beano.com/jokes 

MumsThread On The Kindness of Strangers

baby, shared parental leave, feminism, equality, childcare, leave, maternal, work, working mothers, lean inMy last few pieces have been quite negative so I thought I would share something positive today: just how kind people can be when you have a child. That knowing look that other parents give you, that it-is-going-to-be-okay smile that complete stranger do to make you feel better. I remember trying to get into my flat once and struggling to get the pram through the heavy door, a man in a van stopped and asked if I needed help, followed by two other people. That was three people in a row. I was really touched and it made my day. I didn’t want to put any of them out- the pram just needed an extra push at that point- but when you are a parent, especially one with a baby, any kindness really does make your day.

I have had people come up to me in restaurants and tell them how beautiful my son is (I know, proud mum alert). Babies and toddlers are social lubricant. I have talked to more people since I had my son than I had in years. It does feel like when you have a child you enter some kind of club. Not in a bad way, just in a way that other parents will usually strike up a conversation or try to help if they can. Having a child opens up an entire new world. I took my son to Baby Ballet recently, and it was so sweet seeing him with all of the other children, but it was also great being surrounded by other parents. Having a child can be an isolating experience, any kindness you can get, any human contact at all can make or break a day. I am grateful to every single person who took their time. Even if it was just a smile.

What are your experiences of parenting? Share them with us by emailing frostmagazine@gmail.com, comment below or tweet us at @frostmag

 

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2018

Winter Wonderland 2018

© IMG 2018

I have always loved Christmas and few things are more Christmassy than Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. As a Londoner Winter Wonderland marks the start of the festive season. We went to the family press day on the 25th November. We started off with meeting the Teletubbies and then we went on some rides. My son, who used to be known as the Frost baby but is now a preschooler, loved the trains, the dodgems, being spun around on a purple penguin; along with a variety of other rides. There is everything from rollercoasters to basketball games. There is a huge amount to do.

Winter Wonderland 2018

© IMG 2018

The first event we started off with was Magical Ice Kingdom presents The Secret Forest, it is a truly stunning walk through event of stunning ice sculptures. It has plenty of photo opportunities. You can have your picture taken on an ice throne. You can also go down an ice slide. We did both.

Winter Wonderland 2018

© IMG 2018

Winter Wonderland 2018

© IMG 2018

Winter Wonderland 2018

© IMG 2018

We also headed to the circus to see Zippos Christmas Circus. It was truly stunning. The performers are amazing and we were left in awe. There was trapeze and a man balancing a woman on his head which showed huge skill from them both. It is the perfect length for children at 45 minutes. Highly recommended.

We also saw the The Snowman™ Experience. Done by Backyard Cinema, this is a wonderful and immersive experience. it brings back childhood nostalgia and happy memories. Backyard Cinema do excellent cinema screenings which immerse you into the world of the film. This was fun for children and adults alike.

We spent an entire day at Winter Wonderland and we had a huge amount of fun. We also had some crêpes and mulled wine at the Bavarian Village.

Running from 23rd November 2018 until 6th January 2019, Winter Wonderland will be open every day from 10am – 10pm, except Christmas Day. It is a fun day out and we recommend it. See what else there is on offer here.

With FREE entry to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland it is a must go to festive event.

 

hydeparkwinterwonderland.com

 

 

 

The Mother’s Manual Book Review

the mother's manual , parenting tools

The Mother’s Manual is a comprehensive book on parenting. It is very thorough and covers everything you could possibly think of. It is full of great advice and is written in a manner which is very easy to read. I found the bits on sleeping and potty training particularly useful. Liu Yang says that not all of the advice will be relevant for everyone, and people might not agree with it all, I agree that not all of this was for me, but any new parent that is bought this book will find it very helpful indeed. A good book with great advice. 

It’s something that confuses most soon-to-be parents – how on earth are they going to be able to bring up their new bundle of joy without some kind of manual? Well, worry no more, because one UK healthcare practitioner, parent coach has written a guide that answers every question and challenge parents could possibly face.

The Mother’s Manual: Your Kids Won’t Be Delivered With A Manual, Here is Your Copy’ is the new Bible for parents of children up to five years old. In short, parenting no longer has to be a puzzle!

Synopsis:

The Mother’s Manual is a practical handbook on parenting children from birth to five years old. It provides easy-to-apply tips and practical tools and strategies that parents can adapt in their daily life to deal with some of the most common issues that crop up in those early critical years. The author draws on her 20 years’ experience as a healthcare practitioner, as well as on the latest research in child psychology and neuroscience on the understanding of children’s brainwave patterns and how this affects their behaviour. She explains in an easy to understand way children’s development at each stage to help parents better communicate with their children. After reading The Mother’s Manual, parents will be able to understand and experiment with more effective alternatives to time-outs on the naughty step and feel less frustrated themselves by instead using simple and direct suggestions that create miraculous changes in their children’s behaviour. Raising happy and confident children should be an enjoyable part of the parenting process, but sometimes being a parent can be stressful and bring up all sorts of emotions, especially for parents who didn’t have the upbringing they would have liked. The book talks parents through these difficult emotions and provides strategies for dealing with them, so that they can create the happy, relaxed family life.  Everyone knows that a job is easy to do once you have discovered thesecrets to how. The Mother’s Manual serves as a go-to reference book with quickly learn and apply simple strategies and easy-to-follow explanations of children’s developmental stages to guide parents through the daily challenges effectively to create the family life they desire.

“We’re of course pre-programmed with many of the skills and pieces of knowledge we need to be a parent, but my book gives them to you right now, without any trial and error,” explains the author. “Through proper bonding and communication in the early years, any parent can create theoutcome they want, to offer their children the best start in life that they deserve.”

Continuing, “We’re now selling books around the world and receiving hugely positive feedback, averaging five stars on Amazon. I’m so thrilled that my 20+ years of professional experience can now change the lives of people I haven’t even met!”

Indeed, reviews have been glowing. One Amazon customer comments, “This book was fantastic. I read it myself for helpful tips when babysitting regularly for my grandchildren then passed it on their mum to keep. It was full of suggestions with regards to weaning, etc. I’d highly recommend it.”

Another reader adds, “I work with mothers all the time and, not being a mother myself, I needed help to relate. This book helped me better understand the challenges of motherhood and the answers to problems, and now I can relate much better to my clients when I talk to them. It’s a very easy and fluid read as well, highly recommend!”

The Mother’s Manual: Your Kids Won’t Be Delivered With A Manual, Here is Your Copy’ is available now. 

We Have To Stop Telling Parents To Enjoy Every Moment

parenting I am over thirteen months into being a mother of two and there are no words for how hard it is. Since using words is my entire job description that is serious indeed. In those thirteen months I have not had one good nights sleep and my bones feel like they are eighty. Yet I am constantly told by people to ‘enjoy every moment’. As if I am some kind of monster if every moment with my children is not complete joy. Now I love my children more than anything else in this world, (Well, tied with my husband), but pretending parenting is nothing but sweetness and light does no one any favours.

At the moment my daughter is making it hard to write this post because she is doing an adorable peek a boo game and smiling at me, but earlier today she screamed for hours and I could do nothing to comfort her. She is teething and it is one of the hardest things ever. In truth, an unbelievable amount of pressure is put on parents, and on mothers in particular. The standard to be a good mother is one so high you would need a seat on a spacecraft just to reach it. So I write this piece in defiance of the standards that are impossible high, and for all of the people who tell me to ‘just enjoy it’ when I am having a bad day. I mean, when they are doing something they hate, going to the dentist for example, do I tell them to enjoy it because life is short? No, I don’t. Telling sleep-deprived, exhausted parents that they are lucky and to just be happy does no one any favours. Especially as some of them might have post-natal depression. Putting pressure on people to be happy, instead of acknowledging how hard parenting is, just creates unhappiness and pressure for people who are already under a huge amount of pressure.

To be fair I do remind myself that my childrens littleness will go in a flash and I should enjoy it as much as I can. But I am a human being for FFS. Not a robot that can take every crappy moment with a smile. I do not enjoy it when my children are in pain and I cannot comfort them. I do not enjoy the endless sleepless nights and the SAS-like torture of it. I do to like it when my children squabble. I also do not love wiping bottoms, cleaning, tidying or all of the accidental head-butts and scratches. Nor do I enjoy dealing with tantrums, or even a myriad of other domestic crap. And that is okay. It really is.