Online Toy Shops Not For Children

Many town and city centres are rapidly changing as an increasing number of people turn to the internet for their shopping. Traditional toy shops are one type of town centre outlets that appear to be dieing off.

When I was a lad I loved to go into our local town with my mum and dad just to gaze in amazement at the bewildering array of fantastic toys in the window of the town’s toy shop. If we were to go inside I can recall being so excited that I would nearly wet myself. How times have changed.

While there are still a few national chains with outlets in some cities and towns, the smaller, local, independent toy shops have all but died out. Replaced by out of town warehouse style outlets and, of course, the internet.

Shopping for toys online, whilst being immensely convenient and economical, lacks the magic that a visit to the local independent, traditional toy shop used to have. Children can’t really appreciate or even understand a toy until they have touched it and maybe taken it for a test-play. From a child’s perspective the internet can’t really compete.

What’s the answer? Well there isn’t one. While grown-ups seek convenience and economy, children miss out on the magical experience that a visit to their local toy shop used to be.

Sleeping Out on a Trampoline.

Along with the rest of the family, my little boy Marcus, who is 8 years old, loves to watch Ray Mears. He has a fantastic interest in the outdoors, plants, animals and birds and loves our annual camping trips where he can play at being a great explorer and toast marshmallows on the camp fire.

As the school summer holidays approached he began to ask myself and his mother when we’d be going camping and his mother told him that he could camp in the back garden if he wanted to. We began to talk about erecting his little tent on our back lawn and then he remarked that Ray Mears always sleeps in a hammock without a tent.

At this, I suggested that he might do the same. But instead of sleeping in a hammock he could sleep on our garden trampoline. He was all for it.

So we lashed up a flysheet over the trampoline, dug out his little sleeping bag and invited one of his friends over for a sleep out. To make it more like a Ray Mears adventure we cooked some sausages and burgers over a brazier and allowed him and his friend to burn some toast on sticks before tucking them up for the night on the trampoline.

The following morning they were up bright and early, bouncing on the trampoline, full of energy after their little taste of independence. So a trampoline is not only a great way to get some exercise, it can also provide a useful sleeping platform for the odd night in the garden.

Olympic Athletes Start with a Garden Trampoline

They’re everywhere these days. I’m referring to those ubiquitous round garden trampolines that every home with a little outdoor space appears to have. If you own a trampoline you will already know how popular they are with the children. Maybe your youngsters will progress to become the next Olympic trampolining champions.

Trampolining originates from the 1930s when George Nissen noted that trapeze artists would sometimes use their safety nets to perform bouncing tricks. The word ‘trampoline’ is actually derived from the Spanish word for diving board, ‘trampolin’. This is because George used his first, home built trampoline to develop his diving skills.

Trampolining became an Olympic sport in 2000 and many countries now incorporate trampolining into their school’s physical education programmes. Trampolining is a great exercise. It improves cardiovascular fitness, helps develop balance and can even help the immune system by increasing the movement efficiency of lymph.

Providing your children with a garden trampoline is clearly a great way to help them to keep in shape and to develop their balance and bouncing skills. Maybe it will also serve to bounce them onwards to world champion status.

Another Fantastic Home Scalextric Track

A while back we posted a really great video featuring a well thought out and built Scalextric track, well, we have found another.

Again really well put together will all the accessories you could need, race barriers, vantage points, film crew, stadiums and crowd, sponsorship, lighting, buildings and foliage!

They have even added some nifty sound effects to really bring the circuit to life!

Amazon - Racing sets
Modelzone -Scalextric sets, track and accessories
Waterstones - Scalextric guide books

Retro Pedal Cars Save on Fuel

Who can remember having a pedal car as a child? I certainly can. It was one of my favourite playthings, right up until I was simply too big to fit into it any more.

Isn’t it funny how, in the age of the computer with flight simulators and sophisticated computer games, many of these old-school playthings are becoming popular once again. Many parents are moving away from the techno-toys, instead choosing more traditional playthings that they enjoyed as a child.

Pedal cars are one of those toys from days-gone-by that are becoming increasingly popular once again. They are a great enticement to get the children away from their computers and out of the house to engage in a little active, energetic pedalling.

If you are looking for something that is a little bit different for a toddler then a pedal car could be just the thing. And you don’t need to worry about rising fuel prices!

Childrens songs for the car

Do you have a DVD system in the car to keep the kids entertained? Is the DVD system your sanctuary so you do not have to engage with the children?

Surely kids already watch too much TV? Do you really want to subject their eyesight to a 7″ LCD screen which is bobbing up and down during a typical journey.

Don’t get me wrong, TV is not a total evil for little ones, it’s like anything, all good things in moderation. If I am with children I prefer to sing songs and engage with them. There is always a selection of CD’s available that hold a multitude of children’s songs which if anything are fun to learn.

A few years ago I just happened to be watching bid-up TV when a pack of 10 Childrens CD’s were on - I brought one and they are still in use today. I have never seen the same pack again which is a shame as there are plenty of other children who would enjoy the variety of songs which were recorded.

The closest that I have found to this is a CD on the Mulberry Bush site. The CD features a collection of 18 songs including ‘The wheels on the bus’, ‘Ten green bottles’, ‘If you’re happy and you know it’ and ‘clap your hands’.

Now in fairness I am aware that 18 children songs won’t go a long way if you are on a four hour drive. But there are also other alternatives, there are loads of story books including all the Roald Dahl stories on CD, and these are excellently narrated stories which children and adults alike can enjoy. But don’t segregate your children, enjoy stories with them.

Children love the interaction, and do you know what? Give it a chance and so will you!

Mulberry Bush - Children’s Travel Songs
Amazon - Roald Dahl Story CD’s

Do you even consider learning toys?

Where do you start with buying a learning toy for a child?

Are you the harassed Uncle or Auntie wondering what to buy a niece or nephew? Are you a puzzled Mum or Dad wondering what toy may connect with your child and develop them further?

Truth be told there are simply too many toys for parents to choose from and guess what the parents choice is typically narrowed by advertisers and peer pressure.

Look at every Christmas, there is typically a mad stampede for the en-vogue toy of choice, which inavriably ends-up in the obscure never-never land of the back of the wardrobe once the novelty wears off.

Another factor is are those buying presents actually that bothered whether a toy is going to have the right benefit for the child? My guess and experience is not, but you may disagree.

Do the likes of Argos, Woolworths and Toys R Us and the like actually give people the right choices? Or are mass marketed, mass produced, easy win, easy buy toys with attractive packaging co-ersing people into making an impulse purchase.

Have you ever tried asking a member of staff on whether a specific toy would be good for a childs reading, or writing or arithmitec skills? They haven’t a clue and subsequently a child is then in the hands of the gods.

Unfortunately this is endemic of society and the fast speedy world in which we live in which everything must be done at a pace. Thankfully there are a number of stores which do care about children and that do care about what toys they play with.

Traditional toys, wooden toys, retro toys, learning toys, educational toys call them what you like, they still have a place in homes up and down the UK, it is just a pity that so many people do not get to know about these stores.

I have purchased many of these ‘traditional toys’ but not from the big high street stores, I have always found the time to be purposeful about certain toy purchases. That is not to say that I do not enjoy a visit to Toys R Us? Of course I do, all that fun in one place. All I am saying is don’t expect to find toys that will make use of your child’s imagination and nurture their learning.

My favourite Toy Shops include Mulberry Bush Online Toy Shop which is great for Traditional Toys and Hamleys which is an absolute Aladdins cave!

Safe Outdoor Play with a Bouncy Castle

Bouncy castles have been in the news recently after Sam Harris, now 13, of Spalding, Lincolnshire, suffered brain damage as a result of a skull fracture caused by a kick to the head sustained at a party. Does this mean that bouncy castles are unsafe?

The judge in this case found that the level of supervision of the children playing on the bouncy castle was inadequate. The parents responsible for hiring the inflatable were found to have been negligent and damages (likely to exceed £1m) were awarded to the injured boy.

Bouncy castles are not unsafe unless they are improperly installed, poorly supervised or faulty. Some of the known hazards that exist with bouncy castles include:

• Inadequate tethering resulting in the bouncy castle blowing away in windy conditions
• Leaks or faulty blowers causing a loss of pressure and deflation
• Children falling from the inflatable
• Trip hazards (mainly caused by the tethering lines)
• Overcrowding
• Small young children being jostled by older, bigger children

Bouncy castles are now common at children’s parties, particularly in the summer months, and many families are buying their own inflatable outdoor toys to encourage their little ones to get outside and engage in more active play, rather than watch too much T.V. Youngsters find them irresistible so what can a responsible parent or carer do to ensure their child’s safety? Here are some basic bouncy castle safety tips:

• Make certain that the bouncy castle is securely anchored to the ground and that the ground is level
• Make certain that there is either soft ground or impact absorbing mats next to the openings in the inflatable
• There should always be at least one person dedicated to supervising the children on the bouncy castle
• Ensure that the children are not overcrowded on the bouncy castle
• Never let older, bigger children play on the inflatable alongside little ones
• Always make certain that the children remove their shoes and any sharp items of clothing and jewellery including belts and watches
• The supervisor should ensure that the bouncy castle is not abused. Children should not be allowed to climb the walls, push and shove one another or perform acrobatics
• Drinks, sweets, ice cream and food shouldn’t be consumed on the inflatable

Bouncy Castles, and other forms of inflatable outdoor toys, are great fun and a fantastic way to encourage children to engage in active physical play.

Many people believe that, today, we are overly protective of our children, too scared to let them take even moderate risks. Over-protection can lead to children becoming overly dependent on their parents and this can impinge upon their physical and emotional development. A bouncy castle, or maybe a climbing frame, can provide a safe environment in which children can explore and develop their physical confidence.

Are you a poker cheat?

Lately I have been playing a lot of online poker and rakeback poker and have come to realise that there are some really sly and obscure people that cheat there way through the game.

I think there should be a campaign made against these poker cheats to rid them from the good game. Do they not know that when you cheat you always end up losing look at movies for example the bad guys always lose.

Anyway I’m glad I got that off my chest

Adventure Playsets at Bargain Prices

Are you looking for an adventure playset for your children? If you are then you should pay a visit to Climbing Frames UK as their current special offer prices will save you pounds.

Here are a few examples:
The Selwood Trailblazer Playset has a RRP of £599. If you search using Google products you can find one of these excellent garden playsets for £485 but, right now, you can get the same top quality playset made from Cedar wood, sources from sustainable forests, for only £319.

The Selwood Cedar Ridge Playset has a similar bargain price tag at Climbing Frames UK. The RRP for this popular playset is £899. The best price found using Google product search was £699 but you can buy this great adventure playset for only £549 from Climbing Frames UK.

The Selwood Conqueror Playset offers further significant savings at Climbing Frames UK. The RRP for this top class climbing frame, swing set and playhouse combination is £1299. The best price found using Google product search was £995 but Climbing Frames UK have this one on offer at only £949.

A residential playset in your garden is something that your children will love. It encourages active outdoor play, helps them to develop all sorts of skills and will not cost you the earth.