Our Favourite Toys from Chad Valley plus Giveaway

We have had an awesome time as part of the Chad Valley Play Panel and have been given the opportunity to review some great toys.

Here are a few of those we didn't review on the blog as well as our Top 5 of their current spring selection.


First up they sent us this amazing 6 in 1 Multi Games Table,  the kids have loved playing with it and to be fair the adults have enjoyed a few games of pool too.

With darts, a bean bag toss game, push hockey, football and a target game this for me will be the perfect summer toy, we can easily take it outside and play with it well into the evening.

We were sent a rather wonderful Designabear Bunny who comes with clothes you can dress them up in, my daughter loves it and it is super soft and cuddly.

On to our Top 5 from their new 2018 ranges though....

1. My children absolutely love playing out in our garden, my daughter especially loves making potions and mud pies so this Mud Pie Kitchen would be perfect for her. I have seen people make these kinds of things but if you are a bit inept with a hammer and nails like me then this may be for you. - £99.99

2. And for summer picnics and a place to hide and play with toys how about this fab Wigwam Playhouse, at well over a meter and a half tall it is the perfect size for little and not so little children. - £29.99

3. My children are maybe a bit old for this now but I know once upon a time they'd of spent hours playing with little farm animals, building a farm and making all of the animal noises.  A set of 50 pieces means you have everything you need to create your own farm scene. - £11.99

4. Should we get some sunshine this year (crosses fingers, toes and everything possible) then this fabulous water sprayer will come in handy, the kids love being sprayed with the hose pipe but I must admit it gets a little tedious after a while holding it. This is great to get them jumping about whilst spraying them too.

5.  And finally we love this table top football table, great fun for all the family in all weathers. Not only is this the perfect rainy day activity but it also would make a great party game too.

And finally, you can win £75 to spend on making your own spring fun by entering the competition below. T&Cs apply

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Learning Through Play with Chad Valley plus Giveaway

I’ve really loved the Chad Valley toys that we have been sent being part of the play panel.  The main reason being, that in each bundle has been something that’s reminded me of my childhood.

We were sent some of the new selection from the 2018 range and there are some absolutely fantastic items included; toys that reignite my love of play and allow me to reminisce and enjoy time with my children.

Included in the most recent play package was the amazing 6 in 1 Multi Games Table, a 100 Piece Styling Dolls Head and the Be U Jewellery Bead Tree Set.

I absolutely love all of them but I wanted to focus on the styling head as it reminded me so much of my Girl’s World from back in the 80s.  That was without a doubt one of my favourite Christmas presents, I even remember looking for it and circling it in the Argos catalogue.

As I have a shorter hairstyle, my daughter doesn’t really get to play with my hair, so I love that she can sit and play with this and brush it as much as she likes.

It comes with plenty of accessories for clipping hair, tying up hair, and simply making the doll’s hair look pretty. The clips and accessories are bright and colourful and can easily be used in my daughter’s hair too.

It comes with a little hairdryer, which sadly is for effect only, but makes a convincing sound.  This is probably the one thing I would change as I think this would really add to the effect, and since it comes with a little bottle for water to help style then it actually blowing out air would make it feel like you were styling the hair.

We have enjoyed playing with all of the toys we were sent, the bead station has been great and allowed me and my daughter to spend some time together making bracelets.

The 6 in 1 Multi Games Table is an immense piece of kit and we haven’t managed to play all of the games yet, but I can see this being the perfect outdoor game for the summer months, especially for parties. It took me a while to put it together but it was well worth it.

To celebrate the new range of Chad Valley toys I have £75 worth of Argos vouchers to giveaway, simply enter via the Rafflecopter form below. (T&Cs apply)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chad Valley 3 Storey Glamour Dolls House Review

I vividly remember tearing the wrapping paper from the dolls house my Grandad lovingly made for me back in the 80s.  I still have it today, and despite my daughter repeatedly asking about it, I have been a little apprehensive about passing it on to as it is very precious and small hands sometimes get a little bit too excited.

So when we were sent the 3 Storey Glamour Mansion from Chad Valley at Argos, my daughter was ecstatic. I'm not sure what I expected the finished article to look like, but it certainly a grand affair. It stands taller than my daughter and each floor is the perfect size for an upright Barbie.

The detail is great, each room comes with decorations and it even has little dangling chandeliers. Unlike some dolls houses this one comes with furniture, big enough for a reclining Barbie and for me this is a huge plus.

Handily, despite its height, the house isn't particularly deep and so fits neatly my daughter’s bedroom and isn’t too obtrusive.  The colour scheme is modern and bright and coordinates well with any child's bedroom.

My daughter was overjoyed as she oversaw the dolls house being built; it took my partner about an hour to build maybe a bit longer including the furniture and his general confusion (!). But as it stands at over a metre high, this was expected.

The doll’s house is currently on offer at £32.99 which I think is a excellent price for something so big and sturdy.

We were also sent a slot car set and a classic board game set which has been great fun for my son as he has been playing chess at school, it is also perfect for our games evenings.

I can’t express how impressed I have been with the dolls house, it's been a real hit and is light and easy to move around.  We've had it set up in the lounge, in the dining room and is currently taking pride of place my daughters bedroom.

This is a collaborative post, all words and pictures are my own.

Reliving the 80s with Chad Valley at Argos

So you may wonder how I could possibly be reliving the 80s with the Chad Valley range, without leafing through a vintage Argos catalogue?

Well in this months Play Panel bundle, they sent us a toy which I had in the 80s and one which my friends and I used to spend hours playing on.

The pogo ball (or Lolo ball as it was known back in the 80s) is a great way for children to learn about balance, get them to use their core and generally have fun whilst falling over and laughing.

With it being winter, it hasn't been easy to get outside and use this, so we have been playing with it on the landing and in the dining room.

The kids have really loved it and even I have had a go on it (photo withheld!)  I am pretty much as good now as I was back in the 80s for those wondering; like riding a bike you never forget how to bounce on a pogo ball!

I wish I had a picture of me with my 1980s pogo ball, it was purple and yellow and the day it broke was such a sad day :(

Thankfully though I can relive those memories now with the children and show them the kind of toy I had when growing up.

It comes deflated and you use the helpfully supplied pump to blow it up; once it is fully pumped up you are ready to bounce. The platform has two textured footprints for grip and to show you where to place your feet, so even though my 6 year old daughter struggled to bounce on it, she knew exactly what to do.

There are some other fab toys in the bundle too, my daughter loves the Designabear and it hasn't left her side, we've had lots of fun being chased by the lights and sounds elephant whilst trying to get the hoops on his trunk and although we haven't played with the others yet, my son is eager to have a punch about with the inflatable boxing set. Winter sadly doesn't make for great outdoor playing conditions.

As for the scooter; we already had one of these, so we donated this one to charity.

This is a collaborative post, all words and opinions are my own.

Chad Valley Designafriend Amelia Doll & Fluffy Friends Sitting Dog Plush Review plus Win a £75 Argos Voucher

The children and I are excited to announce that for the next few months, we are part of the Chad Valley Play Panel and will be reviewing some of the fabulous toys they have to offer.

Chad Valley have been part of our lives for many years so we are really excited to have them on the blog. 

"Chad Valley is 150 years old, with a range of over 400 toys exclusively available at Argos. The majority of toys are for babies, toddlers and younger children. 

The really special thing about Chad Valley is that all the toys are designed and developed purely with play in mind. That’s it, just pure play and imagination! So, you’ll see hero products such as the Tots Town Pirate Ship and the incredibly life-like Chad Valley Tiny Treasures New-born Doll , which are incredibly popular as they allow younger children to submerge themselves in pure imagination, creating their own little worlds to play in. That said, older children are important too, which is why you’ll also find ranges like Designafriend and Chad Valley Double Sided Easel offering imaginative fun for children up to the age of nine."

We were sent a wonderful selection of toys to play with but the ones we are going to focus on are the Designafriend Amelia Doll and Fluffy Friends Sitting Dog.

My daughter gasped when she opened the box containing the doll, with long blonde hair it looked just like her, dressed in a super funky pair of leggings and leather jacket it looked the part too. It came with little accessories, including some super snazzy sandals, sunglasses and a little bracelet for my daughter to wear.

The box itself tells you all about the range which is a lovely touch and wrapped in tissue paper she reminds me of a doll from a book I had growing up.

The fact the dolls hair is just like my daughters is great and she was so excited to have a doll that looked just like her, the Designafriend range has dolls with all different looks and styles so whatever your little one is in to there is a doll to suit them.

The Fluffy Friends Sitting Dog has been a favourite with both my son and my daughter, it's been shared between the both of them, it has worn a hat and been covered in a blanket at bedtime. We have more soft toys than I care to remember, but this one has been loved and shared like no other before it. It is exactly as described... fluffy, so very fluffy!!

The whole Chad Valley ethos is "that just 15 minutes of imaginative play a day can make an enormous difference to a child's development". I love this sentiment and certainly feel that all of the toys we were sent enabled the children to do just that.

If you like what you see, then you too can get in on some toy action.  I have a £75 gift voucher to giveaway. The perfect little extra to put towards, dare I say it, Christmas this year.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is a collaborative post, all words and images are my own.

My Perfect Christmas Day

I love Christmas, but I think really we are still finding our Christmas Traditions here in The Mummy Diary House.

After coming down stairs and checking Santa has been (and Rudolph and Santa have eaten their carrot and mince pie) we start by opening a few presents, we normally stop for a break to have some brekkie.

The Mince Pie and Carrot for Santa and Rudolph (with milk i'm sorry Santa)

Christmas breakfast is always about hot chocolate and panettone, getting to unwrap the panettone is almost as exciting as the presents themselves and it has been a long standing tradition I get some hot chocolate from hubby so that is always made to go with breakfast.

Then we finish the presents and get ready for the day, last year we went round to our neighbour who lives on her own. We shared some fizz, it was nice to be able to keep her company before she headed off to friends, plus she loves the sound of children in the house so I am happy to help ;)

Then a lovely Christmas dinner ( i'm very modest don't you know) followed by Christmas films and more playing with toys.

My now famous Christmas trifle!

Usually this takes us to bed time for the children and an end to the day feeling rather full and like you'd never eat again!

This year we've been told to expect a remote control car for my son, I hope it's dry enough that my husband and son can go and play on the street, the same as we did when we were kids. (I remember a street full of children on new bikes or skates). Note to self, remember batteries!

This is a day where we get to just do nothing and be together, I won't be getting the vacuum out and the cleaning can wait. And for that I am grateful, we are all well and warm and hopefully happy. This is my perfect day, I hope that everyone get's their perfect day too.

”Merry Christmas! This post is my entry into the Tots100/Argos 12 Days of Christmas competition.“