Keeping Children Occupied When Travelling

We were sent some children's activities from Boswells of Oxford to give a try whilst on holiday, but to be honest these items are great no matter where you are travelling and are useful for when you are out and about in restaurants too.

We were sent some Dinosaur Top Trumps which we did already have but I have no idea where they are and were great for my son, he didn't stop playing with them the whole two weeks and they not only kept him occupied but helped him with numbers and his reading too.

We were also sent a fabulous magic picture colouring book, which isn't just any ordinary colouring book but instead you have to use a coin to rub over the blank page to reveal the picture, included were some really bright and easy to grip felt tips which meant my daughter could be kept occupied colouring in once she had revealed the picture using the coin.

Along with these bits, they also included a sing a long CD, I feel our children were a little old for this and as awful as this makes us sound we have never listened to children's CDs in the car. It does mean our children have inherited our great taste in music though.

The CD does however have some classic songs, which, if you are into this sort of thing would make for a great ride along treat.

Having things to do in the car or when you are out and about are always a must for us, these are all relatively small but exciting things which makes them great for just popping in your bag when you are heading out.

NB: We were sent these items for the purpose of this post, all words and opinions are my own.

Faber-Castell Review

We were recently sent some fabulous Faber-Castell pens and paint to review, these brightly coloured pens and paints are the perfect addition to any craft box, they would also make a great gift.

First up is the connector paint box and clic & go paintbrush, this set offers brightly coloured paints that are fun to use, you can un-click just the colours that you need from the box and then just have these on the table.

The brush is really easy to hold, especially for my daughter who is still learning how to hold a pencil.

I absolutely loved the paints, they are super colours and only required a small amount of water to be brought to life.

Next up are the connector fibre tip pens, these pens come in a screw top tub of 50. With so many colours to choose from, these pens are perfect for kids who love to colour.

The great thing about these pens is they also come with connecting clips which allow you to make different shapes and and models out of the pens. As well as being able to clip the pens together  to stop them rolling off the table.

The pens are washable and have broad easy to grip barrels so perfect for little hands, overall we all loved the pens and paints. And finally, here is my sons masterpiece...

NB. We were sent the paint set and pens to review, all words and opinion are my own.

Cafe Kidz Review

If you're a parent then you've probably been in this situation on at least one occasion, sat in a cafe or restaurant with a young child and then suddenly realising you've forgotten to bring something to entertain them.

Well, Cafe Kidz is a great idea for cafes and restaurants to help with this situation, these small packs provide instant entertainment for children age 3 and above and if I was in this situation somewhere and these were available to buy, I would.

Each set contains pencil crayons, a colouring pad, stickers, a key ring and much more, they are a great way to keep younger children entertained.

On opening the packet, the children went through and found the bits they wanted to do first, it kept them occupied whilst my husband and I chose what we wanted for dinner and also whilst we waited for dinner to be served.

The packs entertained them so much, it was difficult to get them to put it all away once dinner arrived.

My daughter loved the fairy set but was equally excited by the monster and robot set that is also available.

Both found it easy to get on with the activities in the pack without much prompting from us.

I can see Cafe Kidz packs sitting well in cafe's and restaurants around the country, unfortunately we weren't out for the evening in which case it would have come into it's own I think, allowing entertainment for a longer dinner.

The packs would also be great for weddings, everyone knows how frustrating it can be for both children and adults during speeches and long dinners so these packs offer a fuss free and compact way to keep children entertained.

With an RRP of £2.50-£3.00 I think the Cafe Kidz packs are well worth the money, if I was sat in a restaurant with restless children I would be prepared to add this to the bill. With so much to do and with a little something they can keep I think it is a great set.