Christmas Gift Giveaway #8

Cuddling up before bed with a book is part of the evening routine for many children and this giveaway is a great way to extend your home library. 

Poptropica, the self-discovery app for kids, allows them to learn as they play! It has become a global sensation that reaches more than 100 countries across the world and the brand has since branched out into books which accompany the game, and take kids on an adventure beyond the incredibly popular online role-playing world. 

Filled with beautiful illustrations and gripping storylines, these are perfect for young girls and boys who love reading and amazing adventures. The first book, Mystery of the Map, even made it on to the New York Times bestseller list. 

Back to School Books from Letts

With school shoes to shop for, stationery supplies to buy and and new routines to think about, finding the time to choose the best books for your child may not currently be a priority. With a 30% discount until 30th September 2016 however, now is the ideal time to pop over to the Letts website to browse their range of books and pick up a bargain in the process. 

Letts have a wonderful collection of engaging and motivating books to help your little ones get back into a learning frame of mind and with each read supporting the national curriculum you will know they are reinforcing what your child is being taught at school.

Speedy and Splash Children's Book

Speedy and Splash, like all raindrops, love to race, but Splash has never won a race and now he would love to win - just this once! But it seems that this time he's not going to be lucky either. 

He has all kinds of problems to overcome with a leaf blocking his path, an argument between a snail and a caterpillar, and a mysterious monster. Then, finally, when his luck seems to be on the turn, something totally unexpected happens that puts all thoughts of winning right out of his head. 

Letts Gets Wild About Books

Matched to the National Curriculum the Wild About series from Letts helps children to practise and improve both their English and maths skills while learning about animals. These books are ideal if you're looking to have a little fun while reading as each workbook contains beautiful imagery, interesting facts and puzzles to really engage your child. 

Jamster was sent a few to try and he really enjoyed putting the KS2 versions to the test.

The Wild About Maths book we received is aimed at children aged 9-11 years of age and it covers long multiplication, dividing fractions, cube numbers and decimals along with many other topics that Jamster has been studying at school recently. It was nice being able to sit with him at the table to go through the specific topics to further his knowledge at home and I felt more connected with his schooling at the same time. 

Colouring Books For Kids (PLUS Your Chance To WIN)

Colouring books seem to be the latest trend for adults and Jess Volinski has released the fun Notebook Doodles collection that is aimed specifically at tweens, so they can enjoy being creative too.

 

Each book contains 30 interactive colouring pages with various themes and original art that resonates perfectly with tweens. Young colouring enthusiasts will also find coloured examples for inspiration, lessons, quotes teamed with images and perforated pages all on high-quality paper.

 

 

 

The author has worked as a book designer for Scholastic, Henry Holt and Harper Collins, and has an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.  Her royalty free images have been licensed over 150,000 times and appear on numerous products, websites and advertisements.  She has also worked with high-level manufacturers in the fashion, tableware and stationery industry!

 

Fun with Food - The Very Hungry Caterpillar Themed Lunch

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic story that is well loved by many families across the world, and it is still pulled from the bookshelf in our home from time to time too.

I decided to create a lunch inspired by this popular book as I'm a firm believer that making food fun encourages children to eat better/more. With smaller pieces separated into sections it can also be a lot quicker for little people to consume and therefore ideal for school when kids just want to get outside and play!

Our Favourite Books for Inspiring Family Fun

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There is something truly magical about book stores. 

I love to visit Waterstones regularly with the Mini Mes to select something new to read. Opening the door you can almost smell the fresh pages longing to be read with the colourful covers and shelves stacked neatly. Maybe a flying rocket adventure, a mystery solving hardback or a fun filled book with jokes and interesting facts. We all have our own collection of favourite books to curl up with at home and enjoy too, especially on rainy days like today with a hot chocolate!

The great thing about books is that they can really inspire you and change your perspective on certain things. There are some that might get you cooking or crafting and others that encourage you to go out and try something new. 

This is our reading list for inspiring family fun!

What the Ladybird Heard - Julia Donaldson

With beautifully illustrated pages this book tells the story about a Ladybird that overhears the plans of two burgulars and then manages to save the day with the help of it's farmyard friends.

There is a great map within the book and it's a lovely idea to create your own with the kids and maybe hide some treasure in your home to discover! You might also want to play Chinese whispers and see what the last person thought they heard being said.

Funny Bones - Allan Ahlberg

This funny and not very frightening trio are keen to find someone to scare but as they leave their dark dark cellar they soon discover everyone is asleep! This is a lovely humourous tale and the language is quite repetitive which is great for little ones that want to read along with you. 

You could easily create your own glow in the dark pictures with paint, make skeletons from card and paper fasteners to play or just use the book as a way to discuss bones and how the body works.

Spy Dog - Andrew Cope
If you have the next Johnny English in the house the Spy Dog collection is definitely worth a read.
You and your secret agents could then visit Gullivers Spy Zone for some problem solving fun as a family. It's perfect for little ones that dream of becoming detectives with the code breaking tasks to complete.
We had a great time there last summer.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
 A quirky story packed with plenty of tasty treats and an important lesson about greed and honesty from a well known author. Taking a trip to Cadbury's World is a great day out where you can see how chocolate is made, pick up lots of goodies on the way round and visit the giant store filled with all of your favourites. Yummy.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen
You can follow a family as they explore grass, mud and caves in this book and then re-enact what you read!
Try creating your own bear hunt by popping some toys in the garden the kids can search for or take some bears with you on your travels to the park or wood. End it all with a delicious teddy bears picnic too.

Peter Pan - J M Barrie
A classic tale about a boy that doesn't want to grow up. I remember reading this as a child myself so it's lovely to now share it with own two! It has fast become another favourite having seen the Disney movie many times to match and we recently visited the theatre to see Wendy and Peter Pan as a family which was a great evening out.
I'd highly recommend a visit too for pirate swashbuckling fun and high-flying action!

The Girl Who Loved Wellies - Zehra Hicks
A easy to read story that is ideal for pre-schoolers and young readers. This book is about a wellie obsessed little girl who wheres her boots for everything from ballet to having a bath. Why not pop on your own shoes and go puddle jumping, squelching in mud and climbing trees.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle
I still read this to the Mini Mes aged 7 and 9 now and we all giggle away at just how much the caterpillar eats and sit in awe at such a beautiful transformation. This is the perfect book to teach about the life cycle and I think growing your own at home too is ideal for linking with this story.
You can watch them get bigger before releasing them as butterflies into the wild.

The Gruffalo - Julia Donaldson

This is an all time favourite which is very cleverly thought out and features some great poetry.

For some family fun you can head out to Thorndon Country Park in Essex where they have an amazing Gruffalo Trail! Complete with owl, fox, mouse and more it's certainly a great way to spend an afternoon - it's great exercise too!

Stick Man - Julia Donaldson

Speaking of trails, the Forestry Commission has 13 sites where you can have plenty of fun based around the Stick Man book. You can make your own character, build dens and spot hidden items or simply download and print a variety of activity sheets including quizzes and drawing from the website.

Which books inspire you?