The popular Radio 2 writing competition for children launched today, with Chris Evans heading up the team of judges again.
500 WORDS invites children aged 13 and under to submit their short stories of fiction to be judged by a panel of authors and celebrities including Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Richard Hammond and Charlie Higson.
Launched in 2011, the competition has been extremely well received. Last year’s competition attracted over 74,000 entries, with famous people such as Justin Bieber, Prince William, Wayne Rooney, and Radio 2′s own Chris Evans making repeated appearances in the stories, alongside made-up mythical creatures like the sharkbaragator (part shark, part bear and part alligator) and chocolateosaurus. And for the second consecutive year, the millions of words used by the young writers will be analysed by Oxford University Press to help shine a light on children’s use of language today.
The writers of the top 50 stories will be invited to attend a broadcast of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show that will be broadcast live from the Hay Festival on Friday 31 May, 2013.
The six lucky winners will be announced live on air and will get to hear their stories read out by a famous narrator.
The full judging panel is:
- Richard Hammond (presenter) [Head Judge]
- Frank Cottrell-Boyce (award-winning novelist and screenwriter, who scripted the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Games, and made Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fly once again for young readers)
- Malorie Blackman (literature and television drama credits include the Noughts And Crosses series)
- Dame Jaqueline Wilson (author of many books including the Tracy Beaker series)
- Charlie Higson (comedian and author)
A shortlist of 50 favourite stories will be picked from across two age groups – under 9s and 10-13s.
The 2013 competition will run until Friday 22 February. Details about how to enter are available on the 500 WORDS website.
Spineless Classics, creator of large format design posters featuring the complete text of a work of fiction, has launched its latest product: “The Complete Peter Rabbit and Friends”.
The poster is available in a choice of two designs – the first depicts the iconic image of Peter Rabbit using the stories’ text to both frame and illustrate him. The second uses original sketches from the series to add colour to the print and appeal to younger readers.
The text is printed at 4pt size which, while small, is readable.
Carl Pappenheim, founder and Managing Director of Spineless Classics said, “The Peter Rabbit series sells two million books every year which shows just how popular it still is over a hundred years later. There aren’t many books that can boast this kind of longevity and I am delighted to have this true children’s classic in Spineless Classics format.”
The colour poster measures 50 x 70cm and is priced at £39.99. The black and white print measures 70 x 100 cm and is priced at £44.99. The prints are available from the Spineless Classics online store.
All Spineless Classics are printed on heavyweight paper in sharp, lightfast ink which will not fade.
The BBC has announced a raft of new science shows for children of all ages, broadcasting in early 2013 on the CBBC and CBeebies channels.
Favourite duo Dick and Dom will be investigating the lives of people who had genius ideas and helped shape the modern world.
Absolute Genius will be a fun, irreverent, fact-laden, explosion-filled journey to explore the work of some of the most important inventors and scientists in history. From da Vinci to Watt and Archimedes, this series will fuse thrilling experiments and animation to explore the theories and inventions that have shaped the world we live in.
Fierce Earth will explore the true power of planet Earth using a mixture of on-location and archive footage, plus experiments, experts and personal stories. Kids will find out about such powerful phenomenon as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis and lightning.
Super Human Challenge will see presenter Tim Fitzhigham searching the world for people with real life super powers.
With the aid of the Mission Doctor, Dr Megan John, he pits himself against them to find out just how super they really are. Using animation, science and technology this show astounds viewers with just how amazing the human body is and what it can achieve. These are real life Super Human that defy science with super strength, extraordinary stamina and other unbelievable physical abilities.
Junior Vets will give six school children the opportunity to become the first ever juniors to enrol at Edinburgh University’s high-tech Vet School. They’ll work alongside the school’s top vets, treating poorly pets, wounded wildlife and farm animals that are feeling unwell.
Deadly Mission: Madagascar takes eight young teenagers to the front line of conservation to discover for themselves the issues faced there, and work directly wit the scientists and conservationists at the forefront of research. They’ll meet endangered wildlife from Humpback Whales to Bamboo Lemurs, plus get to know the generation of kids growing up in rural Madagascar.
Younger CBeebies viewers will be glad to see new series of Nina And The Neurons, Mr Bloom’s Nursery: Get Set, Grow! and Octonauts.
Nina And The Neurons: Go Engineering sees super scientist Nina (Katrina Bryan) and her young Engineers travel the UK in search of engineering wonders from towering skyscrapers to really long bridges. With the help of Nina’s five animated sense Neurons, they explain how things work and discover how science and engineering have built the world around us.
Mr Bloom packs up his Compo Car and head out across the country to set up a travelling village fete for thousands of Tiddlers. Mr Bloom is, of course, joined by his loveable team of Veggies who are thrilled to discover about life outside the Nursery from a hydroponics farm to an amazing maize maze.
Exact dates and times of broadcast will be revealed in due course.
Most adults know one of the keys to good health and freedom from common ailments is the simple act of frequent and thorough hand washing.
In an effort to install the same knowledge and practice in children, Kimberly-Clark has teamed up with Disney to promote its new Healthy Schools Project.
The UK Department of Education has released figures showing that thousands of British children are absent from nurseries and schools each day due to minor illnesses. Many of these are spread due to poor hand hygiene.
The project provides free resources and lesson plans about hand hygiene, allowing teachers to integrate them into the curriculum.
To get the message across in a cutesy way, Disney characters will be printed on hand hygiene dispensers and colourful posters designed for bathroom walls. Favourites including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Donald Duck will be featured.
This child-friendly campaign aims to help teachers reinforce positive messages about the benefits of good hand hygiene while engaging children to take greater responsibility in washing their hands.
Dr Louise Vickerman, Education Manager at KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL, said, “It makes sense to introduce good hand hygiene to children when they’re young so that it stays with them their whole lives. By involving images of beloved Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, they are more likely to engage in the activity and learn about the importance of hand washing.”
Philippe Roucoule, Director, Food, Health and Beauty, The Walt Disney Company added, “We found that when a child connects with a character they are more likely to choose a healthier option, whether this is making a healthier food choice, or in this case practising good hand hygiene. Disney characters resonate with children of all ages and we’re pleased that some of our most established characters are featuring in the new campaign by KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL. Our characters are a great way to engage children and we look forward to them making their way into schools across the UK and Germany as part of The Healthy Schools Project.”
This article contains no graphic visual images or disturbing videos, yet I’m going to warn you that this could well be the sickest thing you’ve read in a long while.
Moral Right To Life
According to a group of professors publishing in the Journal of Medical Ethics, babies are not “actual persons” and have no “moral right to life”.
Editor Prof Julian Savulescu suggests that anyone who speaks out against these views, which I’d suggest the majority of society would consider abhorrent, is a “fanatic opposed to the very values of a liberal society”.
We already know that abortion is a contentious issue, but whatever your view of that, surely the suggestion that newborn baby is no different to a foetus is a bizarre and flawed one.
Even if you believe that an unborn baby (i.e. one that is still in the womb) can be aborted at some particular number of weeks, it’s a stretch to consider there to be no difference once born.
On a logical level, of course, you can argue that the difference is a mere matter of hours. On an ethical and human level, the difference is immense.
From reading excerpts, it seems that there’s a distinction between a ‘human being’ and a ‘person’.
What Is An Individual?
The report suggests, “The moral status of an infant is equivalent to that of a fetus [sic] in the sense that both lack those properties that justify the attribution of a right to life to an individual.”
This leads them to the suggestion that it’s “not possible to damage a newborn by preventing her from developing the potentiality to become a person in the morally relevant sense”.
They define ‘person’ to mean “an individual who is capable of attributing to her own existence some (at least) basic value such that being deprived of this existence represents a loss to her.”
This debate is deeply worrying. Academics are free to have discussions about what it means to be ‘alive’ and a person, but when it metamorphoses into the suggestion that newborn babies can be killed if they don’t meet the expectations of the parent, we’re coming dangerously close to the abhorrence of child sacrifice. The god we sacrifice to? A society which suggests that humans are only valuable based on what they do and what they can contribute, rather than on the very basic premise that they are alive.
After-Birth Abortion
The deeply shocking report concludes that “what we call ‘after-birth abortion’ (killing a newborn) should be permissible in all the cases where abortion is, including cases where the newborn is not disabled”.
These sorts of arguments are not new. In fact, thinking logically about it (which seems to be the main concern of the publishers, who dismiss the idea that the majority of humans would have a moral viewpoint on it — or at least a notion of what is acceptable and unacceptable in a supposedly developed country) it’s merely an extension of the thinking that calls for a longer time frame for abortion.
Yet it is perhaps one of the starkest indicators of the value those, particularly in positions of power, place on human individuals.
Poor Reflection On Our Society
Our society is deeply flawed when it suggests that babies who do not meet an acceptable level of ‘perfection’ can simply be done away with on the grounds of inconvenience or financial burden on society.
The report singles out certain disabilities, such as Down’s Syndrome, with the implication that it would be far better to euthanise (kill) them at birth rather than let them live. That’s despite the fact that many recognise that people with such a disability are still incredible, valuable members of society with much to offer. And, regardless of that, they are human beings.
Has history not already taught us, time and time again, how wrong it is to discriminate to the point of life and death against certain races or abilities?
Let’s hope and pray this kind of thinking never makes it beyond the walls of academia into legalised action.
You can read the entire report here.
Via The Telegraph
I don’t believe in fairy stories and neither do I believe that the majority of actions most companies take are purely altruistic. As Phoebe Buffay might say, “There’s no such thing as a selfless good deed”.
Yet even in a world where we are being marketed to in some way for most of our waking lives, I still find it sad that a question from the mouth of a still innocent three-and-a-half year-old child has been labelled as an evil PR stunt.
I believe the letter is real. I really don’t think Sainsbury’s marketing department would stoop so low as to create a five-and-a-half year old fake blog just so it could sell more bread.
Proud parents of Lily Robinson decided to post an entry on their blog when Sainsbury’s wrote to them to thank them for the letter their daughter had sent in.
She wanted to know why “tiger bread” was called “tiger bread” when its pattern looked more like that found on a giraffe.
To cut a long story short, a Sainsbury’s staff member wrote a charming letter back explaining the bread’s history. Mum Lucy was pleased. Lisa was pleased. Chris King (aged 27 1/3) was pleased, and is now apparently training to become a primary school teacher. Good for him.
Who isn’t pleased? The cynics.
You see, there are many, many reasons to be cynical. If you can pick at least three then you’re a super cynic:
- It’s made up. Lily is made up. The letter is made up. It’s a PR stunt to sell more bread.
- It’s exploitative of Lily. The parents are profiting.
- Only £3 of vouchers? That’s a bit stingy.
- We’re all victims of a capitalist society where soulless advertising and PR executives exploit us to sell us more crap.
Honestly, I’ve had it with the cynics. (You could say I’m cynical about cynics, but being a recovering one that could soon become an existential quandary, so it’s best you don’t say it).
Excuse the crude imagery, but where much of the world appears to be disappearing down the toilet faster than last night’s Vindaloo, isn’t it nice to be told a story — hey, perhaps even a truth-slightly-twisted story — that’s a little heartwarming?
A story where a three-and-a-half year-old child — presumably one who attends a kindergarten where toddling prophets of doom aren’t allowed — has asked a simple question of a store that she sees mum buy groceries at.
I’m sure if Lucy had shopped at the blue and red store, or the green store, instead of the orange one, then Lily would’ve written to Mr Tesco or Mr Asda (sorry, I mean Mr Walmart) instead. They all sell Tiger bread, after all.
Yet apparently it’s all exploitative. It’s not entirely clear who is exploiting who, but knowing how cynics work, it’ll be everyone and everything.
Lucy will be exploiting Lily by somehow profiting (to the tune of £3 and by asking people to donate money to the Disasters Emergency Committee) from the fact her little corner of the Internet suddenly went viral.
Sainsbury’s has masterminded the whole charade in order to sell more bread, thereby exploiting the family, and us, and society, which will now see “lines for bread like they were in post WW1 Germany” (no, really).
And it all feeds into this giant, wholly evil capitalist society. Who’d've thought the innocent letter of a three-and-a-half year-old girl could spark all that off?
Now, I do know that Sainsbury’s works with bloggers in order to promote its business. Many companies do, and there’s nothing very new in that.
I also know that a lot of the good things that happen in society are championed by corporations primarily to get their name associated with a cause and lap up a bit of free press.
But surely we all have a duty to allow a child’s innocence to last for as long as possible?
These sorts of stories will crop up time and time again. Some will be real, borne out of a parent’s genuine interest in sharing a little piece of their child’s life that, to them, is highly significant. Others will be generated by companies.
We won’t always know the difference, but does it matter? Sainsbury’s isn’t using kids to sell us illegal drugs. It’s a loaf of bread for crying out loud!
If there was something illicit about these goodwill stories, we’d have the right to be up in arms. Yet adults all have brains and free will. I already like Tiger / Giraffe bread. I’m not going to buy more just because of this story. If I do, it’ll probably be from Morrison’s anyway.
There’s a time and a place for looking at company exploitation, corporate greed, and the system as a whole. It just makes me sad when a little ray of sunshine story is trampled all over in the race to moralise over societal decline.
Perspective, people.
1. Aerobie
Aerobie
Frisbees are a lot of fun for families to play with, but a few years ago Aerobie burst (flew) onto the scene. It’s a supercharged frisbee that will have you doing more incredible mid-air stunts and manoeuvres than you thought possible.
Its super aerodynamic design means it flies fast and far, yet is relatively easy to catch (if you’re in its flight path) without the pain associated with a solid plastic disc if you catch it wrong.
Ideal for use in large open spaces such as parks and beaches.
2. Air Hockey
Air Hockey
Many parents will think of air hockey with a happy nostalgic sigh, while kids will love the simple, addictive concept. It’s now possible to buy mini air hockey sets and recreate the excitement of slamming that disc into your opponent’s goal.
3. Articulate
Articulate
Great family fun as you have to describe a myriad of words to your team without using particular words printed on the cards, “rhymes with” or “sounds like”.
Some of the words and phrases might not work with younger children, but you could always adapt the game to allow a parent to help youngsters or allow them to pass words they don’t know.
4. Backgammon
Backgammon
Backgammon is one of those games that everyone knows about but not everyone knows how to play. Maybe it’s a bit like Marmite — you either love it or hate it — but it’s definitely worth learning how to play. It’s quite simple to understand but has a good mix of strategy and luck.
5. Battleships
Battleships
Whether you play with paper and pencils or decide to buy one of the modern versions, Battleships is a classic game that’s definitely worth introducing to your kids.
6. Beat The Black Ball
Beat the Black Ball
Sadly this game doesn’t seem to be manufactured any more. Picture a plastic cross with a huge funnel sticking out from the centre. One player sets a large black ball spinning in the funnel, then four players attempt to be the last person to release their marble before the black ball drops through the funnel’s spout and into the chute below.
It’s a very simple game but strangely addictive.
7. Blokus
Blokus
A great strategy game that’s easy to learn but hard to master. Players take turns placing pieces on their board, each starting from their corner. Each new piece must touch at least one other piece of the same color, but only at the corners. The goal is to get rid of all your pieces. The game ends when all players are blocked from laying down any more of their pieces, then the player with least number of squares wins.
8. Blow Football
Blow Football
Popular in the UK, blow football tends to be an impromptu game using drinking straws, ping pong balls and something to represent goals, but various boxed versions are also available. It can be played with two people — one on each side — or by multiple people.
9. Boggle
Boggle
Boggle is a classic wordsearch style game. It consists of 16 cubes with various letters printed on them, which are then shaken up and allowed to fall in a random formation on a 4×4 grid. Players then seek to find the most words in a given time. It’s a great educational game and remains a challenge for the whole family.
10. Bop It
Bop It
Bop It, and its successors, are popular, noisy handheld toys which encourage hand-eye coordination and are a lot of fun to play. They can be played solo or in various ‘pass it’ modes allowing two or more people to join in. The concept — to correctly follow spoken or sound effect instructions by pulling, twisting or otherwise manipulating the “Bop It” — sounds simple but can be surprisingly fiendish.
Your kids are bound to have given you (or Santa) their Christmas wish lists already, but if you’re looking for a little inspiration for stocking fillers, take a look at our list.
Here are a range of action, creative, discovery and musical toys, games and crafts, plus cute clothing ideas, so we hope there’s something you like here. Even if these aren’t exactly what your children want, they may serve to stir up ideas. Follow the links and you’ll also be able to see a range of related products.
(OK, we cheated a little – some of the products are a little over £20, but they were just too cute or cool to leave out).
Action
WOW Toys The Turbo Twins Friction Powered Racing Car Team – £10.99
2 x Friction-powered racing cars called the Turbo Twins, 2 x Boy and girl drivers called Simon and Vicki.
Science Museum My Mystery Mid Air Floating UFO – £10.99
My Mystery UFO lets you amaze your friends–their jaws will drop in disbelief and shock. Throw the Magic UFO like a flying disc, spin it like a top, and make it hover and float. There are no batteries or radio controls and it’s completely silent. The amazing effect sets up in under 15 seconds. Suitable for children over eight years old.
Great Gizmos Brush Robot – £12.99
Build a robot that scuttles along on a brush. Powered by rapid vibrations of its motor. Educational and fun. Requires two “AA” batteries (not included). For ages 8 and up (not suitable for children under 3).
Marbultopia Marble Run Build & Learn – £12.25
Create amazing marble towers and runs and have endless hours of fun. Teaches basic construction skills.
Dragster – £9.90
Four-wheel fiends will love the Dragster kits, guaranteed to show off some serious speed and antics and make fabulous gifts for children of all ages this Christmas.
Mookie Lunar Hero Radio Controlled Car – £19.99
A strong, fast stunt vehicle able to do 360 degree spins and fully controllable up to 10 metres away with the wireless remote control unit.
Xploderz X Stormer 575 – £20
Pump action character gun fires ammo up to 75 feet.
KRE-O Transformers Megatron Toy – £17.49
Build the ultimate Decepticon villain, Megatron, in vehicle or robot mode with this 2-in-1 set of 310 KRE-O construction pieces. Includes 4 Kreon figures: Megatron, Shockwave, Specialist and Police Officer. 2-in-1 KRE-O construction set lets you build Megatron as a robot figure or as a truck. In vehicle mode, up to 2 of your Kreon figures can ride inside the cab of the truck.
Mega Bloks Dump Truck – £9.99
Offers little builders’ hours of vehicle play fun. Combines cool, sturdy freewheeling dump truck with simple building. Comes with fun role-play construction worker figurine and Maxi bricks. Building preschoolers’ imagination.
Books
BEABA Kid Cook Book – £9.90
Featuring 25 original recipes created especially for children by mum-of-three Virginie Michelin, the Kid Cook Book makes it easy to introduce children to nutritious and tasty meals that they will love.
Available from BEABA.com
Characters
Bob the Builder Wooden Playtray – £7.99
This 8 piece wooden playtray is a fantastic introduction to the world of puzzles for young ones aged 2 and older. This high quality, hand crafted wooden lift out playtray is an ideal puzzle for pre-school children. Each of the large, sturdy wooden pieces is fitted with a colourful knob for easy lifting, and the high quality materials ensure the playtray is durable and safe for your child. Our playtrays are a fun way to help develop the following pre-school skills; Character identification, Manual dexterity, Shape matching and Concentration.
Octonauts 3 in a Box Jigsaw Puzzles – £6.99
Young Octonauts fans will enjoy this set of 3 sturdy jigsaw puzzles. Each puzzle shows a different Octonauts design and features favourite characters from the hugely popular TV show. Characters are shown in some of the locations featured in the TV show, including inside and outside the Octopod, and out and about exploring in the Gup-A. Each of the designs has been created to ensure that each jigsaw delivers enough of a challenge and plenty of satisfaction when completed! Each puzzle is cut to a different number of pieces – 25, 36 or 49 pieces and is made in strong recycled board. The puzzles have a linen finish to help stop glare on the puzzle picture. Each puzzle measures 18 x 18cm when complete A great gift for Octonauts fans and those keen to develop their puzzle building skills. This would also be a good buy for someone with several children or a playgroup needing graded puzzles for different levels of puzzle-building skill.
Fireman Sam Training Tower Playset – £19.99
Help Sam to train aspiring fire fighters with the training tower playset. Beat the door down with the battering ram then use the ladders and water buckets to extinguish any fires! With Fireman Sam figure the set also includes 3 ladders, training dummy and stretcher. With smoke tunnel and real fire features!
Winnie The Pooh interactive Friend
This interactive cuddly toy is a child’s best friend, allowing them to role play by mirroring their own routines throughout the day with Pooh. With easy set up, adjustable to your own routines, Pooh will switch modes throughout the day and talk to your child with over 50 phrases including prompts to get him dressed, feed him and settle him down at bed-time. In play mode Pooh includes a hide and seek game and Pooh comes with his own Honey pot and spoon to feed with.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Colourfelt Play Board – £9.99
Children can bring the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar to life with their own hands as they build engaging scenes from the much-loved children’s book by Eric Carle. Watch the little caterpillar turn into a beautiful butterfly as he munches his way through all the food he finds on his big adventure. The soft felt pieces cling to the felt play board and can be used again and again for endless fun. The large 37 by 31 cm soft touch board comes with 31 Very Hungry Caterpillar felt pieces that Stick Like Magic. It all comes in a portable clear carry case so you can take it anywhere and tidy it all together when play time is over.
Clumsy Smurf Figure – £3.25
To mark the new Smurf film coming out in summer 2012.
The Gruffalo Magnetic Adventures – £8.99
Magnetic play set featuring all the characters from the much-loved story of The Gruffalo, stimulating creativity and imagination. Ages 3+.
Doctor Who Character Building the Time of Angels Mini Construction Playset
The Weeping Angels are back! Recreate scenes from Series 5 Episode 4 with this Time of Angels playset…the Doctor and Amy along with River Song went hunting for a solitary Angel but discovered an army of angels waiting for them! Highly detailed construction playset including a fully articulated Weeping Angel micro-figure. Suitable For Ages 5+.
Thomas and Friends Take-n-Play James – £6.99
James is a durable diecast TakenPlay engine that can connect to other TakenPlay engines and vehicles with easy connect magnets that connect either way.
Sylvanian Families Chocolate Labrador Family – £16.99
You’ll have to be an early riser to keep up with the Sylvanian Families Chocolate Labrador Family . Come rain or shine these hardworking pups are up at six every morning to tend to the crops on their farm. They’re the perfect team to take care of Highfields Farm, sold separately, and if they need an extra pair of paws to help there’s also the Sylvanian Families Chocolate Labrador Twins to collect.
Clothing
2in1 Cosy Foot Muffs – £28.99
The Minene Innovative Cosy Foot Muff is designed to be used as a warm and snuggly foot muff and blanket in the Winter, the fleece blanket can then be zipped off and it can be used as a pushchair liner in the Summer.
It fits all standard pushchairs and is machine washable.
Available in 6 designs from minene.co.uk.
Mini Superheroes – from £16
Available in a range of designs for your 0-10 year-olds. Available from www.fabricflavours.com
Creative
Hama Night Life Glow Beads Gift Box – £10
A kit in a class of its own; brand new from Hama Beads in 2008, this kit showcases the new glow in the dark blue hama beads, alongside the established red and green glow beads. Teamed with the two most popular pegboards in the range, this is a fantastic first kit and perfect for a present or gift. Contains 2000 mixed glow beads, butterfly board, flower board, designs, instructions and ironing paper.
Great Gizmos – 4M Paint A Flower Pot – £7.99
Paint a terracotta pot and turn it into a piece of art! Grow your favourite flowers in it or make it as a gift for someone. Each kit contains two 8.75cm/3.5” terracotta pots along with paints and a paintbrush plus a colour mixing guide and painting ideas.
Gelarti – from £9.99
Winner of the Dream Toys Kids Choice Award, Gelarti lets girls create stickers with a difference. They can paint and decorate their own designs with glitter paint and sparkling gems to show off their individuality. The stickers are reusable again and again on any surface from notebooks to bedroom walls, so just paint, peel and decorate to express your style.
Charmies Magic Beader – £19.99
With the Charmies Magic Beader, £19.99, girls can thread beautiful designs in any combination of beads quickly and easily, like magic. Load the Magic Beader with the chosen Charmies, then simply twist to string pretty designs together.
Hello Kitty Cool Cardz – £19.99
Create high quality laminated cards with the safe and mess free cool laminating machine! This funky kit is great for invitations, club ID cards, secret messages, badges, and more! Cute Hello Kitty stamps and stickers are included to make cards look really funky and they can even be displayed in the Hello Kitty wallet.
Booster Cushion With Crayons – £22.99
These gorgeous booster cushions come with attached crayons & a coloring book to keep your toddler occupied. They are lightweight & compact making them ideal for home, eating out or traveling.
The cushion is designed for toddlers that can sit unaided at the table and comes with safety straps that fit most standard dining chairs.
The cover is easily removable and machine washable.
Available in 4 designs from minene.co.uk.
Letter Press Cookie Cutters – £12.95
These cookie cutters will help you bake cookies that really make a statement. Double sided, punch out the shape then turn them over to stamp the letter. The cookies look great either plain or iced.
The set contains all 26 letters plus an ampersand and an exclamation mark and is made from strong, durable food-safe plastic.
The cookie cutters are packed on reusable plastic storage trays and are supplied in an attractive full colour gift box.
Available from FollyHome.co.uk.
Meccano Set 1 Easy Construction Box – £17.99
100 parts in this Meccano construction starter kit, with tools and instructions included.
Geomag Colour Set – £19.99
Magnetic construction system. Colourful Red and Orange Rods. Chrome spheres. Instruction Booklet. Create and construct funky shapes with the 66 piece set.
Great Gizmos Zoob 55
A brilliant construction kit. Make thirteen ZOOB models which are interactive with the other ZOOB kits. Includes 55 ZOOB pieces. Budding engineers will no doubt come up with more ideas too! Suitable for children aged six and over
Cuddly Toys
Happy Feet 2 Huggable Boadicea Soft Toy – £12.99
Happy Feet 2 huggable plush. Soft and cuddly Boadicea. 5 huggable buddies to collect. For ages 4+.
Vtech Kidiminiz Interactive Pet Puppy – £14.99
Cute interactive pets! Show the puppy its favourite food and it will follow it around, or clap your hands to make it sing and dance. You can also play great mini games. When one Kidiminiz pet meets another, they will talk, sing and dance with each other. Choose different eyes, noses and mouths to change its facial expressions. Can also be used as an alarm clock: set the time and wake up to jolly music. Recommended For Ages 3 years plus.
Animagic My Tender Care Twin Puppies – £19.99
Max and Mitzi are a pair of cute cuddly newborn twins who need all your love and care! Just like real twins they love being together but Mitzi whimpers foe her brother when they are apart. Check they are healthy by listening to their heartbeats with the stethoscope. When they are fit and well feed them with their bottle to hear them slurp happily! Ages 4+.
Moshi Monsters Talking Plush Katsuma Soft Toy – £13.50
Squeeze Moshi Monster’s tummy to hear him talk.
miYim Organic Toys
miYim are more than just playthings – they aim to teach values and environmental responsibility, all while touching the hearts of children through imagination. The beautiful range of organic toys are not only completely safe for your little one they will become their new best friend.
From the plush and knitted dolls to the animals and pram toys all the toys are made and filled with natural unprocessed, untreated, and unbleached cotton and are coloured with their PureWaterWash process using only plants and minerals, making them a safe alternative to toys made with environmentally damaging processes.
Available from www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk.
Discovery
Balloon World balloon modelling kit – £5.49
Create your very own colourful balloon world, by inflating and twisting the modelling balloons. Once created decorate your models with eye stickers and ribbons to really bring them to life. Each kit contains a selection of balloons, a pump, eye stickers, ribbon and instructions. This is an ideal rainy day solo activity for children, or an innovative and fun way for you to enjoy spending time together. Suitable for children aged five years old and over. 4M specialise in quality arts and crafts kits, that encourage children to explore and enjoy traditional skills, whilst being creative and using their imaginations to have fun.
LeapFrog My Own Leaptop – £19.99
Personalise pretend computer play with My Own Leaptop. Choose and download songs for a custom playlist (Internet connection required). Choose from 8 email messages and personalise for your child to enjoy (Internet connection required). Explore the alphabet, pretend play, music, animals and computer literacy with 6 learning activity stations.
Vtech Disney Cars 2 Lightning McQueen Atlas Educational Electronic Toy – £17.99
Race map with membrane keyboard. Big McQueen button for fun phrases. 30 touch points to learn countries and cultures. 10 light-up LEDs on the World Grand Prix countries. 6 adventure activities including geography and languages.
Fact Finders 50cm Diameter Inflatable Mega Globe – £8.69
Fact Finders Inflatable Globe. 50cm inflatable political globe. Shows longitude and latitude lines. Includes fun educational game ideas for home and school. Perfect for learning whilst playing on the beach or in the garden.
LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Camera and Video Accessory – £14.99
Turn your Leapster Explorer handheld into a digital camera and video! Take pictures, record videos and edit your creations whilst learning all about reading, mathematics and science. You can also distort, add funny stamps and borders to your photos and then transport them into games or music videos! Features include: Camera/video – take pictures or shoot videos Video maestro – select a song and create your own music video Photo albums – create your very own photo gallery Fun lab – fun games and activities to play and you can even feature your photos in the games! Funimatic – tools, stamps, distortion effects and more to edit your photos Card creator – cut out photos and make your own postcards Story creator – create your very own story with the photos you take Appropriate for children ages 4 to 9 years. Only for use with the Leapster Explorer handheld.
Science Museum Hologram Chamber – £5.99
Drop in a penny piece or other object and watch in amazement as it magically appears to float above the surface of the chamber.
Science Museum Green Science – Dynamo Torch – £9.99
Turn a simple toy motor into a generator that converts hand motion into electrical energy. Powers a light bulb. No battery, no pollution, just amazement. The generator could be used as an awesome emergency torch. From the Science Museum range of products.
Kidz Labs – Solar System Planetarium Model – £10
Build your own glow in the dark solar system planetarium model of 30cm span. Assemble, paint and highlight it with glow effects. Watch it glow in the dark as in real Space. It’s an inspiring science craft. Suitable for children aged eight and over.
Science Museum – Dinorobot – Robot Making Kit – £9.99
Create Your Very Own Mechanical Moving Robot. Fun to Build. Easy to Assemble!It Roars when it Runs! It’s a cool scientific project!
Science Museum – Buzz Wire Kit – £9.99
Construct your own Buzz Wire and learn how to complete an electric circuit. Challenge your friends with the exciting Buzz Wire game. Move the wand along the Buzz Wire from one end to another. If the wand touches the wire the circuit is closed causing the buzzer to sound and the player is out of the game.
3D Solar System – £10.19
3D Solar System Glow in the Dark. 9 Snap together Planets& 200 Adhesive stars. Hang all 9 Planets from your Ceiling. Watch the Universe in the comfort of your own room.
Natural History Museum Pocket Monocular – £6.99
Like binoculars, but just one lens, so it’s compact enough to slip in a pocket or wear on wrist. It features spherical lens for high magnification (5x) and no image distortion and comes protected in tough casing. Easy-to-hold wrist strap. Measures just 4.1 x 3.5 x 2.8cm and comes with cleaning cloth.
Pampering Boutique – £24.99
Girls who have already experienced the award- winning Wild Science range from Interplay, including Perfume Laboratory, Luxury Soap Science and Bath Bomb Factory, will be eager to experiment with the new Wild Science for Girls kits this Christmas, such as the Pampering Boutique and Moisturising Laboratory which reveal the secrets of the science behind their favourite cosmetics.
Slime Laboratory – £14.45
Weird Slime Laboratory will have boys creating ‘rat gizzards in tadpole soup’, fake fish eggs and slimy snot to freak out their friends! This kit does exactly what it says on the box with tons of experiments to make ghastly effects and super slimes.
Wild Science Superball Factory – £12.99
Promotes a pratical knowledge of the science behind elastic collisions. Supports the National Curriculum Science levels 2.1.2a,2.1.2c,2.1.2l,2.2a,2.2f.
Volcano Making Kit – £10
Make a solid volcano with the mould and plaster provided. Put baking soda and vinegar into the “crater” and watch the amazing eruption. Your volcano will erupt with bubbly, fizzy lava. The eruption can be performed repeatedly. Age 8+.
Spy Gear Lie Detector Kit – £14.99
Find out who’s telling the truth and who’s not. Give them a Lie Detector Test. LED lights up when someone isn’t telling the truth. Finger-tip sensors – LED response lights. Includes Illustrated lie detector handbook
Music
Bontempi Saxophone
The Silver Toy Saxophone is the perfect gift for the aspiring musician in your family. Your child will love learning to play on this easy to use instrument. The Sax is silver plastic with brightly coloured keys to make learning easier. The keys are each a different colour to help your child learn to play. This is the perfect way to introduce your child to music. Silver Plastic Toy Saxophone 16.5″ made by Bontempi in Italy.
Bontempi Wind Instruments – Trumpet – £9.99
This toy trumpet by Bontempi has four keys that can play four different notes. The keys are colour coded so children can play songs found on the back of the box. The toy trumpet is plastic and has a shiny silver finish. Size: 37cm. long. Suitable for children aged three and over
School
Goodbyn Lunch Boxes – from £16.95
Available in 2 sizes and in a choice of modern colours these lunch boxes have individual compartments making it easy to pack different foods without the need for fiddly cling film and foil and without fruit ending up tasting of meat or cheese.
Each lunch box is supplied with a drinks bottle and a range of sticker sheets so that they can be personalised. The stickers are dishwasher proof and include allergy labels, letters, numbers and pictures.
The large lunch box has 5 food compartments, while the small version has 3 and in both the drinks bottle is stored in the middle, keeping it away from food.
Available from quirkybags.co.uk.
It’s that time of year again when the Toy Retailers Association shows off the toys and games it believes will be hits this Christmas.
As well as an overall dozen top toys and games, there are (controversially) categories for boys and girls, as well as pre-school, games, creative, construction and “cool and hot”.
Dream Toys 2011 – Top 12
Doggy Doo
Doggie Doo – possibly the most disgusting toy Christmas present ever but will be on every child’s wish list!
Players throw the dice to determine how often they squeeze the dachshund’s lead. Each squeeze pushes the plasticine poop nearer to fruition and when the deed is done, players scoop the poop.
Fijit Friends
A Fijit Friend is an electronic BFF with a squishy body who loves to chat and make you laugh!
Fijit Friends are set to be the country’s most sought after toy in the run up to the festive season, with retailers already selecting them as top of this year’s Christmas list. With clever voice recognition built in, Fijit Friends respond to you with loads of movements, phrases and jokes. Beat sensors mean you can dance along as she rocks, twirls, and bounces!
Fireman Sam – Pontypandy Multi Rescue Set
Sam needs some rescue help in this ‘multi disaster’ playset!
Sam needs some rescue help in this ‘multi disaster’ playset! Open the playset and help put out the building fires with the hose, save naughty Norman when he traps his head in the railings, help Sam get the cat down from the tree! There’s never a dull moment – be careful of the collapsing roof & floor! Includes; Sam figure, Norman figure, cat figure, tree, railings, hose reel, ladder, fire bucket & cones.
Kidizoom Twist
Kidizoom just got better! 2 megapixel camera with twisting lens, 4x digital zoom, flash, colour screen and 5 games. Edit and enhance photos or record voice and add effects.
Get snapping with this 2 megapixel camera using the twisting lens: take pictures and movies of your friends then take fantastic self portraits. The camera features a 4x digital zoom, built-in flash, colour screen, 5 great games and dual view finders. Edit and enhance your photos with a variety of frames, stamps and wacky effects. There’s a great voice recording function with 5 different voice changing effects: pitch up, pitch down, slow, robot and echo.
LeapPad Explorer
The first learning tablet created for children with a built-in camera, video recorder and microphone. 100+ games and apps, including e-books, videos and more!
100+ learning games, book apps, videos, and more! LeapPad features a built-in camera (take over 30,000 pictures), a video recorder, microphone, art and photo studios. With the interactive e-books you can listen or read along to the story, sound out words, play fun activities and record your own story. Bring characters to life with the animation studio and create over 27,000 story combinations featuring you in the story studio app! Teaches mathematics, reading, science, music, geography and more.
Let’s Rock Elmo
Rock out with the new Let’s Rock Elmo! Dressed in a concert style t-shirt, Elmo takes the stage singing and making music!
Elmo comes with his very own microphone and two instruments – a tambourine and a drum set. Preschoolers can choose which Elmo plays, and he magically recognises which one you give him. Kids can also play along on Elmo’s instruments. For even more rockin’ fun, Elmo also interacts with other Let’s Rock instruments, all sold separately. He knows when you’re playing the Let’s Rock Guitar, Keyboard or Microphone and plays along with you! The Let’s Rock Elmo toy sings rockin’ songs, s grab an instrument and join Elmo’s band!
Milky the Bunny
Milky the Bunny is a gorgeous interactive plush toy that give little girls a cute, cuddly and true-to-life companion to look after and care for.
Milky, an adorable snow white bunny, that is sure to be popular with his moving eyes, nose, ears and ticklish feet! Milky will call for you to play and waits for your cuddles. Hear his belly grumble when he is hungry and feed him with a juicy carrot. Milky will make an adorable companion for little girls. he is just the right size, small enough to be carried but large enough for really big cuddles. Also with a random play function, you never know what he will do next!
Monster High Lagoona’s Hydration Station
After a long week at school, even monsters are in need of a little rest and relaxation. So, Lagoona uses her hydration station to re-moisturize at night!
Lagoona Blue is the daughter of the infamous sea monster so she loves nothing more than time in the water. After a long week at school, even monsters like Lagoona get dead tired. This fun playset is also a cool bedroom accessory, including Lagoona and her hydration station, her pet neptuna with eye mask plus cute accessories.
Moshing Treehouse
Moshi Monsters™ madness continues with new additions to the toy range, including the perfect place to store your collection of Moshlings!
Moshlings like to run and play but also need a place to stay…! The ‘Moshling Treehouse’ is the perfect abode for your Moshlings, with lots of cool hideaway places and even a basket lift for them to play on! It’s tree-mendous! What’s more, with every ‘Moshling Treehouse’ purchase you’ll get an exclusive Moshling called Roxy.
Nerf Vortex Nitron Blaster
The Vortex Nitron blaster takes Nerf blasters t the next level!
The first fully automatic, clip fed disc blaster in the Nerf Vortex line, Featuring a removable clip that can hold up to 20 discs, an Electronic Targeting Scope accessory, a front handle to help steady your shots, and the Tactical Rail System compatible with most Vortex and Nerf N-Strike Mission Kit accessories (each sold separately), the Vortex Nitron blaster embodies the ultimate in innovation and technology within the Vortex series.
Ninjago Fire Temple LEGO
LEGO Ninjago in a spin with the all-new Fire Temple
Battle for control of the four Spinjitzu weapons has begun. Sensei Wu, Kai, Zane and Nya need help to keep Lord Garmadon and his evil skeleton army from taking the ultimate Spinjitzu weapon – the Dragon Sword of Fire. As the temple splits into two, the fearsome Fire Dragon emerges to protect the sword by spitting fire at Lord Garmadon.
Star Wars Ultimate Force Tech Lightsaber Assortment
Arriving from a galaxy far, far away in summer 2011: the all-new Ultimate FX Lightsaber will provide one of the most authentic Jedi experiences ever for kids! The toy features a progressive light-up blade with vibrant LED lighting, allowing kids to experience the Force in a whole new way. Available in Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader models.
Dream Toys 2011 – Boys
Bakugan Dragonoid Colossus
The ultimate Bakugan monster containing exclusive new Battle Gear! Combine them together and watch the ultimate auto transformation. Prepare to be amazed!
Create the ultimate Bakugan Warrior with 1 exclusive Bakugan and 4 exclusive Battle Gear. Combine them together around the core hub to unleash the power and watch the amazing auto transformation! Also comes with 1 metal Gate Card and 4 Ability Cards
Ben 10 Ultimate Alien – Ultimate Ultimatrix
Just like the Ultimatrix Ben uses in the Ben 10 Ultimate Alien series, this detailed Ultimatrix features 6 cool light and sound combinations.
Cars 2 Secret Spy Attack Finn McMissile
From smash hit movie Cars 2, Finn McMissile comes fully loaded with top secret spy weapons, firing missiles, sound effects, fun phrases and thrilling transformations.
From the smash hit summer movie Cars 2. Mater embarks on an exciting international espionage adventure under the wing of master British super spy Finn McMissile, voiced by legendary British actor Sir Michael Caine. Enjoy your own daring missions with the Cars 2 Secret Spy Attack™ Finn McMissile, which comes fully loaded with top secret spy weapons, firing missiles, sound effects, fun phrases and thrilling transformations.
Doctor Who Personalise your own Sonic Screwdriver Set
The ultimate Sonic device – Over 80 possible combinations each with light and multiple sound effects.Requires 3x L1154 Batteries.
Combine the sections from each of the three Sonic Screwdrivers in different ways to create your own version. With over 80 possible combinations each with light and multiple sound effects this really is the ultimate sonic screwdriver set. Requires 3x L1154 Batteries. For ages 5 years and over.
Hot Wheels Wall Tracks
Build amazing Hot Wheels tracks on your bedroom wall using clever and safe sticky 3M Command strips. No more mess on the floor.
New Hot Wheels Wall Tracks let you build your own amazing stunt track on your bedroom wall! Create the coolest car crash circuits and stick them to the wall using clever sticky 3M Command strips. Now your favourite Hot Wheels cars can take on the most extreme tracks ever seen – as they plummet from ceiling to floor in serious style. You can even connect Wall Tracks to your other Hot Wheels sets on the floor.
Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 Blaster
Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 blaster
Introducing the Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 blaster, a motorised, semi-auto Nerf blaster with a revolving dart barrel that will unleash an unrelenting stream of darts. The Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 is able to hold up to 10 whistle darts and is compatible with the Tactical Rail System and alternate N-Strike stocks.
Nerf Vortex Nitron Blaster
The Vortex Nitron blaster takes Nerf blasters t the next level!
The first fully automatic, clip fed disc blaster in the Nerf Vortex line, Featuring a removable clip that can hold up to 20 discs, an Electronic Targeting Scope accessory, a front handle to help steady your shots, and the Tactical Rail System compatible with most Vortex and Nerf N-Strike Mission Kit accessories (each sold separately), the Vortex Nitron blaster embodies the ultimate in innovation and technology within the Vortex series.
Star Wars Ultimate Force Tech Lightsaber Assortment
Arriving from a galaxy far, far away in summer 2011: the all-new Ultimate FX Lightsaber
Arriving from a galaxy far, far away in summer 2011: the all-new Ultimate FX Lightsaber will provide one of the most authentic Jedi experiences ever for kids! The toy features a progressive light-up blade with vibrant LED lighting, allowing kids to experience the Force in a whole new way. Available in Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader models.
Toy Story Turbo Glo Buzz Lightyear
Large action figure with three touch-activated glow zones, a light-up chest plate, retractable helmet and anti-gravity belt. Buzz really talks with fun phrases and sounds.
Buzz is back in a brand new intergalactic adventure. Toy Story’s heroic space ranger action figure is on a daring and dangerous mission in outer space. Light up Buzz for lift off with three cool glow zones that can be activated at the touch of a button. With a light up chest plate, a retractable helmet and an anti-gravity belt, Toy Story Turbo Glo Buzz Lightyear really talks with fun phrases and observations as he updates his mission log.
Transformers Ultimate Optimus Prime
Ultimate Optimus Prime drives into battle with his weapon trailer!
This trailer now converts into Mech Suit that powers up Optimus Prime! Try me packaging with lights and sounds! Optimus Prime has several ports to armour up with MechTech weapons from other characters.
Dream Toys 2011 – Girls
Barbie Puppy Water Park
Barbie Puppy Water Park combines pet and water play like never before!
This playset offers hours of fun, with loads of features for girls to enjoy with Barbie and her two adorable puppies.
Disney Tangled Sing and Glow Rapunzel
Recreate the magic of the hit movie Tangled with this amazing doll.
At the push of a button, her hair magically glows while she sings her favourite lullaby, ‘I See the Light’, just like in the movie.
Flufflings
Giggly, Jiggly Puffs of Fluff! It must be the Flufflings!
Flufflings are unique, interactive plush pets who have individual personalities ready for you to discover and nurture! Flufflings react in different ways, depending on their personality. They thrive on attention and affection, responding differently to being cuddled, patted, stroked or rolled. Each Fluffling has over 10 different emotions, which they will display through sounds, movements and vibrations! Don’t leave them alone too long, or they will become sad and physically deflate! Choose from Mindy, Okki and Loco.
FurReal Cookie
New from FurReal Cookie My Playful Pup, the most huggable dog to join the FurReal family
Cookie My Playful Pup, the newest, softest, most huggable dog to join the FurReal Friends family. Kids will love to interact with the adorable pint-sized golden retriever – through voice recognition technology, this loveable pup will respond when spoken to by moving her head, blinking, and barking, just like a “real” dog! Age: 4 years+ Batteries included
Lalaloopsy Silly Hair Doll
Lalaloopsy with wacky, wild hair that really bends! Hair allows you to curl, twist, and straighten
Milky the Bunny
Milky the Bunny is a gorgeous interactive plush toy that give little girls a cute, cuddly and true-to-life companion to look after and care for.
Milky, an adorable snow white bunny, that is sure to be popular with his moving eyes, nose, ears and ticklish feet! Milky will call for you to play and waits for your cuddles. Hear his belly grumble when he is hungry and feed him with a juicy carrot. Milky will make an adorable companion for little girls. he is just the right size, small enough to be carried but large enough for really big cuddles. Also with a random play function, you never know what he will do next!
Monster High Lagoona’s Hydration Station
After a long week at school, even monsters are in need of a little rest and relaxation. So, Lagoona uses her hydration station to re-moisturize at night!
Lagoona Blue is the daughter of the infamous sea monster so she loves nothing more than time in the water. After a long week at school, even monsters like Lagoona get dead tired. This fun playset is also a cool bedroom accessory, including Lagoona and her hydration station, her pet neptuna with eye mask plus cute accessories.
My First Baby Annabell
My First Baby Annabell is very tired and wants to go to sleep.
Help her go to sleep by putting her pillow back, and touch under her arms and she will wriggle as she settles down to sleep
Sylvanian Families – Berry Grove School
School Days in Sylvania -Berry Grove School is a wonderful place to learn. From music lessons to drama classes all the children love going to school.
What a wonderful school Berry Grove is. It has two levels and a staircase, a very well equipped paint area with colouring books and paint pots and a small library, whilst downstairs there’s a busy mathematics class being prepared. There is also a working clock in the clock tower and lots more school accessories.
Zoobles Mama & Zoobling Nursery Playset
Help Mama Zooble raise her twin baby Zooblings! Includes swing, highchair, playpen, slide, nappy changing area and pushchair.
Mama and her baby Zoobling twins love to have fun! This is the perfect place to raise and nuture them. Sit them in the baby swing as Mama sways them, keep them clean and well fed with the highchair and nappy changing area. See them roll down the slide into their playpen and watch them jump as Mama comes near and teach them to fly in their flight school pushchair.
Dream Toys 2011 – Pre School
Dance Star Mickey
New from Fisher-Price, Dance Star Mickey comes to life in front of your eyes as he walks, talks, and dances to four different songs.
A state-side star has hit the UK! Dance Star Mickey comes to life in front of your eyes as he walks, talks, and dances to four different songs including Techno, Mambo, Shake Your Groove Thing and ‘M’ to the ‘I’…he even does the Moonwalk! With two interactive settings, including songs and games, preschoolers and adults alike will have hours of entertainment as Mickey gets them moving!
Elefun Busy Ball Popper
Our favourite Elefun character joins the unpredictable ball popping fun from the popular Busy Ball Popper toy!
Drop the five colourful balls into the adorable Elefun character’s ears, and they could pop out the trunk or roll into the belly for a giggling good time. The elephant’s trunk rotates 360 degrees so mum can control the ball popping action. Features ten poppin’ droppin’ tunes.
Fireman Sam – Pontypandy Multi Rescue Set
Sam needs some rescue help in this ‘multi disaster’ playset!
Sam needs some rescue help in this ‘multi disaster’ playset! Open the playset and help put out the building fires with the hose, save naughty Norman when he traps his head in the railings, help Sam get the cat down from the tree! There’s never a dull moment – be careful of the collapsing roof & floor! Includes; Sam figure, Norman figure, cat figure, tree, railings, hose reel, ladder, fire bucket & cones.
Imaginext Batcave
Part of the Imaginext world, this playset comes with activation points which preschoolers can twist to get the action going.
The perfect hide-out for a caped crusader, the Imaginext Batcave comes with five cool activation points. Twist them to reveal a secret entrance and a working claw to fix the Batmobile after crazy Gotham adventures. Access all levels of the Batcave by turning another activation disk to raise the lift. Includes Batman, Robin and Batcycle.
Kidizoom Twist
Kidizoom just got better! 2 megapixel camera with twisting lens, 4x digital zoom, flash, colour screen and 5 games. Edit and enhance photos or record voice and add effects.
Get snapping with this 2 megapixel camera using the twisting lens: take pictures and movies of your friends then take fantastic self portraits. The camera features a 4x digital zoom, built-in flash, colour screen, 5 great games and dual view finders. Edit and enhance your photos with a variety of frames, stamps and wacky effects. There’s a great voice recording function with 5 different voice changing effects: pitch up, pitch down, slow, robot and echo.
Let’s Rock Elmo
Rock out with the new Let’s Rock Elmo! Dressed in a concert style t-shirt, Elmo takes the stage singing and making music!
Elmo comes with his very own microphone and two instruments – a tambourine and a drum set. Preschoolers can choose which Elmo plays, and he magically recognises which one you give him. Kids can also play along on Elmo’s instruments. For even more rockin’ fun, Elmo also interacts with other Let’s Rock instruments, all sold separately. He knows when you’re playing the Let’s Rock Guitar, Keyboard or Microphone and plays along with you! The Let’s Rock Elmo toy sings rockin’ songs, s grab an instrument and join Elmo’s band!
Octonauts Octopod Playset
The Octopod Playset allows Octonauts fans to recreate undersea adventures. Including figures and sea creatures.
There’s always something exciting to do on the Octopod as little ones help the Octonauts to explore the incredible undersea world. This colourful playset comes with two Octonaut figures and two sea creatures to rescue. Shoot down the Octopod slide from the mini-pods and lower the rescue tools to save the day and guide the creatures to safety.
Peppa’s World of Playsets
Peppa’s World 6 in 1 playset with carry handle. Includes; Peppa House & Vets Surgery(with hinged doors), a Café, Toy Shop, Den, Dolls House & Peppa Pig figure.
Create your own Peppa’s World with this stacked 6 in 1 playset. The Peppa House and Vets Surgery have hinged sides which open out and there is a Café, Toy Shop, Den & Dolls House. Detailed stickers on the playsets. Also includes Peppa Pig figure. Pack the playsets inside one another and carry away with the handle! Playset is scaled to match Funtime World Little Characters figures & vehicles.
Thomas & Friends – Follow Me Thomas
Children can point and shine the lantern to guide Thomas forwards, sideways, backwards and in circles.
Preschoolers can become train engineers as they point and shine the light-up lantern on the floor and direct Thomas as he follows along. The longer tots play with the lantern remote the more adventurous they can be with their journeys as they direct Thomas to follow the light to move forward, sideways, backwards and in circles. Or they can send Thomas round in a circle, looping a figure 8 or in a zigzag. A variety of engine sounds and phrases play as Thomas steams along!
Toot-Toot Drivers Garage
Interactive garage with fun features including lift, turn-table, ramp, car wash, petrol station and magic hotspot that recognises the tow truck. Includes sound effects and phrases.
This interactive garage includes a cute tow-truck vehicle that you can zoom around, drive up and down in the lift, spin on the turntable or whiz down the winding ramp! Drive the truck through the car wash, fill-up at the petrol station and be rewarded with lots of sound effects and phrases. Also includes exit gate featuring a magic sensor that recognises the vehicle. Introduces numbers and music. Garage recognises all Toot-Toot Drivers vehicle range.
Dream Toys 2011 – Games
Angry Birds
Angry Birds phenomenon comes to life in a new 3D skill and action game. Use a slingshot to fling birds at your opponent’s tower.
Bringing the world’s best-selling app Angry Birds to life in a new 3D skill and action game, players pick a mission card and their neighbour builds the structure shown. Then it’s a flinging frenzy as the player attempts to destroy it using a slingshot to launch angry birds at the tower. The first player to reach 1,000 points wins. With games flying off shelves in the US, this wacky board game looks set to be a must-have.
Bop-It! XT
As a follow up to the global phenomenon of Bop-It!, this active, think-fast on-your-feet game is back and better than ever for Autumn 2011.
Bop-It! XT is Bop-It! to the max with six commands including “Bop it”, “Spin it”, “Flick it”, “Pull it”, “Twist it” and the new “Shake it”. The game features play modes including Single Player, Pass It, One-on-One and Party, and four levels of play for ranging abilities. A headphone jack is also included in the Bop-It! XT unit to allow kids to fine tune their skills quietly, or hook up to speakers for group play. Secure the highest score and become the envy of all your friends at school.
Connect 4 Launchers
All new Connect 4: Launchers Edition
This classic game of four-in-a-row takes on a frenetic pace in the new Connect 4: Launchers Edition. Players take part in head-to-head action as they try to aim, launch and connect their way to victory with a new, horizontal game unit that catches the launched checkers.
Dino Bite
Brilliant new Dinosaur action game (4+), bursting with fearsome,spine-tingling fun! Little adventurers take on the ultimate T-Rex tyrant, to rescue the stolen Dino Babies
A thrilling game for 2-4 young players, who take on the wrath of the T-Rex as they try to pluck out the multi-coloured Dino Babies from right under his ferocious, gaping jaws. Each player carefully lifts the leaf protecting the babies – then grasps one with the special tweasers provided… If the Dino knows they’re there, he’ll roar out loud and lunge terrifyingly towards them, stopping them in their tracks. And that means the player is OUT!
Doggie Doo
Doggie Doo – possibly the most disgusting toy Christmas present ever but will be on every child’s wish list!
Players throw the dice to determine how often they squeeze the dachshund’s lead. Each squeeze pushes the plasticine poop nearer to fruition and when the deed is done, players scoop the poop.
Game Of Life: Adventures Edition
Experience the journey of a lifetime where adventures are without bounds in the new The Game of Life: Adventures Edition!
A new, rotating game board can change the game with a simple twist of the spinner so just as life changes so does the board!
Million Pound Drop
The Million Pound Drop family team game (age 12+)gives you the opportunity to recreate the excruciating and nail-biting gameplay of Channel 4′s smash hit big money game show.
Can you hold your nerve and beat The Million Pound Drop? You, your friends and family can take to the Million Pound Drop table, complete with fiendish trap doors and bundles of ‘pretend’ money – to play this thrilling and unique game. Experience the excitement of working out the right multiple-choice answer – and the fall-down frustration of watching your cash disappear if you pick the wrong one!
Monopoly Electronic Banking
Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition: It’s all about flash, not cash, in this ultra-modern version of Monopoly.
Wave goodbye to bills and say hello to a new Monopoly bank card! Scoop up property with a swipe of plastic. But that‘s not the only change for the new Electronic Banking edition. The board features all new property locations with Kensington Palace Gardens replacing Mayfair in the iconic dark blue space reflecting the real life shift in the capital’s property prices. Plus modernised tokens and higher property values – you now get $2m for passing go
Play-Doh Smashed Potatoes
Race your potatoes to escape the “Mash Machines” Scissor Slicer, French Fryer, Crinkle Cutter & Chip Chopper!!
The object of the game is to help your Play-Doh spud make it home to the farm in one piece. Can YOU save Mr Potato Head when the chips are down?
Where’s Moshi? Game
Are you Fluffy?…No. Are you Stripey?… Yes! Go Moshi-mad with the all new ‘Where’s Moshi?’ game.
Can you be the first to guess your opponent’s Moshling and find the mystery Moshling?! A great gift for any Moshi fan!
Dream Toys 2011 – Creative
Badge It!
Badge It! has got quick, simple, no-mess badge making all buttoned up! Make cool, unique, high quality metal badges in seconds and wear them and share them!
Take a picture of anything that looks cool and badge it! Make unique, high quality badges of your favourite pop star, footballer, friend or pet. The award winning design makes creativity simple as there’s no glue, no mess and no fuss. Badge It! is every child’s personal badge making machine and they can use photos, pictures from magazines or their own drawings to make the badges they want. They can adorn t-shirts, hats, jackets and bags and they look really professional. Each Badge It! includes one machine and 15 x 3cm badges.
Bizu Style Studio
Mix and match the 40 beads to create fashionable bracelets that ALSO twist and transform into characters!
Bizu lets girls magically transform jewellery into hot collectibles! Mix and match the 40 different beads to create fashionable bracelets that twist and transform into characters! With 15,000+ combinations use the Style Studio to store and organise your Bizu collection. Start with Glam, Rock, Wild, or Funky styles, or mix ’n’ match to make your own combinations. Create 4 stylish bracelets, link 3 together to make a necklace, or start a trend with the two key-chain attachments.
Charmies Magic Beader
Charmies; an innovative jewellery making concept with a magical twist. Create jewellery, danglers and more with the Magic Beader unit and shaped ‘Charmies’ beads.
With the Charmies Magic Beader girls can thread beautiful designs with any combination of beads quickly and easily; like magic. Load the Magic Beader with your chosen Charmies, then simply twist to string your pretty designs together. With so many different types of beads your creations are guaranteed to be cute and quirky, so girls can express the things they love with their beautiful hand-made jewellery
Crayola Story Studio – Disney Princess
Be The Star Of Your Story With Crayola! If you’ve ever dreamed of being a Disney Princess in your own fairytale, now you can with Story Studio!
With a selection of creative contents, the Story Studio allows children to use their imagination and create their own fantastic tales! Story Studio comes with a unique code to unlock the Fairy Tale Builder online, which enables kids to upload their photo and create a cartoon version of themselves using special face recognition technology. Kids can then place themselves into their story, and once the story is created online, they can just print it out and colour it in!
Fab Effex Variety Pack
Create & decorate with Fab Effex™, the fabulous fabric that is mouldable, reusable and magically sticks!
Shape it, wrap it, stick it – Fab Effex™ holds its shape. Get creative ideas from the ideas book or use the tools to glam-up,and beautify all your creations. Show off your designs with the wear and share accessories or personalise your own belongings – from iPods to shoes! No glue,no mess! Includes 140 pre cut shapes,8 full sheets , 3 shapers, bunny mould, a ring and a key ring, a greetings card, and accessories
Gelarti Designer Studio
Decorate your world with Gelarti! Create and store your stickers in the portable design studio, that includes paints, sticker sheets and glitters and gems too!
With Gelarti, kids can create, decorate and accessorise their own stickers, then peel and place the reusable stickers anywhere they like! The Gelarti Designer Studio extends the fun even further by making the activity portable and mess free!
Harumika Bridal Collection
Budding fashionistas can design their very own wedding dress and use the beautiful pieces of fabric to create a bridesmaid outfit too with the stunning Harumika Bridal Collection.
Young girls dream of being a bridesmaid and one day a bride, and with the gorgeous Harumika Bridal Collection set they are able to design what their dress might look like. It comes with 2 dress forms on pretty stands, a selection of beautiful lace and satin fabrics, a veil, flower and lace accessories as well as pearl and gem stickers to decorate their dresses. Once complete, they can display their designs in front of the fold out dressing room scene. The design possibilities are endless!
Hello Kitty Cool Cardz
Everyones favourite cat is added to a favourite card making concept in Hello Kitty Cool Cardz. Now girls can make retro style laminated calling cards for all their friends.
Everyones favourite kitty is added to a favourite girls card making conceptin Hello Kitty Cool Cardz. Now girls can make retro style laminated calling cards for all their friends. Just style your card and pass it through the cool laminating device and you have a fabulous gift or club card to be proud of!
Moon Sand Bake Shop
Moon Sand – A fun world of Sweet Delights!
Mould your flour, butter and eggs and then mix up all your ingredients in the working cake mixer. Pour your mixture into a choice of fun cake and cookie moulds, then decorate them for the perfect sweet treat! includes mixer, moulds, spoons, plates, cake knife, themed sand box for play and storage and 3 colours of Moon Sand.
Play-Doh Twirl ‘N Top Pizza Playset
New from Play-Doh the Twirl and Top Pizza Shop. “Cook” up some fun with this Play-Doh pizza parlour playset!
Create the perfect Play-Doh compound pizza crust in the “brick oven,” crank out realistic looking grated “cheese,” add favourite toppings like pretend “pepperoni”, mushrooms and peppers, and then use the handy tools to cut and serve to friends. Kids will be clamouring for a Play-Doh pizza play date! Set includes one 5-ounce can and three 2-ounce cans of Play-Doh compound.
Dream Toys 2011 – Construction
City Harbour LEGO
LEGO CITY Makes A Splash
LEGO CITY Harbour is a hub of activity! Use the powerful crane to offload the cargo from the cargo ship, place it onto the conveyor and load it onto the truck. There’s no time to waste, as the next ship is already arriving! Packed with loads of goodies including walkie talkies, broom, fishing rod and fish, choose to take on the roles of fisherman, worker, crane driver, and chief officer.
City Police Boat LEGO
LEGO CITY Takes to the Seas…
Take to the seas to patrol and protect the waterways of LEGO CITY with the awesome new Police Boat! The robber is fleeing on his powerjet – fire up the high speed police boat, put him in handcuffs and take him to the city jail! This fab power vessel even floats and boasts life vests and walkie-talkies!
City Police Station LEGO
IT’S A FAIR COP WITH LEGO CITY
At the hub of all the activity is the imposing Police Station. This new version is bigger and better than ever with state-of-the-art police equipment and technology for the smooth running of this most important of emergency services. Packed full of cool LEGO goodies including six minifigures a police car, van, bike, prison cell and handcuffs. There’s even wanted posters and a crowbar to help the jailbird escape down the drainpipe to carry out his dastardly deeds!
Doctor Who Dalek Factory set
Dalek factory set including one Dalek Drone and one Dalek Scientist micro-figure.
The Daleks are building their armies ready to return to Earth to battle the Doctor and reign supreme! Highly detailed Dalek construction playset featuring swivelling Dalek factory machine arm, moveable conveyor belt, control panels and rejected parts bin! Set includes one Dalek Drone and one Dalek Scientist micro-figure
Geomag 66pc Colour Set
The leading brand in magnetic construction since it’s launch in 1995, Geomag has yet another hit it the 66pc colour set.
Geomag the original Swiss made magnetic construction system has a host of magnetic play appeal and with Geomag the construction possibilities are endless using the traditional magnetic rods and chrome spheres that connect together. The Awesome magnetic power of this kid’s toy is a great gift for anyone, even as a novelty toy to distract adults with!
Halo EVA’s Last Stand
The Halo Authentic Collectors Series by Mega Bloks allows you to recreate epic battles of the Halo universe. Build your army collection with new figures, vehicles and battle sites.
Establish your army, build and expand your units with the Halo EVA’s Last Stand by Mega Bloks! On authentic war torn battle terrain, a green EVA Spartan is the last UNSC soldier in his unit. On the run from 2 Covenant Hunters, he finds an old damaged Warthog and makes one last heroic stand using its mounted M41 LAAG. Includes 1 Green EVA Spartan and 2 Covenant Hunters with weapons.
Ninjago Fire Temple LEGO
LEGO Ninjago in a spin with the all-new Fire Temple
Battle for control of the four Spinjitzu weapons has begun. Sensei Wu, Kai, Zane and Nya need help to keep Lord Garmadon and his evil skeleton army from taking the ultimate Spinjitzu weapon – the Dragon Sword of Fire. As the temple splits into two, the fearsome Fire Dragon emerges to protect the sword by spitting fire at Lord Garmadon.
Real Construction Deluxe Workshop
A new creative building set which encourages kids to get active.Teaching practical & life-long skills such as creative problem solving,craftsmanship & hand-eye coordination.
Real Construction Deluxe WorkShop comes with 125+ multiple tools & fixings – including a Large Hammer, Large Saw, Square Angle, Screw Driver & Hole Cutter. Including 19 pieces of Kid Wood and Project book inside for 8 ideas, build 2. For ages 6 and above. There is an extended range of wood refills, tool expansion packs and themed build sets.
Star Wars Millenium Falcon LEGO
The force is strong with the New LEGO Star Wars Millenium Falcon
Straight from the Death Star escape scene of Episode IV: A New Hope, the all-new LEGO Millennium Falcon features stunning details, like hull plates that open to reveal a detailed interior, twin flick missiles, rotating quad laser cannons and detachable cockpit cover. Featuring Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, Ben Kenobi, Princess Leia Organa and Darth Vader, can you rewrite history and help Ben Kenobi defeat his evil nemesis from the dark side?
Top Agents Super Racer
The Playmobil Top Agents Super Racer is the perfect vehicle for Agent P in his fight against the evil Robo Gang!
The Playmobil Top Agents Super Racer floats on water and has wings and fins that pop out of the body work at the flick of a switch. There are firing cannons on the front of the car and includes one Playmobil Secret Agent.
Dream Toys 2011 – Cool and Hot
Air Hogs Vectron Wave
Air Hogs Vectron Wave. The UFO you can control with the palm of your hand!
Air Hogs Vectron Wave. The UFO you can control with the palm of your hand! The Vectron has clever obstacle sensors to detect the proximity to the ground allowing it to hover in the air. Control altitude by simply placing your hand under the Vectron or play with a friend by swinging the Vectron back and forth between you using the catching stick.
Fijit Friends
A Fijit Friend is an electronic BFF with a squishy body who loves to chat and make you laugh!
Fijit Friends are set to be the country’s most sought after toy in the run up to the festive season, with retailers already selecting them as top of this year’s Christmas list. With clever voice recognition built in, Fijit Friends respond to you with loads of movements, phrases and jokes. Beat sensors mean you can dance along as she rocks, twirls, and bounces!
GX Buggy
Tomy speed in with GX Buggy – the high performance miniature stunt vehicle leaving all other micro RC cars in the dust!
Weighing just 42 grams, the flyweight GX Buggy has an unbeatable top speed of 22 kph, equivalent to a staggering scale speed of 770kph. The GX Buggy back flips, soldier flips, spins and launches up to 85cm into the air with ease. Don’t worry about crashing and flipping over; its unique roll wing feature means the buggy never gets stuck – it just flips back round and carries on. And because it uses professional standard 2.4 ghz control, up to10 buggies can race at once without remote controls conflicting.
Hexbug Habitat Set
The HEXBUG Nano Habitat is a collection of simple-to-connect pieces that allow users hours of fun in making a-maze-ing homes for the small but mighty HEXBUG Nano.
HEXBUG uniquely combines science and technology with kids’ innate love for bugs resulting in hours of imaginative play. The HEXBUG Nano is a collectible, micro robotic creature that uses the physics of vibration to explore its environment. Nano owners can create a customisable playground for the industrious critters using the HEXBUG Nano Habitat. Each set contains two rare Nanos, four easy connect curved pieces, three straight and three hexagon pieces, offering users a variety of configurations.
InnoTab: The Learning App Tablet
Multi-media handheld combining educational games, creative activities and e-books on a multi-functional touch-screen tablet. Teaches reading, spelling, maths, creativity and more.
InnoTab is a multi-media learning handheld combining educational games, creative activities and e-books on a multi-functional touch-screen tablet. Teaches reading, spelling, maths, logic and creativity with the many included activities such as an e-reader, art studio, interactive globe, video player and photo viewer. Plus parents can download additional games and learning apps from their computer. Features a 5” LCD touch screen and g-sensor for fun game play, InnoTab is also compatible with the Kidizoom Range.
LeapPad Explorer
The first learning tablet created for children with a built-in camera, video recorder and microphone. 100+ games and apps, including e-books, videos and more!
100+ learning games, book apps, videos, and more! LeapPad features a built-in camera (take over 30,000 pictures), a video recorder, microphone, art and photo studios. With the interactive e-books you can listen or read along to the story, sound out words, play fun activities and record your own story. Bring characters to life with the animation studio and create over 27,000 story combinations featuring you in the story studio app! Teaches mathematics, reading, science, music, geography and more.
Moshling Treehouse
Moshi Monsters™ madness continues with new additions to the toy range, including the perfect place to store your collection of Moshlings!
Moshlings like to run and play but also need a place to stay…! The ‘Moshling Treehouse’ is the perfect abode for your Moshlings, with lots of cool hideaway places and even a basket lift for them to play on! It’s tree-mendous! What’s more, with every ‘Moshling Treehouse’ purchase you’ll get an exclusive Moshling called Roxy.
Scalextric Velodrome Cycling Set
The first and only Team GB Velodrome Cycling Set
The Scalextric set follows the traditional slot racing format, but instead of using cars, there are two miniature cyclists dressed in GB kits. The set features a banked oval track, with two challenging chicanes to test your nerve. Official Product of Team GB. Track Length 272cm, space required 105 x 61cm. Suitable for ages four years and above. TV advert – http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialScalextric
Spy Net Video Watch
Real gadgets for kids. The ultimate toys for surveillance, with the technology hidden in everyday objects. Backed up with a dedicated web site to upload and download missions.
Record and store Video, photo’s or audio with the secret camera & microphone! Download missions & games! Playback on colour screen then upload to SpyNet HQ to store your evidence! Functions as normal watch. Cable and 1 x Rechargeable Lipo Battery (Included).
Talking Moshi Monster
Everyone’s talking about these Moshi Monsters! From one of the fastest growing kids brands come the Talking Monsters!
Get your paws on these adorable talking Moshi Monsters, all six key characters are available to collect! Poppet, Katsuma, Diavlo, Zommer, Furi and Luvli each come equipped with unique phrases and an official adoption certificate. What’s more, with every talking monster purchase you’ll receive a secret code to unlock cool extras within www.moshimonsters.com.
It seems ex-Doctor Who assistants don’t last as long as the Time Lord himself (unless they secretly regenerate, but then how do you explain them occasionally meeting one another?)
So it is for Sarah Jane, who will return to the CBBC channel for a fifth and final series from Monday 3rd October.
Six episodes make up the series, with much more information available on the official Sarah Jane Adventures web site.
Produced in Wales and starring Elisabeth Sladen, young talent includes Tommy Knight as Luke, Daniel Anthony as Clyde, Anjli Mohindra as Rani and Sinead Michael as Sky.
The series also features Ace Bhatti and Mina Anwar as Rani’s parents, Jocelyn Jee Esien as Clyde’s mum, and guest appearances from Floella Benjamin as Professor Rivers, James Dreyfuss as Harrison, Peter Bowles as Lionel Carson, Christine Stephen-Daly as Miss Myers and Lily Loveless as Ellie.
Episode Synopsis
Sky – Episode One
Sarah Jane finds a baby girl on her doorstep and tries to find out who abandoned her. At a nuclear power station, a beautiful woman appears out of thin air and uses alien powers to take control. She’s looking for something – and realises that Sarah Jane may just have it.
Sky – Episode Two
Sky has undergone an amazing transformation, but in doing so has triggered a countdown that no one can stop. As Sarah Jane and Sky find themselves trapped between the alien war fought by Metalkind and Fleshkind, Clyde and Rani face a race against time to stop the biggest bang in history…
The Curse Of Clyde Langer – Episode One
It’s raining fish from the skies, and Sarah Jane’s investigations lead the gang to the Museum of Culture, where the ancient god Hetocumtek may offer answers. But when Clyde acts the fool once too often, family and friends savagely turn against him, and he is thrown out of their lives!
The Curse Of Clyde Langer – Episode Two
Clyde is alone and abandoned on the streets of London, living rough, cold and hungry. One person reaches out to him, but as they become friends, he’s warned about the legendary Night Dragon. In Bannerman Road, Sky knows something’s wrong – why do Sarah Jane and Rani suddenly hate Clyde?
The Man Who Never Was – Episode One
Joseph Serf has launched his new SerfBoard, the must-have computer that no one can resist owning. Intrigued, Sarah Jane takes Luke and Sky to investigate what’s so compelling about Serf and his business. Clyde and Rani meanwhile take a SerfBoard to pieces, suspecting alien technology may be the answer…
The Man Who Never Was – Episode Two
The truth behind Joseph Serf’s company is out – alien Light Sculptors, slaves kept beneath his office building. As Luke and Sky try to find a way to free them and get them home safely, Sarah Jane needs Clyde and Rani to come and help her – and get married along the way…
What do you think of the series coming to an end? How about a spinoff series featuring another of the Doctor’s assistants? Let us know in the comments below.
We’re fast becoming fans of Cuddledry products thanks to their great child-friendly designs. That means we were pleased to see the humble rubber duck — surely a must at bath-time — get the Cuddledry makeover.
Meet Cuddleduck.
If you’re anything like us, your first thought might be “but it’s not yellow”. Indeed it’s not. The Cuddleduck instead sports a gold polka dot design and cows in a pretty organza bag.
Handmade in Spain using natural rubber, the Cuddleduck is pthalate free and non-toxic so contains no nasties for your little one.
Soft and squashy for tiny hands to hold, a quick squeeze and he will give a lovely satisfying squeak to delight your baby, he even squirts water for endless bath time fun.
Even better, he’s only £5.99 from cuddledry.com, so you could even splash out on a pair.
How children’s bedtime has changed over the years. With the advent of digital TV, including Freeview, parents can now turn to the TV for help in setting their little ones down for the night.
The BBC CBeebies “Bedtime Hour”, which runs from 6-7pm on the CBeebies channel, is popular with parents and children, though it can’t please everyone all of the time.
Every so often the hour gets a bit of a refresh, with some shows moving or disappearing to make way for new ones or old favourites.
From Monday 3rd October, Charlie & Lola and 64 Zoo Street will make way for Waybuloo. In The Night Garden and The Bedtime Story will remain in place.
Judging by comments on the CBeebies Facebook page, some parents really welcome the change while others aren’t so happy.
CBeebies’ controller, Kay Benbow, said that they were always looking at ways to keep the schedule fresh and interesting without causing too much disruption to routines.
Fortunately, thanks to technology, many parents will have the option to watch ‘missing’ favourite shows via the iPlayer.
TV should never be a necessity in a child’s routine but there’s no doubt the BBC’s award-winning channel has won a place in many families’ hearts.
What do you think of the changes?
