Craft Subscription Packs From toucanBox (PLUS Your Chance To Win)

Do you ever have the urge to get crafty with your children, but don’t know where to start when it comes to getting materials? It’s difficult to remember to save every gloopy lolly stick, especially when you’re out and about.

If this sounds like you, then toucanBox is the answer! 

They make craft boxes for 3 - 8 year old children which are filled with everything required to ignite their creativity and transport them to another world. Each box contains a unique project to complete with the support of an adult... although if you’re anything like me, you’ll enjoy it just as much as your little one.

We are giving you the chance to win a 3 MONTH SUBSCRIPTION to the TWO CRAFT Grande box.

This contains:

Mini Makes #5 - Decorated Eggs for Easter

The main Easter celebrations may be done and dusted for another year but that doesn't mean the fun activities can't continue! Decorating eggs is quite a traditional idea to enjoy for this occasion and the Mini Mes have put a modern twist on this by making theirs based upon some of their favourite movies - Despicable Me and Home! 

You will need

7 Great Fabric Paint Techniques

There are limitless opportunities to customise all sorts of items around your house using fabric paints. You can jazz up your curtains, create your own clothing designs, produce original table mats and a lot more besides. There are also a variety of different ways to apply the paint to produce great patterns or repeat your favourite motifs. Fabric paints are easy to get hold of with websites such as George Weil stocking a great variety of brands and accessories. Here are a few fun techniques to experiment with when using fabric paints. Get the kids involved for a fun alternative craft activity.

Easter Alternatives - Gift Ideas For Kids

It's more than likely that your little ones will receive plenty of sweet treats from friends and family this Easter, so you may wish to avoid any extra E numbers by purchasing chocolate-free gifts!

Whether your child is 2 or 10 these ideas should help you pick the perfect present.

• Frizzie the Lamb and Diva the Canary are part of the 'My Blue Nose Friends' collection, featuring a blue nose and patches, and they are arriving in stores just in time for Easter! They are seriously soft to the touch so ideal for plenty of hugs and with their own unique character they are lovely for role play games and more. Frizzie is forever getting lost as she is a curious little creature whereas Diva loves to be the centre of attention! At £5 these are perfect for play this April - and even great for grown ups that collect them too.

• Yellow Moon is a firm favourite when it comes to crafts and their Easter product range is bound to please any creative child. With Scratch Art Egg Decorations, Suncatchers, Daffodil Wreaths and Easter Sprinkles galore they will certainly help to keep your kids entertained until they return to nursery or school. There are even Bunny Cards to make and send to loved ones! The Mini Mes really like these items, especially Minxy.

• The kids can enjoy a colour-in eggstravaganze this April with a table cloth, bunting and Easter egg hunt clues to doodle on from Eggnogg. Colouring is not only ideal for rainy days indoors, it has endless benefits for children when it comes to concentration, imaginative and coordination skills - they can learn while having fun without evening knowing it! The bunting will decorate the garden nicely and the table cloth keeps little ones busy while waiting for their Easter feast. The Mini Mes have really liked colouring a different section each mealtime and finding how many eggs and birds there are in total.

• You might worry about your child's sweet intake but you can feel guilt-free with Goody Good Stuff with their all-natural gum range. They are free from fat, meat, dairy, alcohol, gluten, egg, nut, soy and gelatine so ideal for allergies too. We really like the Strawberries & Cream and Tropical Fruit flavours in particular but there are 8 varieties to choose from something for every taste. A great food gift without the chocolate.

• With Eggling you can grow your own plants at home this Easter, inside an egg - its fun and educational for kids! The egg already contains peat mixture and seeds so it's as simple as cracking the top with a spoon, adding a splash of water and then popping in some sunlight to create your indoor garden. The kit comes complete with a terracotta tray and extra seeds to use. Once your plants have grown for as long as 5 months within the egg you can place it directly into soil to continue flourishing! There are three herbs, three flowers and four special edition Egglings to collect. 

What gifts will you be buying this Easter?

*We received the above products for the purpose of a post. The thoughts given are honest and our own*

Winter Walks and Wellies - Outdoor Activities for Kids

Winter is well underway and unfortunately that means the bikinis and deck chairs are back in storage for a few months, unless you want frostbite, BUT it does see the return of wonderful wintry walks. 

Kicking about in leaves, splashing in puddles and having fun with ice and snow is what this time of year is all about - I love it!

Hit the slopes

Apart from sledding there are lots of alternative ways to enjoy the snow. You can begin skiing from around 3 years of age and you don't have to be much older to give snowboarding a go. Tubing (riding inflatable rings) is great fun too and can be enjoyed by young and old - we will be visiting our local Snozone for some lessons before Christmas as a family.

Snow play

Building snowmen and throwing snowballs are pretty standard activities in the cold so try something a little different this year. Creating ice decorations, making igloos, forming ice marbles and painting the snow in colour are just a few ideas.

Animal tracking

This is something that can be done all year round but animal tracks are a lot easier to spot when there is mud and frost on the ground. Educate little ones by getting them to identify which creature they came from and you can always look to the sky for some bird watching now the robins will be out in full force.

Geocaching

Again this is an activity you can take part in at any time but when it's cold and the little ones may not want to venture outside this will definitely help get them moving! It's similar to a treasure hunt on a much larger scale - don't forget your camera for some picturesque photo opportunities while you walk.

Scavenger hunts

Pop on your coat, gloves and wellies, make a list of seasonal seeds and plants and collect them while exploring your local forests. You can then take them home to make leaf prints and crowns and even some cute little hedgehogs with pine cones!

Elf and fairy houses

You can transform your existing plant pots into homes for elves and fairies with just a few pebbles and lollipop sticks or you can make the most of the fallen twigs and greenery by designing caves for your imaginary friends. A lovely creative play idea.

 Whatever you are planning to do until Spring arrives, having reliable footwear is essential. Jelly Egg have a lovely selection of wellies and boots in particular that are perfect for the colder weather - to keep little and big feet dry!

What outdoor activities do you enjoy?

*Sponsored post*

#HaveaCraftParty Twitter Party

 

I do love a good party and earlier this week we received a huge delivery to host our own!

 

The box contained:

 

 

6 Craft sets (4 as prizes and 2 to use during the party)

Invites

Stickers

Party plates, cups and balloons

Cakes, icing and cake toppers

Sweets and party bags

Recipe ideas

 

 

The invites have been given out and while I will have friends and their little ones over for a pirate and treasure themed craft party at my home, you can join in too on Twitter for the chance to win some prizes...

 

 

 

Don't forget to follow  @UKMumsTV, @Interplayukltd and @TheMiniMesandMe on Twitter (there are also other bloggers that will be hosting parties too).

I'm quite looking forward to entertaining guests and tweeting about the fun we are having, I've been involved with Twitter parties before but never been a host in this way. Hopefully my multitasking skills will come in handy!

For more information about the Twitter party and for your chance to win some craft goodies:

http://www.evolutioncomps.co.uk/craftparty

I hope to tweet you there!

 

 

 

Busy Box crafts *Review*

If you are after some craft fun with the kids but don't fancy heading out in the cold and rain to search for pom poms, paper, paint and more, Busy Box is the ideal thing for you - it is delivered straight to your door!

Busy Box have a collection of themed boxes to choose from to suit a variety of tastes including festive boxes, like the Christmas Card Busy Box that we received, animal boxes, dinosaur boxes and nature ones too. Each Busy Box contains the bits and bobs to complete a number of projects based around the theme and they cost about £9.99 with a £2.50 postage fee too which is reasonable considering how much you get!

Our box contained everything we needed to make 15 cards; 2 cracker cards, 3 tree cut out cards and 10 different coloured folded A5 cards...

• 3 templates
• 4 sheets of metallic paper
• Glittery pipe cleaners
• Christmas sequins
• Glittery mosaic pieces
• Metallic ribbon
• Glitter glue pen 
• Tube of glitter 
• Foam stickers

The box states that it is not suitable for children under 3 but I feel this particular set would be ideal for toddlers as it really only involves some sticking and drawing which is simple enough with adult supervision. My two aged 6 and 8 still really enjoyed the activities and the brainstorm sheet provided some helpful ideas on how to be creative with the materials. 

Minxy was keen to use the stencils and Jamster particularly enjoyed using the sequins, pipe cleaners and glittery glue...

They managed to create some great cards which they delivered to family members and they even used some as thank you cards for the gifts that they received.

The product quality was very good and I was really impressed with the materials supplied. The box itself is ideal for storing completed crafts in and your own crafty bits and bobs that you may already have at home. With a child sized handle it is great to take when you visit family, travel or go on holidays and if you wish to send one as a gift you can have the boxes personalised too - a really nice idea.

I have my eye on the Nature Busy Box which I shall probably purchase for the February half term as it features snails, caterpillars, flying insects and windmills which look great fun and perfect for the beginning of spring!

If you wish to purchase a box you can head over to the Busy Box Facebook page for their buy one get one half price offer!

*We received a Busy Box for the purpose of this review. The opinions given are honest and our own
I apologise to Busy Box for being a complete numpty and only just sorting this review out for them!*

Christmas Crafts

A family Christmas is something we all aspire too. Beautifully decorated tree, the smell of mulled wine mingling with a turkey roasting in the oven, happy children playing with new toys and tuneful carol singers outside in gently falling snow. The reality can be somewhat different as winter weather is often of the wet and windy variety confining children to the house, which then leads to boredom, even with the new toys that Santa has brought for them

The run up to Christmas can be just as bad, as excitement reaches fever pitch, the bank balance is running on empty and the chance of peace and quiet is about as achievable as having botox in Edinburgh! It’s time to get the kids busy and creative leaving Mum the chance to at least have a short pampering session for the festive season parties.

Card and Present Making

Homemade cards can be very special to grandparents who will treasure them for years, so invest in some thin card, glitter and paint and let the kids express their creativity at the kitchen table. Printing off some photos of the children at the computer can give them hours of fun as they ‘photo-shop’ their own photos, drawing Christmas hats and festive decorations onto the cards and whilst this can be a messy exercise it will certainly occupy little fingers.

Speaking of little fingers, a lovely present idea is having a child’s handprint painted and varnished onto a decorative plate at one of the many pottery and craft workshops in the UK. It will serve as a special memento for years to come. Older children may enjoy decorating their own china Christmas decorations that can be proudly displayed on the family tree for years to come.

Natures Decorations

Taking the kids outdoors for a nature walk can be made more interesting by searching for holly, ivy and berries to make wonderful natural looking decorations. Of course, berry picking comes with strict instructions not to try eating them!! Older kids can try making wreaths to hang on the front door, by using garden wire and a little help from Dad, or utilise wire coat hangers to make decorations similar to the ones we adults used to make along with the cast of ‘Blue Peter.’

Advent Calendars

These can occupy children for hours as they ponder over pictures to put behind the windows. The older children will enjoy going through magazines for suitable pictures whilst the little ones love gluing them on to the background card. A joint effort in creating the large outer picture will keep them all amused.  A little adult help may be required to cut out the windows successfully. Perhaps Dad can be enlisted whilst Mum has a well-earned soak in a luxurious bath!

Christmas is definitely a time for children, so to avoid squabbles upsetting the festive spirit, stock up beforehand on craft supplies to ensure home life remains harmonious. And a good tip for after-Christmas activities is to get in some plain card and envelopes and have the children decorate their own notelets for those all-important thank you letters.

*This is a sponsored post*

Halloween crafts

Halloween is the perfect time to get crafty and create some spooky masterpieces for at home or to use as gifts. We received a lovely bundle from Yellow Moon to explore and we had a great time making a selection of cards, masks and decorations...

Halloween Scratch Art Hanging Decorations

These are ideal for your windows or for hanging from door handles as they look really pretty with very little effort or expense. Each pack comes with 6 decorations, wooden sticks and coloured ribbon to hang them with and the rainbow colours are really eye catching. The Mini Mes thoroughly enjoyed scratching off various words and patterns to make some lovely silhouette art. It's very simple to do so great for toddlers too.

Halloween Colour-In Mini Gift Bags

The Mini Mes and like to sit and colour when the weather is a little colder, which it often is at the moment, so these were a really nice item to receive. Once you have coloured the double sided bags they can be filled with treats for Trick or Treaters, friends and family or as leaving gifts for your party guests. The handles are study and come in lovely Autumn colours and there are 8 bags per pack, 2 of 4 different designs. We filled ours with stickers, sweets and other scary goodies for the Mini Mes friends and they were really appreciated.

Halloween Foam Mask Kits

You can transform your little one into a cat, pumpkin, witch or Frankenstein with these bright and easy to make foam masks. Elastic is already attached to the 4 pre-cut masks which makes them hassle free and as the foam parts are self-adhesive no glue is required either - mess free fun!. There are sheets included with pictures of how the masks should look so you can sit back and let the kids crack on by themselves. No assistance was needed from the Mr or I whatsoever. 

These would be great to make at a party or to use as part of a costume. The foam is soft against your child's skin and they are comfortable too.

Glow In The Dark Creepy Crawlies

We popped a few of these in our mini gift bags and we will use them to light up the path way for Trick or Treaters and to illuminate the themed buffet on Wednesday! These are fun plastic bugs that will entertain little children and the fact they glow up makes them even more spooky.

A4 Orange and Black Card, Halloween Glitter Foam Stickers and Glow in the Dark Paint.

If you want to make your invites personal or create Happy Halloween cards these are your essentials. The foam stickers come in a variety of characters, sizes and colours and the glitter is a nice added effect. The card is great quality and easily bends into shape but great for cutting up too. For an ultra special look the glow int he dark paint is amazing! Like normal paint you just brush it on and as soon as the lights are low it glows in an eerie green. We loved it!!

Yellow Moon has a huge selection of craft items for Halloween, Christmas and beyond. With next day delivery there is still time to get stocked up for your party or to have some fun with the kids!

I am a regular customer with Yellow Moon and I intend to buy from them again in the future. The range is huge and the products are great quality and value for money.

*We received some Halloween crafts for the purpose of this review. The views are honest and our own.*

Project 366, 210/366 - Camp Bestival

We were at Camp Bestival today at the beautiful Lulworth Castle in Dorset. I'm so pleased that the weather remained warm as it really helped to make the day superb. We enjoyed some performances on stage from Mr Tumble, Dick and Dom, The Gruffalo, Shrek and Minxy's favourite, Rizzle Kicks. Here is Jamster in his cape and mask he made at the free craft tent.

Jubilee Crafts - Little Doers Review

Having constant inspiration for kids crafts can be difficult especially when you don't always have space to save old boxes and yogurt pots or to store paint, glue and glitter. That's where Little Doers come in -  a box delivered directly to your door every 4 weeks containing everything you need to create atleast 4 wonderful crafts with instructions included! They even provide crayons, paint powder to mix up yourself in pots that they also provide and aprons... you can't get better than that!

The Mini Mes and I were lucky enough to receive a box to review and they had geat fun making some Jubilee themed crafts, which have been perfect for the recent celebrations. The box contained materials to create a crown, bunting, queens guard, queen puppet and a queen mask and also had colouring sheets, fact sheets and a laminated national anthem. Paint pots, disposable aprons, glue spreader and a paint brush were in the box too -  I was really quite impressed by how much there was included.

 

The instructions were easy to follow and included little pictures to help explain the creative process. The craft materials were good quality and despite being themed were all very different so there were no complaints of boredom, they kept the Mini Mes entertained (and quiet!) for some time. This is definately a system that I feel would benefit many homes where the parents don't have time to go in search of various craft materials themselves, don't have space to store lots of products or lack ideas on what to make. It takes the hassle of crafts away leaving more time to have fun with the kids instead and it's all organised inside a single box.

There is a members site giving you access to other craft ideas, certificates to print and a photo tutorials. As well as the crafts, the packs come with various extras which include dot-to-dot, song sheets, and pictures to colour. The packs we received came with details about the queen and guards and colouring sheets making the packs not only fun but educational too.

Little Doers began in 2011 and is aimed at toddlers and early years (ages 2-7). Each craft idea is individually sealed in a large envelope which makes the crafts perfect to take to relatives or friends homes to do there or to take away on holiday without fear bits will get lost or messy on your travels. They are very easy to transport indeed.

The packs are manufactured in the UK yet sometimes include activities that relate to other cultures and important holidays to help children be included and learn about them.

Pricing
There are 3 levels of membership to suit every need and bank balance.

• Basic is a rolling 4 week service where you can cancel at time. This is ideal to test the service before subscribing.
• Club level which comes with a membership pack
• Mega level also comes with a membership pack but also a Little Doers T-shirt worth £13!
• There is also an online only option which provides photo guides, files and printables.

For more information on costs or to subscribe you can head over to Little Doers website

Until 6th June there is a 60% off offer by using code DIAMOND at checkout.

Do you think having crafts delivered to your door appeals to you?
What are your favourite craft activities with the kids?