If there is one toy very child should have access to at some point, it's a kitchen.  Children love to role-play, to emulate grownups they see around them.  What we see as chores they see as fun.  I still remember my yellow small plastic kitchen from my childhood in the 80's.

I'll admit my personal taste leans more towards the wooden style toy kitchens yet there's no denying the look of glee the Step2 Little Bakers Kitchen  brought to Thing Two's and The Dude's face.

It's rare to get a toy the'll both play with yet Thing Two at the grand old age of 8 and The Dude (4.5 yrs) both happily flocked to it and were utterly ensconced in play for quite some time.  We have had two kitchens in the past, the first a small plastic one which valiantly survived Things One & Two yet fell at the brutal reign of The Dude.  Thing Two briefly had wooden separates which looked darling yet lasted mere months before hinges broke doors hung off and parts chipped.




Pros:

* The design is robust, chunky and very child-friendly which feels and looks incredibly durable.

* At 104.5cm tall, it's tall enough for smaller children to be able to play standing up making it much more realistic than smaller ones where they have to sit/kneel.

* Perfect for small hands, everything is easy to grip with no metal hinges to trap wee fingers.

* As well as coming with accessories there's plenty of space to store your own too.

* Although compact it manages to incorporate most things a child would expect to find in a kitchen such as oven, hob, sink, fridge and microwave which is pretty impressive.

* The 'buns' come apart so children can pretend to decorate them.

* The dolls high chair seat is a unique addition to the usual play kitchen design which Thing Two really likes.

* There's enough accessories to be able to play straight away.

* It was relatively quick and easy to put together meaning The Husband didn't tantrum whilst putting it together.

* The recycling tub makes great storage for play food.

* All kids love a toy phone so it's always good to see one included

Cons:

* Although some young girls will be attracted to the 'girliness' of it, I am somewhat opposed to the unnecessary feminising of toys.  Thankfully The Dude couldn't give a hoot about colour but I know some little boys may be unwilling to engage with it.  I also think it gender stereotypes; that kitchens are for girls. Colour shouldn't matter, yet this seems purposefully aimed at girls.

* The Spawn love the two sounds the hob makes yet for the RRP I think a 'pink' from the microwave, a timer sound on the oven and a tap sound would turn this great toy into an amazing one.

* One of the most popular kitchen related play items for children is a kettle, something not included with the accessories.



All in all we're impressed with the Step2 Little Bakers Kitchen.  It's compact yet not small, robust and comes with some nice accessories.  The proof of the pudding is that a week later it's still being played with and due to the design and build I have no doubt it will still be in tip top condition for when Moomin is old enough to play.

Weight: 13.2kg

Dimensions: H 105.4 x W 71.1 x L 35.6 cm

Extra Information

Step2 Little Baker's Kitchen

• Kitchen has a realistic electronic stove top “burner”
• Oven, microwave and refrigerator enhance children’s play and provide valuable storage of playtime accessories
• Upscale, granite-look counter top
• Pull-out fruit or vegetable “basket”
• Decorative plate rack and storage shelf
• Sink with faucet
• Attached doll seat for added play (doll not included)
• Includes 30-piece accessory set

***The lovely people at Activity Toys Direct provided us with this item for reviewing purposes.  All opinions are my own.

Parrrrrttttyyyyy!

Tomorrow (Monday 7th) Be there!

Competition: Win a Step2 Easy Turn Pink Coupe!

Thanks to the wonderful people at Activity Toys Direct, I'm able to host this fabulous competition to win an amazing Step2 Easy Turn Pink Coupe Car (currently retailing at £49.99) for your little one!

• Fresh new look with a modern design
• Petrol cap, ignition key and working horn for added fun
• Removable floor board protects feet when mum is pushing
• Moulded in push handle in roof
• Clear roof enables mom to see her child when pushing
• Front castor wheel for easy manoeuvrability
• Cup holders for both mum and child
• Front trunk storage

For your chance to win just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below, don't forget to tell your friends and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Step2 Real Projects Workshop

We were recently sent, by the lovely people at Activity Toys Direct, the Step2 Real Projects Workshop to review as part of their Play Ambassador programme that we're lucky enough to be a part of.

This particular item especially appealed to us as two out of three of The Spawn are especially canny builders.  Upon arrival The Husband looked dubiously at the large box, envisioning turning the air blue with profanities whilst he tirelessly pieced it together, thankfully his fears were unfounded.  Like most Step2 items, this is parent friendly to put together, nothing at all fiddly about it.  It even satisfied that curious male inability to look at the instructions, it was that simple.

Once assembled it looks appealing with it's chunky rounded design it appears sturdy and it can withstand the somewhat brutal playful enthusiasm of an imaginative preschooler.

The included tools are of a commendable quality and inspire play both alongside and away from the workshop.  We've had toy tool sets in the past and they've proved a disappointment with screwdriver handles falling off and the drill bits refusing to stay in the drill which incite frustration rather than play.  These tools however, are a much better quality and build and I can see them having some serious longevity.  We keep spying The Toddler 'fixing' things like the door... his brother and the cats.....

We've had a workshop in the past for Thing One, it was an overpriced flimsy plastic thing with far too many small pieces.  It was poorly made, overwhelming, uninspiring and was never used.

Companies often forget that less can be so much more, simplicity is incredibly more appealing as it leaves breathing room for creativity to breed.  It's not too big, it's tactile yet not fiddly, it's strong yet not too heavy and is visually appealing.

This workshop has hit the nail on the head, it's chunky design and accessories are a huge win.  It even comes with some 'fake' wood made out of a stiff foamy texture, they are various shapes and slot and piece together, sometimes with the aid of the nice bright chunky screws to become a multitude of creations.  These are much more tangible for little hands than thin plastic bits and have the added bonus of being suitable for playing with in the bath too!  We especially love the little 'vice' and the preschooler is drawn to using the drill on the screws. It even comes with it's own 'blue prints' of things that can be made that gives it a quirky 'grown up' feel for that more complete role playing experience.

The only con to this product for me personally is that The Preschooler loves to pull out the orange storage tray and I struggle to replace it.  This is obviously my failing and not the items seeing as Thing Two easily replaces it just before I get to that throwing it out the window in a grown up tantrum point.

The main worry we have with 'bigger toys' is that there's a huge hit or miss situation.  There's rarely a grey area, it's either a massive hit or a total doozy that gathers dust and reminds you every time you see it taking up room in your house that you wasted money.  I'm happy to say that at the Party of Five (soon to be six!) have declared this a hit.  We highly recommend it for the little builders in your life.

As always we also recommend Activity Toys Direct, they're competitively priced, trust me I've done some googling on the matter!  Yet regardless of exceedingly good prices, they're a decent friendly company, good customer service is priceless.

Activity Toys Direct Play Ambassador: Step2 Creative Projects Table

We are one of the incredibly lucky blogger families to be a 2013/14 Play Ambassador for Activity Toys Direct and for our first review they kindly sent us a

Step2 Creative Projects Table which they describe as:

"The very popular Step 2 Creative Projects Table is a 'one-person' or a 'two-person' desk. A clever re-positioning of the top storage shelve transforms this desk to allow either one, or two desk positions. Has lots of storage facilities and comes complete with two 11" stools."

The timing of this item was perfect as The Toddler
had been ill for several days and really wasn't quite himself yet when a lovely gentleman turned up at our house with a box larger than The Toddler himself, he smiled for the first time in far too long and immediately requested that The Husband construct it whilst he positioned himself on the sofa to issue orders and helpful 'directions'.

The Husband isn't renowned for having a large portion of patience and anything remotely flat pack is his arch Nemesis yet this item comes in relatively few parts and proved quick and easy to construct, just the way things should be.

The Step2 Creative Projects Table has an ingenious design that make it suitable for both one child and two with a mere adjustment (it slides!) of the central raised canopy shelf.  In one position it appears central to the desk allowing a child either side yet slide it to the edge and you have a perfect desk for one which can then be pushed up against a wall to save room should you desire.

Despite having access to a multitude of art materials, The Toddler has remained for the most part somewhat ambivalent towards drawing and colouring so we were curious to see how he'd react to this.  He has had an easel for quite some time that for the most part is neglected.

Since the Step2 Creative Projects Table arrived he has used it, every single day.  Without fail.  It's an inviting design and size to draw his attention with enough storage and access to his craft items to hold his attention.  No more fumbling under the sofa for lost and discarded pencils and lidless felt tips whilst emptying entire book boxes for the elusive colouring books.  Everything is neatly stored and immediately at hand.  He's drawn, coloured, painted, cut, created and even eaten his dinner at this table.  It appears to have a magnetic pull to him.

The Toddler is 3.5 years of age, yet Thing Two (Age 7) also immediately went for it as has been found seated there every night.  Thing Two is incredibly creative and loves nothing better than arts and crafts so is somewhat enthusiastic about having a workstation in the family room to do this in now instead of going to her own room or the cold kitchen!  Most surprisingly is Thing One (Age 9) who isn't naturally inclined towards the arts has been found seated at the table colouring in ! This item, despite being marketed at the younger end would appear to hold great appeal to all ages.....

and species.

The item is easy to put together, sturdy, and inviting.  The only negative to this product would be it's size, at  H=81cm, W=99cm, D=67cm it takes up a significant amount of, especially if you want it to be accessible and utilised by two children at once needing it to be in a floating position.  Because of this, it may not be suitable for everyones home, I know we'll be rejigging furniture after Xmas so that it can be positioned a little less obviously.

If you have room for this in your home, do consider investing in one, encouraging childrens creativity is priceless and providing a stimulating and easily accessible area for this can go a long way into turning a five minute attention span into a twenty five minute one and for me personally, having somewhere to stash all the paraphernalia associated with creativity that doesn't need my help to reach is a huge plus.

For those that want the details:

Step2 Creative Projects Table

• Age 3 +
• Features a large table surface with moulded in storage tray which accomodates large removable storage cups for art supplies.
• Will accommodate up to two children
• Has a lower heavy-duty support rod for stability
• Includes two 11 inch high stools
• Minimal adult assembly required
• Comes with a 12 month guarantee
• Packaging dimensions: H=68cm, W=108cm, D=23cm
• Please note accessories not included

***Activity Toys Direct provided us with this item as part of the Play Ambassador scheme, however, all opinions and experiences are undoubtedly my own.

Dream a garden

One thing that we've always considered important for a family home is a garden.  Since being with The Husband, over the past 13+ years we've lived in four houses the first had a small yard, the second had nothing, the third had  larger yard and finally, we got a garden in our fourth and current house.  It's reassuring to know The Spawn have outside space to run rampant about yet it's contained and most importantly...secure.  As a low income family and none drivers it's essential for us to have free outdoor space.  Children are natural little outdoors cretins who thrive in fresh air and nature, as they experiment and relish natures bounty whilst exercising and doing what all children should, playing.  Real playing.  No batteries or controllers included.  Nourishing their imagination and invigorating their minds and body.

Unfortunately our garden is, well to be blunt, rather dire.  With no spare funds to transform it it remains a small expanse of patchy muddy grass, with a broken swing which in turn broke The Spawns hearts.

We want an area that the whole family can enjoy throughout the year, that The Spawn can play in, grow in and learn from.

I asked Thing Two to draw me a picture of her dream garden and this is what she produced:

Complete with play castle, water statue, cameras, fans (for hot days), a bird tree and a spiffy roller coaster.

I asked Thing One and he then commenced a lengthy descriptive lecture which included go karts, a go-kart track and football nets..

The Toddler?  He rather fancies his own firestation out there

So as you do, I got to thinking what would I redesign the garden to look like should we have the funds and I came up with a rather less spectacular plan:

The top would have three distinct areas.  The first would be covered in play bark and house the dynamic and terrifically exciting TP Toys Castlewood Tower with Den Pack, Double Swing Set and Crazy Wavy Slide  from Activity Toys Direct.  This would make the most of the limited space combining several elements of play in one item that would have immense appeal for all three of The Spawn regardless of their difference in age.  Fireman Toddler would but ridiculously impressed with the firemans pole.  I'd also purchase the addition accessories pack:

It's often the little extras and details like this that turn something from terrific into something incredible.  Although I do fear that The Spawn would want to camp out on the play centre....permanently.  I'm failing to see how this would be a bad thing.  I could turn their bedrooms into a Gin distillery. Win win situation, no?

Oh dear, i'm all of a fluster on their behalf just thinking about it.

Next to this, ideally, we'd have some chickens with a run and home and then next to this some fruit trees (apples and pears) and the start of a flower bed that would run along the fence that separates us from nextdoor with something bright and colourful such as tulips and daffodils.

The Middle sections would remain grassy for general play and football with the addition of stepping stones so that in the grimmer weather The Spawn could traverse the grass to the play area without being swallowed by boggy mud.  Not to mention that stepping stones are simply delightful and aid imaginative play.

Although doubtful a budget would stretch, I would adore a shallow, narrow stream feature traversing the garden.

On the left would be either another flower or a herbal garden bed and the brown rectangle signifies a childrens garden area where they can dig to their hearts content, they like digging, they're either undercover moles or else attempting to relocate to Australia.

Finally the bottom area is split into two by an existing path from the back door.  I'd love to have the left side either paved or decked so that a family size picnic table could be situated for eating al fresco and outdoor crafts.  On the right would be a large raised bed to grow our own fruit and vegetables.

*** This blog post is an entry into the Tots100/Activity Toys Direct garden makeover competition.