Discover the Mighty Waikato: Your Family-Friendly Spring Adventure

Promotion for Hamilton & Waikato Tourism

The Waikato is not just mighty in spirit. This geographically and culturally diverse region is home to an abundance of activities and attractions that will keep the family entertained and awe-struck, with smiles as wide as the Waikato River.

Just a short trip down the motorway from Auckland or centrally located for the rest of the motu, the Waikato region is a destination full of family fun, scenic beauty, and inspiring culture. Plan your spring adventure with our guide to the best places to see, things to do, and kai to refuel you for another mighty Waikato day.

Please note: Venue information was correct at the time of publication. Please check with individual venues for the latest opening dates, times, prices, etc, before making plans. 

Unleash your inner explorer

Hamilton Zoo

Hamilton Zoo

Home to over 600 native and exotic animals and set amidst 25ha of lush and tranquil surroundings, it’s always a wild day out at Hamilton Zoo. Get up close and personal with amazing creatures from around the world. From playful meerkats to majestic Sumatran tigers, there’s plenty to see and learn. Don’t forget to check out the zoo’s conservation efforts!

Go wild at Hamilton Zoo

Cornerstone Alpaca Farm

Cornerstone Alpacas

Looking for a cuddly encounter? Cornerstone Alpacas offers a unique experience where you can meet these friendly South American animals. It’s a truly unforgettable experience for the whole family with plenty of feeding and photo opportunities. Learn about their soft and luxurious fleece, visit the Alpaca Gift Shop, and stop for a bite to eat at the onsite licensed café.

Plan your alpaca cuddles

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari

Immerse yourselves in nature at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. This predator-free sanctuary is home to a variety of native birds and wildlife. Explore the walking tracks, spot rare birds, spot the tiny kiwi burrows and discover the wonders of New Zealand’s unique ecosystem. For an unforgettable adventure, join a guided night walk and experience the magic of the forest after dark. Discover the enchanting glowworms, listen to the haunting call of the kiwi, and marvel at the incredible diversity of nocturnal creatures such as the wētā, millipedes and beetles to name a few.

Immerse yourself in nature

Step into a storybook!

Hobbiton Movie Set

Hobbiton Movie Set

Journey to the Shire and immerse yourselves in the magical world of Middle-earth. Explore the colourful Hobbit Holes™, admire the stunning scenery, and enjoy a delicious second breakfast at the Green Dragon™ Inn. It’s a truly enchanting experience for fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. See the iconic Bag End, home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the party tree, the stone bridge, the Millhouse and more and learn about the movie secrets!

The Shire awaits!

Waitomo Caves

Waitomo Caves

Discover the underground wonders of the iconic Waitomo Caves. After marvelling at the spectacular cave formations, you will simply never forget silently gliding on an underground stream in a boat with thousands of glowworms sparkling overhead! Then explore Ruakuri cave’s limestone rock formations, and indulge in thrilling adventures like abseiling, black water rafting, and ziplining.

Prepare to be wowed!

Family fun on wheels

Te Awa River Ride

Te Awa River Ride

This scenic and family-friendly cycling trail between Ngāruawāhia and Karapiro, weaves through rural and urban landscapes, taking in waterfalls and historic Māori sites as well as trendy shops and cafes. Take in the stunning Waikato River from the wide, smooth and largely flat trail, making Te Awa suitable for cyclists of all fitness and experience levels. Bike hire is available from River Riders and Riverside Adventures.

Prepare to be wowed!

Hauraki Rail Trail

Hauraki Rail Trail

The Hauraki Rail Trail provides scenic and easy cycling suitable for all ages. From the Shorebird Coast town of Kaiaua on the Firth of Thames, this trail follows historic railway lines through Thames, Waihi, Te Aroha, and Matamata through beautiful scenery. Bike hire and shuttle services can be arranged.

Get on your bike!

Relax and recharge

Hamilton Gardens

Hamilton Gardens

Escape the hustle and bustle and unwind in the beautiful Hamilton Gardens. Explore different garden styles from around the world, pack a picnic, and let the kids run wild in the expansive lawns. There’s something new to see at every turn and the kids will love the variety of sights. Don’t miss the Surrealist Garden – it’s great for those funny family photos that you will cherish.

Take a stroll

Family-friendly walks in the Waikato

Looking for a fun and scenic adventure for the whole family? The Waikato region offers a variety of family-friendly walks perfect for all ages and abilities. Here are some of our top picks.

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

15-minute drive from Raglan

Walk to falls: 20-minute return

Also known as the Wairēinga Falls, this is an easy walk through native bush to viewing platforms that provide stunning views of the 55-metre falls. This walk is not stroller-friendly.

Plan your walk

Taitua Arboretum

Taitua Arboretum

15-minute drive from Hamilton CBD

Walk: Allow 90-minutes for a full circuit

Home to an impressive selection of mature trees, Taitua Arboretum features a network of walking tracks linking lakes, woodland gardens, birdlife, and picnic spots. Perfect for a leisurely stroll or family picnic.

Plan your walk

Piripiri Cave Walk

Piripiri Cave Walk

37-minute drive from Waitomo

Walk: 10-minute return 

A short walk through native bush to a cave entrance with free access. A torch is recommended to descend a staircase into the cave to a viewing platform where visitors can take in the sights.

Plan your walk

Marokopa Falls Walk

Marokopa Falls Walk

38-minute drive from Waitomo

Walk to falls: 20-minute return 

An easy walk passing through native tawa and nikau forest to reach the 25-metre high Marokopa Falls. Stay behind the barrier as the ground is unsafe to walk over.

Plan your walk

Mangapohue Natural Bridge

Mangapohue Natural Bridge

32-minute drive from Waitomo

Walk: 10-minute return 

Follow the boardwalk for an easy stroll to the base of the natural bridge (limestone rock formation). Or you can extend to a 20-minute loop with stunning views and fossils of 25 million-year-old oysters in the limestone outcrops.

Plan your walk

Ruakuri Walk

Ruakuri Walk

6-minute drive from Waitomo

Walk: 10-minute return 

A great, family-friendly walk with small caves for kids to explore in the Ruakuri Scenic Reserve. See stalactites and stalagmites, native birds among the forest, and glowworms.

Plan your walk

Family-friendly eating out

Family-friendly dining in the Waikato

Waikato has some amazing family-friendly cafes and restaurants for when you’re ready for a bite to eat. From outdoor spaces to run around to fantastic playgrounds and furry friends to meet, the venues are just as good as the delicious food. To discover more, check out the Mighty Waikato guide to best eateries for families.

For more things to do, places to see and all of your accommodation needs for your next family holiday, visit The Mighty Waikato.

Hairy Maclary’s Magnet Fun by Lynley Dodd | Book Review

Promotion for Penguin Books

Create your own stories with Hairy Maclary and all his friends in the fun new book, Hairy Maclary’s Magnet Fun.

Hairy Maclary and his rollicking gang are always getting up to mischief. Join them on their adventures in this fun-filled magnet book featuring five Hairy Maclary scenes and lots of magnets to add. Where will Hairy Maclary play today? And who is with him? You can decide!

Featuring magnets of Hercules Morse, Bottomley Potts, Muffin McLay, Bitzer Maloney, Schnitzel von Krumm, Scarface Claw, Slinky Malinki, Zachary Quack, a hat, a skimmer, a teddy bear … and of course, the mischievous Hairy Maclary.

Bringing together imagination and learning through creative play, little ones will love creating their own stories about the raggedy rascal and his gang.

Buy your copy of Hairy Maclary’s Magnet Fun

Read the family review from Jessica

Hairy Maclary’s Magnet Fun

Hairy Maclary’s Magnet Fun

Hairy Maclary’s Magnet Fun is an interactive magnet book incorporating the lovely illustrations and frolicking words by Lynley Dodd that we all know and love. Miss 4 has been raised on Hairy Maclary stories so the magnet book is a fun way to extend her interaction with the book and the different dog and cat characters.

Perfect for 2-year-olds up as a high chair activity while mum does the dishes or for a 6-year-old to read and play alone, this is a great book to be pulled out for the child’s love of Hairy Maclary and reading to grow.

As I write this Miss 4 is reading the book and telling the stories in her own words, engaging with the friendly characters and the scary ones and growing her vocabulary and learning all whilst having fun and enjoying the book that is also a toy!

I highly recommend this as a beautiful gift for a child to grow their love of reading!

Hairy Maclary’s Magnet Fun

Hairy Maclary’s Magnet Fun

Blistex Lip Conditioner | Review

Blistex Lip Conditioner is not just a lip balm; it’s a daily essential that caters to the needs of the whole family, offering protection, hydration, and convenience in one compact pot.

Wrap your lips in a moisturising barrier of long-lasting hydration!

Protect, moisturise and condition

The iconic Blistex Lip Conditioner pot soothes, softens and restores dry, chapped lips. Enriched with cocoa butter and vitamin E, the unique formula actually helps prevent lips from drying out in the first place and provides long-lasting hydration.

With broad-spectrum SPF 30+, it shields lips from the harsh sun, dryness, and cold, making it perfect for outdoor adventures in summer and winter alike.

This dual-action balm is ideal for protecting children’s delicate lips from the extreme UV exposure of the New Zealand sun and shielding them from the biting cold of winter winds. By keeping the entire family’s lips soft and healthy-looking year-round, Blistex is the essential lip care solution that’s simple and effective.

Use daily throughout the year to keep your lips happy and luscious. Ideal for on the go, the iconic Blistex Lip Conditioner pot fits neatly in your pocket or your bag, so you’ll never miss a moment of your day.

Read the reviews now

We gave 30 families the opportunity to trial and review Blistex Lip Conditioner. Registrations are now closed – read their reviews in the comments below.

Read reviews from our trialists …

Kelly.m I had neverBlistex Lip Conditioner tried Blistex before and was amazed as soon as I applied it to my lips. Immediately they felt moisturised and softer. The scent was lovely too. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting softer, moisturised lips.
Debrajane77 Blistex Lip ConditionerWith such welcoming packaging I knew we would be in for a treat with one of Blistex’s great products. We were not disappointed. Miss 8 gets dry lips running around at school and we live in a very windy area. Once applied, you could feel the lip balm working its magic. Our lips were both left feeling tingly and moisturized. She used it again after school and said her lips felt “delightful”. I would highly reccommend and have added it to our grocery list
Sharon Goldsbro Blistex Lip ConditionerMyself and my 2 daughters who are always slathering something on their lips – all loved this! Pleasant fragrance (the cocoa butter), very smooth application on lips – and excellent sized pottle – perfect for the pocket. Great for summer tennis and at the beach too. Plus a good price point too. Will def pick a couple more up so we can have one each – thanks Blistex. Great product all round
HayleyW Blistex Lip ConditionerI was lucky enough to receive a trial Blistex and was very appreciative as this is a product I have sworn by for years but I hadn’t yet tried it on the rest of my family.

– Blistex is great for the entire family, providing SPF with moisturisation.
– We used it on the lips of myself, my husband and my three and five year old daughters.
– The cooling feeling of the product meant we knew it have been applied correctly and liberally to ensure sufficient sun protection.
– Lips were left feeling nourished, hydrated and protected without leaving a thick feeling on the lips (meaning we could eat in between applications easily).
– We will absolutely be using this in the future. Nothing on the market that we’ve tried compares!

mumjess Blistex Lip ConditionerWe wanted to review this product because it is dry lip season- a combination of the Wellington wind and the cold. My 14 year old had the worst dry lips when the product arrived, so she was the lucky one to trial this. It worked well. She says they feel much more comfortable, and I can tell that the conditioner worked just by looking at her. She had been using Vaseline, and noticed an improved difference between blister lip conditioner and Vaseline The packaging was easy to read, and had clear instructions for recycling- both pot and packaging – that’s a very good touch. We would recommend this, if anyone was talking about lip products, and say it was fit for purpose and good quality 😀 Thanks Kidspot and Blistex for the opportunity to try this lovely product!
Loloslunch Blistex Lip ConditionerWe are a busy, outdoorsy family who live in the lee of the Southern Alps, so we always get dry skin, and in particular, lips. We have tried quite a few lip balms, but are always on the lookout for something to protect our lips from the sun as well. For both of these reasons, I was really keen to try Blistex Lip Conditioner with broad spectrum spf 30, and our family was thrilled to be able to put it through its paces.

The packet is really convenient- small enough to fit into any bag, and a light colour which is way easier to find. We loved the pot design. My youngest tends to smear or mash lip balms which are in a stick form, and this was easy to keep clean and share between our family. We all loved this lip conditioner, and my children have chosen it in preference to other brands I have dotted around our house. They love the light feel- it isn’t too greasy or heavy, but it still leaves your lips feeling moisturised and healthy. I love the SPF- it is so important to keep our skin safe, and even outside of Summer, our skin is exposed to an unbelievable amount of UV radiation. Knowing that my whole family has protection from damage every time they apply this conditioner is really reassuring.

We have tried this lip conditioner both at home, and out walking. In both settings it was really great- convenient bus also effective. It’s awesome not having to choose one or the other! Unfortunately with inclement weather this week, we haven’t made it up the slopes to really put this through its paces yet, but we are going next week, and I’m really excited about trying this out there.

Overall we have loved using this lip conditioner . Our lips all feel much better- smooth and moisturised, and what a bonus that they have been protected from the sun too. Non-greasy and light, this is great to protect your lips at any time of the year, and the convenient size means it’s a breeze to take out wherever you go. We definitely recommend it, and will be adding it to our shopping trolly as our preferred lip balm for all occasions.

tcmmum As a family of 5 we were excited to try this out, we found it to be a good size for all the family to use, had a nice but not too strong scent, the feel after applying was good, not too greasy/wet feeling and the added sun protection was an added bonus. My son took it with him for the day on his school ski trip, it fitted nicely in his pocket. A product we really liked, and dependent on price point, would buy for sure. Thank you!
Duaa2202 Blistex Lip ConditionerI love blistex and their lip balms they never disappoint.
So glad I got to be a part of this trial because I use lip balm everyday and never miss a day. I hate having dry lips and this truly didn’t disappoint.I applied the lip balm before i head to work every morning, and i applied every night to keep my lips hydrated at night too. It really made my lips smooth and hydrated and it even healed a little cut i have in 2 days.I absolutely love the fact it has spf, im trying to make sure all my skin care includes spf so it’s a big plus for me. We need this protection on a daily.It smells great too and my husband really liked using it as well before bed and leaves it on overnight. It’s a great quality product.
Lexxx13nz Blistex Lip ConditionerIn 4 days my lips have dramatically improved! They have stayed soft and aren’t cracking anymore. The weather here has been cold/cold/hot/cold and very very windy, which would usually give me sore dry and cracked lips but not this time. And no weird film like most lip balms leave behind. Pleasantly surprised.
palindrome Blistex Lip ConditionerWhat a fantastic product! Conveniently packaged in a small container that would slip easily into any pocket and the paper packaging can be recycled as well.

Best of all, Blistex lip conditioner really works – it leave the lips feeling conditioned. Regular application for a few days resulted in a marked difference and lips that are no longer chapped and cracked. There is also a very pleasant sensation on putting the lip conditioner on – a little tingly – and no greasy after feel unlike some other products, which was a hit both for the kiddos and the adults in our family. I also liked the scent – pleasant without being overpowering.

Also for those who suffer from hayfever and resultant reddened/sore noses, a little of this conditioner on the nose also works wonders to keep the delicate skin on the nose pain free and conditioned.

Highly recommend. I will definitely be buying this again – one for each member of the family!

Jax Blistex Lip ConditionerThanks so much for allowing our family to review Blistex!
We wanted to try this out as we have not found a product that helps my 10 year old and myself with cracked dried lips. We usually use Vaseline but it gets messy and doesn’t really protect with the sun.
We loved how it comes in a little tub, especially for the family use. My 10 year old does not like sharing products that others have touched. So this is amazing that we can all use it without ‘cross contamination ‘
I have a habit of licking my lips alot and it causes horrible dryness and pain, on 1st application of Blistex it gives a little tingle on the lips, but a good feel tingle not a burning sensation. It does not leave an oily residue, it absorbs fast into the lips and you can feel the softness for quite some time. I found you only have to reapply more a few hours later. After using it for a few days I have noticed my lips are softer, less dry, and I tend to have stopped licking my lips so often so that is a bonus!
My 10 year old also used the product, he says he liked how it makes his lips feel, how he doesn’t feel like his lips are trapped with product. He says that when he is at school and playing sports his lips are not as sore or dry with the sun anymore, not like how sunscreen gets in your mouth and tastes gross. He says it feels like a protective sleeve is over his lips now and can’t go back without using Blistex!
The smell is like a light vanilla scent, really nice. The tub is perfect for in the pocket or bag for convince without getting lost. And it doesn’t melt if kept in the heat all day which is beneficial!
I would really recommend Blistex for the whole family to protect your lips from all that life throws at you. And we definitely will buy Blistex for the future in our house 🙂
Rose Blistex Lip ConditionerBest lip balm my daughter and I have been using it as we both suffer from dry lips works perfectly for us
likichee Blistex Lip ConditionerThank you for the opportunity to trial the Blistex Lip Conditioner. We were wanting to trial this product as my 4 years old and I both have dry and cracked lips. The product came in a good amount size with wide mouth opening, which makes it easy to obtain the ointment over a surface. Also, my 4 years old finds it easy with opening and closing the lid. Besides, it was helpful that it came in a mini tub size, instead of like a stick form, as this is more hygienic and can be shared between the family. The light coloured tub has a little shine to it, which makes it easy to find in a darker environment too i.e. inside a bag. I really love the SPF in the product as it acts like a multitasker that protect against UV damage while nourishing the lips.

We have been using the product for a few days and have noticed huge improvement in our dry and cracked lips. My lips no longer crack after 2nd day of applying and my 4 years old also has no cracked lips after 3rd day. Although the instruction says to apply generously and reapply frequently at least every 2 hours, we find that we didn’t need to reapply constantly like some other brands I have tried as it stays on for a long time. This product texture is very smooth and has a mild scent of cocoa butter. It is not too shiny and oily on lips. I love the menthol and cooling sensation, although my 4 years old is not a big fan of it but she eventually got used to it after few applications. The Blistex Lip Conditioner has smoother and lighter texture than Lucas Papaw ointment and Vaseline, but has slightly oily consistency compared to Vaseline. In terms of smell, I love the mild cocoa butter scent in Blistex Lip Conditioner as it reminds me of summer, but the kid prefers the unscented Vaseline.

Overall, I would recommend the product to hydrate your lips if you enjoy a mild scent of cocoa butter and a menthol or cooling sensation on your lips.

rebeccam We were thrilled to be chosen to try the Blistex Lip Conditioner, as both myself and Miss 15 suffer from dry lips.
We both tried it and found it really lovely to apply, the smell was good and the little pottle is so cute and fits really well in my car door little pocket.
The packaging was easy to open, and I loved the seal on it.
My daughter also liked how smooth it felt on her lips.
After using it for the first week, my lips felt smoother and needed to use it less than I would normally use my other lip balm.
I would most definitely use this more often and buy in the future.
Thanks Kidspot and Blistex for choosing our family to trial this awesome lip balm!
Mischella Blistex Lip ConditionerI wanted to try this lip conditioner as an avid lip balm user, a fan of Blistex and as our family has been experiencing dry lips in the Wellington wind.
The pot made it easy for our young son to use and much less messy as he has a tendency to overwind retractable balms!
I found the packaging bright and enticing and the pot itself simple and well-designed.
I found it lasted well, went on smoothly and my favourite feature is that it has an SPF factor of 30.
It has sweet taste to it, in contrast to my usual Blistex Medicated Relief tube. In comparison, I predict it will last longer, being a pot, as there is less waste from squeezing the tube too much and is therefore probably more cost-effective.
I do prefer the less sweet and cooling effect of my usual tube but in all other areas (ease of application, less waste, cost efficiency, ability to use for my son) I prefer the lip conditioner.
So I think I’m going to stick to having both!
I’d recommend it for family use.
juliereidnz Blistex Lip ConditionerWe were excited to try Blistex as a family, especially as the weather has been so changeable lately and we di a lot of winter sports.
First impressions were that we loved the smell! We probably would have preferred if it was a lipstick rather than having to dip your finger in.
My 10 year old didn’t like the fact that it tingled her lips, but I didn’t mind that.
It was perfect for dry lips and it moisturized them perfectly.
It’s going to stay in the car so we always have access to it for those moments when you have dry lips and no lip balm.
Thank you for the opportunity to review 😀
EmmaV My twins were excited to try Blistex Lip Conditioner. They both struggle with dry lips. This product has been incredibly amazing! No irritation, their dry lips have gone. I work in the cancer continuum so love that this is an SPF30 for that extra protection in the sun.
This is our new go to lip conditioner! Thanks Kidspot!
lilblondee6 I have always been a big fan of blistex products and with the added sun protection makes them even more favorable, This particular blistex lip product was extremely hydrating and cured my cracked lips in less than 24hrs unlike other similar products on the market.
I do like that it is in a pot as I find the stick usually gets a bit misshapen and difficult to use for me personally however my daughter prefers the stick but did love this particular ointment for the hydrating and spf factors.
pheeny Wow what a fabulous product , love the smell, love the glide onto the lips, there is a very slight tingle, makes my dried up lips so soft and shiny, I adore it, after one week my ups have improved so much, instead of dry and flaky they are now luscious and soft. I think the main selling point is the spf 30 – vital in NZ (would love it to be 50 but just means I’ll reapply it more). It’s a very convenient size for chucking in my handbag and also in my tights (for the side line rugby watching in the dry morning air it’s vital!!). Tween has already stolen it.
Would I buy it, absolutely!!!!
Mumof3lads Thanks for letting me try the Blistex Lip Conditioner. I’ve been an avid chapstick user for years and reluctant to change, but this is fantastic. I’m not having to use it as often as my lips are feeling more moisturised for longer and less cracked already. I made the mistake of telling my husband about it when he was complaining of winburnt lips from working outside all day and he took the lip conditioner to work with him…. now he is refusing to give it back and says he’ll buy me a new one ha ha. My son is a welder and he often complains about having lipburn from work so I’m going to get him one to try as well to see if it helps. Truly impressed by this lip conditioner and am a total convert. Would recommend to anyone who suffers from dry, chapped lips or is outdoors often. Thanks so much for the opportunity, don’t think I would have ever tried it otherwise!
Maur Thrilled to try this product, we have tried it for the last 7 days and we (myself, miss 15, and miss 7 all loved it.
Miss 7, very active and in the sun all day gets chapped lips often which crack and become painful so She loved the thought of being chosen. She loved the smell, taste and how shiny and soft the product made her lips. Over the 7 days we found that her lips were actually in great condition. Also said that there was a cool feeling and tingling that she thought was neat.A big “i love it” from her.
Miss 15 liked the smell, the taste and felt it nourished and protected her more than her current “pure fiji” lip product. She loved the cooling sensation, which made her think she was using a lip plumper. Overall performance was great, as an active diver she is always out on the water and her lips get extremely dry. They are protected and no where near as bad as they’d normally be. She didn’t mind it being in a pot either as her current is a pot.
My thoughts, great hydration and protection. Smell and taste are good. Not overly sticky either. Loved that it had spf. I usually have a dry ball of skin that forms in the centre of my bottom lip and haven’t had that the week using this new blistex balm, so definitely a game changer for me. Will purchase more. Would live if it came in a stick form as I’m not a fan of fingers and pots.
Thanks Kid Spot ☺️

We asked our readers to tell us why they would like to trial this product …

Shorrty4life I would love to try this product. My lips are very dry with cold air and also get dry around spring too with all the windy days so I would love to trial this product and see if it’s helpful for future and would love to complete a review also
karen tilt We have dry sensitive skin and need to try new products like this
Smushy My daughter is always getting windburn and dry lips. Thia wouldbe amazing to try
Caramelcoke Would love to try this product for my dry lips over the colder months
ejhowan Support with chapped lips
Nobuka I need this my lip so dry in winter
market vaega My lips are always dry and i have tried quite a few products so would love to trial this one 🙂
taliajordane01 I’d love to try this, I often get dry peeling lips. I’ve noticed in winter since I have been playing winter sports in the cold wind that my lips are needing more nourishment. Once summer comes due to the UV rays in my location this would also be very handy!
cashaw87 I would love to try this trial as my daughter is currently battling very dry lips this winter! With every new illness, she seems to get dry lips and it’s hard to find something that works!
Tina My son always has dry lips when he wakes up and when he gets home from school. I’ve tried many balms and nothing really works. If this product works, I win continue to buy it after the trial. They crack and bleed. It’s horrible
Chrislean We would love to trial Blistic lip conditioner as we are a sporty family who often are up in the cold snowy mountains or out by the sea. Our dry lips would live a new product to help them get moisturised.
Serena Lim I have really dry lips. Have tried many products and doesn’t really try. But I haven’t try this before. So would like to have a go
mztrismia We are a blended family with neurodiverse members, we always need good moisturizers to keep our family in happy mode.
nashabenson Myself and my 12 year old use lip balms a lot – I have this in the stick version but would love to try this version especially my daughter who buys one every few weeks and hasn’t tried this one herself yet
TraceyM We all seem to get dry lips from outside breeze, this be amazing to try and see if it helps
Hannahrt Family of 4 who all suffer from dry skin and dry lips especially. We spend plenty of time up the mountain in the snow so always needing spf in all our skin products. We would love to try this spf 30 lip conditioner
bell.claire We would love to try this as my son get incredibly dry lips especially when playing sports outside. This would be a great addition to our sports bag.
Neeshadlima Winter would be the best time to try as my girls are sports crazy and this would keep their lips soft and smooth.
Hina The product looks quite unique for my kids and husband who are always suffering from dry and chapped lips. Haven’t come across anything that also offers sin protection for lips for them too
Hamilton rosemary My kids are outdoors kids and are always getting dry or sunburnt (or wind burnt) lips I try so many different lip balms but I need one that can protect their lips throughout their day
Mjchase Canterbury is very dry. This would be great, especially in the Christchurch wind.
briii12 Blistex has been around for so long and I think it’s a great product. Haven’t used any for sometime and funnily enough my eldest daughter is currently always having dry cracked lips so I’ve been lending her some lip balm of mine. This would be fantastic to trial with her.
Indilee15 Because we are both (my daughter and a I) lip balm fanatics constantly putting on lip balm and we can give a good detail on if it works and lasts.
katiegwon Our family is always on the go, with our two energetic boys, aged 7 and 2, who absolutely love spending time outdoors. With our active lifestyle, we need a lip balm that can keep up with us and provide lasting protection against the elements. Blistex Lip Conditioner seems like the perfect solution for our family, offering essential hydration and protection in a convenient, easy-to-carry pot. We’d love to try it out and make it a part of our daily routine, ensuring that our lips stay healthy and moisturized, no matter where our adventures take us.
Eeyorenator As someone who suffers from coldsores; this is a method to reduce the chances of a break out as it protects the lips from the sun. It’s easy to apply and portable so having one in hand will help greatly.
Briina53 Would be good to try to prevent our dry lips.
Lizzy24 My family and i suffer from sore dry lips alot and especially with the being winter and all the colds we have had. We would love to try this.
Charmc I find my lips are so dry in winter and my kids are too. Would be good to have some good lipgloss to protect them.
DM My girls often have dry lips, and then ask to use mine!
Kat Our kids love to spend all summer in the pool, but this can mean burnt faces and lips. This product would be great to use to protect them and easy to re-apply while swimming.
Lexxx13nz I am absolutely sick and tired of ‘winter lips’! We all get dry, cracked and sore lips in the winter months and it’s not only painful but it’s also not great for the self-esteem. I’m yet to find a product that actually works and doesn’t leave a disgusting film instead of moisturising
Gonzze We’d like to try this because I like that the product  stops your lips from getting dry and cracked before they do so it’s a great product to use all the time and then you want get cracked or dry lips I also like that  its SPF 30 t so it  protects your lips  from the Sun and it’s great how it is  safe for children
Mummummum I would love to try this for my son and I. We both get incredibly dry lips having to apply lip balm multiple times a day. It would be nice to find something that leaves my lips feeling hydrated.
Juliereidnz We have been getting out this winter for some skiing and have been finding our lips are getting so dry and sore. We would love the chance to try this to help our lips stay healthy and protected!
SiobhanL I have chronically dry lips, especially in winter!
I’d love to try this out to see if this will help.
daisyganjia I would like to try this product as I want to protect my family as summer is just round the corner.
ZoeA Going up the mountain so regularly we live off all lip products that help our lips in the dry conditions!
Muniba My teenager s constantly have dry lips because they are always at sports outdoors and my daughter does swimming . And I’m mum driving them around and on the sidelines. In the wind and sun . Will be awesome to try it before the summer so we will be prepared. Thanks so much
butterfly67 With little ones prone to chapped lips, we would love to give blistex a try and see if it is the right solution for us. Being an spf30 product, it sounds like a year round solution.
ElenoaDL Myself and daughter (5) constantly have dry lips and have yet to try this product, would love to give it a try and see if it helps with our lips
Maryke Schneider The boys?, hubby and me are always looking for balm and spf to moisture and protect us.  Males and females will be abld to use this product. It is also compact, will not mess and can easily be taken wherever we go as a family. Please consider us. Thanks.
Kyraburgess84 We get dry and chapped lips all winter long this would be handy to pop on our lips in the mornings before I drop the kids off
Ruby12345 We’ve all been sick and with all the cold & flu medicine and nose blowing, our lips are cracked and dry. My teen can’t stop picking at them now either. Send help!
CKriel The winter in Waikato is so harsh on mine and my kids, this sounds like it will be amazing for all of us to keep soft moisturised lips all winter long.
kelbean25 I spend alot of time outdoors. The cold really affects my lips and they are always dry, red and chapped. I am hoping this might help stop them getting that way
LB80 This would be amazing, with the cold harsh winter having dried out our lips.
I also work in a hospital which is very drying on my skin and causes me to have cracked lips.
I would love to see if this product can help
Thanks
Dees we get very dry lips being out in all weathers
Karleen My 7 year old daughter gets red, sore, dry lips from being outside and I would love to try this product to see if it helps. We currently use pawpaw but that has no spf like this product.
Kylepeh Dry and chapped lips is something that our family constantly encounters and we’re always looking for a good product that helps soothe the lips.
Beckybiscuit We are a family that most of us get hayfever, so always looking for a way to protect our lips from the hanky/tissue use.
HayleyW We are an outdoor loving family of five and would benefit from trying an SPF on our lips!
jeniplatt Miss 10 constantly  struggles with dry lips that bleed and goes through  so many chap sticks.
would love to try this please
Micht We are always struggling with dry lips and wanting to protect from the sun…. especially from the middle of spring going into summer.. would be  great if this works well.
JodyW75 I have had such dry cracked lips over winter, my four year old is getting them too now for the first time.  The others don’t seem to work as well, I love Blistex but this looks like a product I haven’t tried.
kanahagger We always use lip balm, two girls love different flavor, colour etc
I always remind kids to protect lips from sun so with SPF would be wonderful to try. Whole family can enjoy since we do a lot of thing outside
Emma Me and my daughter go skiing a couple of time in winter and our lips get very dry and sore, I would love to try this is harsh conditions like snow and sun up a mountain. Thanks
Michelles19 Currently in the thick of post partum and I am struggling with dry skin amd lips, I would love to try something that would give me some relief!
MavisT Both my children get dry lips, and I’d like to find a product that works and that they like using.
Amber X2 young boys that keep licking their lips red raw they take my lip balms and then i end up with none
lichelle7 We would all love to try this product, as we suffer from dry lips & wind burn. Also, the spf30 factor is a winner!!!
Stepanka We are an outdoorsy family. We love our beach no matter what season it is. The wind is harsh, the sun is harsh. I love cuddles and kisses from my little ones, looking after their lips (and ours) is often overlooked as not necessary so we need some help. 🙂 Thank you
MichealeV95 My daughter and I suffer from really dry cracked lips and are constantly searching for a product to help them heal properly! We would love to give this a go
Lynelle My son has an anxious boy and when stressed out he likes his lips. He ends up with very red, cracked and at times bleeding lips. I would love to try this on him
Maur As a mum of 4 that gets dry cracked lips along side my 7 year old. We’d love to try this out. We’re yet to find something that protects and nourishes from the harsh elements.
Sarah.elizabeth I’m looking for a lip balm so this is perfect timing! I used to use Blistex a long time ago & havnt used it for a while (no idea why!) would love to try this again…also on the kids – protect their lips from the winter cold. We will head to the snow this season too so would be great to try out in an even colder climate!
Mermaid32 My teenage daughter has particularly dry and cracked lips at present, I think mostly from playing rugby and biking to school in the winter.
Have tried a couple of different lip balms but it’s not really improving.
Would be great to see if this helps!
Shellv Yes please Kidspot, our family would love to be considered to trial Blistix Lip Conditioner!  We’re outdoors in the elements often, and there is nothing worse than coming home with dry, cracked lips from the harsh sun or wind.  Love that this contains SPF30, such an everyday essential for any exposed skin. Also contains great preventative ingredients too for happy lips all year round. This brand has been around for ages – keen to rediscover this in a pot instead of my regular tubes of lip balm.
Hturner We are a beach-loving family and often struggle to find lip treatment that not only protects from the sun but also nourishes your lips. I haven’t used blistex in a while so would love to see if this ticks the boxes!
Angelstar With all the sport through winter we often get dried wind lips.  My 4 children often need lip balms so this would be great to trial.
Mischella I am an avid lip balm user and living in windy Wellington my young son has started to experience dry lips and has become interested in using a balm. I feel this type of balm would be easier for him to use as it comes in a tub rather than a push up version which he tends to push down too far and accidentally destroy! I’m also a big fan of SPF in a lip balm and would love to try this out on all of the family.
Nounoubug My son is forever having dry lips and i also work at a reat home and have hetaing on all the time and my lips dry out so much would live to give this a try and see if it helps
Melandtrinity My daughter does track cycling and bikes around alot so her lips get dried out very easily so we are always looking for a product that keeps her lips hydrated and protected from the sun and wind. My step daughter also get dried lips often so if this product turns out to work well, we will buy more
krystle_n17 This winter everyone has been getting very dry lips. Haven’t found a lip balm that works well to repair.
Vicky2000 With this colder weather, we often have dry or chapped lips, and this product sounds like a great solution fir the family.
Jaqui With walking to work early morning my lips are definitly feeling the winter chill! Would love to try a new lip conditioner to get them back into tip top shape! Am sure my tween will be all over this too!!!
Littlebee My family is outdoor all the time so this will be perfect for the family when we r out and about for that extra sun protection
yeye I am a big fan of lip caring. I tried all kinds of lip caring product. I think I can provide a professional review of this product.
Shazza00 I have 2 daughters who are constantly applying vaseline and other lip products so we would be perfect to trial this!
JAX I find I always have dry cracked lips, my kids have dry cracked lips that they pick at and I feel this would be awesome to trail and see if it soothes and keeps our lips soft and repairs that dry cracked lip and hopefully relieves the kids.
Hania83 I always have dry lips during winter, even my boy who has eczema always suffer from dry lips and this would be great to try and give honest feedback.
Ceri My family would love to try this. We are always looking for something especially over the summer period with spf as we spend a lot of time outdoors. My daughter would especially love to try this as she is struggling with really bad eczema especially round her lips.
Gemma My partner and I both spend a lot of time outside so continuously have dry lips. It would be great to finally find something that works!
Issa We are a family who always have lip balm in our bags because of dry lips so would like to try this product.
Zackandemiliasmummy We are always hunting for a good lipcare product after most chapsticks have failed to condition and moisturise our lips we would love to give this a go.
Also love the whole family can use it!
RoxLiley My 10 year old daughter has been suffering badly with dry sore lips this winter. It would be great to try another product to see if it helps control the dryness better.
Snow83 We spend a bit of time outdoors in the elements – sport, weekend adventures and just walking or biking to school, so this would be great to trial!!
Natalie Sully Because I need to start taking better care of myself and why not start with my lips and a bonus my kids can use it to if they need it
Pheeny Two tweens who are very much into their lip balm and me who just loves a lush lip, be prefect to keep our lips kissable and sweet
Cecihayesnz We would love this product as my kids can’t stop licking their lips so they are always a bit sore, red and chapped. I feel this product would help them!
Talie My 9 year old son often licks his top lip as it gets dry, this makes it even drier and worse.  He has tried all sorts of creams to alleviate this, but I’m sure this Blistex conditioner would be worth trying to see if it helps.
Trudy Falconer rubyblue I have a lip balm in every bag – but Blistex is the absolute best of the ones I have
Joanna My daughter and son often have chapped and dried lips which leads to bleeding. They have tried out some lip balms and they dont seen to like either the smell or the oily texture, so I hope they can give Blistex a try.
ChristineC We use heat pumps in the winter and have found that we all have dry lips.  We also live rurally and spend a fair amount if time outside where the wind has been getting to them too.
It would be great to see if this helps sooth our dry and irritated lips
Aharper This would be amazing! Yes please. My daughter just started netball amd gets windburn really bad. I would absolutely love to get her and her team to try thos out! Please and thank you!
jordyhoeflich We’re all having dry lips through winter and would love to try this
Mumjess We are always using different lip balms and find we need them whatever the weather. My 4 year old especially is in need at the moment so her lips stay hydrated and she doesn’t need to lick them (and make them worse!).
chantrosenl My daughter really suffers from dry lips so would be good to trial this and see if it makes a difference for her.
Gemmamay I woukd love to try this on my boy who keeps biting and licking his top lip makes it very red and sore
palindrome Our family always has cracked lips through winter and many of the other seasons – I don’t know why! Have tried most of the lip balms in the market and drink plenty of water to no avail, so would love to try one that actually works for a change.

It is also hard to get kiddos to keep lip balm on, they usually dislike the taste and ‘slimy’ feel, so that is something of an uphill battle.  And I still have the bad habit that I can’t break of biting my lips when nervous, which doesn’t help with the cracked lips situation.

Would love to review Blistex!

Tcmmum We are a family of 5 who all use lip balms/conditioners often, this would be great for us to try out!
jessikah_hd We’re outside a lot, at work and daycare, and when we are at home too. It would be perfect for when our lips get dry. As well as help prevent that and protect from the UV.
Sexcpinkplayboy We would love to try this to help with dry red lips. My 4 year daughter is always getting into my lip balms !
Shris I’m forever on a hunt for good lip product that is going to keep my and my children’s lips hydrated and protected at the same time. Most products I’ve tried need to be re applied every 30 mins. Longer lasting protection is what I’m looking for.
Would be great to test out Blistex Lip Conditioner.
natasha Love that it has UPF 30 included. My wife suffers with cold sores. So this would be great to trial to see if it helps prevent them in the winter and summer months.
Debrajane77 As a family we are starting to work on being more fit so getting out more and being in the Cold South, the wind has started whipping at our mouths and causing a bit of chapped lips. This would be helpful!
franceskaraynidis I suffer from very bad wind burn, and would very much like to see if this makes a difference.
EstherLiu My 7 year old has been having dry and cracked lips for a few years now. I’m trying to look for a kid-friendly product that does not have all the nasty chemicals but is still appealing to a little girl. Hope this would be the right one!
Mummyof3 In winter we often have cracked lips and ezcema this looks like it would help my daughter is especially.
Dhanvi Raval Dry lips
lilblondee6 We all spend the winter months with dry cracked lips, trying different products that fail us. Would love to solve the issue for my family once and for all, with the added protection of spf!
laoshizhu My kids always say their lips are dry and we want to see if this product is kid-friendly. : )
Nikita21 My family would like to try this product because during this winter season everyone in the family has got dry cracked lips and I have not found any great products to actually solve this issue. Also we have never used this product so this would be a great opportunity to finally try it out.
Mumof3lads My son and I both suffer from dry and windburnt lips and would love to try Blistex lip conditioner.  We’ve only used a chapstick in the past and this sounds like it would be far more effective and moisturising.
Jay With all the wind around our lips are very dry and cracked so would love some good remedies to try
sinhooilee My family would like to try this product because we have dried lips very often.
cashntango I use a lot of lip balm, so would like to try this.
CheryllB We all suffer with dry lips in summer and winter so would love something to lessen/ease this problem.
Jakesmum6 We go through a lot of different lip products, being a real outside family, but have not tried blistex yet. And think it might be better than some of the other types we are using.
Caroline We all have dry lips at the moment!
steff With the winter weather we are finding our lips a lot drier than usual. We are getting sun and wind, taking a toll on our skin.
anji12 We struggle with dry lips through winter and would love to try this, it looks great!
melinda1nz I’m currently on roaccutane for acne and have the driest lips imaginable!! This would be a godsend 🙂
Kylaoconnor My son keeps licking his lips so this would be great to try on his lips and perfect for when he’s playing rugby
Sophie06210 As a regular user of lip care products, I understand the importance of keeping lips protected, hydrated, and healthy.

I currently use Nivea Labello brand lip balm and homemade lip balms to maintain the health of my lips, and I am always on the lookout for effective products that offer both protection and nourishment.

Blistex Lip Conditioner’s promise of long-lasting hydration, enriched with cocoa butter and vitamin E, is particularly appealing to me. The added benefit of SPF 30+ makes it an ideal choice for protecting my lips from the harsh UV rays of the New Zealand sun, as well as from the cold winter winds.

As a parent, I am especially drawn to the idea of a product that caters to the needs of the whole family. I am eager to try the Blistex Lip Conditioner and share my experiences, particularly how it performs under different weather conditions and how effective it is for children’s delicate lips.

Thank you for considering my application. I  look forward to the possibility of being selected as a reviewer and contributing to the promotion of this product.

Jivara We spent a lot of time out in harsh wind on the beach in the Southern Wellington coast.
Sparke Would love to try please as my family and I are quite outdoorsy and having SPF in a lip protection product would be great.
Stacie piper I have such difficulty retaining moisture with my lips & have yet to find something that helps all day. This may be the best thing for me!
Truddles I walk our dog twice daily in really cold weather & watch kids football. I seem to get sore lips in the summer too despite keeping lipstick on. Would love to try this please
Angela.strand We love trying lip products. We are a whānau that suffer from dry lips so would love to give this a try.
Son19 My daughter often complains about dry, cracked lips. Plus we spend time outdoors on bush walks etc, & need good protection.
jfballet15 It would make our lips nice and smooth
albabe I would love to keep our lips soft and  healthy  and protect them against the harsh  cold environment.
tubachick2310 My daughter and I are always struggling to not lick our lips and making them sore. This would be perfect to try on our lols’
Tashy1989 We always have dry lips and trying find the right balm for us
vannrose We are constantly outdoors and it’s good if we can have a sun protection for the whole family when we are exposed to the sun.
donzad My children play a lot of sport and with the weather being so changeable, they often end up with dry, cracked lips from the wind, cold and sun. This is exactly what they need.
Nicsters Being out in the elements a lot our lips get burnt out and chapped, this would be perfect to keep them healthy and not sore. Thanks
Crazeycat We are outdoors lots in the sun and we would love to try this please.
Inverey Our family would love a chance to trial this product as we all get extremely dry lips, particularly my son who also has Excema.
Rae1 Most of us always have dry lips,
Other brands take awhile.
loloslunch Living by the mountains in Canterbury, we always have dry lips. Whether it’s the cold winds whipping by whilst out doing Saturday sport, after a day on the slopes, or working in the garden alongside the dry hot air in Summer, we are always in need of lip rehydration. We are also always looking for ways to protect our skin from the intensity of the sun here. We would love to put this Blistex lip conditioner to the test in our harsh conditions.
rachael kennedy def need it for those winter chapped lips and with summer coming would helps a lot also
Shazzamataz Both my daughter and I get very sore dry lips in this season , we are hunting for a product to help relieve this
jarmanjj Winter has been havoc on our bodies. Would love to give this a go, as a change from traditional chapstick
LeaB I have dry lips so using this product would be helpful. I would also love to use this because it has SPF 30 which is great because I love going outdoors where I’m exposed to the sun.
Kylie We love being outdoors and this will help protect our lips
LaniGurlNZ Dry lips run in the family and we haven’t found the right product for the job yet.
Omgnickel Aside from the fact that we’ve tried so many lipbalms that didnt work, we have heard good things about blistex buy just havent had a chance to buy it yet. Our kids use lipbalm everyday too and their lips are still chapped. We even tried nipple balm but it didnt work.
Inge Waghorne I always struggle with really dry lips and would love to try a product that might help but my dry / sore lips
natnat_y3k I’ve personally used Blistex and loved their products. This lip conditioner would be such a good addition for our family especially during the cold days when it’s easy to get dry lips and no fret in trying to stay warm in the sun because it comes with UV protection as well!
Trinket80 We go outdoors a lot so a lip product with spf would be great. Would be great to trial this especially for the teenage boy
druryl84 My 15 year old autistic daughter is Lip balm mad, she carries around a purse of lip balm and lip glosses.  We would both review this lip balm and give an honest review.
alley1992 Myself and 5 year old daughter always struggle with dry lips in winter. This would be so lovely for her and I to try and a bonus it has added SPF
Staceykendall Would love to try this. Me and my girls get dry lips and Would love to find something that helps
Missyanne8 Myself and husband get dry lips over the colder parts of the year, so would love to give this a go. I’m always using lip balm but I need something that also heals!
lana.ash92 As Spring weather is coming up and this looks great!
victoriawatson.nz My 2 year old son gets really dry cracked lips especially in the morning! We would love to try and review please
Petal Because the kids get very sore chuffed lips from the cold weather and wind
Metskii Great for summer coming up and dried lips, be great through winter to try out aswell.
Blaze I often get dry cracked lips.  This may be better than lip gloss.
Gingerj My daughter is very nasal. So she breathes through her mouth mostly therfore gets very dry lips.
Kaaro2243 We would benefit as we get dry lips and also love the blistex range
Gourock We have tried a variety of products for dry lips and how to prevent them. If chosen this would be the perfect opportunity to find a product that dies the trick, Thank You
Liz181 Coz I get really dry lips with heatpumps etc and even coldsores
Taylor05 Constantly getting dry lips while out walking so need to try need products.
Helga88 I have a teenager on acne meds and his lips get very dry as a result .. would love to try the Blistex lip conditioner to see if makes a difference
toriee.k My daughter is 6 and is getting incredibly cracked and peeling lips and she’s in a lot of pain would love to try this to see how it helps and how easy it is for her to use
Abs46 We are always outside and get super dry lips! My oldest son is currently on medication for his acne and everything is drying out especially his lips. This would be amazing to try
Vivie We are always out and about walking, both in summer and winter. My lips get very dry and have found my normal “go to” lip balm isn’t working for me. It would be nice to find something suitable for all 3 if us aswel.
heatherp House full of dry winter lips! Would love to see if this does what it says.
cheelikee My 4 years old and I both have dry and cracked lips. We would love to give this product a try to see if it will be the one for us:) thank you for your consideration.
Happy-chicky222 Our lips they become dry very quickly and especially we all buzy we need something to help our lips . Especially our daughters lips they get so dry . This will help her not to lick her lips
sarahnicole507 We love blistex and the whole family uses it
Tashsmith88 Kids being outdoors during winter an summer we always get wind burn on our lips an have heard this product is great
Fiona256 My family gets dry skin and one of my boys picks his lips.
emmajvickery My twins are always suffering with dry lips. As a cancer coordinator I love that this has the added spf30 to further ensure that the skin on our lips is being looked after as it’s often overlooked
Laurasmith Would love to tried this because I want to see what it is like
gloriem25 We all use different types of lip balm and would love to see if this is better
Jemcm We have a few members who suffer from dry lips especially when traveling or season changes and end up with cracked lips. Would love to find a product that can counter this and prevent it!!
Theresatw Both my boys suffer from bad cracked lips that look horrible and are painful so keen to try. I want a product that fixes it but doesn’t need to be applied for ever
Lisalee Always getting dry lips no matter the weather. Every day chap stick doesn’t help
Karchbold270322 Would love to try this product because we are always experiencing dried lips and need a good product to help them heal
Shaunibuck1 My son often comes to me and tells me he has dry sore lips.
Duaa2202 We all use lip balm on a daily, in winter especially we get very dry lips all round. And summer really dry and hot sunny days really affects our lips. This would be well used in the family
marinenz My lips are so cracked from spectating my childrens winter sports. This would be great to try
Missy24 Living in queenstown our skin gets very dry, especially our lips. We like to go up the mountain with our 3 year old but that means we get chapped lips often. We would love to try this lip balm and see how it holds up.
Almack With these cooler months bring chapped lips! Would love to try this brands product
Kelly.m My childrens lips have been very dry, cracked and have started to bleed. Would love something that can help with that.
Synderella We often play sport out in mount beach, lip balm is essential
Liezelv Our family always have dry lips. Even my 4yo has dry lips and I tend to put Lucas pawpaw on him. We would love to try this and see how well it will work for the whole family. My husband also travels in his van for 11hrs a day and is exposed to sun so would love for him to have his lips protected whenever he is out and about with his work.
Vickybijal I love blitex products and have been using since years. However haven’t tried this lipbalm so I would be so keen to try on my little one’s lip always chapped and dry in winter days. Plesse pick me.
Rachelle We are constantly out at all hours of the day and different weather patterns with the children’s activities ranging from Netball, rugby to soccer
Due to the unpredictable weather this takes a toll on our skin, lips cracking and little ones dry lips even tend to bleed.
KiranSummer My daughter has  dull and dry lips by playing in the sun all the time. Would love to try the Blistex lip conditioner .
lovejoy900 My son always gets really dry lips when he gets sick and we have to put creams on it, we would love to try it
jaadeeytee My 3 y/o daughter loves being outside for adventures no matter the weather. I feel like this would make a perfect addition to our routine before stepping outdoors
Melle1981 In the last weeks we have been buying a lot of lipsticks for my 10 year old son. He always complains, especially after outside activity that his lips are dry and hurt. He likes to apply it especially in the evening.  I try to remind him to apply some before he leaves the house too. We haven’t used blistex yet but my family would be keen to try out your product.  Thanks,Melanie
Lollie31 We are all struggling with dry lips now in winter.
Mallie Myself and my son often get dry, chapped lips and are yet to find something that works that both of us can use.
Mamasparkles Would love to try this product as I have been unable to find a lip balm that works for me
rebeccam Our family would love to trial this Blistex lip conditioner as both myself and Miss 15 always have dry lips in winter, and we have tried other lip balms without much success.
Thank you for choosing us Kidspot and Blistex!
archersmum Between being inside in an air conditioned environment and then outside battling the cold weather while my son plays in the back yard, we’re constantly struggled with dry lips. Would be great to try this to see if it stands up against the environment!
Cayden We would love to try this our whole family has issues with there lips so this would be a fantastic try
llmaginness We often have dry cracked lips
AngieG Im always on the hunt for a good lip conditioner n still havnt found one,  very keen to give this a go
Fifi3 I have very dry lips after a strong acne treatment when I was younger. My husband and daughter also get dry lips in the cold Dunedin winter.
meatpattie We have tried many lip products but haven’t found one that suits us. Plus we’ve never tried SPF containing lip conditioner. Would love to give it a go!
hilux1 Husband works outdoors, always having dry lips.
I suffer from dry mouth and lips..
elishavdz We have been suffering from dry lips all winter, Would love to trial this and then spread the word to friends and family.
Nikky Both my daughter and I get very dry lips, and my daughter in particular will then pick at hers until they bleed. Ordinary lip balms don’t seem to do much to help. I’d love to be able to trial this product, as I think it could make a big difference to our comfort on a day to day basis.
Meredith Johnson Looks a fab lip conditioner. With the weather been icy could be the perfect product for our drying lips
Kristy I would love to try this to see if it will provide long last relief for NY dry chapped lips
Melanie Looking for a decent lip balm with SPF for the upcoming summer. The beach can get windy and lips gets chapped
moggiecat I would love for my 5 year to try this product to keep her lips moisturised especially with the tail end of the winter season and as we approach spring and hayfever season.
cazper2 Lip balm is an essential in our house due to environmental damages and myself having a dry spot on my lip. A product that actually protects and allows to heal the lips would be great to try!
Missma85 My 3 year old has always had problems with chapped lips so I would love to try it on her.
Ridinghood Use a lot of lip balm and haven’t tried this one.
Jackie Duncan To protect my sons dry and sensitive lips from sun damage

Reviewer notes

  • If you are chosen as a reviewer, you will receive an email from Kidspot.
  • Each selected reviewer will receive: 1 x Blistex Lip Conditioner SPF30 (7g).
  • By registering for this product trial, you agree to the terms and conditions. Please note that comments, images, or videos provided by reviewers may be used by Blistex on their website and social media channels to promote the product.
  • Ready to review? Refer to the instructions sent to you by email. Add your review as a new comment below. Images can be uploaded to this Dropbox folder.

Please note

  • You must be a Kidspot member to take part in the trial. Not a member? Then sign up now.
  • If you are selected to trial, the product will be sent to the address on your registration.
  • Kidspot Terms and Conditions apply, including: Open to Kidspot members 18+ only. Only available for NZ residents. If you are selected, you will be required to use the product as soon as possible and supply a review, as set out in our review instructions. Your name, address, and contact phone number will be given to the supplier for the purpose of delivery.

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Need some baby-naming inspiration? Or wanting to avoid the most popular names? To help you find the right name for your baby, or to learn how popular your child’s name is, check out the most popular names Kiwi parents chose for babies born during 2023.

According to statistics released by the Department of Internal Affairs’ Smart Start website, there were 57,889 births registered in 2023 in New Zealand with 18,666 different first names. That’s about a 3% drop in the number of births compared to 2022, but a rise of around 3.5% in the number of different first names chosen.

Noah knocks Oliver off the top spot!

After a ten year reign as the most popular boy’s name, Oliver has finally been bumped down to second favourite. Noah is the new king of the castle with Luca, Jack, and Leo just trading places since the previous year to keep the status quo in the top five.

Theodore, George, Charlie, and Hudson also remain in the top ten from 2022 with the only newcomer being Henry, up from 18th to 8th. William is the one to drop out of the top 10.

Charlotte is queen again

For the girls, Charlotte regains the top spot that she lost in 2022 to Isla. Mila and Sophie drop out of the top 10, replaced by Ella and Hazel in 2023. Amelia,
Olivia, Harper, Willow, Lily, and Ava complete the top choices.

Most popular Māori names

Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs releases the top Māori pēpi names based on the Tangaroa lunar calendar period (associated with Matariki). The latest list is for those names registered between 10 July 2023 and 30 June 2024 and is subject to a thorough review of each name’s origins and a comprehensive evaluation by advisors and kaumātua.

This year, Aroha/Te Aroha was the top name for kōtiro (girls). Ariki/Te Ariki was the most popular name for tama (boys). So no change at the top for either kōtiro or tama since the last list.

A full list of the top names is available on the SmartStart website.

Most popular names since way back

Want to know what the most popular names were in the year your baby was born (or even yourself)? Pop over to the SmartStart website to go right back to 1954.

New Zealand’s 100 most popular baby names in 2023

RANK GIRLS NUMBER BOYS NUMBER
1 Charlotte 209 Noah 267
2 Amelia 184 Oliver 247
3 Isla 179 Luca 207
4 Olivia 155 Jack 194
5 Harper 150 Leo 189
6 Willow 145 Theodore 186
7 Lily 144 George 177
8 Ava 143 Henry 172
9 Ella 143 Charlie 163
10 Hazel 141 Hudson 162
11 Mila 138 Arthur 158
12 Evelyn 135 Arlo 156
13 Mia 135 Elijah 153
14 Sophie 135 William 147
15 Isabella 130 James 146
16 Aria 125 Lucas 146
17 Ruby 122 Liam 143
18 Grace 121 Thomas 142
19 Millie 119 Theo 135
20 Florence 110 Oscar 131
21 Lucy 108 Cooper 122
22 Ivy 105 Beau 119
23 Chloe 101 Hugo 115
24 Zoe 100 Ethan 114
25 Maeve 98 Ezra 113
26 Daisy 96 Mason 113
27 Matilda 95 Archie 111
28 Sadie 93 Levi 111
29 Sophia 93 Max 110
30 Emily 92 Carter 106
31 Freya 92 Felix 105
32 Luna 92 Finn 105
33 Olive 88 Alexander 102
34 Georgia 82 Lachlan 97
35 Maia 82 Asher 90
36 Poppy 81 Hunter 90
37 Frankie 80 Louie 90
38 Violet 80 Luke 87
39 Mackenzie 79 Benjamin 84
40 Ellie 78 Harry 83
41 Riley 77 Jackson 82
42 Aurora 76 Archer 81
43 Bella 74 Micah 79
44 Madison 70 Riley 79
45 Penelope 70 Caleb 78
46 Kaia 69 Isaac 78
47 Zara 69 Louis 78
48 Billie 68 Austin 77
49 Quinn 68 Luka 75
50 Layla 67 Samuel 74
51 Amaia 66 Jordan 73
52 Eleanor 65 Sebastian 73
53 Sienna 65 Daniel 72
54 Bonnie 64 Ezekiel 72
55 Isabelle 64 Eli 70
56 Phoebe 64 Jasper 70
57 Abigail 63 Ryan 70
58 Eden 63 Blake 69
59 Emilia 63 Harvey 68
60 Eva 63 Harrison 67
61 Sofia 62 Nikau 67
62 Stella 62 Grayson 65
63 Delilah 61 Roman 65
64 Aaliyah 60 Zion 65
65 Scarlett 59 Toby 64
66 Kiara 57 Jacob 63
67 Emma 56 Joshua 63
68 Alice 55 Tommy 61
69 Molly 55 Joseph 60
70 Thea 55 Nathan 60
71 Indie 54 Spencer 58
72 Maya 54 Bodhi 57
73 Ayla 53 Edward 57
74 Elsie 53 Miles 57
75 Evie 53 Oakley 57
76 Margot 53 Ryder 56
77 Hannah 52 Jayden 55
78 Ada 51 Malakai 55
79 Esther 50 Logan 54
80 Harlow 50 Elias 53
81 Maddison 50 Gabriel 53
82 Cleo 49 River 53
83 Harriet 49 Angus 51
84 Manaia 49 Lincoln 51
85 Elizabeth 48 Nico 51
86 Iris 47 Billy 50
87 Summer 47 Ari 49
88 Arabella 45 Enzo 49
89 Maisie 45 Adam 48
90 Amber 44 Freddie 48
91 Tilly 44 Harley 48
92 Addison 42 Myles 47
93 Rehmat 42 Atlas 46
94 Zoey 42 Isaiah 46
95 Eliana 41 Leon 46
96 Marley 41 Niko 46
97 Skylar 41 Zorawar 46
98 Faith 40 Braxton 45
99 Clara 39 Matthew 45
100 Piper 39 Aiden 44

her world julieWritten by Julie Scanlon

Julie is Editor for Kidspot NZ and our MVP. Her hobbies include laughing uncontrollably at her own jokes, annoying her family by asking questions about movie plots, and never taking anything too seriously. She speaks a little Spanish and a lot of Yorkshire. 

Favourite motto to live by: “It ain’t nothing but a thing”

Family review: Bounce Inc

Discover the magic of freestyle at Bounce Inc! Looking for a great venue for the family to get active and have some freestyle fun together? Bounce Inc offers a range of adventure-challenge features for adrenaline hunters of any age.

Bounce Inc venues have free-jumping areas, foam pits, a wall climb, and X-Run/X-Park courses to develop skills and practise new tricks.

Choose from three venues in Auckland – Takanini, Avondale, or North Shore.

To discover everything on offer, Kidspot sent Serena and her troop along to Bounce Inc North Shore to check it out. Read their review below.

First time visitors

We’re a family of six from Whangarei, and we recently had to make a trip from Whangarei to Hamilton which is a LONG drive with a car full of kids! With four boys aged 4 to 12 years, we were looking for a fun and active way to break up the long and boring car ride which is why we decided to stop in at Bounce Inc. North Shore – and it was totally worth it!

It was our first time visiting Bounce Inc. and from the moment we walked in, the boys’ eyes widened with wonder. The place was HUGE and there was so much to see and do that our kids didn’t know what to try out first!

Something for every age at Bounce Inc

When I had read about the place online, I knew straight away that this was the right place for us to stop at. With four children of a wide range of ages it can be pretty hard to find a place that everyone will love. Usually our youngest ends up feeling left out or sitting on the sidelines while his big brothers get to do cool things, or our older boys get bored while waiting for their younger brothers to “hurry up and finish what they are doing already!” We have been to a different trampoline place before which was pretty cool but Bounce Inc. is amazing! As a parent, I absolutely loved that there was such a big range of amazing things to do here. From trampolines to foam pits, to a specially designated dodgeball area (which my kids loved battling each other with dodgeballs in), a ninja warrior style obstacle course (designed for older children and adults), and for the younger children there was a sectioned off big playground area just for them which was so well thought out (our youngest could have spent hours just in this area alone!). There was also a big rock climbing wall area which was unfortunately closed at the time that we were there while they redid some things on it.

Bounce Inc

The staff there were fantastic as they talked through a few rules as well as health and safety to make sure that everyone enjoyed themselves without getting hurt. We then had one of the staff members offer to show our older children around the areas that were specifically designed for older children and adults and he ended up sticking with us for quite a while as he offered tips and tricks to our 10 and 12-year-old boys on how to conquer different challenges on the ninja obstacle course. It was an awesome personal touch to their service that I really appreciated as it helped our children feel more confident to try new things and give the challenges a go.

Trampolines, ninja warrior-style course, dodgeball, and more!

The trampoline mats were a huge drawcard, and the kids just went for it! Bouncing, flipping, and playing games like dodgeball and shooting hoops. Our youngest (4) was beaming with joy and excitement as he bounced alongside his bigger brothers, while our eldest (12) showed off his ninja skills on the obstacle course. Our 10-year-old and 7-year-old also gave a few obstacles a go and they all loved the challenge. It was right up their alley!

Bounce Inc review

The ninja warrior-style course was a real highlight for our family as our boys are always wanting to push themselves to conquer new challenges. Our 7-year-old especially loved the extra bouncy tramps where he could practice new tricks and flips, and his sense of accomplishment when he finished was priceless. Our 10-year-old, on the other hand, loved the dodgeball area and showed off his impressive throwing skills (much to his brothers’ dismay!). And our 4-year-old (almost 5) loved that there was a special area just for his age that had its own playground and ball pit area with awesome games integrated into it.

We’ll be back!

As parents, it was amazing to see our boys having so much fun while getting some exercise and developing their coordination and balance skills. The staff were friendly, attentive, and ensured everyone’s safety without being too restrictive. We also appreciated the clean and well-maintained facilities, which made for a stress-free experience. We arrived at Bounce Inc. right on opening time and there was only a handful of other children there so it almost felt like we had the place to ourselves. By the end of our hour of fun, quite a few more people had turned up and yet, because of the massive size of the place as well as the huge amount of trampoline mats and other awesome things to do, there was so much space that it didn’t feel crowded at all.

Bounce Inc

There are honestly so many occasions to head to Bounce Inc. We can see why it would be a fantastic place to host a kids’ birthday party, it’s a destination worth travelling for, for all of those out-of-towners like us, and also a great local hangout spot for Aucklanders. Sunny days, rainy days, weekdays and weekends, this is an amazing place that your kids will love and for the adults it’s a great place to either join in with the kids or sit on the sidelines, watching your children while enjoying a bit of a breather. Our boys are already begging to come back and the team at Bounce Inc. will definitely see us again!

Personal highlights of Bounce Inc

  • Our 4-year-old’s infectious giggles as he bounced on the trampolines and jumped into the foam pit.
  • Our 7-year-old’s accomplishing new tricks and skills that he was so proud of.
  • Our 10-year-old’s determination and perseverance on the obstacle course.
  • Our 12-year-old’s impressive ninja skills and encouragement of his younger siblings.
  • ​I could also tell that my husband was itching to join in and try out the ninja course for himself and I have to admit that next time we go I’ll be putting on my bounce socks and joining in with our kids too!

Overall, our experience at Bounce Inc in Auckland was an unforgettable one. We loved the variety of activities, the friendly staff, and the excitement that filled the air. Whether you’re a local or visiting from out of town like us, Bounce Inc is a must-visit destination for families. We can’t wait to come back and do it all again – and again and again!”

Book your visit to Bounce Inc

Serena and her family were provided with free passes to Bounce Inc for the purposes of the review. All views are those of the reviewer.

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Wash Like The Wiggles!

Promotion for Dettol

What if children found hand washing as fun and engaging as singing and dancing with The Wiggles?

A new study commissioned by Dettol, New Zealand’s most trusted brand in household cleaning^, has revealed a surprising trend in hand hygiene: 84% of New Zealand children (aged 3 – 6) don’t wash their hands properly by not washing for the 20+ seconds recommended by health experts1. Surprisingly, only a third consistently use soap every time they wash.

Dettol recognises the challenges parents and teachers face in encouraging proper hand hygiene among young children and is committed to helping address the current hygiene gap. The research found encouraging insights that will help parents and teachers in their quest to get kids to wash their hands. The key? Making hand washing fun! This compelling new data has led to a groundbreaking partnership between Dettol and the ultimate role models for children – The Wiggles.

^ New Zealand’s most trusted brand in household cleaning products category by Reader’s Digest^, which surveyed parents and teachers.

Improving hand hygiene with Dettol and The Wiggles

The newly released research from Dettol highlights the gap between awareness and action when it comes to hand hygiene practices. When not addressed, unhygienic practices can contribute to the spread of germs2 and increase the risk of children feeling unwell, resulting in more Kiwi children missing out on valuable playtime – a fundamental building block for childhood development3.

Through play, children develop creativity, imagination, social skills, emotional well-being, and physical health4. This is why Dettol is committed to helping keep the germs away and children at play by supporting families in establishing proper hygiene habits and helping to keep children at play as an essential part of childhood development.

While most parents will recognise the importance of handwashing, the research revealed that only 1 in 5 children always wash their hands after play, or after sneezing, coughing or blowing their nose. Surprisingly, 59.5% of children wash for 15 seconds or less, well below the recommended 20+ seconds5.

The study revealed opportunities for further education on the importance of handwashing after specific activities, such as touching pets or faces/mouths, highlighting a need for targeted education on the diverse situations where hand hygiene is crucial. Delving deeper into the reasons children miss out on handwashing, the study found that ‘forgetting’, ‘wanting to keep playing’, or ‘not thinking it’s necessary’ are the most significant reasons children skip the sink. This highlights a critical need to make handwashing more appealing to children.

In response to these findings, Dettol has partnered with The Wiggles, leveraging their infectious energy and educational expertise to help make handwashing fun. To help do so, the children’s entertainers have released a new song – Wash Like The Wiggles. This catchy song and accompanying dance routine transform handwashing education into an enjoyable experience, making it easier for children to learn and help adopt proper hygiene habits.

Watch the new song, Wash like the Wiggles!

“We know that play is fundamental in children’s learning and development, but it all comes to a halt when they’re unwell. Effective handwashing habits are one of the ways to help keep kids healthy, so we’ve made it our mission to help parents and educators teach their children how to wash their hands”, said Holly McCarthy from Dettol (Marketing Director – Reckitt Health ANZ). “With Wash Like The Wiggles, Dettol and The Wiggles are not only teaching children how to wash their hands properly, but also making handwashing fun and memorable. By keeping the germs away, we can keep the children at play,” said Holly.

Hear from Simon Wiggle

“We understand that teaching children about hygiene can be as challenging as getting them to eat their veggies. That’s why we’re pleased to work with Dettol on a unique approach to education that resonates with children and helps vital messages like these stick,” commented Simon Wiggle. “We’re super excited to be part of this great initiative, spreading joy instead of germs” he continued.

Wash like the Wiggles

Introducing Dettol Kids Colour Foaming Handwash

To further keep the germs away and keep children at play, Dettol has today launched two new Kids Colour Foaming Handwashes in collaboration with The Wiggles. Designed to foam with bright colours, the new range helps to make even the tiniest hands eager to wash for longer!

Featuring two deliciously wiggly scents, Ready Steady Berry and Aloe Vera Shimmie Shake, the new range is the same Dettol Kiwis love, now with colourful foam for fun handwashing. Both are soft on skin, hard on germs, and kill 99.9% of germs.

Dettol Kids Colour Foaming Handwash

Dettol Kids Colour Foaming Handwash

Dettol invites parents, educators, and healthcare professionals to join forces in championing a playful approach to hand hygiene. By making handwashing fun and showing its importance in preventing the spread of germs, we can help children develop lifelong healthy habits, protect their well-being, and keep them playing, which is crucial for their development.

To learn more about Wash Like The Wiggles, visit Dettol.co.nz/Wash-like-the-Wiggles. The new Dettol x The Wiggles Kids Colour Foaming Handwash is available now in Woolworths, Chemist Warehouse, New World, Pak n Save and some pharmacy stores for $4.99.

Join the fun and wash your hands like The Wiggles with Dettol’s new Colour Foaming Handwash today!

Find out more

Family Review | Te Puawānanga, MOTAT’s New Science & Technology Experience

There’s more science, more wonder, and hands-on exhibits at MOTAT’s brand new science and technology centre – Te Puawānanaga. The three distinct spaces within this exciting new centre are full of rich stories interwoven with concepts of science, art, technology and maths that surround us every day.

Te Puawānanga is all about interaction and discovery, with something for all ages. From the towering Tāne Mahuta in Te Tumu (a play space for under fives) and Beats in Time in Te Waha (the Innovation space) to the interactive experiences in Te Puku (the science space), MOTAT (Museum of Transport & Technology) welcomes everyone to explore science and tech in a whole new way.

Jacque and her kids attended a special sneak peek event to explore the new centre. Read on to discover what it’s all about.

MOTAT family review

So where do I start? This was such an incredible experience, nothing disappointed! The fact that I struggled to get Mr 9 and Mr 3 to leave was proof in the pudding that this new section at MOTAT, Te Puawananga Science and Technology Centre, has hit greatness!

Welcome to a world of wonder

When you enter it is going inside a world of wonder. There are so many exciting new things to explore that you just want to jump into everything straight away! The first thing I noticed was the space, it has been laid out perfectly that nothing is too busy or crowded. There is plenty of space to wonder, play, explore and amazing little seats, couches and benches that offer parents a chance to sit while their kids explore and play, and it is so well organised that you are able to sit in such a way that you can view them from almost any space … a peace of mind for parents to know your little ones are having the time of their lives and you can still keep an eye on them if you need to rest.

As you enter you can go up a ramp on the right, this leads to a touch screen which controls a projector that shines a picture of your creation on the floor beneath you. Mr 9 quite loved this, being able to move the angles, colours, shapes and design to fit his perfect idea of what he wants projected. Mr 3 just loved the colours and pushing buttons and seeing what is on the screen appear on the floor below.

When you leave the ramp you can go to the design that is projected and moving and have a play in it. They quite liked that – jumping, laughing and playing in their design. Mr 3 enjoyed a little more, I think Mr 9 was “Ok that is cool but let’s move on” where as Mr 3 liked the colour on his hands and chasing the patterns.

MOTAT Family review

Robotic creations

As you leave the projected space there is a section where you can create your own robotic hand using paper, straws and string. The layout was beautiful and amazing! All the little baskets with plenty of resources available. You could definitely have a crowd of 10 plus kids and have plenty of scissors, pencils, and supplies. There is a video on a screen over the resources explaining how to make the hand step by step – this is on rerun. There are also information sheets which give you a hard copy of instructions, also you can take that home with you and try it again. There are light boxes and x-ray sheets that you can put the x-ray on and it shows the bones in different hands, feet etc kind of showing you what you sort of creating. There are also little models of skeleton hands which bend and move which are quite cool, showing kids how your hand moves inside with bones. Mr 3 found the hand grabbers which he decided to test picking up everything he could to see what would work. Mr 9 got hard at work creating his robotic hand and Mr 3 created his own design of cut straws and wool with colouring in, it was still a win!

After the hand designs they moved on to view different technology that was on display on the walls and listen to the sounds that were according to Mr 9 “way back then”. There was an impressive wall of different robots which Mr 3 thought was very interesting.

MOTAT family review

Programming heaven

We moved on to the section where Brain Play was. They had Chromebooks set up with foam shapes and little car robots. This was Mr 9’s place of heaven. The lady helped him to set up and show him how to use the commands and off he went! He loved the fact that you can control something with a keyboard. It was such a cool experience. Mr 3 wanted to jump in as well, they did explain it is for older children so he may not grasp the concept but he is more than welcome to try it out. Which he did, he listened to what she had to say and how it worked and after a little trial and error he got the hang of it and was able to control his robot car as well. The look of wonder and awe in his face when he realised he was doing this! I thought it was a great concept! They have 8 spaces available so there is no waiting or shortage of tries. Mr 9 asked a lot of questions about what else they can do and if they can be programmed to do tricks, the people in charge were able to answer his questions and explain how and what and why. I liked that a lot, it was great to see they were engaged. They were able to have a conversation over programming and Mr 9 felt he had come out of there with more knowledge and even asked them if they do classes outside of MOTAT, where he got a business card to contact them later. This really brought out the programmer in him.

After the robot cars we moved to another programming section, this one was 2 robots, 1 is a base that gives out the instructions to the little one to move. You choose your commands, place it on the board and press play and let the magic take over! You can even make a maze and let it go through it. Mr 9 tried to make it super tricky and tried different commands, Mr 3 more enjoyed the fact he made his little robot dance and play music! It is a nice concept for the younger kids to get a feel for programming in a fun creative way.

MOTAT family review

Lots of energy!

There was a massive, wide slide that took their attention, a wavy textured side and a smooth slide. They went down this quite a few times and then mom joined in too … it was so much fun!

Upstairs from the lower level was this incredible energy machine, there are 4 sections which use different forms of energy and if you get enough energy loaded, the balls in the centre lift up and then come down with a big bang! There was a section which you need to wind a wheel as fast as you can, another where you rub a pad for heat friction, another where you jump up and down on a pad, and the last was where you use as much sound as possible to create energy, let’s just say this was where you found out who could scream the loudest!

To the right of this is a big plane, the kids found this entertaining, to see the pieces of the plan open up to view. They thought it was cool but didn’t spend much time there. Along the wall was pop art where they explained how things are made and harvested etc.

There is a screen section which was showing a clip about carbon. The screen stretches around the wall and there were nice chairs on the side against the wall and comfortable and sturdy bean bag chairs. The kids took to the bean bags, they watched the clip twice … afterwards they were asking questions about carbon and explaining what they thought was bad about carbon and how it can be used for good.

We landed up at the weight/pulley section, where there were 2 chairs that you sit on and use the ropes to pull yourself up. One is quite easy and the other is a bit tougher. Mr 9 remembered it from the old section, so he was quite excited that they had kept it! There was also a platform where you stand on and someone else needs to pull the strings and see if they can lift you up. They quite liked to see who was stronger here. Along the wall were different types of weights where you could experiment with and see what it feels like to lift up different levels of weight and how they come in different forms.

MOTAT family review

Mirrors, colours and light

We came to a mirror walk, where mirrors were placed wall to wall, and even on the ceiling! Standing in a certain way you see many reflections of yourself. It was cool to find different places to stand along to wall to cover as many mirrors as possible with yourself. It became a contest to see who had the most of themselves.

Onward there is a big curtain of plastic rings which have lights shining and they change all these awesome colours as you walk through. When they went certain colours like red or orange you could not see anyone inside until it went more blue and white. I found this fascinating.

Along the wall were different prisms and light and when you move them in certain ways they form different patterns and you see how the path of light can be broken. Mr 9 did try to see how he could make a pattern or fix the broken light, where Mr 3 just liked to move the prisms to see the lights.

There was a cool video where if you move the button it shows different x-ray light that shows people normally as the eye would see, to seeing you as a body of heat to seeing your skeleton.

MOTAT family review

Delight for under fives

Just outside the under 5 section is a white wall which has 3 lights, red, blue and yellow shining. When you stand there you get an incredible 3 colour silhouette of yourself. The kids loved trying different poses and seeing if they could merge all colours, which they found you couldn’t but it was fun trying!

We made it to the under 5 section which was closed off with a secure glass door. Oh my soul it is incredible! Both kids got lost inside with imagination! There is a waka where kids can sit inside and pretend to paddle, knitted eels and weaved baskets to pretend that you are fishing; stepping stones made out of cushions, knitted kumara, felt stones, wood pieces and fire to make your own pretend fire; incredible baby pond section where little ones can play in a sensory safe place; touch and feel wall art of textures, doors to open and close, mirrors. Along one wall are all the different ways to see how plants are created. There were spinning wheels to find the hidden spot, to pulling and opening doors. There is a tree where you climb up and slide down. And a little hideout which the kids made a fort. They met kids there in the same age gap and they all just started creating this imaginary game of foresting and camping. It was so awesome to see that there is a space where kids can be kids and use simple, beautiful handmade items to create a world of possibilities. I am glad we went there last as I think if we went first they might have not been as eager to leave. I did struggle to get them to leave, as there were only 10 minutes left before they closed.

When we eventually got them to leave the under 5 section and leave the imagination behind they asked if they could just go do some things for one last time. These included .. a last slide, one more look at the robot hands, one more look at the robot board with commands and a final hang-out with the real-life robot!

They also had a wonderful space where they had robot books for kids, from board books to books more suited for older kids. Books ranged from fact to fiction books and it was quite nice to see and they liked flipping through the pages.

As we were leaving MOTAT they had 2 food trucks*, and the ice cream truck sold UV light ice cream that glowed in the UV room, along with any light clothing. It was quite a novelty to see the UV light reflecting off the ice-cream. Mr 9 even used his own money to buy him and his brother an ice-cream! It was pretty cool if I do say so myself!

And we made sure to get an incredible MOTAT shot with the lights shining on the MOTAT sign!

MOTAT family review

Highly recommended

I personally feel they have done an incredible job with this new section and there is so much to explore for young and old. I really love the open space and still so much in the space and the sitting space is really thought out well. The most exciting for me was the lights making silhouettes with the 3 colours. And the under 5 section where all the little pieces make for an awesome imagination experience.

Mr 9 said his time there was amazing!! He asked if we can go every day after school. He told me he would go first to this section then to the pieces he likes at MOTAT then end off with this section again. He said he could sit and play with the programming sections all day and make robot hands. He also said it would be cool to get a whole bunch of friends or kids to do the energy section and see how long they can keep the balls up for. He said he also liked the robot man and would like to see him again to see if he could programme him to do other things or win a game of rock, paper and scissors. He also said he wishes he was under 5 so he could play in the section as it was great fun pretending and using your imagination. He did say they should add a section for older kids with a similar context where they can go and play and create imagination games. He honestly did not want to leave, we pretty much left with 3 minutes before they closed.

Mr 3 really liked the under 5 section and playing with all the beautiful eels and sitting in the waka. He loved the arts and crafts section (he calls it that but it was the robot hand-making station). He really enjoyed that everything you can touch, feel and pick up. It gave him a space he can explore and see things in a different light. When I asked him what he liked the most of the experience he said everything in the whole wide world!

We would definitely recommend this new section and go back for sure. I loved seeing them so engaged and having so much fun while getting some learning in as well.

MOTAT family review

You can find Te Puawānanga at building number 5. As you enter there is a little room to the right which is clearly marked Kai room, it is set up with little tables and space for you to enjoy your food and drink, a nice alternative to outside if weather is against you or if you just feel like sitting indoors. There are also bathrooms up some stairs at the end of the Kai room.

Entry is included in general admission.

Plan your visit at MOTAT.nz

Jacque and her family were provided with a family pass to MOTAT for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewer.

* Please note that Jacque and the kids attended a special preview event. Food trucks are not regular inclusions at MOTAT.

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Nanny Rina’s Amazing Nets by Qiane Matata-Sipu | Book Review

Promotion for Penguin Books

Nanny Rina’s Amazing Nets is a heartwarming story about aroha, whānau, passing down traditional knowledge and welcoming in the new year – an English translation of the original Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina.

Nanny Rina is an amazing weaver – she can make all kinds of nets!

When Haeata te Kapua asks what special creation Nanny will weave to welcome in the new year, Nanny shows her granddaughter how the Matariki stars guide her to the right net to make.

This delightful story for tamariki includes step-by-step instructions to weave a net. It is written by the award-winning Māori-Pasifika storyteller Qiane Matata-Sipu, and illustrated by the acclaimed Māori artist Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.

Translated into English from the original story written in te reo Māori, Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina (also available).

Buy your copy of Nanny Rina’s Amazing Nets

Nanny Rina's Amazing Nets Colouring Sheet

Colouring fun

Print and colour in this sheet from Nanny Rina’s Amazing Nets – a heartwarming story about aroha, whānau, passing down traditional knowledge and welcoming in the new year. Click on the image for the printable activity sheet.

Read the family review

We were so excited to be able to review Nanny Rina’s Amazing Nets by Qiane Matata-Sipu. Immediately upon receiving the book Mr 3 was intrigued and Mr 9 was excited that it was a book about Matariki!

This book is definitely a book you would want to read for Matariki or just for the sake of reading it over and over.

Learning about the stars of Matariki

It has an amazing take on the stars of Matariki and how Nanny Rina explains in a magical explanation to her granddaughter, Haeata te Kapua, what each star represents and how the brightest star of Matariki would determine what net Nanny Rina would make for the celebration. This book has beautiful Māori words, with a glossary explaining the English meaning which is so special. The journey she takes you on makes you feel like you are cuddled up to your own Granny telling you a story. It has a sense of peace, calm and belonging to the book.

Nanny Rina's Amazing Nets

Read it again!

We loved this book! Definitely 5/5 star rating! The kids (age 3 and 9) had me read it at least three times over just on the first day we received it. And it has become a repeated bedtime book. I have found them both sitting and paging through the book in the day. The colours are well thought out, not too bright or dull and bring a sense of comfort. The illustrations are beautiful! The kids loved the front cover where the stars falling in the net are raised and as you wipe your hand over, it has a different texture.

Mr 3 really loved the inside cover which is all the Matariki stars and explains what each one represents. He said it is his favourite part – the stars!! And he enjoyed the different nets she used. His favourite is the Korapa, a net to catch small birds.

Mr 9 said he loved the story as a whole, but what really stood out for him where the Māori words and explanations. He also found the different nets interesting and wants to do more weaving now.

Nanny Rina's Amazing Nets

Make your own net

In the back is a beautifully designed step-by-step on how to make your own net. It was easy to follow, easy to do for a 3 year old and 9 year old. They worked together following the instructions and made their net. There is talk to make more. Mr 9 wants to catch fish now and Mr 3 wants to stand outside and catch stars. Such a great activity!

Story time at Kindy

It was such a great hit that Mr 3 took it to Kindy for them to read it at mat time. He told his teacher it is his favourite book of Matariki.

His teacher told me upon picking him up that this is truly one of her favourite reads in a long time and really touched her heart. She also mentioned the kids loved it and stayed alert while she read. She loved that they asked questions about the different words and feels they really learnt some new words!

Nanny Rina's Amazing Nets

I honestly feel every household needs this book, as it really hits the heart for the celebration of Matariki, a deeper understanding and awesome learning aspects for Māori and making nets 🙂

Thank you for giving us this opportunity, it has been welcomed in our house with such love and happiness 🙂

Book Review | Starminster by Megan Hopkins

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Take flight on the beautifully-written, epic, and soaring new adventure, Starminster.

Astrid has lived in the rhubarb shed her whole life. The outside world is dangerous, Mama explains; she will understand when she’s older, but she cannot set foot beyond the door. Astrid longs to see the world; to meet other children; to live in the farmhouse with Mama. But what she longs for most of all is to see the stars.

Then one night, a stranger unlocks the shed: a stranger with wings. She has come to take Astrid to a secret city in the sky called London Overhead, far above the highest peak of the Shard. For Astrid, like her, is a Librae – and will soon grow wings of her own …

Astrid is swept into a breathtaking and magical world of new friendships, sweeping adventures and unimaginable discoveries at the ancient, beautiful school for Librae students: Starminster. But quickly she learns that all is not well in the glimmering city. And when rumours abound of missing children in London Underfoot, she begins to realise that Mama may have been right about the dangers waiting for Astrid all along …

Grab your copy of Starminster

Starminster

Be in to win 1 of 3 copies of Starminster

Take flight on this beautifully-written, epic and soaring new adventure, perfect for fans of The Golden Compass, Skandar, and exploring magical worlds!

We are giving away 3 copies – keep reading to find out how to enter.

Enter now

Reviews from our Young Readers coming soon!

Reviewers are provided with a copy of the book for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewers. This article contains information provided by HarperCollins.

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Hairy Maclary and Friends: Meet the Gang by Lynley Dodd | Book Review

Promotion for Penguin Books

Meet Hairy Maclary and his rollicking gang in this delightful board book with tabs! Who is covered in spots? Who has a low tum? And who is the roughest and toughest of all? Discover them all in Hairy Maclary and Friends: Meet the Gang.

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy meets a lot of his friends while he’s out and about on a walk – let’s see what they all get up to.

Little fingers will have so much fun turning the pages of this very special board book, with its sturdy pages and illustrated tabs featuring each of the characters our raggedy rapscallion runs with – or runs from!

Meet Hercules Morse as big as a horse, Bottomley Potts covered in spots, Muffin McLay like a bundle of hay, Scarface Claw the toughest Tom in town, and other favourite characters from the best-loved series by Lynley Dodd.

Read all the Hairy Maclary and Friends books by Lynley Dodd!

Buy your copy of Hairy Maclary and Friends: Meet the Gang

Family review coming soon!

The Garfield Movie: 5 Fun Activity Sheets

Prepare to give up your favourite comfy chair and hide away your lasagne – Garfield is back! To celebrate the release of The Garfield Movie we’re sharing some fun printable activity sheets featuring the world’s most famous cat.

We’re excited to share these activity pages – simply click and print for some movie fun at your place! ⬇️

Colour in Garfield and Odie

Garfield's word find

Garfield's favourite foods

Garfield maze

Colour in Garfield and Odie

Written by Kidspot NZ with information supplied by Sony.

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Book Review | The Deadlands: Survival by Skye Melki-Wegner

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The future of war-torn Cretacea hangs in the balance, in The Deadlands: Survival – the exhilarating finale to The Deadlands series.

Having dealt the Carrion Kingdom a devastating blow, the heroic outcasts return home to face the herds that cast them out. But Eleri’s treacherous brother is now Lord of the Battlefield, and the outcasts are condemned to die as traitors. Meanwhile, an Army of Beasts is marching towards the Mountain Kingdom, hellbent on revenge.

With enemies on all sides, how will the exiles survive long enough to convince their kingdoms of the real threat, and prevent a massacre?

The Deadlands: Survival is the third book in this epic, adventurous dinosaur series and is out now!

Grab your copy of The Deadlands: Survival

The Deadlands: Survival

Be in to win 1 of 3 copies of The Deadlands: Survival!

Dinosaurs fight for survival in this action-packed, middle-grade series. It’s Jurassic Park from the dinosaurs’ point of view! Perfect for readers 9+ and the dinosaur-obsessed.

We are giving away 3 copies – keep reading to find out how to enter.

The competition has now closed.

Read reviews from our Young Readers

Book review by Zara, age 12

The book is about a group of herbivore dinosaurs, who came together due to being exiled from their previous differing kingdoms. They have become good friends, despite their differences in both herd and kingdoms, and have banded together for years to both stay alive and defeat other enemy carnivore dinosaur kingdoms. They now know that the warring carnivores are planning to attack their old kingdoms and set out to try and warn and save their origins. But there is an issue – their old kingdoms don’t trust the exiled group, even though they are family and they cannot understand how they are surviving together, as they are different herds.

The Deadlands: Survival by Skye Melki-Wegner

Through the power of motivation, a belief in doing right, and the power of collaboration and trust between friends, the exiled group finally convince their old warring kingdoms that they are to be trusted and then lead them to overcoming the enemy carnivores. In the end, the power of help and trust form the basis for a successful reunion of the kingdoms.

There is a lot of action in the book and a lot of imagination needed to see what is happening and by who. Sometimes this is hard to imagine due to so many descriptions of the different herds and their powers and some of the names used to describe each dinosaur type. I think this book would be suited to those who love fantasy and dinosaurs. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Book review by Ihaia, age 10

The Deadlands: Survival by Skye Melki-Wegner is the third book in ‘The Deadlands’ series. It is set in the land of the dinosaurs when the dino world is at war. The main character is Eleri who is a Oryctodromeus. The 3 alliances; the Mountain Kingdom, the Prairie Alliance and The Carrion Kingdom, are battling for survival. Eleri is an exile who is leader of a band of rogues. When he discovers a threat that could destroy the Mountain kingdom, his home kingdom, he must set out on a quest to save them. Can he do it? Will anyone aid him on his quest? Or will his home be destroyed forever? Read The Deadlands: Survival to find out!

I liked The Deadlands: Survival because the story was intense, switching between characters on different quests throughout the story and making you want to keep reading to see what happened to them. I give this book 4 out of 5 because I liked it but I think it would have been better to read the other books in the series before reading this one. Anyone who enjoys reading epic adventures or books about dinosaurs should definitely read this.

Book review by Tomas, age 11

I enjoyed The Deadlands: Survival because it was an action packed adventure book with plots around every corner. The book is based on a battle against two dinosaur kingdoms. Which kingdom will rule Cretacea?

I really enjoyed Wings of Fire books and feel the Deadlands series have got a similar meaning.

This book is suitable for boys and girls aged 8-12 years. There are three books in the series, I recommend reading books 1 and 2 first.

Thank you Kidspot NZ for letting me review The Deadlands: Survival.

Book review by Eva, age 11

The Deadlands: Survival is an awesome book about a dinosaur who is voted for exile, but when his kingdom goes into war with the other one, he is – to the other dinosaurs’ surprise – forced to come back and help. He helps his kin fight and craft weapons, along with his friends with a few challenges on the way. I really enjoyed this book because there are a lot of great cliffhangers that make you want to know more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reviewers were provided with a copy of the book for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewers. This article contains information provided by HarperCollins.

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Lulu & The Dance Detectives #3 and #4 | Book Review

Promotion for Penguin Books

The third and fourth books in the Lulu and the Dance Detectives illustrated chapter series are out now! Ideal for dance-mad and confident readers, with every book in the series including a special activity to encourage engagement, there is something for everyone and a whole lot of fun!

Complete the series with these two exciting new stories from author Sally Sutton and illustrator Lily Uivel.

Lulu and the Dance Detectives #3: The Doggy Disco Hoax

A dodgy dog rescue fundraiser, a dazzlingly dizzy disco, and a mystery to solve for the Silver Star Dancers!

When a disco to raise money for a dog rescue centre turns out to be a hoax, Lulu and her team are determined to make it happen anyway. Amongst the yelping and barking, disco lights and darkness, there is a thief to catch. But will their cunning plan work?

Buy your copy of book #3: The Doggy Disco Hoax

Lulu and the Dance Detectives #4: Ravenous Rooster Stake-out

An all-you-can-eat restaurant, a swinging country and western dance, and a mystery to solve for the Dance Detectives!

Lulu and the Silver Star Dancers have an exciting gig dancing at the Ravenous Rooster, but nerves are frayed – notorious criminal Douglas Vipersnitch is on the run from police and believed to be hiding in the area! When suspicious events begin to unfold, there’s only one explanation: it’s him!

Amid flowing chocolate fountains and fizzing drinks, the clues come thick and fast. Will the Silver Star Dancers be able find the thief, and be able to perform their toe-tapping routine?

Buy your copy of book #4: Ravenous Rooster Stake-out

Family review from Inge

Lulu and the Dance Detectives #3: The Doggy Disco Hoax revolves around a group of kids who embark on a fundraising venture to support a dog rescue. It captures the excitement and camaraderie among children as they work together towards a common goal, offering a heartwarming narrative that celebrates teamwork and compassion.

My daughter absolutely loved the book and eagerly anticipated each chapter, which speaks volumes about its appeal to young readers. The story evoked a range of emotions for both of us, from excitement during the fundraising events to laughter at the kids’ antics. It provided a delightful escape and a cherished bonding opportunity amidst busy daily routines.

While the book may not have imparted a specific lesson, its engaging storyline kept my daughter thoroughly entertained. She found it interesting from start to finish, particularly enjoying the thrilling moments like when they caught Mr. Baker. The illustrations and cover art further enhanced her enjoyment, sparking her imagination and even inspiring her to want to colour them.

Overall, this book is a terrific choice for those seeking a fun and uplifting read that resonates with children’s adventurous spirits and love for animals.

5 Stars: I’m glad we read it, and my daughter loved every moment.

Print these fun Lulu and the Dance Detectives word searches

Magnifying glasses at the ready! Channel your inner detective to complete these word searches from the first two books in the series.

Lulu and the Dance Detectives wordsearch

Print the page

Lulu and the Dance Detectives wordsearch

Print the page

6 Cool Themes To Makeover Your Child’s Bedroom

Decorating with Resene

A child’s bedroom is their kingdom – where they relax, read, study, sleep, and dream! Choose from one of these cool themes from Resene to make them smile and inspire their imagination.

#1 May the force be with you

Star Wars bedroom

Created by the Hembury family with paints from Resene.

This amazing bedroom inspired by the movie series, Star Wars, features some fantastic lighting effects to bring the tie fighter and space-look to life! It’s also hugely practical with clever storage ideas. Get a space-age wall effect in your child’s room with Resene Cinder and Resene Blast Grey metallic paint.

Get this look

#2 Surf’s up!

Beach bedroom

Created by the Hembury family with paints from Resene.

Be reminded of long summer days on the sand all year round with this sunny beach theme. It features a cute cubby house – perfect for when you need to retreat from the sun (or a sibling!). Use Resene testpots to introduce a range of summery colours to your child’s room with Resene Endeavour, Resene Curious Blue, Resene Malibu, Resene AnakiwaResene WellywoodResene NevaResene Spritzer, Resene Sulu, Resene Witch Haze, Resene Gorse and Resene Solid Gold.

Get this look

#3 A person’s a person, no matter how small

Dr Seuss bedroom

Created by the Hembury family with paints from Resene.

If you’re not confident painting a freehand style mural, get yourself some masking tape and mask out a mural design using geometric shapes and paint in the spaces using your child’s favourite Resene colours.

Get the look

#4 Where the wild things slumber

Where the wild things slumber

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery.

This joyful yet sophisticatedly-styled bedroom look is ideal for a younger ‘tween, striking a balance between supporting a developing maturity while embracing whimsy and play. With subtle hues of Resene Colorwood Whitewash and Resene Schooner, this room will fit right into a home with a neutral colour palette.

Get the look

#5 Love and whimsy

Love and whimsy bedroom

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery.

Pastel hues combine with textural large wall flowers, for an oasis of calm with a touch of fun and love. Don’t have a headboard? Just paint your own directly onto the wall with a contrasting colour, like this headboard painted in Resene Just Dance onto the wall in Resene Sorbet.

Get the look

#6 Matariki baby

Warrior Matariki nursery

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery.

The Matariki cluster of stars rises in midwinter and heralds the start of the Māori New Year. Whether or not your child is due around Matariki, we think that this delightful, starry theme is perfect for a relaxing nursery. Add your own space-inspired touches to your child’s room with a wall painted in Resene Warrior and stars in Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark paint.

Get the look

More ideas from Resene for creative kids

For more kids’ room inspiration and ideas, visit your local Resene ColorShop and view the habitat plus – kids’ spaces book online. 

Written by Kidspot NZ with content from Resene.

Family review: artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep

Promotion for artemis

When the kids get a good, restful night’s sleep, everybody wins! But sometimes your child’s sleep (and therefore your own) can be elusive or disrupted due to a myriad of reasons. To help Kidspot families to support sleep for their kids, we gave them the opportunity to trial artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep. Check out some of their reviews and success stories here.

New artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep is 100% natural and scientifically formulated to help settle and relax kids aged 2 – 12 years and support calm and restorative sleep. The great taste of mandarin combined with being a liquid makes it easy and convenient to administer, and it’s fast-acting. The combination of chamomile, passionflower and lavender not only supports sleep but chamomile is also known for supporting digestion.

Find out more about the non-addictive long-term sleep support that artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep can provide by visiting artemis.co.nz and check out the feedback below from Kidspot reviewers.

I’m enjoying getting some extra sleep too!

“I have tried this the last few nights for my almost 6-year-old daughter. She has a really hard time falling asleep. She explains to me that her brain just won’t turn off. She goes to bed about 7.30 and sometimes she’s can stay awake until 10.30-11pm. The first night I tried this I gave her one dose and she was asleep within 40mins. I was mind blown. The next night she was asleep within an hour. The max she lasts on this is 2 hours, which makes me super happy. It has made bed times so much easier and I’m enjoying getting some extra sleep too!

Torie

Will definitely continue to purchase this

“Have been using this mainly with my 6-year-old who suffers from low-level anxiety around falling asleep. It seems to be working for her. I took the bottle away on school camp for my 10-year-old – each night I gave her some and she fell asleep well before the other children. Another parent asked to use it for her child who was struggling with sleeping, and they believed it worked too! Both older children did not like the taste, but were happy to take it, knowing it was helping them. Will definitely continue to purchase this.”

Annaclyne1

I can’t remember the last time they slept that late

“With two very active boys aged 7 and 8, and one who is neurodiverse, we are willing to try anything designed to calm and relax! We’ve been using it for less than a week but we are definitely noticing a difference. My youngest fell asleep on me last night for the first time since he was a baby! Not only that but both boys slept until 7:30am today, compared to the usual 6am and as I can’t remember the last time they slept that late, I’m thinking that can’t be a coincidence! In terms of taste, one loved it and one hated it, I had a little taste also and quite liked it, it’s definitely unusual with the herby vibe but it’s sweet and like the mandarin vibe.

artemis Kid's Settle & Sleep

Definitely keen to keep going on this one and might see how it goes to calm our ASD boy during the day when needed.”

melinda1nz

Calmer, relaxed and quieter

“We followed the instructions and gave it 1 hour before bed time. From the very first night neither were keen on the taste, however they continued to take it for the week and would have a small sip of water afterwards to “wash it down”. I think its helped our 3.5-year-old, he seems to be asleep within 15 minutes (provided he doesn’t sneak in a day sleep). For my 7-year-old bed time seems calmer/relaxed/quieter and he doesn’t come out asking a million questions however he’s still not falling asleep until 9pm. I’m willing to try it for another week and perhaps do one dose 1 hour beforehand and a second dose right before bed.

artemis Kid's Settle & Sleep

We have only tried kids night time magnesium pills on the 7-year-old and they don’t seem to have much effect on him. If children prefer a syrup over a pill then I would definitely suggest this product, [I] appreciate how natural it is and free from so many allergens and artificial things.

Hayley Roil

Sleepy and calm

artemis Kid's Settle & Sleep

“I have a 9-year-old and nearly 3-year-old. Both of them I struggle to get down in the evening, it just drags for them to fall asleep, no matter what we try or adjust it is always a long night. They also have a tendency to wake up at least 3 times in the night and struggle to get back to sleep.

We didn’t see any difference the first few days, but on day 4 we saw a difference. We started with 1 dose an hour before bed and then moved it to 20min before bed. We noticed that falling asleep went from 45min plus once in bed to 10min after day 4. They both seemed to be a little less all over the place in the evening and a little more focused.

I had a taste of it and it has a pleasant taste, no actual flavour I can pin point. The 9-year-old says it tastes of lavender and the nearly 3-year-old said it tastes like peach. The 9-year-old says it makes him feel sleepy and calm. The nearly 3-year-old has no comment on how it makes him feel haha!”

Jax

Instantly felt results

“My 11 year old son trailed the product of Artemis Kids settle and sleep to see if it would help to get to sleep quicker and stay asleep. My son is first year at Intermediate which brings a higher workload, stress of a bigger school and more sporting opportunities. Knowing how important sleep is for my tween to succeed at school was a reason we wanted to trail this product.

He said “it tasted fine, just like cough syrup”. The first weekend [he] took it twice each night and instantly he felt results. Going to sleep as soon as he has read, and stayed asleep all night.

artemis Kid's Settle & Sleep

We believe this product worked extremely well with only one week trialed, and will definitely continue to use.”

Chrislean

Afternoon got a whole lot better

“I have a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old and bedtimes have been so tricky lately that we have resorted to long drives to get the girls asleep.

I thought the first night may have been a fluke when we didn’t end up with children in our bed. However, we forgot it the second night and had 2 visitors in the night. They both are a lot more settled within our nighttime routine and falling asleep much faster so that’s great.

My 2 year old was having a rough afternoon one day and so as per the box, I gave her a daytime dose and her afternoon got a whole lot better.

artemis Kid's Settle & Sleep

I will be continue using this product and can see it being a must-have in my cupboard alongside the other artemis products I keep on hand.”

Staceykendall

Much more relaxed by bedtime

“I was particularly hoping that this would help one of my 8-year-old twins who is really struggling with getting to sleep at the moment. It can sometimes take him till 10/10.30 to drift off. The first couple of nights we didn’t notice much difference for him, but I then re read the instructions about taking it 30mins to an hour before bed and I think that is the trick to it. Now that he’s taking a double dose an hour before bed he’s much more relaxed by bedtime and the past couple of nights has been asleep by 9pm which is great.

It’s not a magic fix but nothing ever is, but we will definitely continue with this bottle and longer if it carries on helping him to relax and fall asleep easier.”

Rachaelfull

Snoring on the couch!

“Mr 6 … is going through a patch of hyperactiveness at bedtime every night which has been causing chaos every evening. [Afer use] he has settled significantly faster and more efficiently, and I have torn much less hair out (my own) every evening- winning!! The flavour of the syrup isn’t terrible but I had to mix it with a small amount of juice each dose to get it in him. Overall I am very happy with the results. I should also note that my husband tried this one evening and was snoring on the couch 30 mins later!”

Lexxx13nz

The calming effects

“I’ve been using artemis Sleep & Settle for 5 nights in a row on our son, 11 years. Despite initial reluctance, he’s now happily taking it. I have found giving him 1 teaspoon an hour before bed and another teaspoon 30 mins before is working well and since it’s just a teaspoon it’s easy to get it down in one go. It has a herbal fragrance and flavour to it but it’s pleasant and quite sweet tasting which is interesting given it has no sugars or sweeteners in it, which I loved.

I have noticed an improvement in the time it takes him to get to sleep and he’s not getting up after going to bed at all now which is fantastic. By the third night, he mentioned he felt like going to sleep was easier and he seemed calmer about going to bed so a big win for us and given it’s herbal based with no sugar I am going to continue giving it to him – he is quite hyperactive so the calming effects could be just what he needs to help settle down for the night.”

Mumof3lads

Read more reviews

To read the reviews in full and to see more reviews from Kidspot families, check out the artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep product page.

Reviewers were provided with 1 x bottle of artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep for the purpose of the review. Views are those of the reviewer. This article contains information provided by artemis.

Book Review | Finding Bear by Hannah Gold

Sponsored content

Finding Bear is the unmissable follow-up to the phenomenal bestselling and award-winning The Last Bear. The story is perfect for readers aged 8-years-old and up.

April Wood has returned home from her adventure on Bear Island. But, over a year later, she can’t stop thinking about Bear.

When April hears that a polar bear has been shot and injured in Svalbard, she’s convinced it’s her friend and persuades her dad to travel with her to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic. So begins an unforgettable journey across frozen tundra and icy glaciers.

But along the way, she discovers much more than she bargained for – a tiny polar bear cub, desperately in need of her help. In freezing temperatures, April must navigate the dangerous Arctic terrain and face her deepest fears if she’s to save him.

Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold, Finding Bear is a stunning story of survival and a heartwarming tale of love that shows us how hope is born from the smallest of beginnings.

Grab your copy of Finding Bear

Finding Bear by Hannah Gold

Be in to win 1 of 3 copies of Finding Bear!

Finding Bear is the follow up title to the award-winning The Last Bear.

We’re excited to be giving away three copies of this beautifully illustrated book.

This competition has now closed.

Read reviews from our Young Readers

Book review by Abigal, age 11

Thank you to Kidspot and HarperCollins for the opportunity to review this book.

Finding Bear is about April Wood. She had come back from Bear Island and now a year later finds out a polar bear has been shot. She fears it is her polar bear friend and convinces her dad to return to Svalbard.

When they find Bear she realizes he needs her help with his cub. April has to be brave on this adventure.

I recommend this book for ages 9+ and think it would be an exciting read filled with adventures and surprises at every turn.

Finding Bear book review

Book review by Juliette, age 11

This book is based around a young girl called April, who has moved to back to the city with her Dad after living in the Arctic. She is finding it difficult to adjust to life back home and is struggling to fit in at school. She especially misses her time spent with a polar bear she became friends with, called Bear.

April then hears that a polar has been shot near the place she used to live and thinks it may be her friend Bear. She begs her Dad to take her back and help search for Bear to make sure he is alright.

Finding Bear book review

When April and her Dad get back, they have to try really hard to get to where she thinks Bear may be, and they end up getting in snow storms, lose their huskies who drive the sleds and then get separated from each other. However, April somehow finds Bear in the middle of nowhere, but also finds Bear has a baby cub who needs help, as the mother has died. But somehow she manages to overcome the environment and uses her friends to make the difficult journey to get help for the baby cub.

This book teaches us that if you set your mind to something you believe in you can achieve anything. It also demonstrated the true meaning of friendship, even between humans and animals. This book also showed the great issues the environment and animals are facing in the modern world and the way we treat our natural habitats.

Overall I rate this book 4 stars out of 5 because there was a lot of adventure and twists and turns that I didn’t expect, and it was also interesting to see what is happening to the natural world of the polar bears.

Book review by Zack, age 8 (nearly 9)

I loved reading this book, and enjoyed the ending a lot.

To begin with the book started off a bit slowish but once I got into it, it kept me wanting to read and read it. It was a very descriptive book with lots of words to read and learn, which my mum helped me with sometimes. The hardcover was very pretty and I liked looking at it.

Such a nice story about finding Bear and understanding what the Arctic is all about, which I found very interesting. Loved it and it kept me wanting more.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5 stars

Finding Bear book review

Book review from Kyle, age 9

Finding Bear is a follow up story. April and her dad were exploring in the Arctic. She became friends with a polar bear. When she returned to normal life,
she felt like she never fitted in with normal people. April wanted to be with her friend and the beautiful Arctic again.

When she went back to the Arctic, she found her friend, but she also got an unexpected surprise.

This is a beautiful adventure story. Reading it, I could feel the cold and hear the whirling winds. I enjoyed the parts about nature and sustainability and I think it helps make people aware that what we do can make an impact (positive or negative).

I recommend this book for animal or nature lovers or those who like to snuggle up under the covers with a hot chocolate and go to a far away land. I give this 5 stars.

Thank you for letting me do this review.

Book review by Tomas, age 11

I loved this book because it showed how April and Bear had such a deep connection. Can April help her friend get his cub to safety without risking her own life?

This book informs the readers about environmental issues such as global warming and how much it affects the world.

This is the sequel to The Last Bear which I have read and loved just as much as this one.

I feel this book is suitable for girls and boys aged 9-13, as some of the storylines are a bit brutal.

Thanks again Kidspot NZ for letting me review Finding Bear.

Reviewers were provided with a copy of the book for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewers. This article contains information provided by HarperCollins.

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Ring Ting Tūī by Elena de Roo & Paul Beavis | Book Review

Promotion for Penguin Books

A melodious counting picture book bursting with troublesome tūī, perfect to read aloud! In Ring Ting Tūī, the familiar antics of one of New Zealand’s favourite native birds have been captured by award-winning picture book creators Elena de Roo and Paul Beavis.

SQUAWK!
Things are getting loud!
The kōwhai branch is bending …
what a sticky tūī crowd!

Have the tūī slurped too much kōwhai nectar to make an escape?

Bursting with fun – and nectar! – this melodious tūī story will have children and adults joining in with the tūī sounds until they too fall to the ground, just like the crowd of too many tūī.

Elena de Roo’s sparse use of clever text and impeccable rhythm is combined with Paul Beavis’s artwork that oozes with character, creating a special picture book fit for a clutch of chaotic tūī, and finished off with ten fascinating tūī facts.

Buy your copy of “Ring Ting Tūī”

Read the book review from Emmeline and family

This was a super fun rhyming and counting book about tūī weighing a branch down. A rhyming book always goes down well in our house and is very memorable.

My kids thought it was so funny when I read the sounds the tūī made and they had a go ‘clicking’ and ‘ringing’ like a tūī too. They also loved counting up the tūī as they appeared and pointing out the funny faces they were making.

Ring Ting Tūī

We have read this several nights in a row and even I laugh as I try to twist my tongue around the different tūī sounds. I think that is my kids’ favourite part, listening to mum ring, ting, click and chitter like a bird and then trying it out themselves.

Overall a really fun book especially for those who love rhyming and having a giggle at bed time.

4 stars 🌟

Ring Ting Tūī

Print Ring Ting Tūī colouring pages

Ring Ting Tūī Colouring pages

Print and colour in these sheets from the melodious counting picture book bursting with troublesome tūī!

Print the pages

Book Review | Murray and Bun: Murray the Viking by Adam Stower

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Adventure lies beyond the cat flap!

Meet your favourite new duo: Murray and Bun!

Murray is a cat. Murray loves snoozing, fluffy blankets, and peace and quiet.

Bun is a bun. Bun loves … EVERYTHING!

And together they are unstoppable!

Sometimes Murray’s enchanted cat flap leads to the garden … but mostly it leads to ADVENTURE!

And when Murray and Bun travel through the cat flap and find themselves in a land of Vikings, they’re given a very important mission: to travel to Troll Island and rescue Eggrik the Viking … if he hasn’t already been gobbled up by the trolls, that is.

Perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Bunny vs Monkey, Dog Man, Adventure Mice and Claude, this funny, exciting, and hugely loveable story – brilliantly illustrated throughout – will delight adventure-lovers young and old. After all, heroes come in all shapes and sizes!

Grab your copy of Murray and Bun: Murray the Viking

Read reviews from our Young Readers below!

Review from Eden, aged 9

Hi my name is Eden and I have just finished reading the book Murray and Bun by Adam Stower for Kidspot NZ.

I knew I was going to love this book when I saw the front cover and how cute Murray and Bun were. It was such a fun book to read, but wasn’t an ordinary story – you normally wouldn’t get a Viking cat and a sticky bun made into a character for instance!

This book brought a lot of emotions. Bun was always so happy and excited and Murray was a lot more curious. Together they made a great team.

Murray and Bun - Murray the Viking book review

Once I started reading it I couldn’t stop and I think everyone will be the same. You just can’t wait to see what happens to Murray and Bun.

The other thing that was really cool was that they showed you how to draw Murray and Bun at the end. I have already drawn multiple Murrays since finishing the book.

All kids 6 and older that love a fun, illustrated adventure book will want to read this. I give it 5 stars!

Review from Faith, aged 7

Thank you Kidspot for allowing me to review this book, it was so fun.

I enjoyed this book about Murray and Bun. Murray’s cat flap always leads to adventures. This time he and Bun go to find Eggrik the Viking and travel to Troll Island.

Only if Eggrik hasn’t already been eaten by trolls that is. Eggrik’s favourite food is – you guessed it, eggs!

Along their journey Murray and Bun learn about Vikings and trolls and we get to join them on their adventure-filled trip.

Murray and Bun - Murray the Viking book review

This book was so funny, especially the bit where Murray and Bun realize the trolls have carrots stuck up their noses as can be seen on the cover.

I would give this book a 5/5 and would recommend to other children my age who enjoy funny stories and would read this book again for sure.

Review by Harrison, aged 8.5

Murray and Bun is a new series by author Adam Stower. It is all about a cat called Murray and his best friend Bun, the rabbit. When Murray and Bun go through his enchanted cat flap, they end up going on all sorts of adventures!

Murray the Viking is about their adventures with the Vikings, with Murray being sent on a quest that may end up being very challenging for them both, with tricky bridges and trolls to deal with!

I really liked this book. It is funny and has really awesome pictures in it. It is very easy to read and understand. There is a cool guide to drawing Murray in the back of the book which I have given a go.

Murray and Bun - Murray the Viking book review

I would definitely recommend this book to other children, and I will be looking out for the next book to come out in the Murray and Bun series!

5/5 stars

Review by Sim, aged 8

My favourite things about it

I liked how on the way there was a very long boat, then on the way back it was a very short boat. It was funny. I also liked how Murray and Bun met the trolls and they did not eat them but the coolest thing I liked is how Murray’s cat flap was a magic cat flap that was so cool. I also liked how the last and best-tasting bun got changed into a rabbit named Bun which is one of Murray’s best friends!

Things that could be made better

One of the main things that could be made better is that the trolls could have chased Murray and Bun around. I also think that the chief should not have such a long beard because it looks weird. I think that the wizard should have also come with Murray and Bun.

Murray and Bun - Murray the Viking book review

Review by Zack, aged 8

[Murray and Bun – Murray the Viking] was about a wizard that was bad at wishes. There was a bunny and a rabbit also. The cat door became magic and they went on an adventure.

I liked this book and found it interesting. I didn’t want to stop reading it, so read it all at once.

Murray and Bun - Murray the Viking book review

Murray and Bun: Murray the Viking

Be in to win 1 of 5 copies of Murray and Bun!

Murray and Bun is out now!

Your new favourite new duo is Murray the cat and Bun the … well, bun.

We’re excited to be giving away 5 of these funny illustrated books, perfect for kids aged 7+.

To enter, simply tell us the name of the Viking they have to rescue? (Hint: you will find the answer on this page).

This competition has now closed.

Reviewers are provided with a copy of the book for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewers. This article contains information provided by HarperCollins.

Read more kids book reviews:

Book Review | Time Travelling With a Tortoise by Ross Welford

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Exciting, funny, heartwarming, and mind-bendingly clever, Time Travelling with a Tortoise is the extraordinary, adventure-packed sequel to Ross Welford’s beloved, bestselling debut, Time Travelling with a Hamster.

Al Chaudhury travelled back in time to save his father’s life.

And it worked – Al’s dad is alive again and life is back to the way it should be. At least, that’s what Al thinks.

But when an accident robs Al’s beloved Grandpa Byron of his world-beating memory, Al is forced back in time again, this time leaving someone behind, trapped in a prehistoric dimension.

Al is forced into a rescue mission to recover his friend from the past … and to make sure that there will be a future waiting for them all.

It turns out time travel is far more complicated than Al thought.

Grab your copy of Time Travelling With a Tortoise

Read reviews from our Young Readers below!

Review by Fin, aged 12

Hi, I’m Fin and I am reviewing Time Travelling with a Tortoise by Ross Welford for Kidspot New Zealand. This book is a sequel to the first successful book by the same author, Time Travelling with a Hamster.

Picking up where the last book left off, Time Travelling with a Tortoise is filled with family tragedy, time travel, alternate realities and quantum physics.

The main character Al Chaudbury thought life was finally going his way after saving his Dad’s life in the first book. An unfortunate accident leads to a whole new adventure however.

Time Travelling with a Tortoise book review

This time we see Al time travelling back to a prehistoric age, where he and his friends must fight for survival.

I would highly recommend this book for sci-fi lovers aged 10+. You don’t need to read the first book, but I would highly recommend it! You may want to read about how this exciting adventure started.

Review by Abigail, aged 10

Thank you so much to Kidspot for the chance to read and review this book … I am so grateful.

I really enjoyed this book about Al Chaudhury. When Al’s grandpa Byron meets with an accident, Al and his friends Carly and Paulie are forced back in time to send a letter of warning to grandpa Byron. But, when everything goes wrong they get stuck with dinosaurs.

Eventually when they make it home, Carly and Al realize they have left Paulie behind.

Time Travelling with a Tortoise book review

Can Carly and Al get their friend back and restore life to how it used to be?! Join Al, Carly, Paulie and Grandpa Byron on their crazy adventure.

I would love to read  Time Travelling with a Hamster by the same author and would recommend this book to kids 10 years and older who enjoy adventures like I do. I rate this book a solid 5 [stars] for its great storyline that kept me gripped for days till the end.

Book review by Em and Kaitlyn, aged 10 & 13

This book is the sequel to the bestselling book – Time Travelling with a Hamster. The main plot is about a boy who goes back in time to save his grandpa’s life. It sounds pretty similar to the previous one – a boy goes back in time to save his dad’s life. Then one of the boy’s friends gets stuck back in the Jurassic Period, and it turns into a big dilemma.

Lots of injuries and time travel continues throughout the book. The plot is simplistic, yet the style of the author seems to direct the writing at older children, so we think the book can be improved by either adding more complexity or simplifying the language. But enough criticism. This book probably is good for boys in our opinion, maybe 9 or 10 year olds.

Time Travelling with a Tortoise book review

Review by Eva, aged 11

I thought to begin with the book was confusing and didn’t intrigue me. But as I delved into it, it began quite exciting and lots of ups and downs.

The time travelling concept was quite interesting and lots of imaginative stories were throughout the book while this kid was travelling. Once back in the real world it took a while for this kid to regain what had actually gone on.

I liked this book and give it 4/5 stars.

Time Travelling with a Tortoise book review

Time Travelling with a Tortoise

Be in to win 1 of 5 sets of the Time Travelling series!

Exciting, funny, heartwarming, and mind-bendingly clever, Time Travelling with a Tortoise is the extraordinary, adventure-packed sequel to Ross Welford’s beloved, bestselling debut, Time Travelling with a Hamster.

We’re excited to be giving away five sets of these hilarious, time-travelling books, perfect for kids aged 9+.

To enter, simply tell us Al’s grandpa’s name. (Hint: you will find the answer on this page).

This competition has now closed.

Reviewers are provided with a copy of the book for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewers. This article contains information provided by HarperCollins.

Read more kids book reviews:

NEW artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep

Happy kids, happy family!

We all know how important sleep is for children. It helps them focus, supports cognitive development and learning, supports stronger immune health and supports them to relax in times of stress. Good sleep leads to happy kids, and happy kids lead to happy families.

New artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep is 100% natural and scientifically formulated to help settle and relax kids aged 2 – 12 years and support calm and restorative sleep.

The great taste of mandarin combined with being a liquid makes it easy and convenient to administer, and it’s fast-acting. The combination of chamomile, passionflower and lavender not only supports sleep but chamomile is also known for supporting digestion.

Find out more about the non-addictive long-term sleep support that artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep can provide by visiting artemis.co.nz.

Read the reviews now!

We’ve given 50 families with kids aged 2-12 years the chance to trial and review artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep. Read the reviews in the comments below.

Read more family reviews for artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep

When comparing my experience before and after using this particular product we have noticed a massive improvement both with the failing asleep and waking up during the night.

Newkiwi

The first weekend took it twice each night and instantly he felt results. Going to sleep as soon as he has read, and stayed asleep all night.
We believe this product worked extremely well with only one week trialed, and will definitely continue to use.

Chrislean

From the very first night (they have been having it nightly for the last 2 weeks) my kids were fast asleep within a fairly short period of time. I honestly thought my eldest was just pretend sleeping but she was actually fast asleep. This is a girl who can be awake past midnight some nights, so I was honestly blown away, but thought it may just be a coincidence. But no, both girls have been getting to sleep within 20-30 mins of lights out, which is amazing.

Angelgirl081

We’ve been using it for less than a week but we are definitely noticing a difference. My youngest fell asleep on me last night for the first time since he was a baby! Not only that but both boys slept until 7:30am today, compared to the usual 6am and as I can’t remember the last time they slept that late, I’m thinking that can’t be a coincidence!

melinda1nz

I took the bottle away on school camp for my 10-year-old – each night I gave her some and she fell asleep well before the other children. Another parent asked to use it for her child who was struggling with sleeping, and they believed it worked too!

Annaclyne1

We started with 1 dose an hour before bed and then moved it to 20min before bed. We noticed that falling asleep went from 45min plus once in bed to 10min after day 4. They both seemed to be a little less all over the place in the evening and a little more focused.

Jax

Reviewer notes

  • If you have received the product for review, please scroll to the bottom of the page and add your feedback as a new comment.
  • Upload your review photos/videos to this Dropbox folder.
  • Each selected reviewer will receive: 1 x bottle of artemis Kid’s Settle & Sleep.
  • By registering for this product trial, you agree to the terms and conditions. Please note that comments, images, or videos provided by reviewers may be used by artemis on their website and social media channels to promote the product.

Please note

  • If you are selected to trial, the product will be sent to the address on your profile.
  • Please check your address now to ensure that it is up to date.
  • Not registered yet? Then sign up now.
  • Kidspot Terms and Conditions apply, including: Open to Kidspot members 18+ only. Only available for NZ residents. If you are selected, you will be required to use the product as soon as possible and supply a review, as set out in our review instructions. Your name, email address, and contact phone number will be given to the supplier for the purpose of delivery.

Top 10 Kiri and Lou Songs

Promotion for Kiri and Lou

Every episode of the hit New Zealand kids’ TV show, Kiri and Lou, is wrapped around an original song written by The Front Lawn (Don McGlashan, Harry Sinclair) and performed by a cast of favourites including Jemaine Clement, Olivia Tennet, Rima Te Wiata, Jaquie Brown, Josh Thomson and Mark Wright.

Head to YouTube, Spotify or Apple Music to hear all your favourites from the show, as well as songs featuring guest artists Marlon Williams, Tami Neilson, Paul Kelly, Julia Deans, Anika Moa, Don McGlashan and Laughton Kora.

Though it’s a hard task to choose a top 10, here are our favourite Kiri and Lou songs to sing-a-long with. Share your favourites in the comments below!

Watch now on TVNZ+

Shine Your Light

After accidentally falling into a dark cave, Kiri and Lou are guided to safety by some singing glow worms. Featuring an incredible performance by Julia Deans as lead Gloworm.

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Let It Out

If something inside is troubling you, you gotta Let It Out! Starring Tami Neilson as Davinia the Duck.

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Yum, Yum Baronies

Do you like yum, yum baronies? Lou LOVES yum, yum baronies! Guaranteed to get the party started!

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Farty the Dinosaur

Pania (Rima Te Wiata) shares an educational song about gas and the whole digestive process. Excuse me!

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Wild Animal

Sung by Jemaine Clement and Olivia Tennet and featuring a wild, swinging sax solo.

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Womp Womp Womp

A celebration of getting outside and getting messy in the mud. As well as a fun singalong number, this song has been made available as a picture book, available at all good book sellers.

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Look Before You Poo

Some sage life advice from Kiri’s friends, the Three Little Birds.

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Do a Little Jump!

An amazing mood refresher, Do A Little Jump! will get everyone up and dancing. Sung by Small (Rima Te Wiata) and featuring Chris O’Connor, one of NZ’s greatest percussion artists.

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Purple Mountain

One of our favourite Australians, Paul Kelly, stars as Daddy Wuffle, a very musical flea who is living quite happily on Lou’s flank.

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Who is Sleepy Now?

Everyone’s favourite lullaby, sung by Pania (Rima Te Wiata). Guaranteed to send everyone off to sleep.

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Kiri and Lou’s new album, Thoroughly Singable Songs, is out 25th March. Don’t miss out, SUBSCRIBE now!

Discover Kiri and Lou

The funny and heartwarming Kiri and Lou stories feature Kiri, a feisty little dinosaur with huge emotions, and her best friend Lou, a gentle and thoughtful creature. They explore their feelings through singing, laughing and playing in the forest with their friends, including Pania (who’s a little ‘farty’), Sorry (a fast little animal with a confusing name), and lovable Dalvanius.

Watch now on TVNZ+

Kiri and Lou colouring pages

Extend the fun with Kiri and Lou with this selection of printable colouring pages for you to get creative with (PDFs).

Top 5 Tips For A Safe & Secure Child Restraint

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Choosing and using a child restraint can be a bit tricky sometimes – and we know you’re reluctant to read that enormous (but very helpful) instruction manual (which you should absolutely read by the way!).

In New Zealand, it’s estimated that over 80% of child restraints are not installed securely. In partnership with InfaSecure, we’ve narrowed down the top 5 tips and tricks to safely securing your child every trip and every day.

1. Choosing the right restraint

Choosing the right restraint for your child can sometimes seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be!

Under New Zealand law, all children under seven years of age must use an approved child restraint appropriate for their age and size. Children aged up to 8 must be secured in a restraint if one is available in the vehicle. International best practice recommends the use of an appropriate child restraint (or booster child restraint) until your child reaches 148 cm tall or is 11 years old.

Child restraint and medical professionals recommend that you keep your baby in a rear-facing restraint until as old as practicable – at least until they are 2 years old. It’s safest to keep your child rearward facing for as long as the restraint allows.

Other considerations should include how the restraint fits in your car (try before you buy), ease of use, safety features, and what your budget allows.

InfaSecure Child Restraints are manufactured to the Australian Standard (AS/NZS:1754) which has the highest level of mandatory testing worldwide. Look for the 5-tick red sticker for an Australian & New Zealand Standard-approved child restraint.

2. Harnessing all things safety!

It’s important to make sure that the harness is at the correct height for your child. For Australian & New Zealand Standard rearward facing restraints, the harness should be fitted through the slots or positioned CLOSE TO AND ABOVE the child’s shoulders, NEVER BELOW.

For Australian & New Zealand Standard forward-facing restraints, the harness should be fitted through the slots CLOSEST to the child’s shoulders. This means they can be above or below the shoulders, whichever is closest. They should be no further than 2.5cm distance from the shoulder in either direction.

If you have an EU or US standard restraint, it is recommended that you check your manufacturer’s instruction guide as harness set-up may differ.

A tight and well-fitted harness is essential to ensure your child is safe in their restraint. If a harness is loose, the child’s head and upper body can move too far forward, and they have the potential to be ejected in an impact. To check the harness, start by buckling your child in their child restraint. Then, try to ‘pinch’ the harness strap on the child’s shoulder/collarbone. If you can pinch the webbing, then the harness is too loose and will need to be tightened. If your fingers slip on the webbing and you aren’t able to pinch it, then it’s tight and secure.

The Pinch Test should be done every time you put your child in their child restraint. It only takes a few seconds, and it could save your child’s life in an impact. Making sure the harness is tight is half the job done. When checking that the harness is tight, it’s also important to check for twists in the straps. The straps are easily twisted when moving children in and out of their child restraints. By checking the harness every time, you can minimise the amount and type of twists that occur.

It is particularly important for newborns that they are positioned correctly in the restraint. Ensure that your rearward restraint is installed at the correct angle outlined in your user manual. Baby should not be slouching and there should be no gaps between the restraint and their shoulders or bottom. Parents should be able to place one finger between baby’s chin and chest to assist with optimal head positioning.

3. Talking tethers

If your restraint is fitted with a top tether, it is essential that it is used as per manufacturer instructions, and used with an approved vehicle anchor point. The top tether is the webbing that comes from the top/back of the child restraint and has a metal hook on the end which is attached to the vehicle anchorage point. This tether is important for proper installation because, without it, there can be potential for serious injury in a crash (or even braking hard). It helps stabilise the top of the child restraint and prevents it from rotating over. If you’re not sure where your anchor points are, you should check your vehicle owner’s manual, or contact the manufacturer.

The top tether strap should have all of the slack removed, but shouldn’t be over-tightened. The child restraint lifting off the vehicle seat can be an indication of an over-tightened top tether strap.

4. Get it right, get it tight!

Getting a tight install of your child restraint can be difficult but we’re here to help!

When fitting a child restraint it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, as a restraint that is not fitted or used correctly significantly reduces the safety protection provided by the restraint.

When threading the child restraint belt through the belt path or installing with ISOFix, put your knee and some weight into the child restraint to ensure it is pushed into the vehicle child restraint before you clip in the child restraint belt or ISOFix. The ISOFix windows on both sides of the restraint should be completely green for InfaSecure child restraints, indicating a tight fit.

It’s important that the child restraint moves no more than 2.5cm side to side at the belt path. You can check this by wiggling the child restraint at the base closest to the belt path (not the top of the child restraint – it is normal for this area to move more than 2.5cm). If your child restraint does move more than 2.5cm or feels loose, you should reinstall the child restraint more firmly.

For child restraint belt installation, you can use a locking device to ensure this install stays tight. We recommend using the InfaSecure Lockie, SafeGrip, or Gated Buckle (vailable for purchase at InfaGroup.co.nz).

If you are unsure on how to install your restraint correctly or would like your restraint checked, we recommend connecting with an independent Child Restraint Technician in your area.

Child restraint

5. So you’ve spotted a child restraint on the side of the road …

You’ve probably seen second-hand child restraints on the side of the road (often with a sign stating, “Free” or “Please take me”) or on Facebook Marketplace (even in good, used condition). And while the people who have put them out mean well, there are real dangers associated with using these restraints.

Even today’s most basic budget-friendly Australian & New Zealand standard child restraints can provide a higher level of protection than older, pre-owned child restraints with an unknown history.

It’s impossible to know if the child restraint has been in an accident and if the child restraint’s structural integrity has been compromised. Damage to child restraints after an accident can be invisible – such as fractures in the shell or nicks in the webbing. There is no real way to check for this kind of damage, nor are there any organisations that can “clear” a child restraint of suspected damage.

Roadside second-hand child restraints or hand-me-downs are most definitely not recommended.

There are many entry-level or budget-friendly child restraints available in New Zealand that don’t compromise on safety. If your child restraint features the AS/NZS:1754 sticker, you’ve got yourself an incredibly safe child restraint no matter the cost! There is a suitable child restraint solution for all price points, children, and families.

Top budget-friendly child restraints

Check out some of our top pick budget-friendly child restraints below.

InfaSecure Vari Move 0-4

InfaSecure Vari Move 0-4

Available now at Farmers.

Shop now

Infasecure Optima - Convertible

InfaSecure Optima 0-8

Available now at Supercheap Auto.

Shop now

Infasecure Roamer II - Harnessed Booster Seat

InfaSecure Roamer II 6M – 8 Years

Available now at Supercheap Auto.

Shop now

InfaSecure Foldaway Booster Seat

InfaSecure Foldaway Booster 4-8 Years

Available now at Kmart.

Shop now

*At InfaSecure, they’re passionate about educating parents and caregivers on best practice use of child restraints. This guide has been written with this in mind. Advice given is broad in nature. We recommend that you contact your specific child restraint manufacturer directly for any specific help with your restraint.

Content provided by Infa Group.

See more:

5 Back To School DIY Projects

Promotion for Resene

With the kids settling back into school, keep them organised and engaged with these DIY projects from Resene.

Each project has illustrated step-by-step instructions to follow, provided on the Resene website.

#1 Paint your own DIY book covers

How to paint your own DIY book covers

Create with paint! Projects from habitat by Resene.

Take a slice of summer into the school year with this fun idea for personalising clear files. The simple watermelon pattern is a breeze to create. Simply paint onto an A4 piece of paper and slip into the front of their folders.

TIP! Choose a different, simple fruit to paint for each subject or topic.

Create your own

#2 Transform an old school desk

Recycle a school desk

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring – Project 40

Those old school desks were made to last! Pick up one at a second-hand furniture store or school clearance and give it an update for a fun yet practical homework spot with storage. There’s an added surprise inside!

TIP! Keep an eye out on your local social media market pages to grab a bargain for upcycling.

Step by step instructions

#3 Make a kids’ chalkboard

Painted chalkboard

Create with paint! Projects from habitat by Resene.

Create a space for those important school reminders with this simple project that transforms a plain photo frame.

TIP! To customise your design even further, you can choose from a range of chalkboard paint colours.

Find out more

#4 Make a cool noticeboard and pen pots!

Make a cool noticeboard and pen pots!

From Habitat magazine – issue 16.

With a Resene testpot in the colour of choice, a plain noticeboard, some funky wallpaper, ribbon, and coffee tins or cans, you can create a noticeboard and complimentary pen pots to keep the study area tidy.

TIP! Resene have a huge array of patterns, colours, and designs in their range of wallpaper.

Find out more

#5 Make your own rainbow-inspired pen holder

Coloured pen pots

Create with paint! Projects from habitat by Resene.

With this colourful pen holder you will never have to hunt for that perfect shade again. Perfect for school projects as well as colouring-in.

TIP! If you prefer to not use toilet rolls, wrapping paper cardboard rolls cut to size are an option.

Make your own

More ideas from Resene for creative kids

  • Choose from Resene’s fun range of DIY projects for kids’ decor and bring in a world of colour.
  • Keep little hands busy with Resene arts and crafts activities. Try out handy Resene testpots, available in a huge range of colours. Made using waterborne paint, they are ideal for arts and crafts projects.
  • Resene testpots are available from your local Resene ColorShop or you can order online from the Resene website.

Written by Julie Scanlon

Julie is Editor for Kidspot NZ and our MVP. Her hobbies include laughing uncontrollably at her own jokes, annoying her family by asking questions about movie plots, and never taking anything too seriously. She speaks a little Spanish and a lot of Yorkshire. 

Favourite motto to live by: “It ain’t nothing but a thing”

Book Review | Funny Kid: Snowballs by Matt Stanton

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It’s snow time! Laugh your head off with the super-popular Funny Kid series in the new title, Snowballs!

Every kid wants to laugh, but Max is the boy who can make it happen.

When Max and his friends holiday at a ski resort for the rich and famous, Max realises that everything he could ever need to be happy is all here in one place and he’s determined to fit in quick-smart! Max is the funny kid, but will his jokes work in the snow?

Frozen pyjamas, fast cars, falling gracefully off cliffs, a wild mountain man, impossible chairlifts and a high-end fashion parade from Lost Property are just some of the things in store for Max and his friends in this brand-new Funny Kid adventure.

Funny Kid is the mega-bestselling series from author-illustrator Matt Stanton that has everyone laughing!

Grab your copy of Funny Kid: Snowballs

Funny Kid: Snowballs by Matt Stanton

Be in to win 1 of 3 copies of Funny Kid: Snowballs!

Funny Kid: Snowballs is the latest in the hilarious Funny Kid series and is out now!

We’re excited to be giving away three copies of this hilarious book, perfect for summer reading!

This competition has now closed.

Enter now

Read reviews from our Young Readers!

Book review: Harrison, age 8.5

I am so excited to review Funny Kid: Snowballs, by Matt Stanton!

I have read a couple of the other Funny Kid books and they are always great so I was really happy to read this latest book in the series.

This ‘Funny Kid’ book is about the main character, Max, who goes on a holiday to a snowy mountain where mostly only rich people go. He gets up to all kinds of funny things including falling in love with a girl who works at the Chair Lifts and has to end up saving him when he tries to show off!

Funny Kid Snowballs

Overall, I thought this book was really good. It was funny and cool! Max and the other characters are funny and very interesting and I love reading about their adventures. The intro for this book on the first couple of pages was really clever. I would definitely read this book and recommend for every kid to read it.

I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

Book review: Eden, age 9

My name is Eden and I am doing a book review for Kidspot NZ on Funny Kid: Snowballs by Matt Stanton.

This is the first time I have read a book in this series so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought it started off a bit slowly, so it took me a while to get into it. I liked that the chapters were quite short so I could just pick it up and quickly read a few.

Once I got to know the characters and the silly things they started doing, I really wanted to find out what happened in the end. I like going skiing so the story really connected with me. I would find it really funny to see some of the things Max got up to on the slopes in real life!

Funny Kid Snowballs

I think kids aged 9 to 12 would like this book as they would be able to pick up all the funny stuff. Younger kids might not understand as well.

I give this book 3 ½ stars out of 5.

Book review: Tomas, age 11

Hello my name is Tomas and I reviewed the book Funny Kid: Snowballs. Thank you Kidspot NZ for allowing me to review this book for you.

Funny Kid: Snowballs is about Max and his friends having a hilarious holiday in the snow. There are pranks like frozen pyjamas, short sheeted beds and fake avalanches off the roof.

I thought this book was so funny, just like all the other books in the series.

This book is suitable for boys and girls aged 7-10 years old. Matt Stanton is a funny author and I will read more of his books.

Funny Kid Snowballs

Book review: Zack, age 8

Hi I’m Zack and I’m eight years old and the book I’m going to be reviewing is called Funny Kid: Snowballs.

This book is about a kid called Max. He goes for a holiday with his friends to a mountain resort. There are a lot of people who are rich, and Max gets a bit jealous. But soon when he is about to get on the chairlift to have a look at the views of this great location, he gets distracted, which one of his friends calls “puppy love”.

With this to think about, nothing else is on Max’s mind. But suddenly, one of Max’s friends Hugo goes missing! Max thinks it is because Hugo has been talking to a mysterious Mountain Man, and now he’s missing too! Maybe Hugo went to look for him?

I think this book is fun for younger readers like me if you like entertaining books, but this wasn’t one of my favourite books to read.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Reviewers are provided with a copy of the book for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewers. This article contains information provided by HarperCollins.

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Yakult’s Health Benefits For You And Your Family

Promotion for Yakult

Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that help the overall balance of bacteria in the digestive system. However, not all probiotics can achieve the same health outcomes as the unique bacteria in Yakult.

Discover how drinking one bottle of Yakult each day is a refreshing and easy way for you and your kids to restore and maintain the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut, with nutritional benefits for the whole family.

Why do you need probiotics?

Some of today’s lifestyle factors such as stress, ageing, medications like antibiotics, limited physical activity, and poor diets can upset the balance of bacteria in your gut. Probiotics can assist in maintaining the balance of good and potentially harmful bacteria in the gut.

What is Yakult?

Yakult is a fermented milk drink that contains a very high concentration of the unique bacteria Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota (LcS) strain. This beneficial bacteria was named after Dr Shirota who first discovered this unique strain in 1930. This probiotic strain can only be found in Yakult, with over 85 years of scientific research behind its benefits and effective use.

Each 65mL bottle of Yakult contains sufficient beneficial bacteria and is regarded as a single serve.

The benefits of the LcS strain in Yakult include:

  • It survives and reaches the intestines alive.
  • It positively improves the balance of your gut, by increasing the number of beneficial bacteria.
  • It encourages improved stool consistency.

Each bottle of Yakult contains 6.5 billion highly acid-resistant bacteria, exclusive to Yakult. This means that every millilitre of Yakult contains 100 million (100, 000,000) of the live LcS strain! The LcS strain of probiotics meet the World Health Organisation definition for probiotics. This particular strain has been proven to survive strong gastric and bile acids to arrive alive in the intestines, favourably increasing the numbers of beneficial bacteria there.

Yakult is fat-, gluten- and cholesterol-free, low in lactose, and contains no artificial colouring. The colour of Yakult is acquired from the Maillard reaction during the heating of the skim milk powder and sugar mixture, prior to fermentation.

Yakult and your family

Yakult is safe to drink during pregnancy and can be consumed as part of a balanced diet. Probiotics are often recommended to assist with bowel issues associated with pregnancy. It is also suitable for children who can safely consume cow’s milk and citrus fruits without any allergies or sensitivities. Children can drink Yakult as part of their normal diet when they start on solids and are consuming a varied diet. For younger children, you may prefer to dilute or give a smaller amount of Yakult. 

People with diabetes can enjoy Yakult as part of a healthy diet. If you would like a lower sugar option, try Yakult LIGHT which has 75% less sugar and 40% less calories than Yakult Original. This should be considered within your total carbohydrate intake.

Yakult is suitable for individuals following a vegetarian diet who consume milk-based products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Taking antibiotics can disrupt the balance of your gut bacteria by potentially removing many of the beneficial bacteria along with the harmful bacteria. Including a probiotic like Yakult before, during and after a course of antibiotics may help to reduce the disruption of balance in your gut.

Yakult can be enjoyed at any time of the day, regardless of whether it is before, during or after a meal. Yakult can also be added to tasty smoothies or cooling milkshakes – check out these Yakult recipes for more ideas.

Consistency is key

Probiotic bacteria don’t stay in the gut long-term. Drinking one bottle of Yakult daily is the best way to ensure you replenish and maintain the high numbers of the LcS strain in your digestive system. Probiotics require time to take action so it’s recommended that Yakult is consumed daily for at least two weeks to allow for the bacteria to begin influencing your family’s health.

Get your Yakult in New Zealand

There are two different types of Yakult available in New Zealand, Yakult Original and Yakult LIGHT.

Yakult Original is available in a 5 and 10 pack of 65ml bottles with each containing 6.5 billion live beneficial bacteria. Each 65mL bottle of Yakult contains sufficient beneficial bacteria as a single serve.

Yakult LIGHT offers all the same benefits and same high number of beneficial bacteria as the Original but with less sugar. Yakult LIGHT is available in a 5-bottle pack.

Find out more

Written by Kidspot NZ with information supplied by Yakult.

Additional resources and information available from the Yakult Australia website: 

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Book Review | Silver Linings by Katrina Nannestad

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Discover Silver Linings, a new heartwarming novel set in 1950s Australia from bestselling author, Katrina Nannestad. Read the reviews from our Young Readers below.

Nettie Sweeney has a dad, three big sisters, a farm full of cows and a cat called Mittens. But it’s not enough. She longs for a mother. One with a gentle touch and sparkles in her eyes. Instead, she has Aunty Edith with slappy hands, a sharp tongue and the disturbing belief that peas are proper food.

When Dad marries Alice, all Nettie’s dreams come true. The Sweeney home overflows with laughter, love and, in time, a baby brother. Billy. The light of Nettie’s life.

Then tragedy strikes. The Sweeney family crumbles. Nettie tries to make things right, but has she made everything so much worse?

From multi-award-winning Australian author Katrina Nannestad comes a heartbreakingly beautiful and uplifting historical novel. Life and death. Weddings and floods. Coronation joy and post-war grief. Nettie Sweeney and her community experience it all. Together. With humour, kindness and love.

Grab your copy of Silver Linings

Silver Linings by Katrina Nannestad

Be in to win 1 of 3 copies of Silver Linings!

Silver Linings is out now – a heartwarming middle-grade novel perfect for Christmas.

We’re excited to be giving away three copies of this beautiful book!

This competition has now closed.

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Read reviews from our Young Readers

Book review by Kaitlyn (age 13)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The book is set in post-war Australia, with a family of girls who have lost their mother. Their father remarries, and for a time, their family is blissfully happy. Then, tragedy strikes, and the family breaks apart to process their grief separately.

Six-year-old Nettie tries her hardest to pull her family back from their knots of sadness, coming up with outrageous ideas to reunite the family.

Even though this book sounds sad – it is – it’s sad in the right type of way that makes a good book, a book that is a page-turner. All books have happy endings though, and this one is not an exception. The family knits closer together than ever, drawn by the bonds of love and grief.

Silver Linings

I feel that most people who like family life books will enjoy this one. Silver Linings also shares some similarities to books by authors, like Michael Morpurgo and Karina Yan Glaser. And of course, the other stand-alones by Katrina Nannestad are must-reads!

Great book!

Book review by Zara (age 12)

Kia ora,

My name is Zara. I’m 12 years old and got given the book Silver Linings by Katrina Nannestad to write a review about. This book is set in the early 1950’s when Princess Elizabeth was being crowned Queen of England. Five-year-old Nettie Sweeney the main character lives in Australia on a farm full of Cows, Horses and her Cat Mittens. Shortly after Nettie was born her mother passed away from a sickness she caught. So ever since then she had longed for a soft and kind-hearted mother that would care and look after her.

Silver Linings book review

This story takes off when Nettie’s dad brings home his new wife, Alice, everything is going great and the farm is filled with love and support. One day Alice comes home with a little ray of sunshine who will be her younger brother; Billy. A couple of weeks after he was born Billy gets sick and has to stay in hospital for a few days. On the day Alice and Billy were supposed to come home, Alice was the only one who stepped out of the truck. Following this Alice falls into a deep state of depression. Nettie is determined to help her stepmother any way she can, including acts of kindness, showing her the positive things happening around her and trying to bring her new mother joy.

This book teaches us that we can help people realize that there are happy and joyous things in life and they just have to take a look for themselves. This can be really hard when people are struggling with depression and other mental health issues and the book shows us some of the many ways to do this. The simple ongoing acts of care and kindness we read in the story help show us how to help the people we love when they suffer similar challenges.

Overall I rate this book a 10 out of 10 because it was so fascinating to read and very enjoyable to learn how simple it can be sometimes to help people suffering mental health challenges. This is such a topical thing for us in today’s day and age so the relevance to me as a young person today was excellent.

Book review by Eva (age 10)

Hi. My name is Eva, I am 10 and I will be reviewing a book called Silver Linings.

The main character in this book is Lynette Sweeney, also known as the five-year-old Nettie. Nettie has a kind, giving family, a dad and three sisters. She longs for a mum, but instead there is Aunty Edith. A woman with a short temper and slappy hands.

On the farm, Nettie and her family now are getting introduced to a new batch of piglets! In amongst the new litter there is always an unfortunate little piggy. That happens to be Lynette’s chosen piglet. Soon her dad is getting out of the car, hand in hand with a nice-looking lady.

Silver Linings book review

I liked this book because it was a long read that was entertaining for my age group. It was sad at the start and then it had a happy ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book review by Ellen (age 14)

Hi, my name is Ellen and I had the joy of reading Silver Linings by Katrina Nannestad. I knew this book would be excellent because it is written by one of my favourite authors. The cover of the book is beautifully illustrated with special references to events that have taken place in the story.

Set in 1950s Australia, the narrative follows the Sweeney family’s life, written from Nettie’s perspective. Lynette, also known as Nettie, is the youngest of four sisters. They live on a farm with their Dad and their mean Aunt Edith. Nettie longs for a mother who will care for her, so when her dad marries Alice she feels like all of her dreams have come true. Then, when her new baby brother Billy arrives Nettie feels her heart will burst! Devastation occurs and the family starts to tear at the seams.

Silver Linings book review

A touching historical novel that inspires happiness and hope after dealing with grief. I enjoyed reading this and I think that mature readers in the 10-15 year age range will also enjoy this book as much as I did.

I give it an 11/10. Special thanks to Kidspot and Harper Collins for providing the opportunity for me to read this wonderful book.

Reviewers are provided with a copy of the book for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewers. This article contains information provided by HarperCollins.

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Meet Kiri and Lou

The hit New Zealand kids’ TV show, Kiri and Lou, is winning awards and fans around the world and our panel of reviewers is loving it at home too. Not only is it visually beautiful and heartwarming in its messaging, it’s also a lot of fun! Immerse your child (and yourself!) in this adorable show and it will soon become a family favourite.

Handcrafted in stop-motion animation, the cute, funny stories feature Kiri, a feisty little dinosaur with huge emotions, and her best friend Lou, a gentle and thoughtful creature. They explore their feelings through singing, laughing and playing in the forest with their friends, including Pania (who’s a little ‘farty’), Sorry (a fast little animal with a confusing name), and lovable Dalvanius.

The five-minute episodes are ideal for toddlers and preschoolers to snuggle down and learn about emotions, kindness, and friendship – perfect for bedtime or quiet time. Due to its low-stimulus approach, the show has also been found to be popular among kids with neurodivergent needs and offers a calming alternative to high-energy programmes.

With production on the 100th episode just completed, seasons one, two, and three are ready to be discovered on TVNZ+, Sky Go, and Neon.

Kiri and Lou’s world

Some of New Zealand’s top creative talent are involved in the making of Kiri and Lou.

The show includes the brilliant comedy voices of Jemaine Clement, Liv Tennet, Rima Te Wiata, Jaquie Brown, Josh Thomson, and Mark Wright, as well as guest appearances from Marlon Williams, Tami Neilson, Paul Kelly, Anika Moa, and Julia Deans.

The director and writer of Kiri and Lou is the multi-talented, Harry Sinclair, who, in one of his many creative jobs, was once part of the musical duo The Front Lawn with Don McGlashan. The pair have reunited on Kiri and Lou and the catchy songs are a hit with kids and adults alike.

Discover more about Kiri and Lou from our family reviewers below.

Watch now on TVNZ+

Made with the support of NZ On Air

Review from Coralie and Addy

My daughter Addy (age 3) and I loved watching Kiri and Lou together. Each episode is a short storyline about the two learning the important lessons in life, including being kind, feelings and how it’s ok to have them, and even death!

I love the friendship that Kiri and Lou have, with the gentle messages woven throughout. The music is so beautiful, always soothing and when Kiri and Lou, or even other characters in the show sing and harmonise together it is stunning and emotive. There is some very clever humour running throughout that even Addy picks up on, and we often have a good giggle together.

One striking feature of this beautiful show is the graphics. Specifically how relaxing they are to watch. A lot of kids shows are all about bright, garish colours, loud sudden noises and adventure storylines. Kiri and Lou focuses on the simple but important details, such as how the characters are feeling, and how they treat each other. The muted colours of the forest, with lots of greens, browns and oranges are pleasing to the eye but not over-stimulating. The animation is kind of clay animation style, simple but fascinating to watch.

Kiri and Lou

@kiriandlou_official

Don't listen to what anyone says, fart jokes are always funny 😂 #fartjokes #farts #kidstvshow #claymation #songsforkids #dinosaurs

♬ original sound – Kiri and Lou

As a parent, I love that Kiri and Lou is soothing in tone, message and in appearance. The songs are often like a lullaby. You could easily watch it before bedtime and the kids wouldn’t get over-stimulated. My daughter Addy and I often watch a little tv after lunch when she needs a quiet time to decompress, so Kiri and Lou is perfect for this. Addy seems to find the storylines absorbing, and gets very focused on what’s happening with Kiri and Lou and all the other forest friends.

If I could guess, I would say Addy’s favourite thing in Kiri and Lou is the episode where Pania the green dinosaur looking character keeps on dropping huge farts. That gets her giggling every time!

Thank you for this opportunity, I truly think this show is so well made, and a great show to share with people, young and old.

Review from Jessica and Molly

Kiri and Lou are adorable and laugh-out-loud characters in a restful and calming preschool show. It’s relaxing yet engaging for the kids with an epic chilled-out soundtrack that any child (and parent!) will enjoy.

I watched numerous episodes with my youngest daughter Molly who is 3. We loved all the original songs that are entertaining and often beautiful and new in every episode.

Kiri and Lou

Kiri and Lou engaged Molly’s attention and she often responded to them in the show. Molly also joined in the songs as they had a nice amount of repetition – not boring but appealing for children and brilliant for learning. The pace the show moves at does allow interaction from the viewer and she has laughed a lot through it. There have also been a few giggle moments for Mum too!

Kiri and Lou has a calming soundtrack and is perfect for winding down. We have had cuddles and snuggles on the couch while watching this together.

Visually it’s also really lovely to watch with beautiful paper cut backgrounds and wonderful claymation creatures. ( I really adore the eyebrows!!).

The show incorporates lovely bits of Aotearoa and Kiwiana yet will still be appealing to an overseas audience. The shows have basic themes that preschoolers will enjoy – a very simple message is central to each show, most sharing something that preschoolers can learn – eg being kind to our friends.

Kiri and Lou

Molly’s favourite thing about Kiri and Lou is both the characters! She likes the songs as well 🙂

Review from Jacque and Zach

Zach, age 2, started watching Kiri and Lou on Monday afternoon, I told him I wanted him to watch a show and see if he liked it. Usually he will watch something for a few minutes and then walk away and play with something or get bored. So it would be cool to see how he reacts to Kiri and Lou.

For those that do not know Kiri is a little dinosaur that has these emotions that sometimes get the better of her, so very all over the place. And then Lou is the gentle and thoughtful and calm elephant-like creature. They are two best friends who go through everyday life where they learn to deal with their emotions and feelings.

  • Day 1 – Zach was glued to the show, his little mouth wide open, absorbed in the show!
  • Day 2 – Zach still was glued and started asking questions, mostly what the big dinosaur was talking about, that was really when Pania was explaining something to Kiri or Lou.
  • Day 3 – Zach kept asking me to play another episode once it finished.
  • Day 4 and Day 5 – Zach would start repeating what they were saying or imitate them after watching. He also spoke about Lou … he really likes Lou!
  • Day 6 and 7 – Zach watched with me and his big brother Kyle, age 9, cuddled on the couch before bed. He was very relaxed and still absorbed in the show asking for another episode after each one finished. Kyle was also quite glued to the show and found the funny moments eg where his friend is named Sorry and they get all mixed up!

Zach’s favourite episodes that he asked to play again were ‘Funny Feeling’ and ‘Tickle Monster’.

I like that the episodes are only five minutes, makes it seem like they watched a few episodes but not a drain on time, especially before bed. It is also cool how they can get a little message across in that time frame. I love the use of colours and how the characters are made, how they move and speak. Simple but amazing!

I really like how they portray Kiri being the character who feels a lot and wears her heart on her sleeve, and Lou who is more relaxed and able to help Kiri navigate and accept she is perfect the way she is, how he helps her to understand why she feels like she feels at times.

I love how the message helps identify your feelings and shows you how to communicate and work through what you going through. Because even little kids like Zach go through these emotions and it was awesome how Zach would talk to me about what he saw. He would express how he identified with Kiri in one episode where she was just having an ordinary day not wanting to play, and her friends were worried she was broken. Zach says to me, “It’s ok to be ok, right?” In other words, he wanted to know it was ok to not want to play and just be still … it was great to see him asking questions, identifying with the characters and feeling what they were feeling. They really bring that across nicely.

Kiri and Lou

Kiri and Lou

I quite liked sitting in and watching the show as well, it was very calm and not too loud or over stimulating, but yet still exciting. I also like the messages that they bring across. We as adults even sometimes struggle with some of these.

I really see this show as a regular in our household. Zach really enjoyed watching it and engaging with it. I love that he was not once bored or distracted and how he actually sat and watched it. And positives are that it is a good message being relayed so that is beneficial 🙂

Thanks for letting Zach do the review!

Review from Hollie, Harper and Lulu

This is our review for Kiri and Lou by Harper (6) and Lulu (4).

What I like about the show as a parent is that it is gentle and it approaches real-life relateable social and emotional situations which are relevant to young tamariki. The messages are bite-sized but meaningful. We liked the graphics, although my daughters would close their eyes at the start as they didn’t like the anteaters! This led us into further discussions about what anteaters are and how they eat their kai which was a cool opportunity to link learning. I liked the use of te reo Māori but felt there was definitely space for more.

Harper’s favourite thing about the show is that when there is a problem with one of the characters then their friend will help out and there’s always a happy ending. Both girls liked the show as they love watching TV and they hardly ever get to watch it.

My feedback about the low-stimulation and sensory-sensitive approach of the show is that it’s a great show for bedtime hangouts which fits in well with our current low-stimulant calming routines. Normally I wouldn’t allow my tamariki to have TV before bedtime but this wasn’t a show which got them hyped up and I really liked the length of each episode – not too long. We would recommend Kiri and Lou to a range of whānau with young tamariki, it is a great show that is relevant to modern Aotearoa.

Kiri and Lou

Review from Yasmin, Zayn and Maya

Kiri and Lou. What a refreshing and entertaining show. These 5-minute episodes (including credits) are catchy, quirky and quintessentially Kiwi. There’s even a subtle inclusion of te reo Māori words such as “ka pai”. Kiri is voiced by Olivia Tennet and Lou is voiced by Jemaine Clement.

This show is a stop motion claymation and uses paper for the scenes and backgrounds. I love the muted tones of the bright colours so they are exciting for the kids but don’t overstimulate their brains. I found the music very calming and catchy for both my 6-year-old boy, Zayn and my almost 2-year-old girl, Maya.

Kiri is a fiesty girl dinosaur who seems to get emotional a lot. Lou is the boy dinosaur and he is a bit more mellow and calm. There are some funny side characters too such as “Sorry” (Jacquie Brown) and “That’s ok don’t worry about it”.

Each episode has a ‘moral’ or a message. Kiri and Lou are best friends and we watch them navigate the complex world of interpersonal relationships. Often their arguments and disagreements mirror what children would experience, eg, He didn’t say sorry – I did! – Well I didn’t hear you. And how a situation like that could be addressed. Some themes in the show include owning up to your mistakes, speaking kindly, believing in yourself, standing up for yourself and having good manners.

Kiri and Lou

Lou often finds himself in “Super sticky situations” and uses his calm inner voice to help him through them. Great modelling for my son and I’ve referred to the calm inner voice when he’s had something not go his way to help him navigate his feelings and thoughts.

Overall, our family has loved this show are we are enjoying watching it together. Sometimes as a wind down after school and before dinner, sometimes after dinner and before bedtime. Zayn is always asking for one more episode and he loves spotting the fingerprints on the clay. Maya is a huge fan of the music and will often be playing while we watch then she we will stop her play to enjoy the music. She gets up and sways her arms and body along with the music. As a parent, I feel that I can trust the show’s themes and language and I don’t mind letting the kids watch a few episodes at whatever time of day as it doesn’t seem to overwhelm their brains as some other shows do. It’s also easy to say ‘one more episode then turn the TV off’ because the episodes are so short.

I definitely recommend this show if you have young children. To be honest, I even recommend for the older children. I really enjoy watching the show myself. Catchy music, beautiful animation, great storylines and actually quite funny.

Kiri and Lou colouring pages

Extend the fun with Kiri and Lou with this selection of printable colouring pages for you to get creative with (PDFs).

Reviewers were provided with a merchandise pack as a thank-you for providing a review. Views are those of the reviewers.

Made with support from NZ On Air.

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Blue, Blue Christmas by Anna Coddington | Book Review

Promotion for Penguin Books

Forget the woolly jumpers, yule logs and snow, this kid is going to show Santa Claus how we do Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere – with sunglasses, beach cricket, surfing and barbecues!

Does Santa realise it’s actually very hot here at Christmas time? What if he overheats in his red suit while delivering presents?

“Santa! It’s urgent! I’m not sure if you know –
down here Christmas is in summer!
It’s blue, blue skies and if you get fried
in that suit it’ll be a bummer.”

While everybody is getting ready for Christmas, one kid is worried. Does Santa know it’s summer in the southern hemisphere? What if he overheats? She decides to send him a message. If the big guy gets her invitation, she’ll show him how much fun a blue, blue Christmas can be!

Blue, Blue Christmas is a charming and funny story about how we celebrate Christmas in Aotearoa with words and music to sing along with by acclaimed musician Anna Coddington and illustrations by award-winning Story Hemi-Morehouse.

Te reo Māori edition HE KIRIHIMETE KAHURANGI also available!

Buy your copy of “Blue Blue Christmas”

Hannah’s book review

Our family was lucky to be selected to review the book Blue, Blue Christmas by Anna Coddington and illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse.

A wonderful children’s Christmas book describing some of the joys about a Christmas summer in Aotearoa and a little girl’s thoughts towards how Santa might react to our summer heat compared to the North Pole temperatures.

Blue Blue Christmas

Our children aged 9, 8 and 4 were captivated by the story and with Christmas and summer approaching made it even more exciting. The illustrations are beautiful and fun and we loved seeing some of our favourite things about Aotearoa throughout the book such as summer beach days, bbqs, pōhutukawa flowers, pavlovas and more. It is written in a fun way that was easy for our 9 and 8-year-old to read with some funny moments and descriptions that had our kids giggling for more. I think many Kiwi families would love to add this book to their collection as it’s beautifully written and illustrated and personally made us feel very lucky for the Kiwi Christmases and summers we get to experience.

Blue Blue Christmas

Blue Blue Christmas

Blue Blue Christmas

As well as opening up conversations about how other parts of the world experience Christmas in different seasons of the year and what that would be like, our 9-year-old son who is autistic really loved thinking about and comparing what a winter Christmas would be like compared to summer but especially loved this book Blue, Blue Christmas and how he could relate to this Aotearoa story.

We would rate this book 5 stars as it’s a kind and heartfelt story from a little girl’s point of view and it reminds us of some of our favourite Christmas and summer moments we get to experience in Aotearoa. It is for kids to read and follow the story and has beautiful illustrations.

There is also a special added feature of a QR code/website link at the back of the book taking you to a YouTube sing-along of the Blue, Blue Christmas story itself.

All in all this book is a great choice for those wanting a fun summer Christmas story and if you’re a Kiwi family we totally think this is a great one to add to your bookcase or Christmas collection inspired by Aotearoa itself.

Blue Blue Christmas

Puffin Book of the Month activities

Blue, Blue Christmas activity

Get into the holiday spirit with this Blue, Blue Christmas colouring-in activity! Click on the image to download the PDF colouring page.

Let little imaginations grow with other Puffin Book Club activities! We have a huge range of fun, printable activities from all your favourite new Puffin books for children.

Go hunting for bugs, colour in some rascally Hairy Maclary friends, learn to count in te reo with Pūkeko, join the Lighthouse Princess on a spot-the-difference adventure, or choose any of the other great activities.

Free and printable – which ones will you choose?

Choose your fun!

Book Review | The Blunders by David Walliams

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Million-copy bestseller David Walliams’ funniest book yet is the laugh-out-loud tale of the most blundering and lovable family in history – The Blunders! Keep reading to find out how to win a copy!

Meet the Blunders: Bertie, Betsy, their children, Brutus and Bunny, along with their beloved grandma Old Lady Blunder, and their pet ostrich, Cedric. An ostrich is not a sensible pet, but then the Blunders are not sensible people.

This family of upper-class twits lives in a crumbling country house named Blunder Hall. When their home comes under threat, they must embark on a series of comic misadventures to save it.

Absurd and hilarious, The Blunders is David Walliams’ funniest book yet. A laugh-out-loud tale of the most blundering and lovable family in history.

Grab your copy of The Blunders

The Blunders by David Walliams

Be in to win 1 of 3 copies of David Walliams’ brand new story, The Blunders!

For fans of his biggest hits including Robodog and the World’s Worst series, this one won’t disappoint!

We’re so excited to be giving away three copies of this laugh-out-loud tale!

To enter, simply tell us what the Blunders have named their pet ostrich (Hint: you will find the answer on this page).

The competition has now closed.

Read reviews from our Young Readers!

Book review by Tomas, 10 years

Hello, my name is Tomas and I reviewed the book The Blunders, by David Walliams.

David Walliams is my favourite author and once again he has star-struck me with another one of his books called The Blunders.

It was so funny the different ways the family tried to save their house which was called Blunder Hall. Do you think they will be able to save their house? Read the book yourself to find out.

I think this book is for boys and girls aged 7-13. I enjoy all David Walliams books and I can’t wait till he writes another masterpiece.

The Blunders David Walliams book review

Thank you Kidspot NZ for allowing me to be a lucky kid to read and review this book.

Book review by Fin, 12 years

Hi, I’m Fin and I am reviewing The Blunders by David Walliams.

This book is an excellent example of the great abilities of the award-winning author David Walliams.

The Blunders is hilarious and lives up to its expectation as there were a lot of parts in the book which had me laughing out loud. The book has a lot of characters who each had distinct personalities which made the book very hard to predict.

Overall I think that this book is up there with one of David Walliams’s best books. I would highly recommend this book for the ages of 7 to 10.

The Blunders David Walliams book review

Book review by Ihaia, 10 years

The Blunders is the newest book by David Walliams, and it’s illustrated by Adam Stower. This book is about a family called the Blunders. They live in Blunder Hall and they are the most blundersome family in the world. They are ridiculously silly, and Lord Blunder, Lady Blunder, Bunny, Brutus and Old Lady Blunder are always getting into crazy accidents. But one day a little man from the bank comes along and tells them he is going to turn their house into a borstal (which is a prison for naughty children). What can they do to stop it? Can they save Blunder Hall before it’s too late? Read The Blunders to find out!

The Blunders David Walliams book review

I liked The Blunders because it was really funny in some parts, and I’m a big David Walliams fan. The Blunders is a great book so I give it a 9/10. I would recommend it to you if you like David Walliams or other funny books that make you laugh out loud.

Book review by Leo, 10 years

The Blunders, written by David Walliams and illustrated by Adam Stower, is a new chapter book for kids.

It is about a family who live in a big, run-down mansion. The father likes to invent things and believes his latest invention would be very popular. He asks the bank to lend him the money and bets his house that lots of people will buy his invention. Unfortunately, the invention doesn’t sell well and the bank decides to claim the Blunders’ family home. The family need to work together to save their home and the book is about their journey to stay in the home they love.

The Blunders David Walliams book review

The story is very funny and made me laugh a lot. The pictures in the book were great and helped me understand the story. I read the book so fast as it was really enjoyable! I have read a lot of David Walliams books and The Blunders is now definitely one of my favourites!

Book review by Cadie, 11 years

Eye spy with my little eye, something that begins with B … is it Blunder? How did you know!?

The Blunders is filled with lots of mini stories about a crazy family (plus Butler the Butler and a goofy ostrich called Cedric). When Blunder Hall is threatened by the Bank Man, the Blunder family comes together (well … sometimes!) to try and save it.

Exploding bottom burps, life-sized board games, a ghost cat called Tiddlypops, a knicker circus and more makes this a book you want to read.

10/10 – I loved it!

The Blunders David Walliams book review

Reviewers are provided with a copy of the book for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewers. This article contains information provided by HarperCollins.

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The Benefits Of Yakult For Gut Health

Promotion for Yakult

A healthy gut is important for the health and well-being of every family member. Digestion of the foods we eat, absorption of nutrients, and the fuelling of our bodies all rely on good gut health.

Read on to discover how drinking one bottle of Yakult each day is a refreshing and easy way for you and your kids to restore and maintain the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut, essential for digestive health.

Beneficial bacteria

Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that help the overall harmonious balance of bacteria in the digestive system. However, not all probiotics can achieve the same health outcomes as the unique bacteria in Yakult.

Yakult is a fermented milk drink that contains a very high concentration of the unique bacteria Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota (LcS) strain. This beneficial bacteria was named after Dr Shirota who first discovered this unique strain in 1930. This probiotic strain can only be found in Yakult, with over 85 years of scientific research behind its benefits and effective use.

The benefits of Yakult include:

  • It survives and reaches the intestines alive, enabling delivery of the benefits.
  • It positively improves the balance of your gut, by increasing the number of beneficial bacteria.
  • It encourages improved stool consistency.

There are many things that can upset the balance of bacteria in your gut. These can include stress, ageing, some medications, and a poor diet. Probiotics can assist in maintaining the balance of good and potentially harmful bacteria in the gut.

The beneficial bacteria strain in Yakult is scientifically proven to survive the journey through the gastric juices to reach the small intestine alive. Each 65ml bottle contains 6.5 billion of these highly acid-resistant bacteria, exclusive to Yakult. This means that every millilitre of Yakult contains 100 million (100, 000, 000) of the live LcS strain!

Consistency is key

Probiotic bacteria don’t stay in the gut long-term. Drinking one bottle of Yakult daily is the best way to ensure you replenish the LcS levels. Probiotics require time to take action so it’s recommended that Yakult is consumed daily for at least two weeks to allow for the bacteria to begin influencing your family’s health.

Yakult can also be used in other ways – like adding it to cereals, smoothies, milkshakes, cheesecakes or other cold foods. Avoid adding Yakult to hot foods and drinks as high temperatures may kill some of the bacteria.

Yakult is suitable for children who can safely consume cow’s milk and citrus fruits without any allergies or sensitivities. Children can drink Yakult as part of their normal diet when they start on solids as part of a healthy and varied diet. For younger children, you may prefer to dilute or give a smaller amount of Yakult.

Get your Yakult in New Zealand

There are two different types of Yakult available in New Zealand, Yakult Original and Yakult LIGHT.

Yakult Original is available in a 5 and 10 pack of 65ml bottles with each containing 6.5 billion live beneficial bacteria. Each 65mL bottle of Yakult contains sufficient beneficial bacteria as a single serve.

Yakult LIGHT offers all the same benefits and same high number of beneficial bacteria as the Original but with less sugar. Yakult LIGHT is available in a 5-bottle pack.

Making Yakult

Yakult’s Australian factory is a technologically advanced manufacturing facility. It incorporates some of the latest food processing equipment. Strict standards apply to producing Yakult, ensuring a drink yield that is close to 99% (this means that 99% of the raw ingredients end up in the bottle). There are no by-products and little waste. The Yakult factory is based in Dandenong, Victoria and makes Yakult for the whole of Australia and New Zealand.

Yakult Australia also offers guided Virtual Reality Factory Tours!

Book your FREE guided virtual tour here.

Find out more

Written by Kidspot NZ with information supplied by Yakult.

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