Author: Robyn

Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” | Printable Activity Sheets

Posted on by Robyn

Disney and Pixar’s new movie Lightyear is the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the iconic toy from the Toy Story series.

Lightyear follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew.

Lightyear

As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.

Featuring our own Taika Waititi as the voice of  Junior Zap Patrol’s Mo Morrison, Lightyear will be in a cinema near you from 16 June 2022.

Check out the official trailer below.

Enjoy some Lightyear fun at your place with these free printables – simply click on the image, download, print and enjoy! ⬇️

Lightyear - Spot the Difference

Colour and assemble your own spaceship

Lightyear - free printable colouring page

Lightyear - Find Buzz

Lightyear - Solve The Puzzle

Lightyear - colouring page

Lightyear - colouring page

Lightyear - spot the difference

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Goose The Artist | Book Review

Posted on by Robyn

Promotion for Penguin Books

Meet Goose, a passionate artist who wants to create a PERFECT portrait and win the village art competition. But after a whole week of painting Puffin and friends, Goose is all aflutter. Is an artist’s work EVER good enough?

I’m Goose! And I descend
from famous painter geese.
Every day I paint and draw
to make a masterpiece.

As Goose paints and paints to make the perfect picture, the deadline draws closer, the pressure mounts and Goose feels the cherished award slipping further and further out of reach. Then disaster strikes. Will anything or anyone help our tortured hero win through?

This delightful story is set in the endearing world of Puffin the Architect and her friends. Perfect for inquisitive and creative children aged 2-5 years, they will love poring over Kimberly Andrews’ detailed pictures and spotting the spider hidden on every page.

We asked Claudia and her daughter Aria (5) to review Goose the Artist – the fourth story in Kimberly Andrews’ award-winning series that explores a community of charming animal characters and their working lives.

A passionate young artist

Aria the passionate young artist

Aria (5) is a passionate young artist herself so Goose the Artist immediately caught her interest. We settled in for some bedtime reading together, and I didn’t realise before we started just how much she would relate to this story.

You see, she is a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to her creations and can get very upset when something she is drawing or painting doesn’t come together the way she thought it would in her mind.

The message from Goose

Five-year-olds have big emotions, and I often have to step in to calm her down or help her to “fix” something that is not quite right in her artwork. I try to explain as best I can that making mistakes is part of life and it’s how you learn and get better at something, but sometimes hearing this from someone else (like Goose) can reinforce this message better than Mum can.

Meet Goose

Goose the Artist

Goose loves painting and decides to enter an art competition, so gets to work on some portraits of his animal friends. After each painting, his friends praise his work and find all the positives in it, yet Goose only sees what is wrong with it and decides that each painting is not as perfect as it should be to enter the art award competition.

As the deadline to the competition gets closer, Goose gets more frustrated with his work and can’t decide which of his paintings is good enough to enter. Then, on the morning of the art awards, disaster strikes. It is how Goose recovers from this disaster that really showed Aria that looking for the positives in not only her artwork, but also in unexpected situations, can lead to very happy outcomes.

Beautifully illustrated

Goose the Artist

The illustrations in this book are charming and incredibly detailed – busy and colourful with lots to look at and talk about. Also, if you look carefully, there is a hidden spider on every page so we had a lot of fun trying to spot him as we turned the pages.

Aria loved hearing about the basic shapes Goose uses to begin each of his paintings and this gave her some new ideas about things she wanted to draw and paint.

It gave us the opportunity to talk about being creative and the mistakes that might happen along the way in a positive light and I loved seeing Aria think about this differently.

Thanks to Goose the Artist, I hope she will now be more accepting and tolerant when things don’t go her way with her creations, and that she finds ways to turn mistakes into something beautiful.

Get your copy of Goose the Artist now!

Free Goose the Artist printable

Click on the image to download and print the free Goose the Artist instructions so your child can learn to draw portraits of their favourite animals.

Goose The Artist - free printable

Visit Puffin Books for more great kids titles.

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Colour Your Winter Garden With Nifty Tricks & Artisan Décor

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content provided by Resene

Winter is often a time when the more colourful blooms of the garden go into hiding until spring. These outdoor garden ideas are just the thing to help you embrace your winter garden and sprinkle some joy over those dreary days.

We’ve got easy DIY ideas that are sure to chase the dark clouds away.

Sit back and relax

Sit back and relax with Resene

Pull up a chair and paint it yellow. Yellow is a high-energy colour that is proven to improve your mood and is associated with laughter and sunshine.

This garden bench project by Kerryn Dunshea has been painted in Resene Afterglow. Painting your garden bench will give you a fun place to sit and watch the pale evening sunset or create a bright sculpture-like point of interest in your garden.

Placing the bench under a wide eave or leafy evergreen tree will give you outdoor seating for all seasons. You could even paint your wall in Blackboard Paint or Coloured Chalkboard Paint and write fun messages for your family and guests.

Up the garden path

Up the garden path with Resene

Use seasonal materials to bring some vibrancy to your front porch.

Painting pinecones in a range of Resene testpots, such as Resene Poppy, Resene Paris Daisy and Resene Rose Bud will lift your spirits as you walk through the door.

Attach the pinecones to lengths of bamboo or green garden stakes and place them in a flowerpot. If you’re after some real floral colour, there are a range of winter flowers to keep your garden looking cheerful. Camellias are at their peak blooming time in July and pansies are the perfect feel-good flower and are also easy to grow in the cooler months.

Feed the birds

Feed the birds with Resene

Look out for your feathered friends during the colder months with this frame-turned-bird feeder.

You can upcycle an old frame into a colourful addition to your garden quickly and easily. All you need is an old frame, Resene Quick Dry primer and a Resene testpot colour of your choice. You can also colour match the frame to your winter flowers.

Try pairing Resene Daisy Bush with your purple violas or Resene West Side with your winter citrus trees.

Click here to learn more about how to make your own bird feeder frame.

Mend your fences

Mend your fences with Resene

Spruce up your fence line with an easy colour splash or mural. Designer Tina Stephens of Roomie Interior Design used various testpots to create this pohutukawa mural on a fence. You can read more about her projects here .

To retain that warm wooden feel, paint your mural directly onto the fence. If you’re after a more uniform look, alternate solid colours on the panels of your fence. For inspiration, check out Kelly Southee’s colourful fence project here.

Give it both barrels

Give it both barrels with Resene

When it rains, it pours, so it’s best to be prepared. A rain-barrel or tank connected to a downpipe diverter is a simple way of collecting rain from the roof to use on the garden, outdoors, or for your indoor plants. This simple rain barrel is colourful and effective, adding a pop of colour to your garden using easy-to-get concrete blocks.

Learn how to make this rain barrel here.

For more projects and colour inspiration visit Resene.co.nz.

Article provided by Resene. 

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Get Organised With A DIY Coloured Chalkboard

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content provided by Resene

Upcycle an old wooden kitchen tray into a useful and colourful chalkboard for the kitchen. Use it for menu planning, grocery lists, a welcome sign, chore lists, to-do lists … so many uses.

To reuse, simply wipe the chalk off with a damp cloth and start again. It’s a fun way to introduce a pop of bright colour into your home.

If you can’t find a tray, a piece of plywood or similar would also work.

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring

You will need:

Step by step instructions

Colourful chalkboard - step 1

Step 1:

Give the old kitchen tray a light sand with sandpaper, wipe clean and then apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat using a testpot brush. Sarah didn’t need to paint the underside as her try is designed to be hung against a wall. If you are planning to use the tray as a tray you could prime and paint the underside also.

Colourful chalkboard - step 2

Step 2:

Apply your chosen chalkboard colour in 2-3 coats. You can use Resene Chalkboard Paint or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen paint.

Colourful chalkboard - step 3

Step 3:

Choose four bright testpots to create a carnival-style striped theme. Sarah chose Resene Irresistible, Resene Spray, Resene Bright Spark and Resene Trinidad. Sarah applied two coats of Resene Irresistible as her first colour over the entire outside of the tray.

Colourful chalkboard - step 4

Step 4:

Once dry, mask out and paint stripes to create a frame effect. Sarah did this one colour at a time using Resene Trinidad, Resene Bright Spark and then Resene Spray. It’s best to use a detail brush for these stripes as they are quite narrow. Take your time with each section and make sure the paint on the previous colour is dry before you mask and paint a new one.

Get Organised With A DIY Coloured Chalkboard

Step 5:

Once fully dry, use white chalk to turn the tray into a menu board for the kitchen – starting with Taco Tuesday!

For more projects and colour inspiration visit Resene.co.nz.

Article provided by Resene. Projects and images by Sarah Herring

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Support Your Family’s Immunity Before The Winter Holidays

Posted on by Robyn

Sometimes Term 2 feels as if it’s a struggle from one bug to the next. To help avoid spending the winter holidays continuing that battle, support your family’s immunity now so you can enjoy some downtime together later.

During winter our immune system is put to the test with numerous bugs circulating in the community. We look at six ways we can support our immunity for this onslaught.

What is the role of the immune system?

Our immune system has three jobs: To defend the body from ‘attack’ from foreign invaders; to help fight off anything that gets into the body; and finally, the immune system can cleverly ‘remember’ many of the microbes so that next time some try to attack, it can quickly respond.

What makes up the immune system?

The immune system is not one easily identifiable part – instead, it is made up of a network of organs, cells, tissues, and proteins located all over your body. These include skin, bone marrow, the lymphatic system, spleen, adenoids, thymus, appendix, tonsils, and even mucous membranes in the lining of the mouth.

How can we support the immune system?

Because the immune system is made up of so many parts and complex processes, it makes sense that supporting it isn’t straightforward. However, there are some key things we can do to help our immune system.

Good hygiene

Our skin and mucous membranes are an important part of our immune system so we need to help them out. Regular hand washing and sanitizing are important, especially before handling food and after using the bathroom. Wash and cover any cuts or scrapes. Protect others by sneezing or coughing into your elbow.

Vaccination

Vaccinations work by exposing your child to the harmful microbe in a safe way so that their immune system can do its clever work and create some antibodies that are ready and waiting for a large potential future attack from that microbe.

A good diet

This one is easier for some parents to implement than others! Any increase in fresh fruit and veges is good, while a diet high in leafy greens (bok choy, spinach and kale), healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado) healthy sources of protein (eggs, beans, white meat) and fruit high in vitamin c and antioxidants (berries, oranges, red capsicum) is ideal.

A warm, dry home

During winter we spend a lot of time indoors so how well that environment is supporting your immune system is important. A damp, cold house makes your respiratory immune system work harder because it doesn’t like all the moisture, plus the air is more likely to be loaded with bacteria and mould microbes. Damp, bacteria-laden air can also increase the occurrence of problematic eczema and other skin problems.

Plenty of sleep

Not having enough good quality sleep can make you more susceptible to illness.1 Aside from ensuring everyone isn’t grumpy, that’s why a good night’s sleep is so important! Good sleep practices include staying off screens for half an hour or more before bedtime, having a relaxing and consistent bedtime routine, and ensuring everyone is warm and comfortable.

1 8 ways to strengthen your immune system – The Well (unc.edu)

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author robynWritten by Robyn

Robyn creates content on Kidspot NZ. Her hobbies include buying cleaning products and wondering why things don’t then clean themselves, eating cheese scones with her friends, and taking her kids to appointments. 

Favourite motto to live by: “This too will pass.”

Simple Family Friendly Recipes For Big And Little Cooks | New Book

Posted on by Robyn

Promotion for HarperCollins

Basics to Brilliance Kids (HarperCollins, May 2022, RRP $49.99) is the new edition of the beloved cookbook from bestselling author Donna Hay. This is a cookbook for kids and the modern family who love to eat, cook, celebrate and have fun together.

As a mum, Donna knows that there is nothing more enjoyable than introducing your children to the wonders of taste, food, flavours and the joy of cooking.

Basics to Brilliance Kids by Donna Hay

The new and expanded edition of her bestselling Basics to Brilliance Kids is all about the importance of mastering the basics and turning them into brilliance! It is a celebration of fresh, healthy food, and the joy of cooking, eating and sharing delicious food with the people we love.

Whether it’s sleepovers or backyard movie nights, you will uncover the secrets to creating tasty meals and better-for-you-snacks, packed with variations to encourage experimenting and learning along the way.

With brand new recipes like chocolate celebration cake, super-crispy grilled schnitzels and apple crumble cookies, there’s plenty of deliciousness to discover!

Try a taste

Get a sneak preview of the recipes in the new edition of Basics to Brilliance Kids

Super Crunchy Grilled Chicken Schnitzel

Super Crunchy Grilled Chicken Schnitzel

Put away the deep fryer - this simple chicken schnitzel uses the grill function to ...
Read More
Donna Hay - Crunchy Peanut Slice

Chocolate Peanut Slice

Enjoy some snap, crackle and crunch with this super tasty slice. With no added sugar, ...
Read More
Chicken and Chipotle Tacos

Chicken and Chipotle Tacos

Tacos are hugely popular for good reason - super tasty, packed with goodies, and easy ...
Read More

Grab your copy now

Kidspot kids review

Katie and her daughters Ruby (5) and Ella (8) received a review copy of Basics to Brilliance Kids, A Healthy Book For Big And Little Cooks by Donna Hay and gave it a test drive. Find out what they thought below.

First glance

Our first impression of this book is how beautiful and user friendly it is. The photos are so clean and uncluttered and make you hungry just looking at them! The instructions are simple and the ingredients are generally what I have on hand so that makes it easy. The other thing is that the book was easy to prop up and it stayed open on the page we were working from – no flopping around and pages flicking over as you’re reading.

The book manages to simultaneously be ideal for kids (with help) to learn cooking and baking, while also being a great resource for adults.

Weekday help

As a busy working mum I like to cook one meal that would last us two or three nights, but having the same dish more than one night in a row can be a bit boring, especially for the kids.

What I love about this book is that I can cook a dish like the Super Crunchy Grilled Chicken Schnitzel (pg 138) for dinner. The recipe includes tips for other meals using the leftover chicken schnitzel. For example, the following night I can quickly put a different meal together like the Chicken Schnitzel Burger (pg 114) or Chicken Parmigiana (pg 141). These tips are throughout the book and for different meats.

Recipe testing – chicken nuggets!

You can never go wrong with chicken nuggets – they’re always a crowd-pleaser – my two girls especially love them. Because many on the market contain preservatives I try to avoid them, so it was a no brainer to try the Crispy Not-so-fried Chicken Nuggets (pg 100) first.

Basics to Brilliance

The girls loved helping cook this dish, dipping the chicken into the egg and then the breadcrumb mixture was the highlight. There was so much learning going on – measuring, cutting, crumbing, squeezing the lemon, cracking eggs and learning the names and smells of the different herbs and spices.

Chicken nuggets - complete!

Ella and Ruby were so delighted when their nuggets turned out just like the picture in the book! It’s great having such clear pictures as it gives you an idea of what you’re aiming for.

These chicken nuggets are not only a much healthier option for you they are also absolutely delicious – we all went back for seconds!  This dish was so easy and quick to put together that there is no need to buy frozen nuggets again. It’s also another recipe where we’re given other quick meal ideas for the leftover chicken. So next time I must remember to double the chicken to make a second yummy meal the next night.

We recommend

This is definitely a must-have cookbook for any family! I love that there are a variety of skill levels for kids of all ages and there are even some great safety tips to keep the kids safe while cooking.

With around 175 recipes that both kids and adults will love, this book covers all your baking and cooking needs including breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks, food on the move, plus cakes and sweets.

Grab your copy now

Written by Kidspot NZ with information supplied by HarperCollins. The reviewer was provided with a copy of the book. Views are those of the reviewer.

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Paint Your Own Unicorn Plant Pots

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content for Resene

If your kids love unicorns – and plants – this is the perfect craft for them. Use any pot or container you like and any colours and decorations you have on hand to create your own unique unicorn pots.

We asked Kidspot reader Katie and her gorgeous girls Ruby and Ella to create the project so we can follow along at home. They have provided step-by-step instructions plus a video below, on how to make your own unicorn plant pots.

They found that glue wasn’t the best for sticking the decorations to the painted pots and suggested a cold or hot glue gun might work better.

You will need:

Resene - Unicorn Pots

Resene - unicorn colours

 

Check out the video below of Ruby and Ella showing you how they decorated their pots

Step-by-step instructions to paint and decorate your pot

Unicorn Pots - step 1

Step 1

Paint your pot with 2 base coats leaving them to dry between layers. We used Resene White.

Unicorn Pots - step 2

Step 2

Paint your top coat in the colour of your choice making sure you get a nice even coverage. We painted one pot Resene White and used Resene FX Metallic Bedazzle on the second pot.

Unicorn Pots - step 3

Step  3

Once your final layer is dry it’s time to add the cheeks and eyes. To make it a little bit easier we used a pencil to draw the eyes and cheeks. We then used Resene Black to paint over the pencil line for the eyes and Resene Pink Lace for the cheeks.

Unicorn Pots - step 4

Step 4

Cut out a triangle shape from the glitter foam and gather up your other decorations ready to go.

Unicorn Pots - step 5

Step 5

Stick the horn and decorations on to the pots. We used PVA glue and needed to wait for the glue to dry before they stuck well – a peg or clip to hold them on while the PVA dried would be handy. Otherwise a hot glue gun will do the trick straight away!

Unicorn Pots - step 6

Step 6 

Once your unicorn horn and flowers are dried, fill the pot with potting mix and get planting. Proudly display your pot or it would make a lovely gift – and don’t forget to water your plant!

For more projects and colour inspiration visit Resene.co.nz.

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Follow Up Review | SquareOne – Make Money Epic!

Posted on by Robyn

We asked Claudia and her 8-year-old son Jaxon to give us an update on how they were going with SquareOne – a free app that helps kids connect the dots between earnings, spending, and saving money.

Claudia and Jaxon started using SquareOne a month or so ago – you can see their initial thoughts here. Join us as we catch up on how things have been going.

Working towards his goal

It’s been over a month since we first started using the SquareOne app and it is firmly a part of our household now – not sure how we lived without it before this, to be honest! Jaxon (8) is a third of the way to his savings goal of a Chromebook now, and it has been incredible watching the changes in him with regard to responsibility and work ethic.

SquareOne app and card

He takes ownership of his chores and I don’t have to chase him up or remind him anymore, as he knows once he’s completed a chore, he can tick it off on the app himself and I will get notified so that I can accept the payment into his account from my Parent Wallet.

He loves nothing more than building his ‘income’ over the week and then moving it from his account into the saving pocket for his laptop at the end of the week, then yelling out loudly from across the house, “Mum I only have $200 to go now!”

The app makes it so easy for him to see exactly how he is tracking and how much more he needs to reach his goal, and it certainly motivates him to keep at it.

Squareone app and card

Understanding his money

The conversations we have around money and savings are also different now as his understanding of what it takes to work and earn money in order to achieve a goal has deepened.

Before we started using the SquareOne app and he just had cash in his piggy bank, there was much more of an instant gratification element to it. Every time we went to the shops he wanted to take cash out and spend it on something quite useless (in my opinion), so he never managed to save anything and also couldn’t understand why this was important.

Now he sees that if you really want something special, it takes time to work towards it and that the more effort you put into achieving it, the faster you will get there.

Understanding the world he lives in

He’s started asking me questions about what I am saving for, along with questions about what things cost, like the cost of electricity each month, groceries, petrol and our TV! These are things he has never given a thought to before, so it means we are now having more meaningful conversations around money and how it works in the real world.

I can see that he is thinking about it in a totally new way and is far more considered in his decision-making around what he wants to spend on and save for.

I asked him what he’ll be saving for once he’s bought his laptop, and he had obviously been thinking about it already as his answer was pretty quick – a GoPro!

Sharing the love

Jaxon showing his little sister SquareOne

He’s even been showing his little sister how it works on his iPad, and although I thought she might be a bit young for it at age 5 she has assured me that she is not, and she wants her own SquareOne app account now too.

Another cool feature that Jaxon is tapping into right now is earning $5 for each friend referral.

Using his unique referral code, he can encourage his friends to sign up and get $5 for them both – a fantastic lesson in entrepreneurship if you ask me, as Jaxon chases them up to ensure they download the app so he gets paid!

Get SquareOne now FREE

Download the FREE app now, so your kids can start connecting the dots in a cashless world and learn good money habits that will last a lifetime!

Kidspot’s special code

If you use the Referral Code: KIDS5 when you download the app and register your account, you’ll receive $5 for your parent wallet once you have done a total of $50 in top-ups.

At $1 and $2 per job your child does, this will stretch quite far and give you a really good gauge on how well it is working for your family. (See example below on how to get your $5. Terms and conditions apply).

Download SquareOne now FREE

SquareOne

SquareOne

Claudia and Jaxon were provided with SquareOne for the purposes of this review. Opinions are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Kidspot NZ or SquareOne.

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Emma Sleep | Mattress Review

Posted on by Robyn

Promotion for Emma Sleep

A comfortable night’s sleep is essential but for many people it can be elusive. We asked Tarryn to trial a mattress from Emma Sleep – developed and perfected by sleep experts in Europe since 2013.

The Emma mattress has been developed through a research-driven approach by a team of experts including engineers, material experts, product designers, and even neuroscientists, whose work has been recognised with more than 30 awards from around the world. So let’s see what Tarryn and her husband thought of the award-winning mattress from Emma Sleep.

Easy Emma

Emma Sleep

I loved the mattress from the first moment it arrived – the small compact box, the easy to unwrap packaging, the convenient little side handles.

The mattress was completely different to the one that we had been using as it adapts to your body and sleeping positions and distributes your weight evenly regardless of being a back or side sleeper. After the first night, my husband found he needed a pillow change due to the different sleeping position (he needed a slightly higher pillow) and from night two onwards Emma Sleep was a dream for him. His back has never been happier.

Back sorted

I really believed that having a sore lower back after a night’s sleep was normal. It has happened for as long as I can remember, on a variety of different mattresses, to both my husband and me. So that means it happens to everyone … right? Wrong! Just a few nights with our queen-sized Emma mattress and no lower back pain anymore.

Undisturbed sleep

Get an undisturbed nights sleep with Emma Sleep

We both have very different sleep routines. As a mum of two busy boys and with a full-time corporate job, I value sleep very highly. Add to that an exercise regime of 6-days a week, and you can see why good quality sleep is critical to me. As such, I go to bed early and wake early for gym/running.

My husband gyms in the evenings, so he comes to bed much later than me and wakes up after me most days. What this means with our old mattress was a disruption each time one of us got in or out of bed. You know that annoying shake or wobble when someone gets into bed while you are trying to sleep? Sometimes it feels like the other person has done a running start down the passageway and thumped into bed with the weight of a herd of elephants. But with Emma’s zero-motion transfer technology, I don’t feel him climb into bed late at night and he doesn’t feel me climb out in the morning.

Sleep has never been this undisturbed and good.

The temperature is right

I’m also one of those people that bounce between over-heating and freezing throughout the night, regardless of whether it’s summer or winter. I just cannot regulate my night-time temperature. Leg goes out of the covers to cool down, leg goes back under the covers again. Hot, cold, out, in! More disruptions!

The Emma mattress has an Airgocell and thermo-regulating cover. I didn’t really understand the importance of this until now. Once again, I just thought it was me that couldn’t regulate and didn’t know that a mattress could help me do this.

We loved the Emma Sleep mattress. Our recommendation? Do yourself a favour and give the 100-night test period a go.

See Emma Sleep’s special prices

This article includes information supplied by Emma Sleep.

Tarryn was provided with an Emma Sleep mattress for the purposes of the review. Opinions are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Kidspot NZ or Emma Sleep.

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Families Review Quorn Roarsomes

Posted on by Robyn

Promotion for Quorn Roarsomes

Quorn Roarsomes are savoury, dinosaur-shaped alternatives to a chicken nugget that make mealtime fun! Plus, they’re an easy way to introduce kids to meat-free meals.

High in protein, soy-free, and low in sodium and saturated fat – it’s no wonder they’ve been awarded a 5-star health rating!

But the real proof is when the dinosaur hits the plate – so let’s find out what some families thought of Quorn Roarsomes.

Take on the dinosaur

Reviewed by Jody and Rylen (4)

Quorn Roarsomes

After a busy day at daycare and mum rushing out the door, these are a great go-to for a quick dinner or snack.

Rylen really enjoyed the meat free dinosaur nuggets and had so much fun eating them. He didn’t seem to notice that they weren’t made from chicken (big bonus).

I personally loved that they offered up an alternative source of protein for him

Dino-liciously crispy nuggets put to the test

Reviewed by Claudia, Jaxon (8) and Aria (5)

With chicken nuggets being a weekly staple in our house, I was excited to try the Quorn Roarsomes with my two fussy eaters. I’m always looking for ways to sneak more veggies into their diets, but I’m also aware that protein is so important for their growing bodies and brains, so when the opportunity to try these new Quorn Roarsomes nuggets came our way I couldn’t wait to try them out.

Quorn Roarsomes

The nuggets are vegan, a good source of protein and fibre, AND they’re shaped like dinosaurs which resulted in much excitement around the dinner table when the kids were served their tasty new dinner.

I took the serving suggestion off the box and created the mashed potato volcano, broccoli trees and corn kernels sun – a bit of extra effort than our usual weeknight dinners but totally worth it for the looks on the kids’ faces!

They were super easy to cook and need only 15 mins in the oven from frozen, or if you are lucky enough to have an air-fryer they only need about 7 or 8 minutes.

They are a lot more dense and a bit bigger than our standard chicken nuggets so the kids only needed one or two each, but they came out beautifully crunchy and very tasty. And the kids had no idea they weren’t made of chicken.

If your kids are anything like mine with their love of chicken nuggets, then these are a great option to have in the freezer as you can include a meat-free alternative into the weekly menu without anyone turning their noses up. In fact, you will probably get requests to have them for dinner more than once a week!

Animal lovers unite

Reviewed by Katie, Ella (8) and Ruby (6)

Chicken nuggets are always a big hit in our household and a quick and easy afternoon snack for me to prepare for the kids, so I decided to try out the new Quorn Roarsomes vegan dinosaur nuggets.

Quorn Roarsomes

I popped them in the air fryer and they were done within 12 minutes. Miss 8 gobbled them down in a quick second, she loved them and could not tell that they weren’t chicken.

Miss 6 who is a big animal lover couldn’t wait for the dinosaur nuggets to be ready and once they were, her only complaint was “Mum where are the volcano and trees!” I’ll be buying more and I can’t wait to see the look on her little face when she sees the dinosaurs amongst the volcano and trees (just like on the box).

Quorn products, including Quorn Roarsomes are available from Countdown, and selected New World and PAK’nSAVE stores.

Try these fun recipes using Quorn Roarsomes:

The Lighthouse Princess | Book Review

Posted on by Robyn

The Lighthouse Princess, the 2021 Storylines Gavin Bishop Award-winning picture book, is a delightful contemporary fairytale about an independent princess, who looks after a very special lighthouse lamp, fishes off the balcony and goes swimming with seals.

The Lighthouse Princess is almost perfectly happy. She takes care of the light that keeps ships safe at sea, catches fish off the balcony, and swims with penguins and seals. But one day, a little fishing boat with green sails sets out just as a storm blows up and the lighthouse-keeper princess rescues a boy from the storm.

“Do you need rescuing from this tower?” he asked her.
“No,” she said, “I like it here.”

Katie, and her daughters Charlotte (6) and Alice (3) review this modern fairytale by poet Susan Wardell featuring magical and award-winning illustrations by Rose Northey.

A thoroughly modern princess

The Lighthouse Princess

My daughters Charlotte (6) and Alice (3) are both princess mad. Being a family of bookworms we love finding new books to try, and nothing makes my kids’ faces light up more than seeing a new princess book in our local bookshop or library. But more often than not, the way that the princesses look and act is a little unrealistic. For this reason, we are always on the lookout for books where the princess is presented in a different way.

The Lighthouse Princess by Susan Wardell is a perfect example of this non-traditional fairytale.

This gorgeous book features a princess, a tower, and a boy on a mission to save her, but in a refreshing format to make both adults and children reimagine what it is to be a princess.

The Lighthouse Princess | Book Review

Both of my kids absolutely adored this book, asking to read it over and over again.

Being princess fans, they particularly loved the title character. She is smart, independent, creative, and practical, choosing to live the life she wants and being happy with this.

The Lighthouse Princess

Far from needing saving, she enjoys keeping the ships safe at night, as well as swimming in rock pools, decorating the lighthouse, and fishing. Charlotte was really excited to find a princess who enjoyed doing things like her, seeing that they could be more than a beautiful dress.

We loved seeing the princess saving the boy when his boat got stuck in a storm, and the girls were amazed by her stairs and tunnels out to the lighthouse.

We also loved how the boy and the princess became great friends when they found that they had so many shared interests, both ending up with their own version of a ‘happily ever after’.

Alice said that she knew how happy having her friends around made her feel and was glad that the princess had the same.

I was excited to have finally found a book where the princess was choosing to live her life happily, the way she wanted to, without having to explain or defend herself.

Award-winning illustrations

The Lighthouse Princess | Book Review

The illustrations by Rose Northey work in perfect harmony with the words. My kids were so excited spotting all of the little details on each page (the chocolate fish being a particular favourite) and the colour palette is muted yet bright, capturing the feelings of hope and optimism of the story perfectly.

This is no pink and frilly princess book, and will appeal to a wide variety of readers – it certainly captured the imaginations of our whole household. Alice in particular loved the animals and was happily scanning each page, looking for the personalities of each one being brought to life.

The illustrations also enhance the non-princess-typical roles being played by the main characters. The princess is as strong and practical as the boy, and we see her fixing the boat whilst the boy sews up the sail, as well as them both swimming, fishing, and abseiling down the side of a building to decorate it.

A princess story for everyone

This is a story of friendship, of courage, of conviction, and of being the master of your own destiny. It attests to the power inside us all to live how we want to live, but also how rewarding it is when we have someone we care about, whoever that may be, standing by our side.

This is a princess story for everyone and anyone can take joy from its message. The perfect companion for snuggling up on the sofa and reading together, this is a thoroughly modern fairytale for anyone who has ever wanted to just be themselves.

The Lighthouse Princess is available from retailers nationwide now.

Get your copy of The Lighthouse Princess now!

A digital copy of The Lighthouse Princess was provided to Katie for the purposes of this review. All views are those of the reviewer.

Follow Katie’s frugal journey of gardening and home-cooking at @thatfugalmum on Instagram.

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D&D Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed by Madeleine Roux and Tim Probert | Kids Book Review

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content 

Welcome to Dungeon Academy, where monsters and creatures train for the dark world that awaits just beyond the Dungeon walls.

But Zellidora ‘Zelli’ Stormclash wasn’t a monster or a creature. She was something far worse. Zelli was a human.

Disguised as a minotaur, Zelli keeps to herself and does her work. While in class, Zelli learns of the great human adventurer, Allidora Steelstrike, who oddly resembles her. Could Zelli be – a Steelstrike?

Seeking answers to her true lineage, Zelli embarks on a dangerous adventure. But she won’t be alone. A vegan Owlbear, a cowardly Kobold and a shapeshifting Mimic who only transforms into nice things will join Zelli on her quest for the truth. And who knows, perhaps these monstrous misfits may discover truths of their own …

Coming soon – one of our Kids Reviewers reviews D&D Dungeon Academy No Humans Allowed by Madeleine Roux and Tim Probert ⬇️

Grab your copy of by Madeleine Roux and Tim Probert’s first story in a new story D&D Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed now!

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Bored: Milo Finds $105 by Matt Stanton | New Kids Book

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content 

Sometimes feeling bored is just the beginning …

Hi, I’m Milo, and right now I’m chasing $105 as it flies down my street.

The wind is blowing it towards Evie Watson’s house, which is very bad news. My neighbours, Rocco, Luisa and Zak, must be laughing their heads off. And who knows what’s happening with the new kid next door. His name is Frog and he’s invented his own type of martial art, which he’s not very good at even though he made it up. Finding this much money should have been a good thing, but it’s turning into a disaster!

From million-copy bestseller, Matt Stanton, author of FUNNY KID and THE ODDS, comes an hilarious new series about the complicated business of being a kid.

‘Milo Finds $105 is about friendships and how they can morph and evolve, and … how first impressions are not always what they seem. The language between the kids is authentic and there is a strong sense of family in the book … The chapters are short and engaging, which may inspire confidence in reluctant readers. Stanton, author of ‘Funny Kid’ and ‘The Odds’, looks to have produced another winning series’
– Books+Publishing

Take a look at the book trailer for Milo Finds $105 (Bored #1) by Matt Stanton ⬇️

Grab your copy of Matt Stantons’s first story in a new series called Bored –  Milo Finds $105 now!

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Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast by Sue Whiting | Kids Book Review

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content 

Pearly Woe is a worrier. She worries about everything, especially that she’ll never be brave enough to become a member of the top-secret group of stealth adventurers – The Adventurologists’ Guild.

Pearly also has a special talent – she can talk to animals. Her favourite animal to talk to is her pet pig, called Pig. But with her parents missing, Pig pig-napped and Pearly a stowaway on an icebreaker heading for Antarctica, Pearly’s worries just got REAL.

This fast-paced junior fiction adventure stars a plucky new heroine that has to face her fears to save her parents, her friend and the day!

Take a look at Abby and her furry friend Tilly review Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast by Sue Whiting ⬇️

Grab your copy of Sue Whiting’s Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast now!

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Review | SquareOne – Make Money Epic!

Posted on by Robyn

Teaching children the value of money from an early age can help instil good habits that will remain with them for life. That’s why two Kiwi dads created SquareOne – a free app that helps kids connect the dots between earnings, spending, and saving money. We asked Claudia and her 8-year-old son Jaxon to give this new app a test run. Find out what they thought.

My eight-year-old son is now at an age where he wants to earn his own money, but I’d been procrastinating on getting any kind of system together because I was envisioning having to create some kind of checklist to keep updated on the fridge and I also NEVER have cash on me so it all started to feel like too much to add to my already very busy weekly to-do list.

Then I heard about the SquareOne app and it has not only answered all those niggly problems but has also revolutionised the way we do things in our household.

How SquareOne works

First of all, the app is free to download – easy. Then you set up the app to suit you. You can do it for just one child or add extra kids so that you can control all of their accounts from the parent view in the app.

SquareOne Jaxon and card

Once you’ve done that, you top up your ‘Parent Wallet’ so that you can have money to allocate to the kids as they do their chores.

When you download the app your child also receives their own card (made from 85% degradable plastic). It can be used online and in-person anywhere Mastercard is accepted (including contactless). With parental approval, it can be set up to use with Apple Pay and Google Pay also.

Getting your own card is quite a milestone and Jaxon was thrilled when his arrived in the mail. I could see that he felt so grown-up sliding it into his wallet.

Money going in

SquareOne - Jaxon earning money

My husband and I sat down with Jaxon and talked about the jobs he would need to do each week – taking out the bins, sweeping up leaves, bringing us coffees in bed on a Saturday morning now that he knows how to use the Nespresso machine (my personal favourite!).

SquareOne Jaxons jobs

We decided on an amount for each job and the SquareOne app then generates this as a list for both parent and child to see. As each job is completed, Jaxon can tick this off on his own iPad which sends us a parent notification that the job has been done. If we are happy with it, we then approve the amount which moves automatically from the parent wallet into his own account.

If the child doesn’t have their own device, it can all be controlled through the parent’s phone which also works just as well.

Setting savings goals

Jaxon is desperate for his own Chromebook, which costs around $400, so we set this up as a savings goal in his account.

SquareOne savings goal

He loves that he can move money across from his card account, to his savings account, and watch how much closer he is to his goal every week. This really motivates him to get his jobs done, and also keeps him thinking about other jobs he can add to his list. He suggested $5 for a one-off car wash which we thought was great and told him to go for it.

The pride on his little face once the job was done and ticked off in the app, and the $5 added to his total, was priceless.

Another great feature with this app is that the grandparents can download it and connect to the same account too so when Jaxon visits them, he also finds extra ways to do chores at their house to earn additional pocket money. They get a few jobs ticked off, and Jax earns over and above what he would have for the week. Win-win!

Peace of mind

Although Jaxon hasn’t started spending money from his SquareOne account yet, I love the safety features that have been built in. When Jaxon is ready to spend his savings, I can set limits and get real-time notifications of his spending. I can also control if he is able to use it for online use and approve any funds transfers to friends. Finally, there are no account details on the card so that helps reduce the risk of card fraud if he loses it.

Incentives to earn and learn

SquareOne Jaxon

Apart from this being so easy to use and integrate into our household and busy lifestyles, I love the lessons about money and savings this app is teaching him. He’s learning to be responsible for the jobs he does, to work hard and to see the results of this hard work in his Chromebook savings.

There is no cash involved which keeps him from meaninglessly spending on things he doesn’t need, just because he has it in his piggy bank. The local $2 shops are losing quite a bit of business now that he’s serious about his savings in SquareOne!

Jaxon and Claudia recommend

I guarantee once you see how easy it makes everything, you’ll never go back!

If you use the Referral Code: KIDS5 when you download the app and register your account, you’ll receive $5 for your parent wallet once you have done a total of $50 in top-ups. At $1 and $2 per job your child does, this will stretch quite far and give you a really good gauge on how well it is working for your family. (See example below for reference. Terms and conditions apply).

SquareOne

SquareOne

Created in partnership with SquareOne. The author was provided with the app for the purpose of this review. Views are those of the reviewer.

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Make A Space Themed Headboard

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content provided by Resene

Make a boring old headboard an exciting glow in the dark feature for a space-themed kid’s room!

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring

Get creative and upcycle an old bedhead with space-themed shapes. Sarah had fun with freehand shapes and placements, but you might prefer to map out a pattern or create your own design. Try adding planets, rockets finished in Resene FX Metallic or other space shapes!

You will need:

Step by step instructions

Resene Space Themed Headboard

Step 1:

The first step with upcycling second hand items is to always clean and check for any damage or parts that need repairs. Sand thoroughly to prepare it for painting and wipe clean.

Resene Space Themed Headboard

Step 2:

Prime using one coat of Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat using a testpot brush and allow to dry. You could use a paint roller if you prefer.

Make a space themed headboard

Step 3:

Mask out full and crescent moon shapes.

Make a space themed headboard

Step 4:

Paint the moon shapes – for the maximum glow effect Resene White is recommended although you can use any white. Once the white paint is dry, apply three coats of Resene FX Nightlight paint over the top so the moons will glow in the dark, allowing time for each coat to dry before applying the next. Such a cool paint effect!

Resene Space Themed Headboard

Step 5:

Paint freehand stars and constellations in the remaining space using small detail brushes and paint in your choice of colours. Sarah used Resene Onahau and Resene Yes Please. Sarah also added some small stars using more of the Resene Rice Cake and Resene FX Nightlight paints. When dry, carefully remove the masking tape.

Make a space themed headboard

Step 6:

The final effect is a fun galaxy headboard that looks great day or night, and space-mad kids will love being able to sleep amongst the stars in their own bedroom.

For more projects and colour inspiration visit Resene.co.nz.

Article provided by Resene. Projects and images by Sarah Herring

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DIY Mountain Coat Hooks

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content provided by Resene

Create your own snow-capped mountain range with these charming yet practical coat hooks in your choice of Resene shades.

Keep them classic with white tops and a rocky-coloured based, colour coordinate them with your interior’s palette or craft vivid peaks in your favourite unforgettable hues.

You will need:

  • Wood – 540mm of 135mm x 10mm untreated pine (180mm for one hook, 540mm for 3 hooks)
  • Saw
  • Sandpaper
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Electric drill, drill bit and countersink
  • Painter’s tape
  • Scissors
  • Paintbrush
  • Pine knob
  • Screws (for wall mounting)
  • Resene testpots of your choice – Fleur used Resene Ebony Clay for the base of the mountain

There’s no limit to how creatively you can decorate your mountain hooks. After applying your two coats to the mountain area, you can paint the snow cap in Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White, or opt for a splash of colour, such as violet Resene Portage or yellow Resene Pale Prim.

Top tip: For a little extra shimmer, like snow glistens in the sunlight, apply Resene FX Pearl Shimmer over the white part of your mountain.

Step by step instructions

Resene mountain hooks

Step 1:

Cut your 135mm-wide wood to a length of 180mm. Using a ruler and pencil, draw a triangle on the wood.

DIY mountain coat hooks

Step 2:

Use a saw to cut the triangle. Sand any rough edges smooth with sandpaper.

DIY mountain coat hooks

Step 3:

From the bottom of the triangle, measure up the mid-line and make two marks – one at 30mm and one at 60mm.

With an electric drill, drill these two holes using a drill bit that is slightly smaller than your screws. Countersink the top hole at the front. Flip the piece of wood over and countersink the bottom hole at the back. This will allow the screw for the knob to sit into the wood. The mountain hook will sit flush against the wall.

DIY mountain coat hooks

Step 4:

Use a pencil to draw a snow line roughly one-third down from the top.

DIY mountain coat hooks

Step 5:

Use painter’s tape and scissors to mask off the snow area above your pencil line.

DIY mountain coat hooks

Step 6:

Paint the mountain area below the tape with two coats of your choice of Resene paint, like Fleur did using Resene Ebony Clay. Allow the first coat to dry before applying the second coat. Remove the tape as soon as you have finished applying the second coat.

For more projects and colour inspiration visit Resene.co.nz.

Article provided by Resene. Projects and images by Fleur Thorpe

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How To Make A Glow In The Dark Wall

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content provided by Resene

Ditch the nightlight for a glow in the dark galaxy wall – the kids will love it!

This is a simple way to create something for children drifting off to sleep to look and. The moons are painted on the wall using Resene FX Nightlight from the Resene Special Effects range and are sure to delight.

You will need:

Step by step instructions

How to make a glow in the dark wall

Step 1:

Trace a circle in the middle of the cardboard (we used a round plate as the outline). Cut the cardboard in half, as well as the circle from each half. Tape the pieces back together. This creates the moon template.

How to make a glow in the dark wall

Step 2:

Using the masking tape, attach the cardboard to the wall, and roughly paint inside the circle with Resene Blue Lagoon. Leave to dry.

How to make a glow in the dark wall

Step 3:

Repeat, using Resene Alabaster. The lighter the background, the brighter the moon will glow. Leave to dry.

How to make a glow in the dark wall

Step 4:

Touch up with Resene Blue Lagoon to create a crater effect. We also painted two other moons, using Resene Sunshade and Resene Juniper as the crater colours.

How to make a glow in the dark wall

Step 5:

Once dry, apply the Resene FX Nightlight. For the best result, apply three coats, leaving 45-60 minutes between coats.

How to make a glow in the dark wall

Step 6:

Leave it to ‘charge’ in UV light during the day. When the lights flick off at night, then your marvelous galaxy wall will appear!

As the night continues the glow will slowly soften.

For more projects and colour inspiration visit Resene.co.nz.

Article provided by Resene. Projects and styling: Leigh Stockton

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New Book | The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt

Posted on by Robyn

Promotion for Hachette

Join the Little Lambs as they go on an Easter egg hunt in this colourfully illustrated picture book that takes the celebration of Easter and uses it to highlight the beauty of New Zealand’s flora and fauna.

The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hun

Near mountain, scrub and oceanfront, we tiptoe on our Easter hunt.
We look over. We look under.
And then …

On their Easter egg hunt, the lambs find all kinds of eggs – kiwi, tui, keruru, little blue penguin (korora) and kakapo – before the little lambs finally find what they’ve been looking for: Easter eggs to share with all their whānau.

The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt

Purchase your copy now!

The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Activity Book

The Little Lambs' Great New Zealand Easter Activity Book

Join the lambs and their new bird friends to get creative with loads of mazes, dot-to-dots, games and activities to complete and colour in!

Featuring two pages of full-colour, Easter-themed stickers, you can also make a memory game, design eggs for your whānau and play spot the difference.

Find out what Ruby (6) and her mum Katie thought of these two great books

The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt

The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt picture book written by Yvonne Mes follows little lambs as they travel the mountain, scrub, and oceanfront on the hunt for special Kiwiana eggs.

This is such a sweet story and in our opinion is a must for any Kiwi kid! The beautiful illustrations bring the magic of this story to life. Ruby (6) loved joining the five little lambs on their adventure to meet New Zealand native birds and their special eggs. Ruby was so happy that she was able to read most of the book by herself.

The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Activity Book is filled with fun activities to suit both pre-schoolers and children a bit older. Ruby absolutely loved the range of activities on offer that included dot-to-dots and crosswords, and of course a lot of colouring activities which are always a winner. She was totally absorbed in the activities which was great to see.

Overall we loved this Aotearoa-themed way to celebrate Easter.

Ruby and Katie

Hachette has shared four of the activity pages with us. Click and print for some Easter fun at your place!  Find them here.

Purchase your copy now!

Written by Kidspot NZ with information supplied by Hachette.

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The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt | 4 Fun Printable Activity Sheets

Posted on by Robyn

Promotion for Hachette

In The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt, we went on an adventure with the Lambs to discover the eggs that belong to different local birds.

Now, in The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Activity Book, join the lambs and their new bird friends to get creative with loads of mazes, dot-to-dots, games and activities to complete and colour in!

Featuring two pages of full-colour, Easter-themed stickers, you can also make a memory game, design eggs for your whānau and play spot the difference.

To purchase a copy of The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt or The Little Lambs’ Great New Zealand Easter Activity Book, visit the Hachette website.

We’re excited to share four of the activity pages from the Activity Book – simply click and print for some Easter fun at your place! ⬇️

The Little Lamb's Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt

The Little Lamb's Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt

The Little Lamb's Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt

The Little Lamb's Great New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt

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Toy Review | LEGO® DUPLO® Bath Time Fun: Floating Animal Island

Posted on by Robyn

Toddler bath-times are full of fun with the LEGO© DUPLO© Bath Time Fun: Floating Animal Island. Find out what Indie (2 years old) thought of the set in our review.

The LEGO DUPLO Bath Time Fun: Floating Animal Island (10966) is a feature-packed playset for animal-loving kids aged 18 months and up. It will turn your toddler’s bath time into a tropical island fun time!

Bath time fun

LEGO DUPLO Floating Animal Island

Indie loves her baths and for some time now we have been meaning to get new bath toys to play with. She was so excited when she saw the box for the first time, after we opened it up, she ran to the bathroom, threw everything into the bath and demanded she have one right then and there.

This is such a delightful set with a friendly lion, a pink flamingo, a colourful fish, and a cute octopus included – bright colours and simple designs that certainly caught the eye of my inquisitive toddler.

Indie enjoyed putting all the bricks together to build the animals first, then she gave them a wash with the bucket that’s included in the set too. Building and engaging with the animals like this is such a great way for her to build her fine and gross motor skills, and even her little toddler hands were capable of constructing these without mum’s help.

Getting creative

Bath time fun

After their wash, we did some role-playing with the animals: Indie had them swimming from one end of the bath to the other until they reached the floating island and ring (“their home”). They jumped aboard and floated around while Indie created a whole adventure for them, complete with splashing waves and daring rescues! Imaginative play is something Indie is just starting to have fun with now that she is two, and I know how important it is for her development, so it was fantastic to see her coming up with storylines and giving the characters names while she played.

She swapped some of the heads on the animals to create some new mythical creatures, which made us both laugh – they certainly looked funny! But there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ when the game you’re playing is your own creation, and LEGO DUPLO really supports that ethos with the clever sets they have available. She was totally engrossed in playing, in a whole new world that she had created. And as a parent, it was such a magical thing to witness and be part of.

Extended play

We have a few other LEGO DUPLO sets at home, and this range can be played with just as easily out of the bath and with the other sets, making it a double-duty toy. However, the added element of water in the bath does add a different dimension to the play and allowed Indie to come up with ideas around the ocean, islands, boats, and beaches.

Easy clean

Something that always irks me about bath toys is that they end up getting that awful black mould growing inside them after a while, but with this set everything comes apart and can be drained and cleaned so that no mould forms inside. And I love that the island doubles as a storage container too, making it really easy to keep all the pieces together and ready for the next bath.

Great gift idea

With all the second and third birthday parties coming up for us this year for Indie’s friends, this is going to be my go-to gift for them and I’m planning on buying a few for my present cupboard to have on hand.

Being able to give a gift that I’ve seen bring so much joy to my own toddler, means that I can give this set to someone else with the knowledge that they too will have many magical bath times with it, just like Indie. It’s super cute and colourful and easy to use for little hands.

Toys were provided by LEGO© DUPLO©for this review.

Written for Kidspot NZ. A LEGO DUPLO Bath Time Fun: Floating Animal Island set was provided for the purposes of the review.

LEGO DUPLO puts open-ended fun, self-expression, and joyful exploration into young children’s hands. With drool-worthy colours, loveable themes and diverse characters that fill their wild and wonderful stories – little hands can’t wait to start building and creating.

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Disney+ Turning Red | Fun Printable Activity Sheets

Posted on by Robyn

An awkward girl suffers from a unique condition – when she gets too excited, she transforms into a giant red panda – in the Disney Pixar animated feature Turning Red.

Streaming now on Disney+

Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang) is a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence.

Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter – an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda.

Featuring the music and voice from Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, Turning Red is a delightful coming of age movie streaming now on Disney+.

Please note some flashing light sequences or patterns may affect photosensitive viewers.

Click the images below to print these fun activities ⬇️

Turning Red - Free Printables

Turning Red Activity Page - Free printables

Turning Red Activity Page - Free printables

Turning Red - Free printables

Turning Red - Free printables

Turning Red - Free printables

Turning Red - Free printables

Turning Red - Free printables

Turning Red - Free printables

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Tips To Help Your Children Get The Sleep They Need

Posted on by Robyn

Once you’re past the baby stage you’re hopeful that your child’s sleep patterns become more reliable. But it’s not uncommon for sleep problems to develop at any stage during childhood.

As your child grows and develops, they may go through a phase of poor sleep, whether it be getting to sleep or staying asleep. We take a look at some ways you can help your child get the rest they need.

The importance of sleep

Your preschooler needs between 10 and 13 hours sleep each day (including naps) and getting enough sleep can have a direct effect on how settled and happy your child is during the day. It also impacts a whole lot more including learning and memory, cognitive performance, attention skills, and even how resilient they are. 1

When they don’t get enough sleep

You probably don’t need us to describe to you what happens when your child is short on sleep as you’re no doubt familiar with things such as mood swings from grumpy to almost euphoric, plus a notable lack of tolerance and resilience. A lack of sleep may also cause less immediately obvious things developing such as anxiety and a poor immune system.

It is also believed that poor childhood sleep can also contribute to health issues in the future including obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.2

Reasons for poor sleep

There are many reasons why your child may not be getting enough sleep. It may be that they have never been able to develop good sleep patterns, are undergoing a growth spurt, are upset, anxious or excited about something, are having night terrors or nightmares, have been unwell, or find it difficult to calm themselves after a busy day.

The blue light emitting from devices can also disrupt the production of natural sleep hormones.

Tips for helping your children get the sleep they need

Routine – A regular wake up and bedtime can be key to help your child get off to sleep and stay asleep until morning.

A regular bedtime routine is also crucial. Turn off all devices well before sleep time and start a quiet wind-down period that might include a bath, pyjamas, a snack or drink, teeth brushing, then a cuddle and a story or a chapter from a good book.

Your child then might like to read for a while before snuggling down in a calm, quiet room.

Comforting – A toy, blankie, or sound that is comforting and calming for your child that they automatically associate with calm sleep is a great idea. If they don’t already have one it’s not too late – they could perhaps choose their softest toy, your softest t-shirt, or their favourite movie soundtrack and you can include that in your bedtime routine. Always put your child to bed awake so they know they can settle and go to sleep by themselves.

Space – Create a safe and comfortable space for your children that will help maximize their sleep. Investing in a quality bed that will promote proper circulation essential to a kid’s health is a huge step to help your kids achieve their daily sleep. Adjustable beds like those recommended by Sleep Education are some of the few adjustable beds that will provide support and proper body alignment whenever they get their everyday sleep. (Sponsored link)

Problem solve – Ensure your child gets plenty of fresh air and exercise during the day so they are nicely tired at the end of the day – but also try not to let them get overtired as this can make it very hard for them to feel calm and settled at bedtime.

Blackout curtains can be really helpful for creating a calm environment, especially during summer. If they don’t like their room dark you could create some gentle light with things like glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, fairy lights, a night sky projector, or a night light.

The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by Kidspot NZ of the website, information, products or services contained therein.

1 sleepfoundation.org/children-and-sleep
2 sleepfoundation.org/children-and-sleep

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author robynWritten by Robyn Cody

Robyn creates content on Kidspot NZ. Her hobbies include buying cleaning products and wondering why things don’t then clean themselves, eating cheese scones with her friends, and taking her kids to appointments. 

Favourite motto to live by: “This too will pass”

Crane Guy | Book Review

Posted on by Robyn

Crane Guy is a rhyming picture book by acclaimed author Sally Sutton and illustrator Sarah Wilkins that utilises the classic I Spy concept to make a fun game of learning letters and their sounds.

Aria (just turned 5) gave Crane Guy a test run.

Crane Guy, up so high,
Building towers in the sky,
Tell me, tell me what you spy.
Something beginning with …

Aria (5) has just started school and her class is focussing on letters and sounds right now, so Crane Guy was a perfect learning tool for her as well as being a bit of fun!

Rhyming, interactive fun

Crane Guy

This rhyming picture book is full of fantastic illustrations of people, vehicles and other everyday scenes which Aria loved exploring. It’s a very interactive game of I Spy with each page featuring a different letter, which we practised the sound of before trying to find as many things on the page starting with that letter as possible.

She had to really think about the sounds and work out what images on the pages related to them which was great to see – she was completely engaged and very proud of herself when she found words to describe the images using the correct letter.

We talked about what was happening in each scene, and there was so much to look at so, while the text of the book is quite short and simple, it kept us busy for ages.

Rhyming is also another current focus for her at school, so we looked for rhyming words for each of the items she pointed out, helping her to learn how language works and to notice the sounds within words.

Crane Guy

Promote language learning

Crane Guy is an excellent book to promote language learning for kids, in a really fun way. I found that it really enhanced the foundational learning Aria is already getting at school and showed her that letters, sounds, and rhyming words are all around us.

She loves the book so much that she wants to take it in to share with her teacher and class which I think is an excellent idea.

Highly recommended

There is so much to benefit from reading this book with your little one, so it’s definitely one worth having at home, especially if your child has just started school this year. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone!

To purchase a copy of Crane Guy for your kainga visit Penguin Books.

Reviewed by Claudia and Aria

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The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous by David Baddiel | Kids Book Review

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content 

What would you do if everyone suddenly knew your name?

Nothing extraordinary has ever happened to Billy Smith. In fact, every single thing about him is ordinary, including his name. But when a documentary crew turns up at Billy’s school to film the new TV series School Daze, everything changes.

Billy shouldn’t stand out: all the other kids are much more interesting than him. But when remixes of his boring class presentation go viral, Billy finds himself accidentally an overnight star. With his friends Bo and Rinor by his side, his life turns into a whirlwind of red carpets, TV shows, albums, and even the possibility of meeting Sunshine De Marto – the coolest girl on the planet. But as everyone knows, fame comes with a price …

The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous is the laugh-out-loud new blockbuster by million-copy bestselling author, David Baddiel.

Take a look at the trailer for The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous by David Baddiel ⬇️

Grab your copy of David Baddiel’s The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous now!

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The Tale of the Tiny Man by Barbro Lindgren | Kids Book Review

Posted on by Robyn

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There was once a tiny man. One day, at the first sign of Spring, he decided to pin a note to a tree that said FRIEND WANTED. Then he sat down on the step to wait.

After ten days, he woke to find a cold nose in his hand. Beside him was a big dog with a beautiful curve in its tail. The tiny man had made a friend at last.

They play and walk and laugh every day. But then the girl in the polka dot dress comes to the step. The little man watches as the dog put his soft muzzle into the girl’s hand and worries that he has lost his only friend.

A touching picture book that explores learning how to make and share friends, feelings of being left out and discovering group dynamics. Packed full of emotion, this hardback picture book also teaches young children about self-esteem and empathy.

A perfect story to read aloud with pre-schoolers or for young children just starting out at reading by themself.

Watch Kids Book Reviewer Nina review The Tale of the Tiny Man by Barbro Lindgren ⬇️

Grab your copy of Barbro Lindgren’s The Tale of the Tiny Man now!

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Into the Sideways World by Ross Welford | Kids Book Review

Posted on by Robyn

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What if you found a perfect world – but no one believed you …?

Twelve-year-olds Willa and Manny hear of a mysterious animal prowling the beaches of Whitley Bay and are determined to prove it is real. When they follow it into a flooded cave one full moon, they are swept into an alternative, ideal world – one where disease, pollution and war have been conquered decades ago.

But no one believes them, so – with a devastating global conflict looming in their own world – their quest for proof that a World Without War can exist becomes ever-more urgent, in a nail-biting race against time and tides.

And ultimately, they will have to make an impossible decision: because once you find a perfect world, can you ever leave it behind …?

This is a moving, funny, thrilling and adventured-filled new novel for readers aged 10 and up from bestselling author Ross Welford. Ross Welford was a journalist and television producer before becoming a full-time writer. He lives in London with his wife, children, a border collie and several tropical fish. He has previously written two other exciting stories for readers aged 10+: ‘When We Got Lost in Dreamland’ and ‘The Dog Who Saved the World’.

Watch Kids Book Reviewer Connor review Into the Sideways World by Ross Welford ⬇️

Grab your copy of Ross Welford’s Into the Sideways World now!

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Caring For Your Child With COVID-19

Posted on by Robyn

Last updated 28 February 2022

The thought, or reality, that your child has the Omicron variant of COVID-19 can be really worrying. We take a look at the latest advice and tips for looking after a child with COVID-19, when to seek help, and how to minimise spread to others.

Common Omicron symptoms in children

Currently, the most common symptoms of COVID-19 in children is a runny nose, cough, fever, and headache. Tiredness, vomiting, diarrhoea, tummy pains and muscle aches are also common.

Getting tested

If your child is showing any of the common symptoms of COVID-19 you should get them tested. Call your GP, Healthline on 0800 358 5453, your iwi health provider or your Community Testing Centre. You can find a list of testing services here.

Caring for your unwell child

If your child is generally well and happy they do not need specific treatment. COVID-19 is a viral infection and as such does not respond to antibiotics. However, if your child is feeling miserable and uncomfortable with their symptoms, paracetamol and/or ibuprofen can be given according to the dosage instructions*. You can either give them together or staggered – it’s up to you.

*Always read the label. Use only as directed. Incorrect use of pain relief could be harmful. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional. Do not give pain relief to babies under 3 months of age. Seek medical advice for children under 12 months of age.

Your child may not be as interested in food and drinks for a few days. Being off their food for a short period is not of great concern, however keeping their fluids to at least half their usual intake is important. For older children, a drink that is half apple juice and half water might be tempting. Iceblocks are also an easy way to get fluids into your child.

When to seek medical advice

Seek immediate medical help for your child if you notice your child:

  • appears to be getting more unwell
  • is not interested in food or drinks for a period especially if they have had vomiting and /or diarrhoea
  • has a fever (a temperature of 37.5°) for more than five days. In babies under six months old any temperature over 38.5°C should be investigated as soon as possible.
  • has a dry cough and/or shallow or hard breathing
  • appears sleepy, floppy or limp
  • is uncomfortable and unhappy even after pain relief
  • has symptoms that last more than two weeks
  • or if you are worried

The Doctors at Starship’s Emergency Department have put together a helpful video on how to look after your child with Covid-19 that you can view here.

Minimising the spread

Once one member of your household has tested positive, you are all required to stay home for at least 10 days, unless it is to seek urgent medical help, or they are a critical worker (special conditions apply – find out more here).

What type of contact are you?

If you’re caring for a sick infant or child you won’t be able to stay away from them in the home but try to keep others at least two metres away. You will all need to say home for at least 10 days, unless it is to seek urgent medical help, or there is a critical worker (special conditions apply – find out more here).

While wearing gloves, clean and disinfect regularly touched areas. Open doors and windows to keep your home as well ventilated as possible. Wash your hands regularly and wear a mask whenever you are near the unwell child. If they are comfortable wearing a mask definitely encourage them to do so while around others.

As much as possible, try not to prepare food for anyone other than your sick child. Stay away from others in your family as much as possible.

Self isolation

Look after you

It’s important that you look after yourself too. Because you’re living with someone who is COVID-19 positive, you will need to be tested on day 3 and day 10 of your household’s isolation. Talk with your healthcare provider about arranging those tests or call Healthline on 0800 358 5453.

Try to make sure you get enough food, liquids, and sleep.

If you’re feeling anxious, sad, lonely, or confused, reach out to someone you trust – or connect with any of the services below:

  • text or call 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor 24/7
  • call Healthline on 0800 358 5453
  • call Lifeline on 0800 543 345 or text HELP (4357) to talk to a trained counsellor
  • call Samaritans on 0800 726 666 for someone who will listen
  • call Depression Helpline on 0800 111 757 or text 4202 to talk to a trained counsellor

The COVID welfare phone line on 0800 512 337 can help you with financial support options – it’s open 8am–8pm, seven days a week.

For the latest information from the Ministry of Health, visit covid19.govt.nz.

Although we make every effort to ensure the information we provide is accurate and up-to-date, the information contained in this website is not intended and must not be taken to be the provision or practise of medical advice or services nor a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have questions, concerns about your health or treatment or would like more information, contact your doctor. Always see your doctor or another qualified health professional before starting or changing any treatment.

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author robynWritten by Robyn

Robyn creates content on Kidspot NZ. Her hobbies include buying cleaning products and wondering why things don’t then clean themselves, eating cheese scones with her friends, and taking her kids to appointments. 

Favourite motto to live by: “This too will pass.”

Craft A Colourful Circle Mobile

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content provided by Resene

Bring some brilliant colour to your nursery with this eye-catching circle mobile painted in fabulous saturated Resene hues – or choose your own colours to match your decor.

You will need:

The colourful mobile stands out against a wall painted in Resene Afterglow.

Step by step instructions

DIY colourful circle mobile

Step 1:

Start by painting your wooden rounds. Choose whatever colours you’d like for your room. Fleur used nine different colours and painted 13 wooden rounds in each colour using testpots in Resene Palm Leaf and then transitioned into Resene Parsley, Resene Charlotte, Resene White, Resene Corvette, Resene Roxy, Resene Rose of Sharon, Resene Reverie and finished with Resene Zephyr. Allow paint to dry completely.

DIY colourful circle mobile

Step 2:

Use white cotton or nylon thread to string the wood rounds together. You can string them in whatever pattern appeals to you. Fleur chose to make 13 strings that had one round in each colour. Tie a knot below each round so that they don’t slip down.

DIY colourful circle mobile

Step 3:

Tie one end of each string of rounds to your hoop, then attach four longer threads of string to your hoop and knot them together and use these to hang it from the ceiling.

For more projects and colour inspiration visit Resene.co.nz.

Article provided by Resene. Projects and styling: Fleur Thorpe

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Playing Up With Plywood – Bright Ideas For Kids

Posted on by Robyn

Sponsored content provided by Resene

Grab a sheet of plywood and a paintbrush and let your creativity flow with these great kids room decorating ideas from Resene. Choose from fun bookends, a mobile, or a motorway, and paint to match your existing decor, or start afresh, to create a special space for your child.

To make things a bit easier, you will need a pencil, a jigsaw or a similar tool to cut out your basic shapes from the ply sheet, sandpaper, and paint.

Let the fun begin!

Rain or shine

No matter what the weather, this children’s nursery looks soft and serene thanks to its muted Resene colour palette.

Grab your plywood and use weather colours as your inspiration to decorate the room and create an adorable ‘Rain or Shine’ bookends and a raindrop mobile.

Get full instructions here.

Rain or Shine with Resene

Mountains of reading

The mountain-shaped bookends used four different coloured test pots to give them depth – Resene Japonica and Resene Sebedee for the orange ones and Resene Paradise and Resene Gulf Stream for the blue ones – but the sky is the limit when it comes to the colours you can use to paint your mountains. Find templates for mountains here.

Once you’ve painted on two basecoats and allowed them to dry, mask off the tips of the triangles and paint on the snow caps to finish the effect. We used two coats of Resene Alabaster. From there, simply glue your smaller mountains on top of your larger mountains, aligning the corners, and then use quick bond glue that’s suitable for both metal and wood to attach the straight side of your mountains to the backs of basic metal bookends. 

A motorway for boundless play

painted road

When you love playing with cars, the world is your motorway. Help pave the way for creative play by using paint and masking to turn your child’s bedroom or playroom into a whole world for them to explore. The lower walls and floor in this room are painted in Resene Highland while the road is in Resene Shark with dashed lines in Resene Broom and the mountains are in Resene Trojan with snowy caps in Resene Bubble White.

To add another dimension of play, the grassy section of the wall has been coated in Resene FX Magnetic Magic then topcoated. Attach strong magnets to the back of plywood shapes or small wooden toys – cars, trees, buildings, letters and numbers – and your kids can enjoy countless hours playing out stories on their walls.

To make things even better, choose Resene FX Chalkboard Paint or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for your tinted topcoat and the surface will also work as a chalkboard. Simply wipe it clean with a damp cloth.

Reading roadways bookends

Get full instructions on creating the fast lane bookends here.

Paint two coats of Resene Shark, allowing time to dry in between coats. Use high quality masking tape to create the dashed centre line by creating the dashes inside the tape then paint with Resene Broom.

Paint cars of your choice then once everything has dried, use quick bond glue to attach your road sections to the back of some metal bookends and each other so your shapes create an ‘L’ shape. Then, glue the wheels of your vehicles onto your roadways so that they appear to be driving up and down your bookends.

For more projects and colour inspiration visit Resene.co.nz.

Article provided by Resene. Projects and styling: Laura Lynn Johnston. Images: Bryce Carleton

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