Ronnie Swainston, Author at Kidspot

Cricut Unveils Joy Xtra™ & the EasyPress Mini™ in NZ

Posted on 19/07/202416/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Aspiring makers! Get started making pro-looking stickers, labels, customised gear, and more, straight out of the box. Plus make small and intricate heat transfer projects easy and safe. Cricut recently unveiled the Cricut Joy Xtra™ and the EasyPress Mini™ Zen Blue in New Zealand.

The Cricut Joy Xtra™ smart cutting machine cuts, writes, draws, and foils to make popular projects like full-colour stickers, custom cards, t-shirts, vinyl decals, and more. Create customised gear, personalised gifts, labels and unique upcycled décor and clothing, with new printable materials and Cricut’s user-friendly design platform.

The Cricut Joy Xtra™ bundle, including all the tools and materials needed for those of us looking to jump into the world of customisation, was released at Harvey Norman and Spotlight stores!

The Cricut EasyPress Mini™ Zen Blue also launched at Spotlight. A mini but mighty heat press ensuring perfect heat transfer results on odd shaped surfaces!

I’m “mum” to one wee girl, and a big sister and big cousin to young kids, and I was so excited to be asked to try out the new Cricut EasyPress Mini and Cricut Joy Xtra. It was a lot of fun and so easy personalising their birthday parties, clothing and gear, making some simple things that much more special!

Cricut Joy Xtra™ features

Fits-in-any-space, looks-good-anywhere smart cutting machine.

Being limited for space in my home the Cricut Joy Xtra is the perfect fit for me. The machine being the size of a “loaf of bread” (half the size of a Cricut Maker) I can keep it stored, along with the materials, in a small cupboard and whip it out to use on my coffee table, but it’s still easily capable of doing all the projects I have in mind.

Sticker-making made easy.
Easy Printables Sensor™ recognises and precision-cuts around inkjet-printed images to create stickers and more.

Compatible with new printable materials.

The Cricut Joy Xtra bundle comes with Cricut Printable Waterproof Sticker Set, Cricut Joy Xtra Smart Vinyl (Permanent Sampler, Classics), Cricut Joy Xtra Transfer Tape, Cricut Printable Iron-On, Cricut Joy Xtra Smart Iron-On Sampler, Cricut Joy Xtra Light Grip Machine Mat.

The machine is compatible with all the faves – vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, printable sticker, paper, writable labels, Iron-on (HTV), card sets & more. All sized for Cricut Joy machines. Plus, new Smart Materials designed to work without a cutting mat, Cricut Smart Materials™* make extra-long cuts easy. Just load and go.

Project Capabilities.

With Smart Materials, it can cut a single image up to 1.2 metres (4’) long or repeated cuts, like stars and hearts, up to 6 metres (20’) long. Additionally, with Cricut Joy Xtra™, you can now create projects up to 21cm x 29cm (8.5” x 11”) on a machine mat.

With all of these printable materials and project capabilities the Cricut Joy Xtra packs a lot of punch for its mini size and doesn’t look to be restricting my creativity.

I was thrilled to be able to try out a number of projects for my daughter’s second birthday party. I easily personalised her invitation cards, party banners, cups, party boxes and fillers and made fun sticker sheets giving her party that extra sprinkle of special!

Each project was easy to design and quick to cut. I took time to ensure the application of material was picture perfect, but I can’t imagine how I would have been able to personalise as much as I did without the Cricut Joy Xtra. I loved her Happy Birthday sign and party boxes!

Foils, writes, and draws.

Working with the Cricut Joy Foil Transfer Tool and Cricut Joy pens and markers (sold separately), you can foil, write, and draw in a variety of fonts, styles, and line weights.

Cuts 50+ materials.

Eliminate the need for scissors, eliminate mistakes with the scissors, eliminate the extra time it would take to cut out manually with scissors and craft knives! It has the ability to precision-cut over 50 materials like vinyl, iron-on, printable materials, cardstock, and more.

My young cousins were desperate to have their baseball helmets donned with their names, usually the mark of hitting consistent dingers (homers) but sometimes also a mark of committing to a season of practice and games and consistently giving their best! Using the Cricut Design Space we selected the font and style and cut permanent vinyl to personalise their helmets. They were super happy with them!

The Cricut EasyPress Mini Machine

Provides premium quality heat transfer for any iron-on project. Use this like an iron to heat-transfer permanent designs onto shirts, pillow case and more. It’s safe and easier to use than a household iron, which I personally find too big and too hot. It’s compatible with most Cricut Infusible Ink products and iron-on materials and the mini design with a pointed tip means you can heat transfer smaller, non-flat surfaces too, with 3 different heat settings.

Cricut actually have the Cricut Hat Press but I used the EasyPress Mini for their caps. Again it was a quick and easy process to design and cut, the EasyPress was safe to use around the kids and quickly fixed the transfer to the cap. The result was so well liked we made customised caps for friends at River’s birthday party! I look forward using the EasyPress mini with other heat-transfer designs.

No design experience required.

The user-friendly Cricut Design Space platform, gives access to thousands of easy-to-edit images and pre-designed templates, makes the process of creating easy.

Cricut will guide you through every step.

Live workshops and on-demand courses available here on YouTube.

Plus, a dedicated Member Care team for technical support.

Thanks to the team at Kidspot and Cricut for the chance to have fun customising and creating. Our wee girls birthday party was extra special with all the personal creative touches. I was surprised and especially impressed with the ease of designing, cutting and applying – project dependant of course! But with the Cricut Design Space subscription I look forward to making more crafty ideas and getting more creative!

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

Posted on 01/05/202416/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

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.

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 🌟

Print Ring Ting Tūī colouring pages

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

Print the pages

Don’t forget to visit Puffin Books for more great kids’ titles.

See more books:

A Memorable Bonding Experience – Our Cruise Adventure

Posted on 15/09/202316/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

I’m “Mum” to four daughters and there’s quite a big age gap between my eldest 22-year-old and my youngest 9-year-old – my baby! So juggling this busy family and my own business has always been hard to do.

Early on, I decided to ensure quality time with all my girls. It’s one of the things my older children have always appreciated, having that one-on-one time with Mum. It’s our special time to talk, laugh, cry, laugh again, share secrets, bond, and focus on our relationship together.

My birthday was coming up and my youngest, Starling, was well overdue for our special one-on-one time, so I found what could be a special treat for the both of us – a cruise!

The cruise

I did my research as I needed something that would suit both of us. It needed to have plenty of kid-friendly activities, as well as an opportunity for me to relax and do “me things” – something mums very rarely get to do!

We decided on a P&O Explorer cruise to Fiji. It had a Tween Kids Club so Starling could make cruise friends and do some fun activities together. It also had a health spa and cocktail bar for me to fulfil my birthday wishlist.

I was a little apprehensive about just the two of us going on an overseas holiday because I hadn’t done it before – but boy did I make the right choice! Embarking on the P&O Explorer cruise proved to be an unforgettable experience. From the easy check-in process and awesome crew to breathtaking views and exciting activities, our journey was filled with cherished moments and newfound connections.

Embarkation

The efficiency of the passport control and embarkation process ensured that we were quickly ready to immerse ourselves in the exciting experience that awaited us. We stepped aboard and were greeted warmly by the crew and our bags were swiftly whisked away, leaving us free to embark on our adventure.

The room

We leapt with excitement as we entered our room to find a delightful surprise – a balcony from where we could take in the sight of the vast ocean and breathtaking views, and also hear the sound of the soothing melody of the sea, lulling us to sleep each night.

Starling excitedly went around the room trying everything out and eagerly unpacked her bags, neatly placing her belongings into the drawers and wardrobe. I wish she was this diligent with putting away her things at home!

The activities

One of the things that assured me that this cruise was right for us was the wide array of activities on board designed to bring families closer together. Starling and I particularly enjoyed the exhilarating experience of “walking the plank.” We stood side by side, encouraging each other to literally walk the plank above the swirling waves – harnessed for safety of course. We also loved re-enacting the famous scene from the movie Titanic, where Jack stood at the bow of the ship, arms wide open, screaming he was the “King of the World!” – although Starling had no idea who Jack and Rose were, so we were inspired to watch the film together to find out! The adrenaline rush and excitement of these activities, as well as watching the movie together, created a cherished forever memory for us.

The food

When travelling with children, most parents will understand the importance of food, but with picky eaters there is nothing worse than not being able to find something on a menu that your child will eat, and then hearing the constant moaning that goes with it!

This is why family travelling on a cruise works. The culinary options we found on board the P&O Explorer were nothing short of extraordinary. With a plethora of restaurants offering diverse cuisines, we were spoiled for choice and on every menu there were options that suited us both.

Luke’s Burgers stood out as an absolute delight, tantalizing our tastebuds with their juicy patties and perfectly paired condiments. I ate my way through too many portions of the truffle fries – they are a must-eat!

It was the New Zealand ice-cream bar that won Starling’s heart, becoming our daily treat. We indulged in the ice-creams, milkshakes, and sundaes while basking in the sunshine sparkling over the beautiful open sea.

We really were spoilt for choice with so many different options for eating. The ship offered free restaurants and buffets, each serving delectable dishes. Additionally, for a small fee, we had the opportunity to explore extra restaurants, which left us awe-inspired. Among the many culinary treasures we sampled was Angelo’s, which was my personal favourite. The mushroom risotto stood out. I had all but given up ordering risotto to avoid disappointment but not at Angelo’s – it was one of the best I have ever eaten, and I have travelled through Italy!

Special occasion

My birthday fell during the cruise and the staff spared no effort in making it a truly memorable occasion. Peter, our cabin attendant, decorated our room with balloons and a party sign which made me feel so special. Also making the day memorable was the degustation dinner at Luke’s for my special birthday treat, and boy were we treated to the most sumptuous dinner! Each course was a masterpiece of flavour and presentation. The exquisite attention to detail and the carefully curated menu made this celebration unforgettable. As we clinked our glasses in celebration, surrounded by the warmth of newfound friendships, I felt a profound sense of joy and gratitude. The chocolate birthday cake and Happy Birthday singing by all the staff topped off the best birthday night I could have wished for.

The excursions

Exploring the destinations along our cruise was an integral part of our journey. P&O Explorer had a huge choice of well-planned and value-packed on-shore excursions that allowed us to delve deeper into the local culture and natural wonders.

Among these, the catamaran cruise and snorkel trip in Denarau were two of our favourites. The breathtaking views and the opportunity for Starling to experience her very first snorkelling adventure left us in awe of the wonder that our world holds beneath the surface of the sea. Her face lit up brightly and glowed, this was definitely one of those special adventures we shared that will be remembered forever.

The nightlife

In the evenings after dinner, Starling and I had different agendas on what we wanted to do! I enjoyed live music while sipping a different coloured cocktail each evening, while Starling hung out with her new friends and did the planned activities around the ship.

She absolutely revelled in the vibrant atmosphere of the kids club, where she formed lasting friendships. I relaxed, and vibed, at The Blue Room, sipping on expertly crafted cocktails accompanied by the fantastic live music. I revelled in singing along to tunes without embarrassing my child – so easy to do these days!

The Explorer really is committed to providing fun experiences for guests of all ages which ensured that both Starling and I found spaces to engage in and enjoy.

Homeward bound

The seamless embarkation process and friendly, helpful staff. The stunning views and awesome adventures. The delightful culinary experiences and the exhilarating excursions. The joyous camaraderie we discovered along the way. Every aspect of our voyage was crafted to create joy and connection.

Hand on heart I have to say this was one of the best trips I’ve experienced with my daughter. The P&O Explorer cruise provided the perfect location for our bond to blossom.

As we disembarked, I was already seeking out our next cruise, knowing that the memories we made would hold a special place in our hearts!

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Family Fun At Paradise Resort On The Gold Coast

Posted on 17/10/202216/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Promotion for Paradise Resort Gold Coast

The Gold Coast has always been one of the top Australian destinations for holidaying Kiwi families. It’s a short three-hour flight away to the white sands of Surfers Paradise where we can slip into shorts and tees and enjoy a relaxing break away under the Queensland sun.

To help you find family-friendly accommodation and activities on the GC, we sent a Kidspot family away for a fun time exploring the award-winning Paradise Resort Gold Coast. Read the review here …

Paradise found!

What I’ve always found great about the GC is that it’s not just a chilled-out family holiday destination to unwind with surf, sand, swims, sun, and chilled beverages but there are also plenty of places to play and shop too.

We were given the chance to experience a short stay at Paradise Resort Gold Coast. Located centrally in Surfers Paradise it’s a short walk to Surfers Paradise Beach North where you can catch the tram to Cavill Rd. Tap on and tap off with your credit card – two stops and you’re where the tourist spots are. You can visit Ripley’s Believe It or Not, wander the shops, walk the promenade (with a lively beachfront night market on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings), take in the ocean view and sea breeze, feel the sand between your toes, take a dip between the flags, book a surf lesson, book the Aquaduck, go to the top of Q1 to the highest view of the city or hire an electric bike for a fun cruise!!

Accommodation

Set on five acres close to beaches and attractions, Paradise Resort Gold Coast is renowned as the number one destination for families travelling to the GC! The Resort’s 360 rooms are sectioned into quarters – Astro Alley, Dusty’s Digs, Cleo’s Castle and Captains Castle – providing many options to meet your family requirements.

Top tip

For an extra charge, you can book a late checkout. If you’re like us and struggle to get anywhere quickly or have a later flight or ongoing travel later in the day, it’s a very worthwhile option.

Fun facilities for all ages

Paradise Resort is bursting with fun! It’s not just a family-friendly resort, it’s a FUN FAMILY-FRIENDLY resort. You could fill a daily planner with things for the kids to do – games, competitions, activities … the excitement and energy spent playing should surely see them all asleep by 9pm … you’d hope!

My kids made a beeline for the two impressive waterparks! There’s a smaller one designed for the under-fives, though there didn’t seem to be anyone stopping the few older kiddies, probably siblings, who wanted to play there too, so long as it was still “under 5 friendly” play. The big waterpark was where the 5 – 12-year-olds were squealing down big slides and waiting for a water dump from the filling bucket above.

We swam in the lagoon pool tepid enough to take the chill off but cool enough to plunge into after we’d worked up a sweat lying on our lounger doing nothing … maybe sipping, eating, talking, reading … watching the kids. Reminder; like a lot of resorts there are no lifeguards on duty at the pools so please watch your children at all times.

I can tell when my kids have had enough water play, they go submerge themselves in the spa warming themselves up again. The spa at Paradise Resort is big enough to fit even the biggest of family groups … and all the whānau were getting in … nannas, mummas, dads, the kids … and it was all good fun.

When the kids are done being wet there are a couple of tramps to keep them expending their energy and a small playground for the little ones.

Awesome activities

The fun doesn’t stop with the waterparks and pools … there’s more! There’s a weekly planner choc-a-block full of family activities to get involved in. Scheduled each week is a bunch of free activites the family can enjoy like Sunday Horse Racing for the kids (Hobby Horses), Tug ‘o War, water balloon and hula hoop competitions. “Finish that Lyric” played out on the main stage where mainly mums tested their lyrical knowledge of old and new songs … the vocals are not what mattered here! Prizes are dished out to winners and we won at Family Musical Bingo! Some Dusty Dollars to use towards a paid activity, ice creams and a couple of winning medals were well received prizes.

Extra activities

You can also book activities for a fee ranging from $5- $35. There’s a Teddy Bear workshop, masterchef class (bake your own cookies or pizza making), muffin decorating, slime or bath bomb making, lazer tag, a VR Roller Coaster simulator, ice-skating lessons and cocktail tasting for the grown-ups.

My boys took a ride on the Safari Miniature Train with their Dusty Dollars. A short and very exciting toot-toot tour on a cute miniature train took them looking for wild animals planted in the bush.

They were each given spending money to use in the Games Room to play games and try for prizes, unexpectedly winning too!

Planet Chill and Pamper Palace

We were thrilled to give Planet Chill a whirl. Planet Chill is a cool room with a mini ice rink, disco ball and music to skate to, if you can skate. Don’t worry if you can’t, you can grab the plastic penguins like we did to steady our slippy feet. There’s a number of sessions available costing $10 for a child, $20 for an adult, or it’s free to watch but under fives must be accompanied.

Pamper Palace says it all. Offering various options of braiding from $20 and other sessions to enjoy like Mummy Time Pampering Hand and Nail Treatment, Mummy & Me packages and a Daddy Daughter package coming soon.

Top Tip

Bookings are essential for Pamper Palace and Planet Chill, and activities for a fee
Check out the schedule on your arrival. Highlight the activities your family would like to do. Book the sessions that require bookings and payments. Set reminders so you don’t forget
Coming soon – Dusty’s rock climbing wall and an Adults Area

Kids Club

Kids Rule at Kids Club … and there are two Kids Clubs at Paradise Resort. One for 0-3 years and the other for ages 3-12 years. They also have a teen club session. You can book a morning, 3pm or evening session which are three hours long. Each session has a host of age-appropriate fun activities designed just for kids – pyjama parties, arts n crafts, pedal-powered space buggies and disco nights are just some of the fun to be had. We booked into the 3pm session which the boys couldn’t wait to get to, giving us a child-free break for just a couple of cocktails before dinner!

Top tips

Paradise Resort has a number of packages that include a complimentary Kids Club session when you book direct
You might not realise how much you might need just a few hours to yourself. Think about booking at least one session if you can
You can also book lunch or dinner for the kiddies at the club for an additional cost

Eat & drink

At the Resort you can eat and drink till 9pm at Deb’s Pizza Shack, Jerry’s Burgers and Poolside Café & Bar. Or seat at a breakfast, lunch or dinner session at Penguins Restaurant. Deb’s Pizza Shack makes the best Margarita pizza in town (with ham added for us) – it was that good! The top burger for our family was taken out by the Chicken Burger at Jerry’s. Spaghetti Bolognaise took the winning spot at Penguins Restaurant for our kids’ dinner. Prices varied from $16 for pizza to $12 for the kids’ meals and $20+ for adult meals. We had the continental breakfast included in our package and I let the kids have 500 pastries (they would never normally have) and ordered bacon as an extra. The best cocktails were an Espresso Martini and Lime Mojito, if you’re wondering!

Food is served fast. There’s not much waiting around. But while you’re at dinner the kids loved playing at the soft play jungle gym in the foyer which I could see from the dinner table through the glass wall. I think we all seriously need to consider one of these for home.

Top tips

Mix the continental breakfast with items off the menu
Take advantage of the soft play jungle gym while waiting for food to be served
If you want to take a bottle of wine to your room, some cereal or chocolate, some extra milk for tea, an ice cream, buy a towel or a keepsake, there’s Splashes Boutique with those convenient things

Even more things to do

The tram line can take you to Pacific Fair Mall in Broadbeach where you’ll find all the shops you’re probably wanting if you’re looking to take an extra suitcase home full of shopping!

You can always hire a van or a car for your holiday too. A car park is located at the resort for $20 per space per day. Pile into the people-mover and get to Pacific Fair Mall in 20 minutes for that shopping day, where there are five hours of free parking. Twenty minutes in the other direction gets you to the popular retail outlet, Harbour Town.

Village Roadshow Theme parks – Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet’n’Wild, Paradise Country and Australian Outback Spectacular – are about a 30-minute drive. Or further along, is Dreamworld and WhiteWater World.

But if the family want to play closer to home, ride on carnival rides, and learn about sea creatures and their conservation, Sea World is a short 10 minute drive from Paradise Resort.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is about a 30-minute drive to get up close to some incredible Australian animals and learn about wildlife conservation.

Family-friendly holiday

Paradise Resort Gold Coast is in a great central position to stay and play or get out and enjoy all of what a Gold Coast family holiday has to offer. It’s hands-down a super relaxed family-friendly holiday resort, focused on fun with the kids. Every family was friendly and considerate – we were all there for the same reason with the same chip dropping, drink spilling, super loud, super excited kids.

Top Tip

Be a relaxed friendly-family

Book your stay at Paradise Resort Gold Coast

Our review family was provided with complimentary accommodation, food and beverages, and activities by Paradise Resort Gold Coast for the purpose of the review. Views are those of the reviewer.

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A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree | Book Review

Posted on 21/11/202116/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

It’s been 40 years since the publication of Aotearoa’s iconic Christmas story – A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree. To celebrate the anniversary, Puffins Books has released a new gorgeous hardback gift edition.

On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A pukeko in a ponga tree

We’re all familiar with the story – an Aotearoa twist on the 12 days of Christmas – A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree. To be honest, the original 12 Days of Christmas song grates on me. I’d always hit next on any Christmas playlist that it appears on, but the Aotearoa Christmas story is a whole different bowl of French onion dip and chips … maybe just cause it sounds like home. Pukekos, ponga trees, kumara, kete, grubs, fat pigs, poi and pūhā … when we read (or sing) A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree, our visuals and hearts are most firmly wrapped up warmly in Kiwiana … and who doesn’t want to go home for Christmas?!

This new edition is a very special 40th-anniversary beautiful hardback edition, including play-along music notation and chords, as well as a link to the song video! Our wee whānau has thoroughly enjoyed reading – and hearing for the first time for some of us – A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree and celebrating an Aotearoa Christmas. The illustrations by famed pop artist Dick Frizzell also have an old school feel that have added to the awesome Kiwi nostalgia.

We agree, this very special 40th-anniversary hardback edition is a gift to treasure and deserves a place on every bookshelf!

To get your copy, visit Penguin Books.

Written by the distinguished composer and Māori Language Commissioner, Sir Kingi M. Ihaka, and teamed with iconic illustrations by famed pop artist Dick Frizzell, this story has captivated and entertained children for four generations. It has been performed in concerts, adapted into Christmas plays and even inspired a festive community light show on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge.

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Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes | Book Review

Posted on 20/09/202116/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

The stunning new book, Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes, introduces readers to the pantheon of Māori gods and heroes, and explores Aotearoa’s most exciting legends.

Meet the gods, demigods and heroes of the Māori people of Aotearoa in this breathtaking, large-scale illustrated book for children by award-winning author and illustrator Gavin Bishop.

Before the beginning there was nothing.
No sound, no air, no colour – nothing.
TE KORE, NOTHING.
No one knows how long this nothing lasted because there was no time.
However, in this great nothing there was a sense of waiting.
Something was about to happen.

Explore Aotearoa’s exciting legends from the Creation to the Migration. Fascinating, beautiful and informative, this once-in-a-generation compendium deserves a place on every bookshelf.

Find out more about Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes at Penguin Books.

76 pages long Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes is jam packed FULL with stories of Māori folklore – gods, heroes and legends.

At 7 and 4 years of age my kids still have a very short attention span, so we managed a chapter or a few pages each night of this incredible compendium exploring Aotearoa’s exciting legends from the Creation to the Migration. Each story is rich with detail about our Māori tales so you’re introduced to the story, the characters, the language and the deeper meaning behind some of the most familiar of Māori craft, carving, tā moko and culture. We learn what Tōtara is used for – it’s best for waka among other things, and did you know Kauri gum can be chewed?! We find out which moon is good for catching crayfish and eels – gotta admit, I’ll leave the eels to Koro but count me in for crayfish!

We adventured our way through the pages, the boys entranced by each tale and trying to grasp what information they could, which wasn’t everything, there’s plenty more for them to grasp as they develop. We were introduced to Ranginui and Papatūānuku, why the sky is full of stars and the earth covered in forests. We learned that Tānemahuta has had a lot on his plate! He’s had a hand in creating everything! And we’re only up to page 36!

We’re looking forward to finding so much more. We’re about to read about Hineahuone – the first woman. The birth of Māui and his great deeds. Did you know a woman who is skilled at performing waiata (there are 3 main traditional types) is compared to the goddess Hineruhi “whose dance is the sparkle of light on morning dew”.

My boys, as per usual, are eager with questions and we can’t wait to read the rest!

View Atua: Māori Gods online

Have your children read about the legends of Maori Gods and heroes?

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The Adventures of Mittens | Book Review

Posted on 08/08/202116/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Meet Mittens, Wellington’s world-famous cat-about-town (and his more homebody brother, Latte). Mittens has thousands of followers, a hit song, an exhibition of fan art, and with his exploring paws he brings joy to everyone he meets!

If you haven’t heard of Mittens, he’s the Turkish Angora who caught our attention when, just by being his inquisitive and charming self, his antics cheered up Wellingtonians during the 2020 lockdown. Wellington’s mayor awarded Mittens a Key to the City and HRF (His Royal Floofiness) was even nominated for New Zealander of the Year!

Read the Adventures of Mittens

Now Mittens’ guardian, Silvio Bruinsma, has written this delightful story about Mittens’ adventures around the capital city, and all the lives he touches! Just as delightfully illustrated by Phoebe Morris, our kiddies will enjoy this happy tale of the much loved celebrity cat whose walkabout leaves no corner of the CBD unexplored – every landmark, shop, venue, or event attended (invited or otherwise), roads crossed safely, and every person passed, met and greeted with a smooch!

We relived the delight The Adventures of Mittens has brought us and many others. A heartwarming story reminding us of how the unexpected adventures of a brave and wandering fab feline can positively touch hearts and minds, bringing us comfort and cheer – whether we realise we need it or not!

View The Adventures of Mittens online

Do you follow the adventures of Mittens?

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Moose The Pilot | Book Review

Posted on 17/06/202116/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Set in the world of Puffin the Architect and her friends, the adventures of Moose the Pilot will captivate your little readers – especially fans of flying machines!

Dashing from job to job, Moose the Pilot is a very busy pilot indeed. Never quite finished with one job before another is radioed in!

Rain or shine, or snow, Moose the bush pilot clearly knows how to pilot his plane whatever the weather, doing a number of pick ups and deliveries for all of the animals of his community.

Kiwi has an order of knitted hats to be delivered and Orangutan the Forest Florist needed a box of ribbon. Receiving gifts from his friends at each destination, reshuffling the cargo, and strapping items safely wherever he can find room, Moose lands his plane whatever the terrain and gets the job done!

Moose to the rescue

My little one knew Moose the Pilot instantly from his kindy books and throughly enjoyed Moose’s adventure in the skies delivering parcels, food and folk, with one final adventure interesting him the most – Moose has a rescue! An overnight rescue at that! Moose uses his cargo to stay overnight with his rescue-ees! A campfire, and tent, chocolate fondue and a Sing-along Mega Hits book makes their adventure cosy and fun!

All’s well that ends well of course for Moose the Pilot. This fun, lighthearted read with delightful illustrations by Kimberly Andrews, was a lovely story to read before bed, leaving my little one with big adventurous eyes and lots of questions about planes, delivering parcels by air, and about when our next camping trip will be and all the things we might need for our very own camp-out!

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My Elephant Is Blue | Book Review

Posted on 01/05/202116/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Chatting to our kids about tricky topics like anxiety and sadness can be … tricky. Difficult emotions are not easy to chat about and it can even be hard to detect which principle emotion is at the core of some resulting behaviour.

Books can be a great way to get the conversation going and help to support with advice, empathy and understanding. The book My Elephant is Blue deals with sadness.

Why is my elephant blue?

My Elephant is Blue by Melinda Szymanik and Vasanti Unkais is a sweet hopeful story of a child who’s living life with an elephant perched on their lap, back, chest – what a weight! Elephant is blue and the child wonders if they will ever feel light and free again.

One day an elephant came and sat on my chest.
I found it hard to get up or move around, to breathe or talk.

“I’m Blue,” the elephant said.
“Can you please move, Blue?” I asked.
“I don’t want to move. This is a good spot for me to sit.”
“You’re crushing me,” I said.
“Yet I find you very comfortable,” said Blue.

My Elephant Is Blue deals with being stuck with sadness and without being too deep and heavy itself the book is a light read with colourful illustrations offering understanding and ideas to help live with a blue elephant and perhaps one day, some days and hopefully most days, Blue might just turn Pink … or better yet … Yellow!

Relating to little readers

I read to my just turned 4 year old and just turned 7 year old. Both boys said they loved the book and I knew instantly that neither of them knew just what the blue elephant represented. So I opened a brief, light conversation afterwards. “What do you think the book was about?” I asked. “A Blue Elephant,” said the 4 year old. I didn’t press him any further. The 4 year old wasn’t going any deeper with this so I figured he could continue listening in on the conversation I continued with the 7 year old and he could figure out whatever he figures out from there.

My 7 year old has a weekly therapist to help support him with the effects of numerous mental and behavioural diagnoses he lives with, so I knew this book was going to be beneficial to us – a starting point for talking about emotions (something he doesn’t particularly like to show or discuss). So I continued with the conversation suggesting that books are a great way of talking about tricky topics like sadness and I wondered if perhaps Blue might in fact be sadness.

“So,” the 7 year old said, “Blue isn’t actually a real elephant, it’s a feeling that the kid is carrying around”.

“Yes!” I said.

“And maybe we don’t push it, shove it, or pretend it’s not there, but take it with us to do the things we like to do, take it for walks, do fun stuff, eat our favourite food, and it comes along and maybe will turn pink” he continued.

“Yeah,” I replied, realising just how clever he is. “And sometimes he’ll turn blue, then back to pink, and hopefully yellow most of the time,” I replied and he nodded in agreement. “So what did you think of this book?” I asked.

“Yep, cool!” he said.

And that was that. We had a light conversation about emotion – sadness in this instance. And we saw how we could live with our elephant, and I saw just how clever my boy is. I’m uncertain of what my 4 year old discovered but he declared that he “likes story time” so that’s got to be a good thing too!

Tackling tricky topics with books

If you’d like to get the convo rolling on tricky topics in an effective yet light-hearted way, books are a great way to start that communication. It’s often easier for any of us to talk about a character and their emotions than it is to discuss our own. Kids can also recognise themselves in a character, one which represents their own feelings or place in this world. Or they can discover characters not so relatable but it becomes a great opportunity to learn to empathise and understand others. My Elephant is Blue is an easy and heartfelt step into approaching the tricky topic of sadness infused with the important sense of acceptance and hope throughout.

View My Elephant is Blue online

Have you had to chat about some tricky topics with your children?

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Bluey: Where’s Bluey? | Book Review

Posted on 01/04/202116/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Your kiddies may have already been introduced to Bluey and her family and already be in love with the blue heeler pup – one of the most famous pups in all of Australia!

If not, your kiddies are about to flip head over heels once they meet her and her heeler family; her dad Bandit, her mum Chilli, and four-year-old sister Bingo – and yes, you do need to say Bingo with an Australian accent, it’s just not the same without it!

Bluey loves to play and makes every day an adventure with her family and friends. The preschool series is now airing on TV2 in New Zealand, and streaming on demand if your kids are keen to get to know the k9 family and Bluey’s adventures.

Bluey: Where’s Bluey is a super fun search and find book! 14 colourful pages reflecting Bluey’s adventurous spirit and her daily shenanigans with the loveable characters in her every day life. Your job is to find the listed items amongst each eye catching setting – a ladybug, or a guitar, a tray of sausages, Bingo’s toothbrush, or three little terriers (oh my they are cute), four ponies, Lucky’s Dad, a garden gnome or of course Bluey amongst the various lists.

Search and find fun

If you have an eagle-eyed 6 year old and an eager but still developing his eagle-eyes 4 year old then you might have to orchestrate each hunt! I had one particularly quick item spotter son spotting all the items in super fast time, pointing and shouting “found it!” while the younger sibling was spotting them a milli-smidgen of a second later (once he saw the older sibling pointing at it) shouting “yep there it is!” Or the younger one took to just making stuff up. He’d yell out that he’d found something “the helmet!”, “where?” I’d ask, “in the sky” but it was not in the sky. He would elaborate on his find to tell me that “once I lost my helmet, it flew up into the sky, up to the moon and I cried forever”. Eventually the little one realised he was being out-gunned and had to call it: “Hey I’m here too!” he eventually pleaded for a chance to find the item first. (Oh my that was cute too).

So I had to orchestrate a little order. Rather than “who can find…” instead I selected items for each kid to find, and there’s plenty of additional random easy-to-find items you can slip into the search for the littler ones, which despite my 4 year old reporting to me that we didn’t actually neeeeed to find the banana/dolphin/blue pillow/random item I requested to be found, he was still eager and most satisfied to find them all by himself!

Sharing out the items to find, throwing in some easier random items for the little one to find, and helping the 6 year old restrain himself from pointing them all out first, worked a treat for the siblings both vying to spot the stuff. A few hints here and there helps keep the book flowing and there’s answers at the end to help if you get stuck or to confirm your find was correct!

The boys LOVED this book. Fans of Bluey and Bingo already, they knew the beloved characters and excitedly spotted characters and items from page to page like a game to be won. Bluey: Where’s Bluey is a winner – have fun with this one!

View Bluey: Where’s Bluey online

Do your children love Bluey the Blue Heeler?

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Little Kiwi and the Goodnight Sing-Song | Book Review

Posted on 28/02/202116/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

You probably already know Little Kiwi, the cutest little Kiwi character in the stories written by best-selling author Bob Darroch.

The first of the popular Little Kiwi series of books Little Kiwi is Scared of the Dark was published in 2001 and there’s been a fair few published since. The ones that come to mind for me are Little Kiwi Looks After The Egg and Little Kiwi the Cool Mama. Our Book of the Month for March 2021 is the latest addition to the series, Little Kiwi and the Goodnight Sing-Song.

Little Kiwi is wanting to take a nap, but there seems to be one or two or three pesky noises and numerous reasons getting in the way! How annoying! First pesky challenge – Little Sister! Who would have thought?! Little Sister and her friend are having a sing-song. We might think it’s caaaaute but Little Kiwi is tired and needs a quiet place to sleep! So off he goes and we follow Little Kiwi on his hunt to find a quiet space for his snooze. He finds many places that seem like the perfect spot, but of course they’re not! Birds, bugs, noises and smells, we meet a number of creatures and critters before Little Kiwi finally finds himself … back in his burrow.

Little Kiwi and the Goodnight Sing-Song is like a lullaby before bed. The lift-the-flap story for Little Kiwi fans is written and illustrated as sweet and cute as always. The kiddies will enjoy discovering what’s underneath each flap as Little Kiwi makes his way to bed – a tale we can all relate to! Night, night.

View Little Kiwi and the Goodnight Sing-Song online

What’s your favourite Little Kiwi book?

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Online Producer & Experiences Editor Ronnie is mum to two spirited kids who keep her on her toes. With a love for travel, film, tv, photography and food plus having a keen curiosity means she’ll give almost anything a go, making her and her family up for the task of experiencing.

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Learn to Code for a Wannabe Game Maker Kid | Toy Review

Posted on 17/11/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

The typical gift wishlist from my kids aged 3-7 years is radio controlled cars, more cars, that car and this other car … and some slime. Usually I manage to slip onto “their” wishlist some things that I know they’ll really enjoy because it stimulates their interests, and because I know they’ll really benefit from it. The Osmo Coding Starter Kit is exactly one of those things!

River is six years old and a maths, science, technology, gamer, game-maker, digital kind of kid! He’s the self proclaimed King of the iPad in our family and he’s not far from the truth with that proclamation. Kids these days are so digital savvy and sometimes he can find his way around a tablet and digital games better than I can! Learning to code is a skill I think he’ll really benefit from, especially if he’s going into the business of being a game-maker when he grows up.

I don’t think we’re starting too young – two kids in his class are already doing a streaming course aimed at teaching kids the basics of coding. Osmo claim “Coding Is The Modern Super Power” and I agree it’s a skill for the 21st century and can help kids succeed in an increasingly digital world. The Osmo Coding Starter Kit is the best fit for our family, with our busy schedule. River’s able to play and learn whenever it suits us, and the tangible colourful blocks are a great way for kids to learn especially if your child likes hands-on activities. I think it also helps when they see the code that they’re creating in the physical world play out in their digital adventure.

Learning to code

The Osmo Coding Starter Kit comes with 3 digital games for coding. Coding Awbie – basic concepts, is the perfect starter. Commanding the cute character Awbie along their strawberry and pie munching adventure. Coding Jam – intermediate level, pushes the basic skills are little further into creating your own music by arranging patterns and loops! Then onto Coding Duo – advanced level, where they can put their skills to the test.

River took to the basics of coding quickly and easily thanks to the simple concept and the playful game kept him happily engaged. He delved into his inquisitive mind immediately by figuring out how to take Awbie into directions he didn’t need to go (to those pies over there and that trampoline), how to do things he’s not meant to be doing (jumping in the lake), and figuring out exactly which trees Awbie can in fact jump over – I think it’s the shrubs. Coding Jam blew River’s mind with excitement – making his own music!! He’s still learning how to master the music maker and can’t wait to record and share his songs. I decided to hold off on trialing the advanced level of Coding Duo, as keen as he was to try it, and as confident as I am in him, I also know that perhaps we should walk before we run, especially when he’s the kind of kid to get frustrated or despondent if he can’t do something! This is the great thing about progressive games where early learners can begin with games focused on problem-solving, learn at their own pace and gradually progress up levels to concepts like sequencing and looping as they develop their skills.

You’re going to need:

Internet connection
A compatible iPad or Fire tablet – see what’s compatible
You don’t need to set up an Osmo account in order to play the games. We’re still having difficulty setting an account up for some unknown error, but we could still play, so don’t let that stop you just skip the step
The Osmo Coding Starter Kit – check it out

Coding Starter Kit

Ages 5–10 iPad / Fire Tablet

Transform your tablet into a hands-on coding adventure. Designed for ages 5–10, Coding Starter Kit builds coding skills in progression with 3 hands-on learning games. Watch your child learn to code as they connect colourful blocks of code in the physical world to chart the adventure on their screen.

Coding Awbie

String together commands to guide Awbie on an epic strawbie-munching adventure.

Explore 35+ levels including green forests, spooky caves, jungles, sunny beaches, a snowy mountain, and even a volcano!

Build problem-solving and logic skills while learning the basic concepts of coding!

Coding Jam

Arrange coding blocks in patterns and loops to compose your own music.

Comes with 24 characters and over 300 musical sounds to produce your perfect song.

Kids can safely record and share their music with friends, family and the Jam community.

Coding Duo

Solve advanced side-by-side puzzles solo or with a friend for double the fun and challenge.

Watch our strawbie-loving Awbie and friendly monster Mo work together to overcome brain-stretching challenges.

One player codes for Awbie and the other codes for Mo, collaboration and strategy pave the way to success!

I’d slip the Osmo Coding Starter Kit onto the Christmas Wishlist if you have a kid who’s keen on learning to code. River had loads of fun, playing and creating using the coding blocks to command Awbie on an adventure and make music. The more time spent on the playful games (and learning) the more he will develop his skill set including problem solving, logical thinking, pattern recognition, as well as basic and creative coding. Engaging his inquisitive mind he will no doubt try to discover exactly what’s possible with his coding blocks! He’s off to a great start to make his 6 year old dream (so far) of being a game-maker kid come true!

Has your child shown an interest in coding?

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Amazing Aotearoa Activity Book | Book Review

Posted on 01/10/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Our Puffin Book Club members will remember a previous Puffin Book of the Month 2019, the incredible picture book Wildlife of Aotearoa, spectacularly illustrated and spectacularly full to the brim with exploration of New Zealand and its awesome wildlife. From the same author and author of Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story, Gavin Bishop, comes The Amazing Aotearoa Activity Book – and it’s awesome!

We’re slap bang in the middle of the school holidays so this activity book couldn’t have come at a better time! Based on Gavin’s books this activity book is a place for kids to tell their own story in words and pictures. There’s 60+ games, puzzles and activities in a fun, creative and high-quality activity book.

All about me and my whanau is where the kids get to discover and tell their whakapapa and their whanau including pets! Draw pictures or paste photos as we did, the kids will love learning about their mountain, their river, their waka, themselves.

They’ll fill in the blanks with their knowledge of dinosaurs, colour in, write a story about a god, or create their own story if they were the god of something! My 6 year old particularly liked these activities, he’s always been into dinosaurs and Gods, his superpower would be to be able to run faster than anything on Earth as he would be the God of the Moon. My niece would be a shape shifter as the Goddess of Animals. The 3 year old would have a super ability too – the power of “throwing ducks”. Yes, I have no idea what that entails or why we might need to throw a duck but if we do need to, he’s your God.

Voyage to Aotearoa through a maze, crack the Kia code and the do the Hidden Critters Word Find, discovering the names of creatures and critters of Aotearoa.

Draw an imaginary country, draw its flag and draft a treaty – this was an activity which heeded much discussion amongst the little chiefs. Many drafts were drafted and re-drafted, with many amendments and inclusions with rules, regulations, rights and privileges most certainly stacking the odds in favour of the children of the new nation!

Write a story from an illustration of pakeha visitors to Aotearoa in the early 1800s. Discuss voting or Terrific Transport, how it used to be in the past, and what it could be in the future!

There’s so much packed into this activity book. Just as Wildlife of Aotearoa is spectacularly full to the brim with exploration of New Zealand and its awesome wildlife, The Amazing Aotearoa Activity Book is packed with quizzes, mazes, colouring pages and activities designed to stimulate and educate.

They’ll- learn to introduce themselves in Maori, learn Maori words and about Maori Gods – solve puzzles and crack codes- play games- invent a superhero- draw their future home- make maps- curate a heroes wall of fame- create a menu and much more!

My kids were kept engaged for hours on end and returned to the book time and time again to do another activity or puzzle, or attempt to crack a code, or check the name of the Rainbow God again (Uenuku did you know?). If you have chatter boxes, info sponges, bright sparks and active kids with active imaginations in your family too, every page of this activity book is an opportunity for them to learn, research, discover, be creative, imaginative and engaged. It really is the ideal activity book for creative kids and we’ve been throughly enjoying our time with it. It’s a gorgeously illustrated quality book that I’m sure to be pulling out again to hash over the treaty draft and re-tell their stories!

Do your kids get stuck into hours of fun with activity books?

Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

I Am The Universe | Book Review

Posted on 31/08/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

A delightful illustrated story about our place in the Universe with a billion star rating. From glittering galaxies, to jam packed city streets, from under the sea to the Milky Way this stunning picture book takes you on a tour around the Universe.

The boys had been fighting with sticks which of course ended in tears, so the sticks were confiscated and the boys were plonked on the couch to be read a book. Hardly the most peaceful setting to begin our read but by the end of it, or by page 2, peace had enveloped the room and two boys were riveted.

The colourful illustrations pop from every page of this gorgeous book about the Universe, our solar system, Earth and the abundant life upon it. Capturing the kids attention and keeping it held from beginning to end, the boys were spell bound by every page and delighted in discovering things they didn’t know and excitedly pointing out all the things they did recognise, from Saturn to sea horses, crescent moons to flowing lava, space stations to the fiery sun!

The book travels from the universe, to our galaxy, to our solar system onto our planet, Earth. We discover the Earth’s atmosphere and all the spheres within it. We visit the land and under the sea, the country, the city and the neighbourhood. All full to the brim with life and lively illustrations.

I Am the Universe is a simple read created specially for children aged three years and up by the award-winning author-illustrator Vasanti Unka. My 3 year old was certainly smitten and one of my sweetest discoveries was to watch my 6 year old deciding to tutor his baby brother about all the things they could fine in the book. “What’s this Sailor?” asked River pointing at planet Mercury. “A little rock” replied Sailor. “No, it’s Mercury”. “What’s this?” continued River pointing at Venus. “A bigger rock” answered Sailor. Well he’s not wrong is he? How cute are these answers! He continued calling each planet “a bigger rock” or “big rock” or “spinning rock” but Earth he knew, he knew it was called “Earthshake”. Imagine how cute the universe would be if we had let kids name things! River continued to tell Sailor “Earth, you live here.”

I am the Universe is a delightful and engaging book, with simple explanations about our universe and the wonderful planet, where we live. The bright and brilliant illustrations fired up my kids imaginations and they truly enjoyed making discoveries on every page. Showing each other, and mum, all the things they recognised, and listening intently to hear about things they didn’t. A fun, easy and enchanting read we’ll no doubt be reading before bed again and again!

How often do your kids ask you questions about the moon and the stars and the earth we live on?

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Hound the Detective | Book Review

Posted on 03/08/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Another gorgeous book from the author who both wrote and illustrated award winning book Puffin the Architect, Kimberly Andrews. This time we meet Hound, a brilliant detective who sniffs and solves cases like a k9 Sherlock Holmes.

It’s uncanny how often my kids happen to mention something about something and next minute the Puffin Book of the Month book we receive touches on the very subject. Hound the Detective is yet another example! My 6 year old is obsessed with a YouTube show that’s recently been solving mysteries and riddles with clues, it’s been a source of much entertainment and triggered a clue deciphering passion. This book has coincidently landed in his lap at this time!

Hound is a detective who always solves his case, and we can track right alongside him as his super sleuth sidekicks. Searching for clues hidden in the pictures we can help Hound solve the riddle to a delightful and surprising end.

I’m Hound! And I’m a sleuth.

I solve all types of cases.

I sniff and snuff until my nose

detects the clues and traces.

Missing jewels, stolen cars —

I always solve the crime.

My latest case arrived by post.

Ha ha — detecting time!

The most gorgeous thing about this book is the illustrations which fully capture and engage its audience from 3 years old up to Nanna and Poppa! Each page pops with colour and intrigue. Filled to the brim with possible clues and cues, characters and… maps. The kids eyes darted all over the pages soaking up all that they could see. Over bridges, passing houses, a mansion and stopping at the train station. Lakes and log cabins, villages and shops. Each location on each page my super sleuths wanted to pore over the page spotting all they could find, not just to find the likely clue but to take it all into their big widen eyes! Hiding bear and a baking platypus, suspicious packages and the village map enthralled the gang as they tried to follow Hound’s paw steps and place the clues he’s sniffed out. The elaborate illustrations truely set the scene from beginning to end, and beginning to end again… and again.

The kiddies can help as little or as much as they like, Hound really is a brilliant detective discovering his clues and easily leading the way with his case notes as we read the simple and colourful writing. How much or how little you spend poring the pages is completely up the super sleuth sidekicks!

We thoroughly enjoyed reading Hound the Detective, it’s a visually beautiful book full of intrigue and was a lot of fun for the family to read!

Is your kid keen on solving mysteries?!

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Abigail and the Restless Raindrop | Book Review

Posted on 30/06/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Some of our Puffin Book Club members may remember another BIG question that a curious little girl called Abigail asked last year in our Puffin Book of the Month “Abigail and the Birth of the Sun”. In this book Abigail had a BIG question about our sun. She’s back with another!

We loved Abigail and the Birth of the Sun and its explanation of the birth of the big star, detailed with all the information we want to feed our curiosity and illustrations to spark little (or rather large) imaginations, all in an easily understood beautiful picture book, which has now been chosen as a finalist for best picture book in the NZ Children’s and YA Awards!

Now Abigail is back, with the next big question and this time she asks how the heck does water get in the clouds? Not exactly like that, but that’s the question that I had just recently been asked by two 6 year olds. I thought I knew the answer because I must have been told quite some time ago, but I couldn’t quite remember if I was correct or not. Turns out I was correct, and the answer is now a lot sharper in my knowledge bank.

So “how does the water get in the clouds?” To discover the answer Mummy takes Abigail on a magical adventure, with a tiny drop of lake water. Together they soar into the clouds to discover where raindrops come from, and explore the amazing movement of water around the Earth! Raindrop dreams, floating drops, puffs of steam, flying clouds over mountains and valleys to return to the sparkling lake again. It really is a lovely bedtime story doubling as an introduction to the hydrologic (water) cycle!

Abigail and the Restless Raindrop is again illustrated beautifully giving the kids that visual nudge to imagine exactly what happens on a raindrops journey from drop to cloud to drop again. Our 6 year olds Starling and River were gripped as they went on the adventure with Abigail. Starling connecting with the little girl and her BIG questions, River connecting with BIG questions. The 3 year old Sailor came along on the ride, for the pictures and stories about clouds and rain.

Written in easy but stimulating language both 6 year olds ate up the adventure as we travelled along taking in the life cycle of this little drop of water. Many questions were answered and just as many more were asked. That’s a good sign in my book, that the kids are thinking, and loving it! Sailor the 3 year old still seemed none the wiser but knew for sure the little girl’s name was Abigail.

A sweet, easy and beautiful book before bed, sure to light up eyes and encourage wonderings. Another great BIG question answered, and another great read. We look forward to hearing all bout Abigail’s next BIG question!

What BIG questions do your kids ask?!

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Creative Fun, Ghost Hunts, Car Stunts & Epic Designs | Toy Reviews

Posted on 22/06/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Our Junior Toy Analysts (known as the “SRS SQUAD”) put their kid play to work trialing out a few of the toys available in The Warehouse annual Big Toy Month!

LEGO^®, a family game, and Hot Wheels^® were put to the test, and came out with six thumbs up, that’s two each from our little squad of toy testers!

Meet The SRS SQUAD

starling Age: 6

Favourite colour: Pink

Favourite food:

Chicken nuggets and slushies

Favourite toy: LOL, doll houses, crafts and board games!

Starling

Starlings take to the sky but this Starling is a fish in water, in the pool dipping and diving every chance she gets! Always a keen hand in the kitchen when it comes to baking (not cleaning, just baking). Starling loves to paint, play shops, digital games and board games too… a Pictionary master, and family game night instigator.

river Age: 6

Favourite colour: Purple

Favourite Food:

Pizza and chocolate milk & slushies

Favourite Toy: LEGO, Ryan and Red Titan, cars and toy animals!

River

River loves being in the pool too, till his fingers and toes wrinkle. He’s a do-er & loves to be doing things aaaallll the time! Playing games – both digital and board, playing with Ryan, superhero & Star Wars action figures, toy cars, dinos & animals, toys & sports! Plus being a ninja with some super sharp ninja moves!

Sailor Junior Toy Analyst
Age: 3

Favourite colour: Red

Favourite food:

Hamburgers and ginger-beer

Favourite toy: Dinosaurs, superheroes, Peppa Pig, cars… and jails!

Sailor

Sailor also loves being in the pool, till his fingers and toes wrinkle! He’s a natural musician, jamming with his ukulele! A big fan of dinosaur battles and epic car stunts. He loves being his big brothers side kick, playing digital games, chasing balls, and being a ninja or superhero with some slick moves and a super staunch looking face!

LEGO^® Hidden Side Newbury Subway

LEGO is beloved in our household – an age-old pastime from when we were kids following the instructions to build our fave set or building our own creation, to now as parents of the builder and creators. Some things don’t change. The fun, the creative play, the family bonding. Some things do change, as a parent I now have to hold back when I want to take over the whole build, and now LEGO is digitally interactive!

The LEGO Hidden Side Universe sets are where physical and digital worlds merge in an incredible, single or multiplayer, mixed-reality play experience. We played with The LEGO Hidden Side Newbury Subway set combining the creative play of this LEGO set with an augmented-reality (AR) experience. Talk about combining two of the favourite things to do for this duo – Starling and River! This subway model reveals a ghostly digital world when viewed through a smart device equipped with the free Hidden Side AR app for smart devices.

Being a little younger than the suggested age range didn’t matter for these technically advanced kids. We installed the app and scanned the Newbury Subway model to reveal the digital world. An ever-evolving AR experience set in the fictional town of Newbury, where ghosts haunt people and buildings. Couldn’t get better for a couple of kids always trying to outdo each other with their spooky, ghostly suspicions. Hunting ghosts, exploring and solving mysteries through hands-on LEGO play and the AR app takes LEGO play to another level and the kids were thrilled! With a little help from their teen sibling to get both the set built and AR underway, the six year olds took to the augmented-reality aspect easy-peasy! But their 10 year old cousin Jordy was the maestro who quickly grasped the idea around the ghost hunt. Players can hunt and capture ghosts for later use in the game.

Single or multiplayer modes, the kids get to compete in the action-packed digital world and partake in epic battles against boss ghost, Rat Shaun! The AR play experience is constantly enhanced through new content, ghosts and special events so they’ll be able to play time and time again and never get bored. The LEGO Newbury Subway model itself is another awesome scene for imaginative play with a piece count of 348 including Jack, Parker, and Pete Peterson minifigures, plus a Spencer the dog figure, a possessed-head minifigure and accessories. River and Starling were just as happy playing with the set itself and when this hands-on play interacts with the app it triggers events in the digital world – that’s the kind of next level, mind blown digital play the kids get to enjoy today (what I would call “cool fun”!)

What’s in the box?

The LEGO Hidden Side Newbury Subway AR play set including Jack, Parker, Pete Peterson minifigures, plus a Spencer the dog figure, a possessed-head mini-figure and accessories.

Age Range

8+ (though the slightly younger kids still enjoyed it, with a little help from older family).

We give it …

👍 Thumbs up, especially if you have kids keen on digital AR games.

LEGO^® Minecraft The Panda Nursery

River discovered Minecraft™ via watching something about something on YouTube Kids … it was a long detailed story but those were the main points – he stumbled upon its existence and has been a keen fan of Minecraft ever since!

You can imagine the delight when he got to build LEGO Minecraft The Panda Nursery set! If the LEGO Hidden Side Newbury Subway set combined two of his fave things, then this combined another three – LEGO, Minecraft and Pandas!

This LEGO set brings Minecraft to life where kids get to enjoy hands-on Minecraft fun with the characters they’ve gotten to know in the game! The Panda Nursery has mum panda bringing baby panda to the nursery. Alex is there with pie and an Ocelot. It’s pretty CUTE. The kids built the Minecraft environment themselves including the characters, a hut and rooftop bed for the pandas, and plenty of bamboo to eat. A teeny bit of helped was needed to assemble the pieces following the instructions but no help was required for the imaginative play that followed!

What’s in the box?

The LEGO Minecraft The Panda Nursery play set including two buildable pandas, Alex and Ocelot, plus fish and diamond pickaxe accessory.

Age Range

7+ (with a little bit of help the 6 year old easily managed the build).

We give it …

👍 Thumbs up, especially for Minecraft fans.

Cobra Paw Game

You best be sharp and quick for this game! Requiring “Ninja-like reflexes, sharp recognition skills, and mental fortitude”, this is a game about tile-snatching!

Players take turns to roll the dice featuring six unique symbols, spot the tile with the matching pattern, then snatch it before your opponent does! The first player to snatch up six tiles WINS and bestows great honour to the Grand Shidoshi, Master Meow.

This game was heated because we had many sharp and fast ninjas prepared to give it their all to win! Tiles flew as did hands, arms, and accusations. Who grabbed the tiles first and how did they end up in the plant? Anyway, and thankfully, it was all in good fun! The great thing about this game was we could all get involved. We each took turns rolling the dice, snatching our tiles and, after a burst of energised snatching and accusing, it was all over. Perhaps this isn’t always the case, but this time it was. Plus combining mental agility to recognise symbols quickly and fast reflexes is a fun way to exercise the kids developing mental sharpness and motor skills!

What’s in the box?

The Cobra Paw game Includes 21 tiles, two dice, and instructions (2 to 6 Players).

Age Range

6+ (5 should be ok, with fair opponents).

We give it …

👍 Thumbs up – be prepared for competitive paws.

LEGO^® DOTS Rainbow Jewellery Stand

Starling’s a crafty kind of kid – always happy to pull out tape, glue, and discarded cardboard to DIY some invention, so this LEGO DOTS Rainbow Jewellery Stand was a great choice for her! DOTS™ sets are reusable canvases where kids can explore their love of creative DIY to build and decorate, either following the pattern ideas included or following their own design.

The Rainbow-themed Jewellery stand set has easy to follow instructions to make the stand. All the surfaces can be decorated and there’s five hooks for hanging those special pieces and a tray to hold smaller pieces. An idea sheet offers decorating inspo which Starling followed and then redesigned with her own ideas. I think this will be a common practice – redesigning her designs! You can mix the tiles from any of the other DOTS items so the kids can re-set, re-design, re-theme, re-decorate to their hearts content! It was easy enough to assemble and dismantle so I can see this being a popular little toy to take on sleep overs so the young designers can creatively collaborate!

Another battery-free toy from LEGO that gives kids a fun opportunity to create, problem solve, and build confidence – and it’s practical to boot! Starling thoroughly enjoyed building and designing her LEGO DOTS Rainbow Jewellery Stand and has her little collection of jewellery proudly displayed on her side table.

What’s in the box?

LEGO DOTS Rainbow Jewellery Stand including the stand, DOTS to design, instructions/pattern ideas.

Age Range

6+ (5 would be keen too! Note: it has those small pieces).

We give it …

👍 Thumbs up, perfect for young DIY and design enthusiasts.

Hot Wheels^® Single Basic Cars Range Assorted

Cars, cars, cars! Sailor and River at three and six years old have most definitely not outgrown a love for Hot Wheels cars. I MAY have even bought my dream car recently, the Hot Wheels version, so maybe we never grow out of collecting these toy vehicles!

Did you know that the Hot Wheels line produces a variety of 400 new cars every year?! The toy cars are segmented into 30 different Mini Collections and each collection includes themed vehicles ranging from muscle cars, sports cars, race cars, and trucks, to trending roadsters.

My boys have been playing and collecting with Hot Wheels toy cars ever since they were allowed to! We have a box filled with a massive variety of different vehicles and a carry-tin where they keep the coolest and most favourite cars of their collection. They have a road mat, carpark and looping tracks dedicated to their cars, trucks, motorbikes, and construction vehicles, to perform their everyday tasks of driving – typically at speed. Hours of fun is spent doing epic stunts and competitive challenges between teams!

You can never go wrong gifting Sailor (and River) a new Hot Wheels toy car for his car collection – it’s a “go to” for his pocket money spend or a treat from mum!

What’s in the box?

A 1:64 scale Hot Wheels toy car (each sold separately).

Age Range

All ages! (Watch little wheels with little kids).

We give it …

👍 Thumbs up, because cars, cars, cars!

The toys in this review were provided to Kidspot by The Warehouse.

What’s your kid’s top toy pick?

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Kiwi Baby | Book Review

Posted on 01/06/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

If you’re a parent who has introduced a new sibling to your child or you’re about to, you’ll be aware of the process around this super significant event!

There’s the excitement of an impending sibling, or the disappointment if they were perhaps hoping for a sister but got a brother! The jealousy and ownership of Mum, Dad, their knees, their attention and all the toys in the house, probably. Or maybe you’ll see a generous “sharing is caring” spirit, Mummy’s little helper. Whatever the weather, there are a lot of questions and understandable curiosity around this new tiny human about to join the family.

Will the egg EVER hatch? This is a story for all children eagerly awaiting a new sibling.

‘When Baby wakes up,
will she hop and jump?’
‘Not yet, Kiwi Iti,
these things take time.’

Kiwi Baby is a beautiful book for expectant parents who have a child awaiting their brand new baby brother or sister to miraculously appear from their Mummy’s tummy. Together the family can read the book in preparation for the big day. As your little one’s anticipation and curiosity grows it may well be a book you read repeatedly.

Author Helen Taylor has written and illustrated a number of picture books and is an award-winning children’s book illustrator. Helen’s gentle text and exquisitely detailed illustrations tells the story of the little Kiwi family and their brand new egg holding Kiwi Iti’s baby sister. Will Baby Kiwi hop and jump? Search for worms? Flap her wings? Play with Kiwi Iti? All good questions from a waiting big sister! How will Dad, Kiwi Nui, answer these curious questions seemingly the secret hopes of Kiwi Iti? Gently and patiently.

“The story of Kiwi Baby shows that growing a family takes patience and love, but is oh-so-worth the wait”. For my 6 year old son with a sibling the story was a reminder of when his life changed for the better, for the most part, when his baby brother was born. His “best buddy” I heard him call his brother one sleepy morning. It was the sweetest thing to hear and to recall when on other occasions they’re in the midst of high velocity, high pitched, struggles about something. The little one was taking the story on board, with oo’s and intrigue around “the egg!” I could tell by the look on his face though that a new Kiwi joining the family is not something he’s considering at this stage, the 6 year old niece with no younger siblings was however in-love with the idea of a new sibling as she empathised with Iti’s keen interest in what this baby kiwi will be able to do and when!

It’s awesome to note that Kiwi Baby is also available in te red Maori, Pipi Kiwi.

Ahea RAWA pao ai te hua? This Maori-language story is for all children eagerly awaiting a new sibling.

‘Kia oho a Pipi,
ka pekepeke ia?’
‘E kao, Kiwi Iti,
taria te wa.’

He korero ataahua mo te tatari kia puta, kia tupu te pepi hou. Ma nga tama me nga kotiro nohinohi e tatari ana kia tae mai to muri iho.

In te reo Maori and English, Pipi Kiwi/Kiwi Baby, is a gorgeous story about how our new siblings need time to hatch, time to grow, and all our love.

Have you got a baby Kiwi on the way?

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Why New Caledonia Should Be On Your Family Holiday Bucket List

Posted on 14/05/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

When many think of a South Pacific island holiday, they think of palm trees swaying over white sand beaches and glittering blue waters. This might be idyllic for some, but for those with active kids, it can be hard keeping them occupied!

Introducing: a road trip around New Caledonia! Here’s why it should be on your family holiday bucket list:

It is less than three hours from Auckland, so a quick trip for restless kids
Its main island is only about 400kms long, about an 8-hour drive from north to south
Driving its length reveals lots of places to stop and stay, as well as a range of different landscapes and activities to explore for kids
Its roads are well-paved and easy-to-drive

Importantly, there are options for any length of trip. Even if you’ve got just a few days or a week, you can hit the road and explore. Here are three ideas:

Photo credit: Road trip © Masaaki Hojo NCTPS

Three days – Noumea > Great South

If a few days is all you’ve got, there are plenty of day-long or overnight road trips you can take from Noumea.

Firstly, a little information on Noumea. Noumea is the capital of New Caledonia, and the international airport is located about 45 minutes’ drive from it.

It is packed with things for families to explore, including the Aquarium of the Lagoons, the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, the Maritime Museum, the Port Moselle Market, the Zoological Forest Park and more. It also has a range of hotels that are great for families: including the Hilton Noumea Promenade La Residences, which features self-contained apartments right by Noumea’s main beach, Anse Vata, and Hotel Gondwana, which has a family playroom and an open courtyard for kids to play, all in downtown Noumea.

From Noumea, it’s easy to access the Great South region, which sits south-east of the city and shows off a unique red-soil desert landscape that is very different to the lagoons and buildings of Noumea. The Great South is a playground for adventurous families, and the Blue River Provincial Park is a must-visit. About a 1.5-hour drive from Noumea, there you can enjoy hiking, biking, swimming in a fresh-water river and kayaking through a drowned forest. If you’d like to stay overnight, there are also options for camping nearby, and it’s possible to hire camping gear in Noumea.

Photo credit: Poule de Hienghene © Eric Aubry NCTPS

Five days – Noumea > Bourail

Bourail is located on New Caledonia’s west coast, about a 2.5-hour drive from Noumea. This region is called New Caledonia’s outback, and it’s easy to see why – as you drive up the coast, the landscape changes to golden plains and farmland.

Stop at Sheraton Deva New Caledonia Golf Resort & Spa, where there’s a great pool for kids and a kids’ club, plus a spa and golf course for mum and dad. It also sits right on Poe Beach, which borders part of New Caledonia’s lagoon that’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed and is a perfect spot for little legs to run around! In terms of family-friendly things to do in the area, the hotel sits within a national reserve called Deva Domain, which has great trails for walking, biking and horse riding. In the area, kids can also enjoy snorkelling, taking a glass bottom boat out on the reef, meeting French cowboys and more.

Photo credit: Blue River Park © Terres de Lumiere NCTPS

Seven days – Noumea > Bourail > Hienghène

If you have a little longer, tack on a visit to Hienghène after Bourail. Located in New Caledonia’s north, on the east coast, it has a different landscape to Bourail and opportunities to connect with New Caledonia’s indigenous Kanak people.

To get to Hienghène from Bourail, you’ll cross the middle of New Caledonia’s main island, and its mountain chain – about a 3-hour drive. Once you arrive in Hienghène, the scenery becomes quite leafy and tropical, and there are magnificent views of the lagoon from the region’s iconic cliffs. It’s a great spot for hiking and kayaking.

There are also quite a few Kanak tribes that live around Hienghène, so for a unique experience, visit a local village. It’s possible to take part in a customary gesture, stay overnight in a traditional hut and try a bougna, which is a dish of yams, meat or fish, banana and taro cooked in the ground. It’s a wonderful experience for kids. Note that booking a guide or through tour company is highly recommended as there are many customs in the Kanak culture that are important for visitors to follow. A local guide or a tour company will help you navigate this – check out New Cal Outdoors or Promenade Tours.

Photo credit: Zoological and Forest Park © Terres de Lumiere NCTPS

It’s also important to mention a few tips for road tripping in New Caledonia:

New Caledonians drive on the right-hand side of the road. It’s easy to adjust, just give yourself time!
You can road trip independently, or there are many packages available. Speak to you preferred travel agent for options
Car hire is easy, and you can pick-up a car from the airport when you arrive. But be sure to book in advance, as the number of automatic gear cars available can be limited
If staying less than six months, you only need a valid driver’s license from your home country to drive in New Caledonia – no international driver’s license

For more tips on road tripping in New Caledonia, click here. And for more information visit New Caledonia.

Written for Kidspot by Gti Tourism, Australia

Feature photo credit: Glass bottom boat © S. Ducandas NCTPS

The Midnight Adventures of Ruru and Kiwi | Book Review

Posted on 01/05/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

If you’re familiar with the Edward Lear rhyme The Owl and the Pussycat then this book will be instantly recognisable to you! A delightful Kiwi adaption, if you like, of the famous poem is a Kiwi way to tell a sweet sweet story about creatures in the moonlight.

The awesome thing about a lyrical rhyme and its poetic nature is it allows children to grasp at more abstract thought and language and really explore and exercise their imaginations. Clare Scott imagines Lear’s famous poem taking place in our own backyard. While keeping the style of the poem the story expands as we follow a nocturnal adventure replacing the pussycat and owl with a Kiwi and our small native owl Ruru, a Morepork. Instead of an elopement the duo plan a midnight soiree for their friends in the forest under the midnight moonlight.

The Midnight Adventures of Ruru and Kiwi

There’s a cast of familiar creatures and critters of Aotearoa as they slither, zoom and boom about with a backdrop of Punga, Totara and Kowhai. Invites are dispatched and the Kiwi cast head to a feast of worms, larvae and Manuka honey at the stroke of twelve. The Midnight Adventures of Ruru and Kiwi harks back to the poem throughout as the creatures plan to party party, party, nibble grubs from the tips of their nose, nose, nose and dance by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon.

The illustrations by award winning Amy Haarhoff are muted and moody setting the scene for the midnight feast in the dark of the night. Each page an interesting picture grabbing hold of the 3 year olds imagination and allowing him to engage in the story, and in fact tell his own story alongside this one. The morepork is a bird, and the Kiwi is a Kiwi, he said, but the slinks were snakes till he realised they had hands then they became bugs, “ew yuk, no thank you” he said as if he’s heard that somewhere before. As I read on he kept turning the pages telling his own side story about the weta which was a bug and the lizards that were snakes, then bugs, now lizards, and the moon was not a moon but a light, and the slinks are riding bikes not dancing. Even without fully grasping the poetic adventure unfolding he was fully engrossed in the characters nocturnal activity through the magic of illustration. The 6 year old was enchanted as most 6 year olds are by talking animals, especially ones that are planning midnight parties, making invites and eating feasts of worms and grubs!

The night creatures are introduced to us at the end including the Weta and skinks, Kiwi and Kakapo, Tuatara and Titiwai (Glow-worms) to name a few along with a good bite sized fact. Did you know that the Kauri Snail can grow to more than 7 centimetres in diameter and has a ribbon-like tongue covered with thousands of tiny raspy teeth? Not just a plain snail is our Pupu Rangi.

The Midnight Adventures of Ruru and Kiwi is a quick, sweet read, snuggle up together and be transported to the happening in our forest and to a tale as old as… as old as dancing by the light of the moon.

Do you know the story of the Owl and the Pussycat?

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Understanding and commemorating Anzac Day

Posted on 16/04/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Anzac Day is observed on 25th April each year. It commemorates New Zealanders killed in war and honours returned and serving servicemen and women. There are lots of ways to commemorate Anzac Day.

The Anzac spirit has taught us many things; endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour and mateship. And in these unprecedented times, it’s important we unite together using all of these qualities.

Join a dawn parade or service

Many local communities regularly have a dawn parade (or a later service) for returned and ex-service personnel as well as local community groups like Scouts and the general public. Enquire at your local Returned Services Association (RSA) for details.

If your local RSA is not holding an event or you are unable to attend, you can still take part in Anzac Day commemorations. You may choose to “Stand At Dawn” outside your home or lay a poppy at your local war memorial.

Find out more about Anzac Day commemorations and what you might like to include in your own.

RSA Anzac Day

Anzac activity sheets

Click on any picture below, then print.

Create poppies

Make poppies to decorate your letterbox, fence or window, or to create a wreath.

See how to make a poppy

Anzac baking

Make traditional Anzac biscuits or try one of Kidspot’s Anzac baking recipes.

The ode

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

E kore rātou e kaumātuatia

Pēnei i a tātou kua mahue nei

E kore hoki rātou e ngoikore

Ahakoa pēhea i ngā āhuatanga o te wā I te hekenga atu o te rā

Tae noa ki te aranga mai i te ata

Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou.

Download your own copy here

Catafalque Guard sentry from TE KAHA at Kranji War Cemetery ANZAC Day Dawn Service. Photo credit Nikki Payne

Feature image photo credit The NZ Defence Force

Mental Health Support for You & Your Family

Posted on 03/04/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

We know during this unprecedented time of what’s been seen described as madness, crazy, and a whole new world you may be feeling overwhelmed.

We’ve been hearing how some of you are feeling alone, fearful, anxious, concerned about triggers for depression, PTSD and some feeling deep grief. Sometimes we can manage these thoughts and feelings ourselves when they’re not too overwhelming, some of us have a wee arsenal of skills to use to help us do so, whether it’s self care, talking to a trusted family member or friend, creating positive experiences, mindfulness practice or regulating emotions. Sometimes for some of us it can feel too difficult and too much, or we simply just don’t have that arsenal.

We can all feel these same feelings and think the same thoughts to varying levels, you don’t have to be in a heap on the floor to feel like you need some extra support, or you could be really struggling. Whatever “level” you’re on, know you’re not alone, and some support is available, please reach out.

WHERE TO GET HELP:

1737, Need to talk? – Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor

Depression.org.nz – 0800 111 757 or text 4202

Lifeline – 0800 543 354

Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

Kidsline – 0800 54 37 54 for people up to 18 years old. Open 24/7.

Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz, or find online chat and other support options here.

Rural Support Trust – 0800 787 254

Samaritans – 0800 726 666

What’s Up – 0800 942 8787 (for 5–18 year olds). Phone counselling available Monday-Friday, noon–11pm and weekends, 3pm–11pm. Online chat is available 3pm–10pm daily.

thelowdown.co.nz – Web chat, email chat or free text 5626

Anxiety New Zealand – 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)

Supporting Families in Mental Illness – 0800 732 825.

It’s not OK (Are you OK?): 0800 456 450 : Open 9am-11pm 7 days a week : Community-driven behaviour change campaign to reduce family violence

If it is an emergency or someone is at risk, including yourself, call 111.

See also

Nourishing our Skin with Weleda | Beauty Review

Posted on 02/03/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

When we talked about skin care routines with our beauty testers three things were important to them 1) we want bang for our buck 2) we don’t want it to be a laborious routine 3) natural products please!

We know how easy it is to forget to take care of yourself when there’s so many other things in life that need to be taken care of first! So we took to task to find a skin care range that would be able to tick all those boxes and had our beauty testers trial them out. Weleda is an ethical and sustainable company growing and creating 100% natural, organic herbal medicine and skin care products for over 90 years, often to the same original, authentic recipes that have stood the test of time. Beautiful natural and organic products that help feed your mind, body and soul.

What is Weleda Skin Food?

Skin Food is Weleda’s #1 selling skin care product in NZ “widely used by celebrities and makeup artists around the world”. Included in the Skin Food range is Skin Food, NEW Skin Food Light, a NEW indulgent Skin Food Body Butter and NEW nourishing Skin Food Lip Balm.

Skin Food

The ultimate natural moisturiser for dry, rough skin everywhere. Skin Food is a saviour of dry, rough skin on faces, elbows, hands and feet – wherever you take a lot out of your skin, let Skin Food put it back in.

It really is the ultimate. A refreshing thick moisturiser you can slap all over the rough skin, it easily slides on and sits on the skin for a while absorbing into cracking elbows, hands and feet. Possibly a little too strong sensitive faces we recommend sticking with the rough patches wherever they are to give it the extra nourishment in needs, leaving skin feeling like it’s getting some slow release hydration.

Skin Food Light

A light, quickly-absorbed cream, bringing immediate comfort to dry skin. Your skin feels the loving care of instant moisture, while the light formulation regenerates the skin’s own protective barrier, protecting it from drying out.

Absorbing much more quickly Skin Food Light is the moisturiser you can lather on your face and neck before applying makeup, or applied to hands and skin that can do with a regular hydration boost. Pop in your bag for on the go for whenever your skin is starting to feel that every day dryness. The silky lotion combines organic sunflower oil with natural extracts of calendula, pansy and chamomile helping it glide on to the skin with ease, leaving your skin feeling soft and smelling like you’ve just stepped out of day spa. Yummy mummy! While lighter on the skin you’ll still be getting all the nourishment and care your skin needs.

Skin Food Body Butter

Provides intensive care & nourishment for very dry skin. For when a moment of self-care is needed, this delicate creamy whipped butter melts onto skin leaving it glowy and touchable.

A thick but not oily butter that absorbs nicely into the skin leaving it feel silky smooth. The body butter can be used all over your body and doesn’t take much for your skin to get the full feed and that means a tub can last for quite some time even with daily use! Refreshing and slightly scented your body will love you for this nourishment and repay you with feeling fresh and luxurious, especially during the hot summer months!

Skin Food Lip Balm

Intensively nourishes and moisturises even the driest, chapped lips. Formulated with organic rosemary, calendula, chamomile plus wild pansy, lanolin and beeswax to leave lips feeling soft and supple.

Who doesn’t need a little lip gloss tucked into their pocket at all times?! All year round our lips are exposed to the elements and sometimes are the least cared parts of our body. Use it before bed, after lipstick or as you’re dashing out of the house as a gloss and again after lunch. Absorbing nicely on the lips you can use Weleda’s Skin Food Lip Balm whenever you remember to, slithering onto the smackers making them feel soft, smooth, silky, supple and ready for business!

If your skin is ready for a nourishing hydration, a skin care routine that’s easy and effective, check out the Weleda range where you’ll find the above products and even more to help feed your skin and give it the love it deserves.

What’s your top 3 skin care needs?

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Online Producer & Experiences Editor Ronnie is mum to two spirited kids who keep her on her toes. With a love for travel, film, tv, photography & food and having a keen curiosity means she’ll give almost anything a go, making her and her family up for the experiences job!

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Taking the Lead | Book Review

Posted on 02/03/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Meet Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who hopes the things she’s done will help everyone, especially children, to believe that they can do great things too.

The newest member in the series of Puffin books which celebrate awesome NZer’s “Taking the Lead – How Jacinda Ardern Wowed the World” shares her path to leadership with our own little trailblazers. From her learning to drive in a tractor to her concerns for the welfare of others as a school kid, to volunteering to help with political campaigns, traveling the world as the President of the International Union of Socialist Youth, becoming a member of NZ parliament, then Prime Minister… then a new mum! It’s certainly a storyline that follows the path of a young girl going places to a woman who’s still going, and as we all know, where to is less important as the journey itself and the things we do along the way.

Being the Mum of two boys who without any direction from me naturally gravitate towards what’s considered the typical interests of boys – cars, dinosaurs, dragons, ninjas and garbage trucks, I was quite interested to see how much interest they’d have in reading a story about the current prime Minister of NZ, Jacinda Ardern. One of the boys has just turned 3, and the other is heading towards 6, neither of them have a political persuasion, I’m not even sure if the eldest one even knows the name of our Prime Minister. I do know that the elder one found a glass bottle at the beach last night and dutifully bought it to me to be recycled and just this morning carried a small cockroach out of the house because he didn’t want to hurt it by throwing it out of the window. I went along with this kind gesture not daring to mention that I had in fact killed it about an hour earlier. Sorry. His little brother also oblivious to the cockroach’s death was in fact the child who drove the (dead) cockroach to us in the scoop of a small digger. I’ve concluded that the boys are kids, who aren’t keen to hurt insects, or litter the beach. Is that exclusive to the Green Party? I’ve concluded that we can’t conclude political leanings for kids, with that in mind we read the book and you’ll probably be pleased to learn that this kids book about how Jacinda Ardern wowed the world isn’t political. This is a story of a person who had a passion and got on with it.

Most kids relate to stories which include characters they can relate to, which can be true for my eldest boy, looking for the “boy” or “male” character to connect to, so in this case, alike the Dinosaur Hunter I wasn’t certain how he’d relate to the story. I ought to stop being surprised when he’s fully engaged from beginning to end! He’s growing up and has nearly a year’s worth of school under his belt now and he took great interest in each little anecdote, full of chatter and questions about the girl that would become Prime Minister, a mum and meet the Queen of England!

We follow Jacinda’s path hearing how she went to school with kids who didn’t have the things they ought to, and she wanted to help them. We hear how she volunteered and worked helping many people, like politicians in campaigns and cabinets, worked for human rights and equal opportunities for children with the International Union of Socialist Youth, and helped in a soup kitchen in New York for people without homes or food. We hear about Jacinda being a DJ, meeting Clarke her partner, and also my 6 year olds favourite scene when they seemingly take Paddles the cat on a fishing boat and Neve their baby to the United Nations in New York… when they’re not reading to her at the weekend. Told in bite sized anecdotes and colourful illustrations to keep even the younger one turning the pages.

We can all appreciate the causes for which Jacinda is passionate bout, helping those in need, working hard for human rights, equal opportunities for children, ending poverty, improving women’s working lives, free education and fighting climate change. We can also appreciate the common theme throughout the book about finding your passion, your cause, even if it’s to be a clown, and take and make the best of each step along that path. Even if people laugh, or tell you you’re too girly or can’t be a mum and do your job well, you can just get on with it and maybe one day you might end up with an image of yourself shone on the world’s tallest building like Jacinda, or maybe make a bunch of kids squeal in delight as a clown! Whatever your kids take the lead in, Taking the Lead – How Jacinda Ardern Wowed the World encourages them to believe they can do great things too.

Where does your child take the lead?

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More book reviews

Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

The Art of Balancing Business & Motherhood

Posted on 16/01/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Anaita Sarkar is the founder, owner, creative director, chief party planner, company culture executor and social media maverick for the online retail business based in North Sydney, OLIVIA&Co. The business was set up to offer a unique monogramming service that exists to give women everywhere affordable accessories that they can make their own.

She’s also a mother, a self-proclaimed superwoman, commander of bedtimes and Guinness World Record holder for somehow getting everyone out of the door in one fell swoop when she’s already running late.

We chatted with Anaita about how she relishes the challenge of being able to be the best business person and mother she can, and how she manages the impossible task of both.

Why did you set up Olivia&Co?

I actually started OLIVIA&CO. because of how left out I felt as a child growing up with such a unique name! Being a child of the 80s, I never, ever found my name printed on personalised sticker sets that I could decorate my school books with. I always knew how special personalised accessories can make someone feel and since then, I’ve wanted to give other people the chance to experience that.

Aside from our ability to create truly personalised items, I am proud that we are known for being a completely inclusive brand – we have a huge range of all vegan products and we ship everything using 100% biodegradable and compostable shipping bags. Having an online store minimises our eco footprint.

What are your priorities each day?

Three years in since starting my business, I’ve learned a few cheeky tips along the way which I think all working mums wherever you are based, will find helpful…

Olivia & co

Have a real-talk with yourself!

This tip was originally titled ‘have a real-talk with your partner’, but the truth is, mothers who run their own businesses fall into so many different categories of relationships, circumstances, and situations that focusing on one type of person seems like a cop-out.

No matter who you have or don’t have in your life, have a real-talk with yourself, check-in from time to time, organise your support systems (whether it’s your mother-in-law or your coping mechanisms) and give yourself the best chance to juggle all of this at one time.

Burnout is a real thing, and when you’re working two jobs (being a mother and running your own business) it’s easy to let things, like taking care of yourself, slip through the cracks.

Separate your workspace and your family space

It’s vital to give yourself the mental differentiation between what is work and what is family. When the two start to bleed into one another, it’s easy to lose concentration, become easily distracted, and let the stress from one area of your life affect the others.

When starting your own business, it’s unlikely you’ll be securing your flashy office space within the first month, and it’s more likely you’ll be setting up your social media while wiping sticky caramel off your new white jeans. Give yourself a fighting chance and sort out your workspace, even if it’s a desk that you can pack-up when you’re finished with it; section it off from your normal day to day for a professional approach to your business.

Create a routine for yourself (but make sure it’s adaptable)

Your routine is going to be a saviour on those days where life gets crazy and any sense of normalcy goes out the window. It’s easy to lose track of where you’re at with your work and what needs to be done next when your mind could be packing for school camp between phone calls with your accountant and providing stellar email customer service.

Understand that your child, your business and your life… is your choice

In 2019, there’s still whispers in parenting circles of what’s the ‘right’ way to do things. Maybe it’s a family member, someone from playgroup or even online comments, people will always be picking apart your life (whether you’re a working mother or not), so it’s important to reiterate the point that this is your choice, done your way and no one else’s.

How a balance of work and motherhood looks for one person, will look completely different from yours, and that’s okay. You’re running your own business, one that will be looked back on with admiration by your children – so it’s okay to be flexible with your attention and intentions at times.

If you’re currently balancing (or planning to balance!) running your own business with being a mum, I salute you! It’s not easy. But I can tell you that it’s so worth it. Working on my three babies (my two girls and my business) has honestly been some of the most rewarding years of my life where I’ve been able to bring in income for my family – and make school pick-up every single day!

Anaita Sarkar is an entrepreneur and owner and founder of OLIVIA&CO., an Australian-based personalised accessories online retailer, and HERO Packaging, a 100% Biodegradable and Eco-Friendly packaging shipping solution. With an extensive background in Marketing, and as a Guest Lecturer at Macquarie University, Anaita’s brand philosophy for her companies focuses on customer-centricity and personalising the brand experience at every touchpoint.

Find your perfect personalised gift!

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Article composed with thanks to Olivia & Co.

Ronnie Swainston

Online Producer & Experiences Editor Ronnie is mum to two spirited kids who keep her on her toes. With a love for travel, film, tv, photography & (eating) food keeping her wishing for more time, & having a keen curiosity means she’ll give almost anything a go making her, and her family, up for the job!

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Top Tips To Capture the Moment on your Smartphone this Summer

Posted on 16/01/202016/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Whether you’re a photography wizard or just learning your smartphone has more than one camera, capturing those special family moments is no less important, especially over the summer season which is ripe for worthy snaps!

Bulky cameras or waiting for film to develop to find you’ve missed the action is a thing of the past. With smartphone cameras giving expensive DSLR cameras a run for their money, getting the perfect shot doesn’t need to be complicated. Our friends at OPPO New Zealand share some top tips for getting the best out of your smartphone camera:

All things lighting

For amateur photographers, it’s all about the lighting. It’s the most important contribution to the perfect shot, and so many things can be forgiven in the right light.

For outdoor photography, the magic happens in “golden hour” which is half an hour either side of sunset and sunrise. When it comes to taking photos indoors, it’s always best to try to use natural light where possible and find a catchlight background. A catchlight background is a light source that draws attention towards the eyes, of which can often get lost with other elements in the scene. To get the perfect catchlight, try facing towards the light or reflect the subject of the light, such as from a window – you’ll know when you’ve got it as the eyes will ‘pop’.

For times where the lighting just isn’t there, using a camera with a great night mode feature allows you to capture dark scenes without compromising quality. From city skylines to sunsets, parties or dinner, technology like OPPO’s Ultra Dark Mode allows you to capture the magic of the night with stunning clarity.

All about the angle

When it comes to nabbing the winning shot, the trick is in the angle. Here are a few tips for your back pocket:

Bird’s-eye view. For sweet snaps of your babies and little ones, try getting above the scene with a straight down view. This offers an up close and personal glimpse of them and their features, as the hero of the shot
High vs low shots. Generally the lower you go with your camera angle, the less flattering the photo. Photographs taken from up high are most flattering and are a go-to for the quick family selfies or portraits, where lower down angles can be reserved for making the subject stand out, front and centre
Face to face, or eye-level. These angles give the impression of a personal connection between the subject and the person viewing the image, this angle is great for candid shots
Wide angle lens. Fit the whole family in this year’s holiday group shot! Wide angle camera lenses are great for capturing a wider view, such as a hilly landscape or vast white sandy beach to really take you back to the moment. Most newer phones these days will also come with a panoramic camera mode, which uses a revolving lens to capture a sweeping view and then stitch the images together to make one wide shot.

When the hot shot is out of reach

You won’t always be directly in front of your subject, especially if your child is on stage at their end of year school play! Phones like the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom combine digital and optical zoom introducing a hybrid technology that brings you closer to the world around you in unbelievable quality. Forget about digital zoom; with hybrid zoom you can say goodbye to pixelated long-distance photos forever.

Never miss a moment

This next tip may seem obvious but is well worth a mention because there’s nothing worse than going to take a picture on your phone on a summer holiday adventure and running out of battery – ugh! For the long days, late nights and spontaneous missions, choose an option with maximum battery life – battery in phones vary and some models are equipped to last all-day long. There’s also some very affordable super powered battery packs, like the OPPO 10000mAh Power Bank which lets you charge two devices at the same time.

Plus, if you’re buying a new phone, look out for models that come with a full range editing suite to make it super easy to edit and upload content in real-time on-the-go.

Give it a whirl!

The last tip is really just some good ole Kiwi ingenuity. Like most things, practice makes perfect – take some time out in nature or while you’re watching the kids at the beach to try out your camera modes and features so your snap-ready for the next big moment.

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Article composed with thanks to Oppo

Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Thumbs Up For These Wishlist Toys | Toy Review

Posted on 08/12/201916/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

It’s nearly the most wonderful time of the year! The happ… happiest season of all! The kids jingle belling and everyone telling you to be a good cheer, with much mistletoeing, hearts will be glowing when loved ones a near.. the most wonderful time of the year!

With Christmas in mind we took our chance to trial the top toys for boys and girls for Christmas this year from Vtech and Leap Frog.

river

Meet River one of our Junior Toy Analysts

Age: 5

Favourite reindeer: Rudolph

Favourite things to do: Play with games/toys and play sport

What’s at the top of River’s Christmas wish list:

Switch & Go Dash T-Rex & a bike

Meet Sailor, one of our Junior Toy Analysts

Age: 2

Favourite reindeer: Dancer

Favourite things to do: Swimming and music

What’s at the top of Sailor’s Christmas wish list:

Anything with dinosaurs, dragons or cars

It’s the season when my kids Wishlist that’s been in planning for almost a year comes to crunch time… when a toy finds out if it’s on or off the list!

It can be brutal, watching them decide what toys & wishes end up landing a place on the coveted final draft. Just as we headed into this nail-biting decider of a time the boys were given the job of trialling 3 Vtech and LeapFrog toys. They’ll give a thumbs up if they think these toys are worthy of a place on every kids Wishlist!

Vtech Switch & Go Dash the T-Rex

Best for ages: 3 to 8 Years

Just its name was enough for me to know it was going to get a place on every kids Wishlist. And sure enough it has become Mr 5s special toy, the kind of toy that all the kids want a turn of on a playdate, but good luck if they get one!

What kid doesn’t love a remote-control dinosaur that automatically switches between a T-Rex and racer! Push the switch on the remote or Dash and Dash will transform between the two. This action absolutely lit up the eyes of River when he first saw it, and later again when he introduced Dash to his playdates, their eyes similarly shone with what can only be described as “awesome” written all over their faces, they excitedly gathered around Dash to give him a go. I’m not sure if they got one!

It has an LCD screen which animates Dash the T-Rex with its dashing dino eyes and dino roaring. Customise Dash by choosing from a selection of dinosaur eyes and drivers. Press the buttons on Dash or the remote control and you’ll hear fun phrases, dinosaur facts and great sound effects. River is a sponge for dinosaur information and has been installing the facts to memory and regurgitating them back to me, normally right on bedtime! Kids are so technically advanced so River worked out the remote’s controls and Dash’s buttons easily after trying them all out.

You can adjust the volume on the remote control for quieter play which is handy when you’re hitting the one-hour mark of kid & Dash play. We all know “noisy” toys suddenly end up “broken” when we remove the batteries without the kids knowing! Dash isn’t a “noisy” toy though but if you would like a bit of quiet the kids don’t have to give up playing with Dash.

The batteries that came with the toy were replaced fairly quickly, Dash would turn off spontaneously like he’d run out of puff, but with new good batteries he was rejuvenated and well energised.

River fell in-love and seems like a boy with his pet dino, sitting side by side the two were ready to play together at any time, he’s both proud and protective of his new toy friend and he plays with Dash throughout the day.

Is it on the list? 👍🏽

Switch & Go LCD Crew

Horns the Triceratops

Best for ages: 3 to 8 Years

If Dash had a non-remote-controlled baby this would be it, except a Triceratops! And so baby brother got to trial Horns. In 7 moves it also transforms from racer to dino. At 2.5 years old Sailor needed to be shown how to switch Horns from racer to dino, but once shown and having a memory like an elephant, as kids seem to have, he had it all worked out and could manage to switch from one to the other with ease.

Horns has an LCD screen too with animated eyes and you can choose a driver. Press the talk button to hear fun phrases and learn dinosaur facts in Horn’s own voice, did you know that Triceratops large head is almost half the size of his body! Press the sound button or move Horns to hear dinosaur and car sound effects depending on what form the Switch n Go is in! At 2.5 years Sailor’s not yet at a place where he’s taking in the facts, but he was keen on which driver to choose and chatting back to the driver or dino, so cute. Sailor is all about play, imaginative play, and he’s a passionate player who commits 100% to his own sound effects of any given toy, their talk, their growl, the sound of a fast car, the sound of a crashed smashed dino so he enjoyed hours of imaginative play (and chats) with Horns the Triceratops in his epic play sessions!

Is it on the list? 👍🏽

Learn & Dance Dino

Best for ages: 2 to 5 Years

Sailor first clapped eyes on this bright green dino at the Vtech Christmas toy launch. The dino found a place for himself nestled under Sailor’s arm so I knew the Learn & Dance Dino was going to be well received!

It comes with 9 action plates that customise Dino’s voice, emotions and dancing styles. When you insert one of the 3 red plates into Dino’s back the voice style will change into a dino, cool robot or a fearsome Monster! There are also 3 yellow plates to make Dino happy, angry or sleepy and 3 blue plates that make Dino march, dance to hip-hop or ballet.

Sailor needed to have the finer details of the Learn & Dance dino explained. He realised switching out the plates was possible, this was a game in itself! He also knew he was getting different affects from different plates. Some simple explaining that when he switches the blue plates the music changes, when he switches the yellow plates the dinosaur switches emotions and when he switches the red plates the dino switches character, may or may not have registered for him! It didn’t matter, as he develops he’ll grasp what the plates actually do, meanwhile he switches plates and something different happens, which is awesome enough!

It includes a dino egg to store the plates which he reported was “YAY”. He enjoys all the fun sing-along songs and melodies and is learning colours and shapes as he matches the plates to the same colour and shaped socket.

Is it on the list? 👍🏽

LeapFrog Magical Adventure Globe

Best for ages: 5 – 10 years

This is an educational interactive Globe for ages 5-10 years but really it is a magical adventure globe for the whole family!

The boys 5 & 2 have taken to globes and world maps with great gusto already. From a young age, looking for countries and curious about flags, native animals and languages have always been a keen interest for them both and supported by their learning at school and pre-school. So when this spinning planet Earth was set upon the table, they knew exactly what to do, explore! The Magic Adventures Globe lets young explorers travel the world and see everything in it with a 2.7″ integrated video screen. Using the stylus, the kids can tap on the globe to choose what they’d like to discover & do! Explore the World, do the Travel the World challenge, a Quiz Show, and a Where in the World mystery solving game!

The globe is such an awesome interactive learning globe! The boys enjoyed exploring the world like the fearless adventurers they are. Featuring high-quality BBC videos we were immersed in any country we tapped our stylis on! Exploring Animals, Countries & Capitals, Culture & People, Currency, Flags, Landmarks & Famous Places, World Geography and World Languages, discovering all sorts of stuff!

We could also Travel the world traveling on a plane, train or other transportation in the Around the World game using the knowledge we’d picked up on our explorations to answer questions along the way in an attempt to circle the globe as quickly as possible!

We could test our knowledge with the quiz show game that you can either play (compete fiercely) with a friend or challenge yourself, and we could solve mysteries with the Where in the World game by answering questions and following the clues to discover secret items and locations.

The Around the World game, Quiz show and Where in the World game was a particular obsession for River (and myself just quietly), at 5 years old he’s hungry for facts, learning, understanding and winning! So being given a learning challenge by way of games and quizzes is a sure bet for the best fun!

You can continue to learn by downloading additional expansion packs from their App Centre covering worldly topics like dinosaurs, food, art and music, mythology, global inventions and pioneers (each sold separately).

The Magic Adventures Globe really is magic, it kept the whole family happily occupied… and who knew we were getting an education at the same time!

Is it on the list? 👍🏽

What’s on your kids Christmas wishlist?

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

Top Toys Your Kids Will Love This Christmas

Posted on 30/11/201916/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

T’was the 1st of December when all parents remember Christmas wishlists will start to be written. Avoiding real life fairies and live lions, life sized rockets with loud sirens, we have the Top Toys that will still have kids smitten!

Christmas is a time for… well faith… and family. Spending time with our loved ones, festive cheer, summer barbies, laughing out loud and fabulous food! If we’re lucky, and good, Father Christmas may well visit on Christmas Eve leaving a treasured present under the tree! We have the 2019 Top Toys for kids from Vtech and LeapFrog to help you get your kids wishlist started.

Tech toys that teach while kids are having fun are the perfect combo for parents who want more from their Christmas shopping. Rather than losing interest or breaking it in the first week, these toys are designed to stand the test of time, keeping children intrigued and entertained for years, not just days.

Giving a toy that is designed with education in mind will not only be valuable to the child receiving it but it also means that your hard-earned money is actually going towards something useful.

VTech and LeapFrog share in the fun and laughter that Christmas brings with surprises for all the small children in your life. Recognising how children like to play, combining fun with clever, any of these toys will put smiles on the faces of young kids at every age and stage.

Our Christmas Wishlist toys are available at Farmers and other good outlets, click on the toy’s name for more details and you just might pay LESS with the Farmers sale!

Switch & Go Dash T-Rex

Switch n Go Dash T-Rex

Learn & Dance Dino

learn and dance Dino

Kidigear Walkie Talkies

kidigear walkie talkies

RockIt Twist

leapfrog rockit twist

Crazy Legs Learning Bug

learning bug

Kidizoom Smart Watch D2

kidizoom smartwatch

Toot Toot Drivers Train Set

vtech toot toot drivers set

Magic Adventures Globe

leapfrog magic adventure globe

Switch & Go Dinos Original Crew / Switch & Go Dinos LCD Crew

switch & go Dino originals

Turbo Force Racers

vtech turbo racer

What’s on your kids Christmas wishlist?

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

These Must Have Toys for Christmas | Toy Review

Posted on 27/11/201916/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

It’s nearly the most wonderful time of the year! The happ… happiest season of all! The kids jingle belling and everyone telling you to be a good cheer, with much mistletoeing, hearts will be glowing when loved ones a near.. the most wonderful time of the year!

With Christmas in mind we took our chance to trial the top toys for boys and girls for Christmas this year from Vtech and Leap Frog.

Meet Jaxon, one of our Junior Toy Analysts

Age: 6

Favourite colour: Green

Favourite food: Steak

Favourite things to do:

Jaxon loves to be outside – fishing, swimming, building forts or riding his bike with his best friend next door. If there’s ever an opportunity to dress up he’s also really committed to getting into character!

Vtech Switch n Go Dinos – Torr

Vtech switch and go Dino Jaxon loves anything that he can transform so he was very excited when he got hold of his new dino/car. These clever little guys can be easily manipulated into either a car or a dinosaur, and it makes some very cool sounds in each of its forms. Jax had no trouble figuring out how to switch between the two forms and needed no parental help (although a younger child might need some guidance from mum or dad the first time they try it). He loved the talking features as Torr says some very funny things! You can also press the action button to hear some fun dinosaur facts and sounds and watch as his eyes light up. And when it’s in car form it makes vroom-ing noises so he could drive it around the house and use his imagination to pretend it was driving up ramps and off road before switching into a dinosaur once the driving was done.

He described Torr as “so awesome” and insisted on taking it to school the next day to show off to his friends. Since then, he has played with it almost every day and can recite all the dino facts and the lines that Torr says off by heart. As a parent, often toys that make sounds can drive you a bit crazy after a while but I love that he is actually learning some useful facts about dinosaurs – “Mum did you know that a therizinosaurus only eats plants?”. There is a volume control switch though if you do need to keep noise levels down, but for Jaxon the sounds are very much part of the playing experience so I’m happy to let him run wild with it!

Vtech Kidizoom Smart Watch DX2

Jaxon has been asking for a spy watch this whole year, so he couldn’t believe his luck at getting the chance to try out the Vtech Kidizoon Smart Watch! Although not quite a spy watch, this is pretty much a mini-computer for your wrist with so many clever multimedia features – it has both analogue and digital watch faces on its 1.44-inch screen, an alarm, 0.3-megapixel camera, stop watch and timer, voice recording, pedometer and games.

The first thing Jaxon wanted to try was the games – there are 5 built into the watch, with the option of adding more by downloading extra free content from VTech’s Learning Lodge.

The games aren’t just for fun, they actually have an educational element to them like solving mini logic puzzles. He has to think about a strategy to succeed in the games which helps with his short attention span. It’s really cool to see him trying to work things out by himself – the games are challenging but not too difficult for a 6 year old, so when he does crack one he is so proud of himself. This teaches him not to give up, and that there is always a solution to a problem if you just slow down and take the time to think about it. Good life lessons!

The Monster Catcher game creates an augmented reality gaming experience where you can capture monsters in the real world so this has been hours of fun running around the house and garden on the “hunt”.

The camera is a real hit with him and his friends – they can take selfies or photos of each other and add some cool effects from the Silly Yourself app to create some really fun photos. There is also a video camera so that they can record their adventures and pretend they have their own Youtube channel (which seems to be what all kids want to do these days). They have also been getting great entertainment out of the voice recorder, recording their voices and then overlaying the recordings with the voice changing options included – you can sound like a robot, or add a deep voice effect or slow “snail” effect. Lots of laughter!

We’ve been teaching Jax how to tell the time so the Time Master feature included on this Smart Watch is very helpful and we’ve already noticed how he is improving with his time telling after wearing this watch for the past few weeks.

It’s comfortable to wear and has a safe buckle so shouldn’t be easily lost. It’s quite chunky and looks a little bit big on Jax’s wrist but this does make it easy for him to operate with his other hand. He’s so happy wearing it in fact that he never wants to take it off!

Leap Frog RockIt Twist Handheld Gaming System and RockIt Pets Game Pack

Always up for a game, Jaxon was thrilled to try this gaming system – and I was equally as thrilled because for once he’s not trying to play Angry Birds on the iPad! These games are perfect to help him learn skills including literacy, math, problem-solving and creativity in a really fun and engaging way. There are 12 of them preloaded onto the gaming system across five game play categories, with three levels of difficulty. He loves that you achieve stars each time you progress onto another level with a medal as the big reward if you meet all the targets – he’s constantly striving to earn another star and is so proud of himself when he does!

It’s really easy to operate for little hands with four sides of colourful, light-up controls including buttons, dials, a spinner, slider, switch and D-pad to provide a totally unique way to play exciting games. When he’s playing a game, one of the eight game controls will light up to indicate when each control is needed so he can control it all by himself without any adult help.

What’s really cool about this gaming system is that as Jaxon grows and strengthens his skills, so does the Rockit Twist. You can add an expansion pack to take the challenges to the next level (RockIt Pets Game Pack). We tried Penelope Penguin: Pet Detective which comes in a little egg – inside is virtual RockIt pet called Barkham (which Jax has attached to his school backpack). The idea is that you hatch and grow Barkham from his egg and nurture him into growing big and strong by playing a variety of games – you can even play a game of fetch with him! You just need to plug the USB into your computer and input the activation key to install the game pack onto the RockIt Twist system (mum and dad need to help with this part). Once installed, Jax could go on cases, collect clues and solve mysteries in the Mystery Manor. He has to find clues, identify the culprit and solve the case with a focus on vocabulary, spelling and opposites.

Besides the games, Jax is also really enjoying the other functions like listening to his own music on the built-in MP3 player and getting arty by creating his own pictures using the Maker station.

Since there’s no need for Wi-Fi, kids can play anywhere, which makes this an awesome option if you are travelling with kids. Personally, I like that it gets Jaxon off the iPad where he plays games that aren’t really teaching him anything. My only concern was that he would get frustrated that this is not a touch screen device but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoys using all the dials and buttons to control the gaming centre, which helps with his motor skills too. This is a win in our house!

Has your child recently discovered a new favourite toy?

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If you have a child aged 8 – 15 who would like to be one of our resident toy, book and movie reviewers, fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch next time we need a kid reviewer.

How To Get Your Household Laundry Clean Clean | Dettol Laundry Sanitiser | Review

Posted on 11/11/201916/05/2026 by Ronnie Swainston

Dettol has released an anti-bacterial laundry sanitiser specifically designed for fabrics. Now you know how to get your laundry “clean clean”.

Just when I’m satisfied I’m cleaning the families laundry to a crispy fresh clean I heard that a recent study by AUT revealed that live bacteria is present in the household washing of many New Zealanders.

Urgh.

As a busy working mum I have a lot to do, and whatever I do, if possible, I need to find the easiest and fastest way to do it. Household laundry included. Do I do 3 hour long washes for loads? Never. Do I wash the laundry at 60 degree each wash? No. My laundry process is pretty unscientific. I do short washes for laundry that looks a little dirty, longer washes for laundry that looks more dirty, and the longest washes for laundry that is for sure, dirty. Using a good detergent our laundry turns out crispy fresh clean, I dry it, I fold it, I sniff its clean scent and put it away.

But NOW I know my clean laundry is not clean clean.

Bacteria such as E.coli that cause infections can be left on clothes increasing the risk of re-infection amongst family members. Normal washing, especially at low temperatures does not entirely remove the problem.

The key findings of the AUT study revealed that various live microorganisms, including yeast were detected on over 98% of clean samples*. Less than 3% of respondents reported washing at 60 degrees or higher, the recommended temperature required to kill live bacteria*. 78% of clothes tested straight from the washing machine contained traces of live fecal bacteria*.

Double urgh urgh!

As a mum of two young children all sorts of dirty gets all over everything. We’ve got a kid in nappies, good nappies, but you know even the best of nappies will leak when they must. We’ve got a boy in undies, still learning bathroom etiquette. Let’s just say we do a little soak of some laundry before the wash and leave it there. We get episodes of stomach bugs, soiled sheets get removed for the wash, clean ones placed, towels get laid out incase the sick bowl gets missed, and let’s just leave it there too. We have sweaty sports at the weekend, sweaty socks on a daily basis. I don’t even want to talk about yeast, except to say the word yeast, and leave it at that.

So how as a busy working mum of two am I supposed to efficiently get that dirty washing described clean clean? Free of germs, free of cross-infection, free of live anything, yet not have to do long washes at 60 degrees or higher?

I was handed Dettol Laundry Sanitiser.

Dettol Laundry Sanitiser with Eucalyptus oil removes 99.9% of bacteria such as Staphylococcus and E.coli in the wash, in both hot and cold water.
To avoid washing on high temperatures regularly, Dettol recommends adding a sanitiser to particularly dirty loads.
Dettol Laundry Sanitiser helps break the cycle of re – and cross-infection of laundry. It does not contain bleach, leaves laundry hygienically clean and is ideal for dirty clothes that can harbour germs and increase the risk of cross infection – sweaty sports gear, underwear, socks, work clothes, towels and linen.

Dettol suggest using 60mls in the wash, add it in the fabric softener dispenser, or 60mls in a soak. I washed a load of sheets, a load of towels and a load of clothes, still using my unscientific process of shorter wash, longer wash, longest wash depending on the dirtiness, and always longest for towels. In went the detergent, in went Dettol’s Laundry Sanitiser, away went the washing machine doing its thing and away I went to do something else.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the door was the smell. It smelt clean clean! And so did the washing machine. That fresh “I’ve just sanitised something” smell. Normally we use a very good fragrance free detergent for sensitive skin so the smell of such a clean scent with our washing had been missed! I’m happy to say we’ve had no reactions to the product in our sensitive skinned home too. Was I imagining that the washing even looked cleaner? Possibly. But the peace of mind knowing Dettol Laundry Sanitiser removes 99% of bacteria, made it so. So as I hung the clean washing on the line sniffing its cleanliness proudly it was in fact clean clean!

I make an effort to keep our home as clean, tidy, fresh & heathy as I can, with the time and two hands I have, so I’ll definitely continue to use Dettol Laundry Sanitiser with our household laundry knowing I’m doing an even better job at cleaning our washing, without having to put any extra effort in!

Do you use a sanitiser when washing your household laundry?

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*AUT study (2019) tested on 60 samples of wet clothes straight from a completed standard NZ washing cycle (below 60°C, normal detergent). The number of bacteria will vary under different washing practices (temp, washing duration, types of load) and will be reduced depending on the drying process.

Written by Ronnie Swainston

Favourite place to be: On an adventure

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Aspiring makers! Get started making pro-looking stickers, labels, customised gear, and more, straight out of the box. Plus make small and intricate heat transfer projects easy and safe. Cricut recently unveiled the Cricut Joy Xtra™ and the EasyPress Mini™ Zen Blue in New Zealand.

Cricut Joy Xtra™ features

The Cricut EasyPress Mini Machine

No design experience required.

Cricut will guide you through every step.

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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.

Read the book review from Emmeline and family

Print Ring Ting Tūī colouring pages

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I’m “Mum” to four daughters and there’s quite a big age gap between my eldest 22-year-old and my youngest 9-year-old – my baby! So juggling this busy family and my own business has always been hard to do.

The cruise

Embarkation

The room

The activities

The food

Special occasion

The excursions

The nightlife

Homeward bound

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The Gold Coast has always been one of the top Australian destinations for holidaying Kiwi families. It’s a short three-hour flight away to the white sands of Surfers Paradise where we can slip into shorts and tees and enjoy a relaxing break away under the Queensland sun.

Paradise found!

Accommodation

Fun facilities for all ages

Awesome activities

Extra activities

Planet Chill and Pamper Palace

Kids Club

Eat & drink

Even more things to do

Family-friendly holiday

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It’s been 40 years since the publication of Aotearoa’s iconic Christmas story – A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree. To celebrate the anniversary, Puffins Books has released a new gorgeous hardback gift edition.

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The stunning new book, Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes, introduces readers to the pantheon of Māori gods and heroes, and explores Aotearoa’s most exciting legends.

76 pages long Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes is jam packed FULL with stories of Māori folklore – gods, heroes and legends.

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Read the Adventures of Mittens

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Set in the world of Puffin the Architect and her friends, the adventures of Moose the Pilot will captivate your little readers – especially fans of flying machines!

Moose to the rescue

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Chatting to our kids about tricky topics like anxiety and sadness can be … tricky. Difficult emotions are not easy to chat about and it can even be hard to detect which principle emotion is at the core of some resulting behaviour.

Why is my elephant blue?

Relating to little readers

Tackling tricky topics with books

Bluey: Where’s Bluey? | Book Review

Your kiddies may have already been introduced to Bluey and her family and already be in love with the blue heeler pup – one of the most famous pups in all of Australia!

Search and find fun

You probably already know Little Kiwi, the cutest little Kiwi character in the stories written by best-selling author Bob Darroch.

Written by Ronnie Swainston

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Learning to code

Coding Awbie

Coding Jam

Coding Duo

Written by Ronnie Swainston

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Written by Ronnie Swainston

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A delightful illustrated story about our place in the Universe with a billion star rating. From glittering galaxies, to jam packed city streets, from under the sea to the Milky Way this stunning picture book takes you on a tour around the Universe.

Written by Ronnie Swainston

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Another gorgeous book from the author who both wrote and illustrated award winning book Puffin the Architect, Kimberly Andrews. This time we meet Hound, a brilliant detective who sniffs and solves cases like a k9 Sherlock Holmes.

Written by Ronnie Swainston

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Some of our Puffin Book Club members may remember another BIG question that a curious little girl called Abigail asked last year in our Puffin Book of the Month “Abigail and the Birth of the Sun”. In this book Abigail had a BIG question about our sun. She’s back with another!

Written by Ronnie Swainston

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Our Junior Toy Analysts (known as the “SRS SQUAD”) put their kid play to work trialing out a few of the toys available in The Warehouse annual Big Toy Month!

Meet The SRS SQUAD

Starling

River

Sailor

LEGO® Hidden Side Newbury Subway

What’s in the box?

Age Range

We give it …

LEGO^® Hidden Side Newbury Subway

LEGO^® Minecraft The Panda Nursery

LEGO^® DOTS Rainbow Jewellery Stand

Hot Wheels^® Single Basic Cars Range Assorted