Family, Lifestyle and Childrens Learning Blog, Follow Lily as she learns
Sunday, 14 February 2016
Friday, 12 February 2016
Art Contest Winners
For the last 5 days, Lily and I have been holding an art contest on Facebook and Twitter.
We had some really great entries and it was really hard to choose and unfortunately we could only pick 5 winners!
All Winners are in age order.
This was submitted by Vicky @loopyloovix on Twitter and the artist is 13 months old.
Our second winner drew this wonderful family portrait. We Love how smiley everyone is and how lovely and creative the outfits are. This was submitted by Anna Elizabeth Butcher on Facebook and done by Elsa aged 3.
Our third winner did this amazing pirate ship from using blow paint pens. We love the waves in the ocean. This was submitted by Daniel Coles on Facebook and the artist is 5 year old.
Our forth winner did this very cool rocket castle, we love the use of different materials used and think its very creative. This was submitted by Emma Chester @emmasfabulous on Twitter. The Artist is her son aged 6.
Our final winner did this beautiful landscape. We love all the detail that has gone into the tree with the branches and leaves. This was submitted by Rachel Ringwood @rachelringwood1 on Twitter and the Artist is Daniel aged 11.
Well done to all winners, you have won your child a Mr Maker activity book.
If you didn't win! Don't be sad. We like to reward all efforts and have made you all a special certificate that can be downloaded and printed. To claim this please send me a message on Facebook or Twitter.
Thanks for joining in with #ArtWithLily, we will be having future art contests so please keep following the blog.
Thursday, 11 February 2016
Flying Eye Books Review and Giveaway
Flying Eye Books do a range of lovely illustrated books for the ages of 0 to 14 years. They have recently sent me and Lily 2 lovely books to review and they have kindly let me provide you with the chance to win not one but three books!
The Books I have been sent are called Clap, Clap! by Madalena Matoso and Lets Go Outside by Katja Spitzer.
Lets start with Clap Clap
Clap Clap is a beautiful hardback paper based book that is all about movement and sound. Its a very clever book that doesn't need batteries to create the sounds, instead all you have to do is open and close the book so the pages meet.
This is how it works. As the pages meet it shows the action. For example clapping, when the 2 hands on the pages meet. Then you read out the words to make the sound. Clap, Clap, Clap.
The book teaches children how to relate an action to a sound.
The images are all really bright and bold and the words large and repeated across the page. It also has large numbers in the corners so you can count as you turn the page to see a new action.
The book is aimed at children aged 0-5 and is £9.99.
Lily enjoyed looking in the book at the colourful pages and pointing at the people inside. She loves to clap so for her to see it happen in a book was something new and exciting, I can't wait to start using it more and teaching her new actions.
The second book we have to review is Lets Go Outside.
This book takes you on a learning journey all about the things you can find in the outdoors, such as fruit and vegetables, swings, and hedgehogs.
The book is a hardback paper based book with beautiful illustrations. On each page it shows a bright and colourful image with the word of the image next to it.
This book is great for little hands like Lily's to hold and is perfect for teaching new words and also teaching a child about a subject.
The book is aimed at children 0-3 and is £5.99.
What I love about this book is that it can be used before a trip outdoors, encouraging your child to want to go out and helping your child to understand to look out for these things that can be seen. It can make going outdoors a lot more fun.
You can see more of the range of books Flying Eye Books has to offer here.
Giveaway
If you like the sound of those books reviewed, take a look at these beautiful books that we have to give-away to one lucky winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Books I have been sent are called Clap, Clap! by Madalena Matoso and Lets Go Outside by Katja Spitzer.
Clap Clap is a beautiful hardback paper based book that is all about movement and sound. Its a very clever book that doesn't need batteries to create the sounds, instead all you have to do is open and close the book so the pages meet.
This is how it works. As the pages meet it shows the action. For example clapping, when the 2 hands on the pages meet. Then you read out the words to make the sound. Clap, Clap, Clap.
The book teaches children how to relate an action to a sound.
The images are all really bright and bold and the words large and repeated across the page. It also has large numbers in the corners so you can count as you turn the page to see a new action.
The book is aimed at children aged 0-5 and is £9.99.
Lily enjoyed looking in the book at the colourful pages and pointing at the people inside. She loves to clap so for her to see it happen in a book was something new and exciting, I can't wait to start using it more and teaching her new actions.
The second book we have to review is Lets Go Outside.This book takes you on a learning journey all about the things you can find in the outdoors, such as fruit and vegetables, swings, and hedgehogs.
The book is a hardback paper based book with beautiful illustrations. On each page it shows a bright and colourful image with the word of the image next to it.
This book is great for little hands like Lily's to hold and is perfect for teaching new words and also teaching a child about a subject.
The book is aimed at children 0-3 and is £5.99.
What I love about this book is that it can be used before a trip outdoors, encouraging your child to want to go out and helping your child to understand to look out for these things that can be seen. It can make going outdoors a lot more fun.
You can see more of the range of books Flying Eye Books has to offer here.
Giveaway
If you like the sound of those books reviewed, take a look at these beautiful books that we have to give-away to one lucky winner.
The Wonderful Egg by Dahlov Ipcar
Toby and the Ice Giants by Joe Lillington
One Day on our Blue Planet ...In the Savannah by Ella Bailey
To win, enter on the Rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Terms and Conditions
1 winner will win 3 books
Books to be provided by Flying Eye Books
All incomplete entries will be disqualified
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Lily's Top 10 Books
One of Lily's favourite things is books so here is a list of what I think Lily would consider her current top 10.
10. Busy Railway - Campbell Books
Lily loves this book for the things to pull and slide. It has trains going in and out of the station and barriers that lift up and down. Its quite sturdy so great for little hands and not very easy to rip which is also great for Lily's age. The book is also really colourful so really inviting. This is just one in a series of many pull and slide stories by Campbell books.
9. Spooky Slide and Find - Priddy Books
This book has lots of little windows to slide open and Lily loves to slide them open and reveal what is inside. I think its also the contrasting colours that makes it so appealing to Lily. It also has a cat on the front that looks just like our cat which impresses her. This is a great halloween book though Lily seems to be happy with it at any month.
8. In the Night Garden - Ladybird Books
In the Night Garden is one of Lily's favourite things in general, but she loves this book because it shows a lot of Upsy Daisy in it and she will point to her and get excited. In This story Upsy Daisy is interested in her pretty flowers while Iggle Piggle rides the Ninky Nonk train.
7. Dear Zoo - Rod Campbell
Lily loves asking what things are and its her favourite thing to say. This book you lift the flaps and reveals the animal and Lily Loves asking which animal it is.
6. That's Not my Fox - Usborne Books, Written by Fiona Watt
Lily loves her touchy feel books and has quite a few of the Usborne "Thats not my" ones, but she seems to love this one the most and gets it out more often that the others. She loves stroking the foxes tail and going "Awwwwww".
5. The Tiger who came for Tea - Judith Kerr
I'm really glad that Lily loves this story so much. Its a classic. She will always listen to me read it to her at bedtime and has learnt who daddy is in the story and will point to him and say daddy. The story is nice and calming and so a really nice bedtime story.
4. My Dad - Anthony Browne
This is such a lovely daddy story and we read this most night at the moment. It shows dad being the hero and really good at things. Lily points to the dad in the story and says daddy, which is much to Chris's dislike as he doesn't resemble the character at all. Haha
3. Each Peach Pear Plum
We love reading this story at bedtime. It has such nice rhymes that really keep lily engaged in the story. The story talks about each character and where they are and what they are doing and you can see that in the picture. When I started reading it to her would always point out the characters and now Lily copies and has started pointing to them.
2. Rabbits Nap by Julia Donaldson
Rabbits nap has come close second to foxes socks because Lily has always shown a little more excitement to foxes socks, but they do follow each other closely and she likes them both for the same reasons. In this story Rabbit is trying to nap, but behind the flaps are things happening that keep disturbing her.
1. Foxes Socks by Julia Donaldson
Fox has lost his socks and this story is all about where they could be around the house. You lift the flaps to see if you can find them. Foxes socks is currently our favourite to read together. Lily loves to pull open all the flaps and there are a few things under that she points to and asks what's that? The rhyming in the book is really good and just like each peach pear plum, it keeps her engaged in the story.
10. Busy Railway - Campbell Books
Lily loves this book for the things to pull and slide. It has trains going in and out of the station and barriers that lift up and down. Its quite sturdy so great for little hands and not very easy to rip which is also great for Lily's age. The book is also really colourful so really inviting. This is just one in a series of many pull and slide stories by Campbell books.
9. Spooky Slide and Find - Priddy Books
This book has lots of little windows to slide open and Lily loves to slide them open and reveal what is inside. I think its also the contrasting colours that makes it so appealing to Lily. It also has a cat on the front that looks just like our cat which impresses her. This is a great halloween book though Lily seems to be happy with it at any month.
8. In the Night Garden - Ladybird Books
In the Night Garden is one of Lily's favourite things in general, but she loves this book because it shows a lot of Upsy Daisy in it and she will point to her and get excited. In This story Upsy Daisy is interested in her pretty flowers while Iggle Piggle rides the Ninky Nonk train.
7. Dear Zoo - Rod Campbell
Lily loves asking what things are and its her favourite thing to say. This book you lift the flaps and reveals the animal and Lily Loves asking which animal it is.
6. That's Not my Fox - Usborne Books, Written by Fiona Watt
Lily loves her touchy feel books and has quite a few of the Usborne "Thats not my" ones, but she seems to love this one the most and gets it out more often that the others. She loves stroking the foxes tail and going "Awwwwww".
5. The Tiger who came for Tea - Judith Kerr
I'm really glad that Lily loves this story so much. Its a classic. She will always listen to me read it to her at bedtime and has learnt who daddy is in the story and will point to him and say daddy. The story is nice and calming and so a really nice bedtime story.
4. My Dad - Anthony Browne
This is such a lovely daddy story and we read this most night at the moment. It shows dad being the hero and really good at things. Lily points to the dad in the story and says daddy, which is much to Chris's dislike as he doesn't resemble the character at all. Haha
3. Each Peach Pear Plum
We love reading this story at bedtime. It has such nice rhymes that really keep lily engaged in the story. The story talks about each character and where they are and what they are doing and you can see that in the picture. When I started reading it to her would always point out the characters and now Lily copies and has started pointing to them.
2. Rabbits Nap by Julia Donaldson
Rabbits nap has come close second to foxes socks because Lily has always shown a little more excitement to foxes socks, but they do follow each other closely and she likes them both for the same reasons. In this story Rabbit is trying to nap, but behind the flaps are things happening that keep disturbing her.
1. Foxes Socks by Julia Donaldson
Fox has lost his socks and this story is all about where they could be around the house. You lift the flaps to see if you can find them. Foxes socks is currently our favourite to read together. Lily loves to pull open all the flaps and there are a few things under that she points to and asks what's that? The rhyming in the book is really good and just like each peach pear plum, it keeps her engaged in the story.
Lily's First Time Painting
I have been meaning to do art and painting with Lily for sometime now. So now she is over 1 it is definitely time to start. I decided to do it over two days. Each session didn't last long but we got some nice results.
Day 1
We used coloured paper, red and green coloured paint, and sponges, and placed a plastic splash matt on the floor.
We also had Lily dressed in old clothing and I had wet wipes at the ready in case any got on the floor.
I had to show lily what to do at first, and her first time of holding a sponge she wasn't to keen of the feeling of the paint on her hands. Eventually she got the idea of getting the paint from the bowl it was squeezed into and placing the sponge onto the paper to make a mark.
Here are the results.
Day 2
We used coloured paper, blue and yellow paint, and paintbrushes with thick handles.
Today we only managed to get one picture done before Lily soon lost interest but its a start. I had to dip the paintbrush in the paint, but lily would take the paintbrush from me and swish it on the paper.
Here is today's results.
Lily and her Aquadoodle
We just love the Aquadoodle by Tomy toys. Its a great way for Lily to be able to colour without making a mess and it doesn't matter if she tries to draw on the floors or walls as its only water she is drawing with.
Even better that it just dries clean so she can colour and scribble and draw to her hearts content.
It really helps her practice her drawing and colouring.
We also love these little mini sheets, you colour the white spots and it reveals the colour from underneath, so like you are colouring it yourself. Very magical for children.
Diddy Colours Review and Giveaway
Just before Christmas I decided to buy Lily her first crayons. She had just turned one and started to show a interest in colouring by picking up a pen and brushing it agains't the paper.
I wanted to get her special ones which is why I chose to purchase some winter themed ones from Diddy Colours.
Diddy Colours crayons have over 100 shapes that make the crayons really fun for children. There most recent design is called Happy Dinosaurs.
They are made with high quality 100% non toxic wax, CE certified and are recommended for children aged 3+ or the larger crayons for younger children with adult supervision.
I chose some crayons that were in the shape of a cute little penguin with a winter scarf and hat on. They were recommended to me by Diddy Colours as they were nice and large and easy for Lily to hold.
Lily's tub arrived, they came in such a lovely variety of colours and were nice and thick for lily to get a good grip of them and really good quality.
We got them out straight away and Lily had a really good go at colouring.
The crayons are one of Lily's favourite things now and she would bring them to me on a daily basis for me to open for her to colour. They are lasting really well and you wouldn't know they have been used each day. I would definetly buy her some more in the future.
To see more of Diddy Colours designs please visit the Etsy Page
Does your child enjoy colouring to? I have teamed up with Diddy Colours to give you this wonderful chance to win your very own set of crayons in their new design of Happy Dinosaurs. Along with some paper and colouring books provided by me.
Please enter on the Rafflecopter form below. Good Luck!
Terms and Conditions
1 Winner for both prizes
Crayons to be provided by Diddy Colours
Colouring bundle to be provided by myself
Subject to Uk only
Any incomplete entries will be disqualified
1 Winner for both prizes
Crayons to be provided by Diddy Colours
Colouring bundle to be provided by myself
Subject to Uk only
Any incomplete entries will be disqualified
Check out my other giveaways here - Competitions
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