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Drawing on walls and furniture at the Cartoonito Club launch!
It sounds like every parent’s nightmare but to mark the launch of the Cartoonito Club, children were given the chance to – yes, you heard right – draw on the walls and furniture!
And it was in fact a dream come true for the children attending as they showed off their artistic skills colouring in characters from the channel such as Masha and the Bear, Daisy and Ollie, and Fireman Sam. I’m also proud to admit that I also got in on the action!
My daughter couldn’t get enough of it, while my newly-turned one-year-old boy put pen to paper (or wall) for the first time! I will of course have to explain this is not an activity to be repeated at home…
Famous faces and their offspring were also lining up to get involved and we spotted the likes of Billie Faiers, Tamara Ecclestone, Russell Kane, Vanessa Feltz and Shappi Khorsandi showing off their skills with their little ones.
Dubbed the world’s first living colouring book, the event in London’s Soho marked the launch of the TV channel’s online creativity hub, where fans of the above mentioned shows (as well as many, many more including classics such as Thomas and Friends, and Bob the Builder!) can download colouring in sheets and activities to keep them occupied.
And to be honest, with the long school summer holiday fast approaching this has got to be a gift from heaven, right?
Check out the video below about the day (and look out for my cameo!).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiFB7RPPVJc?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
https://www.cartoonito.co.uk/cartoonito-club
https://www.facebook.com/CartoonitoParentsUK/
Working Mums Must Plan, says Kate Garraway (Tickety Toc Toy Launch)
With the start of the summer holidays, I don’t envy the working mum who has to somehow juggle full-time work with young children looking to be kept animated for seven days each week – luckily, with my little one still at the age of three I can find some comfort in the regular opening hours of the nursery!
And so, the launch of Tickety Toc’s very first toy range could not have come at a better time – and to top it off, taking place in the toy heaven that is Hamleys on Regent Street.
Tommy and Tallulah, stars of the show which screens on both Nick Jr and Channel 5’s Milkshake, were there in all their (bigger than) life-sized glory to greet the VIP testers, who included Denise Van Outen joined by husband Lee Mead and their daughter Betsy.
Other VIPs enjoying a day out with the family included Tamzin Outhwaite, John Sergeant, Laila Rouass, Lauren Crace, Charlie Condou, Shaun Dooley and Luisa Zissman.
The children were all smiles as they joined in with the activities and dancing led by Channel 5’s Milkshake! presenters Kemi and Olivia.
While the obvious point of conversation was the fact that Van Outen and Mead were pictured out together for the first time in months, helping to put to bed rumours of marriage problems – I took the opportunity to chat to TV presenter Kate Garraway and see if she had any tips about the joys of juggling.
Mum to Darcey, seven, and William, three, 45 year old Garraway gave a wry smile when I asked for her words of wisdom.
‘Like alot of parents out there these days I do rely on my own parents – their grandparents – who help to look after the children when I’m working, but when it comes to summer, everyone, even my parents want to take their holidays, so I’d definitely advise people to plan, so no-one gets left in the lurch’.
The Tickety Toc toy range is available from a range of retailers including Argos, Smyths and Amazon and include talking Tommy and Tallulahs, a Clockhouse playset, and a musical Pufferty train, with prices ranging from £6.99 to £30.
New year, new me? Nah, but here’s a review on the new Boots Good Gut range!
I WOULDN’T say I’ve subscribed to the whole ‘new year, new me’ mentality, I’m just working on being even better than usual!
Jokes aside, I’ve been trying out the new Boots Good Gut range which put simply helps to create a ‘healthy gut environment’.
There’s something for everyone in the range – my nine-year-old daughter has happily been taking the Live Bacteria for Kids edition which comes in a chewable strawberry flavoured tablet. And with an added vitamin C boost it’s also good for the immune system (you know these kids pick up everything going at school).
Meanwhile I’m sold on the Live Friendly Bacteria with Skin & Hair Support which comes in a handy size tablet. I’m not great with taking tablets, but I found the size of this one reasonable and not unnecessarily huge like some supplements.
Another plus is that the range is vegan and does not have to be kept in the fridge. So basically, smiles all round #winning.
City Farming in Vauxhall
IT may seem that normal life has been put on hold at the moment.
But when you’re a mum, you still have kids who want to go out to experience new things and explore.
After six months behind closed doors, options may seem limited, but it’s always good to have a look at things which take you outdoors while allowing you and the little ones to stay safe.
We recently enjoyed a trip to Vauxhall City Farm and I was impressed by the measures being taken to ensure social distancing and general post lockdown safety.
The space is small but perfectly formed and the kids absolutely loved the chance to feed the animals. I thought we would be in and out in ten minutes, but I simply could not drag both my three and ten-year-old away.
Entry to the site is free with a voluntary donation and food for the animals is just £1 a bag.
The kids also loved the chance to walk around the farm’s community garden following our own recent endeavours into growing fruit and veg at home.
Staff are constantly communicating to ensure there are only a certain number of visitors inside the farm at any one time, which means that entry numbers are limited and queues can form when busy.
There are also lots of handwashing stations and a one-way system in place to help with social distancing.