FF Play - Winter 2022/23

Play

BOARD GAMES FOR ALL THE FAMILY

EMPOWER KIDS WITH STEAM

ENCOURAGE THEIR IMAGINATION

WHAT IS A BALANCED PLAY DIET?

WIN A FAMILY WEEKEND IN THE WOODS WITH

YOUR GUIDE TO THE LATEST: TOYS, GAMES & PLAY IDEAS FOR KIDS

Too Many Monkeys

Help Primo the Monkey chase away the primate pranksters by flipping and swapping cards in numerical order. Watch out for elephants and giraffes who want to crash the party.

Gubs

Build the mightiest Gub colony! Seek wisdom from The Esteemed Elder or protection from a Toad Rider as you fend off traps, lures and surprising events. Nobody is safe until the final card falls!

Go Nuts for Donuts!

Score points for collecting combinations of tasty treats. Will you go for a stellar cruller or grab a glorious glazed? Choose carefully, if two or more players go for the same donut, you both miss out!

Abandon All Artichokes

A crop of prickly produce has overtaken your vegetable patch! Harvest fresh vegetables, each with special powers. You’ll need luck, strategy and a green thumb to grow a winning hand!

Sushi Go!

The fun pick and pass card game that will leave you hungry for more! Grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by. Gather the most points to declare yourself sushi master!

Trash Pandas

The game of Raucous Raccoons! Paw through the deck to find luscious leftovers. Roll the die to tip over the garbage or raid a rival’s rubbish. Just don’t get too greedy!

Rat-a-Tat Cat

The fun numbers game with cats and a few rats! Get rid of the high cards and go for the low cards. Sneak a peek, draw two or swap cards for an added twist!

Sleeping Queens

The Pancake Queen, the Ladybug Queen and their friends are under a sleeping spell and it’s up to you to wake them!

Sleeping Queens 2

The Kings are in a perilous predicament and the Queens are called to help!

“By trying out lots of different activities, your children have the chance to master a variety of skills. This can be a great way for your children to build their resilience and become confident in tackling new challenges.”

Dr Amanda Gummer, founder of the Good Play Guide

ONE OF THE BEST LOVED FAIRY TALES IS BACK: THE PINOCCHIO WE ALWAYS DREAMED TO HAVE AS A FRIEND.

The new Pinocchio by Iginio Straffi and Rainbow draws us into a humorous world of adventures, discoveries, and magic, with a modern and hilarious twist. Collodi’s great classic is reimagined for today with 26 episodes produced in high-quality CGI animation, mixing great emotions, action, comedy, and timeless values, bringing together all the elements that make Pinocchio timeless.

THE STORY

Pinocchio is a puppet with a unique personality, an irresistible rascal showing us the world through his eyes together with a team of little heroes from Geppetto’s Shop of Wonders – a bunch of friends always ready to face a new challenge!

The brave pirate doll Freeda is Pinocchio’s inseparable companion. The outside world that Pinocchio and Freeda like so much, however, frightens the fearful and grumpy Talking Cricket, appointed by the Fairy with Turquoise Hair to always keep an eye on them. Cricket regularly tries to convince Pinocchio not to leave the shop, but he ignores this wise advice and often ends up in trouble!

With Freeda and the Talking Cricket alongside him, our puppet hero will visit incredible places, from the Magic Woods to the ocean, meeting old, new, good, and bad friends... like the Cat and the Fox, the two legendary scoundrels constantly busy causing trouble in town!

GET TO KNOW THE CHARACTERS!

GET TO KNOW THE CHARACTERS!

PINOCCHIO

Lively, curious, a bit reckless, Pinocchio sometimes tells little lies which he believes are for good reason. Too bad his nose always stretches as soon as he tells one, and Pinocchio eventually tells the truth – always! Our little hero wants to explore the vast world beyond the threshold of Geppetto’s Shop, fascinated by all the things he can discover. He loves adventure and dreams of becoming a real boy. He knows hard work awaits him if he wants to make his wish come true, but despite his mischief, Talking Cricket and the Fairy are there to help him! Step by step, between adventures and mishaps, victories and setbacks, Pinocchio always knows how to get by through being cheerful.

THE TALKING CRICKET

The Talking Cricket is not a toy, but a real cricket charged by the Fairy with Turquoise Hair to keep an eye on Pinocchio and his friends during her absence. Comically fearful and apprehensive, terrified of the outside world that Pinocchio likes so much, the grumpy Cricket follows the two protagonists in their daily adventures.

THE FAIRY WITH TURQUOISE HAIR

Bizarre and surprising, the Fairy with Turquoise Hair is a magical creature with a great passion for shoes, regularly entrusting missions to Pinocchio: The Fairy has too many requests to fulfil and cannot do everything alone. She lives with her beloved dog Medoro and her housekeeper, Agnese, in a mysterious house in the Magic Woods, that can be reached only if the Fairy wishes. She is the magical guide of the protagonists, and from time to time she also gives school lessons to Pinocchio and Freeda.

CANDLEWICK

Candlewick is a young boy who always tells stories. He is not a bad child, but he does everything he can to be accepted by his classmates... and he does it the wrong way by trying to stand out. Undisciplined, his attitude hides a fragile and insecure personality. Pinocchio is a true friend to him, even though he is not the ideal adventure companion for Pinocchio... when the two friends are together, trouble is always around the corner! Candlewick loves being with Pinocchio and could follow him anywhere.

FREEDA

The brave pirate doll Freeda is Pinocchio’s inseparable companion. Wild and fearless, Freeda is always ready to set sail. When things seem impossible to solve, Freeda’s intuition always comes into play and the doll finds a solution to make things right. Freeda is the daughter of a famous pirate, Captain Sweetbeard, and dreams of becoming a valiant pirate like him. Cheerful, impertinent, and self-confident, she has a unique talent for solving problems and this makes her the ideal counterpart for Pinocchio, helping the puppet act like a true hero.

PAPA GEPPETTO

Geppetto is a bit of a craftsman, a bit of an inventor, a bit of a visionary weirdo, and he runs his Shop of Wonders by himself. Here, old objects become new again and things never seen before come to life.Pinocchio, the Cricket and Freeda are Geppetto’s best friends, and he spends his days sharing joys and worries with them.

THE CAT AND THE FOX

The Cat and the Fox are a couple of rascals who live for the day, convinced they will move in a world populated by chickens to pluck. The Cat and the Fox are ambitious but lazy adventurers, dreaming of a comfortable but idle life, with riches and no work. This drives them in a continuous, feverish search for an easy bargain, a naive person to rob or better yet, a treasure to recover.

AGNESE

Tending the home of the Fairy with Turquoise Hair is the housekeeper Agnese, a large snail of undefinable age. Agnese is unpredictable, she is slow only when she feels like it. The Fairy values her opinion: indeed, Agnese has a keen eye and a strong intuition and knows how to properly assess the people she meets.

STRONGER MAGNETS FOOD GRADE NON-TOXIC

UNIQUE BEVEL DESIGN RIVETS FOR EXTRA SAFETY

The toy manufacturer Schleich has set itself the goal of producing its toys in a more sustainable way. “We strive to use only sustainable materials. As a first step, by the end of 2027 all our figurines will be recyclable or biodegradable. Also, we are working hard at finding recycled or bio-based material for the future production of our toys”, explains Schleich CEO Dirk Engehausen. In addition to that and to ensure resources are reused over and over again, Schleich is optimizing and certifying its products and packaging in accordance with the Cradle to Cradle® circular economy principles by the end of 2027. This means, among other factors, that Schleich figurines are recycled without loss of material quality. The first measurable successes are already visible in the reduction of plastics in packaging. The holistic sustainability strategy also focuses on getting children excited about nature and animals through free play.

hard at finding recycled or bio-based material for the future production of our toys. And we optimize and certify our figurines in accordance with the Cradle to Cradle® circular economy principles by end of 2027. This means that Schleich figurines are given back into the product cycle at the end of their lives, so that a Schleich lion ideally can become a new Schleich lion with the same high-quality material or a dinosaur, a horse, a zebra that make children’s eyes light up.

From lions to rabbits to dinosaurs, Schleich figurines have been a constant part of childhood for more than 85 years. Passed down from generation to generation, they naturally contribute to sustainable play all over the world. But that’s not enough for us!

We strive to use only sustainable materials. As a first step, by the end of 2027 all our figurines will be recyclable or biodegradable. Also, we are working

But for us, sustainability doesn’t stop with the materials of our toys: We are changing our packaging so that it uses less material and replacing plastic elements with cardboard. We’re working on regionalising our production to shorten supply chains. And we are improving the social and environmental impact of our production and supply chain.

www.schleich-s.com/en/GB/sustainability

“We strive to use only sustainable materials“

Within five years, Schleich figurines will be recyclable or biodegradable

Bringingstories, ideas and adventure to life through board gaming

Why is playing board games so good for you and your family? We find out with Hachette Boardgames UK.

At Hachette Boardgames

UK, our mission is to share our passion for playing games and help bring it to homes, schools and families across the country. We want players of all ages to enjoy the experience of discovering new worlds and ideas, and promoting active imagination.

Working closely within our global group, we continually seek to find the best-designed games that are not just fun to play and exciting to share, but also have an educational value at their core that can enhance learning in both the classroom and at home. We work with a dedicated team of educational specialists who help to ensure that the games we create and share have pedagogical benefits for parents and teachers who help promote play with children.

We believe that it is important to allow little minds to remain curious and active through experienced play with logic-based puzzles such as Katamino Family. This game is a favourite in our schools-based games groups, with the ever-evolving wooden puzzle pieces and board encourage spatial awareness, pattern recognition and builds upon good dexterity skills.

Affordable and portable

We also strive to make sure that great games are not just affordable at every cost price, but also transportable. Our range of small pocket-sized educational games such as Specific (a gorgeous wildlife-themed roll & play game) allow for games to be brought anywhere from the classroom, playground or even to social gatherings. That is why titles such as Difference Junior and Imagidice are firm favourites. Regular play of these titles, designed in association with our in-house educational specialists, can help boost memory recall and supercharge learning –

and are proven to enhance communication confidence.

Our mission is to promote the games as a socially interactive pastime and while we know the positive educational benefits that technology can play for learning, there is nothing better than the fun and laughter that comes from the shared experience of playing a small compact game together with little ones!

Indoor family fun

This winter, we can think of nothing better than families gathering and sharing their time with one another, enjoying games that are not just incredibly fun, but also beneficial to the younger players. Spending time as a family is about creating memories and sharing stories, and Imagidice is an incredibly powerful tool for helping storytelling as a group. You can roll the dice and create fantastic tales using the icons that land face up or even, as we do in classrooms, hand one dice to each player and that then becomes their very own storytelling tool to help create laughs aplenty. The sillier the better – just let your imaginations run wild!

For more information on Hachette Board Games UK, visit: hachetteboardgames.co.uk

What is the balanced play diet?

Child development expert and founder of the Good Play Guide, Dr Amanda Gummer, explains why children need a healthy balance of different types of play and how parents can support this.

Moderation in everything might sound like a boring old mantra and something that your parents used to say, but in the same way that nutrition is about balancing the food groups, a healthy, balanced play diet is about balancing different types of play activities.

The Balanced Play Diet is a practical approach that parents can use to help guide the activities that they encourage their children to do, and can help them to resist the pester power that parents tell us they find so difficult to handle.

The importance of balanced play for healthy minds and bodies

Every parent wants their children to be happy. But it can be a challenge when you’re busy juggling school, after-school clubs, work and more. The balanced play pyramid offers a simple solution to help your child succeed in school, make friends and be fit and healthy.

What does your children’s play ‘diet’ look like right now?

On a sheet of paper, draw a circle. Then add the following activities to create a pie chart that shows the proportion of time your child spends on each one in their free time, during a typical week.

Active, imaginative, free play (e.g. at the playground)

Team games (e.g. sports)

Board and card games

Construction (e.g. LEGO)

Reading

Creative play (e.g. art, music)

Educational play (including digital)

Quiet or solitary play (e.g. puzzles)

Passive screen time (e.g. TV, video games)

If you find that ‘passive screen time’ takes up a huge chunk of your pie chart, you’re not alone. Research shows that children can spend more than three hours a day watching video content across videosharing platforms, live streaming, TV and on-demand.

Children need a varied play ‘diet’ to feed their mind

You might also find that your children aren’t doing some of the activities on that list at all. This may mean that they’re missing out on opportunities to learn and grow. Play is like food for a child’s brain – they need a varied play ‘diet’ to feed their mind.

Five benefits of a balanced approach to play

1 Manage your children’s screen time. You wouldn’t want your children filling up on junk food and then having no room left for fruit and veg. In a similar way, filling their time up with lots of different types of play can help to reduce the time children spend staring at a screen.

2 Improve your children’s performance in school. Play develops all sorts of skills that are important for being a motivated learner. For example, puzzles can help improve concentration, creative play can support divergent thinking, and construction encourages independent problem-solving.

3 Boost your children’s confidence. By trying out lots of different activities, your children have the chance to master a variety of skills. This can be a great way for your children to build their resilience and become confident in tackling new challenges.

4 Help your children make friends. Playing with a range of playmates – friends, siblings, parents and grandparents –is a great way for children to develop the social skills needed to build good friendships. Team games are ideal for learning how to work together, while board and card games can help children learn how to manage their emotions and negotiate.

5 Give your children more energy and focus. Active, imaginative, free play is like the superfood of the balanced play pyramid, so it’s difficult to get too much of it. It gives children a chance to blow off some steam and get plenty of exercise.

Play is also the answer to good mental health and well-being. If you play, especially from an early age, and follow a balanced play approach this can help you to develop a wide range of skills. All of which are crucial in contributing to positive, mental health. It is important to play and develop these skills early on because as you grow up, these skills will become more sophisticated and enhanced to the point where they act as a buffer later on in life during times of stress and difficulty.

How to get a balanced approach to play

Essentially, it’s about getting a balance of play, not how many minutes or hours children are actually doing. It’s the type of play and the share of leisure time it takes up that is more important. You can include after-school clubs and school break times in this too, as well as evenings and weekends. A useful guide to follow is the balanced play pyramid (see left). Using this, your children get plenty of active, imaginative, free play and can enjoy passive screen time in moderation.

Play is also the answer to good mental health and well-being

One of the simplest ways to encourage balanced play is by making sure your children have a good variety of toys, apps and games available to them. Take a look at what you have at the moment and see if there are any gaps. You can use this to help guide family and friends when choosing birthday and Christmas presents, so your children can get a wide selection that meets their needs.

Children don’t need lots of toys, just a few carefully selected ones. It can help to do your research before buying toys, apps or games for children to make sure they’re going to get maximum benefit from it. The Good Toy Guide ( goodplayguide.com/ good-toy-guide/) is a useful resource for this, simply use the ‘By Type’ filter to find what you need.

Playing is great for parents too Conclusion

By developing a balanced approach to play and creating healthy habits as the norm, you are able to treat your children occasionally and not feel bad at times when they have more screen time than intended. Of course, allowing children to sit in front of the computer or TV for hours on end isn’t healthy, but the benefits of giving the children some downtime in front

of the TV, where they’re not making a mess and give a harangued parent a few minutes to regroup far outweighs any negative effects the TV has.

Here are a few final tips for balancing your children’s playtime: Balance inside and outside activity, and choose toys that can be used indoors for active play even when the children can’t go outdoors

Mix and match playmates so your children can benefit from playing with older children, younger children and adults

Playing is great for parents too and gives the whole family a chance to laugh, relax and build relationships together

Avoid forbidding screen time or tech play; engage with it, but try not to use it as a babysitter

Remember that not all screen time is passive – there are lots of games and apps that allow children to chat with friends, be creative, solve puzzles, learn dance routines and more – these all count towards the other sections of the play pyramid.

The Good Play Guide ( goodplayguide.com) is your one-stop for all things ‘play’. Find the perfect products for your children with our independent experts’ reviews, get advice on how to help your children thrive and see how play can benefit the whole family.

Game on!

Hannah Mason, assistant brand manager at Coiledspring, looks at some new release board games and puzzles to warm up the family this winter.

The weather outside is frightful, but board game nights are so delightful. Winter is the perfect time to gather around the table and discover some brilliant, brand-new board games that are great for the whole family. Warm up your brain this winter and switch on your (friendly) competitiveness; these games and puzzles are sure to brighten up your tabletop and create a little fun over the chilly season.

Exciting new release board games

Mada - Travel over to Madagascar in the card game Mada to explore the island teaming with lemurs and scorpions. This game is a perfect prickly surprise.

Anomia 2.0 - Get the party started with the brainbusting Anomia 2.0. A sequel to the bestselling Anomia featuring brand new category cards. Take turns at revealing cards and when the symbols match, be the first to name an example of the category on your opponent’s card. A tongue-twisting challenge where common knowledge becomes uncommonly fun.

Wonder Woods - Calling all mushroom fans, grab your basket and wander through the Wonder Woods in search of wild mushroom patches. Pick the best ones and add them to your stash, each are worth a secret number of points. Add the most points to your basket to win. From the forest to Potion House, rummage through the attic of the witches’ house armed with your recipe book and wand, searching for ingredients to brew the best potion.

are uniquely designed for kids in a fun, energising way. Take to the outer space waves in Cosmic Race, as you zoom through the solar system, making sure you avoid the obstacles. Adventure to the pyramids of Egypt to discover the gods hidden in the pyramid in Hâpy Families. The barnyard bazaar, the animals are revving up to start the race. Play the right animal cards at the right time to beat your opponents to the finish line in Farm and Furious.

Kids can dive deep into the ocean and explore the colours of Tentacolor, using their creative minds to connect the tentacles of the mysterious sea creature. LOKI games are kid-friendly, adult-friendly, and super compact. These games are sure to keep little hands busy over the winter months.

Toko Island - Your adventures begin with Toko Island. In this memory game, work together turning over tiles to discover buried ancient treasures. Make your own cabinet of curiosities!

Klondice - Winter is raging in the world of Klondice. It’s a gold rush in the snowy alpines and the race is on to collect the most gold. Roll the golden dice down the tower and create combinations to prospect the gold. Be careful you don’t set up your opponents to claim the riches, leaving you out in the cold.

More for mini gamers

Get the kids involved and keep their brains active and busy. LOKI games

Winter warmers for the whole family

Are your outdoor plans put on hold? Fear not! Bring the fun indoors with these Gamewright family games. The delicious Go Nuts for Donuts sees you scoring points for combinations of tasty treats you collect. This card game is perfect to pair with a box of your favourite donut snacks! Gubs has you collecting and stealing fairy-tale Gub cards. If you have the most Gubs at the end, you are the winner, but the trick is to make sure your pesky opponents don’t steal your points.

Coiledspring Games (coiledspring. co.uk) is the UK’s exclusive distributor of the best board games, puzzles and jigsaws.

Your toy, your passion

Kidzbuzz explores how the biggest joy from playing with toys comes from children’s imagination and creativity.

We all know how toys add flavour to life. How toys bring wonderful opportunities. How toys give excitement to your child. Well, that is all possible with Kidzbuzz. Our toys create a safe and healthy environment for your child to play in, bringing smiles and joy. We have focussed on toys based around different ages, allowing everyone to have their favourite toys. Fun, excitement and love are our main priorities at Kidzbuzz.

Has your child ever wanted to zoom off into another world? Well, they can

with our collection of RC vehicles. They can drive along endless roads filled with opportunities and adventures. That is all possible with the fully-functional RC double-decker bus. This new hightech bus will help your child develop their creativity by creating wonderful, amazing scenarios helping their imagination grow.

Fun, excitement and love are our main priority

Or you can aim for our BB Bullet Guns, which are perfect for soldiers ready for action. Available in a variety of colours, these guns will create a safe warzone for your kids to play in. These weapons will help your kids to keep active and on their feet, developing their skills and senses.

Speaking of being active, your kids can race on the new edition Huffy bikes. Available in assorted colours and patterns, these bikes will keep your child safe while they have fun feeling the wind on their face. These bikes come for all ages and have an adjustable seat so the bike will grow with your child. These bikes come in assorted styles giving your child the biggest selection possible. From superheroes to Barbies. We have it at Kidzbuzz.

We have a vast variety of toys including a huge extended line of dolls. The most popular toys since the 15th century, dolls are an ideal addition to a child’s toybox. From action figures to pretty princesses, our company has it all. Let your child have the most durable and functional dolls that are aesthetically pleasing letting your child’s imagination run wild. Having tea parties or slumber parties. The ideas are limitless.

Kidzbuzz also provides toys for younger kids. Toys should be for everyone and that is expressed in our company with our 5-in-1 wooden activity block. This block helps develops your children’s senses, creating an understanding of their environment. This activity toy is not only a toy; it can be used for educational purposes as it helps develop skills and understanding of atmosphere for little ones.

Kidzbuzz has more than 5,000 products waiting for you at Kidzbuzz.co.uk . We warmly welcome you to our land of toys that brings smiles across the world. Always remember – your toy, your passion.

A history of bringingfamilies together

Tactic Games has been in the business of creating happy moments of togetherness and shared family joy since 1967. Over the last couple of years, as we all learned to live through the Covid lockdowns, this ethos has been more relevant than ever. Board games bring people together, make us laugh and help us learn new things about the world.

Alias

One of Tactic’s most famous board games is the classic word explanation game Alias. For more than 30 years, Alias has been part of family life in Tactic’s home country of Finland and the game is also incredibly popular around the world. Alias is a game that travels from generation to generation. Adults play it with their friends, as well as with their children, children and teenagers play it together and grandparents happily play it with their grandchildren. There is a Junior version for children aged five and above and then Original Alias is designed for 10-year-olds and over, so all members

of the family can join in the guessing challenge and be entertained at the same time.

Learning the Finnish way

Board games such as Alias are also a great way to fuel children’s natural curiosity and expand their vocabulary. Introducing games into family life as early as possible will help grow a child’s confidence and develop their social and cognitive skills. Identifying the need for more preschool learning games, Tactic launched a new series of educational games called Let’s Learn in 2021. Finland is famous for top-class education and the Let’s Learn collection has been developed in partnership with Finnish teachers. It invites children as young as three to learn about shapes, colours, numbers, letters and nature. The Children of the World board game has also been praised by parents for teaching children about different cultures. Players collect stamps for their passport as they move around the board and it opens their eyes to a world that is waiting to be explored now that foreign travel is once again allowed.

Wonders Of The World

Even before the pandemic hit, board games were experiencing a renaissance. During the lockdowns, they became a lifeline that kept both children and adults together and engaged. Playing games helped keep a sense of socialising alive and certainly made a difference to those families struggling with the pressures of home schooling. With so many trivia games in the collection, Tactic offers a wide variety of topics to learn about

through the popular Of The World games. Players take a trip around the world to learn about flags, cultures, architecture, animals or heroes and these games are as educational and eye-opening as they are fun and competitive. How well do you know your continents and which flag belongs to which country? Do you know when the Hoover Dam was built, how long the Great Wall of China is or how high the Leaning Tower of Pisa is in feet? Tactic strives to inspire everyone in the family to learn about the wonders of the world and absorb hundreds of fascinating facts along the way.

More games, less screens

In a world full of technology and devices, it is important to balance screen time. Tactic encourages families to make the effort of putting a dedicated date on the calendar for board game night each month, to prepare the popcorn and bring everyone around the table to have fun away from screens. Parents will then take pleasure in watching their children learn valuable skills, unleash their competitive nature and work either independently or as part of a team. Board games are a great way to get children active and interacting with the real world. Siblings who argue with one another can suddenly find a common ground as a winning team. Once they have that winning feeling they will want to play again and again and games night will never be dull.

To learn more about Tactic Games visit tactic.net and search Tactic online at therange.co.uk

Tactic Games explains how board games give us a brilliant reason to pause chaotic lives and sit down as a family and play.

Sweet surprise

L.O.L. Surprise!™ Unboxes

Its Sweetest Collaboration

Yet With Hershey’s®, MIKE AND IKE®, PEZ® and More

L.O.L Surprise!™ has partnered with iconic candy brands to bring you L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets!™ Your favourite American treats can now be your favourite dolls!

This collectable new series of dolls combine the global sensation that is L.O.L. Surprise! with the sentimental charm of brands that are sure to spark sweet memories for parents and collectors alike.

“With L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets, we set out to create something truly one-of-a-kind that would spark a touch of nostalgia for parents, collectors and ‘kidults,’ what we call adults who are still kids at heart,” said Isaac Larian, Founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment. “This collaboration, the largest we’ve done to date, is the latest example of MGA Entertainment’s innovative and creative approach to providing new and exciting products for our loyal and enthusiastic collector community. These hot new collectables will be too sweet to resist.”

L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets Doll™

Find characters from Jolly Rancher, Hot Tamales, Hershey’s Kisses, Mike & Ikes, Chupa Chups, Dum Dums, Pez, and Peeps. These B.B.s are as sweet as can be and love to have fun. Each doll comes with an outfit, shoes, bottle, purse, accessories and sticker. Suitable for 4 years + I RRP £9.99

L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets Surprise-O-Matic Dolls™

Just the press of a button delivers each sweet surprise the same way you get your favourite candies from a vending machine. What will come down the Surprise-O-Matic for your B.B.? Press one of the buttons and find an outfit, shoes, bottle, accessories and sticker. Feed or bathe your L.O.L. Surprise!

Loves Mini Sweets Surprise-O-Matic doll for a water surprise!

Suitable for 4 years + I RRP £12.99

L.O.L. Surprise! has been a must-have toy for children throughout the UK since launching in December 2016, quickly becoming a global phenomenon as the world’s best-selling toy and driving the unstoppable craze for collectables.

The brand launched with a pioneering digital-only marketing campaign, leading the collectables market with innovative digital content combined with first-to-market marketing and PR campaigns directly engaging fans into the world of L.O.L. Surprise! The past six years have seen the brand continuing to innovate outside the box whilst staying true to original values of collectability, unboxing and surprise.

The L.O.L. Surprise!™ range is available now from smythstoys.com .

Encourage their inner magic

Here at Mojo, we love nothing more than inspiring imaginative play. Children spend a lot of time exploring with their toys and developing an understanding of basic interactions. Whether that be between them and other kids or through the relationships that they create for their toys in their imagination.

Children are little explorers!

We go through early life constantly exploring and experiencing new things. Empathic development is crucial in a young person’s life and our models help to nurture an understanding of empathy. Children playing with our Dalmatian or our new English Bulldog models can project feelings onto them and create relationships between the toys. This is vital in helping them to understand the need for the care of animals and people alike. Our pets range aims to encourage this empathic behaviour towards the animals we share our homes and lives with. Did you know, a rabbit’s teeth never stop growing?

Almost everything we introduce our children to is a brand-new exciting thing to learn about. Our fantastic models are a gateway into the wild world of the animal kingdom. There are so many lands and environments to learn about and how they differ. Our wildlife range contains lifelike, accurate

models of animals that children don’t often get to see up close and personal, sometimes thankfully.

Jungle fun

Our models capture the eye and evoke excitement in the minds of children. How fierce a lion looks, how elegant a giraffe seems, how funny-looking proboscis monkeys are, the mind boggles at the beauty of nature. Bring the jungles, the deserts and the mountains to your living room with our wildlife range. It’s exciting and so much fun to explore. Did you know that elephants have such big ears to regulate their body temperature?

Farmyard friends

Children can learn all about farmyard life with our farm friends. Where do we get milk, wool and eggs? Farms across the world are essential to the way we live, providing so many materials and food sources for people. We hope our models inspire children to learn about the ways

Using their imagination is an important part of a child’s play time. Mojo introduces us to its realistic models, from lions to sharks to elephants.

we farm animals and how we can create sustainable and humane ways to do so. Did you know, at any given time there are around 25 billion chickens on Earth?

Under the sea

Our wonderful seas are home to grey seals, great white sharks, the recently re-discovered colourful coelacanth and so many more beautiful creatures. We’re trying to galvanise an enthusiasm in the deep blue sea with our models. Not just for how these majestic creatures trawl the ocean, but how ocean life itself is so fundamental to our lives on our planet. It’s believed that up to 70% of the oxygen we breathe on Earth is created by algae and phytoplankton, it’s imperative to keep our oceans healthy for humans as well as sea life. The seas can be a tricky place to navigate, so we bring the sea to you. Did you know, manta rays have 18 rows of teeth?

Ride on

Horses have been a huge part of human life for thousands of years. They were our cars and our tractors, but they have since become our pets and sporting partners. From Shetland ponies to shire horses, they come in an extensive range of sizes – but we adore them all the same.

Our new Lusitano models demonstrate the true magnificence of the equine realm and just how splendid horses really are. Horses can be costly to take care of and our models are an affordable way to introduce children to the delightful equine domain. Did you know, the smallest known pony was called Einstein, and he was only 14 inches tall?

Dinosaur roar

If there’s one thing on Earth that’s peaked children’s interest over hundreds of years, it’s a dino. Digging up gardens as a child to find dinosaur bones has been a favourite pass time for many kids, with countless stories of flowerbeds being “re-scaped” by kids wanting to find the next big fossil. Our models are a great way to save your lush lawn from the trowels of budding palaeontologists. Children can create their very own dinosaur menagerie in their homes, without getting chased by the extinct beasts. Something about these giant, ancient lizards sparks the imagination like no other and we love to see it! Did you know, the name Velociraptor means ‘speedy thief’?

Mythical creatures

They may not be real, but there are some magical stories of brave knights slaying dragons, people spotting unicorns and princesses flying on the back of a regal pegasus. These mythical and fantasy creatures just make the imagination explode with ideas. There are plentiful TV shows and films depicting the fire-breathing reptilians soaring through the skies… and for good reason – we absolutely love dragons. Did you know, the unicorn is the national animal of Scotland?

Our hand-crafted models are a great way to ignite the imagination and plunge into the world of the animal kingdom. The exploration of the natural world isn’t just for the adult scientists of this world. We strive to inspire the next generation of biologists, zoologists, veterinarians and general animal lovers!

For more information on Mojo, visit mojofun.co.uk

Did you know, a rabbit’s teeth never stop growing?

For all ages and stages

Smart Toys and Games is home to eight brands including SmartGames multilevel logic games, SmartMax pre-school magnetic construction system, and GeoSmart geomagnetic play. All Smart Toys and Games feature engaging and educational mechanics. The whole brand ethos is to encourage children to “learn through play”.

Age 2+

For the youngest members of the family, SmartGames have recently unveiled Peek-A-Zoo, a fantastic new game for pre-schoolers to practice language skills, learn about colours, discover the cutest animals, and develop their understanding of concepts such as above, below, inside, and outside. Suitable from two years plus, this thrilling new game is a fun adventure to find all the characters in the zoo. With multiple play options, little ones can follow the picture challenges and try to stack the right cubes as shown on the challenge card to spy the animals or let their imagination run wild while they stack and play.

Age 3+

For ages three plus, discover the magic of classic fairy tales with the ‘Once Upon a Time’ collection, which features Three Little Piggies. ‘Three Little Piggies’ is a lovely brain-teasing game; where

children will be intrigued by the way the piggies fit inside the houses and look through the windows to escape the wolf. Having already received multiple awards, this educational and exciting game is sure to be a hit with pre-schoolers.

Age 6+

Selling in their tens of thousands, the IQ range is an immensely popular category for SmartGames. It’s no wonder why, as each game boasts a unique and innovative game mechanic; they offer varying levels of difficulty, meaning that these educational games are perfect for both adults and children as young as six. The award-winning IQ games are easy to pick up, but hard to put down - a brilliant solution for the whole family. IQ Love is a popular choice – the travel-friendly puzzle game revolves around 10 colourful gemstones, which players seven plus must fit onto the board. Thanks to its double-sided playing grid, the game boasts 120 challenges.

Age 7+

For ages seven plus, Horse Academy will see little ones galloping off to the gymkhana. Allowing players to create their very own show jumping path and sequence, this game will have players working towards the winning rosette! Taking the horse successfully from start to finish is sure to be a mind-boggler,

but can you canter over the jumps in the right sequence, and out of the exit gate? To play, participants need to choose their challenge from the booklet provided and place their horse at the starting point and the gate at the finish. To complete the challenge, players must create a path from start to finish, by placing the obstacles so that they are jumped over in the same order shown in the challenge. Sometimes you will jump the same obstacle more than once – there is only one solution!

Age 8+

Transport yourself into outer space with Asteroid Escape, where the object of the game is to slide the eight puzzle pieces around the board until you can park your spaceship centre stage. Perfect for budding astronauts aged eight plus, this game will truly captivate the mind. At first look, it may seem rather simple, however, the thoughtfully designed pieces seriously limit movement making Asteroid Escape the toughest of space missions! The hardest puzzle, out of the 60 stages, requires more than 100 moves, making Asteroid Escape one of the most challenging SmartGames ever made.

The team at Smart Toys and Games are committed to creating new and engaging games that will appeal to all ages and interests. They are passionate about creating toys and games that help develop skills and create mental learning opportunities through fun and play. Every game features a different learning mechanism. For example, developing vision, hand-eye coordination, cognitive language, motor skills, spatial awareness, concentration, creativity and imagination, as well as aspects that allow children to learn how to problem solve or learn to engage with others.

Check out the range at smarttoysandgames. co.uk.

Smart Toys and Games introduces us to some of its exciting award-winning educational brands.

Reimagining STEAM with open-ended play

brand championing STEAM play. Let’s explore five ways Connetix is reimagining STEAM learning:

Open-ended toys that encourage creativity and imagination

In recent years we have seen growing awareness of the importance of play while noting a rise in STEAM learning in early childhood education.

STEAM learning is often defined as an educational approach that integrates the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Valued for promoting 21st-century skills, this approach is increasingly gaining popularity with parents, educators and health experts alike. Now more than ever children need to be creative, critical problemsolvers with a social-emotional toolbox that will enable them to adapt to fast-paced, unpredictable circumstances.

What is less understood, however, is that STEAM learning isn’t something we necessarily need to ‘teach’ or plan for. STEAM is an intrinsic reality of how we live and experience the world. Moments of our everyday life are brimming with STEAM skills and experiences. For example, when we cook we are engaging in science, technology, literacy, arts and mathematics.

STEAM skills and concepts are also an integral part of how children play and explore the world. Early learners are natural scientists and engineers, without even realising it, they engage in STEAM play every day! STEAM play empowers children to think more broadly about real-world challenges, ask questions, solve problems and be innovative.

Understanding this not only helps us appreciate the learning that happens when children engage in unstructured play and exploration, but also empowers us to scaffold their play and learning experiences. As parents or educators, we can tune into children’s natural curiosities, provide quality resources and facilitate making explicit links in their enquiries. Enter Connetix magnetic tiles – a leading STEAM and educational

As high-quality, open-ended magnetic tiles, Connetix can be used in limitless ways. Sparking imaginations and creativity, they spur children to bring their ideas to life, find innovative solutions to their play needs and explore STEAM concepts in a handson way. Consider building a rocket out of Connetix tiles – this simple play involves science (magnetism, gravity, balance, weight), technology (magnetic building blocks), engineering (design and problem-solving) arts (creativity, colour and creative problem-solving) and mathematics (shapes, counting and measurement). Whether STEAM concepts are explored explicitly or simply experienced during child-led play, there is untapped potential for STEAM play and learning with Connetix.

What is STEAM and why is it important for our kids? The team at Connetix explains why STEAM is already a part of many activites in our children’s lives and looks at how we can build on this through play.

Inclusive STEAM resources and experiences

STEAM skills have historically been identified with scientists, engineers, artists and mathematicians. Nowadays, toys like Connetix transcend typecast barriers and champion STEAM as a form of play that is accessible and fun for everyone.

Intuitively meeting the needs of each user, Connetix adapts to a wide range of interests and abilities, while inherently drawing upon STEAM concepts and skills. Whether children are looking through a single tile to view the world in a different colour, building epic castles or designing complex ball runs, they can play and experience STEAM in a way that meets their current curiosities.

Connetix not only adapts to individual play, but also draws people of all ages and backgrounds together. It is a collaborative dynamic that supports the development of language and communication skills, resilience and perseverance, as well as empathy and compromise.

Maximising play value

Often when we seek to support children to learn, we focus on specific learning goals; for example, developing fine motor skills or learning about gravity. However, when we observe children at play, we appreciate the wide range of learning and development experienced. If we dissect Connetix play, we can see the use of fine and gross motor skills to manipulate the tiles, creativity, imagination, engineering and problemsolving to achieve designs, alongside flexible thinking, resilience and perseverance to overcome hurdles. Simultaneously, experiencing first-hand magnetism, gravity, weight, balance, colour, refractions and reflections, while navigating the features of shapes and how they fit together.

What’s more, Connetix’s signature bevel design and stronger magnets extend the play value of both magnetic tiles and STEAM learning. It enables children to build bigger due to lighter tiles with stronger magnets, experience clearer refractions, enjoy looking through tiles without obstruction, and have a smoother surface to write or create on. This innovation of design is yet to be matched in terms of aesthetics and functionality for both open-ended and STEAM play.

STEAM play that evolves as children develop

The wonderful thing about open-ended play and resources is there is no right or wrong way to play and no limitations to what can be created or explored.

As children become more familiar with

both open-ended play and Connetix, their creativity and imaginations ignite, as does their potential for STEAM learning. From initially exploring shapes and colour in 2D, to designing increasingly complex 3D constructions and elaborate creations. As a quality open-ended toy, Connetix will evolve with children as their development and interests progress.

Inspiring STEAM play and learning

Open-ended play and STEAM are not concepts or modes of learning and play that everyone is familiar with. As a company co-founded by a Masters-qualified educator, Connetix understands the importance of educating, supporting and inspiring people to engage in ongoing openended STEAM play.

Connetix passionately provides this support through inspiration across social platforms, education through expert blogs, and developing free educational resources and tutorials,

plus a highly responsive and invested support team.

Where play and STEAM learning connect

Connetix are more than just magnetic play tiles, they inspire creativity, imagination, curiosity, cognitive development and social-emotional learning all through play – effortlessly connecting learning and fun.

Connetix is an Australian familyowned business creating award-winning, STEAM-accredited toys favoured by families, educators and allied health professionals around the world. With almost a third of Connetix staff being masters’ qualified educators, the team is passionate about open-ended learning and the educational benefits Connetix provide.

If you haven’t already discovered the joy that Connetix play provides, you can learn more at connetixtiles.com or head over to social media to see the remarkable community Connetix has inspired!

Perfect ponies

Whether you ride horses yourself and want to encourage your children to take an interest in horses or your kids already love these gentle animals, LeMieux’s mini toy ponies are a great way to introduce children to the equine world. Using their imagination to bring their toy to life and caring for a pony – from grooming them to playing pretend gymkhanas – teaches children key skills in looking after animals.

LeMieux toy ponies are all about playing and learning. They have incredibly soft coats that are perfect for brushing and looking after. They stand securely on all four legs and are flexible, making them safe for young children (aged 3 years +) to play with. The ponies come in specially decorated boxes that can also be used for imaginative play as a luxury horsebox or turned inside out to be a nice cosy stable!

The range of specially designed accessories are perfect miniature versions of the iconic LeMieux products and can be used to look after your pony with the grooming kit, brushing and plaiting their mane and tails, or learning to tack it up with the saddle and bridle. Available accessories include rugs, saddle pads, boots, bandages, fly hoods, and head collars to go with them, so you can have a matching set for your pony. If your children have their own pony, they can now take a lookalike everywhere they go.

Each toy is individually hand-made and unique, meaning they vary slightly in size and shape, and come with their own passport and instructive care booklet.

Magical unicorns

As well as a choice of six ponies, LeMieux has also released a range of two unicorn toys: Magic and Shimmer. Magic is a beautiful snow-white unicorn with a plush shimmery rainbow unicorn horn, shiny rainbow hooves and plait-able rainbow multi-coloured mane and tail. While Shimmer is a also snow-white with a golden horn, golden hooves and a crisp white mane and tail.

You can even buy matching shimmery wings, so you have the choice to tack them up to ride or let them spread their wings and fly.

About the brand

LeMieux is a leading equestrian brand name all over the world. Supporting top riders at the peak of their sport with essential equestrian apparel and rider clothing. Creating a trend of matching horse and rider wear has seen the rise of the LeMieux Colour Story across social media, online, and throughout the equestrian industry, offline.

A brand that has equestrian at its heart, with products made for riders by riders, LeMieux has also expanded into leisurewear and casual clothing, toys, and recently introduced a range of outdoor footwear. LeMieux Toys can now be found in Selfridges and John Lewis, numerous equestrian retailers, and directly from the brand online. LeMieux was included in the 2022 Sunday Times 100, having been recognised as the 66th Fastest Growing Private Company in the UK.

For more information, visit: lemieuxproducts.com

Every horse-mad child’s dream, these mini toy ponies from LeMieux make the ideal best friend to care for and play with.

As well as a choice of six ponies, LeMieux has also released a range of two unicorn toys: Magic and Shimmer.

The boss of balance

Strider offers help and advice on how to get your kids moving on their first balance bike.

At Strider, we love riding bikes and we love inspiring kids to ride. Our mission is to build lightweight, efficient, all-terrain bikes that develop two-wheeled balance, coordination and confidence in children.

We believe:

Life is better when riding a bike

Balance leads to confidence, courage and happiness

Any child that can walk can learn to ride easily and safely

Your life as a parent gets better when your child is mobile

Kids are awesome

Failure is OK

Kids learn best through play.

The importance of balance

A balance bike is a bike with no pedals. Balance is the key to physical sports and activities. Kids need to be active daily and balance plays a big role in development for children. Using a balance bike can build core strength and balance at a young age for a strong developmental foundation.

Balance strengthens these developmental building blocks:

Attention and concentration

Body awareness

Bilateral integration

Crossing mid-line

Hand-eye coordination

Hand dominance

Muscular strength

Muscular endurance

Self regulation

Postural control

Sensory processing

Isolated movements

Riding a balance bike gives children a taste of success and freedom at a very young age. They begin to learn to trust their ability and take calculated risks. They learn to deal with failure and are motivated to try again. As children grow, riding a bike continues to help them build fortitude and belief in themselves.

Technology is ever-advancing and the current generations are the pioneers in raising children in the fast-paced digital world. It is important to go back to the root of children learning, playing and riding bikes outdoors. Research has shown that a child’s stress level can decrease within minutes of being outside. Playtime for children also helps to protect their emotional development and lets them be children again. A four-week study conducted at the University of South Dakota’s Division of Kinesiology and Sport Science concluded that using a Strider Bike showed significant improvement in the Limit of Stability (LoS) scores.

Step 1: Adjust the bike to properly fit the child

Adjust the seat of the bike so both feet are flat on the ground and there is a slight bend in the knee. Children grow quickly, be sure to adjust the bike every few months.

Step 2: Support the child, not the bike

We usually want to help the child by holding onto the bike to keep it from falling. Do not do this! Learning to support the weight of the bike on their own is their first lesson in balance.

Step 3: Let your child set the pace

Some kids may not sit on the seat at first. This is OK! Their security is in their feet at this point, and we want them to feel secure. As they become

comfortable walking with the bike between their legs and using the handlebar, they will soon use the seat. Let them transition at their own pace… they will be striding before you know it.

Step 4: Support your child, don’t direct them

Some children only want to spend the first minute or two walking their bike around. Praise them for any amount of time they spend on the bike. If your child’s bike has handlebar brakes ignore them for now. It’s going to be tempting for the little one to want to reach for the brakes, but we want them to be confident first. Their confidence comes from striding and stopping with their feet.

For consumer, schools and retail sales, please contact sales@ swagdistribution.co.uk Or call 0121 389 1092

AD - TBC

BY REDAN’S CHILDREN’S MAGAZINES

EARLY LEARNING IDEAS! 7 INSPIRED

Simplifying early learning for grown-ups and keeping it fun for little ones!

2 LETTER FUN!

With your finger, or a pencil, trace over the letters starting at the dots. Play a game! Pick a letter and find as many items beginning with that letter.

apple

cat boa t drum

3

LET’S PLAY ‘I SPY!’

Help develop language and communication! Choose an object in sight of all players and say, “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with [the letter]”. Take it in turns to guess what the object may be. You can help with little clues or allow the players to ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions.

4

SCAVENGER HUNT!

Make a list of ten items to find around the house, garden or out on a family walk. How many items can you find?

Fun, educational children’s magazines, featuring the hottest characters for pre-school children and primary girls. Every issue is packed with stories, activities, crafts, recipes, STICKERS, puzzles, competitions and loads more! Available in

5

LET’S GET ACTIVE!

Get moving with this fun exercise game. Roll the dice and whichever number it lands on, do the fun activity below.

1: Touch your toes twice.

2: Circle your arms five times.

3: Do three star jumps.

4: Wave your arms six times.

5: Run on the spot for ten seconds.

6: Dance for twenty seconds.

6

HOW ARE YOU FEELING? Draw the different expressions on the faces. Draw a circle around the face to show how you are feeling today.

7

LET’S COUNT! Count the items in the picture below, then write how many of each item there are in the red boxes.

Tunnel time

Children will have hours of fun playing in our kids’ play tunnels. Watch their imaginations come to life as they crawl through the tunnels, explore faraway places or be taken to new worlds.

We understand the importance of ensuring children have regular exercise and have time away from the electronic world. Making exercise fun and enjoyable can sometimes be challenging. Our tunnels are up to four times thicker than other alternatives and are suitable for robust play; the ideal way to encourage children to play and be active while having fun.

long

Colourful and flexible

Naylor Activity Tunnels are available in six bright colours and are made from medium-weight material. The standard length is 1.5m and 480mm in diameter. The activity tunnels are flexible and durable thanks to a supportive wire coil with protective end caps, which are fully encased in a durable and hardwearing strip.

The tunnels are suitable for indoor and outdoor play all year long, because the material used the tunnels are weather and waterproof. When playtime is over wipe the tunnel clean and concertina down for easy storage.

Safety tested

Child safety is paramount. All our tunnels are independently tested and fully meet the requirements of the European Child Safety Standard EN71.

For more information on Naylor Activity Tunnels, visit: nayloractivitytunnels. co.uk

Naylor Activity Tunnels explains why these durable toys are great for encouraging active, imaginative play.

The tunnels are suitable for indoor and outdoor play all year

Love it. Protect it. Display it

Put your child’s imagination on display for everyone to see. There’s nothing like the pride you feel as a parent when your child takes the time to build their latest LEGO set, carefully working through the instructions to assemble each brick and element. The educational value of LEGO is recognised worldwide, engaging your child’s problem-solving skills and creativity in ways no video game or TV show ever could. Once the LEGO set is finished, you have a lasting visual memory for your child to play with and show off at home to their friends and family.

Showcase your child’s creations knowing their spaceship, vehicle, brickbuilt house or magical diorama will be safely protected inside a high-quality clear acrylic display case. We know better than anyone how precious and expensive LEGO sets can be. No parent wants to see that fantastic new Star Wars or Harry Potter set your child spent so much time constructing get broken by accident when their friends come over to play. LEGO models are trophies to be displayed with pride without worrying about pieces falling off or minifigures mysteriously vanishing into stray pockets or under the sofa.

LEGO shouldn’t be stored away

Your child’s creations should be seen, not hidden in cupboards where bricks get lost and damaged. With our display solutions, you can take pride in your child’s models. Everyone remembers building their own favourite castles and vehicles as a child. As a grown-up, displaying LEGO sets around the house is a great way to engage your child’s interest in their favourite sagas and stories. They can also learn about new places around the world with LEGO Architecture or become a budding future mechanic with LEGO Technic sets and vehicle collections. With our display cases, you can rest assured your child’s models will remain safe and look their best on a bookshelf, table, or desk.

No more dusting down sets or losing parts

With our display boxes, you can put the duster away and relax, knowing your child’s set will no longer accumulate dust and grime in those hard-to-reach areas and engines. Each case is safe and easy to assemble, with reliable screw fittings and no adhesives required. Build the cases together and display them together, teaching your

child the value of looking after their LEGO and toy collections.

Inspire your child

We have fun and colourful printed backgrounds from all your child’s favourite sagas, such as the clocktower from Back to the Future, a starfield for the Star Wars Millenium Falcon, and King’s Cross Station to house the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express. These artistic environments are a perfect way to engage your child’s interest while enhancing the look of their sets.

Create thrilling space battles with our see-through display stands that let your child’s X-Wing, Millennium Falcon or TIE Fighters take flight before landing them in a display case hanger at the end of the day.

Give your child’s minifigure collection a home with our wall-mounted and tabletop LEGO minifigure display cases, featuring an easily removable front panel. Children love mixing up their minifigures into armies and gatherings. With the perfect gift of a display box, they can store their heroes and villains away at the end of each day while still seeing them on display the next morning.

Made by parents, for parents

We started iDisplayit as a family-run company so we could cater to LEGO and toy collectors, helping them pass on their love of these models to their own children. We understand the emotional value attached to these sets and how important it is to preserve them for generations to come.

To learn more about our display cases and stands, please visit: idisplayit.co.uk You can also sign up to our newsletter for savings and promotions!

Treasure and protect the memories forever with a smart range of display cases and stands for your child’s LEGO sets and toys from iDisplayit.

learning Encouraging play-based

Redan Publishing explains the importance of toys on the front of their children’s magazines and the hidden benefits they bring.

Consumer research* carried out in 2022 identified that the most important factor for grown-ups when buying a magazine for a child is that it comes with a toy to play with. And the most important aspect of the toy is good play value.

The toy adds value

Children are naturally drawn to exciting and colourful toys and often pester their grown-

ups for a magazine based on the attraction of the toy on the front. Caregivers are aware that children are more likely to engage with the magazine content if they have been enticed by the toy on the front in the first instance. Some grown-ups even use the toy as a reward to give the child after completing the fun, learning activities within the magazine.

The toy on the front of the magazine is therefore important for both the grown-up and the child.

However, Redan explains that what can often be overlooked, is just how much research and thought is put into the selection of the toy and the value it adds to the overall magazine experience.

The importance of play

“Play is vital to children’s development because play facilitates opportunities to explore, develop and grow in all areas of learning,” explains Redan Publishing’s editorial director, Anita Cash. “Our toys provide opportunities for fun, imaginative, activity-based play and free play, alone, or with parents, grandparents, siblings, relatives and friends – anyone who wants to join in.”

Redan worked with the Department for Education’s Hungry Little Minds campaign to create some free activity sheets. The 16-page “Let’s Play Shops!” activity sheet accompanies Redan’s shopping set toys. As well as ideas for easy low-cost play-based learning utilising the shopping set, the activity sheets contain shop-based print-outs that support play.

Anita goes on to say, “By playing ‘shops’, children learn important skills in their home environment that gives them confidence in the real world, such as, what they might say to shop staff, what the shop staff may say in return, handling money and why do we get ‘change’ back? Our activity sheets indicate the types of play and expected Areas of Learning and Early Learning Goals our toys and the activities support, demonstrating the play-value of our toys and activities.”

Good Play Guide endorsement

All of Redan’s children’s magazines have been tried, tested and endorsed by Dr Gummer’s Good Play Guide’s panel of experts and are recommended for helping develop language and storytelling, counting and logical thinking, as well as improving concentration and attention. With one tester, a childminder, specifically praising the toys, “the toys included are very educational and the children used their imaginations to create some lovely games together.”

5 key benefits of magazine toys

In summary, Redan have listed FIVE key benefits to having toys on the front of their magazines.

1. Supports learning through play

Most toys on Redan’s magazines are playsets

that spark imagination and encourage children to role play. Popular toys include shopping sets, music sets, phone sets, medical sets and many more. Acting out reallife scenarios helps children to make sense of the world around them.

2. Boosts language and communication development

This type of creative and social play instigated by the toys helps to develop communication and language skills. Whether children interact with their cuddly toys in their bedroom or with their friends and family, the play serves to improve their allimportant vocabulary.

3. Helps promote positive relationships

The toys encourage children to express themselves and to practice vital social skills, which helps them to manage and understand other people’s feelings as well as their own.

4. Good for mental health

Another type of play that the toys can prompt is storytelling and make-believe play, offering children an escape into a fantasy world when real life can get a bit much.

5. Motivates children to explore the magazine content

Often the toys are linked to the theme of the magazine and sometimes they are directly linked to the content. This means children are more likely to work through the magazine and complete the activities, which will help them develop in the seven key areas of early years learning and most importantly, boost selfconfidence and provide them with a great sense of well-being.

Source: *Kantar 2022

Redan Publishing (redan.co.uk ) creates award-winning children’s magazines packed full of fun, educational stories, crafts, puzzles and activities.

Children are naturally drawn to exciting and colourful toys

Family gi

All of these fantastic prizes are up for grabs!

Win a Sprite Neochrome Scooter

The multi-award-winning brand Micro Scooters ) has just launched its new Sprite scooter. Designed for kids aged 5-12, it is the first scooter of its kind to be styled like a stunt scooter. The stunning neochrome finish and light-up wheels will turn heads on every school run, trip to the park and everything in between.

Win a Treasure of Monkey Island game

Capture the treasure before the captain catches you, with Treasure of Monkey Island from Tactic Games ( games.tactic.net). A notorious pirate captain has chosen to hide his bounty on a little island, but there’s a gang of monkeys who love gold and they know exactly where to find it. Move around the game board and steal as many coins as you can. Age 4+.

Win a 120-Piece Pastel Creative Pack

Inspire hours of creativity, fun and learning through play with the Connetix Pastel Creative Pack (connetixtiles.com). Featuring a variety of magnetic tile shapes in eight signature pastel colours, this pack is designed to encourage STEAM learning through open-ended play and will grow with children as they learn and develop.

Win a Naylor Activity Tunnel

Children will have hours of fun playing in their play tunnels from Naylor Activity Tunnels ( nayloractivitytunnels.co.uk). A great toy for encouraging active, imaginative play and exercise. Flexible and durable and suitable for indoor or outdoor play all year long. The material used in the tunnels is weatherproof and waterproof.

veaways

Win a Sofia’s Beauties Beauty Salon or a Dinosaur Transport Mission

Style and groom your horse at Sofia’s Beauties Beauty Salon from Schleich ( schleich-s.com). The horses’ manes and tails can be brushed, braided and styled. And with the Dinosaur Transport Mission play set you can rescue dinosaurs in the dino truck, with a pivoting crane and cable winch.

Win a Solar System Baff Bombz Set

Head into space with the Zimpli Kids ( zimplikids.com) Solar System

Baff Bombz Set. Each solar system pack includes nine planetary fact cards to explore the wonders of our universe. Drop a baff bomb into your bath to begin your colourful, fizzing space.

Win one of three annual magazine subscriptions, plus a BBC Earth soft toy!

With more than 30 years’ experience, Redan ( redan.co.uk) is an awardwinning children’s magazine publisher and specialises in screenfree entertainment, providing children with fun, imaginative and educational activities that are created using the most popular pre-school and primary characters.

Win a Play-Doh Air Clay set

The Play-Doh Air Clay from Creative Kids (creativekids com) allows kids – and adults! – to safely transform ideas into compound reality as they imagine, sculpt and let dry spectacular creations. From a favourite dinosaur-turnedbackpack-keychain to pizza or ice cream creation, the possibilities to create a fabulous keepsake are endless.

3

Picks for parents

RAVENSBURGER

This September’s launch of GraviTrax POWER takes the popular open-ended construction track system to an all new level of play. POWER enables GraviTraxers to launch multiple marbles together, have the ability to influence track changes mid-play, all of which gives greater marble speed. Most importantly GraviTrax POWER gives the players control of the action, with new extensions and elements, and the use of radio signals so they communicate with each other. ravensburger.co.uk

HACHETTE BOARD GAMES

Judge’s and People’s Choice Winner of the Best Family Game at the UK Games Expo 2022. In Akropolis, you are skilled architects who must harmoniously build the most beautiful city. Organise districts on multiple levels to earn wealth and glory as your city reaches for the heavens! https://bit. ly/3PocEqI

BLUE ORANGE

In the best-selling family classic Kingdomino, you are seeking new lands to expand your kingdom! Lay and match tiles around your castle to form territories. The more crowns you have, the more points you will score. But

RAINBOW GROUP

Be sure to turn on and watch the all NEW animated series of Pinocchio and Friends, showing daily on CBeebies at 4.40pm, with weekend repeats. Pinocchio, the wooden puppet and his friend Freeda, the Pirate Ragdoll, are joined by the grumpy Talking Cricket, as they go on non-stop hilarious adventures. Additional streaming and kids activities also available on YouTube and Facebook! bbc.in/3O2AeIk

SMART TOYS AND GAMES

There are plenty of twists and turns in SmartGames ‘Grizzly Gears’ as you rotate the trees to guide the characters through the forest... but beware of the bear! You are not out of the woods until you have solved all 80 challenges. https://bit. ly/3WeiahW

IDISPLAYIT

Give your child’s LEGO minifigures a better home. With iDisplayit’s durable display case, your child can take pride in their characters by displaying them to friends and family while keeping them protected. Every model can be admired over four raised tiers, including secure studs to hold the minifigures in place.

https://bit.ly/3VUd0YT

CONNETIX

TACTIC GAMES

Capture the treasure before the captain catches you! With the Treasure of Monkey Island game. A notorious pirate captain has chosen to hide his bounty on a little island, but there’s a gang of monkeys who love gold and they know exactly where to find it! Move around the game board and steal as many coins as you can. Age 4+.

https://bit.ly/3ITVGzr

Providing endless possibilities for creativity and learning through play, the Connetix 212pc Mega Pack is the perfect option for children to take the lead in their play and experience STEAM learning. Featuring every shape in beautiful rainbow colours, plus two car bases, this pack will grow with children as they learn and play! https://bit. ly/3uIvrn9

MOJO FUN

2022 saw another beautiful selection of animals added to the Mojo Fun range. Ideal for play and collection, all our new models are designed in the UK and hand painted by our dedicated team of artists. Through our realistic highly detailed models we hope ignite the imagination and awaken the inner child that lives in all of us. mojofun.co.uk

LEMIEUX

The Mini LeMieux Toy Ponies have a beautifully soft coat, plaitable mane and tail, stand securely on all four legs and are safe for young children (3 years +) to play with and learn from. Dress them in a choice of matchy sets, saddle and bridle, and brush them with a super smart grooming kit. They come with their own posh horse box that turns inside out to become a luxury stable. https://bit.

ly/3BvkWaD

SCHLEICH

The five new Roar-some Schleich Dinosaurs will be a brilliant addition to any prehistoric collection. Includes the mighty and terrifying Tarbosaurus,the duck-billed Edontosarus and the chicken-like Gallimimus. Each sold separately. schleich-s. com

NAYLOR ACTIVITY TUNNELS

Children will have hours of fun playing in their play tunnels. A great toy for encouraging active, imaginative play and exercise. Flexible and durable and suitable for indoor or outdoor play all year long. The material used in the tunnels is weather proof and waterproof. nayloractivitytunnels.co.uk

COILEDSPRING GAMES

Set sail towards the mysterious Toko Island! Researchers and scientists have asked you to bring back valuable treasures for them. As a group of intrepid explorers, work together to dig for ancient relics, paua, jade, tikis, Kea feathers and more! But you only have a finite number of tools at your disposal, be sure to use them wisely! coiledspring.co.uk

TACTIC GAMES

Let’s Learn Carousel is a different kind of matching game with a real spin! Spin one of the three Carousel levels, form complete images and earn tokens – but remember that each spin may win tokens for other players too! The Carousel is double sided so you can have double the fun! Age 5+.. https://bit.ly/3iXjlUO

REDAN PUBLISHING

Founded in 1990, Redan is an award-winning magazine publisher renowned for producing high quality, fun, imaginative and educational products widely praised by parents and care givers. Content promotes special family time as it provides inspiration and ideas for children and their grown-ups to have fun together completing crafts, recipes, activities and workbooks. redan.co.uk

Connetix magnetic tiles are award-winning, open-ended, STEAM toys designed to grow with children as they learn and develop!