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With the nice weather finally trying to make an appearance, it is time to start moving the activities we do with our children outdoors.

You can read Chantelle's blog here for more tips and follow her on twitter and Facebook.

Kate from Family Fever gives us 5 ways to keep the kids entertained during the holidays through baking!

One of our favourite activities, especially during the school holidays, is baking. The children enjoy making all sorts of treats, both sweet and savoury – and of course, they enjoy sampling them too!

Below I have listed my Top 5 ‘Baking with children recipes’

DOUBLE BERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients: 

300g plain flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

125g caster sugar

50g butter

3 eggs

4 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 teaspooon vanilla essence

150g natural yogurt

100g blueberries and 100g raspberries

 

Method

Preheat oven to 200*C/Gas mark 6. Mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar. Melt the butter, and then add this to the flour mixture. Add the eggs, oil, vanilla essence and yogurt and blend with a fork until just mixed. Stir in the berries.

Divide the mixture between 12 muffin cases and bake for 15 minutes.

APPLE SCONES

Ingredients:

1 apple

75g butter

375g self raising flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

75g caster sugar

1 egg

150ml milk

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 200*C/Gas Mark 6. Peel and dice the apple. Heat 25g of the butter in a saucepan and add the apple – cook gently for 5 minutes until the apple is soft.  Put the flour, cinnamon and 50g of the sugar into a bowl. Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and add to the flour mix, then rub together with your fingers to make crumbs.

Add the apple and the egg and stir to make a dough, adding the milk slowly to make the right consistency. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters. Place on a greased baking tray, brush with milk and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

ANIMAL COOKIES

Ingredients:

175g butter

75g caster sugar

275g plain flour

 

Method

Preheat oven to 180*C/Gas mark 4. Cut the butter into small pieces, then put in a bowl with the flour and sugar. Rub between your fingers to make tiny crumbs. Squeeze the mixture together to make a dough.  Place the mixture between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper then roll out thinly. Peel off the top piece of paper, and cut animal shapes with cookie cutters.

Place these on a greased baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes. You can then decorate with icing pens, sweets, sprinkles etc.

FRUIT SALAD PIZZA

Ingredients:

300g strong white flour

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 teaspoon fast-action dried yeast

25g butter

1 egg

125ml warm water

Jam and fruit of your choice for topping

 

Method

Brush a flan tin with some oil. Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Melt the butter, and add to the flour mix along with the egg. Slowly mix in the water until you have a soft but not sticky dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes (kids love this bit!). Place the dough in the flan tin and press over the base. Spread the dough with jam (approx. 4 tablespoons).

Top with the chopped and peeled fruit – we like to use apples, plums and peaches but you can use whatever you fancy.

Leave in a warm place for about half an hour to allow dough to rise, then brush the top of the flan with some melted butter and sprinkle with some sugar. Bake for 15 minutes at 180*C/Gas mark 4 for 25 minutes.

CHEESY MUFFINS

Ingredients:

100g cheddar cheese

125g cornmeal (if you don’t have cornmeal, use the same quantity of plain flour instead)

175g self raising flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

150ml milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoonsDijonmustard

4 tablespoons sunflower oil

Salt and pepper

 

Method

Preheat oven to 200*C/Gas mark 6. Grate the cheese, and mix with the cornmeal, flour and baking powder. Add the milk, eggs, mustard and oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir together until just mixed.

Spoon into 12 muffin cases and bake for 15 minutes.

 

These are our all time family favourite baking recipes, and we make them over and over again. The only problem is, that they never last very long!

Hope you enjoy giving these a try, and let me know which is your favourite!

Read more from Kate on her blog, and follow Family Fever on twitter and facebook.

Kate from Family Fever shows us 5 simple ideas for keeping the family fed!

Finding meals that the whole family will eat can be tough, especially if you have fussy eaters! I have put together my 5 Family Favourites for you to try.

1.      Breakfast can be boring, so why not try something new? My children love these BANANA AND APRICOT BAGELS and they are so quick and simple! Toast a wholemeal bagel. Mix together some cream cheese and dried apricots and spread on top, then simply add some slices of banana – delicious!

2.      A favourite lunch idea of ours is TUNA AND POTATO SALAD. Cook some new potatoes. In a bowl mix together a squirt of lemon juice, a clove of crushed garlic and a chopped red onion. Add the cooked potatoes and leave to cool. Then add tuna, tomatoes and cucumber. Stir it all up and serve. Everyone in the family loves this, and it’s great served in lunchboxes too!

3.      Another quick and simple idea is TRAFFIC LIGHT OMELETTES. Stir fry some red and yellow peppers and some spring onions and put to one side. Beat together eggs and milk and pour into a large pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes then sprinkle over the pepper mixture. Place under the grill for a further 1-2 minutes until set then serve. The children love the traffic light effect of the red and yellow peppers and the green onion!

4.      To introduce fish into your diet, try some SALMON WITH SPRING ONION MASH. Peel and chop some potatoes and boil. Cook the salmon in a pan over a high heat for 2-3 minutes, turn over and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Drain the potatoes and mash with milk and finely sliced spring onions. Serve with the salmon and some broccoli for a really healthy, tasty meal.

5.      An absolute, hands down favourite with my children – MEATBALLS AND SAUCE. Mix together chopped onion and garlic with some lean lamb mince, and shape into balls. Heat some oil in a pan and brown the meatballs on all sides. Remove and put to one side. Add some more onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add a tin of tomatoes, 2 tbsp of tomato puree, 200g sliced mushrooms, 100g peppers and 150ml water. Bring to the boil then add the meatballs. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with spaghetti or pasta shapes. When I make this there are always clean plates from everyone!

My children also love fruit smoothies, and it’s a great way of getting some of their 5 a day into them. Simply add any fruits you like into a blender with some milk and yogurt and whizz it all together!

I hope this has given you a few new ideas to try, and I would love to hear what you think if you give any of them a go!

Read more from Kate on her blog, and follow Family Fever on twitter here. 

Thumb-print wrapping Paper

How To Make A Valentine's Card with Your Toddler

Heart Glass Clings

Felt Heart Lolly Pops

Heart Crayons

Symmetry Art Love Hearts

Valentine's Crafty Candy Box with Template

Valentine's Hand Print Card

Valentine's Crayon Resist Water Painting Card

Printable Love Coupons Book

Pom Pom Heart

Valentine's Post Box

Painted Dolly Hearts

Love Letters

Valentine's DIY Project

 

If you have your own Valentine's Ideas, Let us know in the comments, on our facebook wall or via twitter!

What is Sensory Play?

Sensory Play is a fairy new and exciting part of child development, allowing children to learn through experience.

The theory is that, whilst your child may be learning to talk, and their first words could happen at any time, all their senses have been developing constantly since birth.

These senses can be stimulated, and bonds built between child and parent, without the need for verbal communication. 

Your child may have developed a question, and have no way of communicating it verbally. Sensory play encourages your child to scratch, sniff, lick, grab, stare, rub etc. Investigating, using their senses, and answering the question themselves. 

Sensory play is also used to develop the neurological pathways associated with each sense. Motor skills also get a boost, as children manipulate whatever material or tools they have been given. Creative, Dramatic skills come in to play, as children use their imagination to find new ways to use these materials and tools.

Ideas for Sensory Play

The best way to control Sensory Play is to make sure all activity happens within a designated space. Use a plastic tray or box, and even introduce a lid to signal when playtime has started and finished.

Sticky - Take some left-over white bread and add your child's choice of food colouring. Green for example. Then pour on four dollops of PVA glue. This makes a sticky (and cheap) alternative to playdough, that will stimulate the smells and touch senses.

Shaving Foam - Mix straight from the can with food colouring to make bright and vibrant bath-paints. Just make it clear that you are in charge of the can and that no foam goes in their mouths.

Mud - Again, using a tray, set up a mud bath kitchen in the garden. This allows for sensory play with Mud with a quarter of the mess!

Jelly - Make a batch of jelly. Whatever flavour, it doesn't matter as this is for playing with and not eating. If it can fill your play tray even better. Encourage your child to mix into the slimy jelly some alphabet magnets from the fridge. This will combine the idea of touch, colours and shapes. 

Sand box - A classic. Introduce any of your child's toys you don't mind getting a little mucky to introduce the concept of sand with something more familiar.

Touchy Feely Runway - Lay down a number of different, flat surfaces on the floor and secure if needed. These could include a cork board, some bubble wrap, cling film or a place mat from the table. Allow your child to walk, roll or craw along the runway and experience each texture.

Do you have your own sensory play ideas? Let us know in the comments, via twitter or facebook.

 

We all know how tricky it can be to keep everything clean and tidy with a crawler or toddler around. To help try and make some sense out of all the mess and madness, we've put together 10 tip to make organising the kids a little easier.

Play spaces within Living spaces. Use a mosquito net or bed canopy to section of a play space within a living room or bedroom. Make use of corners to make cosy play spaces.

Use plastic washing baskets to store Outside toys.

Keep all you creative materials in one box, (preferably with handles) for easy transportation between rooms.

Make the most of every nook and cranny. Any space between furniture can have a shelf added to it for extra storage. The space between the bed and the wall can be used to make a small, but safe hide-away.

Keep several different boxes of toys and rotate them on a weekly basis. This will refresh your child's interest in each toy, and make everything easier to pack away at the end of play time.

Recycle old suitcases, hat boxes, food boxes, baskets and wooden bowls as toy and activity storage.

Store toys in clear plastic boxes so they're easier for your child to find again.

Make giant labels out of thick cardboard and cover in sticky-back plastic for durability.

Recycle trays from you local garden centre for storing small collections of buttons, shells, conkers etc.

Use jars, pretty tins and small gift boxes as storage for art and craft supplies.

 

Do you have your own de-cluttering tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments, via twitter or by writing on our facebook wall!

 

 

It's no secret that the Christmas season is one of indulgence and spending. As we enter the new year there could be a little panic over the cash flow, and recovering from the festive expenses isn't easy.

To help get the finances back on track, we've put together a list of Mummy Blogs that specialise in money saving hints and tips. 

The Diary of a Frugal Family

Money Saving Tips From A Skint Mum - The Real Supermum

Saving Money Generally

A Thrifty Mum

Super Amazing Mum Blog: How to save money the Super Amazing Mum Way!

How being a Savvy Shopper has Changed my Life - Mums The Blog

Money Saving Tips - Purple Mum

Make do mum: Money saving DIY

116 money-saving tips for mums

The Miss Thrifty Blog - Save money with frugal tips

Money Saving Mom® | Helping You Be a Better Home Economist (US site, but still useful!)

 

Do you have any money saving tips of your own? Let us know in the comments, via Facebook or @NurseryValue on twitter.

 

Are you purchasing a Pushchair for the first time?

Do you have no idea what you need or what to look for?

Have no fear. Nursery Value has put together a handy Pushchair Buying Guide to help you work out what's best for you and your baby.

Click here to read the Pushchair Buying Guide.

 

Have we missed anything important from the guide? Let us know in the comments, via twitter or facebook.

Things 1 - 10

 

1. Personalise a bauble for your baby with their name and the year of their first Christmas (which will be the same as the year they were born).

2. Make hand/foot print Christmas cards with their feet/hands.

3. Head out to see the local Christmas lights, but do it early enough in the evening before it gets too cold.

4. Make a sensory story box, full of cotton wool, lolly pops sticks and other textures to tell the Christmas story, and other stories with.

5. Put the Christmas decorations up after baby has gone to bed, to make waking up the next morning really magical. (They may notice this more on their second Christmas as opposed to their first...)

6. See here for Christmas gift ideas for babies and toddlers.

7. Take baby to have their picture taken with Father Christmas.

8. Have baby-orientated Christmas CDs playing throughout December. Babies really respond to music, but you may need a few on rotation to stop yourself from going insane...

9. Stick to family-orientated Christmas parties, as they will be quieter (maybe?) and a nice way for even distant relatives to meet your little one.

10. Dress them up as Father Christmas, a Reindeer or a Christmas Pudding.

 

Things 11 - 20

 

11. Capture little moments of footage on a camera or Smartphone and edit together when you have more time in January.

12. Decorate a notebook, personalised to your child, and ask any Christmas or New Years guests, or any guests throughout December, to write a special Christmas message. (You could then save this book for you child's 18th Christmas!)

13. Find out which Zoo or Park near you has Reindeer and take baby along to talk to the animals. 

14. Sing Christmas songs.

15. If you want baby to enjoy Christmas foods such as Turkey, with the rest of the family, start introducing these foods at the beginning of December, if not before.

16. Ask relatives, friends and loved ones to give practical gifts like bibs and bottles. Things you need and not toys.

17. Don't try to do too much. Enjoy their first Christmas at a slow pace and keep your calendar relatively free. You don't want baby getting too exhausted and crabby.

18. Find a picture-based advent calendar and introduce the idea of opening a window every day.

19. Ask everyone on Christmas day to help entertain your child, as you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help on such a busy day.

20. Take a "My First Christmas" family photo (it's up to you whether you take this at home or get it done professionally.)

 

Things 21 - 30

 

21. Take LOADS of pictures.

22. It is up to you, but we recommend spending babies first Christmas with just immediate family.

23. If you have older children as well as a baby, act out the Christmas story.

24. Take baby's favourite items, blanket or teddy for example, anywhere you go. Visiting relatives and family parties can be a little daunting so they will need a touch of home with them at all times.

25. Make sure you have a thick, warm Footmuff for the winter months.

26. Be especially careful when decorating. You will want to be aware of electrical wires and ornaments that can smash easily, that could be dangerous. If your baby is crawling, you may want to cut back on the amount of decorations you have, especially near the floor.

27. Start a family tradition of putting our a mince pie (and a beer?) for Father Christmas and Carrots for the Reindeer. They may not understand this tradition yet, but it makes a wonderful photo opportunity.

28. Decide if travelling anywhere on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Boxing Day is really worth it. Anyone keen to see you will understand that it's easier and safer for them to come to you.

29. Make sure they have their own special stocking with their name on it.

30. Get a keepsake box, decorate or personalise to you baby, and add something every year, starting with their first Christmas, and give as a gift on their 18th Christmas. (similar to #12)

 

Things 31 - 40

 

31. Keep a holiday diary with every little event you got up to with your child.

32. Capture you child's hand print in plaster or clay and turn into Christmas tree decorations with a little ribbon.

33. Take you baby to a baby group or yummy-mummy group with a Christmas theme to play games and sing Christmas songs.

34. Visit a nativity play. School plays are great, If it all gets too much for baby you can always pop out.

35. Make sure you have lots of colourful books, even soft material baby books, to keep the little one entertained on Christmas day.

36. Include your little one in everything, set their highchair up at the Christmas table and let them eat Christmas dinner with everyone else.

37. Stock up on nappies and other baby essentials, you don't want to be caught out on Christmas Day or Boxing Day!

38. Walkers make an ideal gift for babies 6 months and older. You could give as an early Christmas present, to keep them entertained during parties, or during Christmas day when everything is a bit hectic.

39. Donate to charity. Some charities will send you baby a thank you letter from Santa that you can keep as a souvenir.

40. Give them a new Christmas Tree decoration every year, starting with their first Christmas. (Take photos every year to remember the order.) When they eventually move out, give them the box full of Christmas decorations.

 

Things 41 - 50

 

41. Draw up a list of everything that needs to be done before Christmas Day , so on the day you can have all the time for you and your baby.

42. Buy some Christmas themed toys for the bath.

43. Buy them something that will increase in value over the years and mark the date (Christmas Day and the year). Keep until they are older enough to appreciate.

44. Write your baby a Christmas poem.

45. Write a letter to your child every year, describing what they have done, accomplished in each month. (see points #12 and #30)

46. Have a personalised Christmas book, with a story including their name made for them for reading time as they grow up.

47. It probably goes without saying, but keep the little one away from sweets and cake.

48. Have lots of colourful toys lying around to distract the crawlers from dangerous Christmas decorations.

49. Put together a photo album of baby's first Christmas to give to them when they're older (or keep for yourself, it's up to you!)

50. Christmas themed bibs and Pyjamas are always fun!

 

Download the PDF here.

 

Have you finished all your Christmas shopping? If not, we've put together a useful Christmas gift planner to help! Just open the link and click the save icon to download.

Keep your eyes peeled for more free downloads over the Christmas season.