Children's Book Gift Guide - From Tots to Teens

If you haven't heard about the Icelandic Christmas Eve Book Exchange and why it's such a great idea for a Christmas tradition, you can read all about it in my previous post. Whether or not you will be taking part in this tradition, or if you subscribe to the 'something you want, something you need, something to wear something to read' mantra of gift giving, there are lots of reasons to buy a book as a gift for a child. This list was compiled using recommendations from our brilliant readers and other parent bloggers, so you can be sure they've been tried and tested by enthusiastic youngsters!

Madagascar the Musical Theatre Review

The brand new stage adaptation of Madagascar has just arrived at the Bristol Hippodrome and we were given free tickets in order to write this review. This high energy musical  theatre version of the popular animated motion picture stars X Factor winner Matt Terry, who is making his stage acting debut in this production. On the day we attended, however, Matt was expertly understudied by Brandon Gale due to illness. This production was brought to life by Selladoor, the company behind James and the Giant Peach and Hook, who produced the Olivier Award-winning Rotterdam.

Falk Boy's Winter Jacket from Reima, it's Almost Life-Proof!

Reima have some really lovely items in their winter coat range, all with the usual considered and thoughtful design features. The focus is always on lightweight, durable fabrics, that allow children to move around freely and comfortably, whilst still being warm in the winter weather and this winter is no exception. We were sent the Falk Boys Jacket for free, to try out on an exceptionally fussy almost-teenager. Here's what he thought about it, as well as everything you need to know about warmth, durability and sustainability from Reima's homeland of Finland. 

Shrek the Musical Review - Bristol Hippodrome

I have seen Shrek the film so many times, I could not pass up an opportunity to see how it transfers to the stage. Shrek is one of those shows that appeals to children of all ages, as well as most adults, for many different reasons. The stage musical first wowed audiences in 2011 and this is the second UK tour to take to the road. In our Shrek the Musical Review, find out what myself and the 12 year old thought, as we joined a packed audience at the Bristol Hippodrome. Tickets were provided free for the purpose of reviewing the production. 

Paradise Wildlife Park Review

Recently we travelled a little further afield than our usual Bristol haunts, to review Paradise Wildlife Park, which stands on the old site of Broxbourne Zoo, located in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. The site was purchased by the current owners in 1984 and has been transformed in this time, building up an impressive array of animals, from big cats to tiny birds, alongside some carefully considered facilities, altogether providing a fun day out for all the family. We received free entry, in return for my time writing this review. All opinions are my own.

The Truth about Fortnite - A Parents Guide

There has been an awful lot of noise in the press recently about a free multi-platform video game that children have gone absolutely crazy about. The press have not been kind, and many parents are concerned about potential harmful effects from this gun-toting war game on their enthusiastic offspring. I'm talking about Fortnite - Battle Royale and this Parents Guide is here to bring you the facts behind the headlines. What it's all about, what I've learned from watching it and how you can help your children play it safely, or not, if that's your choice after reading these facts about the game.

Avengers: Infinity War Parents' Guide

Marvel are back with another offering in the never-ending super hero saga. Avengers: Infinity War promised to be an epic, with an awful lot of favourite characters popping up to do battle against the big, scary guy. Thus, children all over the country are pestering parents to go and see this film, mainly because those characters are marketed at very young children, with toys, games and costumes a-plenty. The film, however, is a 12A, meaning it may not be suitable for under-12s. This parents' guide will help you decide if the level of violence and language in the film will be appropriate for your little one, or if you are better off leaving them at home. 

Reima Review and the Story Behind #MillionHoursofJoy

I may have mentioned, once or twice, the fantastic press trip I attended recently to Finnish Lapland, with our friends from Reima as part of the #millionhoursofjoy campaign. As well as being brilliant, it was also the perfect opportunity to learn more about the brand and put their specialist performance kidswear through its paces. I've been looking forward to writing this post, as I have never been in a position to write such a thorough, comprehensive review before. Read on to find out how Reima's clothing range stood up to mountain night-hikes in -19C temperatures and lots of snow, as well as the bigger picture from a brand leading the way in encouraging children to be more active all over the world.

Zu3D Animation Kit Review

You may have noticed by now, that we live in Bristol. The land of snazzy bridges, waterways, graffiti and Morph. The latter may explain why L has always been completely obsessed with animation. Particularly stop-motion. I even started putting them on YouTube. This 54 second Minecraft animation has been viewed over 2,000 times and it shows how you really don't have to be an animation pro to have a lot of fun with this hobby. He was just nine then and I think we are living in an amazing age of technology, when children of any age can make their own films. We were sent the Zu3D Animation Kit free for L to try and these are our thoughts.

Halloween Spectacular at The Wild Place Project, Bristol

The Wild Place Project, near Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, is a sister park to Bristol Zoo. It opened in 2013 and we have been regular visitors ever since. It has been lovely to watch it grow and expand and it is obvious that the staff and keepers have a great affection for the place. The emphasis is very much on the welfare of the animals and their habitats and this is my favourite aspect of the park. It is very close to our house, so we visit a lot, but this time we were invited to review the new Halloween Spectacular, taking place over half term (21st-29th October) and received free admission in return for letting you know what we thought about it.

Bristol Zoo Events for Children

It's been over a year since our last Bristol Zoo Review and this post is a bit different to the last one. This time, I really want to focus on the additional events that are provided on a seasonal basis, as part of your ticket price  Bristol Zoo puts a lot of effort into making the venue even more entertaining for children in the school holidays and so we're going to be reviewing the recent events we attended, as well as those that are coming up in the near future. Most importantly, the next activity in the Zoo's calendar; the Halloween Festival. Obviously, we can't actually review it, as it hadn't happened at the time of writing, but we can tell you all about it. 

SS Great Britain Summer Events Programme

School is finally out for us and the last few weeks have been crazy busy. Along with school plays, leavers' celebrations and other events, we somehow managed to squeeze in a visit to one of our favourite Bristol tourist attractions to find out what's on over the summer. The SS Great Britain is somewhere we have always been fond of, as it has a way of growing with children. Each time we go, we discover something different that we hadn't appreciated before. During the summer break, you can get even more for your ticket price with the addition of some amazing extras that will amuse your brood, whatever their age.