Woolly and Tig App Review

Twenty five years ago when I became a parent for the first time, things were quite different to how they  are today.  It used to be that if I was travelling, visiting, dining out or any other number of occasions during which I would know the kids would need distractions, I would have to go armed with an assortment of toys, books, activities and bribes to keep them occupied. Nowadays, a few well chosen apps on a mobile device and the kids are happy for hours on end.

We have been trying out a brand new Woolly and Tig app on our ipad. Due for release shortly, the app features Woolly, the cuddly spider character from the popular CBeebies show. The app has a lovely clean, uncomplicated look and feel to it and with three different aspects - free play, structured play and parent scheduling - there is plenty to discover.

The free play enables children to interact with Woolly in different ways such as making him roll over, giving him a cuddle and counting with him. For a spider (!) he really is quite loveable and tirelessly performs his actions to the correct touch screen prompts.

The structured play features a selection of familiar tasks to choose from including getting dressed and cleaning teeth. Virtual medals are awarded for completion of the tasks. Woolly gives the instruction for each of the tasks to negate the need for reading skills and develop listening skills. Cleaning a spider's teeth may not have the same thrill factor as high octane car racing and shoot 'em up games but it does represent experiences that young children relate to and develops the coordination required for touch screen technology (my mum should probably have a go at it!)

Finally, there is a parent scheduler that can be unlocked and set up to provide reminders to your children to clean their own teeth, get dressed etc.

My three year old (who has already shown a great interest in video gaming!) really did enjoy finding his way around the app, completing the tasks and earning medals. He did not need any supervision from me. It was lovely to hear him giggling as he played.

Our favourite activity was 'Fun in the Snow' where we help Woolly to build a snowman. It put us in a warm  Christmassy mood while we snuggled under my duvet together.

To see what twitter is saying about then new app use #woollyAPP

Be a Knight, Do it Right

My little ones have been enchanted by CBeebies' CG animated series, Mike the Knight, since its first airing.

Each episode is packed full of medieval adventure, comedy and magical mishaps with a strong moral code to Do It Right. 

There are a host of fun characters from Mike's two dragon friends, Sparkie and Squirt, to his wizard in training younger sister Evie (complete with pet frog, Mr Cuddles!)

Mike the Knight - Knight in Training (from HIT entertainment) will be available to own on DVD from 19th March. With five episodes and a musical bonus feature, there is plenty to keep the kids amused and would make a great Easter gift.

Huzzah!!

Young Enterprise

I have been competing for computer time recently with my youngest daughter, who has discovered the CBeebies website with the Mr Bloom games (notably 'Margaret's Patch Match') and Taylor who has been working on a project for a Young Enterprise scheme she is involved in.

Taylor and a group of girls from her college formed a Young Enterprise company selling bird houses. They buy the plain wooden bird boxes from a retired family friend of one of the members at very little cost and add value by customising them with different paint designs. Customers are able to choose the style they want when they make an order.

They have been very successful - a success that was recognised at the Celebration of Awards Ceremony in March when they were presented with awards in four categories including 'Best Company' for which they were presented with an impressive trophy.

Taylor beaming with pride with the trophy on her head!

As the overall winners in their area, they have now been invited to make a presentation for the Regional Finals in Birmingham later this month.

Taylor will be presenting a 15 second advert for the company that she has created herself using the animation software 'Flash'. Big sister, Liberty, helped out by composing a twiddly piano background music which really brought the animation to life. The whole thing has a very pink theme to represent the fact that they are an all-girl group.

Putting together the animation, sound effects and music did mean I was forcibly ejected from the computer from time to time but it was well worth the sacrifice. I am so proud of Taylor for all her achievements but I think that the advert, from a girl with limited artistic ability (!) is genius.

These are some screen shots for a flavour of the project. Hopefully, once the advert is posted to You Tube I can share the whole thing - maybe even with news of success in Regional Finals. I will have my fingers crossed for that.

Little Charley Bear - review

I have mixed feelings about James Corden. I loved him as overweight youth, Jamie, in Fat Friends and I adored him as Smithy in Gavin and Stacey.... but then he had that cringeworthy exchange with Patrick Stewart at the Glamour Awards.

I do, however, think his narration in Little Charley Bear sees him on top form!

Charley Bear, with his cast of friends from the toybox, takes viewers into a world of imagination, where anything is possible.

My three year old daughter loves the CBeebies channel, including Little Charley Bear and now with seven episodes of Little Charley Bear available to own on DVD, she can enjoy it whenever she wants to. The DVD,  Are You There, Charley Bear?, which also includes an introduction to Charley and his Friends and downloadable colouring sheets is on sale from today (RRP £12.99) from all major retailers.

Find Little Charley Bear on Facebook.

Mr Bloom's Nursery

I thought I was done with the likes of the Teletubbies when my girls all grew up into young ladies but remarrying and having two new children has plunged me right back into the delights of kids TV.

I have to confess that I really enjoy snuggling up on the sofa with the little ones and watching (often with slight bemusement) the programmes that influence their speech and their games.

My favourite at the moment is CBeebies' Mr Bloom's Nursery.

In part, this is because I am a little bit in love with Mr Bloom - his soft accent, his shiny hair and the way he moves when he dances. I do, however, have to ask myself if the whole premise of the show isn't slightly flawed. In this day and age, should we be showing our children that it is acceptable to enter into the potting shed of a lone male in an isolated allotment in order to fondle his vegetables?

I had a bit of a Mr Bloom moment when I was shopping in IKEA recently. I couldn't resist buying this toy 14 piece vegetable set. Much to my girls' embarrassment, I also couldn't resist waving the display leek around and singing "This is my allotment...."

Yes, I am a little bit in love with Mr Bloom!