TP News
Get kids involved with games that encourage moving and shaking
If you think about playing games with your kids, the chances are that board games immediately spring to mind - fun toys that while away a winter's afternoon and provide some good quiet time to interact with one another.
How to help your kids get a good night's rest
Any parent will know that bedtime is one of the most important parts of a child's development. In order for little ones to grow properly both physically mentally, it is essential that they are getting the right amount of rest each evening.
Bear Grylls calls for outdoor activities for youngsters
Rugged and (ahem) rather handsome television presenter Bear Grylls is back in the papers this month, arguing that youngsters need to be more involved with outdoor activities and community service.
Inventive ways to get the children exercising
"I want to go on a two-mile run." Said no child, ever. Although exercise is an integral part of their lives whatever age they are, it's important for parents to come up with clever ways to make the experience enjoyable.
How to make more time for family play
Deciding to start a family comes with its fair share of fringe benefits. Access to parent-and-child parking spaces, for example, and a reason to put on particularly extravagant Christmases. And of course, it's always good for an excuse to spend hours with one another, just enjoying one another's company.
How to have Valentine's Day fun with your kids
While Valentine’s Day may typically be aimed towards adults in Britain, with women receiving gigantic teddies and chocolates from their other halves, or couples booking romantic breaks away, we believe it is time we took a leaf out of the USA’s book and made February 14th a day of celebrating with our kids too!
Fun Things To Do This February Half-Term
It might be hard to believe given that the Christmas holidays only feel like such a short time ago, but another half-term holiday is almost upon us. Schools everywhere are preparing to break up for five days over the coming weeks, potentially leaving parents wondering what they can do to keep their kids entertained.
Encourage Spatial Play For Cognitive Benefits In Your Kids
We're all playing with our children every day of the week, but research is increasingly showing that the way in which we do this could help to give them a head start in their academic lives - and even the jobs they eventually go on to do.
Is screen time becoming a problem among our children?
In 2001, the American Academy of Paediatrics suggested that children under the age of two should have no exposure to screens whatsoever, and that those aged over two should have less than two hours per day.
Are you speaking clearly to your baby?
The way people communicate with infants is different to how they interact with adults. While it can seem comforting to speak to a child in a sing-song voice, or slowly and using words such as 'tummy' rather than 'stomach', it may be doing more harm than good.
What games can you play to help kids build confidence with maths?
Helping children to build confidence in key national curriculum subjects is something you can do well before the start of school in order to give them a head start when they do reach the classroom.
Allowing autonomy could boost toddlers' cognitive skills
New research has found that parents who encourage and support their young children to make decisions could be boosting their cognitive skills.
Have fun with your kids using career role-playing game
Ask most parents what they want for their children when they grow up and the answer will - hopefully - include ensuring they are happy, healthy adults.
How to prevent the horror of head injuries
All children will unfortunately sustain injuries at some point, with scraped knees and cut fingers being part and parcel of growing up.
Stay active with your children this winter
When December ends and we welcome in January and a brand new year, there's usually a feeling of freshness and looking forward to a new start.
How to make bathtime more fun for kids
With most schools having re-opened this week and the Christmas decorations packed away once more into the attic, the chances are your family is now back into its old routine.
Are children's stories too genteel in today's world?
We like nothing more than a good debate around issues that are important to us here at TP Toys, and the latest has been sparked by British actress and Hollywood darling Emily Blunt.
Getting involved with music and language can help kids learn
Two new interesting pieces of research have been released recently, both of which show that interacting with children in creative ways from a very early age can have a positive impact on their future development.
Follow toy safety tips and enjoy a healthy, happy Christmas
With just one more sleep to go until Father Christmas puts in an appearance, families with young children everywhere will be eagerly anticipating the joy and festivities that are to come.
Top 5 games to play on Christmas car journeys
With only just over a week to go before Christmas, the thoughts of many of us will be turning towards making the annual trip to see relatives in other parts of the country, our cars laden with gifts to exchange on the big day.
Burn children's energy off with outdoor winter play
There is nothing nicer than seeing your little ones excited about the prospect of Christmas. If you're lucky, you'll have the opportunity to watch them perform in the school nativity. Then you can sit with them as they write letters to Santa and marvel at their excitement as they open their presents.
Rough and tumble - Fun, or just a risky business?
We're especially vocal about the importance of active play here at TP Toys, but we thought we'd try to gauge your thoughts on rough and tumble.
Infant Language Project emphasises importance of talking to children
We were interested to read recently about a project that is going on in the US to discover how children can acquire language, learning, spatial and social skills through interactive play - and it has emphasised just how important the simple act of talking to youngsters can be.
How to keep kids entertained as Christmas approaches
We've talked before on these pages about how the excitement surrounded by Christmas can create some very hyperactive and sleepless children. However, the flip side to this is that the festive season sometimes ends up feeling a little bit boring, especially in the last week or so before the big day arrives.