Let's face it, if you have an iPhone and small children you know that it is unwise to be without some emergency apps on there just for them. Trying to lie in while they sit on your chest demanding Weetabix? In the car just at the moment when 'I Spy' has run it's course? Distracting the big one while you change the little one's nappy? There are countless situations where you'll be grateful for a decent spread of activities aimed at little people who love nothing more than to get their mucky paws on your iPhone.
Check out this post from Lil Sugar for some good ideas. If you've found any that you like that are missing from the list, add a comment below! Personally, for production values, music that doesn't sound like it was played on the Fisher Price keyboard Granddad bought them, and charming illustration, I've yet to see something better than ABC Oddity (pictured above).
We're delighted to announce that our very own R&D Director and early childhood development expert, Prof. John Siraj-Blatchford, will be speaking at this year's BETT show in London on Saturday 16th January.
The talk will cover the needs of children at the earliest stages of development and explore how technology (ICT) can play a positive role. He'll examine some of the products out there and discuss how effective they are and why. The big finale will be the first ever public preview of The Land of Me, a suite of interactive activities for kids aged 2+ that we're launching in the spring.
So if you've any interest in the early years, as a decision maker or practitioner, would like to hear what John has to say and fancy a sneak peek at what we're brewing please come along!
For more information on the BETT show and how to register click here.
Just before Christmas we embarked on our first ever company outing to London Zoo. Yes, that’s right... the zoo. On the 18th of December. In the snow. ‘Madness!’ I hear you say…and you'd be right. However, we donned our thermal vests and long johns and gingerly sidled our way through the gates.
Our first encounter was with a smiley, fresh faced lady who politely informed us; a gaggle of shivering adults, that today we could have our faces painted, ‘just to the right of the Oasis café.’ Clearly she thought we were a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
The first thing that struck us was the absence of animals! They clearly had more sense than us and decided to stay inside their cosy, straw-filled enclosures. This meant that whenever we did see something living and breathing, other than ourselves, the excitement levels soared.
Our first stop was the Galapagos Turtles. One was 60 years old and not looking overly happy about it. James decided to ‘become a turtle’ and promptly inserted himself into a giant shell. Not a real one you understand. Check out the size of this man's grin!
Next we saw Komodo Dragons, Wallabies, Emu, Camels, Pygmy Hippos, Prairie Dogs and Bearded Pigs. Sketchbooks and pencils were whipped out by our super talented artists and brilliant reference drawings appeared before our very eyes.
Studying the map James announced he had located a ‘rich belt’ boasting Lions, Tigers, Spider Monkeys and a place called Animal Adventure. Pads and pens were downed and we headed off with a skip in our step to discover what this plentiful promised land had to offer.
Unfortunately, due to the Arctic conditions the gift shop turned out to be the highlight. Many a Christmas gift was purchased and a lot of fun was had playing with the toys and watching The Wipster puppeteer a stuffed monkey well enough to give Keith Harris a run for his money. You can see the genius at work in the video clip below.
We regressed back to childhood when we discovered we could tunnel around amongst the animals. We all got down on our hands and knees and scrambled around the damp tunnel system getting up close and personal with Aardvarks and Meerkats.
Next up were the Monkeys. We weren’t disappointed. There was a plethora of exposed red bottoms and improper scratching. We watched and filmed them swinging around, showing off and staring back at us. Our next stop was the strangest looking animal….the Giant Anteater. With a nose like a giant hosepipe and front legs like a fully armoured tank this is not an animal you would want to meet down a dark alley. Bizarre but hugely endearing.
Throughout our trip Mike could often be seen furtively glancing around seemingly figuring out which zone to visit next or perhaps attempting to spot camera shy marsupials. However, it became quickly evident that he was far more interested in locating the nearest café.
Via a randomly placed pink pelican we embarked on lunchtime at the Oasis Café. There were plenty of hearty meals on offer but by far the most popular choice was the suet dumplings and chips. Yum. As we tucked into our ‘school dinners’ a merry band of bearded blokes started assembling to accompany our meal with carols. There were a few surreal moments throughout our day but this was the hands down winner. How odd yet unexpectedly heart-warming to be serenaded by a wizard parping away on a ridiculously large tuba whilst we tackled particularly tricky suet dumplings. A very memorable and fitting way to end our day.
This is a great story from The Guardian. The UK Department for International Development (DfiD) has sponsored 25 buses that take education and opportunity into the slums of Delhi. This innovative scheme takes fully equipped buses containing, books, TV, Computers, DVD's and a full compliment of teaching materials to offer the poorest children the opportunity to learn.
The Land of Me | in 
