My toddler just loves to be able to roam outdoors and explore… I’m sure he shares that joy with most toddlers! This simple pair of overalls has meant…
Most teachers, when asked what parents can do to support their children at school, would suggest parents spend more time with their children, encouraging active learning. They’d ask for televisions,…
Natures Sway founding director, Kate Hornblow, created the original New Zealand made baby hammock back in 1993, for her first born child, Madelynn. The business has gone on…
I think that Kiwis are the cleverest people ever and the SitActive Active Posture Cushion is another example of how a good idea can lead to a great…
Snow Tubing is a whole lot of fun at Snowplanet – it is available at anytime and is suitable for people of all ages who love to have…
There’s a surprise in store on the Island of Sodor! Thomas is back with old friends in the next thrilling, feature-‐length adventure, ‘King of the Railway’, premiering at…
Often there are not enough hours in day to get everything we have to do for others completed, let alone even contemplating having some time for ourselves for…
My little boy loves getting out and exploring. It’s never a fast walk when you have a toddler setting the pace as there are so many things he…
What are you putting up with in your life right now? Is your ‘to do list’ so overwhelming you don’t know where to begin or so intimidating that…
The following is an illustration as to how I came to realise that maintaining my fitness is important as I grow older, both in terms of wellbeing and…
Since I’ve become a mum, a few things have changed. I used to be a bit creative with my clothes and try them on in different ways -…
As I am writing this, outside my window it is a beautiful crisp clear Wellington morning – the perfect day for an outdoor adventure with the family. If…
If Huck Finn could float down the Mississippi on a couple of logs lashed together to resemble a raft, then I reckon two adults and a preschooler can…
Having a newborn really puts a lot of different things in perspective. Upon the arrival of Tom, my husband and I began to think more seriously about our…
It’s probably fair to say that family is where most people lay down the foundations for all later interactions in their lives – one of those interactions being…
This post looks at how to make family fitness fun and why it’s a worthwhile investment. We all know that physical activity is good for our bodies, inside…
Single parent-families may find they can sometimes become active by default, but the wrong kind of active. The active that is rushing around from A to B, trying…
It’s winter again – cold, dark, and occasionally wet and/or snowing, depending which bit of New Zealand you live in. So how can you keep the family active…
‘Sport’, says Spencer Willis, in his recent study for SPARC (now Sport NZ) ‘should not be viewed as an activity that is only about winning’.
A vegetable garden is a fabulous way for a family to work together to achieve something amazing. As luck would have it, the time is right to get…
Travelling with kids can be fab but it can also be challenging. We've got four great apps that will help you when you're on the road... Barefoot World Atlas Barefoot World Atlas is a magical interactive 3D globe that invites children to explore the regions and countries of the world, discovering hundreds of fascinating features
When you’re thinking about getting active, apps are probably not the first thing that come to mind. However, there are loads of really useful apps that can help…
We’ve entered the age of crafting in my house. And as I have 3 girls, I expect that it’s going to be a long period! My 4 year…
Leaving children to figure it out themselves is slow, painful and often frustrating. Trying to get out the door with a small person insisting “I DO IT!” at…
The clever people at Mad Millie have a knack for putting together packs that make it easy to create your own food and drink. The cider kit is…
From her hideaway in a museum basement comes Ivy, a cleaning lady with a difference. Her humble set of wheels may look like a cleaning cart, but just…
Attention parents with children in and around Dunedin at a loss in this second week of the holidays: here is one fantastic way to fill in a morning…
This year Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy celebrates his 30th anniversary and to mark the occasion, two limited edition audiobook CD collections are being released. Narrated by award-winning…
Recipes for Play contains easy ideas for engaging children’s senses. Playtime doesn’t have to be expensive and playing with paint and playdough doesn’t have to be toxic. Many…
Active Intent is a great brand of active wear which includes everything needed to get you out the door. From shoes, shorts and pants to singlets, tops and…
The ALLEN’S® lollies team is celebrating the arrival of two delicious new flavours of jelly beans in New Zealand, Sour Rush and Funfair Thrills. Funfair Thrills is a…
DreamWorks’ newest animated adventure Rise of the Guardians is a fun-filled and magical story about the legendary guardians – Jack Frost, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Tooth…
Why is it that some children love to write and draw and for others it’s a struggle to get them to even pick up a pencil? Encouraging your…
Phew! Well done! You’ve found the very last entry for our awesome treasure hunt competition.
There’s no hiding from the fact that we live in a busy, mass-produced world. This year, the Craft & Quilt Fair wants Kiwis to get up, get crafting,…
Celebrate the upcoming warmer weather with Danny’s Real Pita Bread! Danny’s Pita bread is fresh, healthy and incredibly versatile. Add pita crisp croutons into salads, use alongside a…
Here’s your chance to win a trampoline by the only trampoline brand created specifically to keep your kids safe – the Springfree Trampoline. Invented by a kiwi dad…
This book has stemmed from Sarah O’Neil entering the Yates gardening/blogging challenge. Together with Yates she has developed and published much of her popular blogging work in The…
Improvisors Kids have been creating improvised shows just for little people for 4 years now it’s a great school holiday treat. Comic Heroes is their latest offering -…
Win Dad a Ferrari 360 Modena Drive Experience at Hampton Downs – Auckland, worth $319! Since 1929 the stallion has been synonymous with exotic supercars and this Ferrari Drive…
July is Oral Health Month and all Kiwis can get involved from the comfort of their own bathroom. Brushing daily is crucial to preventing cavities, and yet only…
Helen is the youngest of the Walsh sisters and a law unto herself. She’s easily bored, has an inability to filter her thoughts and was fired from every…
Whether chasing after the kids, at work, or working out, new light and bright GOwalk ranges from Skechers will keep you cool and comfortable. At just 100 grams…
New Zealand’s biggest culinary event is almost back – and needless to say, foodies everywhere are relishing its return. The Food Show Auckland will be held from 1…
Air Wick’s new Filter & Fresh™ is a unique device that helps remove unwanted odours in the home for up to 40 days. Its quiet, yet powerful fan…
Take a visual trip into the world of myths, fables and tales with Holdson’s Feats of the Imagination 1000 piece puzzle collection by artist James C. Christensen. The…
Going troppo in the search for a drink the kids will love and you feel happy with? Farewell the fruitless search thanks to new SpongeBob fruit drinks –…
Keep your home healthy and hygienic through the winter months and into spring with an e-cloth Home Cleaning Pack! e-cloth is a revolutionary cost-saving range of cleaning cloths…
Baby Beginnings is the ultimate resource for planning all aspects of your baby’s arrival. As there are few life events that are as special as welcoming your new…
The cover says that this book will teach you “How to thrive in a world of lying, backstabbing and dirty tricks.”
Make sure you and your family don’t lose a day with this winter wellness pack from Dettol, Strepsils and Lemsip. Dettol’s extensive range of antibacterial products can help…
Holdson has collaborated with local New Zealand artist Bob Darroch, to create the new Behind the Scene 1000 pc + bonus 200pc mystery puzzle collection. This is a…
New Zealand’s premier theme park, Rainbow’s End, provides so many wonderful areas and rides to keep the whole family busy. Only 20 mins from central Auckland, they are…
Monday – Friday during the July school Holidays, check right here on this page! We’ll have a mystery clue for you to solve which will lead you to…
My utterly Hi-5 obsessed 3 yo daughter thought all her dreams had come true when I took her to the movies to see Hi-5 – Some Kind Of…
We all know that the folk at phil&teds are clever clogs. I’m constantly amazed at what they come up with and the Universal Travel Bag is no exception.…
There are so many great things for families to do at Rotorua’s Rainbow Springs! Watch their live bird shows, visit their free flight aviaries, trout, tuatara and kiwi…
The Cat’s Pyjamas was a finalist in the NZ Post Book Awards 2012 – Children’s fiction. It’s a simply structured story about a cat that wears different pyjamas each…
Sometimes it’s just plain hard to think of new things to do at home with toddlers and/or preschoolers. You don’t really have the time or energy to search…
Yo ho Maties! In this super-fun book you can go on daring raids, follow treasure maps, unearth buried chests brimful of stolen booty — but beware of ghostly…
If you’re looking for a new bag for your child, you’re going to want to check out Madpax bags. Brand new to New Zealand, Madpax bags are fun…
MADPAX is so trendy and funky – I am loving the colours!
In this lift-the-flap book, the loveable and mischievous Hairy Maclary is hiding from the neighbourhood cats. But then he comes nose-to-nose with Scarface Claw, the toughest tom in…
Hairy Maclary turns 30(!!) this year and Bolinda Publishing has put together two glorious collections of audio books, which will keep your children entranced for hours.
Rugbytots is providing preschool rugby classes in Auckland and we’re giving you the chance to win a $50 voucher towards the cost of a term at Rugbytots. To…
The Three Bears (Sort Of) is a revision of that classic family favourite, Goldilocks and The Three Bears. In Yvonne Morrison’s rewrite, a woman reads the story to…
Goodness me, is there anything more difficult to write about than a book about sleep related to babies? As this is a topic fraught with conflict, I have…
These school holidays, enter to win and keep the whole family entertained with a selection of movies new to Blu-ray™ and DVD. Follow an unlikely boy hero who…
Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary is turning 30! To celebrate this momentus occasion, Kiwi Families have some gorgeous Hairy Maclary prizes to give away. The main prize consists of:…
A novel of honey, love and manners. The Wedding Bees tells the tale of Sugar Wallace, who moves around the US taking care of her bees and her…
Dart of Castle Hill is a New Zealand sheep dog working on a beautiful high country farm called Castle Hill. He has lost his sheep and needs to…
GET THE PARANORMAN STYLE! ParaNorman is the animated adventure about a boy who uses his power of talking to the dead to save his town from a centuries-old…
This month, we are going birthday crazy at Footsteps to celebrate the launch of ‘Footsteps Birthday Celebrations.’ We are holding a birthday celebration every day of the year…
Kids’ Party Cakes is a one-stop-shop for children’s birthday cakes from birth upwards. If I were to sum up the book in one word, I would use ‘uncomplicated’.…
Packing up the school bag needn’t be a chore again – Madpax is a funky new generation of cool backpacks, lunchboxes and accessories that will rock the world…
Phil&teds have brought out a stylish new high chair that doubles as a toddler chair as well. The Poppy system is designed for 6 month olds to 5…
You may already know the phil&teds traveller portacot… if so, you’ll know that they are light-weight and easy to use. Recently, the traveller has had a facelift and…
Giraffes can’t Dance is a young children’s book about Gerald the Giraffe who can’t dance at the annual dance party
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” I read this and I can relate. No,…
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to lead is a brave book and an important one. Sheryl Sandberg has led a challenging career and a successful one.…
When we age we cast off the care and responsibilities of raising our children – as they move on with their lives, so do we. Freedom comes, to…
Changes in our family situation can occur at any time and for any number of reasons, and they may require some quite major changes in how we run…
We often think of change as something scary; something to be avoided at all costs in some cases! Whether you are adjusting your child’s daily routine, testing a…
Becoming a mother can be like being on a roller-coaster, with many ups, downs and bumps along the way. Parenting provides little respite. New mums often discover time…
I was contacted recently by a parent who is concerned about how his 4 children access the internet. He told me that his kids are growing up and…
Life as we know it has a beginning, middle and end. In between, of course, we go through various stages. For example, we grow into young adults, generally…
Children are constantly grappling with increasingly new amounts of information, environments, activities, expectations, people and so much more. Helping children to adapt to change, and to become more…
When a new baby comes into the home it can be a trying time for everyone – including siblings. Sometimes any uncertainty or uneasiness on the sibling’s part…
Although we are parents, we are also children. The change in our parents often begins quite slowly with the odd bit of help here and there. For me, with…
Changes within the family come in almost any conceivable way. It could be as joyous as the addition of a new baby all the way through to the…
Getting consistent and effective results from your fitness schedule is the key to maintaining a good level of fitness over the long term. You may need to make…
Pets are often a part of the family, and for children they can be their best and most unconditional friend. As a home-based early childhood teacher/kaiako for Footsteps…
It is often said that ‘change is the only constant’, ‘that nothing lasts forever’ and that can be a bittersweet sentiment when it comes to family life.
Sometimes we know when sudden changes will occur in our family – for example, you’re pregnant and your due date is past – your change is not far…
BubbleBum is a great, portable, lightweight, brightly coloured, inflatable car booster seat for children aged between 4-11 years. It easily deflates and folds flat so that kids or…
Are you looking for a fun and captivating way for your child to learn Mandarin? Australia and New Zealand’s original and leading immersion-based Mandarin education service for children…
Adventures in Vintage Needlecraft In With Bold Needle and Thread, Rosemary McLeod takes the reader through the 1920s to the 1950s with projects, a bit of history and…
Easy Rider aims to encourages everyone into cycling, remembering that ease and enthusiasm of being on two wheels. It’s sprinkled with fun and good humour, breaking down barriers…
Kiwi coffee guru Derek Townsend has created a beautifully balanced Karajoz Brazilian Blend, to add to the success of Karajoz Organic – Fair Trade, Karajoz Strong Blend, and…
The new phil&teds poppy High Chair offers amazing value, taking your child beyond their high chair years! Its innovative design allows for ergnomic seating of your child from…