Thursday 24 October 2013

A Little Bird Told Me....


When the people at Little Bird Told Me offered to send Bert and I one of their lovely play mats to review, we jumped at the chance! I'm definitely up for trying out anything that little Bert might enjoy, and might make our time at home together more fun.

I think an activity/play mat is a vital part of a new baby kit, and is so multi-functional - as well as being educational & stimulating for your newborn, they also provide a comfy spot for your tot to lay, have 'tummy time' and kick away their wind!

We were sent the Softly Snail Multi-Activity Playgym from the range called Curious Caterpillar And Friends. It is priced at £65.



My first impressions upon receiving this play mat was delight at how beautiful it is! It is made up of gorgeous bright colours which make it suitable for both boys and girls alike, and it is oh so soft! The base of the mat is so squishy and looks unbelievably comfortable - in fact both me and my hubby both said we wish they did one for adults!

The mat is quick as easy to put together using velcro tabs to stick the arches to the base, and plastic loops to hook on the toys and musical flower.

It comes with 3 hook on toys - a caterpillar, snail and bumble bee - all of which have different textures and incorporate either rattles or scrunchy material. The mat also has a musical flower with a butterfly which plays the "twinkle twinkle little star"tune when you pull the butterfly away from the flower- no batteries required! This was a major plus for me, as it is a rarity to find a baby product that doesn't need batteries replacing every 10 seconds!

The body of the snail on the base is crunchy to the touch - a sound which I have found Bert to love! It really seems to be helping him discover his limbs, he is beginning to realise the cause and effect of what happens when his limbs touch the scrunchy material. This feature is also handy for parents - you can hear immediately if your baby is awake and moving around because of the "scrunch" "crunch" sounds :-)

The shell of the snail on the play mat is soft, squishy and perfect for your tot to lie comfortably, it has a door which opens to reveal  a mirror for your baby to look into, with Caterpillar motif and the word 'peepo', this will be great for Bert once he becomes more aware of himself, and can hold his head up for a longer period of time.

In the meantime, the play mat comes with a "tummy time" cushion, to pop under Bert when I place him on his front to help him build up his neck strength.

 Bert playing and napping on his lovely mat! 

The base mat is also washable - fabulous - as any parent will know that babies just love to puke, wee, and poo on anything remotely pretty and nice! We will definitely be washing the mat, and storing it away ready for when we decide to have Baby Bishop No.2, and in the meantime it'll get tons of usage from little Bert.

Bert really does seem to love it, and has never complained when I've laid him down on it. He's played, and had naps on the mat, and I know he'll only get more and more interested in the toys as he develops, and once he's too small to play under the arches, I can remove them and use the base as a play mat with the toys off the arches instead. Brilliant!

My Little Mr having fun!

Little Bird Told Me really seem to have thought of everything with this mat, and we are very proud owners indeed. 

Not only do Little Bird Told Me produce fab play mats, they also sell a gorgeous range of mobiles, soft toys, rockers, baby on board signs, and the most fabulous rocking horses I've ever seen! Here's a peek of my favourite items on their website - a Little Bird Told Me wish list, if you will...

Doodle and Crumb Infant Rocker £85

Curious Caterpillar Infant Rocker £85



Rufus & Ted Rocking Horse £120

Softly Snail Activity Fun House £25

Bye for now

Bert and Mrs B

xxx

Disclaimer: We were sent this play mat for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are  my own. Pictures are courtesy of Little Bird Told Me, and the collages of photos are my own.