5 year old boy stocking filler gift guide

Each year as Bodhi ( nearly five ) gets older i find it so much easier to buy for him, But this in its self is a problem as i don't want to over buy for man reason 1) Being an only child i don't want to spoil him with gifts 2) funds... money is tight few ££ there and here soon add up and i will not get into dept over Christmas 3) his birthday is at the end of January and we just don't have the space for piles of gifts.

so with this in mind we have chosen to with the help of father Christmas and the below mention brands keep Christmas low key this doesn't mean Bodhi won't have any thing to open come Christmas morning it just means I'm not buying items for the sake of it.

pipity activity books are a great buy at only £4.99 per book they will give your child hours of fun for long car rides/ aeroplane trips or on a rainy wet afternoon. We have the puppet show book aswel as games on the go, Both full of colouring / games and fun. you can also buy the activity case for £24.99  ( full review of this to come in the new year ) 

Next we have this amazing puzzle / game from laurenceking Story box is a create you own fairy tale with the aid of the puzzle. you get x20 puzzle parts for coming up with a range of stories. Bodhi loves to make up stories and to use his imagination so i know he will really enjoy this and so will i ! priced at £9.95 its a real bargain and a great gift idea for any child.

Another fun and family based game for his stocking is the TY domino game made by TACTIC This game is based on the classic domino's but in this version you have the mega cute TY beanie boos to match up on your cards. you can buy the game via amazon for £7.99 for ages 4+ this would then be a great game to get out to play as a family after Christmas lunch. 

The last item we have very kindly been sent for Bodhi is by interplay and its a craft/play kit you get all you need to create you own pencil pets we have the puppy pack but you can also get a cat version they also come in two different colour packs blue and pink ( as shown ) and also yellow & purple these would be great as a joint gift for siblings. They are £4.99 

Be sure to check out my youtube channel over the month of December as i am taking part in vlogmas ( uploading each day of the month ) you can see these items in more detail on day 2 along with a few other items i picked up for his stocking. 

vlogmas playlist

What to buy for the family this christmas ( 2016 Christmas gift guide )

Buying for your family can be really hard ! budgets are tight and no one knows what they want ! so i have come up with a few ideas ( With the help of brand samples ) to help out others with a few ideas to suit a range of family members. 

Sisters / cousin / Niece 

These hair clips by linziclip ( Kids) are the perfect gift for the younger gift in your life this Christmas not only are they mega cute but also useful and such a smart idea you can buy them from amazon prices £4.50 upwards. 

Cat lovers / mum / aunts / nan / sister / friend / cousin 

Cat bingo! I can't wait to give this as a gift this Christmas as i KNOW any cat lover would be over the moon to open this on Christmas day it comes from laurence king for £19.95 ( also comes in Dog  /Bugs & Birds ) 

Sister / sister in law / mum / mother in law / aunts / friends

Linzclips also come in funky patters and bold colours perfect for teenagers and adults alike these can also be found on amazon for £4.50 upwards

Dad / father in law / uncles / brother / bother in law ( also in other girls so could also be used for female gifts ) 

Toiletries is the perfect gift for a family member who travels , the hard outer case keeps your items safe and clean while your travel,  check out the website to see the whole range of products. 

Family / cousins / nieces & nephews 

perfect family fun game by Tactic its has an RRP of £14.99 in an age when most children are watching TV or playing on the tablet its a lovely idea to gift a family sit down game. I really like that this game fun for the whole family not just for the children. buy it via amazon 

anyone! 

Now colouring books are such an in thing and no wonder why !! I love them, and this range from laurence king is amazing they have loads to pick and chose from , Secret garden £14.95 Creative cat £8.95 and tool shed £9.95 pair these with a pack on pencils and you've given a fab christmas gift. 

Children's friends  / cousins / nieces & nephews / 

Magformers are an amazing toy! I wish i had them when i was a child in a nut shell they are shapes with magnets that you can shape into lots of different sets to pick amazon seems to be the best place to pick them up, This space wow set is on for £33 but this price can change due to amazon. 

Well i hope this has given you a few ideas on gifts for the family this Christmas! i am now off to wrap them all up so no once can peek ! 

please pop over to my youtube channel as i am taking part in vlogmas and on day 8 i will have more details on these items in my video. 

vlogmas 2016 play list

Brightlings * Play and Review * tested by Jess & Bodhi

Bodhi was so excited when his Brightling arrived via the postman, Brightlings are made by Spin master they are a interactive toy , they come in three different colours ( Pink / Teal & purple ) I do think its a shame that they are very much aimed towards girls with the colours. The dolls are soft bodies , arms & legs but the head is hard plastic her face lights up in different colours while she talks and sings, she is a little top heavy! 

She has a tone of play ideas, she says over 100 things such as ' i love you ' ' how are you feeling ' and much much more, Bodhi loves this as he little chats with her ( He has called her Ella ) She can also sing in a range of styles from pop/ rock / jazz / opera and she can even yodel & beat box !! if you press the button on her ear you can record for 15 seconds then press the button on her tummy and she will repeat it back to you.  They do require x3 AAA batteries for use  and they RRP is £29.99 but i am sure coming up to Christmas you will find them on offer and special deals. 

Ella's face lights up in different colours and her mouth moves while she talks, she is a very smart toy and i can see why some many children have a Brightlings on 2016 Christmas gift list, I do feel the body is a little light seeing at the head is so heavy and solid. Body has spent lots of time playing with Ella, they have had a sleepover, Afternoon tea and she has also come out food shopping with us. 

I feel the toy is good value for money the only thing i wish she could learn maybe? only few simple things like your child's name and a few other bits maybe? Bodhi had this to say about Ella 

" I love Ella , she is a fab toy and i know that my girlfriend Leah will love to play with her when she comes over for a play date soon " 

Thank you to spin master for giving Bodhi the chance to check out this toy in exchange for our review. 

Bellz Magnetic Game Review ~ Tested by Jess & Bodhi

Spin master have made a wonderful travel size family game, The game is simple ( or so it seems ) picking up bells with a magnet how hard could that be right ?

The answer to that ? pretty hard ! The magnet want is really strong and if you are not careful then you will end up with more bells then you need , The aim of the game is to pick one of the four colours and to only pick up these if you pick up any of the other players colours then you turn is over ! 

The game comes with play Matt / x40 different sized coloured bells and the magic magnet want. The game Matt folds shut with a zip so you can keep the bells inside making this a perfect travel game no batteries or plugs or Wifi needed! only thing i would worry about is losing the bells. 

We played this game as a family of 3 Bodhi who is nearly 5 enjoyed playing but he took a few goes to get the hang of only picking up 1 or 2 bells at a time rather then trying to get loads in one go ( reminds me of the tortoise and the hard story ) 

We also played " who can get the most bells " with out worrying about the colours this could be a good way to play with younger children. Hubby is keen to play this game on a games night with friends and turn it into a drinking game ( men don't ask me ) 

over all i found this game fun and we all enjoyed playing it and it would suit a family based play or a older group of children its aimed at children 6 and over and this is the right age if they are playing without adults. 

we are looking forward to playing this over Christmas when we have family over, It would also make a perfect gift for a family or friend you can buy it from amazon for £17 ( price may change  ) 

We have been sent this game to play an review for spin master but all views and words are that of my own. Thank you to Spin master for the game.

build a bear workshop Stuffing Station * REVIEW * Spinmaster

Build a Bear opened its 1st store back in 1997 ! Now over 400 stores worldwide , I remember my 1st trip into a build a bear store was with husband when we was pregnant back in 2011 and we had a classic bear made for baby bump and now Bodhi sleeps with his Ted every night,

The idea behind the build a bear work shop is that you can make you own smaller scale soft toys are home! the stuffing station is based on the huge stations they have within the stores, With in the stuffing station you get all you need for making x2 soft toy friends.

The bears also come with clothes , love hears and bags of stuffing. it is a very simple project to make , simply place the bear skin over the nozzle ( the skins comes with zips so no sewing or needles are needed ) once the bears are in place you add your stuffing and turn the handle. 

We did have a slight problem when Bodhi got a little bit over keen on turning the handle and his bear popped off from the station , stuffing overload!! He found this funny tho and we just started again.

The bears also come with the plastic hearts that you can add a little note to place inside of your toy ( just like in the real stores) I feel that this kit would be perfect for a child who loves the build a bear store to bring the magic home. 

As you can see Bodhi loved his finished build a bear and he gifted it to one of his friends at school, We then made the 2nd bear and this one he kept for himself. Would also be a great craft for your child to do with a friend over for a play date, The station is for 4+ and this is the right age mark for the kit. You can also buy add on kits that come with all you need to make more soft friends. These start at around the £7 mark the station itself can be brought from all good toy shops or from build a bear direct for £29.99 

You also fill out your build a bear birth info sheet , Its these little touches that make this an amazing toy item and I'm sure the build a bear workshop stuffing station will be on lots of children's Christmas list this year. 

Thank you spin master for sending us this for in return for our review both myself and Bodhi had a great time making the bears,