Learning SPACE Top Christmas Toys

So it’s near that time of year again, yip it’s near Christmas time and you know what that means don’t you?

Letters to Santa have already been given the first draft in many households, all painting a magical picture of the best behaviour over the year.

But this means at some point you will need to drop what you are doing and rush to the nearest toy store and help ‘Santa’ to get in all the toys yours little ones are wishing for.

So we know you want to get your children toys that have a WOW factor, ones that will leave your little angels speechless on Christmas morning.

So we at Learning SPACE have come up with our top Christmas toys, guaranteed to captivate, inspire and WOW your child!

·        Melissa and Doug Wooden Toy Range

Up first on our Christmas top toys list is our Melissa and Doug wooden toy range. Not only do we love these beautifully crafted wooden toys but the Karadashian girls are also big fans of the range.

Mum to Mason and Penelope, Kourtney Kardashian swears by the Melissa and Doug toys and took to her own ‘Kourtney’s Mommy Blog’ to state her reasons as to why wooden toys are better:

-          Wooden toys last longer

-          Wooden toys are easier to clean

-          Wooden toys are stronger

-          Wooden toys are better for the environment

-          Wooden toys never go out of style

In store we love the Christmas range including:

Chunky wooden Christmas puzzle This festive wooden puzzle lets kids trim the Christmas tree again and again! Chunky wooden ornaments fit into the puzzle board, painted with matching artwork to help beginning puzzlers. The 13 puzzle pieces stand upright for counting and sorting activities too! £14.99 Suitable for ages 2+	Snowman Stacker An Ideal stocking filler. A classic childhood toy with a touch of winter magic! Designed with a solid-wood rocking base for safety, it features eight wooden pieces. With his jaunty scarf and hat and a sweet smile, this cold-weather friend is sure to warm up snowy days. Price £10.99 Suitable for ages 18M+
Nativity Scene This child-friendly, wooden nativity set provides a "please touch" holiday experience. The four-piece stable is easy to assemble and the 11 figures encourage your child to re-enact the events of that Christmas Day long ago. A retelling of the Christmas story is included on the package to help create a treasured family tradition for the holiday. Was £22.99... Now £18.99 Suitable for ages 4+
Melissa and Doug also have a range of charming play sets that can be folded up and took anywhere. Even better is that there is something that every little boy and every little girl would love. Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Range Price £34.99 Suitable for ages 3+
Barn or Stable Young MacDonalds will enjoy "down on the farm" fun with this fully assembled, wooden barn or stable. These two-story play sets are stocked with seven realistic plastic farm animals, a wooden ladder and a folding corral and the chunky handles let you take your bit of "country" wherever you go!
	Castle It's easy to man the battlements in this compact, decorative wooden castle! The king and queen have thrones and a royal bed, and two knights with horses to defend them and their treasure chest. The castle includes a working drawbridge, a dungeon and a handle for portable adventures!
Doll House Enjoy a "home away from home" with this delightful wooden dollhouse. Two flexible, wooden play figures live in this house, complete with eleven pieces of wooden furniture. The dollhouse opens for easy access and folds closed for convenient storage.
	Princess Castle This charming wooden, folding castle, with convenient carrying handle, is pefect for your little princess. Its beautifully detailed exterior opens easily to reveal a royal palace furnished with 4 pieces of regal furniture and 2 horses. The prince and princess who live here are sure to live happily ever after!
·        Run as fast as you can Gingerbread Man Game It wouldn’t be Christmas without a game for all the family to play after a lovely Christmas dinner. We particularly like the Run as fast as you can Gingerbread Man game! The aim of the game is to run as fast as you can through the village and over the river to safety, but you have to be careful – everyone wants to take a bite out of you! But, of course, we wouldn’t just give you any game this game can be used as a fun educational way to: - Develop strategic thinking - Encourage personal and social skills - And it links with National Curriculum Maths £12.50 Suitable for ages 4+	·        Gruffalo Giant Snakes and Ladders Was your little one a big fan of the Gruffalo? Well, if so, they will love this game and it’s guaranteed fun for all the family. See who can get to the finish square first in this classic game of Snakes & Ladders. The game comes as a giant washable play mat, which is easy to clean so it can be played and enjoyed indoors or outdoors. £10.99 Suitable for ages 3+
·        Our Jumping Clay range Not only will this be a big hit at Christmas but it’s a big hit with kids all year round. Let your child’s imagination run wild while they create a series of monsters, flowers, dinosaurs and… well, whatever they can imagine really. But what makes Jumping Clay such a hit is that it is a jasmine scented, mess free clay that when you roll into a ball, bounces when thrown or dropped. It is non-toxic clay composed of water dissolving fillers allowing it to dry at rate preventing any cracks from forming. And unlike traditional clays there is no need to bake it and once dry finished creations can be treasured forever.           Price from £9.99 Suitable for ages 3+
·        Puppets So next up on our top Christmas toy list is… Puppets! Anyone who knows Learning SPACE, knows we love our puppets and do lots of free puppet shows throughout the year. Who doesn’t love a good little puppet show?! In store we have a whole range of puppets, big and small, finger puppets to hand puppets. Ideal for any little creative mind to produce their own puppet show masterpiece, certain to get a standing ovation time and time again! Prices from £2.99 Suitable for ages 3+
·        Tuttie Tune Our next toy is for all young musical maestros, a neat, colourful and fun tune bench. This 7 in 1 wooden musical activity centre is a great introduction to music. The Tutti Tube Bench allows children to play the drums, scratch guitar, cymbal, bell, alto and bass xylophones and comes complete with beater and twirling disc scratcher. It has features on both sides, so when they get bored of one, simply turn it over! This is fun and helpful way to aid any childs hand eye co-ordination as well as motor skills. Price £24.99 Suitable for ages 18M+
·        Kids Kraft Set And last on our list but certainly not least, is our amazing Kids Kraft sets. These toys are a sure-fire way to leave any child Wowed and amazed on Christmas morning.
Chelsea Doll Cottage If your little girl wants her dolls to truly live in style, this is the dollhouse for her! Our Chelsea Doll Cottage is filled with details young girls are sure to love, like windows that open and close and adorable heart artwork that stretches across the roof. This dollhouse also comes with a whopping 17 pieces of furniture, including a gorgeous grand piano and bunk beds with a ladder, two moulded plastic staircases and three levels of open space. Price £119.99	Doll Family Our Doll family will feel right at home in any dollhouse! It's so much fun to bend and pose these dolls and make believe they are a real-life family Includes mom, dad, 3 kids and 2 grandparents Price £24.99
Mega Ramp Racing Set Our Mega Ramp Racing Set gives young kids an awesome one-stop shop for all of their favourite toy cars. It’s a speedy ramp, a parking garage, an elevator, a car wash and a gas station all in one convenient package! The centrepiece of this jumbo-sized racing set is its three-level “Mega Ramp,” which launches cars high in the air after they build up momentum. There’s even a launch pad that kids lower to let the cars go, guaranteeing that they take off at the same time. Three lights – green, yellow and red – that help countdown to the beginning of race time Gliding elevator takes passengers to the top of the parking garage Three-level “Mega Ramp” with launch pad for racing cars against one another Features a three-level spiral ramp, Helicopter and helipad, Car wash with moving brushes, Gas station and Five vehicles. Price £99.99
So if anything here has managed to catch your eye. Then why not have a look on our website for lots more toys to make your Christmas but more importantly your child’s Christmas a magical one. Or even if you have any questions about any of the above products pop over to our website, facebook or twitter and ask us or even give us and call or send us and email, we’re always happy to help. Website - www.learningspaceuk.co.uk Email – info@learningspaceuk.co.uk Facebook - www.facebook.com/LearningSPACE Telephone – 028 90 319360  Merry Christmas From everyone at

Product Focus: Fiddle Toys

If you or your child have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or any sensory processing difficulty; or even if you are just one of life's fiddlers, you'll know exactly how difficult it is to be still, quiet and remain on task. 

Some of us crave movement and tactile input. 

Unfortunately, this can be a distraction to both the person concerned and all of the people around them. However counter-intuitive it may seem, tapping, wriggling, doodling and fidgeting actually helps some people to remain focused, so the best way to deal with it is to find objects or activities that can be used without disturbing those around you.


At Learning SPACE, we have a range of products designed to meet the needs of people who crave sensory input. In this blog, I'm going to explain and review just a few of them. 

One of our best sellers, and one of my favourite things in the shop, is the Tangle Junior. 
It comes in a wide range of colours and textures, from smooth to fuzzy to textured and is now available in glow in the dark! 

It is jointed all around, so has an infinite range of movement, but is small enough to be hidden in one hand when required. I often twist one around my wrist to fiddle with while working or on the computer.

Some adults have found the Tangle Jr to be a useful tool when giving up smoking - distracting from the cravngs. It's very reasonably priced at £4.99

The Fiddle and Think Jar contains a Tangle Jr as part of its wide variety of textures and fiddles. It also contains 

• Bendy Character
• Smiley Stress Ball
• Stretchy Smiley Man
• Lumpy Squidfy Ball
• Baby Hairy Mite
• Smiley Juggling ball
• Mini Clay Putty Pot
• Mini Squeezy Duck

This all comes in a sturdy storage jar. A great resource for parents or teachers, and extremely good value at just £14.99


Children with high sensory input needs have very individual tastes when it comes to textures. Where some may prefer a smooth toy, others might enjoy a bouncy, stretchy clay or a velvety texture.

Moodies are a lovely, pliable foam-filled squisher. His hair is great for twisting and flicking and his face can be moulded and contorted any way you like. At only £2.99 Moodies are a real bargain for hours of sensory calming. 


Along with Moodies we have the Squishy Mesh Ball. Squidgy, squashy multi-coloured entertainment!

Mohdoh aromatherapy dough is also proving to be very popular at only £4.99.

For school children, the Fidget Pencil is an excellent addition to their everyday toolkit. It has a cool, funky look and can be discreetly fiddled with without drawing attention to the user. At only £1.99, it's a great buy.

Some of us crave full body movement. For these people, a Movin Sit Junior cushion can prove very beneficial. It wobbles as you sit on it, strengthening core muscles while also providing sensory unput. My own son often uses his for computer play, homework, or during meal times. It really helps him to remain in his seat and calm. We have both child and adult (suitable for teens) versions in stock.

I hope I've given you a few pointers here. Call in to the store to chat to our well trained and informed staff, phone or email if you would like more information about any of our products.

Product of the Week - Hama Beads

The massive range of Hama Beads products provide craft ideas for all kids from 3+


It's very simple - you take a template (priced from 99p!) and a selection of coloured beads, choose your colours and make your patterns, and then iron over the top to make a permanent work of art!


For younger children, the Maxi Beads are a great choice. Suitable from three years, they are a good chunky size for little fingers, but work in exactly the same way as the version for older children. You can choose from starter kits, like this one, or individual peg boards and beads. 


Just look at the sort of things your child could be making: 

When your child hits 5, or thereabouts, they'll be ready to move on to Hama Midi Beads. 


These are a smaller size, so more detail can be achieved in the art work. From fabulous gift sets like this farm, priced at only £14.99, to individual pegboards and beads, there is something to suit every budget and taste!  There are even beads that glow in the dark!


Why not come into the shop on a Saturday - this month we are running special Hama Bead sessions between 11 and 3 every Saturday. You can have a go and see the range! 

Christmas Countdown! Product of the Day 3

Great Geysers is a super science gift for any child in KS1 or KS2, supporting learning across the curriculum while also being great messy fun!

Extreme!

Ever tried this experiment? This great kit from Learning SPACE provides everything your 6-11 year old needs to recreate an amazing geyser up to 25 feet high! 

Not only that, it also includes the tools to explore the science behind the sensation, with over a dozen related experiments. 

Why not video your kids exploring this amazing experiment - we'll upload them to our Youtube channel! 

Priced at £14.99, it's a great value gift for hours of fun!

Christmas Countdown - Product of the Day 2

Day 2 - how's the shopping going?

We've had one of these sturdy wooden Tower Slopes out on display for a wee while, and it is one of those toys that attracts nearly every child (and adult!) who comes into the shop! The wooden cars come in a variety of sizes and click-clack down the track with a very satisfying sound.

Tower Slope

At £59.99, it's a great price for a very solid, sturdy piece of kit that will last for years! 

Christmas Countdown! Product of the Day 1

For our first Christmas Countdown product, here is the wonderful Sophie La Giraffe.

With her chewable, squeezable, squeaky body, she is a perfect first toy - ideal for any new little person's First Christmas! Sometimes the simplest ideas are just the best. Her natural rubber material is entirely phtalate-free, so perfectly safe to chew on. 


Sophie


This is one of the products I can personally endorse - my niece, son and nephew have all had a Sophie, and she's been a great favourite with all of them from only a few weeks old! 


Sophie is also very popular amongst the rich and famous - have a look here: Celebrity Spotting!

Sophie is £12.99 and comes in a gift box. 

Photo time @ Learning SPACE with award winning photographer!

A fantastic offer from Learning SPACE for the new year! 

Each week, the wonderful Mariusz will be in the store with his portable studio, running free taster photo sessions - to take part, simply make a purchase in the shop. You'll get a FREE 5x7" photo on production of a valid receipt! (valid for 2 months from date of purchase.)

I was so impressed with the quality - my kids look positively socially acceptable in the photos he took! And from such a short session, we were only there about 10 minutes!

Mariusz is a very talented photographer. With his 10 years of National Geographic accredited experience, he has travelled and photographed all kinds of people and places. His previous work includes photography at the very prestigious Double Take in London. Mariusz won a National Geographic award  just last year with a fabulous picture of Belfast, and is currently writing and photographing a book filled with photos of our city, for publication in his native Poland! 

For more about Mariusz, follow his page 

www.mariuszsmiejek.com

Here he is in action in Learning SPACE.

And the finished result...

Don't they look brilliant?

For more information, please call into the shop, follow us on Facebook and Twitter or check out the website at www.learningspaceni.co.uk