Talkng Buttons by SpaceKraft Ltd a review

This is an exciting new resource that records and plays back 10 seconds of sound. Why not use for talking displays, colour-coded question and answer games, reminders or taking messages.

They can be easily mounted so can be actively used in classroom displays.

All models have a loud and very clear sound output and have replaceable LR44 batteries included. Available as single, pack of 5 or pack of 30.
Size: 45mm diameter.

A brilliant resource for Speech and Language lessons . This also has a multitude of uses the only limitation is your imagination. Also I think this is a brilliant product to use with the teaching of autistic children such a when you are teaching them about emotions something which autistic children can have a hard time dealing with. You can buy them here individually or a set of five or even a 30 of them. Also a useful tool for parents to use at home to aid in the reinforcement, of the phonics lessons delivered from school beginning in reception.

Disclosure ( I was sent a pack of these button for review)

Rory's Story Cubes a review

Awarded the Dr. Toy’s ’10 Best Games’award, the original Rory’s Story Cubes® game contains nine 19mm cubes with iconic images to spark the imagination.

9 cubes 54 images 10 million combinations Unlimited stories

The visual and kinaesthetic nature of Rory’s Story Cubes®, along with the simplicity of design and gameplay make it accessible to engage with for all ages and abilities.

How it works… Rory’s Story Cubes are a remarkably simple and effective means for inspiring creative thinking and problem solving in all of us. Simply toss all the dice, examine each of the nine face-up images and let them guide your imagination through a story that begins with “Once upon a time…”.

The nine dice, each with an image on six sides, hold a total of 54 images. This means that with every roll, there are over 10 million combinations for you to use as the inspiration for your story. The uses for Rory’s Story Cubes are boundless. Whether it’s in a classroom or business, the process of creating and telling your own story can provide untold understanding of our language, of the world we live in and of ourselves.

The secret is not to think too deeply. Simply ‘gulp’ in the images and start talking. The story will reveal itself through the cubes and in so doing, will unleash creativity, freedom of expression and frequently, an insight to how to solve a seemingly intractable personal or business problem.

The quality cubes are moulded for durability and feel really good to hold. The take-anywhere box (60mmx60mmx25mm) is durable and popular with teachers and other professionals as a portable tool.

Rory's story cubes are available to buy here

A brilliant resource for any age or ability , a good icebreaker for those who have the ability and lack the confidence to speak. It is useful for those who are in the lower abilities groups to promote their ideas and self esteem. So there is not need for any parent to get hung up over ability groups when it comes to literacy as these are also a resource you can use at home.

I wish that had had these when my son was younger as he struggled for years with his literacy because of his glue ear and it took him years to catch up. Now he is top of his school year and a sporting success playing rugby for Derbyshire.

These are a brilliant resource that is not too expensive every classroom at Primary School should have a set or at least share one!.


Disclosure ( I was sent these for review)

Fabulous Bakin Boys Halloween Cupcakes

The orange topping compliments Halloween perfectly , very soft sweet and a lovely flavour which by the way is free from those nasty artificial colour and flavours. So no bouncing children round the house well not until they hit their trick or treat stash!.

The prefect treat for any witch wizard or ghoulish ghoul, Jack Black cat is our very own contribution to Halloween.

I like the fact that the cupcakes are individually wrapped and have Trick or Treat dares on them for you to try out.

The Tick or Treat dare could Mr T eat the sponge of the cupcake without eating the icing?

Jack Black our Witches cat.

Fabulous Bakin Boys Choc n' Blood Cupcakes.

The Fabulous Bakin’ Boys launch limited edition cakes for Halloween season

Look out for the trick before you treat dare....

The Fabulous Bakin’ Boys has added to its increasingly popular cupcake range with the launch of its devilishly moreish Spooky Cupcakes.

The Halloween cupcakes are available in two flavours - Chocolate n’ Blood Orange and Blackcurrant n’ Apple - tempting the taste buds of those brave enough to try the fiendishly good treats.

Consisting of two layers, a chocolate or apple flavoured sponge with a fruity blackcurrant or blood orange toppin’, the spooky treats contain only natural colours and flavours and are baked in a nut-free bakery. In taste trials, 90% of kids wanted more, more, more!

Why not have a go at trick or treatin’ Bakin’ Boys style! The Fabulous Bakin’ Boys have printed their favourite Halloween tricks on all packs of Spooky Cupcakes. Upload a picture of yourself taking part in one of the tricks to the Bakin’ Boys Facebook page and you could earn pride of place in a ‘Spooky Hall of Fame’.

Mr T taking part in one of the trick before you treat dares.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/FabulousBakinBoys

The special edition Spooky Cupcake range is ideal for Halloween Party bags around the hauntin’ season. The treats are individually wrapped and are available at a special Now  in Tesco, ASDA, Budgens, Londis, 

In summing up I think these cupcakes are fantastic and I would definitely buy them again when Halloween comes around next year. If they started to sell these types of cupcakes now I would buy them again. These have made me think that I would buy more of the Fabulous Bakin Boys range because they were so delicious. The only think i would like to see on the cupcakes is some sort of simple Halloween design just to make it stand out a lot more for example a printed bat or a scary ghost.

Cheese an autistic Motor skill toy review #specialsaturday

Young children on the autism spectrum often have difficulty developing the fine-motor skills that lead to eye-hand coordination, visual discrimination and eventually reading and writing. Distractability and a preference to seek out movement and other sensory experiences often impact a child’s ability to sit and learn basic skills such as fitting shapes through openings and placing pegs inside holes.Teachers and therapists can create environments and adapt activities to help children develop these critical skills.




Helping kids with autism develop fine-motor skills begins with creating a work environment as distraction-free as possible. A child may benefit from wearing head phones to block out sounds. Seat the child facing a wall or partition with little visual clutter and nothing to touch except the activity you are teaching. Experiment with different types of seat cushions or sitting on a therapy ball with legs (so that it won’t roll). These enable the child to have some movement while seated. The child might also benefit from working in alternative positions such as reclining in a bean bag, sitting in a rocking chair or kneeling at the table.

That's why I love toys like this piece of cheese  it is a playful,wooden mouse with a tail long enough to wind through a wedge of cheese. It takes autistic children and young children on a journey of discovery. Weaving in and out through the maze of holes reinforces fine motor skills and hand eye coordination in a fun and educational way.

Disclosure ( I was sent this by toy-joy to review )

Spooky Puffs Make a Haunting return for Halloween

I love Halloween, the house gets decorated, with cobwebs and witches and ghosts and all manner of scary things, I have to answer the door to the trick or treaters and with working at a school I get recognised "Ooh Mrs Toplis"  rings out for the umpteenth time. My favourite thing to do is to draw a chalk outline on my drive like someone has been murdered......

I do love all the  limited editions of everyday food brands especially when they are themed around occasions such as this..

Thought the breakfast table was safe? Think again! Prepare to be spooked out of your wits as Honey Monster’s terrifyingly tasty cereal, Spooky Puffs rises onto shelves for a second year running, just in time to go Trick-or-Treating.

Crammed full of scrummy toffee-apple flavoured puffs, Spooky Puffs is a breakfast treat for those tricky little monsters. The limited edition cereal contains no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives as well as being a source of fibre.

Speaking about Honey Monster’s latest offering, Sheena Darji, Brand Manager, said, “Following the frightfully great reception Spooky Puffs received last year, we just had to bring them back this year with a bit of twist, and nothing says Halloween like the flavour of Toffee Apples! As a brand, we’re always eager to develop new and exciting flavours for Honey Monster as well as building on old favourites that we know our consumers love”.

Spooky Puffs is the third limited edition to be produced by Honey Monster Foods this year, following in the footsteps of Honeycomb Puffs and Strawberry puffs. Other lines in the standard edition range include Sugar Puffs, Honey Waffles, Choco Waffles and Choco Puffs.

With an RRP of £1.50, Spooky Puffs are on shelf now and available to buy from Tesco and Asda.


Guess what is in my fridge its Spooky Puffs Cakes  and here they are the spiders legs are red because I don't like black liquorice. Hurrah i cooked some cakes... well I melted some chocolate and got all arty.

The recipe is simple enough to follow with help and requires no cooking in the oven. So perfect for little ones to do sill with adult
 help though !!