With Earth Day coming up on the 22nd April, we're focusing on nature and how we can highlight the importance of taking care of our environment to kids; and what's a better way to do that than getting them outside and hands-on with nature, in the garden!

Gardening is a fun activity that provides so many educational opportunities. Children will learn to take responsibility, learning how to take care of their seeds each day so that they become healthy flowers!

Gardening engages all of the senses; as children touch and feel the dirt, seeds and flowers, see the vibrant colours and different sizes. It encourages family bonding time, developing key social and vocabulary skills; and it's the perfect chance for parents to highlight the importance of looking after our environment. Talking to kids about concepts such as pollution, plastic pollution and recycling.

We've found 4 of our favourite fast and easy to grow flowers, so you can get the kids outside and learning!

Fast & easy flowers to grow with kids

Sweet Peas

Easy to grow with the kids due to the large seeds, which are large enough for small hands to handle. Sweet Peas can grow up to 8 feet tall and come in all sorts of colours, including red, lilac, white pink and blue. All of which are sure to get the senses tingly!

Good to know: sweet peas like a sunny home (can deal with light shade) in the garden in fertile, well-drained soil.

Sunflowers

The seeds are large enough for small hands to handle. Sunflowers are fast-growing which is sure to please your little one! They can take as little as 120 days to reach full maturation (when they produce seeds) and can grow several feet tall!

Good to know: we suggest planting sunflowers in early spring so they have enough time to grow to full height during the summer, and they love to grow in a sunny spot with lots of direct sunlight!

When growing your sunflowers, why not add a little more fun by seeing who can grow the tallest. Children will feel super-proud as they watch theirs grow, and maybe even grow the tallest!

Marigolds

Easy to grow bedding plants, the seeds are easy to handle for small hands. Marigolds come in rich bright colours and grow quickly so children won't have to wait long for the colourful flowers to appear! Planting a few flowers can produce hundreds of blooms.

Good to know: sow marigolds from March to May and they will flower from summer to autumn. They like to grow in well-drained soil in full sun.

Pansies

With their cheery 'faces' and wide array of colours, Pansies are certainly kid-pleasers! They'll have a great time picking and choosing which colours will best fit into the garden. Pansies are easy to grow and take as little as 15 weeks to bloom!

Good to know: you can sow the seeds in early October for the plants to flower in the spring, but when buying seeds, check the packet for details of other times of the year you can sow the seeds. Pansies like to grow in a well-drained, moist soil in full sun or partly in the shade.

Why flowers are important

Flowers are a great way to attract beneficial insect pollinators to your garden. Some of the most important pollinators that are attracted by flowers include bees, wasps, ants and butterflies.

But in recent years, the number of bees, and other pollinators, has dropped massively. This means that planting flowers is very important, and something we should make children aware of. Knowing they could save the bees may encourage them even more so to head out into the garden!

When it comes to teaching children about gardening and discussing the importance of looking after our environment, always keep it light-hearted and avoid killing the magic of nature by being too factual. To help, we've put together a fact sheet that includes some fun facts your children will love!

Happy planting!

Have you managed to get out into the garden yet this year? Share your flower and gardening pictures with us on social media.

At Bigjigs Toys we take our environmental and ethical responsibilities very seriously. We follow a number of environmental procedures in order to ensure our impact on the environment is as small as possible.

Four Ways to Develop Shape & Colour Recognition

- Guest Blog written by What2Buy4Kids

A key building block of a preschooler's development is the recognition and understanding of the world around them. Although they may not be able to name them, kids learn from an early age that there are different shapes and colours everywhere; but as shape and colour are abstract concepts, they can appear difficult to master for young children.

We all know that kids learn best when we make things fun and exciting, so below are a list of 4 things to try out with the kids to help with shape and colour recognition.

In the Playroom

Educational toys play such an important part in a child's development and can come in very handy when encouraging children to recognise shapes and colours.

Shape sorters are probably one of the best toys to help with this. The key part is the interaction needed by the parent (or carer). As children are playing, it's important to ask questions such as, "Can you find the circle?", "Where do you think the square goes?. As the child improves, make the questions more challenging to incorporate colour, e.g. "Can you find the red circle, the green triangle? Etc:. The team at what2buy4kids especially loves the Farmhouse Shape Sorter from the Bigjigs Toys collection.

Out and About

Colours and shapes are all around us, so make it part of a daily routine. A trip to the local supermarket can encourage kids to recognise colours and shapes, e.g. Let's pick 5 green apples and 2 yellow bananas.

Then, when you turn up at the checkout, get the kids to sort according to shape. This learning can also be reinforced in the playroom, as the children set up pretend play scenarios such as a shop or as they play in their toy kitchen.

In the Garden

The garden is a lovely place for developing colour and shape recognition, and we all know the importance of getting the kids to play outdoors. In the Spring, pick some yellow daffodils, white snowdrops, etc:. This is perfect for colour recognition and what's fantastic is that the kids' are learning without even realising!

As the weather gets warmer, you can set up a treasure hunt in the sandpit or paddling pool. It's simple, just put in a range of different shapes or colours for the kids to find and they'll be busy for hours! You'll usually find that they keep on asking you to re-hide the items as they love this game so much!

Art & Craft Activities

Art and craft activities are a great way to develop shape and colour recognition. Have a red arts and crafts morning, where all the paints and materials are red (red pom poms, red tissue paper, red pipe cleaners) and create a red masterpiece!

As you can see, the ways of teaching kids about shapes and colours are endless, with so many other ways that aren't on this list! As you start exploring, you'll see that there is a whole host of fun toys and numerous activities to teach kids about shapes and colours. Blocks, shape sorters and shape boards are literally building the foundation for learning through fun, one block (or shape!) at a time!

We're giving away a Farm Shape Sorter and Train Set in partnership with What2Buy4Kids To enter, choose one of the animals below and post its name in the comment of our Facebook Post!

You must like both the Bigjigs and the What2Buy4Kids Facebook page to be entered. While you're here, why not check out our other blogs!

It's pancake day today and that means it's time to dust off your apron and get flipping!

Pancake day is a great way to get the kids in the kitchen with some interactive fun learning! We've written a recipe that your little ones can follow along whilst they help you in the kitchen.

If you're not up for the washing up today (the kids and the pans) then get out your play food and whip up a crepe with a pinch of imagination!

Bigjigs Toys have acquired popular wooden toy brand, Tidlo, from John Crane Ltd. Find out more!

It's January and that means it's time for New Year's resolutions! This year, scrap the half-hearted promise to lose weight or keep the house tidy and do something that affects the entire planet. Yup, we're talking eco-living!

Okay, so we know you're not going to end global warming in one year but there are small steps we can all take to make an impact. When we think of eco-living it's easy to feel overwhelmed and intimidated, but it's not as hard as you may think. With over 7 billion people sharing Earth, every little change really does make a difference; so with that in mind, we've put together some easy things you can do to reduce your footprint and have an awesome eco-year!

1. Don't just bin it, recycle it

Children go through toys like no tomorrow, they break and get broken and then thrown away on a regular basis. This year, instead of just binning it, recycle it! Most toys are made from recyclable materials including wood, plastic and cloth, all of which can be recycled.

2. Buy greener toys from Green Toys

Green Toys are made from recycled plastic milk jugs, meaning you can buy them guilt-free! All products are packaged in 100% recyclable cardboard, and printed with minimal colour using soy inks. Plus, Green Toys contain no BPA, lead, phthalates, or other harmful substances!

Buying Green Toys is also a great way to teach children about recycling, helping the environment, saving energy, and reducing greenhouse gases. By showing that environmental responsibility can be fun!

3. Reduce and reuse: Nappies

Now Don't run away just yet, we know reusable nappies are met with confused looks and dread, but it's probably not as bad as you think! Nappies take between 200-500 years to decompose and leave behind some nasty chemicals.

Think about it like this: New born babies get changed around 12 times a day, this means that over 2000 nappies are being tossed in landfills for each new baby... Cloth nappies could save you an average of £700 a year and divert up to 874kg from landfill, reducing the carbon footprint by 40%!

Reusable nappies have been endlessly redesigned in the past few years and there now super reliable and easier to use than ever before

4. Use less paper

Do you have a budding artist at home? Let them scribble on old envelopes and paper you are already throwing out to reduce the amount of paper you use.

You can even try using cloth napkins instead of paper and switch out kitchen paper towels for a sponge or rag. For every ton of paper we recycle, we save 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.

Take a look at this great piece by the Small FootPrint Family for more tips!

5. Get growing outdoors with the kids

Switch part of your supermarket shop out for homegrown fruit and veg, and why not get the kids involved. Quality time in the garden with your little one throughout the summer and a great lesson in where food comes from - it's a win-win!

Growing your own fruit and vegetables also reduces your footprint massively - no emissions from food transportation or synthetic fertilizers. Plus, it's a great excuse to start up a compost bin for that nutrient-rich soil to feed your growing plants.

These really simple changes will make a huge difference in reducing your carbon footprint. Even if you're not up for the commitment of a vegetable garden just yet, start small by buying eco-friendly toys this year. Wishing you a very Happy New Year from everyone at Bigjigs Toys!

Hopefully, if you're a Bigjigs fan and follower you noticed the competitions we were running throughout December. Giving away a new toy every week, we had a huge amount of entries but one in particular really stood out to us.

Vikki posted wanting to win so she could donate the prize toy to the William Harvey Padua Ward after her little boy Joe was admitted, although Vikki didn't win the competition we wanted to help.

We had a chat with Vikki and the matron in the Padua ward and organised a huge toy donation!

Little Joe, who's now fighting fit, and his twin brother both came to ensure the toys we donated were up to scratch. Looks like they passed the test!

We hope that no children have to spend long in hospital, but if they do, Padua Ward's toy room is now well equipped to help the time pass quickly and relax its little patients.

By now, your little one has probably given you their wish lists, circled every toy in the catalogue, and pointed out every toy, in every shop; leaving you with a Christmas list as long as your arm.

Summer is here! And the holidays are just days away and the kids will be ready to GO all day, every day!

Do you know what we need? A PLAN!

Here are our some of our favourite ideas to keep your little ones entertain through the summer holidays!

Summer Survival Guide: You can work through these one day at a time, a couple a day or one a week! Whichever works for you - but, we hope our summer survival ideas help to keep you and your little ones amused during the summer holidays!

Baking - Bake a cake, cookies or cupcakes! Some kid friendly recipes can be seen here: BBC Baking with Kids Fresh fruit smoothie lollies - our fave are these: Unicorn Smoothie Lollies Water play - whether it's in the garden, bathtub or kitchen sink! Read our Water & Sand Play Blog here Get your Bigjigs Rail train sets and track outside - read how we did it here. Have a face painting party with Playcolor Face Paint Sticks Plant and grow your own salads, veg & plants - read our gardening blog here. Read a book! Make your own jewellery - braclets, necklaces for you, your friends and as gifts! Go on a beach walk. Do some painting - Try our mess-free alternative Playcolour - no need for water or paint brushes! Master the balance bike! Go an adventure walk - Try out our Bug Bingo - click here to download Have a tea party in the garden, living room or park! Build a den - we love this idea from Woodland Trust & if you want to stay inside or your garden - try using a bedsheet and some garden chairs, peg the corners of the sheet to the chairs and voila! Visit a farm - a real one or a wooden one - or why not both! Play frisbee in the garden, at the park or local green! We love our Green Toys Frisbee made from 100% recycled plastic! Go swimming! Build a bug hotel Feed the ducks Play a card game Play shopkeeper Build mud or sandcastles Have a picnic Balloon Boat Racing in the garden

Make a shell or leaf wind chime.

We hope you enjoy working through some or all of the above ideas!

If you have your own ideas please share them with us below or on social media!

Have a Bigjigs Rail Outdoor adventure!

On sunny, warm days there is nothing better than getting out into the garden to play!

But, it doesn't have to stop at swings, slides & water toys - why not get your favourite toys which are usually enjoyed in the living room out into the garden! For example, take your beloved Bigjigs Rail wooden train sets outdoors too!

Have a Bigjigs Rail Outdoor adventure and set the track to run over the grass, winding over footpaths, around tree trunks and plant pots! Enjoy a new natural environment to expand your rail sets and imaginations! Bigjigs Rail themes are fantastic for exploring new worlds, and in the new surrounding, those worlds can become even more interesting. The Bigjigs Rail Medieval Train Set and the Knights of the castle guarding the royal family through the fields and across the garden! Transport the treasure around the wooden track to the castle. Train up the Knights ready for battle as the King and Queen watch over. Use the Pillory to give bad guys a telling off! The possibilities are endless with the Includes 46 play pieces including an engine and two carriages, wooden figures, trees, Knight's flags and much more!

Go beyond the set and expand to include additional track pieces, accessories and explore the medieval world some more.

Transit up along the sloping track to the Drawbridge and enter the castle then raise the moveable bridge using the red turn dials to stop enemies in their tracks. Once the enemies have been lost lower the bridge back down and return to the track for another adventure! After traveling around the wooden track searching, your Knights finally find the mystical treasure, which is being guarded by the dragon! Befriend him and he will load it into your carriage. With magnets, the Dragon Crane is able to pick up the gold using its nose and load it easily onto your train! Set includes dragon with a movable dial to lift the dragon's neck up and down, treasure and an additional carriage to fit the treasure into. Extend your rail world into new realms. Travel from one fantasy land to another via a Pink Rope Bridge. Welcome to Fairy Land! Carefully travel over the rickety wooden rope bridge to cross the woodland stream below. Once safely over the wooden bridge, the magical journey can continue into the long grass, around the flowers and beyond. Travel through the grassy edges of the river to a Lilypad Turntable. A great way to manage an ever-growing wooden rail outdoor network, this 66-way Lilypad Turntable will ensure all engines can head in the right direction! Little ones can cross the lilypad by driving onto the colourful pad and then twist the pink knob to rotate.

Share your outdoor adventures with us on social media & enter to win a £20 voucher - every week in July 2017.

Take your learning outdoors into the fresh air! The beauty of being outdoors and doing forest school activities is that children probably do not perceive it as "learning" and yet they learn some of their most valuable lessons there.

Sand & water play enables hands-on learning & can be easily linked to the school curriculum

You Don't have to be on the beach to reap the benefits of playing with sand and water. Get out in the garden and play in the sand, water, or if you're brave mud! These natural resources provide great opportunities for sensory play, essential for healthy child development. All that digging, scooping, sifting, pouring, building and cleaning up takes a lot of energy. Sand and water play is a fun way to develop children's larger muscles and gross motor skills. Adding play accessories such as trowels, rakes or toy boats will also promote children's hand-eye coordination and allow them to practise their fine motor skills. Sand and water play is particularly beneficial for developing a sense of textures. Not only is sand a new and different texture for children to feel on their skin, but the contrast it creates with concrete, grass, mud, and wood will emphasize the sensation of each surface. Don't be afraid to get messy and a little bit muddy! Let the little ones enjoy their play without worrying about their clothes! Be prepared, put them in their old clothes and if you still can't cope with the mess using an apron and gloves is a good idea too! Shop our garden range here... Building sandcastles, mud pies and splish-splashing in the water helps ignite a little one's imagination and they can get lost on imaginary adventures whilst making memories in the great outdoors. Creative play improves children's ability to understand new concepts and enables them to connect with their environment. During role play with their friends, they will develop social skills and emotional understanding. Keep it good and green. Our Green Toys are made from 100% recycled plastic milk bottles. The toys are great for getting stuck in the mud, sand, and water because they can be hosed down, dipped in a bucket of water or even put through the dishwasher to get them clean again ready for playtime indoors or bath time! Read our Bath Toys blog here

Shop Green Toys here.