Do you want to join the Bigjigs review Team? We need you! 2016 is set to be a fantastic year for Bigjigs Toys, with lots of new products in the range. What's more, we are looking for a new team of reviewers to blog and vlog about the new products. Starting in January 2016, we will select a new toy every month for you and send it out, it is then up to you and your little bigjiggers (0months -6years) to review it and get it posted! If you would like to join the Play Patrol team and review the new products for 2016, follow the link for either PDF or Word Survey: PDF - Play Patrol Survey / Word - Play Patrol Word Survey Complete the form with all of your information and be as honest as possible, save and send to us @ bigjigstoys@bigjigstoys.com , please use your name as the title of the email & 'PlayPatrol - BigBlog'. Once we have all of the surveys back we will choose who we think will be the most honest reviewers. The team will be made up of 6 vloggers, 6 bloggers for January to June, and also 2 retailers per month will review a toy. We will let you know by email who will become part of the team in November. We look forward to hearing from you soon! Kind Regards Bigjigs Toys

Last month we celebrated Get Caught Reading month and invited you to share photos with us on social media of your mini bookworm enjoying their favourite book. We've collected up all the snaps and created one big montage of our Bigjigs bookworms. We hope they're all enjoying reading with their new Bigjigs wooden bookmarks! Thank to everyone who got involved. Follow our other activities on social media by finding us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Although they may not realize it, playing with toys is how children practice for growing older. The toys that parents choose for their children have a significant impact on many aspects of the child's overall development, including his or her motor skills, cognitive function, social skills, and problem solving skills. Many progressive parents are carefully considering which toys their children should use, as toys can shape their future. Here are just a few of the benefits the right toys can provide. Cognitive Skills Toys help your child to learn about cause and effect. For example, a baby may learn that shaking a rattle causes noise. When a toddler stacks building blocks, they realize that pushing on them knocks the tower down. To an adult, these facts of life are so basic that they Don't ever cross our minds, but for a developing child, every discovery is significant. Puzzles can help children to fit the pieces together, providing valuable insight about perspective and problem solving. Toys that must be assembled in a certain order can be great for memory. A Sense of Well-Being It is so important to provide a safe and comforting environment for your child. Spending time playing with children alone gives them a feeling of protection and well-being. Reading books, working on puzzles, teaching them with flash cards, and other educational activities let children know that someone cares about them and wants the best for them. It is important to form a strong relationship with children early on, and toys are the perfect outlet to accomplish that. Social Skills Interacting with your child regularly allows them to develop important social and communication skills. Once the child becomes old enough, playing with other children is crucial. Educational toys give children common ground to relate to, allowing for accelerated interactions. While there is nothing wrong with playing with dolls or action figures, incorporating other educational toys into the mix makes playtime more productive. And, your child doesn't even need to know that they are playing with educational toys! Remember, fun and educational Don't have to be mutually exclusive. Physical Growth Just like with adults, regular exercise helps your child to be happy and healthy. The right toys can help them to fall in love with physical activity early, setting an important precedent that can last a lifetime. Bring a child to the playground can be a wonderful treat, and it also helps them to stay active. Physical activity also improves basic skills like balance, while also instilling less tangible gifts like motivation and drive. Exercise gives your child an outlet to let off aggression and stress in a natural and healthy way. Plus, it helps children to sleep better at night, which means you do too. Invest in Your Child's Future There are endless reasons why you should keep your child's playroom stocked with educational toys. Try to find a balance between fun for the sake of fun, and fun for the sake of learning and developing. Your child deserves the opportunity to reach his or her full potential, so consider the long-term implications of the toys you buy. Bigjigs Toys offer a wide range of educational toys, available to purchase online and in independent toy shops nationwide. Author Bio Alicia Dobbs is a proud mother of three, and a toy enthusiast by proxy. Working with Educational Insights has helped her to understand the importance of using the right toys during a child's developmental stages, and she is committed to sharing this valuable information with other parents.

We're giving the budding Banksy in your household a chance to win a Bigjigs Toys Mini Playset of their choice when they complete and colour the farmyard scene below.

Cast your vote for a chance to win your top Bigjigs travel toy From mini games to compact playsets, we've got a whole host of boredom-busting toys for plane, train and car journeys this summer! Choose your favourite travel toy from those listed below (or nominate another Bigjigs travel toy) and comment with your top pick for a chance to win your favourite. Entries must be submitted by midnight 20.05.15. A winner will be announced and contacted by 01.06.15 Mini Playsets Choose from one of five pint-sized playsets for small world play on-the-go! The string handle and secure clasp ensure that your Mini Playset is always ready to travel with your little one and the play pieces can be stored safely inside. Dress Up Bear Family A colourful dressing-up game and puzzle in one, complete with different bear expressions, detailed outfits and four separate characters. Use the lid as a tray to display your chosen clothing combinations and inspire endless story telling. Portable Cooker The Bigjigs Portable Cooker brings a whole new meaning to fast food as mini chefs whip up a feast on the hoof! When mealtime's over the pots, pans and leftover ingredients can be stowed away in the underside compartment. Pink Flower Tea Set A teapot, cups, saucers, napkins, plates, cutlery and even a tray all fit inside the brightly coloured carry case of this charming tea set. Friends and family won't be able to resist a pretend play tea party with this wonderful role play toy. Mini Games 'Are we nearly there yet?', will never again be heard from the back seats as long as there's Bigjigs Mini Games around! Youngsters can forget about the many miles ahead as they engage in problem solving fun of classic Tiddlywinks or magnetic Noughts & Crosses. Railway Station Carry Set An award-winning take-anywhere playset which comes to life at home, on holiday, or anywhere else a bright young mind wants to show off their creative imagination. The station seconds as a storage caddy in which all the track and play pieces can be safely stored. Farmhouse Sorter Preschoolers can take all the fun of the farm away with them with this compact shape sorter. Remove the roof panels to reveal the animal menagerie within and practise animal sounds as your youngster posts the shapes back through the correct window slots. Do you have a favourite? Comment below and tell us about your top pick. Full T&Cs can be found on our Competitions page

Ladies and gents, place your bets! Bigjigs Toys' Jumping Clowns are about to battle it out to be the first to the distant finish line where a mighty cupcake awaits - a delicious trophy for the successful competitor! This athletic bunch of clattering clowns are chirpy, speedy and sure to entertain, but they're not always equally matched in every attribute. Have a read of the profiles below and then comment with your preferred pick of chattering challenger. Back the right clown and you could be randomly selected as the winner of £20 worth of Pocket Money toys from the Bigjigs Toys collection. This colourful range of miniature playthings offer hours of fun-filled play on-the-go and make great party bag treats. Entries must be received by midnight on 26th April. The winning clown will be revealed on Monday 27th April and a winning bettor announced and contacted during the same week. You can even watch footage from the race on our Facebook or Twitter page. Read our full Terms and Conditions here. Thank you to everyone who entered. Now have a watch of the race footage to see if you backed the right clown! [video width="720" height="478" mp4="https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.bigjigstoys.com/images/blog/2015/04/FINAL-Race-for-the-Cake.mp4"][/video] Congratulations to Mari Harper - winner of £20 of Pocket Money toys!

Welcome to the Bigjigs Rail m-egg-a Easter egg hunt! Bigjigs Rail's Green Arrow locomotive has been called upon to help the Easter Bunny deliver eggs in time for Sunday but flying along at super speeds has caused some eggs to fall out of the wagons. Some may have even bounced up in to the air and be nestled among the rail scenery! Help the train driver recover the fallen eggs by spotting how many individual eggs have fallen OUTSIDE of the wagons and comment below with the number you can find. Guess correctly and you could win a Bigjigs Rail Country Windmill and Farmyard Train. Entries must be received by midnight on Monday 6th April 2015. A winner will be picked at random and announced next week. Visit our Competitions page for full terms & conditions Good luck and happy Easter from all of us here at Bigjigs Toys!

We're extremely excited to reveal that Bigjigs Toys will be commencing work on a brand new theme park this summer. Bigjigs Land will offer a paradise of fun and fantasy as characters and toys from the Bigjigs Toys portfolio are brought to life on the 62 acre site in South East England, just a few miles from the company's headquarters in Folkestone. Much discussion and planning has taken place over the last five years but the company decided to wait until their 30th anniversary year to officially announce the plans to begin work on the theme park later this year. Fun seekers of all ages will have the chance to meet members of the Bigjigs Rail crew as they are welcomed at the gates and pass between giant Guardsman Skittles into a land where endless fun and adventure is guaranteed! Where better place to start than Dino Kingdom where youngsters can experience the thrill of riding the Dinosaur Train roller coaster and then reach hair-raising speeds as they zoom down the back of the gigantic Bronto Riser. From there, the Big Wild Life Park is just a hop, skip and jump away! Here you'll find a majestic herd of elephants, graceful giraffes and the mighty gorilla, among the Bigjigs menagerie of awe-inspiring creatures. Lunch calls for a stop off at the Big Eat Cafe where sweet treats and savoury dishes from the Bigjigs Role Play kitchen are brought to life. With full stomachs little ones can climb aboard a motorised ride on, whizz along to Buccaneer Bay and sit back for a well-earned rest aboard the 70ft Bigjigs Pirate Ship as this mighty vessel cruises around the Big Lake. With weary legs and fun-filled hearts there's just enough time to stop off at a Bigjigs gift shop for a souvenir to remember such a wonderful time - one that youngsters are sure to be talking about for many days to follow. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************* OK, so Bigjigs Land might be one of our wilder dreams but what's wrong with dreaming! For now we'll carry on creating toys to inspire creative fun and learning. Happy April Fools!

My name is Katie, I'm 28, a primary school teacher and I have a 2 year old daughter. I first started sensory play with Daisy when she was 4 months old and she absolutely loved it! She much preferred a tray of coloured spaghetti to her regular toys! Around June 2014 whilst making up different sensory bins I wondered whether anyone would like to buy ready made treasure baskets or sensory bins. I started a Facebook group 'Sensory Sensations' and pretty soon I had orders from local mums, nurseries and childminders... fast forward to February of this year and I decided to branch out into Sensory Sensations weekly toddler classes offering sensory & messy play activities. It's a lot of fun and we've had a lot of mums join us. After our second baby is born (due April) we will be offering weekend classes and hopefully will continue to grow. From birth, babies explore the world around them using their five senses: touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell. In recent years there is a decline in Sensory Play as the TV, computer games and battery operated toys are becoming more popular. Sensory play has long been a favourite in our house since my daughter Daisy was 4 months old. She's now 2 years old and we've enjoyed lots of creative, messy and sensory play which has really helped her early development. Sensory play is all about exploring through senses and experimenting in new experiences. It's fun play with lots of learning too! I've put together a list of the benefits of sensory play and how it will help your child to develop:

1. Independent play

Sensory play can be enjoyed together, where you lead your child into an activity, give input into what they can do and ask them questions: however, sometimes it's more beneficial to take a step back and let them explore their activity without you. You may be surprised at how they play with something and maybe it's not how you intended the activity to be played with, but this is key to helping children develop their own personality and preferences. [caption id="attachment_1783" align="aligncenter" width="275"] Exploring textures on the Bruno Activity Cube[/caption]

2. Wide age range

Sensory play isn't just for babies and toddlers. Any child can enjoy sensory exploration. As sensory activities are naturally open-ended they can be enjoyed with older siblings as well as younger ones, as the play 'outcome' can vary so greatly. A lovely way to bond and share experiences together.

3. Developing imagination

Following on from point one, sensory play leads to lots of imaginative play. Creating stories from sensory toys with different smells, sounds and textures can make play come to life! [caption id="attachment_1784" align="aligncenter" width="275"] Having musical fun with the Bell Tree[/caption]

4. Building fine motor skills

Fine motor skills are important later on in life when children learn to write, tie their laces, do up buttons and zip up their coats. All these skills can be practiced and developed with various sensory play activities.

5. Enhancing memory

As adults whenever we smell a certain scent we are reminded of a certain time or place, as with a piece of music: it is the same with babies and toddlers. Repetitive sensory play helps children to develop their memory skills and in turn their appreciation for cause and effect. [caption id="attachment_1785" align="aligncenter" width="275"] Ice Cream Sandmoulds are fun for the sand tray[/caption]

6. Learning new vocabulary

Exploring your different senses through play leads really well into developing new vocabulary. Parents naturally talk to their children about what they can smell, see, taste, feel and hear and this will lead to children eventually describing what they are doing themselves. It is also fantastic for learning colours, shapes, animals...everything! You can tailor make the topic of your sensory play so you are in control of your child's learning.

7. Problem solving/Reasoning skills

Learning how to solve problems and the value of cause and effect are very important skills to learn from a young age. It gives great satisfaction to solve a problem independently and using logic and reason to gain conclusions. [caption id="attachment_1780" align="aligncenter" width="275"] Problem solving with the Animal Shape Lorry[/caption]

8. Learning from real life experiences

Toys that help our children explore through their senses help them to understand and learn from real life experiences. For example, playing with different musical instruments can help develop an ear for pitch, pace, rhythm and learning songs. [caption id="attachment_1782" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Developing rhythm with the colourful Animal Maracas[/caption]

9. Sharing and turn taking

Sharing is such an important (and sometimes tricky!) skill to learn when you're a baby or toddler. Sensory play is so open-ended that it lends itself really well to sharing an activity and taking turns. [caption id="attachment_1781" align="aligncenter" width="275"] Creating shapes with the Sandmould Assortment[/caption]

10. Calming effect

If your child needs to calm down when anxious or frustrated, sensory play is an ideal calming solution. Playing with something with a familiar smell or texture can calm a child and make them feel safe and secure. Bigjigs Toys offer a wide selection of toys for babies and toddlers that support sensory play. From shape sorters to arts & crafts, musical instruments to water & sand toys. Written by Katie Lane, Sensory Sensations

What are the 10 benefits of cooking role play & pretend play? Find out how play food can positively impact Little Chefs.

Welcome to the Bigjigs Creativity Month competition gallery! Last month we asked our budding Bigjigs artists to decorate the Bigjigs Bus in the most creative way they could. After four days of deliberations we've settled on a winner for the two different age categories. Find out below if your child's entry was a winning design... 1 - 3 Years Category 4 - 8 Years Category Our two winners will each receive the following Bigjigs creative bundle worth over £25:

• Pin-a-Shape
• Farm Animal Templates
• Mini Jewellery Kit
• Safari Animal Pencils
• Snazzy Maracas

And our two Highly Commended artists will each receive a set of Farm Animal Templates and Safari Animal Pencils. A selection of other entries can be seen in our Bigjigs Bus collage. Can you spot yours? We'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered. We were mightily impressed by the creative thought and skill that went in to each design. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for more competitions soon to be announced!

It's the final day of our Christmas Giveaways and today's prize is extra special! We're giving one lucky winner the chance to fulfill their wildest shopkeeper dreams as they welcome friends and family to their very own Village Shop. (Please note: groceries and scales are not included)

Enter our Day 10 competition in one of the following ways: 1) Like and share on Facebook 2) Follow and Retweet on Twitter 3) Sign up to our Newsletter Competition ends at midnight on the 14.12.14 and a winner will be announced on 15.12.14. Entries submitted on each of the above platforms will be counted as separate. For all T&C's visit our Competitions page.