Seed sowing is a fantastic activity for little-ones. It's especially fun if grown-ups Don't interfere too much. My three year old has been sowing cosmos and peas this week. Cosmos produce tonnes of cheerful daisy-like flowers in the summertime and can last until the nights start getting frosty. They are perfect for picking and giving to Granny or arranging in a jam-jar. There are lots of different varieties and colours, and they can cope in a pot if you haven't got room to turn them out into the garden. The seeds are long and thin like a grain of wild rice. A three year old can manage them happily, and a dexterous two year old would probably do just fine as well. Pea seeds are large enough for even the youngest of toddlers to handle. They germinate quickly, and what better introduction to grow-your-own than sweet, freshly-picked peas eaten straight from the pod. We chose Tom Thumb, a dwarf variety that can be grown in pots and doesn't need to be staked ideal for small gardens and small gardeners alike. Sowing station With a bit of planning you can set up a sowing station that gives kids the freedom to do everything themselves without causing too much mayhem. This is a great confidence builder and makes the experience more enjoyable for everyone. Our sowing station had:

1. a small bucket of seed compost (just because we had some kicking around general multi-purpose would do)
2. mini tools (trowel and fork)
3. a stool for a work bench
4. Twigz mini greenhouse (a windowsill-size propagator with biodegradable pots)
5. A watering can (only part full; what pre-schooler can resist emptying a whole can?)

I kept the seeds in my pocket until they were needed and just gave my daughter the gentlest of guidance as she worked. Sure enough she over-watered them, but no harm was done. With a bit of luck and tender loving care they'll be ready to plant outside soon. Come back in a few weeks and we'll let you know how they're doing. Tips

• Most seeds need warmth, moisture and light to germinate. If it is cool outside, pop them on a sunny windowsill.
• A propagator or mini greenhouse is good for speeding things up or protecting young seedlings from heavy rain but Don't leave the lid on too much once they're growing or they'll get lanky and weak.
• There are lots of good seeds for little-ones to grow. Here are just a few: sweetcorn, beans, pumpkins, sweet peas, nasturtiums, clarkia and, of course, sun flowers!
• Taking a hands-off approach is great a way to instil a love gardening but if your children are very young make sure you're nearby to stop them putting anything in their mouths (or up their noses)

You can find out more about Mary and her garden at www.brookendcottagegarden.com. Subscribe to our blog to keep up to date with Mary's advice/tips and know how.

We are delighted to officially introduce you to our Twigz Gardening Expert, Mary Hamblyn. Encouraged by her parents who are keen horticulturists, Mary's childhood was defined by muddy knees and dirty fingernails as she grew up half-wild on their plant nursery in Gloucestershire. Today she's a bit more civilised, but gets out in the garden with her three year old daughter, who has either inherited the family's love of plants or just likes getting dirty. Recently nominated for 'Best New Blog' in the MADS awards 2014, Mary and her family are set to embark on journey on a journey in the garden covering a number of subject area's including hints and tips on growing flowers and vegetables, suggestions for small gardens, and advice-led idea's for involving children in the garden using Twigz Gardening Tools. You can find out more about Mary and her garden at www.brookendcottagegarden.com. Subscribe to our blog to keep up to date with Mary's advice/tips and know how.

The Big Crane Construction Team from Bigjigs Rail has been drafted in to help Network Rail and Great First Western fix railway lines after the recent storms. The destruction of the railway line connecting Devon and Cornwall to the rest of the UK has been badly damaged by the recent bad weather, with the sea wall protecting the railway line at Dawlish being washed away, exposing the line and leaving it hanging in mid-air.

Bigjigs Rail To The Rescue

Network Rail has claimed that the line will take a minimum of six weeks to repair with costs set to soar into the millions. Up to 150ft (46m) of railway track was destroyed and Dawlish Station was also damaged on Wednesday. Bigjigs Rail's, Big Crane Construction team, have been brought in to assist Network Rail in the operating of Britain's rail infrastructure during these stormy times. By bringing in the Bigjigs Rail team, the cost is set to dramatically reduce from millions to just £31.99 and they are expected to help repair the track quickly too!

A spokesman from the Bigjigs Rail team said "Our main priority is to protect the line from another big weather front that is due this weekend, and thereafter help fix the line so that passengers can once again enjoy this magnificent stretch of track!" Bigjigs Rail has also promised to kindly donate some toys to seafront homes that have been damaged and affected by the sea wall collapse in Dawlish.

Support Bigjigs Toys

You can support the teams by following @bigjigstoys on Twitter and tweeting: Support @bigjigstoys & team in helping fix the Dawlish railway line #GetDawlishBackOnTrack You can also support the team by sharing Bigjigs Rails Facebook post with your friends!

New Year brings New Beginnings. The chance to start afresh and stick to those resolutions. Our Cooking & Roleplay toys are one of the most popular ranges in our collection, and features all sorts of scrumptious toys for youngsters to get their teeth into (not literally!) So we have decided to write a post - including some wonderful information on the 'Feeding Young Imaginations' campaign by the Pre-School Learning Alliance group, and how using play food helps promote a healthy balanced diet. A good diet is particularly important for young children as their early food experiences will impact on their eating patterns and habits latter on in their adult life. Youngsters need high energy foods and nutrients including protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals to help their bodies work correctly and grow. Foods and eating can also provide wonderful opportunities for learning, such as numeracy, reading & writing, art & design, science, ecology, geography, history and even religion (just check out our Great British Bake Off post). So, why is a healthy diet so important for youngsters? - It helps to improve their concentration, learning and behaviour - Promotes physical growth and development - Builds up their strength and immune system and helps fights off colds and viruses - Gives plenty of energy (though sometimes we wish they would have less of it... it is important!) - Plays a paramount role in shaping a child's lifelong attitudes towards food.

Did you know? After approximately three years old, children model the nutritional behaviours of those in their environments especially their parents food presences and attitudes. What should feature in a youngster's diet? - Lots of choice and balance it is important to allow children to make their own choices on foods allowing them to evolve their learning and decision making. - Lots of fruits and vegetables these are packed with vitamins, nutrients and all those important! - Lots of starchy foods bread, rice, potatoes, pasts (though do be careful not to - Foods that contain calcium and iron-rich foods milk & dairy, meat, fish, eggs, beans - Regular healthy meals and snacks - Low salt and avoid added sugar foods. Did you know? A child's initial rejections of new foods do not represent innate food preferences, but transient reactions that can be changed and developed through learning and experience. Top tips for starting healthy eating - Encourage your child to try lots of different foods - Try not to exclude particular food groups (the more you exclude, the more likely the child is going to want it... and we all know that children tend to get what they want, one way or another!) - Offer healthy alternatives to sugary or fatty treats - Make food and eating times fun and social talk about your food, educate them about how the foods arrived on the table. - Encourage your child to drink lots of water as it will help with their concentration, learning and behaviour Did you know? Children learn primarily through observational learning, especially their parents attitudes and behaviours. By eating a variety of foods and often trying new ones youngsters are more likely to mimic this behaviour. How can toys be used to help food and eating experiences? In a play setting, parents should encourage children to prepare healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, soup etc. By pretending to consume these healthy foods, and by interacting by commenting on how delicious they are can help encourage youngsters to try them in future (food familiarity). This food familiarity allows youngsters to become accustomed to foods they see on a regular basis. Importantly, children's preference will be honed in on these foods they see and interact with regularly. In the safety of a play setting, parents can also familiarise children on how to act and behaviour in a kitchen setting i.e. chopping up vegetables, stirring a pan, and even opening and closing the oven door. With all this said, it is also important to allow children to indulge in treats once in a while. By allowing children to eat these 'treats', it emphasises the importance of a balanced diet and that they should not be eaten in replace of meals.

If you want to help encourage your little one's to eat healthy using play food, then you can find our yummy toys which create the right recipe for fun by clicking here!

It is the last day of the Bigjigs Toys Xmas Giveaway! To end this epic 10 day giveaway - we are giving away a rail set that has won more awards this year than any other including the much acclaimed Slow Toy award! So do you fancy travelling to every corner of the globe with this Around the World Train Set? Take the Bigjigs Express on a journey of discovery and visit iconic sites in the extensive Around the World Train Set. Visit London, New York, Pisa (Italy), Paris and even Sydney, Australia! In fact, learning about different places and their landmarks has never been such fun. Includes a brightly coloured engine with two carriages, plus vehicles, figures and of course the all-important buildings. Pass by Big Ben, the Sydney Opera House and the Egyptian Pyramids along the track. 1. LIKE & COMMENT on Facebook 2. RT & Follow on Twitter 3. PIN & Follow on Pinterest 4. Sign up to our Newsletter Competition will end at midnight on Sunday 15th December 2013 with the winner be announced on Monday 16th December at 9am ! Each entry will be counted as separate. For all T&C's visit our Competitions page. Winner: Angie Walton

"Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding!" That sounds like Day 9 of the Bigjigs Toys Xmas Giveaway! We are offering you the chance to win this fantastic wooden Fire Station Play Set worth £79.99. This gorgeous red-brick Fire Station and Engine is perfect for 'igniting' the imagination of youngsters. This beautifully crafted station opens out to reveal the firemen's sleeping quarters, pole and somewhere to store the fire engine. Children will love using the fire tower for fire training, whilst using the fire engine with rotating ladder and removable hose to help save the day! 1. LIKE & COMMENT on Facebook 2. RT & Follow on Twitter 3. PIN & Follow on Pinterest 4. Sign up to our Newsletter Competition will end at midnight tonight with the winner being announced tomorrow at 9am! Each entry will be counted as separate. For all T&C's visit our Competitions page. Winner: Emma - @4MunchkinsAndMe

"A paaaaaand of Bananas for a paaaaaaand!" Day 8 of the Bigjigs Giveaway and we are giving you the chance to win this wonderfully wooden Village Shop worth £119.99! For your chance to play shopkeeper enter via one of the four following ways. 1. LIKE & COMMENT on Facebook 2. RT & Follow on Twitter 3. PIN & Follow on Pinterest 4. Sign up to our Newsletter Competition will end at midnight tonight with the winner being announced tomorrow at 9am! Each entry will be counted as separate. For all T&C's visit our blog: http://blog.bigjigstoys.co.uk/competitions/ Winner: Amy Tidd

Today we are giving away one of our award winning playsets! The wooden Blossom Cottage not only features a lift-down patio and garden but also comes with a built in carrying handle for easy portability. With 18 pieces of furniture plus a charming four person doll family, every space inside and out of Blossom Cottage will inspire young imaginations to create unique, interactive role play scenarios. Enter via our Facebook page or sign up to our Newsletter. For full T&C's please visit our competitions page. Competition will run until midnight and a winner will be announced at 9 am tomorrow morning. Winner: Lisa Sargent

What little handyman (or handygirl) could fail to be delighted by this complete wooden tool bench? It's clamps, nuts and bolts, wrench and screwdriver are all made of wood so are completely safe, allowing your child to spend hours discovering how to make models (or even fix the kitchen sink!) Worth £97.39.

Enter via our Facebook page. For full T&C's please visit our competitions page. Competition will run until midnight and a winner will be announced at 9 am tomorrow morning. WINNER: Dawn Louise Clarke

Speed away on this gorgeous wooden Balance Bike worth £54.99. This bright red and orange bike is perfect for little riders aged 3 years+ to develop their skills on. The high quality, sturdy design ensures it is built to last and it comes complete with a comfortable padded seat, easy to grip handlebars and padded wheels! The ideal gift for any adventurous youngster. Also available in pink and blue! Enter via Twitter or sign up for our Newsletter on our website. One entry on each portal only. For full T&C's please visit our competitions page. Competition will run until midnight and a winner will be announced at 9 am tomorrow morning. WINNER: Laura Double

Have another cake...go on...its Christmas! Fancy getting your hands on this delicious Candy Floss Patisserie Stand?

We are running today's competition over on our Bigjigs Toys Facebook Page - so head over to find out how you can WIN this gorgeous stand complete with delicious cupcakes, biscuits and party cake! Terms & Conditions can be found over on our competitions page. Competition has now closed! WINNER: Sarah Ottley

Arrrrgghhh me hearties! Its Day 3 of the Bigjigs Xmas Giveaway and we are giving you the chance to win a set of Pirate Skittles! These brightly coloured wooden Skittles love nothing more than being toppled over, straightened up and then knocked over again! Crafted from wood, this classic game is ideal for extended play sessions between family or friends. Helps to develop dexterity and co-ordination - but be careful you are not forced to walk the plank! a Rafflecopter giveaway Good Luck Bigjiggers! For T&C's please visit our competitions page.