Have you recently purchased a Bigjigs Toys product or been given one as a gift? What do you think of it? We'd love to hear your thoughts (good or bad!) so post a review on the product's page and be entered into our monthly draw to win a Bigjigs Toys £20 voucher. This competition applies to any product offered on our website www.bigjigstoys.co.uk including Green Toys, Twigz and our other distributor brands. Find out the monthly winner by visiting our Bigjigs Toys Facebook page.

Summer might be over, but Don't let it stop you getting out in the garden with the kids. Planting bulbs is a brilliant autumn activity for little-ones. Even young toddlers can handle them easily, and they're practically fail-safe. If you want a pretty spring display without spending a small fortune, plant them in pots rather than direct into the ground. You can make a bigger impact with fewer bulbs this way. And pots of compost are easier and more fun for children to deal with than digging in heavy soil. There aren't many rules when it comes to bulbs. Some people are very precise about how deep to plant them and how far apart they should be. But the only important thing to remember is to plant them pointy-side-up. I shouldn't think it matters much if one or two go in pointy-side-down though. It might take the shoots a little longer to work out which way is up, but they'd probably get there in the end. Anyway, it's better to have a few upside down bulbs than to micromanage your young gardener, or redo all their work. A few tips: If bulbs get too wet for too long they can rot. But you can put something in the bottom of your pot to improve the drainage. A bit of gravel or a few pebbles would do the trick, and I've never met a small child who didn't like picking up stones. Some bulbs can irritate the skin, so it's best to wear gloves when planting them. Kiddie gardening gloves are great, but if your child has very small hands they might be a bit cumbersome. When my daughter was really little she got on much better with magic gloves; in their un-stretched state they're just right for teeny-tiny fingers. Try to cram as many bulbs in as possible. It will look much more impressive once they flower and as long as they aren't touching each other they'll be fine. Planting them in layers with 1 or 2cm of compost between each level can work well. Bulbs are the ultimate in low maintenance gardening. Once planted, leave them somewhere outside and give them an occasional drink if they get dry. If there are lots of squirrels in your area, it's a good idea to cover them until the shoots have appeared. Otherwise you might find they've been dug up and stashed away in a random corner. Most garden centres and home ware stores will be stocking bulbs throughout the autumn so grab a few daffodils, tulips or hyacinths and get growing! Recently nominated for 'Best New Blog' in the MADS awards 2014, Mary and her family are set to embark on a journey in the garden, covering a number of subject areas including hints and tips on growing flowers and vegetables, suggestions for small gardens, and advice-led ideas for involving children in the garden using Twigz Gardening Tools. You can find out more about Mary and her garden at www.brookendcottagegarden.com.

We are absolutely delighted to announce that three of our products have been voted by retailers as award winners in the 2014 Independent Toy Awards. The Bigjigs Toys Fire Station & Engine Playset, Around the World Train Set and Multi Layer Pirate Puzzle scooped gold, silver and bronze medals respectively in these highly acclaimed annual awards. Over 350 of the nation's best independent toy retailers voted for their favourite products and we're thrilled that we were recognised as having a stand-out product in both the Wooden and Jigsaw Puzzles categories. Award organisers, Toy Shop UK, have created a uniquely impartial awards process whereby the 1000+ retailers that list their businesses on the directory, are invited to vote what they think are the best toys in each category. As a result, winners are 'revealed' rather than 'selected' as votes flood in. Toy Shop UK founder, Michael Hawkins, commented: "This year's list of winning toys features a truly diverse mix of products which I think perfectly reflects the life, character, and occasionally eclectic nature of the independent toy retailers that bring so much to this industry. A full list of the gold, silver and bronze winning products can be seen at www.toyshopuk.co.uk/ita/.

When we heard the news that Berlin-based Michael Sailstorfer had hidden 24-carat gold bars on a beach in our very own hometown, we thought we'd better get some digging power down to the dig site!

30 gold bars, worth £10,000, have been buried in the Outer Harbour Beach as part of Folkestone's Triennial arts festival, which runs from 30 August to 2 November this year. Sailstorfer and organisers from Bristol-based arts producers, Situations, hope that visitors will create modern art pieces as they pile up the sand whilst attempting to unearth the hidden bullion. 'Folkestone Digs', as the site has been named, aims to change the perception of what makes public art.

Claire Doherty, Director at Situations commented: "So often public art funding is spent on a sculpture or a bauble on a roundabout and part of what we do is to say, actually sometimes a temporary project can have as much impact in the collective memory as something that has been there a long time.

Art helps you explore places and I think what the artist wanted was exactly what you see here today - people away from their iPads and computer screens, alive with imagination and excitement.

After the news of the hidden treasure reached Bigjigs HQ, we immediately deployed our finest Bigjigs excavation vehicles to assist with the gold digging. Unbeknownst to the skillful collection of vehicle drivers, a gang of cheeky pirates aboard the new Pirate Mini Playset landed their vessel on the beach and began a rival search.

We knew these swash buckling critters would stop at nothing to fill their treasure chest and immediately sent backup in the form of the Big Crane Construction crew. Manned with a crane, roller, trucks and diggers, as well as a supportive crowd of onlookers, they're sure to provide valuable support.

The news of the gold digging even reached the ears of Green Toys pilot, Mr B Ear, who offered support from the sky in his state of the art eco-friendly Seacopter. He hopes that by flying over the area he will be able to spot marks in the sand where the gold bars may be submerged.

Meanwhile the team at Bigjigs HQ wait anxiously to see which side will be the first to strike gold! In can only be a matter of time...

With their colourful wings and random flightiness it's easy to see why butterflies are so popular with children. Many species have declined over the past ten years due to loss of habitat. But the good news is that even the littlest gardeners can play an active role in their conservation. Keeping plants well-watered is the key to ensuring they produce plenty of nectar, and dead-heading (removing dead flowers) will prolong the flowering season. So set the kids up with mini-watering cans and child-friendly scissors at the ready Teeny, tiny gardens Potted plants on sunny windowsills and doorsteps can create a flowery tapas bar for butterflies and other nectar-loving insects. Lavender is a good choice, flowering early and lasting until the first frosts. It's also very forgiving if you forget to water it for a few days. Alyssum, lobelia and heliotrope (cherry pie plant) are all happy enough in pots and provide cheap-and-cheerful butterfly fodder all summer long. Keep the pots close together so they can flit between them easily. Medium gardens Buddleia... or 'butterfly bush'...is the first plant most people associate with our fluttery friends. It fills the air with a honeyed scent, and it's a sure-fire way to tempt lots of butterflies. Some gardeners dislike this shrub because of its untidiness, rapid growth and ability to self-seed in the most inconvenient places. But Don't let that put you off give it a hefty prune early spring and remove the seed heads after flowering to avoid unleashing a plague of buddleia on the neighbourhood's gardens. Butterfly Conservation has a list of 100 nectar-rich plants, many of which can easily be grown from seed by children. Candytuft, verbena bonariensis, cornflower and coneflower are all wonderful, and the family section of the RHS website has easy-to-follow growing instructions for them. Large gardens If you have a big garden, turning a section of it over to meadow will cater for caterpillars and butterflies throughout their lifecycle. Lots of caterpillars eat grasses and nettles, so letting a hidden corner run wild will be really beneficial. Big Butterfly Count If you're looking for a quick and easy garden activity for the kids over the holidays, why not take part in Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count? Spend 15 minutes in one spot, count how many butterflies you see and submit your sightings online. It's running until 10 August - you can find out more and download a butterfly ID chart here. 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.

Planting can make a brilliant party activity if your little-one has a summer birthday. Turn the kids out into the garden with some pots and compost, give them a quick demo and leave them to get on with it. At this time of year, you can often pick up cheap-and-cheerful late season bedding plants from nurseries and garden centres. They may be a bit leggy, but they'll be in full flower and even clumsy planting will result in an impressive display. Planted pots are a great party bag substitute, so you won't need to bother with all that plastic tat. Get some labels to avoid arguments and tears over which gardening creation belongs to which child at going-home time. If you throw in a few coloured pens and stickers, you might even get away with label and pot decorating as a warm-up activity before the planting starts. It's probably a good idea to provide a couple of pairs of kid-sized gardening gloves in case any of them Don't like getting dirty. And make sure they all wash their hands, especially before they tuck into the party food compost is teeming with bacteria. If your child doesn't have a summer birthday but you'd still like a planting party, one of these ideas might grab you: September-November this is the ideal time for planting bulbs. Try one hyacinth per child in a 15cm pot, or a handful of crocus bulbs (encourage them to plant bulbs 'pointy-side-up'). December-March sweet peas do well from a winter sowing. If you have time, soak the seeds in water overnight before the party as it can help them to germinate. April-May you're spoilt for choice with seed sowing in early spring try sunflowers, clarkia, cosmos, nasturtiums or quick-and-easy veg like peas and runner beans. If you're really organised, you could send the children home with tips to help them (and their parents) keep their plants alive. A little root around the RHS website will uncover gems like this child-friendly advice for growing sweet peas. Happy growing! You can find out more about Mary and her garden at www.brookendcottagegarden.com.

Today marks the fourth annual campaign of 'Independent Retailer Month', which calls upon you, the general public, to support small, independent businesses by making more informed decisions on where you spend your money. Independent Retail Month is an annual campaign which runs throughout all of July, aiming to raise awareness of thousands of local businesses and to increase footfall into towns and villages ultimately helping retailers stay in business. Many consumers are unaware of the value they can add to their local economies by shopping with independent retailers. Research carried out by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) for Federation of Small Business (FSB) found that for every £1 spent locally, 50-70p re-circulates back into the local economy. In contrast, only 5p of every £1 spent out of town finds its way back to the local community. At Bigjigs Toys, we are proud to support and supply independent retailers around the world something which we have been doing for the past 29 years. As part of our commitment to those who have supported us, we continually try to find ways to support these businesses through differentiation and innovation. One example of our continued support is our online shop, which allows consumers to purchase our products but the orders is fulfilled by our retailers based on meeting certain criteria i.e. stock levels, geographical location etc. This way our retailers do not miss out on sales placed online, garnering extra income, sales and custom. We also stopped retailers from selling on third-party websites...helping to support our retailers further than we did before. In an age where austerity meets a shift in purchasing behaviours, many of our high street retailers have found trading conditions difficult, partly due to consumers being able to find the same products cheaper on third party selling sites. By stopping people selling on these sites, we can maintain the RRP, ensuring that bricks and mortar stores are no longer fighting and competing against a price war. Whilst we try to make changes to support our retailers, we hope this campaign encourages you to re-engage with your local businesses and to discover the benefits of shopping closer to home. You can be support the Independent Retailer Month campaign by joining in the conversation online across social networking sites using the hashtag #indieretail. Followers can like the Independent Retailer Month UK facebook page, follow @IndieRetailUK or subscribe for updates at www.independentretailermonth.co.uk. Alternatively you can pop to your local town or village and buy from your local indies.

You may not be aware but today is Fairy Day. Those that choose to celebrate it are likely to see more female fairies than male ones, along with lots of pinks and purples paraded on a range of pink dolls, pink costumes and pink accessories. In recent years, it has been highly publicised through campaigns such as Let Toys Be Toys, that particular colour or themed toys should not be marketed at specific genders. In a lot of retail stores there have been pink sections of playthings aimed at girls, comprising dolls, handbags, jewellery and all manner of other 'girly' items in pink and purple colours. At the same time, boys have been targeted through cars, action figures and roleplay weapons, usually in darker shades such as blues and greens. To some, this is blatant gender-specific marketing that is having a detrimental effect on our children and should not be allowed. One organisation that shares this feeling is the Pink Stinks movement, started by a pair of mums back in 2008 with the aim of confronting the "damaging messages that bombard girls through toys, clothes and media. Founders, Abi and Emma Moore, were frustrated by the gender-segregated products aimed at young children and wanted to make a stand against the pretty, passive girls' products which they feel "promotes a dangerously narrow definition of what it means to be a girl. Abi Moore stated in an article for The Guardian in 2009 that 'pinkification' "sets them (girls) on a journey, at a very, very early age. It's a signpost, telling them that beauty is more valued than brains; it limits horizons, and it restricts ambitions." Some retailers have responded to pressure put on them by campaigns such as Pink Stinks and Let Toys Be Toys. Toy giant Hamley's, have recently scrapped their pink and blue colour coded floors after they were accused on Twitter of "gender apartheid and Sainsbury's updated their dressing-up clothes to a range of unisex items after they found themselves in the spotlight. It was shortly after the end of the Second World War that the pink-girl and blue-boy colour coding really took off, which critics say was a result of the retail industry wanting to make more money by differentiating between boy and girl products. The crux of the issue seems to be whether colour preferences are purely natural or learned through outside influences. Some studies seem to show that girls are drawn to toys such as dolls and household roleplay toys, while boys are attracted to more physical games and toys with moving parts. Perhaps by offering a choice of colours and themes gender marketing will be a thing of the past. Here at Bigjigs we like to think that we provide toys that appeal equally to boys and girls. For us, toys should encourage imaginative play, cognitive development, be good quality, safe and of course, fun. Whether they're pink or blue doesn't really come in to it. In the long years that the company has been going we've found that boys enjoy our kitchen roleplay toys just as girls do, and that girls are as happy as boys when playing with blue magnetic trains. We fully understand this is a contentious issue but we would really love to hear your thoughts and feelings on the subject to ensure that we rectify any mistakes we have made in the past and to ensure that we continue on the correct course in the future.

Good Morning Bigjiggers, Unfortunately we come bearing bad news. [caption id="attachment_954" align="alignleft" width="142"] Congratulations to Richard Branson and the Virgin Trains Team![/caption] The Government today informed us that our bid to run the West Coast Main Line bid was over. They announced that Virgin Trains will continue to operate all the West Coast Main Line train services, despite us promising:

• An efficient service on some exciting trains including Bullet and Princess Trains
• No delays - our track is not affected by sun, rain, snow, wind or leaves!
• A 'fair' fare for all - our trains run on enjoyment so our service is completely FREE!
• We have enough trains to run frequent services - ensuring everyone get a set (and possibly a bed in the future)
• Our safety record speaks for itself, we have never had, nor never will have an accident - as our trains are tested under the highest scrutiny and have to be fully compliant with safety regulations at all times.

It was also highlighted that Bigjigs Rail has been delivering an efficient and cost effective service since 2005 - with many happy customers over the years! Unfortunately, despite the Government taking a keen interest in our bid, the 'bureaucratic hurdles' were deemed too much for us this time. Whilst we are naturally disappointed with this news, we congratulate Virgin Trains on their contract extension - who will be providing an extra 5,500 standard class seats each day! Unconfirmed reports are suggesting that they will be using our wooden Pendolino's to help with the extra service. We would just like to say a huge THANK-YOU for supporting our bid everyone, who knows - maybe we will put in an improved bid when the line is up for grabs in 2017/18... If you never saw our bid, or have forgot about it (shame on you) - then have a gander at our funny jousting with the DFT:

Panic spread through the World Cup scene yesterday as news emerged that the pitch for England's opening group game against Italy, was 'unsuitable', and that Saturday's game may not go ahead. With less than 48 hours to go, organisers have made a desperate call to turf specialists at Twigz, to help them rescue the grass in time for this high-profile match. "The players deserve a quality playing surface," said FIFPro in a statement. "This isn't the case in Manaus." [caption id="attachment_1399" align="aligncenter" width="624"] The scorched grass is not what the England team are used to playing on[/caption] Groundsmen for the Arena Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil first tried to revive the burned out grass using fertiliser. When this failed they resorted to spraying the grass green in a slap-dash attempt to at least make the grass look nice. When Wayne Rooney and fellow teammates voiced their concern about playing on a sub-standard pitch and potentially suffering irremovable green paint stains on their nice white shorts, organisers decided it was time to call in the Twigz team. [caption id="attachment_1401" align="aligncenter" width="221"] Twigz were unsure they would have enough time to repair the damage[/caption] Renowned for their gardening expertise, high quality tools and swift handiwork, Twigz immediately responded and deployed their very best team in a military-style operation to save the pitch. The head gardener from Twigz has reported that they have a 'big job ahead of them and will need all their finest tools to improve the grass'. Already they have begun with the following tasks:

• Raking off and removing the existing burned out grass
• Laying bucket loads of a very special, super fast-growing grass seed that is especially suited to Amazonian climatic conditions
• Using their tried and tested grass watering method of manually irrigating with watering cans every two hours

[caption id="attachment_1400" align="aligncenter" width="403"] Signs of improvement can already be seen as the Twigz team work their magic, watering the grass by hand with mini watering cans[/caption] The chief groundsman at Arena Amazonia has admitted that his pitch was in "bad shape and has shown his appreciation to the Twigz team by supplying them with a never-ending supply of ice creams as they work in the heat to complete their crucial work. Team members and fans have an anxious wait ahead of them but it looks as though the team of Twigz mini gardeners have saved the day and England will once again have a chance to realise their World Cup Dreams. Find us on Twitter for your chance to win £30 worth of Twigz goodies. Offer ends at 11.59pm on Saturday 14th June. T&C's http://blog.bigjigstoys.co.uk/competitions/

Over 150 applications and several weeks later, we are delighted to introduce our 15 Play Patrol families who will undertake a variety of missions in the near future - 'Putting Fun to the Test!' So without further ado, please meet our Play Patrol Agents: Gifts From the Pirates Secret Codenames: Agent Fresh Maker & Agent Rock Rock Secret Agent Ability: climbing trees & busting a move Favourite Toy: Town House & Carpenters Tool Belt Disguise of Choice: Moustaches Redhead Babyled

Secret Codenames: Agent Redhead and Little Man

Secret Agent Ability: Stealth movements to get everywhere without being seen & melting hearts with gorgeous smile

Favourite Toy: Cooking & Roleplay Toys & the Wiggly Worm

Disguise of Choice: Hat & Glasses

101 Distractions from Depression

Secret Codenames: Agent Double Oh Will it Go

Secret Agent Ability: Magic - making things disappear (especially food!)

Favourite Toy: High Level Expansion Set & the Play Food

Disguise of Choice: Moustache

Mama Geek

Secret Codenames: Agent SuperTrain & sidekick SuperDucky Secret Agent Ability: Super Hi-5-ing Favourite Toy: Melody Doll & Wooden Bird Whistle Disguise of Choice: Everyone loves a good Moustache! The Oliver's Madhouse Secret Codename: Agent Joshua Jigs Secret Agent Ability: Deciphering adult coded conversations Favourite Toy: Bigjigs Rail Disguise of Choice: Hat Family Fever Secret Codename: Agent Fever, Diva and Striker Secret Agent Ability: Scaling any shelf, cupboard or drawer to reach food. Oh and did I mention I can fly? Technological whizz kid & sneaker of biscuits into the shopping trolley Favourite Toy: High Level Expansion Pack - there is something mesmerising about watching the trains whizz down the hill, Bigjigs Dolls & Wooden Construction Set Disguise of Choice: Hat, Glasses & Moustache Sussex Mummy Secret Codename: Agent Multi-Tasking Mummy Secret Agent Ability: Finding Lost Items Favourite Toy: Any of the Green Toys Disguise of Choice: Hat Monsters Fun House Secret Codename: Agent Monster Secret Agent Ability: Cool under pressure Favourite Toy: Around the World Train Set Disguise of Choice: Hat In the Playroom Secret Codename: Mr R, Mr T and Mr Z Secret Agent Ability: Super Speed, Mind Reading & Super Calculation Brain Favourite Toy: Play Cars, King Arthurs Castle & Transportation Train Set Disguise of Choice: Moustache, Hat and Glasses Modern Mummy Secret Codename: Agent Twirly SecretAgent Ability: Eyes in the back of my head, super quick thinking in a sticky situation and can mix a mean martini (shaken, not stirred) after the kids have gone to bed! Favourite Toy: All wooden play food and kitchen paraphernalia - the birthday cake and cake stand in particular! Disguise of Choice: Moustache. Always. Inside the Wendy House Secret Codename: Agent Team Wendy House Secret Agent Ability: The power to cook up a storm in the kitchen! Favourite Toy: Bigjigs Rail Heritage Collection Disguise of Choice: Glasses! Our IVF Journey: All the fun of living life with twins Secret Codenames: Agents Double Team Secret Agent Ability: Hiding things never to be seen again! Favourite Toy: Wooden Safari Animal Building Blocks Disguise of Choice: Hat every time! Red Rose Mummy Secret Codenames: LM & Bud Secret Agent Ability: Incredible climbing & Never forgets anything Favourite Toy: Nurse Nancy & Bigjigs Rail, especially the engines! Disguise of Choice: Glasses & Hat Mother Geek Secret Codenames: Agents BatSam & Robyn Secret Agent Ability: Silent & Surviving without sleep Favourite Toy: Giant Abacus & City Road & Railway Set Disguise of Choice: Glasses Me, The Man & The Baby Secret Codenames: Agents Kiddie, Toddler and Baby Secret Agent Ability: Our specialty is hide & seek Favourite Toy: Agent Kiddie loves his Bigjigs Railway, Agent Toddler adores the Animal Sorter Bus and Agent Baby is yet to discover her favourite! Disguise of Choice: Moustache So there they are - all 15 families. We cannot wait to get started - so keep an eye out on their blogs for their first mission!

None of the peas I grew last year made it to the kitchen. My daughter discovered the joy of eating them straight from the pod and polished off most of the harvest. This year she's growing her own. We started the first batch in a Twigz mini greenhouse back in March. They germinated nice and quickly with the extra warmth of the greenhouse lid. Thanks to the biodegradable pots the young plants were easy for little hands to transplant too. Now they're flowering and a few flat pods are starting to appear. She's also growing carrots, sweetcorn and strawberries (her choice). And spinach, lettuce and herbs (my choice). The idea was that it might persuade her to eat more leafy stuff and 'green bits'. It's working. On Sunday she asked me for a lettuce sandwich for lunch. I followed her whim and she ate the lot. Perhaps we'll try a parsley sauce next. Here are some things to think about if you're growing fruit and veg with a little-one:

• Try to grow stuff they like to eat, it makes the whole process much more fun
• Mix it up with a few things you wish they'd eat more of growing their own might persuade them to have a nibble
• Give them a growing space to call their own: a sunny corner of the garden for a mini veg-plot is great, but my daughter loves growing things in pots and containers (Tom Thumb dwarf peas and Paris Market round carrots are good varieties to try)
• Choose a few speedy growers to keep 'em keen: carrots, radish, salad leaves and beetroot are all quick off the mark
• Try not to interfere too much it's not the end of the world if your pre-schooler is a bit liberal with the seeds, you can always thin out the seedlings together later

Right now is a great time to start growing veg to harvest this year. Some varieties of old favourites like carrots and peas can be sown outdoors until July. Or if you want to get a head start, most nurseries and garden centres will have young plants in stock at the moment. Happy growing, and happy harvesting!