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.

Get saddled up!

Day 2 of the Bigjigs Toys Xmas Giveaway.

Today we are giving you the chance to win one of our fantastic Cord Rocking Horses worth £49.99!

Saddled up and ready for action, this carefully crafted wooden rocking horse is softly upholstered in tough corduroy. With two handles that are ideally sized for little hands, no youngster will be able to resist hopping on for a ride! A great way for children to enjoy creative role play sessions. Made from high quality, responsibly sourced materials. Suitable for children aged 1 years+.

Enter below this competition ends at midnight tonight!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck Bigjiggers!

For T&C's please visit our competitions page.

Happy Holidays little sailors! To kick start our ten days of giveaway's we are offering you the chance to win a Marine Baby Walker worth £54.99! Youngsters aged 1 years+ will enjoy learning to walk with this colourful, fun packed marine baby walker. Move the colourful beads from one end of the frame to the other, turn the wheel and see how many different coloured fishes you can see or post the shapes through their holes on the side. Enter below - this competition ends at midnight tonight! a Rafflecopter giveaway Good Luck Bigjiggers! For T&C's please visit our competitions page.

Travel in style this Christmas! After our bid for the West Coast Main Line, we have been working in partnership with Virgin Trains to create a replica wooden Pendolino! We are giving away 5 Pendolino's to celebrate this wonderful locomotive - enter for your chance to win here: a Rafflecopter giveaway These fantastic wooden Pendolino's are only £12.99 each and available on our SHOP.

With days getting shorter, the weather getting colder, and the big day looming - this is the perfect time to get the kids involved in some Christmas crafts! There are tonnes of websites with Christmas craft idea's but we are focussing on what can be made using our Christmas Decorations ... much more than just decorating!

These wooden templates are perfect for getting youngsters creative juices flowing! Here are just a few idea's that you can use them for: - Paint them, colour them, draw on them, glue stuff on them - simply use them as tree decorations! - Or draw around them on to paper, card, felt or other materials to help create some unique Christmas decorations for the tree - Go the extra mile and make some wonderful home-made Christmas cards - You could even make some wrapping paper! - These templates can also be used as cutter guides for baking i.e. cookies (but please do not bake the templates...they wouldnt taste very nice!) - Paint them and use them to make a 'Winter Wonderland Scene' These festive wooden shapes will allow children the starting block from where their creativity can run wild! This pack of 28 Christmas Decorations includes shapes such as Santa Claus, holly leaves, Christmas trees, a Christmas Angel and more - only £7.99 . The Bigjigs Christmas Pencils are just £3.99 for a pack of 4. Alternatively we are giving 5 packs of each away - enter below: a Rafflecopter giveaway For T&C's please visit our competitions page.

If there's been one toy that has truly stood the test of time in our house, it would undoubtedly be our wooden train set. When I say set, it's turned into rather more than that since we first hit the toy shop for a starter pack of train and track, back when my son was about two. In the intervening six years, it's been much-loved and added to at Christmas and birthdays. We now have two large-ish storage tubs full of bits and pieces from tunnels to stations. Yet it's all been worth every penny - even though my son and his friends are pushing nine, it's STILL getting played with...something which perhaps surprises in this age of gadgetry and gaming and children growing up too fast. How it's played with has evolved though. Whereas once, way back when he was a train-crazed toddler, I had to make the track layout and then he would zoom locomotives and carriages around (with the occasional derailment), for the last couple of years, it all revolves around my son creating the most elaborate layout he can come up with. Much pondering and thinking goes on about each design. Other toys and items get dragged into the scene too “ for example, LEGO bricks are built into platforms or stations, or made into signposts for a station name, with a bit of paper stuck on and scrawled upon and placed alongside the level crossings, tunnels, points and more. For me, both as a parent and parenting writer, a toy's worth is all about what I call its play value “ how much use kids can get, how many ways they can play with it, how long it will last, how much it fuels their imagination. There's absolutely no shortage of this with a wooden train set and when my son (now quite a medium sized kid who's hurtling towards the tween and teen years) does eventually stop playing with it, I'll be packing it up and putting it in the loft in the hope that, maybe one day, the grandchildren might get just as much joy out of it as he has. This guest post was written by Liat Hughes Joshi. Liat Hughes Joshi is a parenting journalist and is the author of Raising Children: The Primary Years (Pearson/Prentice Hall Life) and What to Buy for Your Baby (Carroll & Brown). She's written for a range of national newspapers and leading magazines and is a features writer for AOL Parentdish. Lia was a judge in the 2013 Slow Toy Awards.

We have put together a list of awesome toys that are greatstocking filler ideas for kids. These wonderful wooden toys will provide hours of entertainment, and will not break the bank either! Which one are you hoping Santa will bring?

Learn how baking cakes is great for developing kids' numeracy, ecology, and even geography skills!

It is that time of year again Bigjiggers... where we announce our 'Top 10' toys for Christmas 2013. Each year it gets harder and harder to choose from the hundreds of favourites we have available! This list has been compiled by you the general public, our retailers, toy industry experts and by us, the wooden toy experts. All of the toys that have made the top 10 have been selected on the following criteria:

• Fun Factor
• Play Value
• Developmental Properties
• Value for Money

So without further or do, in reverse order, here are our Bigjigs Top 10 Xmas Toys for 2013: 10. Marine Baby Walker This highly decorative Marine Walker will help little young sailors get their sea legs quickly! This sturdy and tactile toy will help with mobility development, whilst aiding mental and physical stimulation with plenty of activities including a bead frame, shape sorter and matching blocks.

A recent addition to the Bigjigs Baby range - this marine themed activity walker was chosen because it has been tipped as a best seller for 2014. Priced at £54.99, this activity walker will last for years to come: http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/marine-baby-walker 9. Cord Rocking Horse Saddled up and ready for action, this carefully crafted wooden rocking horse is softly upholstered in tough corduroy. With two handles that are ideally sized for little hands, no youngster will be able to resist hopping on for a ride! A great way for children to enjoy creative role play sessions, this toy was a recent winner in the Toy Shop UK Awards which meant it had to be in our top 10.

This beautifully crafted rocking horse is perfect for youngsters aged 1 years+, is £49.99 and can be found grazing here: http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/cord-rocking-horse 8. Pirate Skittles Ahoy me hearties! This set of brightly coloured 'friendly' pirates will entertain youngsters for hours. Little ones will enjoy knocking down the six highly decorative pirates including the captain with the brightly coloured ball. Their size makes them perfect for indoor and outdoor play, whatever the weather! Just Don't miss them all otherwise you might have to walk the plank! Available for only £7.99, this Bigjigs Best Seller is a great stocking filler: http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/pirate-skittles 7. Candy Floss Patisserie Stand A recent winner of the Loved By Parents 'Best Wooden Toy 3-6 Years+' - this delicious Patisserie Stand has made number 7 in top ten Xmas Toys. Cute as can be, this cake stand comes complete with a birthday cake, cupcakes and biscuits, ensuring you are well stocked for a surprise visitor or to compliment a spot of afternoon tea! There's a sliding cover on the bottom shelf to keep the cakes fresh, whilst the birthday cake comes with candles, a cutting knife and a plate. All of the cakes and biscuits can be assembled and disassembled using velcro, allowing youngsters aged 3 years+ to be creative through roleplay. Deliciously delectable and available for £49.99 here: http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/candy-floss-patisserie-stand 6. Red Balance Bike This timeless classic is well worthy of a place in our top ten! Suitable for children 3 years+, this red balance bike with sturdy wheels and an adjustable padded seat is the perfect started bike when learning to ride one. This bike encourages youngsters to develop their balancing and co-ordination in a fun and stimulating way. Perfect for inside and outdoor play, this bike is a sure winner for this Christmas. Ride away on this bike today for £54.99 from: http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/my-first-balance-bike-red (Also available in pink and blue). 5. My Tools Bench What little handyman would not be delighted to wake up to this on Christmas morning? Complete with wooden clamps, nuts and bolts, wrench and screwdriver are all made of high quality wood so are completely safe, allowing a youngsters to spend hours discovering how to make models (or even fix the kitchen sink!). Suitable for children aged 3 years+, this My Tool Bench will allow youngsters to solve problems whilst developing hand-eye coordination and dexterity skills. The My Tool Bench is long lasting and will keep children entertained for hours! It has a RRP of £96.99 and is available: http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/my-tool-bench 4. Blossom Cottage A Christmas list would not be complete without a dolls house! Blossom Cottage is our most decorated dolls house with over 4 awards including the Gold Seal/Best Toy from Oppenheim and a Practical Pre-School Award. This pretty wooden dolls house opens out to reveal four fully furnished rooms including a bathroom, lounge, bedroom and kitchen; this dolls house also comes with a pull out garden/patio area. Youngsters will love using their imagination to create the perfect family home for the four piece doll family, and is great for building those all important social interaction skills. This dolls house also folds away and comes with a unique carry handle to make the perfect portable play set. With an RRP of £64.99 this dolls house is a must have this Christmas: http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/blossom-cottage 3. Village Shop The Village Shop has been one of the most sought after Christmas presents ever since we can remember! Vibrantly decorated and ready to be stocked with fresh produce and treats this shop is the ultimate roleplay toy! This wooden shop comes complete with chalk board to display the opening times and special offers, a clock with moving hands, plus a handy canvas side basked for the store managers use. A terrific toy that allows youngsters to build confidence in a social environment, they will love role playing with friend and family! A recent winner of the Practical Pre-School Awards this gorgeous village shop is suitable for children aged 3 years+ and has a RRP of £119.99:http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/village-shop 2. Fire Station Play Set This 'red hot' Fire Station is being launched just in time for the festive season! 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!

This playset is a real statement piece and would look fantastic under the tree! Suitable for youngsters aged 3 years+, this playset is £79.99: http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/fire-station-play-set 1.Around the World Train Set The Around the World Train Set is a number 1 toy for this Christmas! A mini sized adventure with a big personality, this 78 piece train set will take you on a journey past some of the most iconic landmarks including Big Ben, The Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, Sydney Opera House and even the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Not only can youngsters take a journey past the landmarks, but they can also get involved in building them as they assemble and disassemble using velcro. Suitable for train enthusiasts aged 3 years old and up, this wonderful wooden railway set will delight and enlighten curious minds as they explore and learn about the world around them. What's more... this set is compatible with other leading wooden railway systems making it simple to expand your set for further adventures!

This fantastic train set is £49.99 and available: http://shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk/p/around-the-world-train-set So that's it! What is your favourite? What has not made the top 10 but you think should have been included? What one are you hoping will be under your tree this Xmas? You can find all of these gorgeous toys here: shop.bigjigstoys.co.uk! And finally, we will be hosting some very exciting Xmas competitions (wink, wink!) so make sure you are liking/following/pinning our Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages.

Over a month and a half had elapsed since we sent off our sponsorship proposal to Boris Johnson, the TfL and the London Assembly. Alas, we got a response from the main man in London. [caption id="attachment_934" align="aligncenter" width="154"] Boris Johnson ready to travel the Jigadilly line.[/caption] Unfortunately we are not able to show you the map we sent as we have been censored by the TfL but the re-design of the London Underground map included the renaming of the lines: Whilst highlighting areas of particular importance through person of interest including her Majesty the Queen, David Beckham and Richard Branson. The Zone template was also removed and replaced with the iconic Bigjigs puzzle piece, resulting in a more organised and fairer zone system. Boris liked our vision to see the ability of our network to move people both physically and emotionally - something we completely agree with. What do you think of his response?