Oct 14 2014

REVIEW: Parklon Playmats from Toto Kidogo

Posted on October 14, 2014 by admin

Craig and I fell in love with these uber versatile and practical Parklon Playmats from Toto Kidogo at The Baby Show earlier this year. Their vibrant colour schemes, wipe-clean surfaces and the bonus of an educational element just appealed at soon as we clapped eyes on them. Better yet, they’re reversible so there are two bright surfaces to explore.

We’re not alone either. Parklon is a household name in Korea and is now available here in the UK thanks to the hard work of husband and wife team at Toto Kidogo. Inspired by their love of traveling and gifts from family overseas, they’ve started putting together a collection of all their great finds. The Parklon playmats are just one of the items they feel passionately about, and I’m happy to report it’s been a hit here at Mills HQ too.

So what makes them so great?

Texture

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First up, the texture is amazing. They’re almost spring-like and provide the perfect cushiony surface for excitable kids to roll around on. Dexter practically lives on his mat; He’ll read, watch tv and bring the contents of his toybox to his playmat island. Oh and the perfect testament to just how comfy this mat is? - He’s even fallen asleep on it!

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The best way to describe it is hundreds of air-pocketed little squares. The mats are between 12mm and 15mm in thickness, depending on size of the playmat (the prime living playmat is 10mm in thickness, whereas the luxury playmat ranges between 12 and 15mm). It really is superior quality to anything else I’ve seen on the market.

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Safe and non-toxic materials also make the playmat ideal for babies. Heidi has also perfected her crawling on this mat. We stripped her legs so she could use her knees and toes to propel herself forwards. The non-slip Parklon playmat provides the perfect surface for grip and the bright colours encourage her to explore.

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Lightweight & Versatile

For sheer versatility the playmat scores big. It fits comfortably in our lounge and protects our poor carpet whilst providing a great play area for the kids. As it’s easy to wipe clean, it’s also perfect for messy play activities. Dexter has done a spot of painting on it and a damp cloth took care of the resulting paint dribbles. As it’s 100% waterproof I’m happy for him to have snacks and drinks on here too as any spills are easily sorted.

DexTT REVIEW: Parklon Playmats from Toto Kidogo

At night it lives beside Dex’s bed in case he falls out of bed. In the summer months, it’s also ideal for outdoor play. I can see us using it as a safe landing surface under his Little Tikes slide and beside his bouncy castle. Being non-slip it’ll also sit happily on laminate and wooden surfaces too.

It’s incredibly lightweight and I can move it from room to room with ease. We’ve previously had interlocking foam squares in our lounge which were a pain for transporting. Dexter also used to enjoy flinging them around the room which used to drive me potty. This is a much better solution and looks fabulous too.

Colour, Vibrancy and Sensory Play

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In terms of engaging little people, it’s spot on. It’s light sheen brings the colours alive and encourages the children to interact with the mat. It’s jam-packed with graphics to look at too with one side boasting a seaside theme with all the letters of the alphabet, and the other showing a fabulous jungle scene featuring tons of animals. We’re forever playing “Spot the Monkey” and asking Dex to hunt out characters, colours and more. Many things are handily labelled too so great for wordplay with older children.

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Value for money

I’m just full of praise for our Parklon playmat. It’s one of the most-used review products I’ve received and I couldn’t imagine playtime without it. The luxury playmat is highly durable and designed to last between 5 to 10 years so a complete bargain at £34.99 from Amazon. Whether you’re a parent and need a everyday playmat solution, or you’re a grandparent and need something for occasional use, this is a must-have. Grab yours at totokidogo.com.

You can see these playmats up close and personal at The Baby Show in Olympia London 24-26 October. Toto Kidogo will be at stand F95 so do pop over and say hello.

If you have any questions, do ask away, or if you’d rather contact Toto Kidogo directly, you can reach them on info@totokidogo.com. Finally do have a read of their blog which is packed full of sensory play ideas for your little one. You can also follow them on Twitter, give them a quick like on Facebook & get more inspiration on Pinterest too!

May 26 2014

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: WIN a Play Mat by Lollipop Lane Worth £39.99 (CD: 27/06/2014)

Posted on May 26, 2014 by admin

390387 10150422820167441 763414468 n GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: WIN a Play Mat by Lollipop Lane Worth £39.99 (CD: 27/06/2014)

Despite all my protestations, I’ve fallen under-the-spell of pink with Heidi. I was so convinced I’d have a pink-free zone and bought tons of dresses and babygros in greens, blues and yellows, but they just don’t suit her. In fact, Heidi doesn’t seem to like bright colours at all. If I’m wearing a vivid primary colour it takes her far longer to settle in my arms, and she would scream if you popped her in her Mamas & Papas Lottie play mat. So when Lollipop Lane offered to send her a new one, I couldn’t resist.

Naturally as I’m now embracing all things pink, I opted for the very pretty (and unequivocally pink) Upsy Daisy Play Mat - and I’m SO PLEASED I did. Heidi loves it and consequently I get a few hands-free minutes a day to chuck on some make-up or give one of the boys a quick cuddle. Heidi Playmat GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: WIN a Play Mat by Lollipop Lane Worth £39.99 (CD: 27/06/2014)

When it first arrived the package looked thin, almost worryingly so. As we’d tried Heidi on the Lottie beforehand I was used to big plush activity mats and thought this might be too thin to provide a comfortable play surface - but I was wrong. The mat is actually deceptively padded yet gives Heidi a flat surface to lie on. It seems part of the reason she hated Lottie was that it was too soft and she didn’t like the sensation of being swallowed by foam.

The play mat arrived in a perspex bag which is incredibly handy for storing it away or transporting it to nanny’s house - big bonus points here. It also has zero set-up time. You literally unzip the bag and it springs into its regular shape. Similarly, taking it down is easy peasy and you needn’t detach the arches or the toys to stow away.

Heidi xx GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: WIN a Play Mat by Lollipop Lane Worth £39.99 (CD: 27/06/2014)

With other play mats we’ve used we’ve had to lock the arches into position using toggles which will often come undone and ping out. On the Upsy Daisy play mat the two arches are really sturdy and have already withstood a fair bit of bashing from my boisterous toddler - every time they’ve held their shape and have sprung back into position. These arches hold five sweet detachable toys; a safe mirror, two squeakers, a crinkle toy and a star-shaped plush that plays ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ when pressed. Heidi hasn’t got any fine motor skills to show off yet, but is happy gazing up at the hanging toys. She really likes the music too and it seems to nip any tears in the bud.

The mat itself is a really soft velour in a pretty garden theme with tons of interactive features. There’s crinkle paper petals, silky bits and flappy bits to keep baby engaged when they’re ready for tummy-time. From a parent’s perspective I also really appreciate how easy it is to keep clean compared to other play mats we’ve tried. Dexter spilled some milk on the velour surface yesterday but it wiped off easily and didn’t sink into the material. There are also no folds or seams which tend to collect dust and pet hair over time.

Heidi1 GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: WIN a Play Mat by Lollipop Lane Worth £39.99 (CD: 27/06/2014)

At £39.99 it’s less than half the price of the Mamas & Papas one and, in my opinion, is much better. You simply can’t put a price on a good play mat that will give baby somewhere safe and comfortable to play, relax and sleep. I’d recommend this one without hesitation.

To check out the entire range of Lollipop Lane play mats, head on over to the website. Whilst you’re there it’s worth a quick look at their cute character bedding, Moses baskets, bath and changing equipment and other nursery accessories - you’ll find everything you need to create a beautifully coordinated nursery at really reasonable prices. Lollipop Lane are also quite the sociable bunch and are happy to interact with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube - not often I get to say that as a blogger!

Giveaway time

Would you like to win a play mat by Lollipop Lane for your little one? Well it just so happens they’ve kindly given me one to giveaway to a lucky reader! You choose which one you fancy so if pink isn’t your thing there are three others to choose from . Just enter via Rafflecopter below and your little one could soon be chilling out on one of their very own!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

T&C’s – a.k.a – the boring bit!

Only 1 option is mandatory (leave me a comment) – the rest only improve your chances of winning so just complete as many as you feel like
UK entrants only – you must be over 18 too (sorry)
The winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 1 week of having been emailed (I’ll try all known avenues to contact them) or a new winner will be drawn
When the giveaway is closed, Rafflecopter will select the winner completely at random
The winners name will be published on this site

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

Oct 21 2013

Christmas Ideas… Alphabet Soft Play Mat Review (From Soft Floor Kids UK)

Posted on October 21, 2013 by admin

Dexter’s at that difficult-to-buy-for stage at the moment. At 17 months, he’s very easily distracted and would rather pull out cables from the back of the telly than sit down with a toy. We’ve therefore really struggled to come up with practical Christmas gift ideas this year.

When the guys at Soft Floor Kids UK got in touch to ask if Dexter might like to try a soft foam play mat, I simply had to say yes. Not only could this make an ideal Chrimbo pressie for little man (obviously we’ll have to wrap it back up after this review - didn’t think that one through did I?!), our entire downstairs is hardwood flooring and Dex is constantly tripping over his feet. Luckily, he hasn’t had any significant bumps and grazes yet but it’s only a matter of time and I’d like to keep him looking gorgeous for as long as possible. Foam tiling is the perfect solution as it’s easy to keep clean and soft enough to roll around on.

We choose a 30 Piece Alphabet Soft Play Mat as we had a very specific area in mind for our mat to live in our lounge. The pack features the full alphabet and 4 additional shapes (a triangle, square, star and circle). All the letters and shapes pop-out from the interlocking tiles making it great for improving little finger dexterity, and a fun puzzle for children who are beginning to learn the alphabet. We also managed to make some cubes out of the tiles (although it was fiddly as the letters kept falling into the centre of the cube!).

Dexter was hugely excited to help mummy and daddy lay the mat down. They lock together easily and you need only gently pat down the finished article to ensure you’re not left with lumps and bumps. The surface is lightly textured which feels great under your feet and is incredibly soft to touch.

It’s worth noting that these mats come out BIG. As each tile measures 30cm by 30cm, you’ll definitely want to measure up your free space before selecting your play mat. Our covers a 5ft by 6ft area but we tend to shrink it by using less of the tiles so it fits comfortably in our living room - you’re supplied with plenty of edging strips in all the different colours so you have this flexibility. It also comes in a nice zip lock bag for storing individual tiles away (or indeed the full set, when you fancy turning your lounge back into a grown up zone).

They’re bright and attractive, and would be suitable for both sexes. I’m also incredibly impressed with the thickness of the tiles, I’m no longer wincing when I’m on my hands and knees with Dexter, or sat for long periods on my bum. Dexter also managed to nap on them the other day which should be regarded as the ultimate testament to how comfy this mat is!

In terms of practicality, the tiles are made from high-quality, closed-cell (non asorbing), EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) foam and are 100% non-toxic and formamide free - try saying that after a few glasses of wine! In short, it means they’re easy-peasy to wipe clean, non slip, and incredibly durable. They’re also tough enough to use outside on decking for summer play.

At £34.95 for the set shown above, I’m aware there are slightly cheaper versions available in supermarkets. However, the quality is far superior and these tiles are lovely and thick and look fabulous. The removable letters and fact you can build cubes from the tiles also means they’ll grow with your family when your little ones are less likely to take a tumble. I’m delighted with our set so would happily recommend to anyone struggling for Christmas gifts for pre-schoolers.

You can find Soft Floor Kids UK on Twitter (@SoftFloorKIDS) or G+ (Soft Floor Kids UK) for more reviews and information.

DISCLOSURE: We were sent this gorgeous mat to review in return for our honest feedback. All thoughts, opinions and pictures are my own - and that’s my gorgeous little man in the piccies too!