Changing Wall Art

As with most things Swiss, “Nathi” is a stunner. An innovative wall mounted timber change table that free up floor space without excluding this nursery essential. For years we’ve struggled to find a change table that is practical, stylish and comfortable for baby and not a spatial eye-sore.

The Nathi is a perfect match to the Leander Bed or Cradle – same curves, same colours (whitewash, white or walnut). Weighing in at just 6kgs, Nathi can hold 50kg so you can use it for as long as you need to. In fact, it made an excellent perch for a much needed, eye-level “chat” with my 3 year old little miss recently.

It gets better… there are 2 handy shelves inside to hold your nappy-changing toolkit and hide those creams and wipes after use as you close the unit. No mess exposed. Rumour has it that a matching nappy holder will be available later in the year, so watch this space!

BLOOMing Marvellous!

No Tools? No Space? No lace? No problem! Bloom baby furniture is leaving the Metromum warehouse faster than it arrives. Gone are the days of compromising the urban style of your home to accommodate a new addition to your family. The minimalist outlook & sophisticated lines of the beautifully designed Bloom range make them the perfect pieces for a contemporary styled nursery. I think about these Bloom bits take urban nursery chic to a new level with a design that is practical, functional and avant-garde.

Bubs to Tots (0-2 years)
Meet Alma, a beautifully designed folding dark wooden crib, with stainless steel detailing without a hint of pastel, lace or such other repeat offenders. Designed for urban spaces, elevated living an alternative sleeping arrangements, Alma's unique and simple patented fold makes for easy storage for portable, functional style with two mattress heights combining the benefits of a newborn bassinet or cradle with a cot/crib.

Bubs to Kindy (0-6 years)
The Luxo sleep baby bed is more like a cocoon, intelligently designed with health and safety as paramount. Gently curved ends promote air flow which is extremely important for sleeping safety while a body-fit spring mattress has dual side progressive firmness to accommodate baby’s increasing weight. Patented adjustable side rail allows easy access to baby, protecting the backs of mum’s and dad’s… and, as I’ve learned, make for an excellent obstacle for little ones amidst escape attempts.

A little something on the side…
An elegant companion to Bloom’s bedding solutions, the Luxo dresser is a sleek choice as a stand-alone dresser/changing station for a more unique nursery space. Boasting four drawers of storage capacity the dresser converts to a changing station when used with the Bloom universal change tray.

It get’s better...
The incentives to add some Bloom to your shopping trolley continue. You (and the environment) will be pleased to know that Bloom wooden products originate from certified sustainable beech and birch wood forests. Free of wood PCP and other toxic wood preservatives, Bloom bits are as kind to baby’s health as they are to the ecosystem.

And finally... my personal favourite, these gems are “no-tools-required hassle-free assembly” D.I.Y projects, complemented by lockable castor-wheels for effortless mobility and the signature stow-away fold. Blooming marvellous, I say!

Storytelling Exercises for the Family

Encouraging storytelling is something we’ve spent a good deal of time talking about here at Classic Play. There are so many reasons to encourage your child’s love of storytelling as well as flex your own literary prowess. Not only will you stimulate the right section of your brain, your children will learn a little something about you and in turn you’ll learn more about them. Creativity, empathy, ability to convey ideas to others—these are a just a few of the qualities of a great storyteller.

So tonight as you’re gathered around the dinner table or tucking the kids in for bed, try one of these exercises. You may find you have your very own Mark Twain living in your house:

Story Improv: assigned each family member a section of story (beginning, middle, end). The first person starts the story and passes it to the next. That person gives it to the next person and so on until the last person is reached and needs to wrap up the tale.

Character/Setting/Problem/Solution: Each person is assigned to come up with one of the follow: character(s), setting, problem or solution. The list is compiled and one or more family members craft a story incorporating all of the elements generated. You use this one as a frame work for the story improv exercise above.

What Happens Next: This is one in which you choose a common story (e.g. Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, etc) and you ask what happens next? Each person gets a turn to tell what they think happens after the original story ends. Another option is to have everyone come up with new endings for a chosen story.

Mad Libs: For those of you looking for more direction here’s a link for free printable Spring themed Mad Libs. It’s a great tool for learning about parts of speech. Plus you don’t have to face the scary thought of starting a story from scratch. While I personally find that part rather thrilling, I understand the need to wade before going all in.

A Few Notes:
-If the kids get stuck, ask them a few questions to get them started again.
-Have a signal for when a story should start wrapping up. I find that sometimes one can get so engrossed that they forget to keep the story on track for an ending.
-Don’t be afraid to be silly!

I’ve shared a few of the things our family does for storytime. Now it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite storytelling activities?

by Jennifer Cooper, posted on March 9th, 2010 in Ideas and Inspiration

Ellie Bellie Kids Storybook Crown for Stories on Your Mind

The very talented artist and illustrator Linda Olliver has produced a completely unique take on playwear. This iconic Storybook Crown features classic illustrations, elements of a story printed right there on the Crown. All that's missing to complete the tale is your child's imagination.

There is nothing I love more than to hear my child's imagination go wild. Im often treated to stories of his pirate and dinosaur adventures and love hearing every detail of what he wore and found.

With the newest addition to the Ellie Bellie Kids family—The Storybook Crown- his stories have become even more detailed. They have also become more structured as he works his way through the illustrations on the crown. This simple and thoughtful toy has delighted our entire family almost every evening. We not only have fantastic storytelling adventures we get to spend quality time with each other.

The Ellie Bellie Kids soft crown is made from cotton twill and features a velcro closure that adjusts to fit the little king or queen in your life. It also has its own cotton bag with drawstring closure to keep your liege's crown clean and tidy when not adorning their royal noggin.

We implore you to consider this gift for a special child in your life. The storybook crown creates lasting memories for the whole family.

Available in black or white.

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