Yesterday the children and I were invited to a very fun sounding play date with Little Tikes. We got up early and headed for Milton Keynes which is where their head office is and very excitedly talked about all the Little Tikes toys we love. Of course the Cozy Coupe is our absolute favourite! It’s been around for donkeys and I remember my brother’s having a retro one back in the day while Florence and Jimmy play with a newer version that my Mum gave Florence for her first birthday! Jimmy’s favourite is his trike which he even sits in to watch television because he likes being in it so much!

My brothers in their Cozy Coupe some twenty odd years ago, Florence in hers back on her first birthday and Jimmy in his trike!

It’s not just the big toys we like though, we actually have some fairly small ones, push along cars and a wooden abacus are two that we play with all the time. We were very excited for the play date!

The day was to focus on four different play personalities so the room when we arrived was set out into four areas. Little Learners, Little Movers, Little Builders and Explorers and finally Little Grown-ups with toys to compliment each. Play expert Maggie Redshaw was on hand to answer questions and explain why children play in the way that they do and it was wonderful to watch all the children bowled over by the toys!

The Play Date!

I think my two were quite stereotypical to begin with. Jimmy was all about the little movers and wanted to play with anything that had wheels while Florence went straight to the play house and kitchen area. However as the play date went on they both moved around all of the toys and Florence found the basket ball net to be her absolute favourite! She was really good at it too, I’d love her to have one so we shall see…

Having fun at the play date!

Both Jimmy and Florence LOVED the water table and Cozy Cope of course and Jimmy found a brilliant new game in filling his car up with the petrol pump – one for the list I think! I particularly liked the tables with bench chairs and big sturdy toy kitchens. What I like about Little Tikes toys that stay outside is that they are so durable. Perhaps a tiny amount of fading can occur but I’ve never seen one that looks shabby, even when it’s been out in the elements for years! Florence and Jimmy are having a play house outside at my Mum’s and we’re thinking about a Little Tikes kitchen for inside it as it will be outside all the time and needs to be built to last – I know I can trust Little Tikes!

Play expert Maggie was very interesting to talk to!

Over lunch Maggie gave us a very interesting talk about children’s play behaviours and then we were even treated to a visit by Father Christmas. I’ve spent ages telling Florence that when you see a Father Christmas in the shops that he’s just a helper, the real one never actually gets seen, but you know what? The one yesterday was pretty darn convincing! I wouldn’t be surprised you know…

We made this video of our fun day!

 

Worn out and very, very happy at the end of the play date we’d had an amazing time! Florence has been wanting a ‘play date’ ever since she heard the term on ‘Doc McStuffins’, I think this one has set the bar pretty high! We got to play with all the wonderful toys and hang out with our friends from Family Four Fun and The Mummy Adventure amongst lots of others! Thank you Little Tikes, we had a ball!

Worn out after super fun!

I have not been paid to write this post.