WonderAdventures

14 less well known books ever child and their parent should read for World Book Day

March 3, 2019 by WonderAdventures

I love World Book Day!! Not just because I am an author but because as a parent of 3 children I have seen first-hand the important role that books have played and continue to play in all their lives…

For 18 months I read the whole of the Harry Potter series (with my then 8 and 10 year old) – every night we would devour another chapter and I got to fall in love with that amazing book series again (having first read it some 20 years ago!)

I have passed on my favourite books from my childhood to my children; including the whole of the famous five collection and my daughter is currently obsessed with the Malory towers and St. Claire’s series and is learning so much from the stories about loyalty, friendship and growing up into a strong young woman!

My 2 year old loves choosing his books after bath time and snuggling up to Winnie the Pooh, The Gruffalo amongst other favourites and some not so well known (including his encyclopedia of dinosaurs!!) And the time we spend together at the end of the day is precious; I leave my phone downstairs and put the craziness of the day aside for a second, before I have to dash off to collect the older ones from clubs, make tea, answer emails and prepare for the following day and all the other million and one things that a mum needs to do every evening. And for 20 minutes we have quiet, cuddly story time and it is good for both of us!

The value of books and stories for children cannot be underestimated and in the increasing digital world should be encouraged more than ever. What my children have learnt about empathy, relationships, human behaviours, historic events, dealing with emotions and life and becoming good citizens of the world from the stories they have read is so critical to their wellbeing and development. And not to mention the academic and educational benefits.

So I thought I would give our best recommendations for less obvious books to read with your children; the unsung heroes of children’s books if you like!! Because we all know (and love!) Harry Potter and Julia Donaldson and Roald Dahl of course – but then everyone knows about these. And this year I wanted to inspire people to try some different books that will really have an impact on you and your children. Because the popular ones are on everyone else’s list so as much as they belong on ‘best of lists’ its good to get recommendations for lesser known children’s books.

Taking time out to read is really such a valueable and enjoyable thing for both of you. And it won’t be long before they don’t want you to read with you anymore, so take the snuggles and the togetherness while you can!!!

Happy reading….and being together………

Books you must read for under 3’s…

1/ Winnie the Pooh (Disney version):

Ok the most classic children’s story of all time arguably doesn’t belong on a list of less obvious children’s books you should read! Except this version does as I have not seen them anywhere since and they have literally had hundreds of hours of read time in our house! I bought this entire set of 20 Winnie-the Pooh books at a charity shop for £3 10 years ago when my eldest was one – such a bargain! And it has literally been the most favourite set of books in our house for all the children. The stories are long enough to have a good moral and tale to learn from but have made the traditional Winnie the pooh language more simple and accessible for younger readers. If you can find the set I would highly recommend them!

2/ Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type:

This is as random as it sounds but a delightfully random story! Short and funny and it come swift an audio CD read by Rich Mayall.

3/ The Magic Sky – Lucy Richards:

A colourful board book about polar bears and the love of a mummy and daddy!

4/ Richard Scarry’s Funniest Storybook ever:

Richard Scarry also created ‘Busy Town’ and a range of other similar books that were popular in the 70s and 80’s but don’t seem as well known in the UK of late. The illustrations, the vignettes and the scenes have children poring over them for hours.

Books for you must read for 4-8 year olds…….

5/ Dogger – Shirley Hughes :

Used to be a classic but not seen as much nowadays but the story is so relatable for all kids about looking after a beloved toy. Good for developing emotional intelligence in children.

6/ The Little Engine that Could – Watty Piper:

This is like the original motivational text for children! It teaches them so much about keeping going through adversity and is just a lovely, lovely story!

7/ The Magic Faraway Tree – Enid Blyton

An absolute must read for every child under 8 I believe – every child should have the opportunity to imagine and dream about a magical world at the top of a huge tree which has a slide going down the centre and the most incredible biscuits which fizz and pop in your mouth!

8/ Green Eggs and Ham – Dr Seuss

As much as the author is well known, and ‘The Cat in the Hat’ is his most famous, but I think ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ is amazing not only for the rhymes and prose but because its simple message encourages children to try new things! Simple…and successful!

9/ Mr PinkWhistle – Enid Blyton:

I believe these are out of print and they are lesser known works of Enid Blyton but are really worth tracking down and reading with younger kids. They have timeless morals in their stories (if a bit repetitive!) and children love the funny little man and the fact that he ‘puts wrong things right’. It shows them that they can make a difference to things that are not right!

10/ Wonderslide World – Helen Nurse

Who wouldn’t want to discover a magical world at the bottom of a magical slide underneath the stage in their school and meet a load of amazing circus performers and talking squirrels?! Wonderslide World introduces the Wonderstar characters, who are skilled youngsters who all have a different talent and which encourages children to think what Wonderstar they would be, because everyone is good at something!

Books for you must read for 9+ year olds…….

11/Running Wild – Michael Morpurgo:

All Michael Morpurgo books are amazing. Mostly he takes a real event from history and creates a fictional, human story that happened in the real event. So its a great way of teaching children and young people about real historical events and bringing a human story often with hardship and challenges to overcome. Running Wild is about a boy and an elephant who survive the Tsunami in Indonesia and is an incredible story, that not only children should read but adults too!

12/ Five Find Outers Mystery series – Enid Blyton:

Everyone has heard of The Famous Five of course and The Five Find Outers is a lesser known version of the Famous Five but in a lot of ways funnier and better mysteries! My kids love both but The Five Find Outers wins out!

13/ Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls:

there are different versions of this now, including one for rebel boys, but this is the original and my 9 year old daughter loves the book. It is a compilation of short, real life stories about real life inspiring women and what they achieved. Each one is short and bite sized so easy to read and so, so inspiring! There is also a podcast of the series here

14/ Wonder – P.J Palacio:

This is a wonderfully written story about a boy with a sever facial disfigurement and really raises a lot of important issues for children and young people to consider. Written from the boys point of view it is extremely insightful and I think every young person should read this and would change the way they look at someone with a disability or who seems different to them as a result.

So these are our recommendations for lesser known children’s books that are amazing in our view! Please tell us what you think…and have an amazing World Book Day 2019 whatever book you choose to celebrate!

And if you want some ideas for 36 World Book day costume ideas go here …..

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21 Best Birthday Party Themes for kids for ages 2 – 10!!

February 26, 2019 by WonderAdventures

Birthday parties are a big deal and choosing the right activity, concept and theme can be a challenge for parents who want their child’s birthday party to be the bees knees!!! So here are some ideas for themes for brilliant birthday parties for your kids and for different age birthdays…..

Best for 2-4 year olds

1/ Peppa Pig

Always a popular theme with thepetite party crowd! Little pig noses and ears are fun to wear (and easy to make!), pink balloons with piggie faces make perfect party decorations, and chocolate milk looks just like those muddy puddles Peppa loves to jump in!

2/ Trains

What child doesn’t like a choo choo?!! A train themed party is an easy and fun theme for little ones. Decorate with Thomas the Tank Engine galore, have train themed games, give the children the challenge of building one massive track in the garden and have a train themed treasure hunt! And you can give Thomas books as party favours!

3/ Winnie the pooh

Lots of scope for themed decorations for Winne the Pooh and also a great treasure hunt option here with Pooh bear riddles and rhymes! Honey flavoured cake and food, mini honey pots with drink in and an ’explore’ all go down brilliantly for little Winne the Pooh fans!

4/ Teddy bears picnic

This is an easy part theme and can even be a good last minute party theme! Just make sure all guests bring their favourite bear! Best done as a picnic outside but if weather isn’t on your side then an inside teddy bears picnic works just as well!

5/ Fairies

So much scope here for decorations and games for Fairy fans! You can easily make fairy gardens, using a few cheap items from the garden centre and children will be occupied for much of the party making their fairy garden creation!

6/ Bunnies

Bunny themes are really popular with 2 and 3 year olds.

Marshmallows can be put in a jar and labelled as ‘bunny tails’ and chocolate covered raisins cause amusement as Bunny poo!

You can create a treasure hunt with chocolate eggs.

You can also make bunny hats from white card cut into long strips with ears and a face drawn on. The guests can then wear these throughout the party.

You can play “What’s the time Mr Fox?” with guests pretending to be bunnies and of course sing ‘sleeping bunnies’ and ‘pin the bunny tail on the bunny’.

Jelly Eggs are a great craft activity.

For a video demonstration on how to make jelly eggs see here

Best for 5-7 year olds

7/ Dinosaur party

A dinosaur themed party is one of the most popular themes, often being requested for 4,5 and 6 year olds. From a Dinosaur treasure hunt, to fossil hunting and dinosaur crafts the scope is wide. If you want to provide Ranger Training and have a guest appearance from Greg the Disco Dancing Dinosaur for your party guests see the Dino Disco Adventure Challenge party here…..

To see a list of dinosaur themed party games go here

8 / Fairytale parties – Princess and knights

I think it’s best to make a Princess party a more generic ‘Fairy-tale theme party, which provides greater flexibility for children to come in their favourite Fairy-tale themed costumes and you can do a wider range of games to suit all guests.

To see our ‘Fairytale themed party games go here’

9/ Superhero Party

Set out different superhero costumes, and let your guests choose their powerful persona upon arrival or have them come dressed as their favourite superhero!

There are a lot of things you can do to decorate the party area. Put up spider webs at the entrance followed by a sign saying “Spiderman Welcomes You”. Use a lot of balloons with superhero colours and hang up posters and of the most popular characters.

You can create some simple super hero capes to give each party guest as they arrive and these also double as their giveaway! Just cut the template shape from material (measure it on your little superhero) and use sticky bond to hem. You can also use iron on bond to stick a superhero flash or symbol on the cape. Make sure there is ribbon stuck onto the top so they can tie them around their neck.

If you have the space then a lot of bouncy castle companies have super hero themed bouncy castles!

10/ LEGO Party

LEGO is such an easy themed party to do as you have ready made games and activities with the vast expanse of lego you probably already own!

Organise building competitions, make Lego masks and do lego figures treasure hunt!

11/ Art Party

Ditch the nice clothes and let your kids get messy! An art party is great fun because you can have free run on activities, decorations and make it colourful and messy!

Use items like squirt guns, mega-canvases, shaving cream and paint-filled eggs, to get kids’ creative juices flowing.

Put a large board or sheet of paper on an old board up in the garden and have the guests make a large form bit of art, or just splatter it with paint!!!

Do rock painting or create these fantastic pictures for guests to take home (cheap to resource with a few bits of Perspex and squirty paint)

See the videos on how to do these activities here and you can make them part of your art party activities.

12/ Rainbow Party

A Rainbow party can have Rainbow themed snacks, decorations and of course a rainbow cake (filled with rainbow treats!)

For an instruction video on how to make an amazing Rainbow cake go here

You can also make Rainbow jelly have rainbow cookies and Rainbow fruit kebabs.

For activities have the guests make unicorn horns by making a cone from a piece of cardstock & decorating it, then hot gluing ribbon to tie under the chin to keep it on.

You could also use upside down ice cream corns as “horns”

Another fun activity is to make “unicorn food” mixture to attract unicorns – use sunflower seeds for sunny smiles, powdered sugar for energy, skittles for bright rainbows, etc.

You could create a magical treasure hunt with hoof prints as the tracks.

13/ Mermaid party

This is great for a summers party that is going to be in the garden.

Get some cheap towels and cut mermaid tail shapes from them and give each guest one as they arrive.

Get the paddling pools out, one with a slide is even better and have a splashing party with all the mermaids!!

14/ Ninja Spy

Create obstacles using chairs, tables, and ladders for the kids to climb, jump and crawl through in order to be Ninja’s! Time each person and award winners for fastest, most agile etc.

Make spy masks and do a spy themed treasure hunt with clues to puzzle out in order to crack the code and find the treasure!

15/ Space theme

A space themed party is great fun and there are lots of ideas for decorations and making space theme activities.

If you want Buzz the Astronaut to visit your space themed party and run his intergalactic adventure challenge with moon landing themed puzzles and star trekking music then see here.

Best for 8-10 year olds

16 / Spa Party

Who wouldn’t want to celebrate their birthday with a full spa treatment? Drop cucumber slices in water, offer soft and cozy robes and slippers and twirl their hair up in a towel for a party of pampering that includes manicures, pedicures, and facial masks.

You can have someone come and do nails, hair and make-up or do it yourself if you are on a budget.

If budget isn’t an issue then you can even hire a spa bath for your garden for the day!

17/ Baking Party

You could make biscuits, cupcakes, decorate cupcakes or cookies or even get them to design their own flavours!

Keep it simple by setting out different coloured icings and sprinkles and watch what crafty creations they cook up!

Or for the older or more ambitious, weigh out ingredients for each child and let them create their cakes or biscuits from scratch.

Another fun activity is to buy a batch of plain (plastic) aprons and let them decorate their own and they can take these home or create cardboard chef hats which they can colour in and put their names on!

18 / Star Wars

Young Jedi love a Star wars themed party and with a wealth of decorations you can dress the area well and get the kids to make their own light sabers out of swimming noodles and give them as part of a ‘Jedi training workshop’

19/ Circus theme

The Greatest Showman has been such a phenomenon and so popular with kids and adults alike. As PT Barnham said “the noblest art is that of making others happy”

What better than a circus themed party? This doesn’t have to be clowns and such like.

Festival type decorations, bunting and circus toys are enough for younger children. A few spinning plates, gymnastics ribbons and big hoops are enough o keep most children entertained for a long time!

For older children and if budget isn’t an issue hire a fire eater or circus entertainer!

To learn about our amazing Wonderstars circus performers and have an interactive storytelling and circus skills party see here

20/ Harry potter or Wizard themed party

One of our most popular party themes is our Wizard theme and with Harry Potter being such a hit with so many kids, this theme is bound to come up at some point!!

There are loads of decorations you can do from jars filled with potion ingredients and bug sweets.

Create brooms from Swimming noodles (those old swimming noddle again sure do come in useful!) and do a broomstick riding workshop.

You can make slime for a craft activity. To see how to make the perfect slime see this video here.

To see what our Magic Merlin does at the Hocus Pocus school of Wizardry party see here

21/ Pyjama party

The last one on our list is really the simplest and often the most enjoyed by kids!! A Pyjama party sleepover!! One word of advice is limit the amount of kids (unless you can handle having no sleep all night!!)

Set up an area for sleeping, with mattresses on the floor, loads of blankets and cosy. Hang fairy lights and make it feel cosy and magical. Set up a TV or projector for a movie and serve hot dogs, popcorn and hot chocolate.

Just be prepared to be tired the next day!! These indoor tents are gorgeous for this type of party

sleepover party — https://www.belltentpartyevents.com/thegreatindoorssleepovers

I hope you’ve had some ideas here for party themes for your next great kids birthday party; whether you are running the party yourself as a DIY party on a budget or are bringing in party entertainers or party packages at your home or in a hired venue, then there should be an idea or two here to inspire you!

If you would like help with your birthday party planning or entertainment then please contact us.

To see information on our birthday party entertainment packages go here.

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5 Imaginative Outdoor Activities to Do With Children

February 9, 2019 by WonderAdventures

Childhood is a magical time. It’s when kids start to make sense of the world around them. Children, especially toddlers, have the ability to turn ordinary activities into interesting situations. In fact, a child’s grasp of fantasy and reality is very fragile, and that’s why it is important for parents to make sure they nurture it. As we noted before – Albert Einstein once said logic will get you from A to Z, but imagination will get you anywhere.

The BBC reports that there is evidence on how encouraging kids to be imaginative can help them be more resourceful and resilient, especially if you begin early. So while your children are still young, here are some of the best imaginative outdoor activities you can do with them:

Send your child on a local spy mission

Image Credit: Pixabay

It’s common for parents to find it challenging to get their children off the sofa, especially in this day and age when there are so many apps and games. But if the activity is interesting enough, they might just put their gadgets down. Why not send them on a spy mission around your local area? You can start by giving them a map of their “mission”, with their journey beginning at your home and ending at their favourite spot. If they are too young to go out alone, you can accompany them as their assistants. This is a great way to get them out of the house and exercising.

Go star gazing

Image Credit: Pexels

Take them to a family camping site where you can set up a bonfire and a tent, and tell stories about aliens, observe the stars, and map out your next family trip to a distant planet. Bring a telescope and help them find the North Star and other famous formations. If you’re really feeling imaginative you can pretend that the lights of aeroplanes are in fact alien spaceships. Simple activities like these are crucial to a child’s upbringing.

Escape to Narnia with your children

Image Credit: Pexels

Encourage your kids to imagine that they’ve entered the wardrobe and have come out the other end in Narnia. It would be exhausting to explore Narnia on foot, so make sure to take your bikes along with you. Why not take your kids to a woodland biking trail for the best adventure? Famous forests such as the New Forest and Sherwood Forest have plenty of family-friendly biking trails. You can even make a weekend of it and take your children camping.

While cycling can be a low-cost activity for all the family, it is important that you are able to revisit these magical adventures in the future. If you want to have regular trips to magical forests, make sure you keep your family’s bikes in tip-top shape, by not leaving them out in the elements, as they may succumb to the British weather. The long list of bike showcased on Screwfix show the range of sizes and styles that are now available. The size of your garden will be the deciding factor on which size you get, but it is best to get a shed that can protect all of the bikes. Even more important than your family’s bike’s well-being is your children’s safety. So if you get a big enough bike shed, make sure to store all their helmets, and knee and elbow pads in there too. For an added bit of entertainment, why not dress up the entrance to the bike shed up as the wardrobe leading to Narnia? This will really start their magical journey off on the right foot.

Visit child-friendly locations

Image Credit: Pexels

Here’s another reason to go out to the woods. There are many fairy-hunting guided tours for kids that you can join, as well as fairy and elf walks. These will take you and your kids through quaint villages and scenic areas where your kids can put their imaginations to work. Pop Sugar has a list of the most enchanting gardens in the UK, which includes Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire and Furzey Gardens in Hampshire. Gardens such as these are perfect for mini-adventures, as they have play parks and other activities for kids to enjoy. If you visit a National Trust site, there are also events that go on over the year, and many of them are connected to the location. For instance, castles will often have a medieval camp where the kids can practice archery.

Play Quidditch

Image Credit: Pixabay

Journalist Jane Haddam notes that when your children are engaged in creative play you have to learn to welcome the mess. Art teacher Catherine Russell-Patnuaude said she always knows when kids weren’t allowed to make a mess when they were younger. “They’re usually very hesitant about doing anything that’s not completely orderly,” she shared.

So don’t be afraid if your kids make a mess or if they end up a little dirty from their imaginative games. Let them have fun in the mud by teaching them Harry Potter’s famous game, Quidditch. Gather your kids’ friends or organise a play date. Assign seekers, beaters, and other members of the team and let them imagine themselves flying on broomsticks like Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger did.

For more fun and creative ideas with your kids check out 11 fun ways to encourage imaginative play in your child

and 5 Easy and creative art activities to do with your child at home

To see more about our imaginative events go here

To see how you could have an imaginative and amazing birthday party for your child go here

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Meet some of The Elf Challenge Masters who train all the Honorary Elflets at The Elf Adventure Challenge

December 23, 2018 by WonderAdventures

The Elf Adventure Challenge trains the children of England to be honorary Elves; so if Santa needs extra help during the festive season they can be trained and ready! Based on the storybook ‘Sprout’s Elf Adventure Challenge’ the festive, family event brings Christmas spirit and fun for all the family.

So we thoughts you’d like to meet some of the specially selected Elves sent from the North Pole to be your Elf Challenge Masters….

Meet Baubles the Elf…Elf Challenge Master at The Ice Cream Farm, Cheshire…

Meet Ginger the Elf…Elf Challenge Master at The Ice Cream Farm, Cheshire…

Meet Dougal the Elf…Elf Challenge Master at Red House Farm, Cheshire…

Meet Troy the Elf…Elf Challenge Master at Red House Farm, Cheshire and Trentham Gardens, Stoke on Trent

Meet Eve (full name Christmas Eve!) the Elf…Elf Challenge Master at Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent…

Meet Winter the Elf…Elf Challenge Master at The Ice Cream Farm, Cheshire and Red House Farm, Cheshire..

Meet Tingle the Elf……Elf Challenge Master at Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent…

To buy a copy of ‘Sprout’s Elf Adventure Challenge’ Christmas storybook go here

To download ‘The Elf March’ Christmas single by Pumpaa and the Sprouts go here

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Elves top 3 favourite, easy Christmas recipes to make…

December 19, 2018 by WonderAdventures

Elves top 3 favourite recipes –

As you know Santa’s Elves love all things yummy and have a varied diet of foods from the 4 food groups – Candy, Candy Corns, Candy Canes and Syrup!

And as its less than a week until Christmas, Pumpaa Elf has let us into some of his secret recipes direct from the North Pole and has allowed us to share them with you so that you can enjoy some yummy Elf treats this Christmas with your family.

He has given us his top 3 recipes for Christmas treats that you can easily make at home with your family. So get ready to eat like the Elves this Christmas eve!

THE BEST HOT CHOCOLATE….

Oreo Hot Chocolate….

Using Oreos for your hot chocolate recipe turns regular hot chocolate into a unique, creamy drink.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups milk
10-15 Oreos, crushed
50 grams dark or white chocolate
Freshly whipped cream
Oreo pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

Place 2 cups of milk in small pan Add the crushed Oreos and gently heat.
Once the milk begins to simmer, remove it from the heat and allow it to fully cool.
The milk will have significantly thickened from the cookies. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk and mix well. Strain the milk. Heat the Oreo milk in the pan or in the microwave until it is hot.
Melt the dark or white chocolate and divide it among your desired mugs. Pour some Oreo milk into each mug and mix with the chocolate. Then add the remaining Oreo milk.
Spoon some freshly whipped cream on top and decorate with Oreo pieces.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

250g plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
170g unsalted butter, melted
220g packed brown sugar
100g white sugar
drops of vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
335g chocolate chips
Pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Grease baking trays or line with greaseproof paper.
Sift the flour and baking soda into a bowl, then add the salt.
In another bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar thoroughly.
Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.
Mix in the flour mixture until well combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 165 degrees C (325 degrees F).
Roll the dough into a sausage and cut into equal discs. Spread onto baking trays with at least 3 inches space in between in one.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking trays for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE MINCE PIES

This recipe combines two of the best things about Christmas – mince pies and chocolate – you can’t argue with that!!

INGREDIENTS

280g plain flour, sifted
125g icing sugar, sifted
50g cocoa powder, sifted
pinch salt
200g cold butter, diced
2 free-range egg yolks
500g ready-made mincemeat
2 clementines, zest and juice
2 tbsp milk
1 free-range egg, beaten

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix the flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt together in a bowl. Mix in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the egg until the mixture comes together in clumps (you may need to a little cold water). Knead the dough briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Mix the mincemeat, clementine zest and juice together in a bowl.
Remove the pastry from the fridge, and roll out to a thickness of 0.5cm/¼in. Using a 7.5cm/3in fluted cutter, stamp out 12 discs from the pastry and use them to line a 12-hole bun tin. Fill each hole with two teaspoons of the mincemeat mixture and brush the edges with a little milk.
Using a 6cm/2½in fluted cutter, cut out 12 circles and use them to top the mince pies, pressing the edges together with your fingertips. Re-roll any remaining pastry and cut our snowflakes or star shapes to decorate the top. Brush the top of each mince pie with beaten egg and gently place the decorations on top, then brush again with egg.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through.

Happy baking and tasting!! Send us your pictures of your yummy Christmas treats! And share you wining Christmas recipes with us too!

To see our top festive books to read whilst you are tucking into your yummy treats see here

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8 Festive Book Recommendations to Read with the Children this Christmas

November 27, 2018 by WonderAdventures

Our favourite Christmas story books for children

There are so many things to love about Christmas with the kids, but one of the best things is snuggling up together with a Christmas story! There is a tradition in Iceland called Jolabokaflod which involves people giving a gift of a book to a loved on Christmas Eve and then snuggling down with Hot Chocolate and reading their book straightaway. We think this is such a lovely tradition and one that should be adopted all over the world. And what is better than snuggling down with your little ones and reading Children’s Christmas book?!

So here is our round-up of favourite Children’s Christmas books, whether you start them on the 1^st December (we have already started ours though as we have so many to get through!) or read them on Christmas Eve, we hope you make time for reading together this Christmas. Such precious and short lived moments are to treasure…..

1/ Santa Claus; the Book of Secrets – Russell Ince

Age 5+

This is our favourite and one the we get out every year (hence the worn look of it!)

Santa Claus the Secrets answers everyone’s questions about how the magic world of Santa works; from the Elves and where they live, to how Santa delivers all the toys in one night, how he works with special helpers around the world to succeed in his gift of joy and what happens throughout the year in the North Pole plus so much more.

A beautifully written, collection of chapters, each one covering a different aspect of the magical world. We do one chapter a night in the nights leading up to Christmas. They are only short too so a great, magical insight which can be dipped in and out or devoured in one go! You children will never be able to question the logistics again!

Buy ‘Santa Claus Book of Secrets’ by Russell Ince here from Amazon

2/ Father Christmas and Me – Matt Haig

Age 7+

This is part of a series of 3 books, including ‘A boy Call Christmas’ and ‘The Girl who Saved Christmas’. All 3 are amazing stories and they do link together with this ‘Father Christmas and Me’ being the final one of the three and for us it’s our favourite. In the first book we see how father Christmas became Father Christmas. In the second one we meet Mary (to become Mrs Christmas) and Amelia the human girl who ends up going to live in Elfhelm with father Christmas. The third book is about her first Christmas in Elfhelm and being accepted by the Elves. It has its dark moments and is probably recommended for age 7+due to this. For ages 7-10 I would read it with them (and even after that I would anyway as I love it so much!)It is not only an amazing story set in a magical world, and therefore keeping the spirit and magic of Christmas alive for children for longer. It also has some brilliant core messages and thought provoking ideas to discuss with the kids.

Buy ‘Father Christmas and Me’ by Matt Haig here from Amazon

The new one from Matt Haig about one of the characters in this series, ‘The Truth Pixie’ has just been released and we can’t wait to read that!

3/ Sprout’s Elf Adventure Challenge – Helen Nurse

Age 2+

This was written to accompany the event ‘The Elf Adventure Challenge’ and is the story of Sprout the Elf and how she does her Elf training and the important lessons that she learns about the true spirit of Christmas along the way. Beautifully illustrated, a lovely picture book for 3- 8 year olds to read with their parents.

Buy ‘Sprout’s Elf Adventure Challenge’ by Helen Nurse on Amazon here

4/ The Night Before Christmas – Richard Scarry (and various others!)

Age 2+

A staple in our household read for us on Christmas Eve just before the kids go to bed. We do the reindeer dust, put out the treats for Santa and cuddle up to read The Night Before Christmas. There are lots of versions of course and all are lovely. This is one of our copies.

But our kids just love Richard Scarry. If you haven’t read any of his books before you really should. They are the kind of books that every time you read them you see something different! The children love them as there is so much to look at ad point out. The characters are a bit random and have funny names and we love that! And this version of The Night Before Christmas is just a bit different and more fun that a lot of the traditional ones. And who doesn’t like maximum fun at Christmas?!

Buy ‘The Night before Christmas’ by Richard Scarry on Amazon here

5/ Little Owl and the Star – Mary Murphy

Age 2+

A board book or younger children, a really nice take on the Christmas story, quality illustrations and small enough to pop in your handbag as a boredom busting story when you are out and about this December!

Buy Little Owl and the Star by Mary Murphy from Amazon here

6/ The Snowman – Raymond Briggs

Age 2+

One of the most famous festive stories of the last 30 years! Of course it started out as a animation and the story has come from there. We love to listen to the audio version with the music accompanying it (the one read by James Nesbitt is the best in my opinion!)

But we also love to read the book and my 2 year old loves to look at the pictures as the illustrations are so beautiful considering their origination.

Buy ‘The Snowman’ by Raymond Briggs, version with the CD (which we think is the best as the music is so amazing!) from Amazon here

7/ Mog’s Christmas – Judith Kerr

Age 2+

We love Mog! Maybe because we are a cat family! And this is another good one for the littlies! Mog is not happy about the Christmas upheaval in the house! Will she ever come down from the snowy roof?!

Buy ‘Mog’s Christmas’ by Judith Kerr from Amazon here

8/ A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

Age 7+

Not a traditional Children’s story, there are Children’s versions of the story and I think it is such an important story for children to know, that introducing a version of it when they are young is good to do. I am also a big fan of reading a book before seeing the film and since there are various children’s film versions of the tale now, reading it first gives more magic to the tale. When I was a child my uncle recorded an audio tape of the story and I listened to it constantly at Christmas time. There is a great sense of nostalgia for me around the story as a result and I think it’s great to create those future moments for our children too.

So that’s’ our top 8 – but there are so many more amazing Christmas stories! Please let us know your favourites and share your Christmas reads with us.

and ‘Elves Best toy picks for Christmas 2018’

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