12 Days of Christmas Toys - On the ninth day of Christmas...

 So it's getting to the point where you can't really deny it any more, Christmas is well and truly on it's way, before you know it, the presents will be unwrapped, the dinner eaten and the living room scattered with toys. So for those of you who are still looking for the perfect toys for your family, that hopefully won't be discarded in favour of the wrapping paper, over the next 12 days I am going to be featuring  a variety of toys aimed at a range of ages from toddler to teen.

We will also have some giveaways to help you get an extra present under the tree!

On the Ninth day of Christmas my true love  Santa gave to me...

Gelarti from Flair

I have to admit that when i first heard of this, my thoughts immediately strayed to Italian Ice cream, and memories of devouring quite a few on a trip to Venice.  But once i'd managed to stop drooling, I realised that this was in fact 'Gel Art' and it was quite funky!

As soon as we opened the box Ben got rather excited and couldn't wait to get all of the contents out.

Inside the box there is...

-over  50 stickers
      -5 Gelarti paint pens
            -2 plastic hanging discs
                 -a fun filled activity booklet.

The gel paints were really easy to use and because of the raised outlines on the stickers Ben (who is usually a bit messy with painting) was able to colour them really neatly.

We had great fun with these and there are plenty in the pack so could easily have another two crafty sessions with them.

We have made some lovely gifts and decorations...

My favourite was the dolphin when Ben decided to colour with blue and glittery green, the pack showed this on a goldfish bowl but we decided to try it on a glass and I thought it looked really effective.

This set is aimed at 5+ but i believe that it would be suitable for younger. This a great activity set with hours of fun in one box and it would be a perfect present under any tree this christmas... 

Did You Know….? Top Facts For Families about War and Medicine

1. Trench foot is a nasty condition that makes feet swollen and painful - and is

caused by spending too long in damp, cold and unhygienic conditions (like not

changing wet socks!). The name came about during the First World War as soldiers

spent many hours in wet, soggy boots in the trenches.

2. There were over 70,000 cases of trench foot during the First World War! To

combat this dreaded disease, soldiers used a variety of methods from wearing dry

socks, holding regular foot inspections and massaging feet with whale oil (which had

an even more horrible smell than sweaty feet!)

3. In 1916, Dr. Gerhard Stalling set up a school to train dogs to help German soldiers

who had been blinded in the First World War. These were the first ever guide dogs.

4. John Simpson Kirkpatrick was a stretcher-bearer with the Australian and New

Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign in the First World War. He and

his donkey became famous for carrying injured British Empire soldiers from the

frontline to safety.

5. During the First World War, a soldier almost literally came back from the dead.

Lieutenant Hugh Bird MC was seriously wounded during intense fighting in France

in March 1918. In the confusion, his fellow officers thought he had been killed. His

family were told and a memorial service was held. But in May 1918, it became clear

that Bird was still alive. He had been taken prisoner, given basic medical treatment

and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany. Bird was sent home to Britain in

September 1918..

6. The system of triage – which splits patients into three groups, depending on how

serious their condition is – is used in all hospitals today. It originally came about

during the Napoleonic Wars and became standard practice during the First World

War.

7. Before 1914, more people died from diseases in war time than battle injuries. The

First World War was the first major conflict to reverse this trend - partly due to the

first major use of vaccinations.

8. Disease, including the lethal Spanish Flu, caused about one third of military deaths

during the First World War. The Spanish Flu caused havoc for the civillan population

too, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide.

9. One nasty side effect of living in the trenches was lice! It is estimated that

97% of the soldiers living in the trenches were infested. They used to refer to the

lice as ‘chats’ and when they got together to pick the lice off each other, it was

called ‘chatting up’ – a phrase we use frequently today!

10. Coconuts were used in the South Pacific in the Second World War during

emergency blood transfusions – it was discovered coconut water is sterile (until

opened) and it mixes easily with blood.

These interesting facts were compiled by IWMN to mark the launch of their Saving Lives Exhibition so why not check out their Half Term activities?