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1Mar
Cultivate Deeper Family Ties Through Creative Home Projects

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In a world where the buzz of technology often drowns out real-life interaction, finding genuine ways to connect with family members is increasingly essential. Tackling do-it-yourself home improvement projects presents a unique opportunity to beautify your living space and strengthen familial bonds. These endeavours encourage collaboration, creativity, and communication, laying the foundation for lasting memories, a stronger family unit and cultivating deeper family ties.

Transform a Space with a Chalkboard

Transform a plain wall or door into a dynamic chalkboard, creating a space where family members can jot down messages, sketch, or exchange ideas. This becomes a creative outlet for daily interaction, fostering fun and imagination. Your home transforms into a center for creativity and closer connections. Through this project, you actively encourage everyone in the family to contribute and collaborate, enhancing the sense of togetherness.

Crafting a Memory Lane

Creating a dedicated space to showcase family photos and memories transforms a part of your home into a living story of your shared experiences. This activity brings everyone together to select and arrange these memories, fostering a sense of unity and nostalgia. It’s a heartfelt way to personalize your living space and celebrate the journey you’ve taken together as a family.

Launching a Family Enterprise

A family embarking on home improvement projects and deciding to document their journey through a blog or Instagram account not only shares their progress but also connects with a wider community interested in DIY ventures. Creating a cool logo for their online presence helps to make their project more recognizable and memorable to followers. It helps to use a text logo that resonates with the essence of the overall project, making it stand out. Free online logo generators offer an accessible way to design this logo, providing the flexibility to tailor the logo’s design to match the family’s unique story and aesthetic.

Constructing a Personalized Library

Building a bookshelf tailored to your family’s needs and space is a project that embodies teamwork and creativity. From planning to execution, this task encourages collaboration, offering a practical solution to storage needs while adding a style touch to your home. The finished product is a testament to your collective effort and creativity, enhancing your living space and familial bonds

The Art of Candle Crafting

Embark on candle-making together to explore creativity and sensory delights, experimenting with scents, colors, and shapes to craft candles that mirror your family’s tastes. This activity offers a calming and engaging way to bond, creating unique, homemade candles. These candles illuminate your space and add a personal touch to your home. Through this shared endeavor, you deepen your connection, making lasting memories.

Green Thumbs Indoor

Setting up an indoor herb garden offers a delightful introduction to gardening and the joy of growing your own herbs. This project adds a splash of greenery to your home and promotes teamwork as each family member cares for the plants. The result is an aesthetically pleasing space and a functional one that enriches your cooking and brings a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Revitalizing Old Furniture

Embarking on a furniture upcycling project allows your family to express its creative side while working together to breathe new life into an old piece. This collaborative effort involves making and applying design choices, culminating in a unique piece that enhances your home decor. The process is as rewarding as the outcome, symbolizing teamwork’s power and transformation’s beauty.

DIY home improvement projects offer a rich avenue for families to connect, create, and collaborate. These activities result in tangible improvements to your living environment and foster stronger, more meaningful relationships within the family. By investing time and creativity into these projects, families can build a foundation of shared experiences and memories that enrich their lives and strengthen their bonds.

About the Author

Lydia Chan understands the life of caregiving for another. After her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and she found herself struggling to balance the responsibilities of caregiving and her own life. She is the co-creator of Alzheimer’s Caregiver, a website that aims to provide tips and resources to help caregivers.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

DEEPER TIES

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4Dec
Make some Easy Free Money this Christmas

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Sounds like a scam right? Well, its good to be careful but this isn’t one. Although, It isn’t really free money either as you’ve got to put in a bit of work.

But if you want some extra help this Christmas, here’s some helpful tips. As in this day and age of financial worries with the cost of living crisis it’s useful to be able to get some easy money.

There are obviously other schemes doing similar things. But the four below are tried and tested by us and work.

Earn £50 answering some questions with YouGov

I’ve dabbled in multiple survey sites over the years and YouGov has always come out on top.

At the basic level you can answer surveys and get rewarded in points for each one. Amass 5000 points and trade them in for a £50 gift card or money straight into your bank account. It’s a little work but the reward is worth the little time you put in. Surveys vary in points, but I’d estimate the typical is 50 points for a 15 minute survey but I have seen more on offer too.

Yougov

If you want to hit the 5000 points quicker you can then go further, by sharing your streaming and gaming data. Let them see your Netflix and Prime history and they give you more points each week you submit it. Who minds them seeing you watch Squid game after all?

If you then want to go one level further you can and let them track your internet usage for each more points. I did this for a while but then noticed it stopped other things working, but it may work for you.

Earn cashback on your Christmas purchase with Quidco

I’m still always surprised how many people have never heard of Quidco. If you shop online, you need to use it!

Quidco give you cashback for nearly everything you buy online, so its very useful at Christmas. Simply search for the company, and click a link. The cashback tracks and appears in your account in the future.

It may not a quick process, but its nice to think my Christmas purchases now may give me a nice bonus next summer. Ive always said It’s amazing how many times I have needed some money or fancied a treat and there’s been plenty sitting in my Quidco account ready to be spent.

Want to save money by making some simple changes check out our post here

Get paid to play games with Mistplay

If you are into mobile gaming, I’d be surprised if you hadn’t see an advert for a Paypal linked cash out game and downloaded it only to find you get £1 away from cash out and suddenly stop earning.

Screenshot from Mistplay website

There is a solution. Mistplay is a tried and tested game tracking site. It works a little like Quidco. You go into Mistplay to open the game you choose. You earn rewards for your time spent, and more if you buy things and over time you can transfer your units into real money.

Switch bank accounts to get an easy bonus

I’ll let Martin Lewis give the actual details for this one, but the premise is simple. Banks pay you rewards to switch to them and its really rather simple if its covered by the current account switch service.

We changed banks earlier this year and one month later had a free £200 in our account!

See the details of current bank switches on money supermarket.

Have you got any other tips for free money? Let us know in the comments

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

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18Jul
Children and divorce

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Even though I went through parental divorce as a teenager, its something I’ve never thought to touch on.

It was tough, with the threat of losing our family home, losing all contact with my Father and the added stress of court visits.

Luckily for me, I was of an age that I totally understood, and if I learned one thing from it its that my vows to Natalie will never be broken. But to other ages or situations the effects of children and divorce could be felt much more strongly.

This is something I’ve never written about before, that is, until Anthony Bennett reached out to me. His company (Milavetz Law) have put together a in-depth post covering topics such as the effects of divorce, how to help children through divorce and advice on managing co-parenting. Something I’m, thankfully, not experienced to talk about but was really worth sharing for those who need it.

Find their post here ➡️ milavetzlaw.com/children-and-divorce/

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

daddymunchkinandsprout.blog

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25Apr
We have a YouTube channel!

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Having just written the adjustments of a second child (spoilers, its tough) its complete madness that I decided to embark on a YouTube journey as well.

And not just any YouTube journey, nor a parenting, product review or day out review channel journey like in this blog.

It’s actually a Lego, story-telling, build YouTube journey. A amateur stop motion story telling and build at that too.

Introducing Brickste!

I’m sleepy, it’s rough around many many edges but I’m proud of it so far.

If you like it please consider liking and subscribing. Here’s one of my first three videos:

We would love to know your thoughts. Comment below or on our YouTube.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

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8Apr
When 3 become 4 – the tough and rewarding adjustments of a second child

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With three becoming four it’s seems to be an unbelievable unequal adjustment as two to three.

With our first, Munchkin, yes everything changed but we had time to recover at weekends. With our second, Sprout, we don’t have that luxury.

Here are all our unforeseen adjustments of a second child.

It’s worth it though….right?

adjustments of a second child
The little sleep stealer

Keeping time

Or rather not keeping time at all. Late is the new early right?

Let me give you some examples of this disaster:

  • 1: Swimming week 1: 5 minutes late, week 2: 20 minutes early.
  • 2: One morning we got Munchkin up and got as far as getting in the car. Only to realise we would miss breakfast at nursery so had to come back inside and try again an hour later!

Its been a mess!

Appreciating time

With the first child it’s a blur, mainly comprising of lack of sleep, sick and nappy changes.

You can find yourself wishing for development stages to speed up, that the child grows out of them and for progression to happen. It’s a feeling many parents are aware of and one we inevitably later regret.

With the second you want to stop time. Enjoy every moment. Have every snuggle and every sniff of that lovely baby smell. Because you know well now that it doesn’t last and soon they will crawl, walk and then run to school and beyond.

Less ‘us’ time

You’d think I’d be talking about partner time, but that’s a given with parenting!!

This one is for less time for Munchkin with all of us; Mummy, Daddy and both sets of Grandparents. He’s had solo play time for the first time of his life and less time with all his favourite people as they share their time with Sprout.

It’s a tough adjustment and one that invokes a feeling of guilt in me. I feel bad that I can’t give him all my time. Luckily Munchkin has adjusted well though and continues to be an excellent big brother.

Morning cuddles

Excellent 90% of the time that is with just the occasional ‘when does he go back inside Mummy’s tummy?’ in the first few weeks.

More responsibility

With just Munchkin I didn’t realise how much me and Natalie did together. For example, at bath time, when I would play with Munchkin, Mummy would sort out the clothes for the next day, she would then get him dry and changed while I cleaned up.

Add a sprout and I’ve realised how much extra responsibility there is with only one set of hands. Its more exhausting but, well, what did we expect?

Everything takes longer

If you thought getting one small preschooler dressed and into a car before 7:30 AM was tough imagine adding a hungry pooping crying little baby too.

It can take forever. It’s no wonder we can’t keep time.

Everything is harder

This one is no surprise. Everything is harder. You’ve really got to have all your eggs in a row and even then only sometimes it all goes to plan.

The trick is to leave time for everything to go wrong. A classic risk based analysis….

There is no catching up

With just Munchkin we could easily catch up from the tough nights of little sleep. With two there’s no catching up. And so many nights of 4 to 5 hours of sleep really add up to some exhausted parents.

you can’t blame me ?

You get all the snuggles again

There are positives too of this adjustment of a second child of course! You get baby snuggles again!

Baby snuggles make all the sleepless nights, the exhausting, the balancing act, the lateness and the mess worth it.

It is clear the adjustment to a second child has and can be a challenge. A challenge I did not really anticipate. It is such a major change in the family dynamic on a whole, and it can take time for everyone to get used to it.

So here it what I wish I had: some tips for adjusting to a second child:

Be prepared

Before baby 2 arrives, talk to your first child about what to expect and what may change. Explain that the baby will need a whole lot of attention, but that nothing changes in the way you love and care for them.

Be patient

It may take some time for your first child to adjust to the new arrival. It may invoke feelings of jealousy or anger, and in turn they may act out in different ways. So you have to be super patient with them and help them through this huge adjustment.

Make time for each child individually

Even though you’ll be spending 98% of your time keeping the new baby happy, it is important to make time for each of your children on their own. Let them know its their time with you so they appreciate that you are putting them first. This reassures them they have not been replaced even if they have lost a lot of time with you.

Encourage your children to play together

It’s no surprise that getting your first child to play with your second can help your children bond and learn to get along. But equally importantly, It can also give you some time to relax and catch your breath. Because multiple children are exhausting!

Get help when you need it.

If you are struggling with the adjustment don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s so important to keep talking to your partner, as well as seeking help from family, friends, or a professional. We didn’t seek help until we were completely shattered and I regret that.

So there are all my adjustments of a second child my exhausted, running solely on caffeine, brain could fathom with a few tips I wish Id read before Sprout arrived.

But I’ll say it again, it is worth it. Every single second.

If you have two, what’s the biggest thing you learned in that transition? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

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4Dec
As its fast approaching…The Best Games for your Christmas Party!

When you buy something using the retail links in our blog posts, we may earn a small commission. This money goes towards fueling further content. If you want to support us, you can also buy us a coffee ☕

It’s that time of the year when, even though we don’t always want to start thinking of it, Christmas is around the corner. One thing we love at Christmas, is getting the family or our friends together and enjoying some games together. Here’s my list of the best games for your Christmas Party.

Don’t Get Got – Big Potato Board Games

It wouldn’t be a Christmas party without Don’t Get Got. In my opinion, this is the ultimate game for a party as you can play it alongside everything else. It can start when people arrive, continue through present giving and unwrapping, through Christmas dinner and into the evening.

Don’t get got example wallet mid game (left) and game box and wallet (right)

Each player gets a wallet with one mission everyone knows and 5 secret missions with the aim to complete 3 to win. The mission everyone knows is simply a ‘Guess what?’ which you succeed if someone replies with ‘What?’. This can often be the winning mission and can be attempted multiple times to help you succeed..

Then there’s 5 more secret tasks in your wallet to complete. These range from ‘Stick this card in a jam jar and get a player to open it’ to ‘call a player the incorrect name and get them to correct you’. These can only be attempted once, as if you are caught, you fail the task, so choose you have to choose your opportunity wisely!

The first to pass three tasks wins.

There’s also a christmas version! 🎅

Use code BBMUCHKIN at Big Potato Games to save 15%

  • Age 14+
  • 🕑 As long as it takes
  • 👤 2 – 8

Azul – Zatu games

Azul is a beautiful tile game where you aim to decorate a palace with tiles. You take turns to collect tiles from the plates and place them on your mosaic. You then score based on where tiles land, and which tiles you collect. A complicated one to explain, a fun one to play.

Azul is available on Amazon.

  • Age 8+
  • 🕑 30-45 min
  • 👤 2 – 4
Buy Azul

P for Pizza – Big Potato Games

P for Pizza, is a super simple party game for 2 – 4 players. Being suitable for smaller numbers it’s a good one to get out while the rest of the family do the Christmas clear up. Its fast, easy to get to grips with, and at Christmas, won’t make you hungry like it usually does!

To play, match a category with a corresponding letter and shout out an answer which connects the two before your teammates. Quickest correct answer wins a slice to build their own pizza pyramid. As the pyramid gets taller, the choice of categories lessens, increasing the difficulty to win.

For 15% off Big Potato use code BBMUNCHKIN and DM me on Instagram for any game talk.

  • Age 8+
  • 🕑 15 min
  • 👤 2 – 4
Bigpotato.co.uk

The Chameleon

A social deduction game like no other. Everyone knows the answer but the imposter. Each give a word to either convince you know the category, or hide from detection. Its a game everyone wants to play again and again.

  • Age 14+
  • 🕑 15 min
  • 👤 3 – 8

Use code BBMUCHKIN at Big Potato Games to save 15%

Buy at Big potato.com

Catan

Catan is a longer game for later in the evening, where up to four players claim numbered hexagonal tiles and build a free settlement and road. Then as the dice is rolled, claim resources based on the tiles surrounding your settlements to build more settlements, cities and roads. Claim victory points and race to ten to succeed.

  • Age 7+
  • 🕑 60 min
  • 👤 2 – 4

Buy at Amazon
Play on Board Game Arena

Sushi Go – Gamewright

Sushi Go is a deluxe, 2 – 8 player 20 minute sushi feast game – like you need another more influence to eat at christmas!

A game of Sushi Go last three rounds. In each round, each player is dealt a hand of cards. Simultaneously, each player chooses 1 card to play and places it face down. When all players have chosen the cards are turned and each player passes their hand to the left.

Sushi Go basic game set up

The round ends when all the cards have been placed, and then cards are scored depending on the type of sushi. The player with the highest points wins.

This is a good one for Christmas as it’s family friendly with a simple consept

  • Age 8+
  • 🕑 20 min
  • 👤 2 – 8
Buy on Amazon

Linkee

Linkee is a simple and fun trivia based team game which works best with three of more teams of two or more players. A question master then has four questions to ask one by one, then a clue if it’s still required to the teams. The first team to shout ‘Linkee!’ and guess the link between the answers then wins the card. Each card has a letter on the other side, and the first team to spell ‘Linkee’ wins.

Linkee set up (left) and example card (right)

There’s two extra little rules to use to stop the game going on forever when you get endless ‘E’s. You can ‘buy’ a letter from the bank in exchange for three cards, or delete one from another team at a cost of two cards.

Linkee is a favourite as its simple but highly competitive, with everyone ready to shout ‘Linkee!’

  • Age 12+
  • 🕑 30 min -1h
  • 👤 2 – 30
Buy at Amazon

So that’s my top games for this Christmas.

What’s game has to be at your Christmas party?

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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save money in the cost of living crisis
17Jun
Save Money in the Cost of Living Crisis

When you buy something using the retail links in our blog posts, we may earn a small commission. This money goes towards fuelling further content. If you want to support us, you can also buy us a coffee ☕

With everything increasing in price, from petrol to food, cosmetics to energy, its fair to say this cost of living crisis is going to hit a lot of people hard.

Munchkin calculating the damage

To help, there are little things, from simple tips to handy services, we can all do to save some pennies. Afterall they do say: ‘Save the pennies and the pounds start saving themselves’.

So here are my tips to use less, save some pounds, get some things more cheaply and lessen the pressure of the crisis.

Get cashback with Quidco or Top Cashback

I often recommend cashback sites, and I am bewildered that more people don’t use them. If you buy near to anything online, you can get cashback. And when I say anything, we are talking insurance to food shopping to online gambling to mobile phones to energy to technology. Nearly everything we buy online.

Simply, sign up for a cashback site such as Quidco or Top Cashback, choose the site with the best cashback, search for a retailer, click the link to access the site, complete your purchase and the transaction gets tracked.

Quidco cashback screenshot
For example, get £18.15 for a new customer home delivery or 2.42% for existing customers.

It takes some time for the cashback to be granted, but in six months time you could be looking at an extra little payday. It’s amazing how many times I have needed some money and there’s been some sitting in my Quidco account to save me.

Sign up to Quidco for £5 free cashback to start off your saving.

Use less energy

While we are stuck in a time where we can’t shop around for the cheapest energy deal, we have to look at ways to reduce our use. This is the case for me, so I’ve made some simple switches.

It’s the obvious things really. I have started using eco modes on the dishwasher and washing machine. Then set up smart plugs to switch off devices such as my PC and the TV when we’re not using it. I’ve changed lightbulbs to LED bulbs and been slightly more so Dad-like who always tells people to switch off the lights. The result is that my electricity hasn’t gone up quite as much as I expected.

Smart plugs (so you don’t have to remember to switch things off) are available on Amazon.

Further to that, reduce your thermostat temperature by 1 degree and stick a jumper on this Autumn. They say 1 degree equates to around £80 saved per year.

Get a free £15 purchase with Zilch

Zilch is a new ‘buy now pay later’ company who give you a free £15 if you sign up with this link. Simply set up an account, shop though Zilch and use the free £15 to pay. You don’t have to use their credit option, just use the free £15 and buy a takeaway though Just Eat or Deliveroo.

After all a free pizza tastes so much better than one you paid for.

Zilch screenshot
An example of the many many Zilch retailers.

Oh and you can then refer others, you can get £15 too.

Use discounts from food box companies to save on the weekly shop

This is a great idea for lower food bills. Meal box companies like Hellofresh and Gousto happily give discounts to join (up to 40% off). So sign up, make the most of the discount and then cancel. Then try the next box. These companies also tend to come back with another offer every six months or so so you can rinse and repeat. Oh, and they are also super tasty.

Sign up using this link for £47 off your first three Hellofresh boxes.

Save money with meal subscription boxes – here is one of ours

Use less fuel

With petrol and diesel prices sky high, and with it not being that simple to switch to electric, there’s some easy switches you can do. In this category, I must say that there’s some I do enjoy and some less so.

Change your habits. Try car sharing if you can. I recently started two days a week with a colleague from work. I’m saving money and I get some company on the journey. Win win. Make sure you only carry what you need, and that includes fuel. Less weight means less fuel used meaning less money spent.

The less enjoyable you can drive more eco-friendly. Accelerate slower, slow down naturally rather than using hard braking and use the eco modes on your car if you have one. Certainly less fun, but if they mean we can fill the tank a day later then it can be worth it

Consider Foodbanks or Community Fridges

If you have to choose between food and fuel, consider approaching a Food Bank or Community Fridge. For Foodbanks you need a voucher to gain a referral. Community Fridges however are for anyone, and provide surplus food from supermarkets and donations to prevent food waste. You can find out more about, and how to gain the referral to, Foodbanks here (the Trussel Trust) and here (citizens advice) and all about, and where to find a Community Fridge scheme here.

Do you have any other money saving tips? Add them in the comments

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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13Jun
Combating Low Confidence

I have always had two sides. There’s the side people see. He appears confident, good with new people and able to present data at work. Then there’s the side he feels, the low confidence, nerves and the symptoms surrounding them – the sweats, the increased need to visit the bathroom and the resulting dehydration.

I have come to realise over time that I just use tools. Simple things that boost low confidence enough to get by and appear confident. Not usually on a day to day basis, but on those big days: the interview, the annual work review, the wedding speech, the big presentation…etc. Simple tools that really change how I come across and alleviate those nervous symptoms.

The Power Pose

This one came from a book my manager lent to me. The power pose is that of a winner, like when Usain Bolt wins a race, and performs his ‘celebration bolt’. Just imagine that feeling, but actually throw your arms up and feel the power of the pose. Or alternately, place your hands on your hips, raise your chin and tighten your muscles. It instantly boosts your testosterone which elevates your self esteem and builds your confidence. Allowing you to smash that meeting. Below, Munchkin shows the most simple one.

The Munchkin power pose

You’ve entered a race and lo and behold you’ve only gone and won! You raise those arms in jubilation as the endorphins pump around your bloodstream. Hold it for 30 seconds, add 30 seconds of another and the result: you feel amazing!

‘I won a race Daddy!’

Don’t trust me? Here’s the science and the Amy Cuddy TED talk all about power poses.

Sing your heart out

This is similar to power posing, but more fun and you can do it in your car. Build a good powerful playlist, turn it up a few notches and sing your heart out.

You make look a fool at roundabouts, but damn does it feel good when you step out the car at your destination. Oh and just make sure you keep both eyes on the road, otherwise those positive benefits may get a little lost.

Exercise

Ask me to do a presentation and I shudder in fear. But way back when I was doing my masters (2013 eeek! 🙈), I was also starting the NHS couch to 5K running program (it helps you run 5 km or 30 minutes in nine weeks – here’s the NHS site). On the day of my dissertation presentation I went for a week 8, or 25 minute run and remarkably didn’t feel an ounce of nerves before or during the presentation. The dual benefit of boosting low confidence whilst getting a little fitter.

The post run sweaty red faced selfie

Think back

This one’s useful if you have used one of the others previously. Think back to the time you weren’t nervous for an interview because of your morning run, or smashed the presentation due to your power pose. If you were fine then, you can do it again. Get those positive thoughts flowing and convinces those nervy gremlins to go back in hiding.

These are some of my tools I use to combat low confidence, do you use any others? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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6Jun
The Potty Training Journey so far.

Potty training is probably the first major hurdle since moving Munchkin to his new his new room all those many moons ago – see the next 2 me to nursery transition. It was feared by us as it is by many parents, yet on reflection (so far that is!) it hasn’t been that much of a rocky transition. Here’s how we’ve succeeded so far in five steps.

Ignore the pressure

I remember the first mention of potty training from an online development check. A development check where the nurse didn’t even need to see Munchkin, so didn’t know he was alive let alone could walk, talk or use the potty (But that’s a moan for another day).

What I remember is feeling judged for not starting things already, even though we hadn’t seen any of the typical signs. He didn’t tell us anything about doing his business, didn’t walk to a private space nor show any emotion about it. So, we did the first steps when we were ready, and it turns out the parent is usually, and was, right.

Keep it visible

One thing we did start early was to keep a potty visible, right in the lounge, next to his play space. This meant he got used to it being there before we even mentioned what it was for. As it progressed we also got a separate travel potty for journeys out the house, letting Munchkin choose his own my carry potty.

Dedicate some time

Even though Munchkin didn’t show any signs, we honestly thought he never would. It was April half term so we dedicated the two weeks to ‘pants days!’ – a phrase he used in the morning when he would ask ‘Is it a pants day today?!

We went to the shop and let him choose his pants, we got some pants themed books (amazon link) and then just went for it.

Prepare for the clean up

The first few days were a mess, going through all 12 pairs of pants in one morning. But we persisted, bought more pants and carried on. It was stressful but we made sure we reassured Munchkin ever step of the way.

By day five he was starting to smash it, but we were using a lot of regular reminders and checks.

By week two we had no accidents and then by week 4, we returned to our normal work week completely dry, autonomously going himself without any reminders. We have had the odd little accident since but otherwise he’s smashed it.

The transition to the big toilet

The transition to toilet was even more simple. We bought a stool and seat for him which he was excited to use. We then just reminded him he could use either when he said he needed to go. Within a month the potty was gone and we only used the toilet.

The future

Who knew potty training was such a multi faceted coin? The future holds and night time training (we are not at all ready for this one!). But at least the pressure is off with that one.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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22Sep
Daddy’s Top 6 Big Potato Party Games

As parents, there’s still times we need to put the kids to bed, get the beers out and enjoy a game or five…

Big Potato have always been a favourite of mine, even before I started to collaborate with them. They produce fantastic party and family games, and are also working to be more eco-friendly by reducing plastic, reducing box sizes and planting trees (double points from me!)

So here’s a run down of my top 6 big potato games. If you’re interested in my all time game favourites you can find that post here.

If any of these games, or any of their others, interest you, you can use the code BBMUNCHKIN for 15 percent off. So you can enjoy those games for a little less.

Use BBMUNCHKIN for 15% off at Big Potato

6. Day at the Festival/Night at the movies puzzles

First on the list is a new release from Big Potato Games. There’s two puzzles, one is all about movies and one about bands and music artists.

Each is a 1000 piece puzzle which when complete, becomes a second challenge to identify the hidden bands/movies from the picture clues.

big potato
A puzzle with a game twist
  • Age 12+
  • 🕑 Variable, as its a puzzle
  • 👤 1+

5. 20 Second Showdown

20 second showdown is instant, fast paced, addictive fun. Split into two teams, grab a baton and get prepared.

Flip the timer and start the 20 second countdown, complete a task then flip the time back to start the time running for the other team. Complete simple, and often hilarious tasks and try to stay in the game by completing the task within the time. The first team to run out of time loses.

Fast paced, tense, team fun
  • Age 10+
  • 🕑 15 min
  • 👤 5 – 20

4. P for Pizza

P for pizza was a lockdown savior as it only requires a minimum of two players.

The lockdown savior. A simple, quick, addictive pizza themed game

Reveal three categories, match to a letter and shout an answer before another player. If you are first, win a pizza slice and add it to build your mega pizza slice to win. Though as you build, the categories you can answer reduce, making it harder the game progresses. A game so good you always play it twice.

  • Age 10+
  • 🕑 15 min
  • 👤 2 – 4

3. Don’t get Got

Don’t get got is the ultimate party game as you can play it alongside something else, like dinner, a party or other games.

The ultimate play anytime task game.

Get five secret tasks and one ‘guess what?’. Be the first to fool three other players and complete your tasks, but don’t get caught, or rather, Don’t Get Got!

  • Age 10+
  • 🕑 30 min – 30 y
  • 👤 2 – 10

2. Snakesss

Watch out, there’s snakesss about!

Find out who’s the best liar!

In snakesss, players get points by answering questions correctly after a brief team discussion. But beware, some players are actually snakes who try to charm you to choose the wrong answer. Snakes score points by distracting you from the correct answer.

One player gets the wooden ‘Mongoose of Truth’ token which shows they definitely aren’t a snake!

  • Age 12+
  • 🕑 40 min
  • 👤 4 – 8

1. The Chameleon

And finally, number one! My favourite Big Potato game is The Chameleon.

Blend into the crowd and remain undetected.

In this game, one player is The Chameleon who needs to blend in with the crowd. Every one else tries to uncover their disguise.

Turn over a new topic card and roll the dice. This will show the topic to all players but the Chameleon. Take turns giving a word related to the topic in order to detect the Chameleon – but watch out, they can escape if they can guess the topic so be wise when you choose your word.

  • Age 14+
  • 🕑 15 min
  • 👤 3 – 8

Which of these do you think would be your favourite? Let us know in the comments. And if you’re tempted, use code BBMUNCHKIN for 15% off!

Visit bigpotato.co.uk

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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