Privately Secure your Property with SeQR

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Kids are good at losing things, and in the world we live in, we are less likely to want to write any personal details such as our name, address and phone number on every item they own over a risk of losing our privacy. So wouldn’t it be nice to have a way of privately secure your property so you can safely get it back to you?

Well SeQR have a product that does just that and we’ve taken it for a test run.

What is SeQR?

SeQR have harnessed the ability of the technology of a QR code to link our personal items to ourselves without exposing personal information. Sign up, receive your labels and link them to your account then simply attach them to anything you take to school, work or travel with.

If its lost, a good Samaritan can scan the code and get it back to you without seeing any personal information like your name, or number.

But first, what’s a QR code?

Invented back in 1994, although only visibly commonplace in the last few years (probably thanks to Covid check in sites (who can forget those!), the QR (quick response) code is a square 2D barcode of sorts which can be interpreted by a camera to reveal a code or send you to a website.

For example if you scanned our lovely QR code we made above above you’d be taken to our super lovely homepage.

How does it work?

Right now, you can sign up and get some codes for free. You can then print at home or get your labels posted. Try them out and if you like them use munchkin10 for 10% off.

We had this pack which included 45 labels, posted and received a them on a handy magnetised page to stick to the fridge so we never lose our labels.

They are printed on 3M paper so they will be strong and stick well, particularly useful when kids are involved. And they look a little like this:

There’s an activation QR code on the page to scan first which takes you to the website to sign up. Sign up and the codes you own are instantly added to your account. You can then select the code you want to use or search by using the alphanumeric (that’s a mix of letters and numbers) code.

Here you can add a description and some photos to aid future identification including a name only you will see and then you can change the message that will be shown if the QR code is scanned.

Then, simply, stick it to your item. Part of the process Munchkin could help with.

What happens when its found?

We ‘lost’ our scooter and luckily a good Samaritan (Munchkin and Sprout’s Mummy) found it and scanned the SeQR code. She saw the QR code and gave it a scan and this is what happened next.

privately secure your property

The QR code took her directly to a option to privately message me where we could then sort out collection on a private chat. No name, no address, no number needed, no private details shared.

Given one way I see these being used is on outdoor equipment, like bikes, scooters, and skateboards and I thought we would try a waterproof test to see if they will hold up against the typical British weather.

With its 3M stickyness, it remained stuck for good after a good dosing with a hose and a week outside in the pouring rain. This, while also easy to remove when I poorly stuck one to the scooter in first place.

This is my only sticking point on what is a brilliant idea and product.

Both the app and the website are a tad frustrating. I’ve fed this back to SeQR and they have happily accepted my feedback and will work on improving it.

Rating

I think this is a really clever use of a simple technology. Perfect for parents with numerous children’s accessories, devices, cycles and scooters. All ours are now safely labelled, however with a slightly frustrating app it gets:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

With some small app tweaks this would easily become 5 stars.

Thanks for reading, go forth and privately secure your property. Use munchkin10 for 10% off.

Get SeQR here!

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

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Get to Grips with Skateboarding for little people – Skatehut skateboard review.

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Munchkin loves to be outside and consequently we love our outdoor activities and are always looking to try to find new interests. Skatehut offer a fantastic range of beginner skateboards, perfect to try out a new skill to add to Munchkin’s repertoire. After all, its important to try as many things as we can when they are young and fear free to see where their interests lie.

When it arrived, a little Munchkin couldn’t wait the get his safety gear on and have a go. As always, here are our thoughts in our Skatehut skateboard review.

Safety first

Well straight out of the box, Munchkin was excited and ready to jump on. With anything like this though its important to think of safety first.

First its important to protect that little developing brain and Skatehut have a fantastic range of kids helmets to choose from. I went for a classic style and Munchkin immediately looked so mature and ready for the skate park, but most importantly, safe.

The helmet was a good fit (rare for Munchkin’s unexpectedly large head he inherited from me)(sorry!), and easy to adjust, ensuring comfort, whilst stylish and safe.

The other important joints weren’t forgotten either with easy to fit knee pads, elbow pads and wrist protectors. We received the padset which included knee, elbow and wrist protection in one handy set.

When Munchkin was fully protected, then he was ready to give it a go.

Modern design

Skatehut’s range of kids skateboards really stand out for their design. Given Munchkin’s favourite colour is purple, it was easy choice to select this Skatehut skateboard.

So chuffed with his new board, it was Christmas come early

I love its classic comic style design. Its funky and fun, like skateboarding should be. Its well built too, strong and sturdy – even passing the Daddy test.

10 minutes later he was balancing. Though it may take longer before we go to the skate park like he wanted!

Price

With a current lovely discount. This skateboard, pad set and helmet comes in at £25 for the protective gear and £34.95 for the skateboard. A perfect gift any little person would love to find under the tree this Christmas.

Start them young

As I said in the intro, I think its important to try out new things when our kids are young.

As as adult I remember the feeling of being fearless as a child so I think its important to monopolise on that and try new things and skills while they are still young. Before long, all that fear sets in us adults know well which can certainly stop us in our tracks when trying new things.

skatehut skateboard

I can’t wait to try this out in the garden, and one day in the skate park…

Have you wanted to try skateboard with your little one? Check out Skatehut as a great place to begin your skateboarding adventure!

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

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Smol Review. Small changes big differences?

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I’m always looking to reduce my plastic footprint and live a more sustainable lifestyle. Smol have us sorted for all of our dishwasher and laundry needs whilst being totally plastic free, and we have also more recently tried out their eco-friendly surface cleaner. Here is our Smol Review!

Why choose Smol

If it’s one thing that comes in plastic packaging that could easily be swapped its dishwasher and laundry tabs and, put simply, Smol have it sorted. A simple subscription platform, with tabs posted through the letter box means you never run out and never see a plastic tub again.

With one child that always gets messy and another who’s 2 months old and loves to throw up, its handy knowing we never run out and use a formula that works every time.

It is one step further on our journey to reduce our eco-impact.

Their claims

Smol claim to make high performance, sustainable swaps effortless, accessible and affordable. They say they cut carbon by 35% whilst keeping prices fair. Big bold claims.

So how does it work?

How does Smol work?

I’ll use laundry tabs as an example, but its a similar process for any of their products.

Click this link, tap ‘get started’ and choose the first product to switch, so for this example we picked laundry.

Take a free trial and then tell them:

  1. What type of capsule you need? Bio or non-bio
  2. How many capsules you need in a wash (some cases require two)
  3. How often you run a wash

And they will then send them at the frequency matching your use. Consequently, you never run out.


But what happens if you do run out?

It’s inevitable your dishwasher or laundry use changes from time to time so sometimes you do need more. You can pop back into your account and adjust your usage or click ‘send now’ to be popped in the next post collection.

How environmentally friendly is Smol?

I originally chose Smol as they are 100% plastic free (for dishwasher and laundry). AlI in sent in a clever cardboard child-proof case too.

A child proof case that albeit is clever it’s very hard to master mind you.

Smol review

However, it turns out they do a lot more. The packaging is fully recyclable and compostable, they use vegetable based inks so there’s no nasties there and their cardboard is from sustainable managed sources (Forest Stewardship Council approved). They are also cruelty free having never tested on animals and save chemicals, water, animal fat and carbon.

How do they stack up in terms of cost?

Probably the most important question aside ‘do they work?’ is will they cost me more? It’s disappointing that most eco-friendly swaps are not that economical.

To compare, let’s look at the maths for the laundry capsules. 24 laundry capsules come in at £5.30 or 22.1p per wash.

Top leading brands, Ariel, Fairy and Persil rank in at 23.5p, 28.2p and 21.7p (according to Tesco.com on 05 Jan 2023 for similar quantities). So against the top brands they do rank well.

For the more money savvy though, own brand and buying in bulk can save money? However, that comes with the mountain of capsules for bulk buying, the less acceptable performance for own brand and lack of totally plastic free alternative for any shop bought alternative.

Do they work?

If you need any evidence of how well they work I’ll tell you this. I have kids.

Kids who come back from nursery caked in dinner, love jumping in muddy puddles and generally making a total mess.

Kids who like a fresh bowl with every snack and like all children get pasta sauce caked all over the plate and cutlery resulting in many many dishwasher runs.

If they didn’t work, I’d be looking for an alternative.

Surface cleaner

The surface cleaner is a new addition which I thought I’d try the trial to give my thoughts.

This comes as a reusable plastic bottle which you can keep and reuse forever (It’s seems well built but I imagine the odd replacement spray nozzle will have to be ordered resulting in a little plastic waste over time).

It has a simple process. Fill to a the bottom of the coloured grip. Pop in the tablet. Wait to dissolve and then top up with water again. Very simple. (This is a big improvement on others such as Splosh (see our Splosh Review here) as they require a vigorous work out style mixing.

It couldn’t be easier. The tablet quickly dissolves and I appreciate avoiding the shaking. It smells pleasant and cleans perfectly, tackling our kitchen with ease.

It’s so good we’ve subscribed ?

Verdict and those all important stars

Smol have an easy to use subscription platform, handy email updates to check your stock and the simple system to push it back, order more and never ran out process.

They are moderately expensive being only comparable to top brands, however are fully support our eco-conscious lifestyle being 100% plastic free, recyclable and compostable. You never run out and they are effective for our messy family.

For us its worth every penny.

Grab a free trial by clicking here.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

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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

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

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%

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

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

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

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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Mutable Review – The ultimate multi-activity table.

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

From the moment we started trying for a Munchkin, I had created a list of products I wanted for him or her when they were old enough. At the top of that list, a Mutable by Stokke (previously Mukako) (Visit Stokke.com). Its been a favourite product for years now, and it hasn’t disappointed, so here is our Mutable review.

Since being brought out by Stokke, the product line seems to have decreased. So while this review doesn’t match all the products sold by Stokke they are still stocked elsewhere. I will include links where possible for other UK stockists where appropriate.

Mutable Review
The Mutable

What is a Mutable?

The Mutable is an Italian designed multi activity table for kids up to the age of 8 as it grows with them. The table is made of a beautiful wooden design, with a modern shape and a splash of colour. It has screw on legs, with additional pieces to enable it to grow in height as your child grows. This gives the chairs two heights and the table four heights to grow with your child.

There is an insert in the top which houses the ‘multi activity’ components. These are wooden or cardboard discs which change the table from a simple table, to a lego or duplo table, a chalk board or white board, a round puzzle board or a city or world landscape. There is also further options such as multi level lego towers, playdough moulds and adaptable scenarios.

For older children, there are app enabled toys and games, such as numbers and letters and ‘around the world’ and ‘ring o stories’ . So what can be a snack table, is an art space, a pay space and also a learning space.

Daddy and Munchkin’s Mutable review.

As I said in my introduction, the Mutable does not disappoint. From the morning it was delivered and constructed, which was a simple process with hand screw legs. Munchkin was eager to play with his cars on the town landscape, scribble with giant chalk on the white board and take his wooden train or cuddly toys for a ride up high.

Daddy loves it as its self contained. Every activity is stored within the table. There’s an attached pen/chalk pot which is useful for easy storage and access to (you guessed it) pens and chalk, and a storage bag for tidying up, which is filled by simply removing the centre and pushing the toys through the hole. We used this from when Munchkin was just one to teach about tidying up, and it worked a charm.

Overall I cannot fault it, and can’t wait to buy extra toys and games and use it as a learning tool for numbers/letters and humanities in the future. The only drawback is the price, but when you consider the amount of time it can be used with its variety of uses, its was an easy equation for us and its been worth every penny since.

What Else is Available?

We originally opted for the moderately supplied Essential Plus bundle. In 2022 this includes two chairs, 7 inserts, extra puzzles, storage bag and pen holder, but there are many more options to add. It currently retails at Stokke for £434.90 but can be found cheaper elsewhere in the UK such as pram world who stock it for £345.90.

In terms of accessories and toys, there are extension sets to allow space for 6 children and silicone covers to protect the table.

In the toy department, there are 3-dimensional playhouses, wooden playhouses, and lego towers, play dough moulds and educational games. I already have my eye on a playhouse, playdough mould, and more games for Munchkin.


Interested in a tablet for your little one? Check out my Fire HD Kids tablet review ➡️


One year on…

It is still the best product we have invested in. It is a favourite place for a painting and drawing or scribbling on the chalk board. Munchkin has started to use the Mutable for imaginative play taking his dinosaurs to the town landscape and therefore we have expanded our Mutable collection.

We now have the two, two sided games, one teaches about fruit and vegetables and the other is a space themed game. These both come with multiple levels, allowing the game to change as your child grows, for example changing from counting to doing sums and multiplication.

The second is a superhero house. A multi-level wooden playhouse that sits it is own disc holder on top of the Mutable. It has multiple rooms, from fictional superhero to real life such as police and firemen. We spend many an hour playing with this now. Unfortunately this product is not sold by Stokke since their take over however even if they still sell the furniture and the heroes but can be found elsewhere on third party sellers like Pramworld.

Mutable Review – Those all important stars

Quality

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Price

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Useability

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Instructions

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Daddy reviewed, Munchkin approved.

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Fire HD 10 kids tablet and Amazon Kids+ review

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If we like it or not, technology is a huge part of life. We use the internet for nearly everything. We buy food, order takeaways, share our lives on social media, do our work and our kids…they use tablets as early as primary school. This is why, after Munchkin was doing so well at potty training, we bought him a Kindle Fire HD 10 Kids tablet, and here is my review.

K

Initial ‘out of the box’ feelings

As soon as you remove the Fire 10 kids from the box you can see its safe for kids. The standard tablet design is enclosed in thick rubber case with integrated kickstand/carry handle which comes in three colours. It looks unbreakable and may be hard to damage. But for peace of mind, as we know what children are like, purchase also includes a 2 year guarantee for any breaks or screen smashes caused by an angry raging toddler/small human.

It has oodles of space for all those many apps they download each day at 32 gb and comes with 1 year of Amazon Kids + supplying many many books, games, videos, songs and apps. It has a bright display, long battery life, reasonable sound quality, albeit slow charging time.

Set up and Safety

The parent dashboard for Kids

The Amazon Fire 10 HD Kids links directly to a parents account which you use to set up the device. This means as a parent, you have full control. You can access the device remotely from the Amazon Parent Dashboard to see statistics and control the device.

At 3 years old, we only use the tablet with Munchkin, so are able to see and control what he sees but in the future when he plays alone, we will easily be able to remotely see what he accesses and how how long.

Furthermore, the dashboard has controls. You can see daily time limits in terms of shutoff time and total duration of use. You can control content, the web browser, turn music on and off, Prime video access and the age filter and theme. You can even set educational goals and even set ‘learn first’ where your child has to meet educational goals before using any games or entertainment.

Age filter and theme

The age filter and theme allows the tablet to restrict all content. It allows you to set a minimum age to maximum age range which Amazon then changes all the books, apps, games etc to fit within. This allows us, as parents, to slowly nudge the range up, as they grow up, to limit things that are too simple, and push things to challenge their little minds.

The theme simply changes the tablet either to a version aimed at older children who can read to one for younger kids who can’t yet read. That uses images rather than text.

What can they learn on a Fire HD 10 Kids?

From my own experience, I have always let Munchkin chose what to download and play with from the Kids+ library. Though so far, though the various games he’s chosen I have seen evidence of shape sorting, colour sorting, letter and number formation, counting, the alphabet, care for animals and where they live, how crops are grown and more. It’s a great learning tool.

When the Kids are asleep…

The Fire HD 10 Kids is essentially just a regular fire tablet with the kids software bits added on. So when the kids are in bed and you need to play Spotify or browse the internet in the evening and can’t find your phone? Swipe down, hit the account icon, enter your password and boom its just a normal Fire. Just make sure you charge it ready for your little one the next day, oh and prepare for long load times on websites.

Fire 10 vs Fire 8 or 7? It comes down to size, speed and storage.

The Fire HD 10 Kids retails at £199, the 8 at at £139.99 and the 7 at £99 so why opt for the 10?

Firstly, the number stands for the screen size. For the 7 its 7″ and standard definition, 8 takes you to 8″ and HD and 10 takes you to 1080p on a 10.1″ screen. The storage, RAM and CPU jump up too with size, from 16 GB storage with 2 GB RAM and quad core processor on the 7, up to 32 GB storage, 3GB RAM and Octo-core processor for the 10. Put simply, its size, speed and storage.

What Munchkin thinks…

I asked my three year old little poppet Munchkin what thinks of it…(with some help)

It’s fun, good and I like it 😁

Munchkin age 3

Looking to entertain a child away from a screen? Check out our Mutable multi-activity table review ➡️


Amazon Kids +

Amazon Kids+ is the subscription you get a year included, which then continues from £1.99 per month. It gives kids access to tons of age appropriate books, films, educational apps, audio books, and games. It seems to have everything. I found one of our favourite books and tons of great educational and fun games and apps. Its got Thomas, Numberblocks and Alphablocks, Ceebeebies and many many more. Munchkin has everything he wants.

Amazon Kids+ app selection
A small example of apps Kids+ apps in the 3-5 years range. Screenshot from amazon.co.uk

It’s preinstalled on the Fire HD 10 Kids but compatible with Android, iOS, Kindle and Fire tablets. Everything is controlled by the parent dashboard, so you can limit every aspect.

You can get a free trial here and take it for a spin.

Environmental considerations.

For the environment conscious parent like me its good to know this:

The technical gubbins

CPU: 2.0GHz octa-core CPU
RAM: 3GB
Display: 10.1-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 pixels
Storage: 32GB
Ports: 1x USB-C, headphone jack, microSD
Battery life: 14:32
Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
Weight: 1.02 pounds without case; 2 pounds with case

Fire 10 review – The stars

Overall

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Cost

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Usability

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Set up

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Safety

Rating: 4 out of 5.

All considered I’m chuffed with the Fire HD 10 Kids and so is Munchkin. Any questions, drop a comment or contact us.

Daddy reviewed, Munchkin approved.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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Count with Peppa

Whilst this product was kindly gifted. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.

From the second I said, ‘look, a package for you’ Munchkins eyes lit up. When he saw it was Peppa, the excitement was unreal, he could not wait for me to wrestle and free it from the packaging.

Peppa pig count with peppa
One happy poppet

Peppa Pig Count with Peppa is a number and colour recognition toy all styled in the design and with the voice of every parents favourite pig.

It uses 10 coloured number discs, with different colours and the numbers from 1 – 10. On the other side is the corresponding number of items i.e. 5 planes. Peppa can recognise which discs are inserted and therefore know if the correct disc is posted.

‘Where’s the number 5?’

There are multiple games, from find the number, to find the coin which has a certain number of an item. It also plays three songs, from the series, which Munchkin was instantly joining in with. This will further solidify Munchkins colour and counting skills and improve his ability to follow instructions.

We admit we had a little issue pushing the coins through at first. But two days later it seems to have improved for us both.

Available at Argos. £20

Thanks for reading,

Daddy reviewed, munchkin approved.

Daddy and Munchkin

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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.

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!

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Daddy and Munchkin

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Daddy’s Top Board and Party games

If you know this Daddy, you’ll know he thinks most social situations need snacks, a flow of good beers (gin or wine also suit) and a plethora of good board or party games to play. So Here are my seven, top board and party games in no particular order.

When you buy something using the retail links in our blog posts, we may earn a small commission. This money goes towards making further content and buying more games to review.

P for Pizza – Big Potato Games

P for Pizza, whose box isn’t edible like the photo suggests, is a super simple party game for 2 – 4 players. Being suitable for two players, it was the perfect lockdown companion for evenings when we officially ‘ran out of Netflix‘.

The rules could not be simpler. Match a category with a corresponding letter and shout out an appropriate answer 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 towards the win.


P for Pizza is on the list for is simplicity to explain and get into and how everyone asks for another game.

  • Age 8+
  • 🕑 20 min
  • 👤 2 – 4

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

Game of Thrones Board Game

The GOT board game is a fantastic board game I haven’t had the pleasure of playing since University, yet it still makes the top list because of some very fond memories.

top board & party games

Imagine a Risk style board game, but set in Westeros. You compete as one of the six great houses aiming for domination of Westeros to claim the Iron Throne.

In each battle the tides can be turned by using characters alongside dice roles and players should always be aware of the risk of the Wildlings attacking from north of the wall! So in essence, its Risk, but with many, many more layers of complexity.

At 2+ hours gameplay (though it took us 6 hours the first play), this certainly isn’t one for a quick evening game and you’ll need a team as it requires 3 to 6 players.


Game of Thrones board game is on the list as it is totally immersive, bringing you into the battle and the feel of fighting for the iron throne.

  • Age 14+
  • 🕑 2 h +
  • 👤 3 – 6

Carcarsonne

Carcarsonne was another lockdown favourite, as not only a physical board game, but also digitised on the site Board Game Arena; a online board game website with a plethora of games to play.

top board and party games

Carcassonne on Board Game Arena

Take turns placing tiles to build cities, monasteries and roads to link them together. Score points by placing a ‘meeple’ on the feature and completing it, or setting them in a field to be scored at game end. Use the large meeple (which counts as two) to compete for ownership and steal points from other players.


Carcarsonne is on my list and I have been so addicted since playing it for the first time. Simple as that.

  • Age 7+
  • 🕑 35 min
  • 👤 2 – 5

Carcarsonne is available to play for free at board game arena and buy at Amazon.co.uk.

Sushi Go – Gamewright

Sushi Go is a deluxe, 2 – 8 player 20 minute sushi feast game!

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 (left) and hand during gameplay (right)

The round ends when all the cards have been placed, and then cards are scored depending on the type of sushi. For example, Nigiri are scored individually for 1, 2 or 3 points, however you need a group of three Sashimi to score 10 points. If pudding is collected, these are scored at the end of the three rounds. The player with the highest points wins.


Its on the top games list as its so accessible to all and enjoyed by most.

  • Age 8+
  • 🕑 20 min
  • 👤 2 – 8

Linkee – Linkee Ltd

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

Linkee example card (left) and winning collection (right)

There’s two extra little rules to use when you collect spare cards you don’t need. 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, getting everyone poised to shout ‘Linkee!’


  • Age 12+
  • 🕑 30 min – 1 h
  • 👤 2 – 30

Munchkin – Steve Jackson Games

Munchkin is another game with a lot of rules. In simple terms, its a 3 – 6 player game which can last anything from 40 minutes to several hours.

Munchkin Zombie starting set up (left) and example monster (right)

The object of the game is to get to level 10. This can be done using special cards, but, most importantly, defeating monsters. As you play, you get the opportunity to level up your character as you go, adding items to power up your Munchkin.

At any time, you can attack other players with cards too, making it a constant game of battle to reach level 10 and win. Like I said though, that’s it in very basic terms, there’s quite a few more rules!

Munchkin comes in a variety of themes. Each can be played individually or merged together. So Munchkin Zombies could become Munchkin Zombie Superheroes by combining two decks.


Munchkin made the list as its always in my bag for a games night. It’s geeky whilst enjoyable.

  • Age 10+
  • 🕑 40 min – 2 h
  • 👤 3 – 6

Don’t Get Got – Big Potato Board Games

Don’t Get Got is the ultimate party game as it can be played simultaneously with other games, alongside a meal or, to be honest, any get together.

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

Each player gets a mission wallet with 6 tasks. The first is simply a ‘Guess what?’ which you succeed if someone replies with ‘What?’. This one can be attempted multiple times.

Then there’s 5 more secret tasks such as ‘Hide this card on a player without them noticing’ or ‘stick this card under a table and get a player to notice it’. These can only be attempted once, as if you are caught, you fail the task, so choose your opportunity wisely!

The first to pass three tasks wins.


Don’t get got is on the list as its one of a kind. I’ve never seen anything like it in that it can go alongside any social gathering.

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

For 20% off Big Potato contact me below or via Instagram;


So that was Daddy’s top board and party games. What’s your board/party game of choice?

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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Bedside Cot – Chicco Next 2 me Review

When you buy something using the retail links in our blog posts, we may earn a small commission. This money goes towards making further content.

An important decision

Your new arrivals first sleeper is an important decision, amongst many others. It’s got to fit your budget (alongside all the millions things you need at the start), may need to provide functions above and beyond sleeping at home such as as a travel cot, be safe and comfortable and support that new little ones early development. For us, it was a Next 2 me. Why? Well here’s our Chicco Next 2 Me Review.

Design

There are multiple options/editions of the Next 2 Me cot (see versions below) . This review is based on the Next 2 me Dream. This was the middle of the road option but with all the essential bells and whistles we required.

next 2 me review
Image from Chicco.co.uk

The Next 2 Me fit its purpose for us for multiple reasons. Firstly, Munchkin was breast-fed for the first six months, so easy access was essential. Natalie found it super easy to pick him up, give him a feed and pop him back down without leaving the duvet (that’s messy nappies aside though, as that’s usually where I pitched in).

It had a great mattress too. As the early age, babies backs are developing and need a good supportive mattress. The next 2 me was suitable from birth for all night sleeping so that’s ticked off. Other features included a reclinable side, to change it from a side of bed sleeper to a full on cot. It had a tilt mode, to help with nights of bad reflux and 6 different levels to make a snug fit to any bed.

Out and About

The Next 2 me easily doubled up as a travel cot. Munchkin was born pre-covid, so it was essential to have something we could easily pack up, pop in the car and take to family and friends or on holiday. The Next to me was simple to collapse and build, leaving to frustration free sleeps away from home. It fitted simply in the boot and had simple instructions to pass on when needed.

Price, versions and where to purchase

The next 2 me range comes in a range of options. Ours was middle of the road, and picked up in a Mothercare sale which knocked a few bob off (RIP mothercare, which lost the retail battle). However, models range from the most basic ‘Air’ with 1 level mattress and zip side access (£129 John Lewis) to ‘Dream’ with multi level (for when they start to sit) and fold down side mechanism (£166 Amazon) to the full out ‘Magic’ (£227 Argos (promotion Jul 2021, usually £227)) with wheels to move the crib about, one handed access, rocking mode and improved mechanisms for folding and storage. If you’re looking for something more permanent for they also have the ‘Forever’ which triples up as a side-sleeping cot, traditional cot and floor bed for toddlers (£329 John lewis).

Overall and Stars

An essential bit of kit and perfect for our needs.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Daddy reviewed, Munchkin approved

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