From cosy corners to sky-high hideaways, converted cupboards to tiny tepees – here are 11 brilliant book nooks and beautiful reading spaces. Frankly, we’re jealous. We want to curl up in some of these nooks right now! Get inspired and get the look with our copy-cat shopping list at the end.
If you are anticipating tears at the school or kinder gate when term starts, then this sweet idea from Kimochis could hit the right note. The two plush hearts nest together and clip to a bag or belt. When you and your little one are going to be separated, you each take one heart with you – to symbolise that you are connected and thinking of each other, even when apart.
Kimochis are adorable little soft toys that help kids talk about and manage their feelings. Each one is labelled with an emotion (sad, hurt, jealous, happy, loved, scared – and everything in between). The larger soft toys ‘store’ the feelings and some have special features to help kids communicate, such as a caterpillar who is afraid to change in to a butterfly (its wings can be spread when he is feeling brave, or tucked back in when he is scared). These toys offer a gentle way to open up dialogue as your little one takes scary and exciting steps towards independence.
Available from My Mini Munchkin – Nesting Hearts $24.95, feelings packs from $19.95
With some toys, the joy is in the making. With others its all about play. And some toys are most fun when you’re pulling them to bits. Brio construction sets cover all those bases: they’re full of bits, bobs, widgets and whatsits to form in to spaceships, trains and more. The end result is a stylishly Scandinavian wooden toy that’s ripe for racing or tearing apart and starting all over again. Tools, pliers and instruction booklets are all included, which sounds like great training to me. As soon as they’re old enough you can get them building your IKEA furniture, too.
Available from Send A Toy – priced from $18.95
If you remember being enchanted by nesting dolls as a child, this set will make you smile. OMM Design has done their thing again, offering redesigned classic toys for the modern child. The traditional nesting doll has been re-interpreted as a set of six animal themed dolls that is sure to delight a new generation and makes a fun, quirky room decoration.
OMM Design Studio Matryoshka Nesting Animals available from Urban Baby – $29.95
Anyone who was once a kid understands the appeal of a cardboard box and it’s unlimited play potential. Well, there are boxes and then there are boxes! Flatout Frankie, purveyors of fine cardboard, take box play to a whole new level with 100% recyclable cardboard toys designed to inspire creative and active play. Each innovative cardboard toy is flat packed so it can travel wherever you and your imagination are playing this holidays. There are dolls houses, race cars, planes and play kitchens. Or you can gallop through the holidays with the new ‘roar head’ and unicorn hobby horses.
Available from Skip to my Lou – priced from $18
Whether you’re ‘Team Fairy’ or ‘Team Pirate’ or a family with divided loyalties, there’s a Tiger Tribe box set to suit. These new designs in Tiger Tribe’s popular box set range are ideal to accompany you on family adventures, be it dancing in an enchanted forest or sailing the seven seas. All play pieces are cleverly contained in a compact, easy-carry wooden box, making this toy the ultimate travel companion.
Pirate or Fairy box sets available from Cradle Rock – $59.95
The world is still your oyster – even if your globetrotting adventures are now weighed down with prams and portacots . If you can’t visit a Mayan temple or Roman Coliseum, why not build one? Give your inner architect a go with Haba block sets featuring famous structures and landmarks of the world. A great idea for kids aged 5 to 99 that looks great on display when you’re done.
Haba Master Builder Block Sets available from Entropy – from $64.95
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A set of sand toys in the boot is a must-have for every Aussie family in summer! This bio-plastic and toxin-free 5 piece beach set is tough enough for toddler abuse (no cracked buckets or broken spades here) but is gentle on the environment: It breaks down in 2-3 years in the ocean versus 500 years like ordinary plastics.
Zoe b eco beach toy available from Eco Toys – $29.95
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Keeping the kids entertained with toys that are easy to use is not always … well, easy. But these cool shapes from Magformers make building and creating a snap! Made with powerful magnets, they can be snapped together to create 3D structures. And the best bit, the magnets will never reject! Meaning endless hours of creating without hearing “MUUUUMMM I NEED HELP!” Who can reject that? Check out the video below to see them in action.
Available from Alfy’s Toys – sets priced from $24.90
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The excesses of the season leave me craving simplicity and quality, especially when it comes to toys. These environmentally friendly Click Clack wooden vehicles are designed to come apart and be rebuilt with a click. Their dual purpose (part puzzle, part toy) and classic design ensures they will have a home on the toy shelf for many years to come.
Click Clack wooden toy vehicles available from Button Baby – from $12.95
