I was looking for a piece of rope to make a tree swing and of course like most things you can get one ready made. Ok it does cost £9.99, which is more than a length of rope from Urchin. But at least it can be easily hung on a branch and has a ready - made foot rest, only problem being it doesn't say what weight it takes and our family may be Sleight by surname but not by size.

Posted by Carole

Just ditch the flight and buy this wurly bird flier instead. It'll reduce your carbon footprint, lighten your conscience and give your kids several years of pleasure. Now you may feel a little easier at shelling out £249 for this active playride from Urchin It's a pretty neat fairground-style ride to have in your back garden and can be used for one or two riders, with an easy pull mechanism – so fast or slow I can see the kids queuing around the block now.

Posted by Carole

It pains me to say but this wooden TP double swing from Tescos is one of the nicest I've found. It costs £99.97, has adjustable rope lengths and ground stakes which must be concreted in. It's suitable for 3-8 year olds who weigh 45 kg per ride - I guess that means I won't be able to use it.

Posted by Carole

If you know the kids are going to be on a chocolate high over Easter, then maybe making this Urchin bird treat will be a necessary calmer. This 'award-winning' bird house is well designed in that the pieces do fit and everything you need is there. It may cost £14.99 but will bring everyone hours of tweeting pleasure.

Posted by Carole

I should have featured one of their many stylish anglepoise lamps at the Gunpowder House. But I could not resist this enticing brown leather punch bag for £75. Not only would it look great in the garden, but it could save you a fortune in neurofen and slammed doors. All that teenage angst and anger could be channelled into a good beating of the punch bag. Why hasn't every home got one ?

Posted by Carole

To you it's just a shed but to those special little people in your life it'll be a magnificent fortress decked out with winding turrets, drawstring bridges, dragons and - well, you get the picture. Though simple in its basic design, Velocity's playsheds provides youngsters with a fun and inspiring way to wile away the coming summer. You'll need a 4' x 8' space to spare in your garden and will have to assemble it yourself. But the pieces come fully customised with your choice of finishes, floor tiles and outdoor/indoor panels which definately beats dad's boring old shed. (£2995)

Posted by Chanika

As a child I spent hours in our playhouse in the garden, it was constructed from a random selection of abandoned doors and panels dad found on a building site. So it's nothing like this super deluxe Tower Playhouse with it's swanky verandah. It's available from B & Q for £286.46, a saving of £52,54 with it's current 15% saving on selected items. This could keep your kids very busy entertaining the neighbourhood this Summer.

Posted by Carole

Despite having bizarrely chosen the same name as the 1970's band super tramp for this climbing frame. Thankfully that is where the resemblance ends. You have to hand it to those Urchin people they may not stock the cheapest products, but they're always one step ahead on kids trends and parents desires. So banish your teepee thoughts and get this wild £689 action station.

Posted by Carole

Given that I seem to be on a constant welly hunt these days, I should join the club and get some too. It makes obvious country sense to team my wellies with an insect boot jack for £10 from Plantstuff. Ok, so I've only ever seen them at country B & B's too, but Hackney has got a lot of green spaces. Plantstuff has lots of not so twee items too.

Posted by Carole

Butterfly motifs make such pleasing decorations, and they seem to be everywhere at the moment, but I especially love the designs by Paperchase. Aside from wrapping paper, cards, pens and bags all delightfully emblazoned with the happy little creatures, I found this cute ’Floral Butterflies’ camping table for £25 on their website. The table top is 42 x 42cm, and the height is 31cm, practical yet pretty, which equals perfect in Kerry’s world.

Posted by Kerry

One of my favourite things is being able to walk in to an exhibition and touch things! And at 100%east I fell in love with these ETrees by Nimbel Critter. Simple, yet beautiful, these creations use 'electroluminescent technology' and function as interactive glowing scultpures, which you can bend and twist to your hearts content.

Available for both the home and garden in a range of colours, for pricing information and delivery times contact info@nimblecritters.co.uk. Check out the 'news' section of their website for some enchanting videos of the ETree in action.

Posted by Kerry

I wonder if David Archer (as in the Archers) has checked out this tree house for inspiration? Mark Waterfield built his first outdoor house at the age of 11, so no surprise that his background in carpentry and design resulted in Waterfield Designs. He specialises in limited batch and bespoke small garden buildings. His designs are beautiful and functional, you can choose from their limited collection or have a designer create a unique garden building just for you. Plus every time they create a product they sponsor reforestation with the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust. Now then only one small matter left and that's how much does this magical hide - away cost? Contact them to find out.

Posted by Carole

Ok so this Rocket is made from cardboard and does cost £34.99 from Ecocentric. So, I can hear you thinking I can do that, but I've been waiting for 6 months for a big piece of cardboard to do just this - and am still waiting. Another way of looking at your rocket purchase, is the hours of fun it will provide your kids, as they paint it, play in it and at the end of the summer shred it and recycle it. Now is it worth it?

Posted by Carole

If you're off to the beach with the kids, then this UV Wrist Band is a fantastic idea. While slapping sun tan lotion on the kids you also apply it to the band and it changes colour when you need to apply more. Plus you can write your childs details on the inside or attach a name tag to it. They cost £6 for a pack of 7 from Early Learning Centre and could save you and your child from unwanted sun damage and painful tantrums. A must for your Summer holiday packing.

Posted by Carole

Well if you've got your Cath Kidston tent, then you really do need a stylish sleeping bag. This Pink Gingham sleeping bag is for aged 3+, washable and comes with it's own drawstring bag. It's not cheap at £49 but if you buy it by clicking here at Igloo Kids throughout July, then you'll get a free wooden jigsaw when you spend over £10. Now your little one will be able to sleep and play stylishly.

Buy it Now

Posted by Carole

B & Q have a few bargains just waiting to be snapped up right now. There is a 1/3 rd off their Winchester Furniture, selected BBQ's and patio heaters (latter an environmental no-no). Plus 15% off lots of products like this Tower Playhouse with a verandah which was £299 and is now £252.66. As the summer holidays draw near this could prove a perfect escape for the kids -or maybe you could sneak in there with a cup of tea and the paper...

Posted by Carole

I last saw this giant bubble blower on an episode of the Teletubbies and it looked great fun. It costs £18, comes with a booklet, 250 ml of bubbles mix and is apparently idiot proof. Cox & Cox have lots more fun and creative children's toys, as well as some dainty and beautifully detailed products, which would add a feminine touch to your home. Lots of inspiring gift ideas, silver engraved hearts, candle lanterns, butterfly garlands - all very dreamy.

Posted by Carole

My kids would love to receive this busy bee as a gift. They'd have hours of fun buzzing around in all directions, your 2 and a half to 5 year old would also develop a lot of key motor skills. It cost £59.99 from mothercare who also have a good selection of slides, playhouses and trampolines to ensure fun for the kids this summer. If you buy £100 worth of Mothercare goods before June 9th, you'll get £10 off, just quote ref JRD at the counter. Now off you go and buy a bug and a sandpit.

Posted by Carole

So this is what John plays with these days, what else but a gentle game of croquet befits his current (but not for long) country setting. Let's hope he feels he can still use his beautiful Jaques croquet set up North. This Jaques Holmwood model consists of 4 full-size mallets, is made of Ash and costs £150. Maybe Tony gave him the superior model which costs £499 as another favour? Not being so cash rich, I will be hunting down a cheaper version at John Lewis or picking up a bargain Jaques set on ebay. Either way we'll all be playing croquet the John way this Summer.

Posted by Carole

Are you thinking of keeping chickens, or need a new home for your rabbits or ducks, then you must look at the omlet website. It has a thorough and well presented guide/ starter kit for chicken rearing and stocks these wonderful eglus . Other pets will be green with envy when they see these modern, easy clean and purpose designed homes. They're not cheap at £300 -36, but as they've been developed with animal behaviourists input, they'll house up to 3 rabbits in guaranteed style, comfort and with the space for them to 'express themselves'. Not for those wishing to purchase a starter home, but for those with a paw already on the hutch ladder.

Posted by Carole

If your child has got a bad case of football fever or fancies themself as a future Johnnie Wilkinson in the making , then you need to buy them this Inflatable football/rugby goalpost complete with balls for 16.99. It can be found on the new Mini Marvellous site which has been launched to cater for all your 2 -8 year olds needs. It has food tips, music links, a what's on guide and a toys reunited service!

Of course if your child is not the footy type, then they could always hide in this beautiful teepee and play cowboys and indians with their toys and probably me.

Posted by Carole

If you have neither a tree, space or loads of money and your kids are begging for a tree house, this could be a solution. The Fort Rio from Dunster House is a 3.2 metre-tall hideaway on legs. I can think of all sorts of ways to customise it. A snip at £296, but the slide is an extra £95.95. If you have the space there are swings and all sorts of other thrilling bits to add to it.
Do you know of any better solutions for small treeless gardens? Please let us know.

Posted by Ros

If you're off abroad this May bank holiday, then don't forget to bring this cute sun tent with you. This big-top style play tent costs £29.99, provides factor 50 UV protection, is lightweight and can be assembled in minutes. It's great for imaginative play in the garden or for providing respite from the midday sun whilst on the beach. While you're at the Urchin site take a look at their funky swim gear and garden games and then download their free party invites to your summer beach party.

Posted by Carole

To make sure your summer is as much fun (bearable) as possible with the kids and the heat, then I'd recommend buying two outdoor items. Number One has to be a sand pit, this one has four little corner seats, a vinyl cover and costs £15. Early Learning Centre also have a dual-use table for sand and water play for £30, this would also make fantastic sand pies.

The other sanity essential has to be a pop up combo which can be used as 3 separate play areas or interlocked to provide a great tunnel run to escape monsters and mothers. It costs £30 which is a saving of £25 if bought separately. Whilst browsing I did note that they also had some great space hoppers, kites, croquet sets.....I shall stop there as most kids toys look good fun to me.

Posted by Carole

This is the stuff dreams are made of. Someone had this fairy castle built for their children in the grounds of their country mansion by master treehouse builders Blueforest. It cost around £100,000, but Blueforest will undertake bespoke tree house projects for as little as £10,000. Still beyond my reach, but it gives me something to aspire to.

Posted by Ros

Fergus, our nearly 3-year old, would be beside himself if he got this as a gift, especially as Fireman Sam is currently his hero. However he will not be getting this Deluxe Fire Engine as it costs £279 and I am too mean. If you are more generous than me, than take a look at Tots Cars who specialise in children's ride on vehicles, theme beds and play equipment. To be fair their tractors and diggers come under the £100 mark and they have a competitively priced range of chidren's playhouses. Meanwhile Fergus can keep on using wooden boxes as his fantasy fire engine.

Posted by Carole

Now that I have comfortably seated myself and got the barbie sizzling, I need something to occupy the kids. I am currently blinded by the amount of playcentres out there, but this Connect More Playcentre seems to fulfill my brief of giving the kids somewhere to slide, hide and swing - it costs £399.98 from B & Q, is made of solid pine and will last my children from the age of 3-12. At this point I realise that I have not mentioned anything about sustainable wood, so may just sheepishly go off and buy myself a punchbag for £24.98 whilst I work up a sweat about what to do about it.

Posted by Carole

I wanted to tell you about the 20 wooden sheds that Argos
have to offer, but couldn't once I'd clapped eyes on this. I've been looking for a play thing for the bottom of our garden and this could be it. Don't be put off by its' title of 'Boyz Playhouse' as we all know the girls would love it too. It's an activity playhouse with a climbing wall and a polyhemp climbing net. It measures 207 cms by 180 cms and costs basically costs £500 or £499.99 if it feels better to you? Do be put off by the fact that it arrives flat packed, needs a wood resistant coating and further painting if you want it to be really groovy or blend into the background. Not as practical as a shed but a lot more fun.

If you are going to kick a ball around the park this summer in a bid to relive the World Cup highs and lows, then why not make it a Fairtrade Football. This 32 panel, size 5 ball is produced by the first company in Pakistan to sign up to a fair trade scheme. Whilst spending £9.95 on some pleasure (pain in my case) you are also providing village-based work, which particularly benefits women as they can work part time.

Posted by Carole