MakeTime2Play App

Mumsnet selected me and several others to review the MakeTime2Play app, they say: “Whether you have a newborn or a 12 year old there is so much to explore with our updated app; it’s free to download, available on iOS and Android devices, and has over 400 play ideas! You can filter the play ideas to fit your needs by choosing between location, age of children, number of children and time.”

“The app isn’t just about fun play ideas, it also provides information on the benefits that children receive when playing. There is a page detailing the physical, emotional, creative, social, behavioural and inquisitive benefits of play. Symbols on each play activity page will tell you which of these benefits your child is receiving from each game they play.”

I used this app for my 3 year old daughter.  


I wasn't impressed and I don't think I would recommend the app.  For my daughter she was in the 2+ section so a lot of the games suggested were a bit basic like 'roll a ball to each other' and I had to scroll through the ideas to get something suitable. When I did I found that you had to make 12 cards with different animals on them and get lots of plastic boxes, I wasn't really sure exactly what they meant tbh so photos would have been good. Some games such as Big Bird required ingredients I hadn't got so need planning. Under travelling games one suggestion was get them to bang a rhythm on an instrument, I wouldn't appreciate this while I am driving, I don't think others would appreciate on public transport. I looked at some of the suggestions for older children indoors, really for me there were too many boisterous games listed that we wouldn't allow in our house.  Also this game was listed in 2 years plus but it talks about encouraging crawling!  My daughter was walking at 12 months.

The front screen could be a little more obvious as to the button you click to then navigate to the next screen for the ideas. Perhaps the Play Ideas button could be really big and the other buttons a bit smaller around it otherwise the navigation was easy and easy to select the age range, activity type - indoor, outdoor or travelling and length of time the activity lasted.

There is a share and a favourite option for each activity, these are good features, however they just need to be a bit more obvious, both the share button and the favourites are blue and blend into the skyline at the top so it took me a while to find. If I hadn't been looking for them I wouldn't have noticed them there.

I didn't think there are enough play ideas for the age group I was searching for, they were either too basic (for a younger age range) or required too much preparation.
 
I would like to seem more activities which require no preparation, to me this is more of a spur of the moment app you click on when you think you have a bit of time and don't know what to do. So it doesn't make sense that some of activities take a lot of planning - collecting toilet rolls, boxes, empty bottles etc.

The Bengals!

I set up a little photo shoot with the cats over the weekend, it's been a while since I took any photos and they have grown such a lot!

Here's Shady the baby, he is such a laid back boy but also very playful and loves a game of fetch. 

 

Here's Solace, the man of the house, you can tell that from his first photo below!  He loves a good play, he isn't a lap cat but he does love a good back rub!

 

Tweed, she is the one who has a great grandad who is an asian leopard cat.  Tweed is the purriest out of all of them, she is very much attached to me and will sit on my lap all night long.  She is such a sweet, gentle little soul.

 

And Spec, Spec is such a funny cat, she really does make us laugh.  She isn't a lap cat either but she does love a nice gentle chin scratch, she loves her routine and her Da Bird toy.  She has a lovely kind temperament and I have never once heard her growl at the other cats.

Clays of Broseley, Shropshire

I had wanted to try Clays of Broseley for my mum's birthday but wasn't overly keen on their menu when I looked at their website, I fancied steak so I sent them a message and to my surprise they replied and said yes we can put some steak on the menu, what sauce would you like and gave me a choice!  Wow, how is that for service!!

We parked in the public car park which was only over the road as the restaurant doesn't have parking.  The front of the restaurant is welcoming with a nice canopy.  We walked in and it is lovely and bright and clean and contemporary however we were seated downstairs which was a bit of a contast.  Lovely bare brick walls, with nice mood lighting, really cosy and welcoming yet still contemporary.

We started looking at the menus and there on an extra sheet was the special for today which was the steak in a red wine sauce I had spoken to them about.  They also had venison on their regular menu which is my favourite so hubby and I ordered one of each and swapped half and half :)  They also didn't have a childrens menu however the waitress advised that they could do smaller portions of anything on the menu for my daughter.  

We had crositini with olives and goast cheese for our starter which was beautiful and so tasty, they brought out a basket of bread with some stunning sundried tomato bread.  My daughter had mini fish with mashed carrot and swede and mashed potato and they were good enough to bring this out with our starters.

The venison and the steaks were cooked to perfection, they really were, we couldn't fault them and not an ounce of fat on them.  The sauce was beautiful and tasty and plenty of it.  We both had the baked white chocolate cheesecake for dessert which came with raspberries and raspberry coulis, this was beautiful and fluffy and tasty. I finished off with a baileys coffee which came with a lovely little meringue with a chocolate coffee ganache running through the middle.  

All in all a lovely meal, fantastic personalised service, lovely setting, I really could not find any fault!