News | Rainbows and Clover

We've produced a revised version, so here's a set of 24 questions to ask your children and record for prosperity.  I've just done it with my 13 year old daughter, and 9 and 11 year old nieces - and the answers have been gold!
Try printing this out, and bringing it out each year on the same date, to see how their answers change!

1. What is something that mummy and daddy always say to you?

2. What makes mummy and daddy happy?

3. What makes mummy and daddy sad?

4. What makes mummy and daddy laugh?

5. How do mummy and daddy make you laugh?

6. What is something that frustrates you about mummy and daddy?


click here to continue to the full blog post and save the printable version

You know what it’s like. You’ve been busy all week, not a moment to spare and then finally when you take a moment for yourself and the flood of to-dos come racing through your head you realise your child has to attend a birthday party in the morning – and the shops are already closed. Or maybe you do make it to the shops but end up spending more than you wanted simply for the convenience of getting the present sorted.

This is where the present box is your sanity saver. No last minute panic. No rush or budget-busting purchases. Just an quick pick from quality presents you bought in advance – easy!

read more here ...

Kids love to pretend and role play, and they can be absorbed in their little stories sometimes for hours at a time. It's an important part of their learning and development; it helps them make sense of their world, understand relationships, communicate their thoughts and feelings, and discover new interests. It’s also great for us as parents to watch and take part in!

Here at Rainbows and Clover we are big believers in imaginative play, so to help your little one’s imagination run wild, we thought we’d share some ideas on creating an undersea adventure! With so many different animals, colours and storylines to explore you’ll have a hard time pulling them away!

read more here ...

5 Easy Birthday Cake Ideas

Here’s some great inspiration for birthday cakes for boys and girls that are quick and easy to decorate. They all look fantastic, and will have your children squealing with delight, as well as sticking their fingers in to the icing and sneaking a lolly or two off the top. When you’re short on time but want a cake that still looks beautiful and special, try these birthday cake ideas.

click here to see five delicious birthday cake ideas ...

Encouraging our children in imaginative play does wonders for our kids, and can be a little bit of fun for us adults as well. So many childhood professionals agree how important imaginative play is for children. Our Magical World Play Kits are an excellent way for children to really extend their imagination in a fun and interesting way. Here are five great ways to play with these beautiful kits.

We all need a chill out zone – even kids need a place to go for calm, and quiet, and to think and reflect on what’s been happening in their day. When it’s set up nicely, a chill out space is inviting and comfortable, not to mention cool for tweens or teens. Done right, it’s somewhere that kids want to go to. Here are our five top gifts to create a totally cool chill out zone for your kids.

Fairy gardens are so much fun for little girls to make and then play with for hours of fun and imaginative play. The magic that surrounds fairy play creates a happiness that warms our hearts. Not to mention that making this small pretty garden will get our girls off technology (yes, they’ll put down their iphones, smart phones, ipads and tablets), and get moving around, going outside and getting creative to invent a wonderful game. So here are three easy steps to help your little girl make her own special fairy garden.

Our sweet bundle of loveliness joined us in March 2003, and being born on St Patricks Day - we named her Clover. What a glorious journey it's been, when two became 3!  Now we're all about time; Making time. Cherishing time. Trying to slow time. Rushing against time. Juggling time. Organising time. Loving precious moments in time. One thing I know for sure, that my mum told me, and her mum told her - is the older that I get, the faster time goes by. I'm learning to embrace the crazy moments, and treasure them all. 

Here at Rainbows and Clover, our mission statement is Live Simply, with Love, Fun and Laughter.  We we like the old-fashioned, time-honoured ethos of making practical products that are built to last.  That they’re ethically produced, sustainable, and will contribute to your lives in a positive way.

Read on ...  

Oh, what an emotional week it's been at Rainbows and Clover HQ, and all over the world ... our arms go around all of you this week, who need a bit of extra love during these times.

Our factory in Nepal has been hit hard; the entire village has been wiped out, our gorgeous head honcho, Biswash, who co-ordinates all the felt making, has had to set up tent with his wife, 3 year old daughter, and 20 day old newborn baby.  It's devastating for all, to say the least, and he has phoned and emailed this week (extraordinary that he's even found a way to phone/email out!) letting me know how grim things are, and talking of the devastation of it all - both physically and emotionally.  Blog post continues here ...