Mike the Knight very quickly became a smash hit in my household. My son, who had shown very little interest in TV up until this point, became obsessed with the brave young knight from Glendragon after watching just one episode!

We have since bought a range of Mike related toys, books and more over the last couple of birthdays, and each purchases has been a great success. So in this post I’ll recommend some of the things that my son loved and I hope that other young Knights in training will enjoy too.

It’s time to be a Knight and do it right!

Mike the Knight Pyjamas

We thought twice before buying these and then eventually his grandparents took things into their own hands and bought them for my son’s second birthday.

Our concern was that once he had got them on, he wouldn’t want to take them off again! Fortunately this wasn’t really a problem but they did become his favourite knight wear (excuse the pun!).

Boys Mike The Knight... £3.95

Knightly Books

I find story time is a precious opportunity to have some quiet time with my son, and the Mike books have become a popular bedtime choice!

We particularly enjoy the books with accompanying sound effects, although this often descends into chaotic giggles – all good fun!

Mike the Knight and ... £0.30	Mike and the Dragons... $3.09

Mike DVDs

If you’re like us you’ve probably got a few episodes stored up on your PVR, however our DVDs have become well worn out over the years. They come in very handy when your round at grandparents or on holiday.

There aren’t many episodes available at the moment, but fortunately toddlers don’t seem to mind watching the same episodes over and over and over again!

Mike The Knight - Kn... £3.48	Mike the Knight: Kni... $9.99

Mike the Knight Toys

And when you finally get the little ones away from a screen, you can of course buy models of all of their favourite characters, Sparkie, Squirt, Mike and his trusty hourse Galahad.

We didn’t go for the whole set, but the Mike action figure went down very well and didn’t leave our son’s side for the following three weeks!

Mike The Knight Mike... £12.99	Fisher-Price Glendra... $26.24

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I recently watched a mind melting maths demonstration on the fantastic TED website.

This talk was by a chap called Arthur Benjamin who is not only a gifted academic mathemamatition but also inspires others with a profound insight into out mind’s capabilities.

So inspired was I that I immediately sought out his book so that I could learn the secrets.

Watch for yourself, go buy the book:

Secrets of Mental Ma... by Array £3.96	Secrets of Mental Ma... by Array $7.56 These simple math secrets and tricks will forever ...

In the distant past I was lucky enough to study science at university and although I have gone on to work in an unrelated field I still have a love of the subject.

For this reason I enjoy reading a range of accessible science books, the type written by genuine academics with a gift for sharing their knowledge in a way that we can all follow. After all, I now read these books for fun, it needs to be easy reading!

For this reason I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending “Why Does E=mc2? (and why should we care?)”

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It’s all Relative

This is one fascinating book which delves into the reasoning behind a number of profound discoveries in physics.   Brian Cox and co-author Jeff Forshaw set out to explain some of the most abstract and mind blowing scientific topics and do so in an accessible and entertaining way.

Whilst containing the depth required to tackle this topic head on, the book remains accessible and even basic mathematical concepts are explained where necessary.   The book starts off by introducing concepts such as the constant nature of the speed of light and goes on tie these in to 21st century cutting edge science.

This book makes a great birthday present for those interested in popular science, or anyone looking to give their grey cells a work out.

Why does E=MC2 and W... £10.19	Why Does E=mc2?: (An...

It is generally accepted that the standard issue headphones supplied with most music players are not all that great, and in some cases they are positively terrible!

So if you’re looking to buy a birthday present for a music fan then sorting them out with a top range pair of headphones is a great idea.

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Beats By Dr Dre

The “Beats” ear phones are a branded range of top quality headphones with in ear and over the head versions. The range has been specifically developed for music fans looking for high quality sounds.

Artists and producers work hard in the studio perfecting their sound. But people can’t really hear it with normal headphones. Most headphones can’t handle the bass, the detail, the dynamics. Bottom line, the music doesn’t move you.

The range have a reputation for producing an exceptionally crisp audio response, and a balanced sound quality, with warm mids and as you might expect – a thumping bass!

The other thing that sets these headphones apart from the competition is their unique stylish designs. I think most will agree that before the Dr Dre beats range hit the market there was nothing really quite like them on the market – you either chose black or white!

Quality Sound, Stylish Package

Not only do these sound great, which I hope we agree should be the most important quality, but these headphones look kinda cool too!

You can’t go wrong.

So the only question now is which type to get, this will really depend on your preferred style and of course your gift buying budget! Click through the options below and make your choice.

beats by dr. dre on ... £104.89	Audio-Technica ATH-M... Too low to display
Beats by Dr. Dre Stu... £125.00	Beats Solo HD On-Ear... $199.00
Monster™ Beats™ ... £55.00	Beats Tour In-Ear He... $129.95

My son was given his first wooden train set for Christmas, and he loved it!

It was actually a gift from his Grandparents who were keen to buy him a classic children’s toy and hit upon the idea of a BRIO wooden train set.

However a little bit of Internet research on Grandma’s behalf showed that by spending your money on cheaper alternatives your money bought more trains and more tracks!

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BRIO Alternatives

Typically we found that the basic branded wooden train sets, such as BRIO or Thomas the Tank Engine,  would come with enough pieces to make a rather dull circular track.  But by buying one from elsewhere you can a whole lot more, enough track to build a more complicated circuit as well as a number of accessories to plant along the route.

Here are some wooden rail tracks to investigate:

• Big Jigs
• Early Learning Centre (UK)
• John Lewis (UK)

Most of these alternatives claim to be compatible with one another, however it might be worth checking with your supplier if the person receiving the gift has already started building a collection.

However, to date, we’ve had no compatibility difficulties; the track slots together perfectly and the trains link up without any problems. If you find two sets that don’t play nice, please let us know.

If you are adding to an existing set then a battery powered train is another great gift idea.  We bought one of these for my son to add to his new track and it was a great success.  Not only did he love watching it go round the track but he got it running over the bed, across the hall way and everywhere else!

Bigjigs Rail Low Lev... £9.99	Bigjigs Wooden Expan... $23.99
Bigjigs Rail Level C... £3.99	Bigjigs Town and Cou... Too low to display
Bigjigs Rail Train W... £9.98	Jesse's Toy Box ® W... $4.29

My son loves doing puzzles, it’s a real pleasure to watch him figures out how to get all the pieces in the right place.

It’s also a reliable way to distract him and calm him down when we are trying to quieten things down before bed time.

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Puzzles for Toddlers

The first puzzles to look at are the ones where you need to fit cut out wooden shapes into the appropriate holes.

Every child is different so it can be hard to choose the right level of challenge for the right toddler. If you are buying a gift for someone else’s kid then I would suggest a safe bit is to go for something more advanced if you are unsure. Then at least they will be able to grow into it.

For what it’s worth I can share my own experience, but of course all children develop at their own rate:

• By the age of one my son was happy to play with the basic puzzles, for example simple shapes such as circles and squares.  But he got the hang of these soon after.
• The next level would be to buy a puzzle with more complicated shapes and more places to put them.  It now takes greater skill and dexterity to finish it off.
• After the age of two you might want to consider basic jigsaws, but probably only up to half dozen pieces or so.

Puzzles are great fun for toddlers and an activity I enjoy alongside my son too.

Melissa & Doug Farm ... £3.49	Melissa & Doug Dinos... $5.99
Melissa & Doug Const... £4.99	Melissa & Doug Delux... $4.98
Melissa & Doug Safar... £5.50	Melissa & Doug Vehic... $4.25

I always remember enjoying crawling through tunnels when I was little, and it seems this pass time is a timeless classic!

It is common for nurseries and play groups to have these kind of toys, but actually they aren’t too expensive to buy for a toddler.

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Note: This does assume you have space for these things, you do need a good sized room if you’re going to have little ones running around!

Home Soft Play

We bought a tunnel and tent set for our son for his first birthday, and he enjoyed crawling through it from day one. But it really came into its own as he got a little older and started running around, diving through, jumping over and everything else.

A popular way to keep our son happy on a cold rainy afternoon in the winter months is to set up our own “soft play” room at home. We filled the paddling pool with balls, got the cushions off the sofa and place them around the floor, got out the pop up ten and of course laid out the play tunnel.

I can speak for our own little one and say that it would make an otherwise slow afternoon fly by in the blink of an eye, whilst making sure they get some exercise and are fully tired out, ready for bed.

If you are buying a birthday present for your own toddler, or for a friend’s, the pop up tunnel will be appreciated by parents and kids alike.

Generic Pop-Up Tunne... £12.00	Caterpillar Tunnel- ... $12.75
Pop-Up Tunnel £11.50	Melissa & Doug Happy... $15.00
Generic Tunnel Play ... £12.90	Pacific Play Tents F... $29.94

Whilst I will be encouraging my little boy to grow up into a modern man who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty in the kitchen, I can’t help but want to get him some proper boys toys along the way.

So when the Mrs bought him a pots and pans set for his birthday I had to retaliate by buying him his first tool kit! Similarly, I see no reason why daughters shouldn’t be encouraged to tackle the DIY basics, so this makes a great present either way.

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Toy Tool Kits

I have to say that the Tool Kit was a great success (and actually, so were the pots and pans!).  My son’s favourite being the hammer which he quickly worked out was for bashing things with (usually Daddy).

We went for the vTech First Tool Kit set which plays tunes and encourages interaction.  The counting out as we hammer the nails is a much repeated activity in our household.

However there are all kinds of options suitable for a toddler, for example you might want to consider:

• Traditional Wooden Tool Kits
• Interactive battery powered Kits
• Soft and safe plush Kits for younger babies
• Construction sets for older children

Great for letting little ones play along when Dad is attempting to do real handyman jobs!

Melissa & Doug Toolb... £7.99	Melissa & Doug Toolb... $10.40
Melissa and Doug Tak... £9.49	Gund My First Tools $11.32
Hape E3001 Fix It To... £9.99	Harley Davidson Bike... $15.35

Puppet books are fantastic! I love them, my son loves them. If you give one as a gift, the kid will love them and the parents will love reading them!

As far as I know, the puppet book idea is relatively new, or at least I didn’t seem any of them when I was a child.

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Bring a Story to Life

If you are unfamiliar with the concept, a puppet book comes with a hand puppet built into the centre of the book.  You place your hand into the puppet, and as you read the story you get to have all kinds of fun with your toddler, I do everything from:

• Make the puppet talk in silly voices
• Get it to pull crazy faces
• Chase after my sons nose
• ..and sometimes I even act along to the story!

There are a whole range of these books, but I’d recommend starting out with the Sam Lloyd books.   This charming series feature a range of monster creations from Boris to Doris appearing in a range of brightly illustrated stories.  Perfect for bedtime stories.

Turn it Up Doris! (P... £1.91	Calm Down, Boris! (P... $7.17
Calm Down Boris! £1.59	Crunchy Croc (Animal... $7.59
You're Not so Scary ... £3.74	Hello, Dudley! (Pupp... $18.29

Is your partner, Dad or Granddad (or even Grandma!) a Whisky drinker? Don’t know the first thing about how to chose a fine bottle? This little guide should point you in the right direction.

In my case it’s my brothers who would be partial to a 25 year old Glenmorangie!

In this post we’ll take you through the basic principles to buying Whisky and ensure you’ll get a great present for your friend or relative.

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What is Whisky?

The one thing that Whisky from around the world has in common is that it is made from fermented grain. After that there are many different recipes and variations found all around the world, but for the purpose of this article and for buying a birthday present, we’ll stick to the world renowned Scottish Whisky.

There are three types available:

• Malt whisky: This is produced from 100% malted barley
• Grain whisky:  Made from a variety of cereals, which may or may not include a proportion of malted barley
• Blended whisky: A combination of malt and grain whisky

The Whisky is then produced by grinding the cereal to a coarse flour and steeping it in hot water. The resultant liquid (wort) is cooled, yeast added and the result is a strong ale, which is then distilled.

In Scotland, all Whiskies will be aged for at least 3 yeas in an Oak cask and will be at least 40% (abv).

So How Can I Choose a Whisky?

The following tips will help you choose the perfect Whisky gift for your friend or relatives birthday.

Regions

Scotland is divided into four producing regions which each deliver their own unique characteristics.

Islay:  Traditionally pungent, smoky, medicinal and intense, malts from the island of Islay take their characteristics from the peat used to dry the barley, and their proximity to the sea.

Highland Malts:  Speysides, from the banks of the river Spey, are the sweetest of all Highland malts.  From the northern half of the country, they are elegant and well flavoured.  They tend to have more complex, fruity tones and a richness and delicacy.

Lowland Malts:  These are drier than their Highland counterparts. They are usually lighter and slightly more spirity.

Speyside: The Speyside region is located within the Highlands, but the Speyside distilleries are adjacent to the River Spey and are thought to have sufficiently unique characteristics to warrant a region of their own.

Blended Whiskies are a mixture of single malt whiskies from different distilleries.

Single Malt vs Blend

If the person you are buying for is a seasoned whisky drinker then you should be looking at a single malt.  Single-malt Scotch allows for true discrimination, connoisseurship, lavish spending and unbridled snobbery.

However if you are introducing the drink to a new whisky drinker you should consider a smoother blended variety.   Scotch is an earthy beverage with strong, smoky flavours, and only those who have taken the time to acquire the taste will appreciate single malts.

Age

The longer a Whisky has been aged, the smoother it is.  Once you have decided on the variety, you should therefore try to buy the oldest available.

By law all Whiskies must be aged at least three years, but it really comes into its own after 10 years.  Try to buy a 12, 15 or 21 year old bottle if you can afford it,  and remember that ageing does not continue once bottled so don’t think keeping it in the cupboard for ten years will help!

When considering blended varieties, any age statement claimed must be that of the youngest whisky in the blend, which is invariably the grain, as they need much less ageing than malts.

If you are in the UK, take a look over here for a selection of the finest Scotch Whiskies.

Jim Murray's Whisky ... £5.56	Jim Murrays Whisky B... $11.90
101 Whiskies to Try ... £6.19	101 Whiskies to Try ... $11.89
101 World Whiskies t... £5.75	Whisky Classified: C... $12.62