Whilst it wasn’t exactly a surprise that we are headed back in to our second lockdown, its still a blow. We won’t get to show you in person all the exciting things we have found, or to see the children’s faces as they make their wish lists. But, we want you to know we are still here, still working and we want you to have an amazing Christmas.
This time of year is our absolute favourite, the twinkly lights, dressing the shop up to look its best, filling the window with the Christmas decorations, planning the annual Wigwam Santa’s grotto, oh, and the sight of Jesse and Mr Benjamin in their Christmas jumpers of course.
So, if you cant come to us, we intend to do everything we can to bring the Christmas magic to you at home. We will be working 7 days a week to pack orders for you. We can do the gift wrapping and write the tags too if you like, (we promise to use our very best handwriting). We even have pretty washi tape to make everything look extra nice.
The physical shop will be open 9.30 - 5.30 up to and including Thursday 5th of November for real life browsing, and we will then be switching to click and collect. If you live within the Brighton postcode area we are offering free local delivery on your order, just select the free local delivery option, If you prefer to pick up from the shop, choose the click and collect option at checkout.
We will be posting parcels everyday except Sunday (even the postman needs a rest), in order to make sure no one has to wait too long for their goodies. If you can’t decide, or you have a question. If you want more information about a book toy or game, please reach out to us. You can email sales@wigwamtoys.co.uk, you can call us on 01273 505504 or use the chat function on the home page.
We are really happy to help you, be it taking extra pictures or making recommendations, its all part of what we do. We want to make the online experience as friendly and personal as we can, even the smallest order is important to us.
We will be sending out little mini newsletters over the next month, so we can show you all the fun things and maybe give you some gift ideas. There may also be a few competitions, special offers and some gift wrapping tutorials in there too, so keep your eye on your inbox.
From us to you: we wish all the very best. We want to say a big thank you from us, the Wigwam family, for all your support, we will be thinking of you all and hoping you stay safe and well.
Clair, Jesse, Benjamin, and the gang.
With the UK officially in lockdown, schools closed down and parents working for from home we are getting used to lots of time at home together. Here are some activities and ideas to make the next few weeks easier for everyone and keep the kids happy & busy.
Audiobooks are a terrific solution to stay at home boredom, so it's good to report that Audible has just made hundreds of titles available for free for children.
Recognising that parents might be struggling to keep their kids amused now that the schools are closed, loads of kids' and tween-friendly audiobooks are streaming for free. Handy if you're struggling with home-schooling or entertaining the kids, as they're available for as long as schools are closed. See Audible Stories. Miss Clair and Albie are massive fans! Usefully, the free titles are divided into sections including Elementary, Teen, Tween, Literary Classics and Folk Tales.
Brighton Bricks started as an group for adult fans of LEGO in BRIGHTON & HOVE to meet up, and over the years it has transformed as we realised LEGO is so much more than a toy, it is a tool which can foster creative conversation, it is a mindfulness tool, it can bring people together, help businesses with their core values, and so much more.
Nick says...
"Now schools are closing due to the corona virus I decided to create hopefully daily LEGO activities / challenges which I post on social media. Encouraging adults as well as kids to take part in them, and share their builds via Facebook. If you have any ideas or suggestions for activities please email Nick at nick@brightgreenpenguin.com or message via social media #brightonbricksbuild. Visit http://brightonbricks.com/
Browse through this directory of 500+ kids arts and crafts activities, including painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, and making suncatchers. Visit https://artfulparent.com.
Lockdown Learning aims to use minimal resources to reduce the barriers to learning and prevent anyone from going out. Danielle, Jemma & Sophie are mums and teachers who are gramming super simple ideas for home education during this crazy coronavirus time. Find activities such as tricky word hunts, puzzles and games to help children learn away from worksheets and textbooks.
In response to school closures, dozens of companies that produce educational materials have made their resources available as free subscriptions. Find links on the Kids Activities website. Links to free K-12 educational resources such as audiobooks, e-books, videos, multimedia materials and more are also available on the Open Culture website.
Help kids learn with Carol Vorderman's popular maths school and the Sir Linkalot spelling app. See Free home-schooling. Also check out the free 3-month language course for kids from Rosetta Stone. Normally £50 for 3 months. Including French, German and Spanish. Free language courses
The Great Indoors features 100 activities ©Scouts UK
Bear Grylls is encouraging children in isolation because of the coronavirus pandemic to try new activities and develop new skills. The Scouts have made more than 100 free activities,games and craft ideas available on their website - keeping young people busy as they while away time at home.
Try free workouts for 6 weeks with Chris Hemsworth. Normally £23/month. The Thor actor from the Marvel films is known for his ripped abs. He has free high intensity (HIIT) and other online workout classes right now - see free fitness classes. If the little 'uns are getting restless, they can join the many families doing the free Joe Wicks daily kids' fitness classes.
No list of free fun at home activities would be complete without Hide and Seek. In this classic game, one person (“It”) covers his, her, thier eyes and counts aloud while the other players hide. When “It” is finished counting, he or she begins looking for the hiders. The last hider to be found is the next “It.” Warning: this game is often a source of giggle fits and wanting to go for a wee.
Virtual playdates are an excellent way to let kids of all ages connect while social distancing from others. Caribu, a video-calling app, is offering free services with unlimited access during this difficult time. Create an account to enjoy stories, games and even coloring activities during a video call with friends and family.
We have a huge selection of arts, make and do, activity and science toys. We love all of the Djeco crafty kits like Djeco glitter boards, the frilly cards and felt brush colouring in kits. We also have puzzles, books, artistic patches, kidzlabz, Lego & playmobil and board games. Take a look in our shop.
BBC : Coronavirus - How to help kids cope with life without school
Live Science - Activities and online resources for homebound kids: A coronavirus guide
48 ideas to entertain the kids at home during the coronavirus outbreak
How to work from home with children during the coronavirus outbreak
