Like all Horrible Science kits, Really Rotten Experiments is science with the squishy stuff left in. The kit allows children to try their hand at weird and wonderful experiments, discovering the nasty bits about the human body while learning without noticing.

Suitable for children aged ten and above, Really Rotten Experiments contains ten fiendishly foul experiments children will love. Children will be able to play pranks on their family and friends by hiding a cockroach in soap, moulding fake poo or even making vile vomit and ghastly green slime.

We are massive fans of the Horrible History and Science collection, so as you can imagine we’re delighted for this kit to be added to our ever growing range.

The science kits really do make learning fun, and science is always going to be at the heart of the school curriculum so it merits the most effective and imaginative teaching techniques – making the Horrible Science range perfect.

Make sure you check out the rest of our Horrible Science range which is packed full of stomach-churning experiments and extremely explosive stuff!

Suitable from 3 to 7 years, Pirate Pursuit is an ideal developmental game and is the latest addition to the new range of board games launched by Galt Toys this year. The game is designed around addition and subtraction, as players collect or lose their gold coins in the attempt to reach the target number of six coins in the loot bag. Children will love the exciting pirate theme which comes complete with a wind-up galleon, skull and crossbone traps, 24 gold playing coins and loot bags. The board itself is a caricature treasure island map and added adventure is introduced by the pirate galleon – the wind-up ship that mechanically sails round the board in pursuit of the players to try and reclaim some of its treasure.

John McDonnell, Managing Director at Galt Toys, comments: “Board games are a staple of childhood, and treasured in households up and down the country. Pirate Pursuit is the latest from our range of seven new board games that help teach important developmental skills such as counting, memory and colour recognition. As well as having an educational purpose, all board games help aid social skills, such as communication, sharing, turn taking and the ability to focus attention. Games are a great way for families to spend time together and we know everyone will find Pirate Pursuit a lot of fun.”

Pirate Pursuit retails at £15.99 and is Galleons of fun!

A precious aspect of childhood is at risk according to a survey of more than 1,000 parents. The research shows that a third of parents think children don’t know how to use their imaginations for make-believe games anymore. Nearly all parents (99%) believe that children need time for imaginative play but, according to 6 out of 10 parents, children aren’t given enough time and space for this type of playing.

April Fool’s Day highlighted the decline of imaginative play with fewer practical
jokes played on parents than ever before. In fact 55% of parents said they had never had a joke played on them by their children. More than a third put this decline down to a lack of imagination to come up with the pranks and nearly 60% of parents thought that children just preferred watching TV or playing computer games.

John McDonnell Managing Director of Galt Toys which conducted the research said, “It’s very sad that there is concern about whether children are being given enough opportunity to use their imaginations as this is a crucial tool for learning and sensory development. Playing imaginary games helps children to try out new experiences and scenarios by using different parts of their brain and creates a safe environment for exploring different aspects of the real world. Above all it is lots of fun.”

Some parents focus more on ‘skill packing’ without realising that imaginative play is just as important for learning. The research also shows that 70% think parents feel under too much pressure to develop their children, which accounts for the drive to increase children’s skill set. Some parents (more than 1 in 10) even admitted they prefer their child to be always learning rather than ‘just playing’.

Whatever Next is an all-acting, singing, laughing, hopping, crawling, jumping game! This new board game is designed to encourage children to use their imaginations, build self confidence and happy co-operative play. Players can wrestle with a crocodile, walk on the moon or pretend to be a penguin and crawl through the legs of everyone in the room! Children will enjoy hours of fun with the family with over 200 hilarious activities, as @chaoskay recently found out on their family holiday!

What’s In The Fridge? Is a super board game to help children use their memory to find all the ingredients they need for a tasty snack, but making sure they avoid any nasty ‘mould food’ cards, which is great for food education!  We’ve had this game reviewed by @multiplemummy who’s children gave it the big thumbs up as a complete bargain!

Board games have been a staple in households for centuries as they teach important social skills, such as communicating verbally, sharing, and taking turns. Now they also have an educational purpose and can increase your child’s ability to focus their attention, as well as being a great way to spend time with your children.

Did you know..? The world’s oldest board game, although sometimes it is claimed to be chess or checkers, is actually Senet – an Egyptian game found in burial sites from around 3500 BC and featured in hieroglyphs. The game board has three rows of ten squares with two sets of pawns. There is a lively debate over the official rules of the game, but one common thought is that the game involved throwing sticks or dice to see how many squares you could move. Many old games have been found in Egyptian tombs, as rich parents often buried their children with their favourite toys and games to keep them happy in the afterlife.

The Galt Toys art team has designed three egg-cellent Easter cards for your children to get creative with – simply download the patterns for FREE via our Activity Zone and follow the instructions. Encourage your children to get imaginative by adding extra decorations such as, foil, yellow feathers, and tissue paper.

We also designed an egg-tastistic colouring download which will keep the children amused with seven bunnies and plenty of Easter eggs waiting to be coloured in – once again, simply download the Easter colouring sheet for FREE via the Activity Zone.

If your child does make their own Easter cards or has a go at the colouring sheet, we’d love to see the end results – please upload your Easter pics to our Facebook page and we’ll give them a big shout out!

We also have some fantastic Art and Craft products on the site from finger paints to sponge painting, modeling clay and chunky crayons -something for everyone, to keep little hands and minds entertained. After all there’s more to this time of year than just eating chocolate eggs!

Get green fingered this spring time with our cool new Grow-A-Heads. Just add water and watch them grow!

After a few days, green hair will start to appear. Why not create your own fun hair styles? The Grow-A-Head is a simple yet effective first step towards gardening, allowing children to grow their own unique wild-haired creatures!

Whatever you are up to this Easter – hope you have a ‘hopping’ time!