Imagination + Magnets = Imaginets

Product name: Mindware Imaginets (www.mindware.com/p/Imaginets/44204)

What is it?A box with 50 magnetic blocks in various colours and a bunch of “challenges” in the form of images of things to build with the magnets. The inside of the box itself is made from whiteboard material, which can add to the fun of playing! It has won several awards, among them “Parenting for High Potential Recommended Award” and “Parents’ Choice Gold Award”

Why did it catch my attention?During a long stay in Silicon Valley with my two kids we went to the fantastic Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose and fell for this product when browsing the museum store for intellectually challenging toys for a 2,5 year old

How old was my baby when I bought it?My son was 2,5 and no longer a baby! The package says Imaginets is suitable from 3 years and up, but my son loves it and is able to build some of the easiest challenges (and many self-invented ones!) already

What value does it add for us?This is a great toy to keep a toddler busy on his own for a while, in the same way as crayons and paper, iPad games or Lego would do. The foldable box makes it very easy to bring along when travelling

What does it replace?Crayons and paper, iPad games, Lego and any other intellectually stimulating toys keeping a toddler and his/her imagination busy on their own

How did my baby respond to it?He absolutely loved it from the start! Has not let it go since we bought it yesterday

How much does it cost?Around $20 on Amazon.com

Can I see any drawbacks?Some of the pieces are very small and can cause hazards to potential younger siblings (like our 4 month old who puts everything in her mouth)

Educational iPad/Android app suite for toddlers

Product name: Baby Bus educational software suit (http://en.baby-bus.com/)

What is it?Baby bus is a suite of educational iPad/Android apps designed for children between the ages of 0-6 years. Most of the apps are very intuitive (developed by a 2,5 year old and his mother) and teaches your little one useful things like letters, shapes, names of fruits, vegetables and animals and numbers.

Why did it catch my attention?Anticipating a need to keep our then 11-month-old entertained during a 9 hour flight to California last summer, we were looking for apps that would work on his Android Pad, be intuitive enough for a boy of his age and captivating enough to keep him interested over time.

How old was my baby when I bought it?11 months old

What value does it add for us?It keeps him busy for longer than less interactive types of entertainment like movies while he learns something useful. It has triggered his interest in fruits and animals, and to some extent numbers. He actually (but unconsciously) also builds his “digital skills” while playing.

What does it replace?Books, movies, games, toys, walking up and down the aisle on a flight, train or bus…

How did my baby respond to it?He loved it from day 1. His absolute favorite so far is “baby learns fruits”, which at the basic level is a very simple but colorful game where the trick is to touch a twinkling fruit shape to make it move.

How much does it cost?It is actually free.

Can I see any drawbacks?Parents quickly get tired of the monotonous music and you might want to be careful not to let the Pad replace playing and human interaction too much.

Backseat entertainment!

Product name: Wimmer Ferguson Car Seat Gallery (Manhattan Toy Car Seat Gallery)

What is it?A piece of cardboard with plastic pockets and a bunch of black & white and colourful graphics to keep baby entertained in the backseat. The cardboard has Velcro straps intended to help attaching it to the neck support of a car seat, but I have to admit we did not get it to stick in our BMW

Why did it catch my attention?After the first longer drive with our then 5 week old son, I realised that the only way to be able to drive any further than 1,5 hours from home was to find something to keep him entertained in the backseat

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was a little bit more than 5 weeks, but the first time we used it he was almost 7 months. According to the customer feedback on Amazon UK babies like these pictures from the age of between 3-10 weeks

What value does it add for us?When babies reach the age where they are a bit more attentive, they have something interesting to look at when driving. The pictures are nice and there are enough of them (20 in total, half of them black & white and half of them coloured) to change them around and give your baby more variety

What does it replace?This product is not more advanced than the drawings my friend made for her little one herself using a black felt-tip pen

How did my baby respond to it?The main lesson learned from the first drive (London to Stratford-upon-Avon) was that the graphics were so entertaining that they kept him awake instead of sleeping as he should have done according to schedule. We heard him scratching his feet against the cardboard  and laughing out loud for the whole 1,5 hour drive!

How much does it cost?£13 on Amazon UK

Can I see any drawbacks?The quality of the cardboard, Velcro and plastic pockets is not very durable. We did not get the Velcro straps to work so found our own method of attaching it to the backseat

Baby's own lunchbag

Product name: Ella’s Kitchen Organic Baby Food (http://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/)

What is it?The original innovation from Ella’s Kitchen when it started back in 2006 was the wrapping – packing the food in a pouch instead of a jar makes it even easier to bring lunch along when you are out and about with your little one, and the colorful illustrations on the outside are made to appeal to babies

Why did it catch my attention?A friend of mine with three children under the age of 5 who tends to take them out quite a lot pointed me to the brilliant pouches with baby food

How old was my baby when I bought it?I bought it for the first time when he was around 6 months, but this product is relevant from the day you start bringing solid food along for the baby to have a meal anywhere else than home

What value does it add for us?It makes it even easier to bring his lunch along and the wrapping provides some entertainment for him when waiting for the food

What does it replace?Baby food jars and cubes of home-made baby food. Since 2006, several other producers have imitated Ella’s clever packaging

How did my baby respond to it?It depends on the flavour, for the moment his favourite is the surprising mix of broccoli, pears and peas!

How much does it cost?From around £1 at Sainsbury’s and other grocery stores. Originally invented in the UK, the poaches are now also available in grocery stores in the US, the UAE and the three Scandinavian countries

Can I see any drawbacks?At the early stages of weaning the content of the pouches is too much for one meal, which in our case has resulted in throwing a lot of leftovers away

Snug and warm in bitterly cold weather

Product name: Voksi Urban vognpose (www.voksishop.com)

What is it?A snug and cosy bag filled with a combination of down and feather, designed for keeping babies warm during the cold Nordic winters. Voksi Urban is a universal bag with a flexible design that fits the most common buggies on the Scandinavian market

Why did it catch my attention?My sons grandmother suggested to buy one of these bags to protect my little son from the Nordic winter and liked the fact that we would be able to move it between the three buggies, all of different brands and shapes, that he has up in Scandinavia (one at his parental grandparents’, one at his maternal grandparents’ and one that is mother bought on impulse a snowy Friday and left in the basement of our flat in one of the Scandinavian capitals)

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was 4 months, but weather and climate are more important drivers than age for the relevance of this product. It comes with an extension that makes it suitable from birth until approximately 3 years of age

What value does it add for us?It saves a couple of layers of clothes and/or the poor little one from freezing in very cold weather (this Christmas it was -19 where we were). Most Scandinavian buggy brands sell their own proprietary bags as add-ons, but the Voksi can be moved along when changing buggy

What does it replace?Proprietary buggy bags, several extra layers of clothing or, worst case, a baby with frost wounds on his/her skin

How did my baby respond to it?He seems to feel snug and cosy in there, but since it is made from Michelin-man material it is important to get him out of there promptly when getting inside since it otherwise gets too hot for him

How much does it cost?NOK 1899 at voksishop.com

Can I see any drawbacks?The Michelin-man overheating effect if used in less cold weather. I doubt that it would fit the trendy city buggies that are popular here in London

Best practice baby care rooms at Harrods, Landvetter and Heathrow Airport

Product name: Not a product in itself, but three good examples of commercial establishments with a great understanding of young families’ needs (www.harrods.com, www.swedavia.se/sv/Goteborg/Resenar, www.heathrowairport.com)

What is it?Harrods (London’s most famous department store), Landvetter Airport in Sweden and Heathrow Airport in London all have very helpful baby care rooms catering for the needs of young parents on the move, ensuring that they stay longer and spend more money by providing facilities not only for nappy changing, but for feeding, play and relaxation as well. They are all different, with the ‘best practice’ feature being (a) bottle warmer and vending machines with nappies at Harrods, (b) a really comfortable armchair perfect for breastfeeding at Landvetter and (c) a clever little barrier blocking the baby from falling off the changing table and thereby freeing up at least one hand for the parent at Heathrow

Why did it catch my attention?Travelling and shopping alone with a baby is very tiring and finding good changing and feeding facilities often an issue. I was therefore very happily surprised to find the baby care rooms in these three establishments

How old was my baby when I bought it?This is a question of using facilities, not buying anything and they are useful for parents as soon as you feel energized enough to venture out on the roads with your little one

What value does it add for us?They are all shielded places allowing parent and baby to relax from some of the stress and too many impressions that tend to be part of being in very crowded places alone with a baby

What does it replace?Feeding and changing in dodgy toilets or airport benches or not getting a chance to sit down and rest at all

How did my baby respond to it?He finds these places very relaxing, and in particular when overstimulated he tends to wind down if we sit down and play a little bit with some of his favourite toys in one of these shielded rooms before we venture out to all (for him) new impressions again

How much does it cost?Access is free to all of them (provided you have a boarding card for the airport ones)

Can I see any drawbacks?There are too few of them

Don't forget to label your buggy

Product name: Mono stripe luggage tag (www.paperchase.co.uk)

What is it?A luggage tag intended for tagging suitcases with your name and address when out travelling. The only thing that is different from regular luggage tags is that is has a nice design that matches my son’s buggy ;-)

Why did it catch my attention?When our baby was only a few weeks old, my husband and I had a scary incident where we were very close to buggy and baby disappearing with a Piccadilly Line train while the parents were left on the platform. This made me aware of the need for marking our buggy with name and phone number so that it (and above all the baby) can be returned to the parents again if the unthinkable should happen

How old was my baby when I bought it?5 months, but we should have had it from the first time we took public transport with him in the buggy

What value does it add for us?In case we for any reason would be separated, the buggy can be identified and the finder will be able to call us

What does it replace?I have been looking for a while for something that I could write on and that would stick on the inside of the hood but have failed to find any product to satisfy this need

How did my baby respond to it?I attached it today and don’t think he has seen it yet. I deliberately attached it to a handle that would be out of reach for him so that it would not accidentally fall (or be pulled) off

How much does it cost?£5 at Paperchase

Can I see any drawbacks?Not that I can think of

A thermos for milk bottles

Product name: Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Insulated Bottle Bag (http://www.tommeetippee.com/)

What is it?A bottle-shaped bag made from thermo material that keeps your milk or water bottles at the right temperature. The Velcro straps on the top add value by making it easy to attach to bikes, buggies, cots, armchairs etc

Why did it catch my attention?Another one of the clever things that my husband found while equipping the house with everything related to bottle-feeding the last few weeks before our son was born

How old was my baby when I bought it?This was bought before he was born but is suitable from the moment you start bottle-feeding

What value does it add for us?It makes it easier to bring bottles of ready-made formula along when we go out, for example during the heatwave in London this summer. In addition it makes nightfeeding more hassle-free for us, since it allows us to keep a ‘ready-to-eat-tempered’ bottle of milk attached to his cot in our 18 degrees cold, air-conditioned bedroom at night

What does it replace?Either having to bring a bottle warmer along, wrapping bottles in blankets and towels to keep them warm in the cold and ice cubes to keep them cold in the heat or feeding your baby with milk with an inappropriate temperature

How did my baby respond to it?He does not have a clue that it exists, but his parents and grandparents find it very helpful

How much does it cost?£8 for two on Amazon UK

Can I see any drawbacks?When the baby’s fingers get stronger and he/she starts grabbing things, it is important to make sure that it is closed if kept close to the baby, as the fabric does not breathe if they put it over their heads

Alain Cozon-designed, flexible toy arch to cheer up the most boring buggies, bouncers, car seats and cots

Product name: Taf Toys Arch n’ Touch (www.taftoys.com)

What is it?A bendable arch with a range of soft toys attached to it and two large plastic clips in each end that enables you to attach it to buggies, bouncers, car seats, highchairs etc to make life more interesting for your baby. The flexible design makes it easy to replace the original toys with something else and like all Taf Toys’ toys, it has been designed in cooperation with a French cartoon and child book illustrator named Alain Crozon

Why did it catch my attention?Stuck in the countryside in Scandinavia for an unplanned week due to a baby with flu, I needed a bouncer for him to sit in, but the only one that could safely carry his 9 kilos was a boring, black one without any toys at all – but by attaching this arch he suddenly had an entertaining place to sit, and the flexibility to bring it along also made the old, worn-out buggy that his grandparents had borrowed from a neighbor much more interesting as well

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was 4 months old, but this product is suitable from birth

What value does it add for us?Flexibility to make the most boring places feel entertaining and familiar by bringing along toys he knows well and likes. The original toys are of the soft but clever, pedagogical kind that is so popular in Scandinavia and quickly became favourites for him

What does it replace?Because of its flexibility it could reduce the number of items you need to purchase – in our case we had very plain, boring bouncers and buggies that the Taf Toys arch ‘revamped’ and therefore saved us from buying new, more fancy ones

How did my baby respond to it?He loves it – in particular the shocking pink jingle bell fish that is part of the original toy set

How much does it cost?£20 on Amazon UK, I think I paid around SEK 250 in a store in the little town where my parents live in Scandinavia

Can I see any drawbacks?The only thing I can think of is that you need to be careful when packing it, in order that the arch does not break in the luggage

Rear-view mirror to keep an eye on the baby while driving

Product name: Sunshine Kids Easy View Ultimate Back Seat Mirror (Sunshine Kids Easy View Back Seat Mirror)

What is it?A mirror made for attaching on the neckrests in the backseat so that the parents can keep an eye on the baby while driving. It rotates very flexibly thanks to the ‘ball socket’ that the mirror is fixed on

Why did it catch my attention?The first time we went driving a little bit further away with our son was when he was only 5 weeks old – so his neck was still very floppy and because it was summer and we did not have enough sunblockers on the backseat windows to protect his fragile skin from all angels, it was important for us to be able to keep an eye on him during the trip

How old was my baby when I bought it?1,5 months, but the need for this product is more dependent on season than the baby’s age

What value does it add for us?It helps make us keep an eye on the baby in the backseat without risking to cause an accident on the road ;-)

What does it replace?Turning around, or stopping (if you are alone with him in the car) to look how he is doing

How did my baby respond to it?He actually thought it was fun to watch the cute little baby he saw in the mirror (not knowing that it was his own face he was staring at) and it seemed to give him a little bit of comfort that he could have eye contact with his parents

How much does it cost?£6 on Amazon UK

Can I see any drawbacks?As with anything that can distract your attention from the road ahead it is important to be careful not to let it influence safe driving

Simple and very much appreciated entertainment for young babies who love black & white shapes

Product name: Social Baby Black & White mobile (http://www.socialbaby.com/)

What is it?Very simple black & white shapes made by cardboard that you assemble and attach above your baby’s head (for example in the cot) to keep him entertained. It comes with a box that makes it really easy to bring along when travelling

Why did it catch my attention?When my son reached the age where he spent longer periods awake but before he was old enough to enjoy the Fisher Price playmat that his grandmother had bought for him, I needed something to keep him entertained in situations where I needed to lay him down somewhere while doing ‘grown up stuff’

How old was my baby when I bought it?1 month

What value does it add for us?a) For him it is a great source of entertainment – he can spend hours laughing and kicking about while watching it
b) It is easy to bring along when travelling, and I find it handy to attach some of the individual shapes (as opposed to the whole mobile) in places like the car seat and the buggy to make them more interesting places to be

What does it replace?-

How did my baby respond to it?He absolutely loved them from the first time he saw them – burst out in one of his first belly laughs and kicked around for hours! J

How much does it cost?Around £10 including 4 books with black & white shapes

Can I see any drawbacks?It easily falls apart if frequently assembled and disassembled. I bought an extra one when we had used ours for 3-4 weeks

Flying made easy with PramPack

Product name: PramPack  (http://www.prampack.com/)

What is it?A wheeled bag made of a thick, polyester-like material designed to make it easier to bring your buggy along when flying. Invented in a country where 60% of all domestic travel is done by air

Why did it catch my attention?We were going on a charter holiday to Spain and needed a way to bring our relatively clumsy Mylo buggy along without breaking, having heard some horror stories about how baggage handlers have treated some of our friends’ buggies

How old was my baby when I bought it?3 months (but our holiday was the trigger, not his age)

What value does it add for us?The PramPack transforms a very clumsy object into an additional rollable suitcase, and had so much extra space in it that we even sneaked in some extra stuff like the bottle steamer (but don’t tell the airline, as buggies don’t count as a part of the baggage allowance). It also kept our buggy intact and undamaged during the 4 hour flight

What does it replace?In our case it would have been bringing the buggy (with baby) all the way to the gate and have the flight attendants fold and store it away somewhere in the cabin, but more importantly most likely experiencing some damage to the buggy when unpacking it in Spain

How did my baby respond to it?He is completely unaware of its existence, but the parents are very happy!

How much does it cost?I paid SEK 1600, but I believe that the price varies from market to market

Can I see any drawbacks?It adds an additional piece of luggage for you to handle when checking in and you need to wait for the special luggage (often unloaded last of all luggage) upon arrival