Make room for play with Great Little Trading Company | REVIEW

I love the summer holidays. We have plenty of ups and downs, don’t you worry – but my overall feeling is that we all have more time for each other, and it’s a welcome change. No rushing to after school activities and time to read lots of books at bedtime. I’m not the frantic, shrieking mum (that I dislike) every morning, asking them for the millionth time to get dressed, eat their breakfast, put their shoes on, grab their bags and get their bike helmets ready. Win, Ru and Otto play and play and play whenever we’re at home, and I love watching and listening to them. We love being out during the holidays, but a day at home is just as enjoyable and restorative.

Over the holidays I’ve had a little rearrange of our playroom thanks to the lovely team over at Great Little Trading Company, and we are all thrilled with the changes. Not just the boys and I, but Jared too. The change that the boys are loving the most is replacing their tall table and stools with this perfectly proportioned growing activity table plus chairs, and the change I am loving the most is the addition of the amazing Rackham storage unit with baskets.

The growing activity table has been used non-stop since Win and I put it together. The older three have used it for drawing, crafts and Lego model making. It comes with two sets of legs – one short and one long, so that the table can grow with your family. After much discussion, Win and I decided to put the short legs on, and then once it was up we all agreed that we should change to the long ones, which didn’t take long at all. The table comes with a paper roll holder, so getting creative couldn’t be easier. The little chairs are sold separately, and are a sweet and sturdy accompaniment to the table.

I especially love the Rackham storage unit, because it will last us far beyond the baby and toddler years. It’s grown up, practical and adaptable, yet for now, it’s the perfect place for me to store all of Jasper’s baby toys and books. My older boys are so good at keeping Lego and small pieces away from Jasper, but it’s a constant worry of mine. I decided to move some baby toys down from Jasper’s room and keep them in the playroom, so that everything Jasper can see and touch is safe for him. The Rackham storage unit can be stacked in different ways to provide a truly versatile storage solution. In the future I can see it being used for craft supplies, books, magazines, blankets and more. It would also look at home in a bathroom, bedroom, hallway or living room. The possibilities are endless.

Anybody who regularly reads my blog (or has been to my house) will know that I love a basket for toy storage, and I love the ivory and natural ones from GLTC which belong to Jasper. I love nothing more than all of our toys back in their correct basket at the end of the day, which I must admit – is not happening often during the summer holidays (!) I kept our cosy little cushion area with footstools, as it’s the ideal spot for reading books during the day, and the play kitchen had to stay because Otto loves it. I also decided to add some large clipboards to attach the boys’ artwork to, because often their artwork just ends up in the bin.

Some of my other favourite pieces from Great Little Trading Company include: this gorgeous and practical rope storage tub, these clever book storage solutions and I’m slightly obsessed with this little ice cream shop – I could do with one for myself! Oh, and Win would love this fantastic money box too. I’m really impressed at how a little shift around can make such a difference to our space, and improve the way that the boys play too. An all round triumph!

E xx

Massive thanks to Great Little Trading Company for sending us such beautiful and functional items, free of charge in exchange for online content.