There are an estimated 34,800 children in the UK who are deaf, which means that one in every 1,000 babies is born with some degree of hearing impairment. If you have children in the nursery with impaired hearing, you may be aware of the difficulties some have in using a hearing aid. Now, Phonak Hearing Systems has commissioned two books, written by pediatric audiologists, to help children between the ages of three and ten years understand their special hearing needs and feel less apprehensive about visits to hearing specialists. Oliver Gets Hearing Aids is the first book, featuring Oliver the elephant, along with a whole cast of other creatures, and showing how Oliver's life is dramatically improved after his hearing problems are diagnosed and dealt with. The book follows the course of events in Oliver's treatment, from his first visit to the doctor, to what happens with the audiologist and how to look after his hearing aids properly. The second book, Oliver Gets FM, explains how Oliver's hearing aids are updated to the latest FM technology. Oliver posters, growth charts, puppets and stickers are also available to support the positive message of the books. The books are priced 4.50 each and are available online at www.phonak.com or telephone 0800 9800747.
HIGH TABLE
Next time you're off on a group outing (see pages 14 and 18), you may want to position yourself above grass level to secure an overview of what's going on; perhaps you prefer to prepare drinks and food at table level.
Either way, the new Folding Picnic Table & Stools from Great Little Trading could come in useful. The table and stools measure 68(h) x 86(w) x 66(d)cm when assembled and, when folded, the case measures 40(h) x 80(w) x 11(d)cm and weighs 12kg. The set is easily assembled by pulling out the legs and seats, and inserting pins either side of the table for stability. The unit can be wiped clean after use. Priced 32.99. * Telephone 00870 850 6000
HEAD START
It's always a good idea to keep a supply of clean sunhats in the nursery for hot days when parents have forgotten to supply their child with a cover up. Bushbaby specialises in outdoor products for children, and their Beaugest sunhat is made from 100 per cent polyamide, with a sun protection factor of 30-plus. The peaked hat is designed to cover the head, neck and ears, with double thickness fabric on the head and an elasticated back.
Available in 12 different coloured prints and in three sizes: small (one year); medium (two years) and large (three to five years), the Beaugest is priced 8.
* Telephone 0161 476 7097
WINDOW ART
Fresh from the US, where they're becoming quite a craze, are Crayola's Window Writers. These window markers come in a range of colours and in two different types. Window Cling paint pens produce a liquid solution when used on glass, and quickly dry to produce a raised surface that looks like a transfer and peels off as required. Window FX pens produce non-raised designs that wipe off easily. The Window FX Collection contains six Window Cling paint pens and six FXpens in a selection of colours, plus a design template and a vinyl sheet with which to achieve stencil effects. Priced 7.99.
* Telephone 01234 2177866
INSTANT MURALS
If you want to brighten up a dreary corner, self-adhesive 'Wall Art' from FunToSee could be the perfect solution. Themed packs give the effect of a hand-painted mural at a fraction of the price, by peeling the backing off of images and placing them anywhere you want. A Wall Art pack costs 49.99. Themes include Outer Space, Funky Flowers and Undersea Adventure. As a size guide, one planet measures 78(d)cm and a Funky Flower is 100(h)cm.
The company also supplies height charts for 16.99.
* Telephone 01323 416472
FOOD DISTRIBUTION
The storage of food in the kitchen needs to be efficient and well organised if you are to save time and maintain good hygiene standards. The new Babyfood Rack, from Great Little Trading, should enable you to see what you have available at a glance, and to keep 'use by dates' in the right order.
The rack is tiered in three steps and is made from hardwearing plastic, measuring 22(w) x 20(d) x 10(h)cm, priced 6.99 for a set of two.
* Telephone 0870 850 6000
ALL ABOARD
If you find yourself constantly asking children to hold on to the buggy as you push a baby with accompanying children alongside you, you might want to consider the new BuggyBoard from Cheeky Rascals. The BuggyBoard features a 'universal connector', which allows it to be connected safely to any size pushchair or buggy in the nursery's collection, including three wheelers.
No special accessories or fixing kits are needed. The BuggyBoard has integral suspension that allows it to flex over uneven terrain and kerbs without endangering the frame of the buggy, and it can be quickly hooked up out of the way when not in use. Available in a range of colours and appealing designs, the board is suitable for children from around two years of age and up to 20kg in weight (approximately five years old), priced 44.95.
* Telephone 01428 682488
HOUSEY, HOUSEY
New from Easylearn, Basic Words Bingo is a fun way to provide sight vocabulary practice and increase confidence with word recognition. The set includes six, full-colour game cards, and the 45 basic sight words from the National Literacy Strategy's Reception Year list. The bingo set is suitable for playing other games and activities as well, and includes an A2 colour word poster, a photocopiable record sheet and certificates, priced 10 (free p&p).
* Telephone 01636 830240
GREENER GRASS
The Wicksteed At Home range contains small-scale modular play systems and accessories for outdoors, to complement the larger equipment that the company is better known for (see page 28). Included in the new range is the Safety Lawn Mat, which consists of a recycled-rubber honeycomb mat that doesn't require a site to be prepared before it can be positioned. The mat measures 150 x 100cm, with a thickness of 2.3cm, and weighs 19kg. Adhesive, securing pins and cable ties are supplied with the mat, and a ground stabilising mesh is also available to cover soft, boggy sites. The matis designed to allow existing grass to grow through in the normal manner, and once installed, grass can be mown in the usual way, making the surface suitable for wheelchair and pushchair use. The mat comes with a five-year guarantee and additional mats can easily be added to create larger areas.
Priced 19 each.
* Telephone 01536 517028
RUG ART
Ark specialises in rugs made from the artwork of your choice, whether it is a favourite painting executed by a child in the nursery or a member of staff's efforts. Ark is prepared to work from any painting or drawing that you produce or, if you prefer, will create a design to match a piece of fabric or wallpaper that you select. The rugs that Ark produces are hand-tufted with a 10mm pile height, and made in 100 per cent New Zealand wool, which makes them very hardwearing, as well as luxurious in appearance. Available in 360 colours and in any size or shape, the company guarantees that no child labour is involved in the making of the rugs.
Priced from around 250. A machine-made option is available from Pounds 99.
* Telephone 01273 770877
FIGURES FROM FRANCE
Newly arrived from France, Zamiloo is a collection of laminated cardboard sets, including My Story House and My 18 Story Cubes. The house (pictured below) has open sides to provide easy access to eight different rooms and a lift-off roof with an attic. It comes in six pieces that can be quickly assembled and packed flat for easy storage. The house also includes 15 pieces of furniture, and is priced 24.99 for the set. My 18 Story Cubes are designed to initiate a variety of layouts and buildings, with each cube covered in detailed illustrations such as a classroom scene, a visit to the doctor and a firefighter at work. The cubes are priced 14.99. Two sets of figures, a family of four dogs and a set of four friends, a mouse, a dog, a cat and a rabbit - each about 6cm in height - are also available for use in conjunction with the rest of the range, priced 8.99 per set. Zamiloo is available from John Crane at Mail Order Express.
* Telephone 08700 129090
READER OFFER
We have 30 copies of both books to give away. Send your name and the address of your setting on a postcard marked 'Oliver Offer' to: Weber Shandwick 2 Jordan StreetKnott Mill, Manchester M15 4PY.
