Reading together… it’s a Bing thing! | AD & GIVEAWAY

Reading for us in our house is truly one of my favourite things to do with the boys, it doesn't matter whether it's first thing in a morning, last thing at night or the middle of the day, there's something pretty magical about coming together and getting lost in a story. Reading always has such a calming effect on both of my children, it doesn't matter if they're at the height of a sugar rush or the depths of a tantrum, sitting and flicking through pictures or hanging onto narratives always helps them come back down to earth and it's almost as if I've pushed a little reset button and normality can restore. It's no secret too that Bing bunny has always been a firm favourite under our roof, ever since Noah was old enough to pay attention to the television, Bing was a must watch so when we were asked to have a look some new 2019 Bing titles from Harper Collins, we absolutely jumped at the chance.


We were given a selection of Bing books to explore with the boys and given Patrick has just turned three, I thought he'd be a lot more interested than Noah who is approaching six, however I was shocked to find Noah still really wanted to be involved. I think because the books are so colourful and bold, it really suckered him in and made him take an interest in something I thought he may feel a little too grown up for. The first books they got their paws on was  'Draw with Bing!' and 'First Letters', both wipe clean books which as parents we're probably all on the same page that this is one giant bonus point for Harper Collins, not only does it make them amazing for on the go, but it makes them reusable - yay! It meant for me and I'm sure any other parents of children close in age will relate, that they wasn't squabbling over who got a turn to do what, because I could simply clean the book off and then they could swap. No arguments, no 'Mummmy he did the best bit', it was a win-win for all involved.

I was pretty impressed with both books, neither of my two needed any support in following what to do as it was all so simple and straight forward. I was really keen to see how Patrick got along, now he's just turned three we are looking to focus on his pencil control and getting him to progress towards writing, these books were perfect for exactly that. They were completely mess free so a really good activity for the boys to do whilst I was doing laundry and preparing the dinner, and of course they were packed full of their favourite Bing! characters and words they associate with the show to keep them interested. I noticed on the back of the book that they also sell a similar title that is all about numbers so I'll definitely be grabbing that one as Patrick is very much into his numbers right now.

Next up was the book that both of the boys wanted to grab hold of immediately when we saw the parcel, but I put aside as I really wanted us all to sit down together that evening and read it before bedtime. It was the brand new Bing's Birthday Party!. The front cover was covered in gold glitter and sparkles so of course my boys have eyes like magpies are instantly wanted to get a look in, I can't blame them as I was pretty intrigued myself. One of my favourite things about Bing! throughout the years is the way that each story has a tale to it, sure it's lovely that stories have narratives but the fact my boys can learn a little lesson each time with Bing, really makes me enjoy it all that bit more. Bing's Birthday Party book was no different, by the end of the first page, which of course starts with the iconic 'Around the corner, not far away' line, my boys were hooked.

I don't want to give the whole story away and spoil it for anyone wanting to buy, but the concept is very similar to the television show and other stories, it's Bing's birthday and he acts a little out of character, but Flop saves the day and helps him realise the error of his ways (anyone else really need some of that patience sometimes?) by the time the book is ending, everyone is happy and continuing to have a lovely time at Bing's birthday. It's a sweet story and as I mentioned before, I will never grow tired of a story that teaches children that we all make mistakes but we can learn from them too. The book was of course a hit and no sooner had I turned to the last page was I being demanded to read it again, and again and again, it's safe to say that Bing's birthday party has made it into our favourite books box which means I'll probably be reading it multiple times a day from now until the dawn of time if I know my boys well enough. Anyone else's children just love to cycle the same five stories over and over?

Last up was the 'Bing's Dress-up sticker book' I saved this one for a rainy day as I knew it would be a great activity for Patrick. The book itself was similar to the others, with familiar characters all the way through, each page had a different story or was simply loaded with little facts about Bing and his friends along with a chance to dress them up with stickers. There is so many stickers in the book (over 150)  that you're going to get plenty of uses out of it, and each set of stickers correlates to a different page in the book that is clearly pointed out so it's easy to follow, of course though your little one can go wild with mixing and matching. On most pages there is a little something extra to do whether that's a little puzzle, or questions about colours and shapes, it really is crammed full and is another that I'd really recommend for on the go. I know if we were out for lunch or on a long journey, this would be ideal for my boys and keep them entertained for quite some time.

Overall we've loved the selection from Harper Collins, they're books that I would happily purchase myself and retail from £4.99-£6.99, incredibly reasonable for any character book. Reading for us isn't just about sitting down and it forming part of a routine, it really is a special bonding moment, some of my fondest memories growing up are of my Dad reading me classics and putting on all the little silly voices that I'm sure if any of his friends had overheard, would have mocked him for, but he didn't care because he knew I loved it and that every single day I'd be looking forward to the next story or chapter to get lost in. Bing and Harper Collins helped me remember that this week, as we're running up to the summer holidays now, it's so easy to get lost in a see of activities or feel like you have to be doing something crazy and exciting to keep your little ones busy, but I'm not sure there is anything more wonderful than seeing those big grins on their face as you close the last page of a well ended story book.

If you too would like to get your hands on a bundle of Bing books, please don't forget to enter below to be in with a chance!

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*This is a paid collaboration between myself and Harper Collins, involved blog and social media content, however all opinions as always are completely my own.