“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”―
My baby girl, Poppy, is now 5 months old and recently she was very kindly sent a delivery from Zaza’s Storybox*, a toddler & baby story and toy subscription box. It’s so important to read to your child as soon as possible, from the day Pops arrived into the world, I’d prop her up on my knees during her older sisters bedtime story. She’d babble and usually fall asleep, but it was important to me that she was part of our nightly routine. I’m still on maternity leave right now, however, I actually work in a creche. Our story corner is one of our most loved areas. I love watching children immerse themselves in a story. The colours, shapes and words all help to develop their understanding of the world, promote language skills and encourage them to interact and build special bonds that will last a lifetime. It’s amazing to sit back or be actively involved in the process. I love watching their little faces as they lose themselves in a world full of wonderful characters and magical lands, then observe how this influences their play and feeds their imagination.
When founder, Danni, heard that only 1 in 11 children have books in their home and that the number of toddlers being read to at home had dropped by a fifth over the past five years, it became something Danni was passionate about changing. She created, ZaZa’s StoryBox, a storytime subscription service inspired by her beautiful baby, Zara. ZaZa’s StoryBox is on a mission to bring books into young families homes and inspire a lifetime love of reading from day one.
So, how does it work? Well, if you’re looking for a unique and thoughtful gift for a christening, birthday or baby shower, you can purchase a one-off Storybox from their shop here. You can also sign-up to a subscription package to receive a box monthly. They have a pay as you go monthly package that is totally flexible and a slightly cheaper 6-month subscription package which delivers a Storybox every month for 6 months. There is also the option to pay up-front for 3 months which makes a perfect gift for friends and relatives to purchase. For more information on their flexible subscription plans, visit their website here.
Each box is themed and contains two books, a toy and tips to help engage your little one. The contents are a complete surprise but personalised to your little one’s age. Poppy received the ‘Bath Time Storybox’. I must admit, the bath isn’t an environment where I’d thought to incorporate books but these adorable splash-proof resources are absolutely perfect. Her box included the Lamaze Wash and Play Yo Ho Horace, which is a colourful bath puppet that can be used as a toy and a bath mitt. It has chewable teether feet and a squeaker inside. She also received a soft reusable colour changing book and a squidgy Peter Rabbit books. Penelope (my two-year-old) loves taking baths with Poppy and this is a wonderful way for them to bond. Of course, Penny doesn’t exactly read them but she makes it up as she goes, identifying the colours and items she does now and pointing them out to her little sister… or her toy dinosaurs; really whoever she finds more interesting that day. Sisters, right?
Reading to such a tiny baby may seem a little pointless on the surface but these precious and crucial first months are when her tiny brain is developing the most. It may not seem like it, especially when she just lies there sucking her own toes for hours on end, but I know she is taking everything in like a little sponge.
1Use code – ROXIE10 – in the Zaza’s Storybox Shop to reciveve a 10% discount off any Storybox.
