Finlee & Me is a Australian-based shop with a great product range for little ones. They pride themselves on having items which are different from the norm and which are funky and innovative. Recently they sent us some products to try out so that we could see for ourselves and I have to say, I am impressed with them and the products are pretty different – all with a natural and wholesome feel to them.
The first product we tried was the Blue and Yellow Dots Balloon Ball.
This is a fabric balloon cover. I had never seen anything like it before so was quite interested to see what it would be like. The balloon cover comes flat then you simply put the balloon inside it then blow it up while it is inside the cover, until it reaches full size then tie it as normal. The cover will then be fully secured to the balloon giving it a cool balloon ball effect.
At first I thought the benefit of this would be mainly just to make the balloons like more stylish and different at parties, but actually I have found that balloons seem to last so much longer inside the cover and the children can play with it without any fear of the balloon popping. We have had the same balloon inside the cover since we got it a few weeks back and it has not deflated at all – Which never happens normally with balloons, they seem to last a couple of days max.
The boys love throwing it around as a ball. It’s such a simple game but a classic! Mr T (3) and Mr R (2) could keep on going with throwing and catching games with me for ages!
The covers are all washable so can be re-used again and again. There are plenty of other designs available too so if you did want them for party balloons, you can get them to match with any theme.
The next product we tried was one of the Fold ‘N’ Go Car Mats
These are ideal for travelling or to keep toddlers busy while waiting for food in a restaurant. It is a small mat which folds up really conveniently and has space to store up to 5 matchbox sized cars. Once you open it, it reveals a road map for children to play and explore with their cars.
Again, it’s a simple idea but one that really works well. Mr R is very keen on this mat and it keeps him occupied well. It’s great that it is so small to take out in your handbag and I can see this coming in very useful whenever there is some unexpected waiting around.
These mats are all handmade so each one is unique and slightly different. They have fabric on the outside (different designs are available) and the inner part of the map is all wipe-clean. They would make an ideal stocking filler or small gift.
The last product we tried was the Coloured Cups and Balls which are part of Finlee & Me’s Montessori and Waldorf inspired toys range.
These are really beautifully made and come supplied in a handy drawstring storage bag.
Mr T currently goes to a Montessori school, although we don’t really have a lot of specifically Montessori inspired toys at home, so I was quite interested in browsing through this section of the Finlee & Me website.
The coloured cup and balls scooping activity is very good for his fine motor development. It takes a lot of care and precision to manage as the balls are quite small so concentration is needed. It also helps with colour matching. All of the cups and balls have been painted with water colours and are really gorgeous shades, and very natural looking. The balls are quite small, slightly smaller than an average marble so you do need to be aware of them around younger children. I would not give these to Mr R (2) to play with just yet. I would say they are more suited to around 3 or 4 years old but this varies with each child’s development.
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Which product do you like the look of the most? Let me know in the comments!