Play, bond and grow: How we played with the Tender Leaf Little Garden Designer toy.
Take a glimpse into ordinary days with Rachel and her son, Noah and read their Little Garden Designer review.
Noah age 3
What makes a day brilliant?
'I like playing at home with Mummy. We play with my toys, do drawings, read books and sometimes jump on the sofa! '
What do you and Mummy play together?
'We go in our pretend vehicles – driving our beds! Mummy does funny voices for my toys and makes ramps for my vehicles. They go really fast and she makes them do tricks. Mummy is reeeeaally funny!'
Have you built anything special with your toys?
'I made a big LEGO tower, then I knocked it over! And I made a BIG garden for my farm animals with the Little Garden Designer set. It had a very long path that led all the way to my Barnyard toys. The animals walked along the path to collect cabbages from the garden. But then a cheeky tractor smashed it up so we had to build it all again! Rubble from Paw Patrol helped – he pushed all the earth, plants and concrete away with his bulldozer!'
Rachel
What does playtime mean to you?
'It means being down on the floor, surrounded by toys. We whizz trains round tracks, rescue heroes from baddies, build dens from cushions... there’s never a dull moment! Noah loves it when I play with him – he invites me into his games and shares his toys well. We have little conversations between our toys and I throw in a bit of slapstick humour which he finds hilarious!'
Where do you play together?
'Everywhere! At home, Noah has a dedicated play area in the corner of our living room, but we’re never really confined to it; every little nook in the house is fair game for an adventure! Our soft-play slide suddenly becomes a ramp for monster trucks, cushions are propped up on the sofa to make dens and tiny hideaways (sometimes big enough for me too, if I can squeeze in), and the beds in each room transform into Ferraris, jeeps or caravans for epic road trips to the beach.'
Which toy do you both enjoy playing with?
'Noah was instantly curious about the Little Garden Design set – it’s different to anything we’ve played with before. He tipped all the pieces out of the box and played with its slidey lid. I showed him what some of the pieces were – a concrete slab, a cabbage patch, a plant – then started to build my own garden. He said, “I want to build a garden too!” and soon, we were building side-by-side. Noah realised he could connect or arrange the pieces in his own way, and even added in other toys, including it in his wider world of imaginary play.'
How do you play together outdoors?
'Our days are often filled with simple but fun little adventures, like searching for leaves, conkers and pinecones. We love looking for whatever treasures we can find in nature.'
How do you build solid connections with Noah?
'One of my favourite times is when we've just come home after a morning spent outdoors. We kick off our shoes and settle into something calm together. I really love those slower moments; whether it's painting, colouring, or reading a good book. I love relaxing into some focussed quiet time together. In these moments, I see – and feel – his contentment. Adventures outside are brilliant, of course, but this feels like a different kind of connection; there's something extra special about snuggling up on the sofa with a story or quietly sharing a pot of paints at the table, side by side.'
How is Noah’s play changing as he grows up?
I’ve started to notice more and more little pockets of independent play. It’s honestly the sweetest thing. I’ll hear him chatting away, giving voices to his toy characters, sending them swooshing through the air, completely lost in his own little world. What really melts me is when he quietly repeats things I’ve read to him at bedtime, or lines from games we’ve played together. I never realised how much those tiny moments and throwaway comments would stick with him. But when I hear them come back in his own stories weeks later, it’s proof that every little moment does count.'
What makes this time so special?
'I read about some women in their 80s who said that if they could, they’d go back and relive one ordinary day with their young children. That stayed with me. Noah won’t remember every game we play, but I know this time is helping him grow, feel free and explore the world. I’ll treasure these memories forever: his little voice chatting away during playtime, his giggle as I chase him around the kitchen, and those quiet moments when he curls up beside me with a book. '
