Baby has  taken his or her first toddling steps. They can get about, and you feel rather proud. This is a huge achievement.

The thing is, what they want to do now is walk everywhere. Get back in that pushchair? Are you mad?! And a toddler has their own agenda when it comes to getting anywhere. In fact, getting anywhere at all seems to be pretty optional for them.

They like going out. Some will be sociable, and want to mix with other children. Some won't and will prefer your company. But from now until they go to school they will want to go out and do things - and so will you. It is fun!

Activities at this stage are generally best if they offer a mix of stuff to do, which includes the ability to run, fast, in any direction they want.

So what do other parents recommend? I drew on the collective experience of our PlayPennies parents, scoured the internet, and asked every parent I know.

If you have little one ready for potty training and are not sure what type of nappy solution suits you, then why not grab a hold of this baby freebie and see? Here you get a free pair of Huggies Pull-Ups pants and you don’t have to do very much to get them either.

• Click here for a fabulous freebie from Huggies

Huggies Pull-Ups pants are the only pants specifically designed for potty training. With their fun Disney designs and super stretchy sides, Pull-Ups potty training pants will help your little one on their way to big kid undies. Yay!

You can request your free sample by registering with the Pull-Ups website and you will also stand in line to get potty training news, advice and special offers, which is quite nice. Once you’ve registered you will be guided onto the next stage of getting your fabulous baby freebie. Enjoy!

Thanks to caramelek at HUKD!

I have written about this freebie for babies in the past but I think it’s time it got a reboot, a shake and a kick up the memory ranks because it’s a winner. You register and you get the cutest little free cuddly polar bear that your kids will love.

• Click hereto get a free baby toy with AptaClub

The cute and sweet free cuddly polar bear doesn’t ask much of you, just enter in your details on the fairly innocuous form and you get him sent to your address. Free delivery too!

Not only do you get a free toy, you also get free expert nutritional advice that is tailored to the different stages of your pregnancy and it is delivered straight to your front door and your inbox. You can also join other parents on the forums to talk about shared issues and moments, and the friends you make there can last for life.

Grab your adorable free polar bear today!

Thanks to eloo at HUKD!

ASDA has stepped up and decided to go one step further when supporting families with children who suffer from asthma. They are now giving away free Asthma UK information packs to children with asthma.

• Click here to get your freebie from ASDA

The Asthma UK’s pack, entitled My Asthma, is a self-management resource designed specifically for children aged 6-11 to help them understand more about their medicines and how to be in control of their asthma. The aim of these packs is to help children understand the issue, learn about medicines available to them, and help parents recognise how better to control their child’s asthma.

You can visit your local ASDA pharmacy to get free asthma advice where the qualified staff will show your child how to use their inhaler properly and where you can collect your free My Asthma pack. Inside freebie you will find My Asthma Plan, My Asthma Calendar, and a  My Asthma Medicines Postcard.

To get your free pack, visit your nearest ASDA store that has a pharmacy.

Safe Dreams, the ingenious brand behind the multi award winning Cot Wrap and super innovative Safebreathe toys, is delighted to announce the launch of their latest innovation to make sleep time a little easier. The new White Noise app is a clever and simple way to help your children get to sleep quicker.

• Click here for your FREE White Noise app from Safe Dreams

All parents know that white noise works miracles when it comes to baby’s bedtime. The reason for this is because it reminds them of being in the womb. The app consists of four sounds which are sure to lull your little one into a peaceful slumber in an instant. The sounds include an air conditioner, a jet cabin, the womb and pure white noise. This portable sleep aid will ensure that your little one can easily get to the land of nod, whether it’s in their cot, at grannies house or on holiday.

It’s Safe Dreams mission to create peace of mind for parents while their baby sleeps, so they created and app ensures parents won’t go out of their minds trying to get little ones to sleep. What’s even better is parents can make some great savings too, with the app they’ll receive exclusive discounts off other products from the Safe Dreams collection. The app will also automatically update when new peaceful sounds are added!

The Safe Dreams White Noise Sleep Soother can be downloaded for FREE onto any iPhone or iPad.

Shocking statistics reveal that across the UK, four out of five people wouldn’t know what to do if their baby stopped breathing. The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK), the official charity drowning prevention, are launching workshops nationwide to equip all parents or child carers with the skills that could help them save the life of their child should they encounter a choking or drowning situation.

• Click here to find out more about how you could save your baby’s life

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK), the UK’s national drowning prevention and water safety charity, is launching Save A Baby’s Life  - a new campaign to reduce these horrible statistics and give parents and others who care for children the confidence to put emergency lifesaving skills into practice if, in the unlikely event, a baby's life is threatened.

Local leisure centres and community groups across the country will be hosting Save a Baby’s Life workshops where trained instructors will cover basic life saving techniques and provide advice on what to do when a baby stops breathing, or how best to deal with a choking or drowning situation. Using a life-like baby manikin, people will learn how to perform basic CPR and first aid as they would in a real life situation.

Don’t miss this opportunity, it’s free and you never know when you might need to know how to save a baby’s life.

If you’re pregnant or have just had a baby you can now pick up your FREE Bounty packs from your local Asda store! The free Bounty packs include information and products to help you prepare for your baby’s arrival and beyond. There are items such as coupons for the products you’ll need during and after your pregnancy, practical and helpful guides and free samples, lovely, we LOVE freebies.

• Click here to find out everything you need to know about the free Bounty Packs

How to collect your Bounty packs:

Pick up your free Bounty pack from your nearest Asda Pharmacy or, if your local store doesn’t have a Pharmacy counter, ask at the Customer Services desk. This service is available at more than 400 of their stores so just go to their site to find out where the nearest participating store is.

Bounty has been providing expectant and new mums with free sample packs for over 50 years. Their packs contain important information, expert advice and free samples from the leading baby brands to help you choose what is right for you and your family.

Thank you Asda and Bounty and M.Oliveira!

Nuby currently have a very tasty and helpful special offer on at the moment. You can get a bunch of cool newborn essentials and accessories at 50% off their usual price. I’m always keen to grab a saving whenever I can, so this is one for the books.

• Click here to get discounted with Nuby

The 50% off deal with Nuby is in the newborn section and includes bottles, teats, bibs, breast pumps, teethers and dummies. It’s a rather brilliant deal if you are about to have a little one of your own or if you have a friend and want to get them some essentials without breaking the bank.

The decorated bottles would make lovely gifts and are down to £2.50 each and they also come with a free soother – that’s one amazing bargain right there. You will find  breast pumps from £6.65 and bibs from £2 for a pack of two.

Thanks to Beechwoodsmiths at HUKD!

****THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED******

Munchkin Inc., the award-winning international baby brand, has teamed up with Playpennies to offer 2 lucky readers the chance to win a selection of exciting new baby bath goodies worth over £50!

The prize bundle includes all of the new bath time products from Munchkin including some classic and handy favourites, so your little ones are sure to make a splash during bath time! You could win the brand new Wonder Waterway, Float and Stack Buddies, Splash Along Mermaid, Tug Along Boat, Bath Fun Monster Truck, as well as the award-winning Lazy Buoys and parents favourite Corner Bath Organiser.

What’s more, each item from Munchkin has been designed to excite and delight children whilst making parents lives easier and more enjoyable.

For more information and to view the full range, visit www.munchkin.com.

How To Enter:

Standing a chance to win one of these tasty prizes is easy! Just answer the simple question below and then follow the instructions.

Question: Which Munchkin item would you most like to win for your tiny tot?

• Leave a comment in the thread below with answer (1 entry)

For bonus entries to the competition:

• Subscribe to the PlayPennies daily email update (1 entry)
• Tweet a link to this contest and leave your twitter link below (1 bonus entry)

Rules:

1. Contest ends on 14th February 2013
2. Open to UK residents only
3. One type of entry per household
4. Must complete email verification when subscribing
5. Must include a valid email address if commenting
6. Admin’s decision is final in all cases

The economy is packed with more buzzwords than a chainsaw factory at the moment and honestly, I think most of us are heartily sick and tired of the doom and gloom. Fortunately there are plenty of tips and tricks and ways in which you can save money on all your children’s essentials, and here some of them are, just for you.

Use this BabyCurls promotional code to get 25% off Pink Lining & Babymel Baby Changing Bags. Note though it seems to be taken off the ex VAT price rather than the inc VAT price.

Click here to use your BabyCurls promotional code*

• Discount: 25%
• Applies to: Pink Lining & Babymel Baby changing bags
• Promotional code: BAG25
• Expires: 18th January 2013

To use your code, you'll need to go to checkout. Enter it in the box next to Enter your coupon here. It will be applied automatically to your order.

I tested it out on a BabyMel Camden Carry All priced at £49.95 including VAT. The code however took £10.41 off the ex VAT price of £41.63, which I wasn't expecting. Overall the bag cost £37.46. Delivery on this bag was free.

Thanks to goonertillidie at HUKD!

This is a fabulous freebie for Christmas and utterly perfect for getting the kids into a festive mood. You can get this little Christmas tale for free by using the code FESTIVEFUN at the checkout. Don’t forget to add a photo of your little ones to really make it personal.

• Click here to get some free fun with It’s Your Story*

This e-story takes the child on a magical Christmas adventure to the North Pole. There's something to spot on every page from falling snow and glowing candles to a roaring fire and flying fairies.

The story follows the child's adventures when they wake on Christmas Day morning to discover a double-decker bus parked in the garden full of snowmen. Without hesitation the child jumps on the back of the bus and heads to the North Pole to help Father Christmas and his elves wrap, sort and deliver all the presents. Will they make it back to their home before everyone wakes up? And will their family believe that they have helped save Christmas?

Once you have placed your order you will receive an email with a link to view the e-story as many times as you want. This can be forwarded to friends and family for their enjoyment too!

Thanks to andywedge at HUKD!

Plum Baby have joined the Facebook Like revolution and are giving away free samples of their Stage One and Stage Two pouches to those of you who, well, Like their page. If you are already a member of the page you can grab the information straight away.

• Click here to get some free samples from Plum Baby

Getting your free baby food sample could not be easier. Just click on the link above and you’ll be taken to their Facebook page where you can choose from either the 100g Stage One or the 130g Stage Two pouches. You then have to print out the coupon to collect your freebie at a selected store.

While I am a huge fan of getting free samples et al from various people, I do find the whole printing it out and taking the voucher instore thing far too time consuming. And you may as well buy the pouch after the money you’ve spent on fuel and ink. Or am I just a Grinch?

Thanks to Leer at HUKD!

*** Competition is now closed, winners will be added to this thread soon! ***

Munchkin are the award winning international baby brand that have created all sorts of cool and funky products for babies and kids. They have teamed up with PlayPennies to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a selection of fantastic cleaning goodies worth over £50 each!

These scrummy bundles from Munchkin will help you keep everything in your kitchen spick and span. The prize bundle includes all of the fantastic cleaning products from Munchkin such as the brightly coloured and innovative microwave steriliser bags, the deluxe bottle brush, the sprout drying rack, the flexible dishwasher basket and so much more.

As prizes go, each of these Munchkin packs is worth over £50 and are utterly brilliant for the time-strapped parent. Every one of these items has been designed to delight children while making your life easier and more enjoyable. The full collection of Munchkin products includes colourful and clever bathing, feeding and care products. You can see them all on the Munchkin site here!

So how can YOU win one of these awesome prizes?

How To Enter:

Standing a chance to win one of these gorgeous sets is simple.

Question: Visit the Munchkin site and tell us which product you would love to have and why.

• Leave a comment in the thread below with answer (1 entry)

For bonus entries to the competition:

• Subscribe to the PlayPennies daily email update (1 entry)
• Tweet a link to this contest and leave your twitter link below (1 bonus entry)

Rules:

1. Contest ends on 7th October 2012

2. Open to UK residents only

3. One type of entry per household

4. Must complete email verification when subscribing

5. Must include a valid email address if commenting

6. Admin’s decision is final in all cases

Amazon has launched the UK equivalent of Amazon Mom in the US where you get a three month free trial for a range of cool extras and features, including the use of Amazon Prime for a very long period of time too.

• Click here to get a trial with Amazon Family

The offer has you using the lovely services of Amazon Prime for three months which gets you many products delivered for free the very next day. You also get 40% off Plum Baby Food, 20% off kids shoes, a free Tommee Tippee nappy bin when you buy Tommee TIppee’s Sangenic Compatible Nappy Disposal Cassette’s, and plenty more.

Amazon Family is basically a membership programme for parents of young children that helps you save money as you go. You get a range of regular benefits, plus these extras which also include £10 off when you spend £50 in their Baby Store, and at least £50 of exclusive offers every month.

Try it out, grab some awesome Christmas gifts, and then leave after three months if this is too expensive for you…

Thanks to david16 at HUKD!

ASDA is giving away a free baby goodie bag as a part of their ASDA Baby Event and you can collect yours from any ASDA Pharmacy without much hassle at all. Just follow the guidelines below and the tasty goodie freebie will be yours.

• Click here to get some baby freebies from ASDA

ASDA is offering a free baby goodie bag at ASDA Pharmacies to promote their services and support for families. You will find a free height chart, magnetic shopping list notepad, an ASDA Pharmacy pen and some sample products inside your freebie.

There will be staff handing out leaflets instore with advice and tips on common kids’ health conditions as well as the voucher you need to retrieve your free goodie bag. You can also take advantage of the Baby Event Big Prize Giveaway which could see you winning one of many cool prizes being given out during the ASDA Baby Event. This week it is a year’s supply of Cow & Gate food which is pretty nice!

Bumbo is recalling nearly 4.5 million Bumbo Baby Seats in the US and Canada due to reports of babies falling out of the seats and hurting themselves. There were 80 incidents in total and 21 of these resulted in a fractured skull – so awful! As a result, Tomy is sending out free Bumbo repair kits including restraint belts to parents who own Bumbo seats.

• Click here to get a safe Bumbo from Tomy

As part of the recall Bumbo will supply a free restraint strap that can be fitted to the chair and you will need to provide them with the product dates and codes on your Bumbo in order to qualify. You will receive a Bumbo Floor Seat Repair Kit for each seat registered so fill in the number of seats you own.

You will see on their page how to find the Bumbo product and date codes you need to send in your application and don’t forget to take note of your reference number.

Thanks to misskittykat at HUKD!

Vanish are offering a free sample of their Vanish Sensitive Gel on their Facebook page at the moment. Of course, you do have to click on the requisite Like button in order to get your free sample, but if you don’t mind, then this is an ace freebie.

• Click here to vanish with Vanish

When you click Like on the Vanish Facebook page you will get a free sample of Vanish sensitive gel. This gel tackles tough stains on your children’s clothes without irritating their sensitive skin. The product has been dermatologically designed for people with sensitive skin.

Now you can remove stains without worrying about your little one getting a rash or reacting badly to the product afterwards when they wear the clothes. The gel is safe on colours and whites, gentle on skin, designed to target tough stains, and fabulously free to try out on the Vanish Facebook page. Brilliant.

Thanks to livefortheweekends at HUKD!

The ASDA Baby Event is back as of 24 August online and 27 August instore and there are loads of deals, discounts and baby savings on all sorts of brands. And here, for your enjoyment are some of the best.

• Click here to get some savings at ASDA

During the event ASDA pharmacies will be helping you out with up to date advice and information as well as giving out free goodie bags to celebrate the baby event. Yes, folks, you read that right. ASDA are giving away free goodie bags that have a height chart, a magnetic shopping list, a snazzy pen and other exciting surprises too. Oh, and you can see the awesome Moshi Monsters glasses that they now have on sale too.

Deals include Huggies nappies, Pampers nappies and wipes, car seats, booster seats, travel cots, prams and travel systems and even toys and baby play time fun items like baby gyms.

Baby is mobile. This is a time of great excitement. They've taken their first toddling steps. They can get about, and you feel rather proud. This is a huge achievement.

The thing is, what they want to do now is walk everywhere. Get back in that pushchair? Are you mad woman?! And a toddler has their own agenda when it comes to getting anywhere. In fact, getting anywhere at all seems to be pretty optional for them.

Activities at this stage are generally best if they offer a mix of stuff to do, which includes the ability to run, fast, in any direction they want.

So what do other parents recommend? I drew on the collective experience of our PlayPennies parents, scoured the internet, and asked every parent I know. These are the five that people mentioned the most often.

Click here to read more...