I love this site. It is the best ever. My daughter and I followed it last year and it was so cool to track Santa as he left his grotto in the North Pole and started off around the world. He moves fast, that dude. And he doesn’t get closed because of snow either…

• Click here to track Santa

So, the site is all about NORAD tracking Santa and you can choose from a bunch of different languages to track him in. While you wait for him to start off from the North Pole, you can visit Santa’s Village to see what the elves have been up to as well.

NORAD have been busy this year. They’ve launched an iGoogle gadget plus a gadget for your mobile phone – so you can track Santa no matter where you are – and you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Picasa (?).

On the Kids Countdown page you can watch adorable animations of elves missioning about, see which shops are the busiest in the town, and explore all the different areas in the North Pole village.

Track Santa is enormous fun so go ahead and get yourself some free entertainment while you’re stuck indoors.

Thanks to lucerysmum at HUKD!

The Official Peppa Pig website is currently running an adorable online advent calendar that reveals all sorts of exciting things every day. And, hidden inside one of the days, is a tasty 10% discount voucher off Peppa Pig merchandise in the online store.

• Click here to get advent with Peppa Pig

To find the advent calendar go to the landing page and then in the top right-hand corner you’ll see a sparkly black sign that says Peppa Pig’s Magic Advent Calendar. Click on that and you’ll be taken to the calendar itself.

Like any normal advent calendar, you only need to click on the relevant day and a special item will be revealed. Each day will bring new surprises, including the nice 10% discount voucher.

Day 1 was a big fat advert to buy Santa’s Grotto, the new Peppa Pig DVD. This didn’t impress me at all, at least give some fun things before you start selling to everyone. However, I was promised that there are free games, activities, colouring sheets and stories on the various days so we’ll forgive day 1.

You can also do a letter to Santa with Peppa Pig, which I thought was really cute. So, even with a fairly false start, it looks promising on the free Peppa Pig advent calendar.

Fancy nabbing a free bottle of Vosene nit shampoo? The first twenty people to nominate themselves in the comment box below will get themselves an awesome free sample. Just write a comment like, “Oooh, me, me, pick me!” below, and if you are in the first twenty , I will get a sample sent straight to you!

• Click here to find out more about Vosene

The new Vosene 3-in-1 shampoo is designed to keep the nits at bay (thank heavens) with all the natural ingredients that do the job nicely. You’ve got Tea Tree Oil and Lemon Eucalyptus working their nit repelling magic and a built-in conditioner to keep hair soft and silky.

While it won’t take lice away once they’re ensconced, it will make hair smell vile to those hideous creatures and make them less likely to settle in for a stay. I am busy using this at the moment and so far we’ve avoided the most recent outbreak, whereas we did get nits on the first outbreak in September.

So, if you want to nab yourself a free sample of Vosene nit shampoo, quickly write down your details below and, if you are in the first 20, a sample will fly on over to you!

It's half term, and if you have kids going crazy indoors, then this free book could help your frazzled mind. The RSPB are giving away a free wildlife book for kids that's packed with activities, images, ideas and so much more. It is a sure-fire way to keep them busy over the holidays, especially on chilly rainy days.

• Click here to get your freebie from the RSPB

To get your free wildlife fun book you only need to fill in your details and they'll soon send a copy your way. Inside you'll find pictures of different animals and bugs, along with information about them and some tantalising facts to boost little minds. Great for education and fun!

The book also has activities and games to keep little hands busy. You can find out how to make a bird cake, all about minibeasts that live in the garden, and meet the Wild Times gang - Owlbert, Rookie, Red and Squeak. Download the form from the site and post it to the RSPB for your free book. Simples!

Thanks to crazvgterrier2000 at HUKD!

Reading. One of the best gifts you can give to a child. The wondrous worlds, the magic and imagination, the hours of visiting other places and people. Reading is one thing I will always love, and I will always thank my parents for introducing me to the wonder of reading. However, books can be quite expensive and, as a parent, you can get quite tired of reading the same stories over and over again.

Instead of wearily dragging out the same stories, or taking books out from the library and forgetting to return them (like I do), why not boost your entire children's book collection for free? Fantastic stories for all ages available for nothing at all. They come in all shapes and sizes, and they all have two things - they are free and they are doorways to the imagination.

The first site you simply have to visit is All Books Free. They have a huge range of free books for you to download directly from publishers and author websites. The books are for all ages - toddler to teen - and even include old classics like the Elves and the Shoemaker (one of my personal childhood favourites). All you need to do is click on the link for the book and you'll be taken to the site where you can download and print a PDF copy.

If you don't like the idea of reading from tatty pieces of paper, you can invest in some folders to put the pages in and print off old illustrations to decorate the covers. You can even get your kids to join in with the decorating to really personalist the books to their tastes.

Another idea is to purchase some ribbon and a punch and to then punch the sheets, weave the ribbon through, and voila, you have a stunning little book that cost nothing more than a few accessories.

Best Children's Books have got the Beatrix Potter stories on their site for absolutely free. This is a gem of a site with stories like The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Tale of Benjamin Bunny and the Tale of Jemima Puddleduck, there for the taking. They also have a Peter Rabbit Colouring Book that you can buy for $2 if you want some extra fun.

The stories are exactly replicated from the originals but you will have to endure adverts running down the sides of the text. I wasn't able to print the pages so I can't tell you if they print without the ads, but you can always copy and paste the text into a Word document to avoid having adverts on your pages. The site says it is entirely legal as the copyright has expired. You can also get free copies of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes and free fairy tales on the same site.

Another utterly fantastic resource is Children's Storybooks Online. They have an enormous database of free books for children that covers ages from tot to teen. You can enjoy any number of different titles, and they add new books to the site all the time.

The books from Children's Storybooks Online have to be read online though, so while not as convenient as some of the other sites, there is a lot more variety. The layout is really simple, you just have to sit back and use the mouse to navigate the pages. The site is also broken down into the different groups for easy navigation. An utter gem for long journeys and on-demand reading entertainment.

Mighty Book has over 800 free books for kids of all ages. They also have activities and games, all of them geared towards entertaining and educating your child. The books are plain or animated and you can have a select few for free. If you want access to the entire database you'll have to subscribe, but there are enough sample free books to enjoy without having to spend any money at all.

Classic Literature boasts an impressive collection of classic texts that have been released into the public domain. Among these you'll find children's classics like Alice in Wonderland and Journey to the Centre of the Earth, among others.

You can even get the entire Oz series - from the Wizard of Oz all the way through to the final episode. If you never read through the entire Oz series, then grab these and get reading with your kids - they are as strange and fabulous for adults as they are for kids.

Hopefully this pile of free children's books, and websites packed with free children's literature, will keep you and your kids entertained for many happy hours. They will certainly come in handy as the Christmas holidays approach, the nights draw in, and we all look for ways to keep little hands and minds busy. Happy free reading!

Amazon are offering Winnie-the-Pooh completely, utterly and totally free to anyone who wants it. You can download it for your Kindle in under a minute, or simply add it to your PC and read it on there if you don’t happen to own a Kindle.

• Click here to get reading with Amazon

Winnie-the-Pooh has been adored by generations of children since he first appeared in 1926. 1926! It is amazing that he’s been around for so long and still remains as effortlessly popular. This is the first volume of the books penned by A.A. Milne and introduces you to Christopher Robin, Piglet, Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore and Rabbit.

The stories here introduce you to the Hundred Acre Wood, celebrate Eeyore’s birthday, go on an “expotition” to the North Pole and lay a Heffalump trap. This is a stunning book for bedtime stories and, if you own a Kindle, taking with you on holiday.

If this is not the freebie for you, then how about The Jungle Book? That has also been set at free, free, free for you to download and enjoy on your Kindle or your PC. Both books are utterly free and include all the original texts and illustrations.

Thanks to crazyterrier2000 at HUKD!

No, I’m not having you on. The Big Smoke actually has quite a few places to go and things to do with children that are utterly and completely free. Some are awesome, some are touristy, some are plain old fashioned fun, and others will surprise you.

To start with, unless you live in London, you’re going to have to pay for your transportation. Depending on where you live, you can often get discounted rail tickets for adults by booking in advance. Southern Rail offer advance tickets for as little as £3.75 and children cost only £1 each way.

I’m not particularly impressed that the railways charge children but at least it’s not exorbitant. Also, when you book your tickets online, don’t book the children’s tickets. They come up as at least £3 each way so it is far better for you to get those from the ticket office on the day.

Once you’ve arrived in London you’ll hear the magic words, “children travel for free”, when you get your Tube tickets. Regular customers will have Oyster cards but if you’re just there for the day then go for a full day pass so you have access across the board. You can also use your day pass to nab a “free” bus tour on the number 11 bus from Fulham to Liverpool street. Don’t pay for the tour bus, do your own!

To start with head on over to the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens. It’s situated next to Kensington Palace and is brilliant for kids up to the age of 12. You’ll find loads of great rides there, including an awesome wooden pirate ship and tepees!

While you’re in Kensington, little fans of Peter Pan will enjoy visiting his statue in Kensington Gardens, the very park that inspired the author to write the story in the first place. Take the children to see Peter blowing his pipes and then enjoy a picnic in the sumptuous gardens.

Another place to visit that I happen to think is pure genius, is 23-24 Leinster Gardens. These beautiful houses are not what they seem. Oh no, these are actually complete and utter fakes that hide a railway line! Watch your children’s (and your) mouths fall open when you show them that these are not real houses. The originals were torn down to make way for the steam train vents.

Next up is Kids Zone at the National Army Museum. If you’re travelling with a partner who’s into such history, they can wander off and soak up some fascinating facts while you enjoy the free entertainment with the kids. You may have to queue up a bit before you can go in but the forest army camp, castle fortress and activity centre more than make up for it.

Then head on over to the Museum of London Docklands via the DLR and try to get a seat in the front of the train. These trains don’t need any drivers so you and your tots can pretend to be train drivers! Then, when you get to the museum, head on over to the Mudlarks play area that’s been created to provide fun and education in one brilliant spot.

Depending on the age of your kids you can also get into most of the museums and art galleries for free. Some of the museums do charge entry but happen to have free days or free periods that you can take advantage of with a little forward planning. Check out their websites for more information.

While the Tower of London does cost you moolla, the Ceremony of the Keys does not. Oh yes. You can apply for tickets to this ceremony that takes place every night at 21.53 and allow your kids a late night they will always remember. The tickets are absolutely free but you will have to apply at least two months in advance.

If pomp and ceremony are what you want for free then take your kids to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. This is not just for tourists, it’s actually loads of fun and kids simply love being close to the palace. You can even take a picnic for some yummy snacks while you wait and watch. Then, when you’re done with watching the guards, take your tots to the Guards Museum where they can see all sorts of weapons, uniforms and paintings, and they can even dress up as a guard.

This is only touching the sides of the fabulous things you can do for free in London, there are loads of other places to go that won’t cost you a cent and will guarantee you a magical day. If you pack your own snacks and lunch then you’re looking at the cost of your travel only. So happy exploring!

Kids love Hot Wheels. They have loved them for generations and there are no signs of this addiction slowing down. Girls and boys alike love to zoom these little cars about and take them along on long journeys as in-car entertainment. I am positive that there’s a secret place somewhere on the planet that has all the lost Hot Wheel cars living happily together.

• Click here to become a member of the Hot Wheels community

The welcome pack includes some lovely goodies for the kids such as a little hot wheels car, colouring in pages, a CD with games on and a poster. Plus, kids are automatically entered into a daily competition to win other cars.

The pack itself will take around a week to arrive so perhaps keep it secret until it does, otherwise you’ll be plagued with cries of, “Is it here yet?” all week. The registration process is really simple and straightforward so it won’t take you very long to get sorted out either.

Thanks to holly100 at HUKD!

This particular freebie is for those teenagers in your life. Yes, those strange alien lifeforms that took over the body of your amazing child and appear to have mutated into snuffling, grunting creatures that may, or may not, return to normal at the age of 18. Well, here’s a way to possibly curry some favour with these creatures, for free!

• Click here to see how simple it is at Simple

Essentially all your kids need to do is register with the site and plan their perfect prom using the free Simple 2010 Prom Planner. When they do this, they are sent a free trial pack of Spotless Skin Cleansing Wipes for them to use as they wish.

Once your teen has registered they are then eligible for monthly special discounts, regular free samples and entry into loads of competitions to win products and other such fun things. Currently the site is offering an amazing prom night for teens that enter the competition, so perhaps this will keep those teens occupied for a while.

There is also a section entitled Info for Parents, so parents can find out more about the site and offers some really good advice on how parents can keep their kids safe online. They have a Teen Simple VIP Club Rules section to help kids and parents with online issues and safety too.

Thanks to pinkmelonsmr2 at HUKD!

Ooooh, yes, you read that right. NASA are flying faces into space and it’s a bundle of fun and laughs for absolutely no cost at all. I love freebies like these, they always make me smile on a Monday morning and here’s hoping this comes just in time to brighten up your day too.

• Click here to fly your face to space with NASA

This is how it works...You select the Participate button on the bottom right-hand side of the screen and upload either a photo or your name. If you don’t have a photie then they’ll just fly your name to space but it’s well worth hunting down pics for this one.

Then print and save the confirmation page with your flight information and wait just a little while. Return to the site after the landing to print your Flight Certificate which is a commemorative certificate signed by the Mission Commander.

You can even check on mission status, view mission photographs, link to various NASA educational resources and follow the commander and crew on Twitter or Facebook.

Clever, funny, interactive and rather brilliant, this freebie is guaranteed to entertain kids of all ages.

Thanks to Holly100 at HUKD!

The written word is, for me, the ultimate playground. I’ve been an avid reader since I was a child and continue to adore the smell, texture and experience that books offer. I’ve even been known to get all faint in big libraries. But enough about my weirdness...This freebie is a fantastic way to enjoy the written word and donate something special to charity.

• Click here to see what this freebie is all about

The premise is simple. You read a book online and they donate a book to charity. So far, they’ve donated 7, 549 books. This may seem like a small amount but it’s more than nothing at all. All you need to do is choose and support a literacy partner that focuses on putting books in the hands of children in need.

Then you can select any one of a number of award winning stories and spend time reading them with your kids. Through your actions, books are donated to charity. While this campaign is primarily based in America, the goal is the same – take books to people in all walks of life. I’ve joined and it’s a fantastic idea.

Thanks to pinkmelonsmr2 at HUKD!

This is a nice and easy freebie that your older kids will appreciate doing the hard work for I think. All you need to do is watch the video, answer some pretty obvious questions and then register for your sample. Don’t be put off by the line that says the competition is closed – you can still register for your free sample.

• Click here for free fabulous skin

You honestly don’t need to watch the video at all. Just click Skip Intro and then answer the questions. Once you’re done, regardless of what answers you choose, the registration form will pop up and you can fill in your details.

The freebie is available for UK and Ireland customers and the form is short and sweet. If you want to get other freebies from the company just tick the relevant box. It won’t take you long to get registered and sorted so go ahead and nab your freebie.

Thanks to BAZZAUK at HUKD!

I recently joined the Mothercare baby & me club, and found that there were a number of decent offers for new mums and dads. One such offer are these free Ladybird books from Muller.

• Click here for more info @ littlestarsfreebooks.co.uk

If you purchase any of the promotional products in the Muller Little Stars range, you can collect book tokens to claim free Ladybird books!

These look like beautiful books, and there are 6 in the collection:

• The three little pigs
• Little red riding hood
• Goldilocks and the three bears
• The three billy goats gruff
• The elves and the shoemaker
• The gingerbread man

These are all classics...

Each book is worth £2.99, and will be delivered for free.

So here's my opinion - it's not worth running out and buying a load of Muller Little Stars items just to get these books, as you can buy the books for a few quid elsewhere. But if you buy the yoghurts anyway, then it's definitely worth keeping an eye out for the special packs with the free book tokens. Then simply post off your tokens and claim your freebie!

Long distance travel with kids can often be equated to extreme torture as used by professionals on international spies. Oh yes, James Bond has endured nothing if he hasn’t been sent on a long journey with two kids that are bored out of their minds. In fact, this should be put forward as a form of training...

• Click here to download your free travel activity pack

Well thanks to Keep Moving, you can download and print out a bunch of games and activities that have been designed to keep the kids busy while you’re in the car (train/plane/hot air balloon/submarine).

Just make sure you bring all the necessary extras like pencils, pens and colouring in thingies and they’ll soon be distracted by one of the activities included in the set. Not only that, but the guide also tells you how to use the site to avoid traffic jams (bonus!).

Included in the pack are full colour printouts with images of different cars and traffic signs which ask kids to spot them on the way. They can then tick off the cars and write in where they saw them. You also get informative tips, word searches, mazes, I Spy and more. Have fun!

Thanks to goretex at HUKD!

Egmont Publishing are celebrating the launch of the Timmy Time books by giving away 10,000 Timmy Time posters that feature the furry, feathery and spiky characters from the hit TV show. They are adorable and, best of all, completely free.

• Click here to get started in hunting down your free poster

You can also get exclusive Timmy Time books with Fairy – get the packs of Fairy Non-Bio and Fabric Softener and send in your till receipt as proof of purchase, along with a list of the books you want. This has nothing to do with the free poster – it’s an extra sort of freebie all on its own.

Right so, the poster deal is going to last only as long as it takes the 10,000 to run out so best you get registered and sorted as fast as possible so you can be assured of getting your free poster.

Personally I love this show, I watch it with as much glee as my daughter. Whoever wrote the series just knew that there would be a parent stuck in front of the TV somewhere and inserted some great humour just for us.

Enjoy your free poster!

Lego Magazine is packed with comics, games and sneak peeks at upcoming events and products as well as ace creations for kids to make. It includes competitions and loads of exciting stories and it is yours for absolutely no money at all.

• Click here to register for your free copy of Lego Magazine

Currently they are offering a free two year subscription to people who stay in the UK and all you need to do is click on the United Kingdom link to register. They will ask you to fill in their email address and your email address and then you’ll have to wait for a confirmation email so you, as parent, can confirm its ok for them to have the magazine.

You can then click the link to activate their subscription and Bob’s your auntie, a free two year subscription is yours. Simple and sweet. I can’t see any terms and conditions that say you’ll have to pay after this period of time so this looks like a good freebie to me. Happy reading, and don’t forget to send us pics of their amazing Lego creations.

On the Crayola colouring website, there are literally THOUSANDS of free printable sheets for colouring-in! These are great for your kids to waste away a rainy afternoon.

• Click here to browse the colouring pages @ Crayola

There are various categories of colouring activities, such as holidays, or Disney. If there is something specific you are looking for, you can even use the search box to find it. They pages are pretty varied, with everything from Albert Einstein to The Queen!

As I child, I used to love colouring-in. It was one of my favourite pastimes. I remember getting those Crayola art sets for Christmas, and spending weeks drawing and colouring. Good times!

This is a stunning freebie that’s perfect for summer exploration and fun. You can send off for a free wildlife fun book that’s packed with brilliant pictures, things to make and do, fantastic games and loads of information about birds and other wildlife.

• Click here to nab your freebie from the RSPB

If you’re planning on using the lovely sunny weather to explore your local parks and wildlife areas then you can bring this book along so kids can spot the different animals and birds along the way. The book also includes information about how to make a wildlife snapper, how to recognise animal tracks (cool!) and even how to recognise their poo.

Kids will love that last one! To get your free book just download the form that’s on the page and send it to the RSPB. It shouldn’t take too long for your book to arrive and, with it, loads of fun. Enjoy this educational and entertaining freebie!

As I was exploring the deep, dark mysteries of the interweb I uncovered this freebie from LearnDirect. It’s a free book that’s been designed to help you teach your child to read. Total and utter brilliance!

• Click here to claim your free book from LearnDirect

The book is entitled “Where did the river go?” and all you need to do is print out a voucher from the site and to get the voucher you need to register. The registration process is really simple but don’t forget to check all the boxes at the end if you don’t want to get any spam later on.

This will then take you to your free book voucher that you need to print out (don’t worry if you don’t have access to a printer, they also do email, text and instore collection) and take to your local LearnDirect centre.

There are hundreds of centres across the UK that are based in key locations so you are bound to find one close to you. If missioning around to get your free book is too much effort then why not create your own books together. There are two choices here; “The journey to Darkest Somewhere” and “The house of scary words”. The site also has games and ideas to help you teach your kids.

No, this is not your chance to grab yet another PC to add to your collection. This is a divine initiative run by the Home Access programme that provides low income families with a grant. This grant will give you, if you qualify, a computer, one year’s internet access, service, safety features and support.

• Click here to find out if you are eligible

There are no catches. No hidden terms and conditions and no loopholes. This is a government programme that has been designed to ensure that everybody gets a chance to learn. The value of the grant is up to £528 and, depending on what you need, will let you get any one of the following packages:

a)      Full package – computer, one year’s internet access, service and support

b)      A computer with service and support only

c)       One year’s internet access only

Owning a home computer has extraordinary long-term benefits for both you and your kids. Children who have access to technology tend to learn and achieve more while adults are able to improve their skill sets. A computer can open up so many new opportunities and this scheme is a brilliant idea to help everyone do just that.