Spring is coming. It is, I promise. I really do. In a few months you’ll have forgotten that you are now sat there with freezing feet and the fear that the reason you can’t feel your ears is because they have fallen off. Instead you’ll be standing in the garden and enjoying a brisk breeze and the smell of summer on the wind.

So what are you planning to do for your Easter break? Are you going to hunt for a last minute deal? Stay at home and tidy up the place in time for the visitors of summer? Why not grab yourself a pen and paper and prepare for a lovely spring trip that won’t cost you a fortune but will do wonders for those winter cobwebs on your soul.

How about camping, then? Sure, you run the risk of it being a damp and chilly couple of days but if you happen to have a sense of adventure and a love of squelching about in wellies, well it is both cost effective and fun.

Argos has reduced this cute Fireman Sam scooter down from £34.99 to only £14.99 which is less than half the original price. It comes with all sorts of Fireman Sam related accessories and is a bright red streak of scooting fun.

• Click here to scoot on over to Argos

The Fireman Sam scooter features a water filled pump action firehose that can be removed and used as a backpack. Although I don’t think anyone is going to be using water as a fun activity outdoors at the moment, it is sooo cold.

The Fireman Sam scooter is made from steel and plastic and has three wheels – one at the front and two at the back – for extra balance and support. The tyres have been designed to withstand puncturing and the base of the scooter has an anti-slip feature.

The handles are designed to be easy grip and the handlebar is height adjustable so it can grow with your child. The Fireman Sam scooter is for children aged three years and over and will need some assembly.

Thanks to adslis at HUKD!

Muddy Puddles (such a cool name for a shop) is selling brand new baby snow boots for only £6 instead of their usual costly £20. That is a fantastic price for some shoes that will keep those little feet warm and toasty this winter.

• Click here to get some snow shoes from Muddy Puddles

The baby snow boots on offer here are available in either pink or blue with a thick fleece lining that runs along the inside of the shoe. The outside of the baby snow boots are covered in water resistant fabric and have a toe bumper along with a sturdy grip design on the base.

The EVA rubber moulded sole makes these light enough for baby to walk in but robust enough to cope with the cold and ice. The front has an adjustable Velcro strap for quick and easy changing in the show. Now if only it would start to snow here. I am very jealous of those of you who have those white sidewalks…

Thanks to malkkymalk at HUKD!

If you fancy getting your kids some scooters to zoom their way to playgroup or school without spending an absolute fortune, then these are the ones for you. Available in either pink or blue, the Ozbozz Nebulus TX scooters are good quality and do what they should and only cost £7.99 at Play.com right now.

• Click here to scoot on over to Play.com

The Ozbozz Nebulus TX scooters usually cost around £10.99 but this discount, plus the free delivery, means you can get two for only a little over the price of one. Great for those of you who have lovely big families!

I have reviewed some of the Ozbozz scooters in the past and I found them very sturdy and reliable. While they are solid metal and as tough as old boots they don’t offer the same soft and elegant lines as the MicroScooters do, but they are almost 100% cheaper.

A great buy, especially with the folding down mechanism for easy storage, that can be adjusted to cope with kids over the age of five.

Thanks to Syzable at HUKD!

Ok, even I have to agree that this looks like a pretty good deal. These pink wellies are a part of Vertbaudet’s Final Clearance sale and have been marked down from £17 to only £5.10. Nice. This is a whopping 70% discount on a winter necessity.

• Click here to get some welly with Vertbaudet

The pink wellies in the Vertbaudet (I really struggle to spell that word) sale come with a removable sock to keep feet nice and toasty warm all through the winter. The socks are imitation fur with a cable-knit turnback and are made from 100% polyester.

I am really impressed with the price now. To include the socks? Nice. Normally I see a price like this and it turns out that it was JUST the socks! Anyway. The pink wellies themselves have rubber uppers with a slip resistant sole and are built nice and sturdy.

The colour may not be for you, though, as this is a rather startling pink (I love it!), but it appears that there are a lot of different sizes still available so you should be able to nab a pair without a problem.

The 3-in-1 trike at Mothercare has been marked down from £69.99 to only £34.99 which is a pretty good price for this weird, futuristic little gizmo. It is ideal for babies or beginner riders and will grow with your child.

• Click here to trike on over to Mothercare

The 3 in 1 trike changes over three stages to grow with the child. In the first stage it is a parent push trike, in the second stage it is a parent guided trike and in the third stage it is child powered. The removable shade canopy adjusts to any age (and looks bizarre) and the tyres are durable and designed to be quite.

The seat is adjustable to four positions and the handle is both detachable and adjustable too. The push handle lets you control direction with just one hand and the little one is strapped in with a five point safety harness. The pedals are non slip and the footrest can be folded away. It even has a beverage holder!

Thanks to lara4eva at HUKD!

The Kid Active 14 inch girls bike is on sale at the Argos eBay outlet for £29.99 plus £2.99 delivery charges. This takes it to a very reasonable £32.98 for a lovely, pink girls bike that is ideal for teaching your tots to cycle.

• Click here to get cycling with Argos eBay Outlet

The Kid Active girls bike has a pink steel frame and both front and rear calliper brakes. The frame is 10 inches in size with 14 inch wheels and is suitable for children with an inside leg measurement of 40-50cm. This roughly translates as ideal for kids aged four to six years old.

The stabilisers can be removed once your child has got the hang of that whole balancing thing and the seat is adjustable to match their height. You will need to do some self assembly to fit the front wheel, adjust the brakes, fit the pedals, saddle and handlebars.

Thanks to Paul124 at HUKD!

Tesco Magazine is giving away 10,000 free pedometers as of Friday 06 January as a part of their One Heart Health campaign and it is a most excellent freebie to start off the year. What better way to get you out into the world, pounding the pavements and burning calories than with a free pedometer?

• Click here to get your free pedometer with Tesco magazine

There are only 10,000 of these free pedometers to be given away so get in there as fast as possible so you aren’t too late! The pedometer is a great way to get your New Year walking plan kick started so you can start taking more steps towards a healthy life and a healthy heart.

One of the main focuses of the campaign is being more active which is a simple change we can all fit into our busy lives and will make such a difference to our health and energy levels. Do anything from climbing the stairs instead of taking the lift to getting off the bus a stop early. Anything extra will help your body and your health and this free pedometer certainly won’t hurt!

Thanks to stu1e at HUKD!

I recently read an article in the Economist that talked about how recent research has shown that people value things they make far more than they do shop-bought tat. The research was fascinating. They cited the case of instant cake mixes. When these were first launched the sales were dismal. Why? Because people didn’t feel like the cakes gave them any value, that they hadn’t really earned anything by making them.

So, what did the cake mix companies do? They changed the recipe to “add an egg” and the cake mixes flew off the shelves. While the article goes into far more detail on the where’s and why’s of how we value things we do and make ourselves, I have just stolen one simple idea – don’t spend this year, save and make it yourself.

Here are some ideas that I’ve come up with, that I’ve gleaned from other smart and sassy parents, and that I’ve uncovered with judicious research.

OOoh, this looks FUN, especially for those of you lucky enough to get snow so far this year. I am still staring mournfully at the sky with only rain falling in my eye. Anyway, the Stiga UFO Twister Sledge is only £6 at Newitts with a £1.99 delivery charge taking it up to £7.99 in total.

• Click here to slide on over to Newitts

The Stiga Twister UFO Sledge is a flying saucer that’s also a sled that’s also a flying saucer that’s… Ok, you get the picture. The sledge is designed as a large UFO shape with handles on either side for quick and easy grippage while sliding down a snow covered slope.

The Twister is also fine for both adults and kids so everyone can take a turn zipping down the hill at high speed while twisting about and roaring with laughter. Man, I am jealous of people who have snow.

You can get the Stiga Twister UFO Sledge in a variety of different colours including grey, black, red and blue and it is 65cm in diameter. Wheeee!

Thanks to thehoffer at HUKD!

This Chuggington set includes a helmet, skates and pads for only £10. The entire kit was £30, then it went down to £20 and now it is a very tasty £10 – a perfect Christmas gift. You save £20 off the original price and can arrange to collect it instore.

• Click here to chug on over to Tesco Direct

The Chuggington set includes quad skates – four wheels on each – a helmet and both elbow and knee pads. It is the ideal starter kit for little ones to get into the fun sport of rollerskating. The set is both robust and lightweight and the helmet has fully adjustable straps and snap close buckles.

The helmet will fit heads 52-56cm and the pads come with Velcro fastenings. The shoes will fit sizes 5-11 junior feet and the entire kit is suitable for kids over the age of three. I am not sure how old it goes up to though but it looks like a pretty good set for anyone wanting to teach their kids the basics.

Thanks to jensangel at HUKD!

This is a really good price for the Stomp Rocket kit on Amazon. It usually costs £11.99 but is now down to half price at £5.99 including free delivery. This would make an ace Christmas gift or stocking filler and will keep those little hands occupied while you snooze off your dinner.

• Click here to stomp on over to Amazon

The Stomp Rocket kit is serious fun for everyone aged six and up. The Stomp Rocket kit includes a rocket launcher, six re-usable high performance rockets and a jump-on stomp pad. All you have to do is take a step back and stomp on the pad with all the force you can muster.

Then the rocket will shoot a staggering 400ft into the air and make you all go, “Ooooh.” However, this is clearly not an indoor game and should probably be done in a park so you can find the projectiles again afterwards.

You don’t need batteries or fuel and the pack is very portable so you can take it anywhere.

Thanks to wishihadadonkey at HUKD!

The ELC sale is still going strong and they are offering some ace items at fabulously low prices. One such bunch of tasty discounted items is their range of umbrellas. These kids umbrellas are down from around £8.99 to only £3.60 including delivery. Nice.

• Click here to get some umbrellas with ELC

To get your free delivery use the code FREEDEL and to get your discount use the code SANTA. Now you have shaved even more off their discounted price, taking you down to £3.60 including delivery.

There are quite a few different umbrellas in stock at ELC and these range from Everything’s Rosie to Winnie the Pooh to Chugginton and Charley Bear. The rest of the designs are already sold out but these particular designs are still in stock.

If you fancy nabbing one of these kids umbrellas as a Christmas gift, then I suggest you start now because the price is good and stocks are limited. These kids umbrellas are designed for, well, kids so they have shorter handles and space and are smothered in cute designs. Ace.

Thanks to NICNICREES at HUKD!

This Razor Sole Skate is a bit different - it's a cross between a skate board and a scooter and is on sale at Amazon for £22.90, rather than £49.99.

• Click HERE to skate over to Amazon

Apparently skating on a Razor Sole Skate is like skating by stealth because it's so small - the size of your shoe apparently - so all you need to do is drop it on the ground, stand on it (with one foot) and then...SKATE.

There are only a couple of reviews but both say the Razor Sole Skate is cool and rather fun; like scooting without a cumbersome handle and skate boarding on one leg...

" Compact, rugged and cool if the street hasn't yet got one!" and "Great product , very easy to use and great fun," is the consensus of submitted opinion.

I was rubbish at skate boarding, I can't imagine I'd be any better at Razor Sole Skating either *grin*  The other thing I can't imagine is paying full price for a Razor Sole Skate!  £49.99 seems more than a bit expensive to me, but at £22.90 I'd probably give it a go if my son or daughter had developed a love of anything scooting or skating.

Happy Razor Sole Skating!

If you’re in the mood for getting your winter fun sorted out now, then this should make you very happy indeed. Smyths is selling a bunch of toboggans and sleds in all sorts of weird shapes and sizes from as low as £5.99 per sled.

• Click here to slide on over to Smyths

I am loving some of the totally bonkers sleds and toboggans here. There is a flat circular sledge in bright red or blue for £5.99, more traditional toboggans with handlebars, brakes and comfy seating for £16.99, and bobsledges from £7.99 in a variety of colours.

You can also get snowbaords and snow racers but these are far more expensive. I am not sure why the tiny looking snow board costs nearly £40 when there is more plastic on the toboggan but anyway, the others are much better deals.

Seeing as the weather predictors are all claiming that this winter is going to be one big mass of snow, perhaps nabbing one of these now is a brilliant idea.

Thanks to fella104 at HUKD!

The Little Tikes Easy Store Basketball set is down from £84.99 to only £39.99 at Adventure Toys, however, with delivery charges it comes to a total of £44.99. This is a pretty good deal for this product as, even with the postage charges, it is only a little over half the original price.

• Click here to get sporty with Adventure Toys

The Little Tikes easy story basketball set has a folding rim and base which also has wheels. This set folds into a compact and easily moved size for storage over the winter or in rain, or should you just want more space in your garden for a bit.

There are five height adjustments for the basketball set from 150-210cm so people of all skill levels can have fun playing with it and you can also raise the height as you improve in your skills. The set is fine for people three years and up and the price has been reduced because the box is damaged.

Thanks to angelaing at HUKD!

The Little Tikes Anchors Away Pirate Ship is down from £69.99 to only £29.99 which is a saving of £40 off the original price. The extra cash that takes it up to £34.99 is the included delivery charges that still don’t make much of an impact on the discounted price of this deal.

• Click here to get anchored with Adventure Toys

The Little Tikes Anchors Away Pirate Ship is a totally brilliant bargain buy and there are very few left in stock right now so nab it while you can. This water adventure ship comes with fountains, spinners, squirters and loads of accessories.

The mast has a built-in fountain that runs water down the flag and through lots of spinners and wheels that can be twisted around to get the best flow. In the boat you can use the cannon to fire water, crank the handle to raise the anchor and so much more.

This is suitable for ages two to six and looks utterly awesome. I wish I could get this!

Thanks to angelaing at HUKD!

The Nerf Vortex Howler is down from £12.99 to £5.49 at Play.com, a saving of £7.50 off the original price, over half! This is one funny looking dude and I reckon kids will love finding it in their Christmas stockings come 25 December.

• Click here to howl on over to Play.com

The Nerf Vortex Howler has finger grip zones to help you throw it smoothly and with cool tricks and twists. If you use them correctly you can make the Vortex spin faster for tight spirals and greater accuracy.

The Nerf Vortex Howler also comes with three separate whistles that combine to create an awesome (although probably extremely noisy) effect. I do wonder if these can be turned off because I imagine many parents will find the howling a tad irritating.

This has loads of customer reviews on Play.com too. Most of them rave about the Nerf Vortex Howler, saying it is fun to play with and that it is quite durable and cool. Seems like a fun gadget!

Thanks to Degon at HUKD!

Last year these Bob Kat Sledge's were £10 each, and totally sold out as soon as the snow hit. And the same the year before that. I know because I tried to buy one, so last year I made sure I bought a sledge in advance. Sure enough, as soon as it snowed you couldn't find one for love nor money. Now Argos has them on offer for £7.49.

• Click here for sledging fun at Argos

My son's sledge was a total lifesaver during last year's mega snows here in London. We don't often get snow on the ground, so EVERYTHING ground to a halt. On the hard packed snow, the sledge just flew along with hardly any pulling effort. Was handy for bringing the shopping home since we couldn't get the car out of the drive!

We also went sledging just about every day. We took the sledge to school with us - there's a park right next door on a hill - and got in an hours worth of sledging before the bell rang. It was the only time EVER that my son couldn't wait to get dressed into his uniform and leave the house!

The Bob Kat Sledge has a rope for pulling it around, and holding one when you go flying down the hill. There are foot and seat indents and rests. My son preferred to lie on the sledge, and whizz down the hill head first though! It takes weights up to 60kg, which is not something I noticed when I bought it for him. Both his dad and I have had a go, and as 60kg is somewhere between 9 and 10 stone I'm not saying another word!

One good thing about all that sledging though, I lost nearly a stone in weight with all the extra exercise.

Thanks to OldEnglish at HUKD!

If you have offspring, then it is likely that you also own at least one scooter. You are also used to the following: carrying scooter and child home, carrying scooter home, putting back out dragging child on scooter while child yells, wanting to throw scooter in nearest bin but can’t as it cost you a fortune.

Sound familiar?

HA! Well, Scoot ‘n Pull is this rather ingenious solution to this very problem. You attach it to the scooter and you, um, pull. Yeah, that’s it. Sounds utterly and completely ridiculous yes? But my goodness has it saved me.

You see my back goes out at the drop of a slipper. I actually put it out putting slippers ON, that is how cranky my back can be, so bending over to drag a scooter and a screaming child was always a bit hellish. With this I just plonked it onto the scooter, and pulled.

There are a couple of teething things to be warned about though…Firstly, your child needs to steer while you pull and, if your child is like my ditzy little thing, they may forget to do this. Somehow the psychological transfer of pulling power has her neglecting to point the scooter in the right direction. However, with a bit of practise it gets easier.

Second, it is a little bit too short for me. I would have preferred a longer lead. Still, this is hardly an issue and the bright colours and well made stitching more than compensate. Oh, and did I mention that you can loop the Scoot ‘n Pull over the scooter so you can carry it home like a backpack? Clever eh?

No more scooter bumping on sensitive shin bones, instead it bumps gently on my plentiful bum. Grin.

It only costs £6.99 which is not that cheap really, but as an investment in parental sanity it seems worth every penny.