There's a slight glimmer of sun? Get the kids outside to soak up what vitamin D they can get. Outdoor toys like this Activequipment Pop-up Skills Football Goal could be just the trick. Tesco has reduced the goal from £19.50 to £9.75. That's a saving of 50% (although I am guessing you were able to do the maths on that one!).

• Click here for your Activeuipment Pop-up Skills Football Goal at Tesco*

This Activequipment pop-up football goal is great for practising your shooting skills. Easy to set-up, the goal pop-ups instantly and is lightweight, easy to carry and store.

The goal is dual sided and can be used either as a regular goal or pushed over and used with the target cover. The Activequipment pop-up skills goal comes complete with storage and carry bag as well as pegs to keep it upright and sturdy.

This is typical of the customer reviews: "Even though the netting is compact it is good quality and my 4yr old can up it up himself. He has not destroyed it yet either!  The goal challenge bit is his favourite and has inspired most adults to have a go too (even a friend shortly after a hip replacement). I bought it for my son to improve his aim and he enjoys the challenge to get the ball through the goal".

Thanks to Taswir1 at HUKD!

Tesco is slashing 40% off all their picnic tables and chairs until Sunday 2 June! They offer a wide variety of chairs from just £3.60 as well as table from just £12! Delivery will be charged or you can click, order and collect for free from your closest Tesco.

• Click here for fantastic savings on outdoor equipment from Tesco*

Summer is around the corner and what better way to spend your weekends than out in the sunshine at a picnic? Every child I know LOVES a picnic – partly because of the type of food (lets be honest) but mainly because it means they’re outdoors in the fresh air, free to run around like loons without knocking over Granny’s special vase.

Our friends at Tesco are offering up to 40% off their picnic tables and chairs so you can be comfortable while your kids go mad in the open.  I HATE lugging around 3 chairs and table and picnic basket so I fell in love with their 4-seater folding picnic table and chair combo for just £15 (was £25). It packs away into ONE unit and is a breeze to transport. It’s got a steel frame and ABS plastic table top covers so its light to carry and easy to clean (BIG bonus).

Alternatively check out Tesco’s individual chairs from £3.60 and their aluminium tables from £12. Perfect for camping or caravanning they really do make the outdoors comfortable and pleasant.

Now let’s just pray for some warm weather…

Tesco are selling packs of two jersey cot bed sheets for £5.60, the original price was £8.

• Click HERE to take a look at the Tesco Loves Baby jersey cot bed sheets*

I'm sure you know, by now, that I have a bit of a 'thing' for bedding.  Whether it's my own or my children's, I like there to be lots of sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers all neatly ironed and folded in the airing cupboard.

This comes from having learned, during my parenthood years, that you can never have too many spare sets of bedding ready and waiting to be put on the bed at a moment's notice.

There are few things worse than having a child with wet bed sheets and discovering, when you go to get dry ones, that the few you have are all in the wash.  You'll always get through more than you think you will and sheets, particularly lovely soft jersey ones, can be expensive to accumulate.

Tesco to the RESCUE! This pack of two cosy jersey sheets are machine washable, can be tumble dried and are a natural colour so it doesn't matter if you don't know whether you're buying for a blue or pink arrival (or already arrived!)

All the usual Tesco delivery blurb applies - instore collection is free, standard delivery will cost you an additional £3.

Thanks to Jessyca88 at HUKD

If you have a Monster High fan in your family, then get yourself over to Tesco and see whether or not there are some Monster High bits and pieces they'd like - there's currently a 25% discount on selected items.

• Click HERE to see the Monster High bargains *

You have to have children of a certain age to have even the vaguest clue about Monster High.  A quick bit of Googling (what did we do pre-Google?!) will reveal that they are a cast of characters created by toy giant, Mattel.

They are the offspring, or descendants, of various well-known characters from horror stories, such as Dracula, Medusa, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Werewolves and Zombies.

The age guidance is six years plus and as my youngest son is almost seven, I haven't had much exposure to anything Monster High - I'm not sure it's a really a boy thing.  However, I do know it's very popular so the various Monster High items are bound to go out of stock pretty quickly.

You can arrange to collect your Monster High haul from your local Tesco store, or you can pay an extra £3 if you really can't get yourself there, or perhaps just can't be bothered!

Thanks to HankScorpio1976 at HUKD 

If you're in the market for a kid's character backpack, then you need to get yourself over to Tesco - they have a few, starting from £3, up for grabs at the moment.

• Click HERE to take a look at the kids backpacks*

Back packs are handy things to have around the house and I came to the realisation, many years ago, that one is just not enough.

My youngest has a back pack for his swimming kit, a back pack that he likes to keep his Skylanders in and a back pack for carrying general 'stuff' around with him when he goes out.

I can't stop myself from teasing him about having 'man-bags' at the age of almost seven, but he doesn't care - man-bags are COOL, and I know nothing! 

What is very cool is that he carries his own things around; my niece, by the way, also has a REAL 'thing' for all things 'bag' - whether they be backpacks or otherwise, she won't be seen out without one; she's only just turned five.

There are a few different character designs available for you to choose from: Thomas and Friends, Disney Princess, Disney Princess Fairies, Disney Cars, Fireman Sam, and even a couple of plain ones, if none of the character ones take your fancy.

Obviously, the cheapest way to get your hands on your backpack is to pop into your local Tesco store and collect it, that doesn't cost anything.  Otherwise you're looking at an additional £3 for home delivery, and then your backpack bargain won't be such a bargain any more.

Thanks to samzam at HUKD 

Tesco are selling this Moomba Lion and Friends baby gym for half price - £24.35 instead of £48.75.  Just to give you a quick comparison, Amazon are currently selling it for £39 and say the rrp is £65 - look!

• Click HERE to take a look at the Moomba Lion and Friends baby gym *

I have to say, I really like the look of this Moomba Lion and Friends baby gym - I've bought three different ones in my time, written about plenty more, and I know when one 'talks' to me...this one does.

It looks different with it's not quite so in-your-face bright colours like the majority of other baby gyms have.  Its mat looks suedey soft (I'm sure suedey isn't a real word, but for the purposes of this post, I'm making it one!) and the Moomba lion cushion can be removed.

It has the usual four corner play arch with the obligatory dangling toys, one of which is always a mirror, and its suitable from birth.

All three of my children spent plenty of their early months laying underneath a baby gym, they loved it and I'd recommend one to anyone who's expecting a baby or already has a little one.

You can arrange to collect your Moomba Lion and Friends baby gym, for free, from your local Tesco store, or you can lob them an extra £3 and have them deliver it to you instead.

Thanks to Khio77 at HUKD

Use this Tesco Clothing promotional discount to get £10 or £5 off your order when you spend £50 or £25 respectively. I believe this code may be for new customers only, so you will have to register with a new email address if you have registered before.

Click here to use your Tesco Clothing Promotional Discount 

• Discount: £10
• Minimum spend: £50
• Promotional code: ffsummer2
• Expires: 20th May 2013

£5 discount:

• Discount: £5
• Minimum spend: £25
• Promotional code: ffsummer3
• Expires: 20th May 2013

To use this code you’ll need to go through checkout. And you’ll need to register first. When you get to the third page of checkout – the Order Summary page – scroll down the page and click on the eCoupons or Promotion Codes button.

Type in the code, don’t cut and paste. I tried pasting it in there but the site rejected the code. It only worked when I typed it in myself. When I returned to the Order Summary page, the discount had been deducted.

I’m always happy when a company gives me a tenner!

Thanks to lemony_7 at HUKD!

Tesco, through the Entertainer, are selling value packs of Moon Dough for £3. Unfortunately postage is another £2.99 and there's no click and collect option, but at 'was £20' plus £2.99, to just £5.99 is still pretty good value for money, especially if you're buying more than one, which at that price you can, and then have a replacement, or gifts to spare. I popped four in my basket and postage stayed £2.99.

• Model and play with Moon Dough

Moon dough is such fun, so long as you don't have a carpeted area to play on!

Aparently Moon Dough modelling clay never stains - I've not put this to the test - and it doesn't dry out either, as compared to its generically named rival in the modelling clay arena.

The dough is light and pliable, making it ideal for little hands.

It is also hypo-allergenic, so shouldn't cause any untoward reactions.

Moon Dough is recommended for little creative minds, aged over three years old.

Thanks to adwozere at HUKD

This is a fairly new Lego set, which means this is a really recent price drop. According to our sister site HUKD it only went down this morning on Tesco's site and Amazon. You can collect instore at Tesco for free but do go to Amazon if you need it delivered as that's free there on UK Super Saver Delivery. The original price of the Lego Super Heroes Iron Man vs The Mandarin: Ultimate Showdown 76008 was £11.99. It is now £8.

• Click here for your Lego Super Heroes Iron Man set at Tesco Direct*

It's a Mandarin Face Off at the Miami dockside in the final battle between Iron Man and the Mandarin. Take on the ultra-tough armored car and its rotating flamethrower with dual flame flick missiles! Fly circles around the bad guy and don't let him scorch this super hero! Includes 2 minifigures and a weapon: Iron Man with Heart Breaker Armor and the Mandarin.

The age range on the set is 5 to 8 years old. However on both the Tesco and Amazon sites it is said to be suitable for ages 6 plus! Would make a handy gift to stockpile in the present drawer.

• Includes 2 minifigures and a weapon: Iron Man with Heart Breaker Armor and the Mandarin
• Features the Mandarin’s armored car with rotating flame thrower with dual flame flick missiles and large wheels
• Weapons include a pistol
• Rotate the flamethrower!
• Fire the flame flick missiles!

Thanks to Husain24 at HUKD!

So maybe the Little Circus moses basket was a bit bright for you; perhaps you'd prefer something a little more simple and understated? What about this all white Clair de Lune Broderie Anglaise moses bakset then? It's absolutely on a par with the Little Circus moses basket price, £22.45, and you can collect it for free from your local Tesco too.

• Click HERE to take a look at the Clair de Lune broderie anglaise moses basket *

This Clair de Lune moses basket is themed with a white cover, and bedding set, that features a delicate star pattern.  The basket lining and quilt can all be washed at 30C, but you will need to buy a stand for it.

It's got good reviews from existing owners too, here's just one of them:

"We have had our fair share of moses baskets over the years and I have to say for a really good price this is as good if not better than ones I have had before. Good sturdy makeup and no huge gap around the edges. Highly recommended"

I've had my fair share of moses baksets too.  There was never any question as to whether or not to have a moses basket, that was always a given - they can't be beaten when it comes to portable sleeping: baby in the bedroom next to you - easy; baby sleeping in his, or her, own room - piece of cake; baby sleeping downstairs so you can keep an eye on them as you get on with other things - no problem; weekends away - no need to worry!

If you don't want to schelp to Tesco, then you can always grease their palms with an additional £3 and have them deliver your Clair de Lune moses basket to you instead.

Thanks to dotty4deals at HUKD

If you're heading off to an outdoor event soon, or going away camping then you might want to take a look-see at these kids camping chairs, they're currently on sale at Tesco for £4.88 instead of £6.50.

• Click HERE to take a look at the kids folding camping chairs *
  

Okay, so this isnt' the cheapest I've ever seen these camping chairs for, but they are that good I'd happily pay up to a tenner for them - so, in my book, they're still a bargain at £4.88.

You know, I always thought these chairs were a bit daft, in either adult and kid size, until I actually tried one and became a bit of a convert. Prior to that I spent my outdoor event and picnic days on blankets, having to mould myself around the pot holes or mole hills underneath our 'spot'.

Then came the chairs and they were a revelation: easy to fold and unfold, light enough to carry and made the entire sitting-down-outside experience a much more pleasurable and civilised one.

Kids will still love sitting on blankets but they'll also want to sit in the chairs too (you know what they're like) so it makes sense to have a couple of these folding camping chairs on-hand for them...otherwise you'll end up back on the blanket atop lumpy ground whilst they lounge in YOUR chair.

You can choose from pink or blue and the frame has a locking mechansim too to guard against small fingers getting trapped.

Thanks to maaow at HUKD

Tesco have reduced the Airflow Bouncy Castle from £125 to £56.25. If you're a first time online shopper, you can also use the voucher code below to get another £10 off purchases over £50 (so you can use it for anything, not just this bouncy castle), bringing your total to £46.25.

Bounce about in the sunshine*

• Discount: £10
• Minimum Spend: £50
• Valid For: First time customers
• Discount Code: TDX-9KJ6

We've just recently bought a much, much smaller bouncy castle than this for our teensy little garden, which is just as well or I'd be tempted to put this up in the living room! My girls love jumping castles and anything that gets them active works well for me.

The bonus of this castle is that it comes with a pump for blowing up - no manual blowing, bonus. It continuously inflates and will continue to do so even if small pinholes occur in the castle.  There's a net around it so kids wont fall out, although there is a hole in one of the sides.

Maximum user weight for the Airflow Bouncy Castle is 68kg.
Thanks to pimpson at HUKD

Tesco are selling this Bob the Builder towel for £3.75, instead of the full £9.99.

• Click HERE to take a look at the Bob the Builder towel*

You may, or may not, remember that I have a thing for towels. As far as I'm concerned, one of the great pleasures in life is having piles and piles of towels in the laundry cupboard, all neatly folded and stacked according to colour and size - if you're the same, and you live with a young Bob the Builder fan, then this Bob the Builder towel may just have to join the ranks of other towels in your airing cupboard. 

My kids loved nothing more than getting out of the bath or shower and being wrapped up in a towel adorned with whoever was their current character-of-the moment - which is why there is a character towel PILE in my airing cupboard; one minute it was Hello Kitty, the next it was someone Disney, then Toy Story came along! You know it goes...

You can, if you really have no other option, arrange for Tesco to deliver your Bob the Builder towel to you, but that'll cost you an additional £3 - rather pop along to your nearest Tesco store and pick it up for free instead.

Thanks to lilliesmummy11 at HUKD

Tesco are selling Boules sets for £3, rather than £5.

• Click HERE to take a look at the Boules set*

I rather like playing boules, and my kids loved it when they were small too. The idea is very simple and it can keep children occupied for a-g-e-s. The set comes with a little white jack ball - or the target ball, if you prefer the non-technical name - and eight boules, in four different colours all held in a handy carry case, so you can easily take them out and about with you.

So you throw the jack and then players have to throw their 'boules' at it and see who gets closest - that's it! See, dead simple and with this plastic boules set, you can play it inside as well as out.

The reviews that have been left are good too:

"Solid, weighty set, very good value for the money," and, "Good weight and size. Used these to play Boccia with young adults. Fantastic quality, fun for hours! Highly recommended," are just a couple of examples for you.

Of course, this deal is only going to save you cash if you pop into store and collect your Boules set in person. Delivery costs an additional £3, if you're really, really stuck.

Thanks to sapphire1 at HUKD

A couple of weeks ago we reviewed the Tesco Loves Baby Newborn items from Tesco. Today we're reviewing some items for slightly older toddlers.

I'm not a huge supermarket shopper anymore, so I've asked a few friends recently about their experiences of Tesco Loves Baby, and overall, the comments have been positive. They've mentioned things like good quality at a cheaper price, and consistently reliable products. Some felt some things were hit and miss, especially with the nappies, but that can be said of absolutely any brand of nappy, whether disposable or reusable. 

Tesco are selling this Peppa Pig Guess With Peppa game for £10 instead of £20.

• Click HERE to take a look at Peppa Pig Guess With Peppa*

If you have a young Peppa fan then, having read the reviews, it sounds as though they'll love this Peppa Pig Guess With Peppa game! Here's what existing owners have to say about it:

"Good toy hours spent playing and learning at the same time too! A must for Peppa fans."

"This game is very easy to use. It have various games in one and best of all - it all packs away together very neatly. Overall a very good buy and value for money as batteries are also included."

"My grandaughter who is 4 in April 2013 loved this and would recommend for children 3-5 years."

SO, there are four discovery games and one guessing game for them to get to grips with, with eight double-sided picture cards showing all their favourite characters.

The game stands up on a foldable stand, which makes it nice and easy to play with, and the cards pack away inside the unit when play is over. So no lost cards, hopefully, which can only be a good thing!

You can arrange to collect your Peppa Pig Guess With Peppa game for free from your local Tesco store, or you can hand over an additional £3 and they'll drop it off to you instead.

Thanks to Cobman at HUKD

Tesco are selling my most favourite baby wipes in the whole wide world - Johnsons Baby skincare wipes - for 89 pence per pack of 54.

• Click HERE to go and grab some packs of Johnson's Baby skincare wipes *

If you think you're going to stop buying baby wipes when your baby isn't a baby any more, think again; my children are aged 18, 17 and almost seven, and baby wipes are still a regular feature on my shopping list.

My daughter and I use baby wipes every day and we both agree that Johnson's Baby skincare wipes are the best for taking make-up off and are bigger, and cheaper, than specific make-up removing wipes.

They are as mild as water, so can safely be used on delicate baby faces too, and contain No More Tears baby lotion to keep skin feeling lovely and soft.

I have no idea whether this deal applies in Tesco stores too, but they usually make their online deals available in the shops - it's worth having a look if you're popping past.  But even if it doesn't apply in-store, there's no limit on the number of packs you can buy for 89 pence and this price is valid until 7 May too, so you've got a little bit of time to stock up if you don't want to go Johnsons Baby skincare wipe crazy all in one go.

Thanks to aztek at HUKD

The Fisher-Price Deluxe Pram, Travel bag & seat Playset is on sale at Tesco for £25 instead of £50.

• Every baby deserves the best*

The Fisher Price Deluxe playset consists of a doll's travel system with accessories.There's a pushchair, travel bag and seat, suitable for dolls only, Tesco's website must mention!

A safety belt on the pushchair safely straps in the doll, just like a on a real pushchair. There's also a play bar with pretty butterflies attached for the doll's entertainment.

The matching travel bag is perfect for the dolls accessories, of which it seems there are seven unnamed pieces. Finally, there's also a baby doll in an apparently adorable baby grow.

The reviews on Tesco's site are pretty good, all round, and it should ensure hours of play.

Thanks to mgreen2011 at HUKD

Use this Tesco promotional code to get £10 off your order when you spend £50 or more on items from the baby & toddler section. The code is for new customers only, however posters on our sister site HUKD have successfully used the code after setting up a new account with a new email address.

Click here for to use yourTesco promotional code*

• Discount: £10
• Minimum spend: £50
• Promotional code: TDX-7GRT
• Expires: 12th April 2013

To use this code you’ll need to go through checkout. And you’ll need to either log-in first, or register. When you get to the third page of checkout – the Order Summary page – scroll down the page and click on the eCoupons or Promotion Codes button. Type in the code, don’t cut and paste. I tried pasting it in there but the site rejected the code. It only worked when I typed it in myself.

The code is for new customers only. If you are already registered on the site, you can try registering again with a different email address. This has worked for a few people, and in the past with similar codes people have been able to use it repeatedly with a new email address each time. However, if you need to call customer services or you do this too many times you may end up on a sort of 'blacklist'. This happened to one of our HUKD members when the customer service person realised there were nearly 100 accounts set up for the same address!

I’m always happy when a company gives me a tenner!

Thanks to Pinkmummyof4 at HUKD!

No matter how you decide to parent, the early stages of parenting are expensive. Whether you go for cloth or disposable nappies, prams or slings, puree feed or follow baby led weaning, everything costs something, and often finding what's 'right' for you is really trial and error. Which is all fine and well, except these particular trials all cost money!

So, when you're able to try different things and have them not cost the earth most of us grab onto that with both hands.

Tesco sent us a range of newborn stock to test out, but, sad as I am to say it, my 'baby' just turned one a few weeks ago, and there's nothing newborn about her anymore. Fortunately, however, one of our best friends had a baby just over a month ago, so I passed most of Tesco Loves Baby range over to her to try and let me know how she got on. We did keep the wetwipes though, because dirty sticky hands know no age.

The first thing I noticed about the Tesco Loves Baby Pure Wipes is that buying it supports Bliss, the charity for premature babies, and knowing a few precious little ones who've spent time in SBCU, I think any support Bliss can get is great. 

There are 64 wipes in a pack, and they sell at £1.09, making them 1.7p per wipe. I did find them a little smaller than our regular wipes, but they are nice and thick. They are also not overly wet, which I know will appeal to a lot of people. Our 'regular' brand are very wet, which puts some people off, so this is very much a personal preference thing. Less wet is also good when you carry it around in your bag all day - I've had wet everything from wetwipes before, which isn't great.  I also thought they dried my skin out a little, but then I have a very sensitive skin, and that wont be a problem for everyone.

On the other hand, they are fragrance free, which is really nice, because they don't make everything in your bag smell like wetwipes.

Overall they do live up to their name, in that they are fragrance free, and they are super soft.

To go with wipes, you often need nappies, so my friend Maggy reviewed the Tesco Loves Baby New Born Nappies. These come in packs of 25 and cost £2.57 per pack - although right now they are on offer for 2 for £4.

The first thing Maggy commented on when she opened the pack of nappies, was how soft they were, and they really do feel soft. She particularly liked the overlapping sticky stuff, because Olive is absolutely miniscule around the middle, and other nappies were quite loose around the top, which meant there was always poo shooting up into the babygrow, which we can all agree doesn't add to the cuteness of the baby.

Maggy changes Olive religiously every two to three hours, so we haven't tested the absorbancy to its limits, but she didn't have any leakages, and she was particularly impressed that she knew when Olive had gone because she could smell wee or poo but not chemicals, which is something you often get in other nappies.

Once she's clean and fed and warm and dry, baby Olive gets a soother and is popped in her co-sleeper next to Maggy's bed. Maggy found the Tesco  loves Baby New Born Night Time Soothers (£2.99 for 2) to be really practically designed. She loved that the silicone teats are reversible, so it doesn't matter which way round you pop it in -something she found greatly beneficial in the middle of the night. Another big positive for her is that the dummy glows in the dark, so rather than switching the light on you can spot it and pop it back in. The only thing is that with a 6pm bed time, the glow doesn't really last all night, and if it's gone in under a blanket or under Olive, then it's not as easy to spot, but that's true of anything. The idea is there and is good, and helps out at least some of the time.

The Tesco Loves Baby 2 Wide Neck Bottles have loads of positives, like the fact that they are way cheaper than branded bottles. They are BPA free and have silicone(£3.50 for 2) , slow flow teats.  It is microwave, steriliser and dish washer safe and the teats are easy replaceable for heavier or lighter flow. The bottles are too big and heavy right now for Olive to hold herself, and Maggy is breastfeeding, so she did try it with Olive, but has decided to keep them for down the line, when Olive can hold them herself. 

We were also sent two packs of teethers for babies. Olive hasn't needed these yet, and wouldn't know what to do with them right now, but one thing I did not about them and really liked was the fact that they are small enough for little mouths. Both my girls teethed early - as early as four months - and at the time we couldn't find any small teething rings, they were all too big for her. This is a huge improvement, and babies can either just chomp at them, or you can freeze them for better relief. The only problem is if they're frozen they are really cold, and there's no non-ice surface to hold on to.

The Mini Water Filled Teethers are £2.29 a pack of three and I think they're fantastic value for money. The gel filled Teddy Teethers cost the same, but they are a little hardier, and I'd say better for older babies. The water ones are softer and would be nicer for sore gums - but that could just be down to baby's preferences. The Teddies have a hole in the middle too, making them easer to hold.

The Good

Overwhelmingly the price of the Baby Loves Tesco range fall in the good category, and there's nothing that doesn't do what it's supposed to.  Tesco products are also easily accessible, there's a Tesco everywhere.

The Bad

I can't really think of anything that isn't specific to us or our own things, like skin conditions.

The Verdict 

Cheap, cheerful, useful and ideal for parents who need to try a variety of products before finding what works best with their little ones.