Time is precious especially when children grow up so fast. The more ways we can find to optimise our time, the more we can enjoy every minute of family life, whether it be filled with mud pies, finger painting or bedtime stories.

If you need some inspiration on how to keep life moving with little ones, Galt Toys has listed ten time saving tips, written in collaboration with mums and dads across the country.

1. Hands free Slings – Babies love to feel close to you and by placing them in a sling they can hear your heartbeat, voice and smell your scent, creating a comforting and safe place for them to be while leaving your hands free.
2. Pre-prepare evening meals – By cooking in bulk at the weekend then freezing the food, you can save time during the week. Your youngsters will get all the nutrients they need from a home cooked meal and you’ll get extra time to play family games.
3. Organise your week - If you can pin tasks to certain days of the week, for example laundry on a Tuesday and shopping on a Thursday, you can stick to your schedule and forget about these responsibilities for the rest of the week. They will soon become part of your routine without even thinking about it.
4. Share childcare – Set up a rota with a friend to have their children over once a week, and let them return the favour. This will free up a good few hours, where you can either enjoy some ‘me’ time or do jobs that are impossible with a toddler around.
5. Shopping fun – Get your little ones involved if you need to go shopping. They can help by carrying the list and match products to pre-prepared picture cards of things you’re likely to buy. Better still, while they are taking a nap, shop online and have everything you need delivered to your door.
6. Galt’s Playnest® – The Farm Playnest® provides a soft and supportive resting area for your baby from birth and is a fun and safe place for your little one to play, leaving you free to do other things. Around the Playnest® are 8 multi-sensory features to stimulate touch, vision and hearing, which all help with hand/eye coordination and manipulative skills.
7. Combine trips – If you’re off to the park or activity centre, combine this with other parents and friends, so while the children are running around exhausting themselves you can have a catch up and socialise.
8. Prep the next day – After you’ve put the kids to bed, spend five minutes laying out tomorrow’s clothes in the peace and quiet instead of juggling babies, toddlers and piles of clothes in the morning. You can also do this with breakfast bowls and cereals so everything is good to go when you wake up.
9. Safe socks – Keep a mesh bag next to the washing machine and pop all socks in it as you go, so you don’t spend time fishing through the laundry trying to find that missing odd sock!
10. Gift store – Create a gift cupboard stocked with useful presents and cards to use for a thank you, teachers presents, or birthdays. Small items such as picture frames, candles, ornaments etc can all make perfect presents. By stocking up when they’re on sale, you’ll save money and time hunting for the right gift and card for when the time comes.

John McDonnell, Managing Director of Galt Toys comments: “Being a parent myself, I know only too well how difficult it can be to manage your own time, home life and keep your children entertained. I hope some of our time saving tips will help you gain a little more quality time with your children.”

About Galt Toys – www.galttoys.com

James Galt & Co. Ltd. has been established for over 175 years. James Galt himself was born at Stewarton in Ayrshire and set up as an educational stockist in Manchester in 1836. In the 1850s the company expanded into printing and publishing and in 1957 the company moved from Manchester to Cheadle in Cheshire. In 1961 the Galt Toys division was formed.

Galt produces and sells quality toys which meet the needs of all stages of child development from 0-10 years. Galt products are designed to be fun and to encourage learning through play. Traditionally the company is associated with art, craft and activity products. In more recent years Galt has established a name for itself in the First Years category with the innovative awarded winning Playnest.