NOT a sponsored post, though I happily BLAGGED a new Hot Wheels Wall Tracks set.

Well, I’ve four boys aged six and under in my house. Plus their father. Anything with four wheels falls under the heading of GOOD. And if it’s GOOD for them it’s BLIMMIN’ FANTASTIC for me because it means five seconds peace while they’re all engaged with the same activity.

Wall Tracks is a new concept from Hot Wheels. Instead of the traditional on the floor way of playing with Hot Wheels cars, the track is anchored to the wall. Alarming, non? I thought so. I don’t have beautifully wallpapered walls but I’d rather my plaster and paint stay put. But first things first: locate a suitable wall. This was trickier than I’d imagined because most of my walls have furniture sitting in front of them, are halved by something annoying like a dado rail, or are in my bedroom. And maternal love goes only so far. I eventually located a suitable looking wall in the bedroom my two youngest sons share. Unfortunately, I’d already put up a wall sticker in the shape of a rather fetching tree (part of a project, like so many in my life, that’s ‘in progress’. The idea being to create a family tree by putting up photographs of nearest and dearest in suitable branches). So the Hot Wheels Wall Tracks had to be placed carefully over the branches of the tree.

Shame the sharp bend ended in a tree...

The tracks are anchored by Hang Brackets stuck on with ‘Command™ Strips’. Essentially super strong (but not strong enough to rip off the plasterwork, apparently…) double-sided stickers. The Hang Brackets are placed correctly using an easy template, which is also printed with instructions. Placing it was easier than I thought. The instructions suggested waiting 30 minutes before playing, but son 2 and playdate friend can’t even count to 30, so we popped the track on the Hang Brackets and crossed our fingers.

The finished Wall Track

The result? A fun hour (I know! 60 minutes!). Various Hot Wheels (two were supplied with the set) whizzed round the track and out of control onto the floor. We’d also been given an extender set, but this needed to be placed at on a wall at right angles to the left of the first wall. Not as complicated as I made that sound, and a moot requirement anyway given that son 4′s cot sat where I need to put the extender set.

So here are the scores on the doors:

WHAT THE CHILDREN LIKE: Once Wall Tracks is assembled there’s no boring set-up required the next time they want to play with it.
WHAT I LIKE: Less mess in the house. Wall Tracks sits on the wall out of the way, rather than all over the floor waiting to be tripped over.
WHAT THE CHILDREN AREN’T SURE ABOUT: Having to have a designated area to play Hot Wheels. Sometimes it’s fun to create new tracks over sofas and under the kitchen table.
WHAT I’M NOT SO SURE ABOUT: My walls! I haven’t tried to take the Hang Brackets off yet, and despite reassurances on the packaging, I’m still a bit nervous about my plasterwork.
THE VERDICT: Hot Wheels, but potentially even more fun. Gravity helps the cars whizz around, and the set is out when you need it rather than hiding in the box.
SCORES ON THE DOORS? 8/10.

I seem to be offered something for nothing quite a bit at the moment. And if not for nothing, then at a heavily discounted rate. Fish pedicures for half price, buy one get one free massages, last week someone to come and clean my house at 30% off. The last one in particular rang alarm bells because it struck me that the person doing the cleaning might well be the one to receive the 30% off his or her salary. I like clean carpets but prefer a clean conscience to go with them. I’m also pretty cautious. All those Key Noir, Groupon and Vent Privee websites probably will give you money off something, but if the something isn’t what you wanted to begin with you’ve saved rather than spent?

After a tip-off from my sister, I do use Top Cash Back. Gawd knows how it works but it does genuinely give money back on purchases made through its website. I bought expensive Timberland boots for two of my children and got back 5.6% back of the purchase price. Lego set for another son meant getting nearly 5% back. Not life-changing amounts but nice nonetheless, especially as both purchases were things I was definitely going to buy anyway. What’s the catch? Probably being targeted by companies who use clever Cookies technology to discover I have children aged six and younger. Ending up on yet more mailing lists? Putting High Street shops out of business?

So I was interested to hear about new website Half-Pint Chic. Truly not my kind of site because it specialises in discounted designer childrenswear. Sign up and you’ll get up to 70% off designer labels. I’ve bought my children the odd designer number but mainly rely on hand-me-downs from family and the odd rummage on the High Street. It just seems wrong to spend £80 on a jumper for a six-year-old that he’ll grow out of within months. Or cover with bolognaise. I like clothes and love shopping but have four boys whose only fashion criteria is if something is scratchy or not.

I took a look at the site and thought that £14 (50% off the original £28) seemed a great bargain for a cute Toffee Moon pullie. And I guess it would last longer than a fish pedicure or carpet clean.

Yours for £14, bargain hunter

Free event!

The Itch of The Golden Nit lands on the big screen in Trafalgar Square

Saturday 23 July 11.00 – 17.00

Admission free, just turn up (some activities will require booking on the day)

For families with children aged 5-13. (All children must be accompanied by an adult – don’t just dump and run!)

This Saturday 23 July, Trafalgar Square will be transformed to celebrate all things animation with a film screening of Tate Movie Project’s “The Itch of The Golden Nit”, a Tate/Aardman animations production previously shown on CBBC.

Created by thousands of children across the UK as part of the Cultural Olympiad, this is the first opportunity for the public to see the film on an open-air big screen, made possible by BP and part of the London 2012 Open Weekend. Families can take part in a wide range of free activities including interactive animation workshops, and meet some of the big names that made it happen. Funded by Legacy Trust UK and BP, with additional support and resources from the BBC, the film has been brought together by Tate and the creative magic of Aardman Animations.

Trafalgar Square will become a hive of activity for all families to get involved in throughout the day. Tate will present a rolling programme of  ”The Itch of The Golden Nit” film, a screening of Blue Peter’s “Making of…,” and special appearances from children’s TV presenters, including Blue Peter’s Andy Akinwolere and CBBC’s Iain Stirling, and celebrated illustrators including Tony Ross of Horrid Henry and Little Princess. Special guests include Sam & Mark, and Cerrie and Alex from Cbeebies.

Alongside this programme children can take part in a whole range of movie-related fun in different areas of the square. Highlights include:

-   ‘How To’: hear from animators from Aardman Animations, illustrators and stars from CBBC including Nev the Bear and Kirsten O’Brien.

-   ‘Now Do’: visit the Tate Movie Project truck, to take part in hands-on animation workshops with the team.

-   Green Screen: Drop by the ‘green screen’ area and see yourself in the magical world of the movie.

-   Sound Booth – Create your own sound effects and voiceovers to the film at the sound booth truck.

Families can make a day of the London 2012 Open Weekend activities by visiting BP Saturdays: Tate Together at Tate Britain for a free day of art and activities. Highlights include ‘Overhead Overlays’, a workshop where families can create moving-images using video, images and projections, and ‘Real Time’  where movement and action is played back to participants by motion capture performers. The Roundhouse Experimental Choir will also be performing throughout the building, listen out for their experimental acoustics and improvisations.

Buses 87 and 88 run between Tate Britain and Trafalgar Square, making it easy to hop between both locations for the ultimate art-filled day for all the family.

For full family listings at Tate sites, visit www.tate.org.uk/families