Five Minute Mum: Give Me Five: Five minute, easy, fun games for busy people to do with little kids

Absolutely fantastic. I’ve followed five minute mum on Instagram for a while and used her website lots but it is so nice to have all of her wonderful games and ideas in one place. The ideas are so good and the fact that everything is pretty much set up using things you have around the house is just brilliant. It just makes it so accessible for every time. My little boy (aged 4) absolutely loves the games we have played so far. He will now actually request the ones he wants! And will usually play them over and over again. The ideas are so wonderfully simple yet engaging and it is such a great tool for mums. It will last us ages as the games and ideas are so adaptable for different ages and concepts. I am so glad I bought this book. It makes life as a mum much easier and makes you feel great for setting something up that your children enjoy so much! I’ve loved seeing my little engage with the games in this book. They’ve definitely helped to prepare him for starting school and the best thing is he doesn’t even realize he is learning!!

This book has exceeded my expectations. For a busy mum of one, soon to be mum of two, I was struggling to find new ways to entertain my almost 2 year old, particularly during lockdown (and while trying to work/cook/clean and generally stay sane while also growing another baby!) I was finding myself panic ordering new toys which arrived into our already fairly cramped house and I had a growing concern things would only become more difficult once the new baby arrives. I am fairly creative - but crucially I was missing the knowledge about how to teach my son valuable skills through play in a way that was fun. This is where Five Minute Mum is brilliant. The book arrived two days ago and I have tabbed so many of the pages already - I 100% recommend to any parent, here's why: Pros: - This book is beautifully designed, laid out clearly and has a straightforward guide to age appropriate activities; - Due to my son being almost 2, it is the perfect age to allow this book to have longevity as it goes right up to pre-school years (4) - As the book says - the activities would take around 5 mins to set up and use regular household items - The book reinvents some of the classic games you might have played as a child but also has so many other simple but effective ideas - The book also takes the time to provide comfort and coping skills for parents which was an unexpected but welcome addition (I particularly like the "Triangle" approach to parenting!) - Although the title is "Five Minute Mum" and some of the other reviews note it doesn't say "parent" this is just the bloggers instagram name - it's for both parents (my husband loves this book too and doesn't bat an eyelid at the title) Cons: - None as yet - I have tried 3 activities from the book already, all hits with my son. Will try to update in a few months time.

For the last week I have been setting up the activities or games as we call them from this book and I have noticed such a difference at home with my children! The activities genuinely take a few mins to set up and are easy to explain to the child, I have been playing with them for the first ten mins or so and with all of the games so far my 4 year old has continued playing them for HOURS afterwards, he’s actually just gone back to one that he played for three hours last night and for the first time ever has happily been writing at home when it’s linked with a game! I have been setting them up in the afternoons when my little two nap and when I pick my eldest (4) up from school instead of coaxing him to walk up the hill with the prospect of a sugary snack at home I tell him I have set up a new game to play at home and he walks home excited to play it! It has stopped him spending evenings on a tablet and he is learning as he plays them! My two year old has been less interested but has been dipping in and out of the games and there are some in the book that I need to try that look better suited to him.

It has activities that you can do with your children with rough age guides, 1 - 3 yrs old plus. Some may help with speech, or teaching activities, counting, talking, going to activities out of the house. They are all a short time span, so the kids don't get bored. I bought it for my daughter for her to use with her 2 year old. She is full of ideas anyway, and a lot of them you probably think of yourself, but there are a few that we hadn't thought of and these are very useful. A little expensive maybe, but hopefully will go through a few generations so she can get her moneys worth.

I have 2 boys (1 & 3). My book arrived yesterday and I was so excited to try a game straight away. I picked the scavenger hunt and pretended that one of their soft toys had been taken and we had to try and find it by following the clues. My older boy absolutely LOVED this! So much so he wanted to do it over and over again. It did only take about 5 minutes to set up and mg little boy got so much enjoyment out of it. We have tried a couple of other games too which my younger one got involved in, pass the parcel with jigsaw pieces being one of them. This was also a huge hit. Such simple ideas but very effective and things I would never think to do myself. Thank you so much for your fab ideas Five Minute Mum! They have made my children very happy and excited and they have made me feel like I am doing a good job! I would definitely recommend this book to any parent of young children!

I bought this book for inspiration of quick activities for my young boys that also incorporate some “accidental” learning. The boys are really enjoying the activities we’ve tried so far and they are quick to set up with resources we can find in our house. Definitely recommend to parents or caters of young kids.

Is a bit deceiving. There are about 5 activities for 1+ in the whole book and they aren't even age appropriate. I don't know about the author's kids but my 13m old can't spell her name yet (rolls eyes). I have nothing to say about the other activities mentioned for older age groups. Expensive book which cannot be returned. Do not buy if your child is under 2.

First impression only: it is not sorted by age, so I will lose more than 5 minutes to find which activity is suitable for my 2years old baby... And you have to check every single page for the age indication. So I'm very disappointed that there is no easy way to pick a suitable activity randomly.

This book has great ideas that do not take extra time or items to set up. They are sensible and easy to play. The kind of activities that make you say, "Of course, that's a great idea!" Five Minutes, that"s perfect! Mom's are busy and this book is like a play therapist when you need something the kids enjoy to occupy them!! Thank you for this book!

A well organized book with fantastic ideas