Kid Zinger - Juice Water Maker Review

The Kid Zinger is a clever little drinking bottle that helps your children make their own flavoured water.  I've noticed a lot of the kids in Lara's class take a bottle of water or fruit squash to school with them and I think the Kid Zinger would make a perfect school flask as well.

The Kid Zinger is a combined water bottle and citrus press.  Put your favourite citrus fruit into the base, give it a little squeeze and then leave to infuse.  You can leave it in the fridge for as long as you like to take on the flavours.  You're not limited to citrus fruits though, the base at the bottom has a course filter so you could put lots of different fruits, vegetables, spices or herbs into the base so that they can infuse into the water.

I think the Kid Zinger is a great idea for helping us to reduce the amount of fruit juice and squash that my two girls drink while keeping them interested in water.

Born Free Twist'nPop Cup Review

Holly has always been a minx when it comes to drinking (ever since the first hours of her life!) and these days, now that she drinks independently from a cup, things are no different.  Holly demands independence but I simply can't trust her with any cup that has a free flow of liquid - this Twist'nPop cup from Born Free is perfect for her right now as it encourages independence but because it has a straw and a cover it reduces the chance of her pouring the contents all over my sofa.

The Born Free Twist 'n Pop is a large 14oz cup which can last a toddler quite some time.  It has a straw that reaches all the way down to the base of the cup and which has a flexible top to the straw which neatly folds away when you twist the lid closed; this means that when you quickly twist the lid, any chance of a dribble on your carpet or furniture is reduced and it means you can slip the cup into your changing bag to take with you.

Holly got on with the Twist'nPop instantly.  I find it a very good idea to give her a straw cup as it teaches the discipline of holding a cup upright (because the straw doesn't work when you aren't holding it in the water!) which I am sure will be a valuable lesson to learn on the way to drinking from an adult cup with no lid.

I found the Twist 'n Pop a very easy trainer cup to assemble and disassemble.  All of the pieces can go into the dishwasher on the top rack so I place the straw horizontally on the rack.

Holly does still occasionally tip her entire cup upside down and try to shake the water out but barely anything comes out.  I'm hoping that this Born Free trainer cup will be the way to turn her into a sensible drinker who I can trust with a cup of her own.

Contigo Kids Leakproof Drinking Bottles

These innovative kids drinks bottles from Contigo® are a revalation for us! Not only are they chunky, sturdy, bright and fun but they also save me a lot of headaches with their clever techniques for preventing leaks.

The Contigo® travel range is not exclusively for kids but the range of bright colours definitely appeals to Lara and the clever technology is perfect for preschoolers who like to run around.

Lara's Striker bottle has an AUTOSPOUT® button which releases the spout when she needs it. This makes the bottle perfect for taking with us on days out because I can shove it into my changing bag or at the bottom of the buggy and not have to worry about the spout getting dirty as it is hidden away. When the spout is closed, Contigo® claim that it is 100% leak proof... and so far I would agree - another reason why I'm happy to keep it in the bottom of my changing bag. Lara seems to get great pleasure out of popping the spout open and closing it again!

Lara's favourite bottle though is the Runabout bottle which has an AUTOSEAL® lid which magically closes between sips. Lara has to press the button in order to drink and as she releases the button, the lid closes. Despite being called the runabout (and yes, it is good for a preschooler who wants to run about with it) actually the thing I love most about this cup is that Lara can take it up to bed with her and leave it on her bedside table without any risk of knocking the water over in her sleep. Additionally, when her little sister is roaming the house free, I know that there is no harm in her grabbing Lara's bottle because she can't throw water all over herself. I will admit that I had been getting very bored of mopping up water from that cup on Lara's bedside table EVERY morning until this Contigo® came into our lives. THANK YOU!!!

Both of the Contigo® bottles we tried are dishwasher safe in the top rack of the dishwasher. The Striker bottle has a straw inside it which easily comes apart and can be placed into the cutlery rack for cleaning.

Prices start at £13.99 which seemed like a lot originally, for a drinks bottle but after a few weeks of use, I am quite genuinely of the opinion that these bottles are good value for money and I always choose one of these over the £4.99 supermarket bottle Lara had before. The Contigo® Travel range is available from Amazon and John Lewis.