Author Archives: Liz Nankivell

Guide Dogs

Last month we took Binky on an outing to Southampton to visit The Guide Dogs Southampton Mobility Team. Binky met up with local fund raiser Katie Loucaides plus several guide dogs and puppies. We want to introduce you to Yuri, a guide dog puppy, share with you what we found about this inspiring organisation and let you know how you can help them.Continue reading this article...

Competition Winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered our competition by telling us what great things you were doing to help your local wildlife cope with the cold weather. Here are some of the brilliant suggestions you made: 1. "I'm a nanny and have been planning a nature week for the children. We will be creating bird pudding (lard with seeds), going for a walk in the local woods to explore and collect leaves and twigs, create little houses and nests with the twigs that we collect..." Apparently these are very smelly! 2. Food and fresh water daily for the wild birds (keep topped up as they learn where these are available). Lots of untidy leaves and piles of cut branches for the hedgehogs (spring is for garden tidying). Hedges left untended for birds to shelter in. When humans not using garden good to know the wildlife can find shelter. 3. "We put food out for a little hedgehog that comes into our garden! And I have an old hooded litter tray that I keep in the garden if case any wildlife need shelter from bad weather!" 4. "My mum got a post from a cat charity saying put a small saucer of food out if you see a stray..so she did. the first night a hedgehog turned up..in the morning 2 blackbirds and a blue tit finished off the dreggs. the next day she had a robin and 5 of the neighbours cats too..so its going really well." 5. "I take pine cones and spread peanut butter on them and then roll them in bird seed. I hang them around the yard on low branches or garden poles. I also make sure the bird feeder is full." 6. "I work in a primary school and we make bird feeders, bird houses and other types of little animal shelters. We also raise money for animal charities." We asked you, our Facebook Fans, to decide the winner by Liking the best suggestion and we have a landslide victory for....drumroll please Binky....Continue reading this article...

The Binky Bear London Walk

The Binky Bear London walk follows the route that Binky took in his third adventure, Binky Goes To London and you can buy a copy here. There is something for everyone on this walk. In just 90 minutes you will walk from Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall to Horseguards Parade and then out across St James's Park. There will be plenty of wildlife to see and lots of space to safely run around in. Finally you will arrive in front of Buckingham Palace from where you trace your steps back to where you started.Continue reading this article...

The Binky Bear Winchester Walk

Binky Bear-Activity Explorer Map-BBA Binky Bear-Activity Explorer Map-BGTL Binky Bear-Activity Explorer Map-BITThe Binky Bear Winchester walk follows exactly the story in Binky's second adventure book, Binky in Trouble. In this story Binky and his friend Dog have an adventure in the historic heart of Winchester. This 90 minute walk will help you explore this beautiful city and take you past the key sights of Winchester College and Winchester Cathedral, The Buttercross and into the muddle of lanes and alleyways that make Winchester such a curious place to visit.Continue reading this article...

Competitions: Winning Or Taking Part?

If you have a prolific young artist in your family or an occassional artist who likes to work to one specific brief, we have an opportunity for you: enter our monthly Binky Picture Competition. As the entries for our current competition trickle in at a steady pace, ahead of 15th of the month deadline, I started to think about why we had decided to run monthly picture competitions in the first place. Our first competition was back in November and Daisy from Southampton, aged just 4 ½ was our first winner. We sent Daisy a certificate with a copy of her picture featured in it, wrapped in an envelope addressed to her, along with her prize. Her mum told us how delighted Daisy was to find her big envelope next to her cereal bowl at breakfast and that her certificate is now displayed with pride on the fridge door. Continue reading this article...

What Is A Binky Bear Trail?

When you buy your Binky Bear books you buy an adventure. This post explains what to do next and if you are reading this and wanting to buy our books just click this link books.
Binky Bear Trail Map

Binky Bear Trail Map

Getting the kids outdoors on a Binky Bear trail

Getting the kids outdoors for a blast of fresh air can be a real challenge; it certainly has been in our house. So in 2010 when we started creating Binky Bear books, we hoped that by setting the books in real places, (Central London, Winchester and Alresford in Hampshire), using photographic illustrations and including maps, we could create a fabulous story and provide the inspiration to get everyone out, off the sofa and away from screens, for a family outing.

How do you know you've had a great weekend?

I don’t know about you, but after a busy week, whilst it’s great to flop about a bit at the weekend, it is even better to go back to work on Monday with some warm thoughts about the quality time I’ve spent with the people I care about. That's when I feel like I've had a great weekend.

So how does our read+explore Binky Bear concept work?

When you buy a Binky book you have in your hands an adventure to read and a plan for a great day out. Most people encounter Binky as a book character first so they read the story and then go to Alresford, Winchester or London and using the map in the books, they follow in Binky’s tracks and have their own adventure.
The Trail Maps show the route Binky took in each book.

The Trail Maps show the route Binky took in each book.

Binky Bear: Books+Maps+Bears+Trails

Binky Bear: Books+Maps+Bears+Trails

This is how FQ Magazine describe Binky Goes To London: “This book is a wonderful alternative to the traditional children’s story. By encapsulating real places and pictures it encourages both you and the kids to not only imagine being by the great sights, but actually visit them and take part in the same adventures as Binky. You could read this to them on a Friday night and have them visit exactly the same locations at the weekend creating a smooth transition from fantasy to real experience.

A great tool for dads

And a final word from FQ Magazine: “This is also a great tool for dads, who sometimes have a harder time trying to figure out what to do with their kids on their days off. With a very easy to follow map, you can show your children how to navigate and teach them lessons which Binky has to offer, all the while exploring the sights and sounds in your very own adventure.” This is exactly what we want our books to do for you and your children. Which Binky Bear walk will you do first?

Photography For Children

By Moira Blackwell

As you know Binky Bear books are photographic picture books and all our books are illustrated with colour photographs.

Photography is a great sharing activity and encourages children to be creative and aware of the world about them. So, here are 6 ways to get your child started.

1. Having their own camera.

This may sound obvious but start by getting them their own camera, rather than lend them your mobile phone to take an odd picture now and again. So ‘their own camera’ could be your old phone or a cheap and simple digital camera. There are quite a few to choose from and at the foot of the page* we have included a link to a review of the latest digital cameras. Prices range from about £20 up. When a child has their own camera, the resulting photographs will be THEIRS too.

Continue reading this article...