Inspire Book Box in Balwyn North, Victoria, Australia | Book

Inspire Book Box

Locality: Balwyn North, Victoria, Australia

Phone: 0438 944 228

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• Shopping & retail
• Arts and crafts shop
• Educational supply shop
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25.01.2022 Its packing night here at IBB headquarters, and my desk is a complete mess Anyone else find their work space descends into chaos sometimes? Please tell me its not just me! #inspirebookbox #behindthescenes #btsibb #subscriptionboxforkids #australiansubscriptionbox #kidssubscriptionbox #subscriptionbookbox #mumlife #bizmumlife #toddlermum #boymum #mumofboys #girlmum #raisingareader #readingforkids #kidsbooks #booksforkids #learningthroughplay #learningthroughplaying #learningthroughbooks @ Balwyn North, Victoria, Australia

24.01.2022 Scratch art is a relatively new discovery in our house, discovered when we received a Trolls 2 scratch pad for the boys. Im not sure why they love it so much. Its great for fine motor skill and hand strength development though. When I was preparing some of the photos for the bigger hands craft for this month, my hand definitely got more of a workout than it was expecting! There are actually 2 scratch art activities in our bigger hands boxes this month, including this Indi...genous inspired handprint art piece. The colours underlying these cards are just wonderful, and I love the patterns Mr @dearest.demi has come up with to decorate his! We do still have a few of these We Are All Different boxes in stock, they have been pretty popular. #inspirebookbox #themedbookbox #scratchart

24.01.2022 We love reading feedback like this! Its what keeps us going on the days that are just a little bit tough. We are both so thankful to all our subscribers and everyone who purchases a box. This small business is run in our spare time around mothering, working, homeschooling and life, and its all worthwhile when we hear how much your children love their boxes! #inspirebookbox

24.01.2022 These Dr Seuss pencil cases are back in stock! I love the artwork on this one, its so much fun, and such a great book. This is the small pencil case here, which is the perfect size to carry around essential colouring in tools when youre heading out for the day and want to be sure to have something to occupy the littlies. I can also attest that it is the perfect size to carry a selection of toy cars and ooshies for the same purpose (my boys prefer car crashes and superhero... wars to colouring ). We do have a selection of larger pencil cases available as well, which come with two pockets. Our range is available on our website (the link is in our about section). #inspirebookbox #bookishgifts

23.01.2022 How fabulous are these hanging Christmas trees from House of Bobbins?! I may not have one of these yet but the quality of products from this wonderful woman is always excellent.

23.01.2022 Mr 6 has just finished learning about graphs and how they can help us understand data, and he loved it. Hes so much like me, its a bit scary! He wanted me to explain some of the graphs I was doing for work after that, maybe another little actuary in the making? How are your kids like you?... Thanks for sharing this with us @dearest.demi #inspirebookbox #wearealldifferenttheme #graphingforkids

23.01.2022 About the Book: My First Heroes: Artists illustrated by @nilaaye Learn about amazing people. Your little reader will love discovering some of the incredible artists who changed our world in My First Heroes: Artists!... They will explore the life and work of Artemisia Gentileschi, Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol, and be inspired by their incredible work. This book includes BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) characters, and is a wonderful book to help to diversify your little readers bookshelf. With push, pull and slide scenes to explore, fun facts and bright, bold illustrations this is the perfect art introduction for inquisitive minds. @our_creative_adventures are having so much fun exploring all the moving parts in this book, its so great for busy little hands This amazing book is included in all our Little and Many Hands We Are All Different boxes, available now on our website. #inspirebookbox #wearealldifferenttheme #boardbook

20.01.2022 Hands up if you agree Books and book inspired activities are a marriage made on heaven! They enhance the reading experience and promote so many different types of incidental learning is incredible!

19.01.2022 I can see a ... This is a fabulous way to introduce new words to your little reader, and build on their vocabulary. Using the illustrations to help make the connection between an object and its title strengthens your childs comprehension and understanding, as well as developing their visual processing skills. These are all very important pre-reading skills that can be built on from a very early age. Start off with everyday objects that they may already be familiar with. ...I can see a book, a cup, a shoe. Be sure to point to the object when you name it, to make that connection really clear. As your child develops their confidence and comprehension, ask them if they can see what you see and if they can point it out to you. The same conversation prompt can be used everytime you read a book, even if its the same book, simply "see" something different everytime! But dont feel you need to use this one on every page of every book. Mix it up with different questions and discussion prompts, and, depending on the length of the book, dont pause on every page. Ive been known to "see" things that arent there, like a cow or an elephant when its a dog. My boys love letting me know I got it wrong Need more suggestions on questions or discussion prompts to use when reading with your little readers? Be sure to follow us and #ibbreadingtips for all our tips. And dont forget to tag your book loving mum friends whod love this tip too #inspirebookbox #readingtips

19.01.2022 Mr 6 has been resisting practicing his reading this week. Hes much rather just sit and listen to one of us read the story. This lockdown has been much harder in that respect, hes just not been that interested in learning this time. So much going on inside our childrens heads right now, that its hard to focus on boring school work. Honestly, its been hard to focus on work for me too! Ive been trying to find more interesting things to do to keep myself engaged, but it...s been very tough. This gorgeous book is part of our Word Adventure 2 set, and is all about Interjections! Its such an entertaining read, you almost forget youre learning something! You can find this book as part of our 4 book and 8 book Word Adventure collections in the Bookcase section on our website. #inspirebookbox #phonics

18.01.2022 About the Book: Lets Spin: Rescue, illustrated by @heath.mckenzie Our differences make us each uniquely wonderful. Your children will love learning about different rescue vehicles, including police cars, ambulances and tow trucks, in this wonderfully illustrated, interactive board book. Perfect for little learners and curious minds,your little reader will spend hours turning the cog wheels to make the vehicles move.... This story also provides the opportunity to talk about physical differences in a very age appropriate way. This book is just perfect for little hands and minds, with sturdy pages and colourful illustrations. Full disclsoure: we have all the books in this series on our bookshelf, my youngest would literally sit and spin the wheels for hours, just like @our_creative_adventures is doing in these photos #inspirebookbox

18.01.2022 Ahoy me hearties its time to walk the plank! Books should not be seen ONLY as part of the bedtime routine with your child a passive participant! They are much to important and diverse than that. Books make the most wonderful play prompts where your child is actively engaged in re-enacting part of the story. In highly language and imaginative rich scenarios.... I believe books are some of the most powerful learning and play tools! How fantastic is this #bookinspiredplay @ncmummabird has created using one of our interactive board books. Roxanne

18.01.2022 Were currently in the middle of having our house renovated/extended, and we were doing our joinery designs a couple of weeks ago, just before lockdown 2.0 started here in Melbourne. Ive got a built in bookshelves in the kitchen, my office and a massive wall of books going in the living room. Plus Ill be getting smaller portable bookshelves for the boys bedrooms, plus one in our bedroom. Not to mention the book slings the boys have. My husband just shakes his head in res...ignation at this point But seriously, what would a house be if it didnt have any books in it? #inspirebookbox

17.01.2022 Wow our Bigger Hands 1st of December Advent Boxes have SOLD OUT! We have VERY limited many hands and little hands 1st of December Advent boxes left so if you want one I recommend you snap one up soon before they sell out. To everyone who has purchased a Christmas box THANK YOU for #supportingsmallbusinesses . You can still build your own Mini Christmas bundle or Ultimate Christmas Box.

15.01.2022 Thanks so much for following us here in the wonderful world of social media. We love connecting with you all! Did you know we also have a VIP list? Yep, we do! Our VIPs get all sorts of exclusive content, sneak peeks into upcoming releases and early access to special launches and sales. If youre interested in any of that, wed love you to join the rest of our VIPs. Theres a signup link below. But no pressure. If you want to stick around here a bit longer and get to k...now us more, we totally get it https://mailchi.mp/639686003523/ibbnewsletter #inspirebookbox #viplist

15.01.2022 Happy Sunday everyone! If you haven’t checked out our Christmas range yet, make some time today to have a look! We’ve got a great range of Christmas book boxes available for kids ages 0-6. There are a VERY limited number of our classic 25 Day Advent Boxes left, so you can keep the kids busy each day in December making, sharing and learning about the spirit of Christmas. Or check out our Christmas Build A Box range where you get to choose the exact books, crafts and gifts y...ou want, with up to 50% off RRP. Purchase before November 16 for delivery by the start of December. #inspirebookbox #christmas2020 #christmas

15.01.2022 Its easy to forget the little day to day things when youre caught up in the big world-ness of life. If theres anything that this enforced time at home during lockdown 2.0 has reminded me, its that the little things, the small, everyday things, are so incredibly important. Having breakfast and dinner with the boys. Reading them a bedtime story and sitting with them until they fall asleep.... Taking the time to go outside together. Playing together. Laughing. Every day. These are things that, before, wouldnt always happen everyday, because the busyness of getting to school/work/activities, doing the housework, being everywhere, doing everything, meant that the little things were easy to overlook. Not saying I want this lockdown to go on any longer than it has too! #isocantendfastenough But doing more of the little everyday things is definitely a small silver lining. #inspirebookbox #melbournelockdownroundtwo

14.01.2022 Considered one of the greatest minds of recent times, Albert Einstein knew to play was to learn. What are your kids playing today? My boys are learning about physical limits, upholding the law and teamwork by playing superheroes together. #inspirebookbox #alberteinsteinquotes

14.01.2022 So were staying with my parents whilst our house gets renovated, and my parents have 2 gorgeous dogs. Weve always said to the boys wed get a dog, but theyve decided that as soon as our house is done and we move back, a dog will magically join us there Either that or my parents dogs are coming to our house with us! They also want a cat, a bird, a guinea pig and chickens At least the request for a lizard seems to have been quietly forgotten! What pets/animals do y...ou have at home with your kids? This super cute hamster duo is one of the books in the My Furry Foster Family range, which follows Kaita Takana and her family as they foster a range of animals. Its a fabulous early chapter book series, perfect for young children just learning to read on their own. And this whole series is available in the Our Bookcase section on our website. #inspirebookbox #kidsbookshelf

13.01.2022 About the Book: Good Morning, Superman by Michael Dahl Look, up in the sky! Its a bird. Its a plane. Its the . . . SUN!! When morning comes, a young boy must prepare for his day, faster than a speeding bullet. Your little reader will love following the young boy as he leaps tall buildings (jumps out of bed) in a single bound, dons his heroic uniform (his clothes), and faces his greatest weakness (Kryptonite-colored toothpaste). Then its up, up, and away to daycare!... This book includes BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) characters, and is a wonderful book to help to diversify your little readers bookshelf. This official DC Comics picture book will have Superman fans young and old delighting in their morning routines. And bonus! It includes a morning routine checklist. This fabulous superhero book is included in all our Little Hands We Are All Different boxes, available now on our website. #inspirebookbox #wearealldifferenttheme

13.01.2022 Today was another Monday in lockdown 2.0. Weve had a wild and story weekend here in Melbourne, but with pockets of quite pleasant, sunny weather. Its been a bit strange actually. The suburb our house is in had a couple of trees down and long power outages, and there was a huge water contamination problem in lots of the surrounding suburbs. But somehow, where we are now at my parents, we were lucky to escape most of that. Learning from home went out the window last week, ...I think we got through to Tuesdays lessons maybe? Today has been slightly better, but not much. Its definitely impacting the boys more and more each week. Hopefully just 2 more weeks until stage 4 restrictions are eased Ive already asked my husband if his parents want the boys at all #imthebestmum Weve had some more of these super sturdy totes arrive back into stock, this design is one of my favourites because its super nerdy without being totally obvious about it! #yepimanerd #inspirebookbox

12.01.2022 Books that lend themselves to fantastic imaginative play are the absolute best in my opinion! Hands up if you agree! Have a look at this magical concoction @ncmummabird created after reading the magical Witches book they receive in their Inspire Book Box. Talk about a fun #invitationtoplay

12.01.2022 It has been a massive week here at IBB HQ. It has been non-stop packing down here in Melbourne, whilst it’s been all about the writing up north. Add in some cranky kids (4 between us), uncooperative technology and other life commitments, and I think it’s safe to say we are both a little bit tired! But our Christmas boxes have come together very nicely despite all that, and I couldn’t resist giving you a sneak peek at one of the gorgeous books included this year.... If you haven’t ordered yours, we have a limited number of little and many hands advent boxes left, plus our huge range of Christmas items is available in the Christmas Build A Box range. Find them all at https://inspirebookbox.com.au/pages/christmas2020 There’s still plenty of time to get them shipped before December starts. #inspirebookbox #christmas #christmasgifts

12.01.2022 Its been a long week. I was scrolling through some of my favourite quotes today and this one jumped out at me. Its easy at the moment, with everything that is going on in Melbourne and around the world, to feel defeated, shattered, done. I know. Ive felt all of those things this week. But we are braver, stronger, smarter.... So Im heading to bed even though its barely 7:30 on a Friday night. Im going to repeat this to myself as I fall asleep. And hopefully wake up in the morning refreshed and ready to take on another day of lockdown 2.0. If youre struggling too, whether its lockdown related or just #mumlife in general, youre not alone. Youre never alone. Feel free to reach out anytime. #inspirebookbox

11.01.2022 There are days when my boys are obsessed with stickers. When we were in our place before we started renovating (and had very low standards!) our boys decided to "decorate" the kitchen floor by putting avenger stickers all over it To be fair, it was the most horrible, yellowy-brown linoleum patterned floor, so maybe they were just trying to make it look better? Downside to our low standards was that when we moved in here with my parents, they did the same thing to their... timber floorboards Hoping we can gently encourage that behaviour to stop before we move back into our place once the builders are done Looks like @dearest.demi loves stickers too, although her mum seems to have done a much better job at teaching her where they should go than I have This cute Love Bug sticker book is the engagement gift in our Bigger Hands We Are Different boxes. #inspirebookbox #wearealldifferenttheme

11.01.2022 About the Book: Red Ned by Tony Wilson Author, illustrated by Heath McKenzie red red red RED You are who you are, thats the truth, such is life! You might know the tale of a Kelly named Ned. A bushranger type with a can on his head? Well your reader will laugh out loud with this lesser known story of Jed Kelly.... Jed Kelly was a regular eight-year old boy who lived in Queensland suburbia and he had the wildest red hair. With a self acquired disastrous haircut Jed ends up on an adventure walking around town with a wastepaper bin on his head. Your reader will definitely laugh out loud often with this funny, silly, rhyming story by wonderful Melbourne author Tony Wilson. Its brilliantly penned rhymes also carry a beautiful message about the importance of being satisfied with who you are. The illustrations by the superbly talented Health McKenzie are fantastic and really add to the humor in this story. Red Ned is included in all our Bigger and Many Hands We Are All Different boxes. Gorgeous by @dearest.demi #inspirebookbox #wearealldifferenttheme

11.01.2022 This reading nook is out of this world! I love the hanging seat and the low bookshelves, perfect for little hands! I would just add a few big cushions to the floor. What would you add / change to make this your perfect reading space.

10.01.2022 Both of my boys have at sometime or other been interested in careers that involve animals. Hands up if this is true for your little readers too? . I love the gorgeous vet set up @and_then_there_were_6 created using the dramatic play printables included in our I want to be a Vet box.

10.01.2022 Apparently its Saturday today. Ive completely lost track All our days are basically the same now, a bit of school work, a bit of work, a bit of fun, a bit of sleep. Anyone got big plans for this weekend? Or plans of any kind? I think Im actually starting to miss plans. Im loving this #invitationtoplay set up by Nicole @ncmummabird. Inspired by Dr Dolittle, how cool is the cardboard boat shes made?!... #inspirebookbox

10.01.2022 This week weve done both of these. We painted with fingerpaints (and paint brushes, toilet paper rolls, anything really!). And we made glittery volcanos (if you didnt see our stories the other day, you missed out!) Then we did glittery paintings I think Id still rather fingerpaints than glitter though, its soooooo hard to get out of stuff #inspirebookbox #craftymum #glitterorpaint

08.01.2022 Hands up who is ready for a child free weekend? My hubby and I were talking last night and we have only had a night way from our boys twice in 8 years. Once for our 10year wedding anniversary and the other for a best friends wedding. Tell me below how many childless weekends have you had.

08.01.2022 Alright, its time for some tip sharing. I know many of us are now working from home with all our little people around all the time. I, for one, definitely struggle some (all?) days to find any sort of balance. So hit me with all your tips and tricks. How do you manage to get work done whilst looking after, schooling or otherwise entertaining your littlies? #inspirebookbox

06.01.2022 So we survived another weekend in lockdown 2.0, but Im now spending the morning getting activity inspiration to get me through another week. Im thinking this week we might make a volcano, try our new puzzles that arrived on the weekend, and obviously were going to have to read Hot Dog 7 which is due to arrive in the mail any day! If its fine, well spend as much time outside as we can as well, the boys are still loving the trampoline, it never fails to get them engaged an...d in a better mood. What activity do your kids love doing at the moment? Im sure someone somewhere needs more inspiration! #inspirebookbox

06.01.2022 I love a good pattern. Ok, Im a bit obsessed with patterns. I dont do well with "randomness" I like to think Ive relaxed a bit since I became a mum. I can craft with the boys now and not get all antsy when they dont line everything up straight and follow a proper pattern! The little hands craft from our We Are All Different box is this great paint stamping activity. The 2 patterned stampers are perfect for small hands to practice their motor skills with, just like ...@our_creative_adventures. And the two fun Australian animal designs included are great for encouraging discussions about Australian wildlife, and exploring differences. Mix shapes, colours and patterns to bring your animals to life. We didnt have any spare stampers left after making this months boxes, otherwise Id definitely be trying this one out with Mr 3! #inspirebookbox

05.01.2022 A lot of our reading tips talk about discussing the illustrations. But thats because they are full of wonderful ways you can help your child learn and develop all sorts of pre-reading skills. When you ask the question "what else can you see", you are inviting your child to slow down and focus on the page, helping them practice focusing their attention. They are able to practice naming objects they already know, and its a great opportunity to expand their vocabulary by poin...ting out something new. By taking the time whilst you read the story, you enable them to start making connections between the text and the images, which will help them later when they do start learning to read. You can also help them start making text to self connections, by linking what they see to something in their own lives. Youre helping them practice back and forth discussions, by asking the question and waiting for them to respond. Never underestimate the power a conversation about an illustration can have on your childs development! #inspirebookbox #readingtips #ibbreadingtips

05.01.2022 Lockdown 2.0 has been generally crappy in a lot of ways. But there are a few silver linings hidden in there, if you can get through the sleep deprived, constantly on fog to see them! Like seeing the way the boys imaginations have developed as they play together and separately. Hearing the storylines they come up with, the things they build, the connections they make. Like the rockets they built from 4 Connetix triangles each, that carried mini Ooshie superheros around t...he universe to try and save giant spiderman from the invisible attack he was under after being trapped by the brilliant but evil ruler of the galaxy (that would be me ). Seeing the connections between those games and their own lives, and working through things theyve recently experienced (like having to face the consequences when one bit the other ). A lot of that we would have missed had we still been commuting to work everyday, dropping the boys off at school and childcare, seeing them just before bed each night. So yes, lockdown 2.0 is stressful, full on, exhausting, and I cant wait for this pandemic to be under control so the boys can go back to school and childcare, but there are lots of little positives that Im hoping we can weave into our everyday lives when they do. #inspirebookbox #fredrogersquote

04.01.2022 How often do you sit and read with your child? Were getting in almost 3 reading sessions a day at the moment, with both boys home all the time. Reading to and with your child is one of the best things you can do to help support your childs learning and development. And you can start from the day theyre born. (Actually, you can start before theyre born if you really want to!) Mr 6 spent the first 10 weeks of his life in the hospital, and one of my favourite things to do d...uring that time was have kangaroo cuddles and read to him. I even started reading the Chronicles of Narnia to him after a while! How happy do @lexinova_and_hermumma look sharing this fabulous Vet book together?! Thanks for sharing your with us #inspirebookbox #readtoyourkids

03.01.2022 They boys asked for a car garage with ramps to ply with today. Lucky we had some boxes left over from our art project this week, so we made this. The roads are a printed road tape weve had floating around for years, everything else is cardboard.

02.01.2022 Oh my goodness, Ive never wished I could time travel so much as right now, Id totally go back and do this #inspirebookbox #parenthood

01.01.2022 Its been so cold here in Melbourne this week, although weve had mostly clear days, so Im not complaining too much! The boys wanted to play Wet Head the other day, at 5:30am, outside. That was a tough conversation explaining to them that no, we couldnt put our bathers on and go outside in the pitch black when it was only 2 degrees to play a water game But it did give us a chance to talk about the different seasons, and how there are some things we do in Summer (like ou...tdoor water games) and somethings we do in Winter (like put the fire on). Then of course they wanted to know why its cold in Winter and why the sun goes to bed so early, so we ended up talking about the Earth/Sun rotations. Then they jumped in a warm shower in their bathers instead, so we were all happy. If youre looking to start exploring the different seasons with your little reader, Id highly recommend checking out this weather series, which has 4 brilliantly illustrated board books looking at different weather events. Its a great introduction to weather concepts, and is available for purchase now in our bookcase section. #inspirebookbox #ibbbookcase