By Attipas Australia's founder and mum-of-three, Caroline Africh
Locked down again or just self isolating? Here are five fun activities you can do with toddlers to make home life your best life yet!
1. Pasta Making: Who said pasta making was just for adults? Grab a pasta machine and some flour, eggs and water and start kneading! Toddlers love to help making the dough and are intrigued watching it transform from dough to sheets of spaghetti, fettucine or lasagne. Allow pasta to dry on stands and couple with a simple tomato sauce and you've got dinner, sorted.
2. Home-made Playdough: In the spirit of pasta making, why not allocate your little one a small portion of dough and allow them to add food die, glitter or both! It beats buying traditional playdough plus offers hours of entertainment. Bonus: Home-made dough vacuums out of the carpet much easier than the store-bought type.
3. Music Making App: Encourage your budding music maker with one of the many music-making apps out there on the market. One of our favourites is Groovepad. Let them put together varying instruments and beats and make their own toddler tune! It allows for hours of entertainment and will likely wow you with it's complexity.
4. DIY instruments: In the spirit of music, why not create your very own, DIY instruments. Grab an empty plastic bottle with a lid, and fill with your toddler's choice of sand, rocks, or other collectables from the garden. Close the lid and wah-lah! Another great idea is to fill several glass bottles with water at varying heights. Use a metal straw to tap each bottle and your toddler has their very own DIY xylophone!
5. Toddler Garden Club: Let's face it, you've probably already gardened every patch of soil available in the last lockdown but that doesn't mean you need to stop now! Buy some fun pots and premium soil and plant a few succulents or vege's ready for spring! In our neighbourhood we have the luxury of being able to common garden areas in front of our footpaths, so you might want to enquire into that too. Toddlers love using a spade and rake in the soil so make sure you follow their lead and let them be in charge!
The whole idea behind Attipas baby shoes is that less is more. Goodbye to heavy shoes and socks, and hello to lightweight, practical, flexible shoe-socks that let babies 'feel' the ground.
Attipas slip on like a sock, saving you time as you rush your toddler out the front door. That’s why our founder, Caroline Africh, originally brought Attipas to Australia and our entire range can easily replace all the other shoes and socks in your baby's cupboard.
Attipas baby shoes made it to the Oscars! Founder Caroline Africh and her team were flown to Hollywood where they handed out Attipas baby shoes to celebrities including Zoe Saldana, who is a huge fan.
Caroline also made an appearance on the Today Show where she talks to David Campbell and Sonia Kruger about getting close and personal with Ryan Gosling!
While other brands may sell 'first shoes' for babies, Attipas are the only baby shoes that successfully mimic barefoot walking. And the evidence is clear.
Attipas baby shoes come in over 50 colours in an identical design that slips on like a sock but supports like a shoe. Bestsellers include Attipas Sneaker: cute, sneaker-style shoes that look like traditional Converse; Attipas Rainbow: unisex, bright and bold stripes that match any outfit; Attipas Attibebe: soft pastel tones, a favourite for girls; and Attipas Marine: cute nautical themed pre-walkers, a favourite for boys.
Our founder, Caroline Africh, discovered Attipas baby shoes on a holiday in Japan and knew she needed to bring them to Australia. As a mum of a then 1 year old, Caroline had unique insight into exactly what a toddler should be wearing on their feet while learning to walk. An avid fan of the barefoot movement, Caroline says: “As a new mother, I was very conscious about selecting the right first shoes for my baby.”
“The biggest mistake parents make when choosing first baby shoes is that they think they need to be structured,” Caroline says. “The reality is that science really speaks for itself. Being barefoot helps baby develop brain function and the barefoot movement has been massive for decades. When choosing suitable pre-walking shoes for babies, parents need to select something that mimics the concept of walking barefoot.”
Long before Caroline founded Attipas Australia, she had two very successful careers—first as an auditor, and then secondly as a project manager.
Caroline began her career as an IT auditor in the early 2000's, working for PwC Sydney as a graduate. Not feeling as though she 'fit in', it was then she realised her aspirations to become an entrepreneur — which she would later fulfil by bringing Attipas shoes to Australia.
At age 25, Caroline packed her bags and moved to London, and just like that, she worked her way up the chain to become a Project Manager in an investment bank. Over the next five years, she managed several large-scale IT implementations however still felt like something was 'missing' from her work life.
In her early 30s, Caroline had a baby and moved back to Sydney. After nearly a decade working in corporate, Caroline wanted to start her own business and become an entrepreneur. As a new mum conscious about baby foot health, Caroline discovered Attipas shoes in Japan and knew it was her inner calling to bring Attipas to Australia. We are proud to say: she succeeded. As seen on the Today Show, at the Oscars and on Shark Tank, over 500k pairs have been sold since Attipas arrived in 2012.
Caroline's 'less-is-more' approach to toddler foot health has been adopted by hundreds of thousands of Australian parents, who use Attipas on their babies every single day.
“We bought these for our then 11 month old and they are the perfect baby shoe! They protect little toes, are easy to walk in even for an early walker, and the sock-style means she can't pull them off. She's one now and loves them so much that she sometimes brings them to you to put them on for her, even inside! Very glad we bought the next size up as well.” — Victoria
We care about making our products safe and healthy for you—and our planet. That’s why our products are non-toxic and contain no formaldehyde or BPA. They are also vegan-friendly and not tested on animals. We also keep packaging to a minimum and use cardboard over plastics where possible.
Anyone can have allergies. If your baby or toddler has any discomfort or a rash develops, discontinue use and consult your doctor.