“This R2D2 Junior Laptop is big on nostalgia value for us adults, but also has enough features to keep a child entertained. An excellent buy”.

Buy it online at Sainsburys

Price £24.99

*****

Initial thoughts: This is a neat little toy laptop in the shape of R2D2. My husband was particularly excited about this because Star Wars is his favourite film of all time! It features the voice of C3PO, which is useful since R2D2 doesn’t actually, you know, speak. There are eight Star Wars games and learning activities teaching vocabulary, counting, logic, shapes, colours, memory and music, which would be suitable for ages three and above.

We liked: Our toddler loves to ‘play’ with my laptop, so it’s great for him to have one of his own, which also reduces the risk of him breaking mine! This feels well made and solid and is pretty robust without being too heavy, so it’s is easy for our son to carry around. The buttons are easy to press and the games are straightforward and simple to play – my favourite was ‘memory recall’ where C3PO shouts at you to “Follow me”. You then copy a sequence of numbers – if you make a mistake he says “Oh my!” This was hugely entertaining for the kids and grown-ups!

We weren’t keen: It is a bit small, so the LCD screen is tiny. We were disappointed that there wasn’t a volume control as it is a bit loud, and if you don’t play with it for a while, it calls out to you, tempting you back!

Overall: This toy is big on nostalgia value for us adults, but also has enough features to keep a child entertained.  For the price we paid, this is an excellent buy. It has all the features that you would expect from a child’s laptop and, most importantly, it’s STAR WARS!!!

[By Sandy]