We do absolutely love these new Chan Pie Gnon teethers from Vulli as toys and people have commented on how cool they are. They are definitely worth having, but as teethers we prefer Sophie the Giraffe, mainly as its legs and head are a lot easier for her to get in her mouth

It’s cute. Simple as that, and little ones can’t help but like it. It came really well packaged in a beautiful presentation box, and we enjoyed being able to attach it everywhere and anywhere! Since we have had our Sleepytot, we have seen Sleepytots everywhere – they must be the must have comforter! It’s not surprising though. The Sleepytot comforter is lovely: beautifully made and comes in a fabulous little gift box. Top marks from us.

My little boy has no complains about the Transformers Power Bot, he’s played with it non-stop since Christmas. I think it’s a really impressive product which has thoroughly entertained our little boy, and also has a lot of potential for future play. Well made, robust and excellent value for money, it’s one to snap up.

As a mum who is always on the look out for toys that are not branded and are ‘home made’ I was thrilled with the Creative Charlie jewellery making kit. I loved so many things: the ethos of the company and the fact that they have obviously taken time to source quality items being the two main ones. The beads were made by woman’s cooperative; the labels are biodegradable; the shipping packaging recycled. If you’re looking for a great ethical gift idea then look no further.

This is a lovely, offbeat way to spend an afternoon, and I think if you add some pretty pens and stickers, this charming vintage-style book makes a perfect gift. It’s a refreshing change from branded and character-led Disney books. It’s also a big hit with girls of all ages – my eight year old loves it, but many of my friends with younger kids are big fans, too.

A classic game that is hard to beat, if all players are in the right mood (and no one’s had a curry the night before). Adults and teenagers seem to tire of it more quickly than younger children, at least in this house. It’s longevity probably means it’s a game most toy cupboards shouldn’t be without.

The My First Lacing Tools set is a lovely present for a young child, and one that gives you a lot of toy for your money. It’s going to get lots of play, and is robust enough to still be around for the next child.

Bambini beads make a lovely gift for children aged 3 and above, and I’d buy them for boys or girls, which is a refreshing change. It’s an educational toy, but so much fun to play with, too! Great value for money and it’s so popular in our house.

A good looking traditional toy drum which is fun to play with but would probably benefit from being a little sturdier. We will only use it for occasional play.

Mr Potato Head is a lovely, simple toy at a great price that keeps pre-schoolers entertained for a long time, and I’m sure it encourages motor skills and helps them learn the words for various body parts, if you worry about that sort of thing.

There are 43 quintillion (that’s 18 zeros) moves possible with a Rubik’s cube, so this isn’t something kids will solve in an afternoon and then leave aside. That makes it great value, and if it keeps the kids occupied while you’re busy making Christmas lunch, so much the better!

I can’t recommend this little bucket of Play-Doh enough, the price is fantastic and it is guaranteed to keep your little ones occupied, really encouraging them to use their imagination. Love it.

The game is really easy to play and loads of fun. It says that it is for 6+ years and I’m thinking that it’s mainly because of the small pieces because both of my little sisters thought it was great too.

These two toys are a great little taster from a company I’m sure I’ll be doing business with in future. Specialist retailers like Farm Toys Online make shopping so much easier; the range of toys is larger and the choices greater. At £6.99 for the dump-truck and £9.99 for the tractor set, prices are competitive as well. I’ll just have to make sure Charlie’s nowhere near the lap-top when I’m browsing.

A fantastic game that’s suitable for even young children, with a little adult support. We also loved that the kids started to make up their own rules and versions of the game after a while – suggesting this is one that will be pulled out of the games cupboard for many years to come.

If you take this as a toy, then I think younger children of 2+ will have fun pretending to take pictures like Mummy and Daddy. But if you want a camera for kids, there are much better on the market. And if you want a game to keep the kids entertained, buy a Nintendo DS, would be my advice.

The marble run might be great, but the instructions that come with this toy are truly AWFUL. There’s little detail on precisely how key parts fit together – for example, the yellow pole that holds the elevator is made of eight pieces but in the instructions there’s no indication of which pieces, or in which order. Also, the angle of the illustrations makes it impossible to even see which pieces are used in some instances. This means there’s a lot of trial and error and if, like me, you’re not blessed with a good abstract spatial awareness, you’re screwed, basically.

Fantastic! My three daughters (ages 4, 5 and 7) love pretending to be mum to their very own baby girl. But unlike like a real baby, you can turn her off when the crying gets to be a bit much.

The Silver Cross Rufus Rabbit shape sorter is a lovely toy: it looks funky and definitely keeps BG’s attention. A great toy to grow with, and a perfect gift for new babies and toddlers.

Dragonology is an excellent choice for a child with a good imagination and long attention span. It is well made, interesting to play and great fun. A refreshing change from your average TV character themed toy and beautifully made to boot!

It’s a big thumbs up for ELC Extreme Marble Madness from us. Great for little imaginations and learning basic engineering skills. Ethan loved it so much he played with it for a full hour and a half non-stop. I’m sure it’ll be a favourite in this household for a long while.

The Chica Bead Bazaar jewellery kit is the perfect present to keep little girls entertained on all those wet and cold winter evenings, but do expect to help 5 and 6 year olds. The price is reasonable considering the enormous variety of beads included in the set, and the fantastic quality – my girls are wearing their bracelets with pride!

This is a great bike and ideal for teaching your child to balance in preparation for a pedal bike. It’s the perfect size for small children. S has started to balance whilst using it but I can see it taking a while for him to learn what to do. Given time I think he would get the hang of balancing and be well on the way to riding a big boy’s bike all by himself.

A lovely, stylish and beautifully made toy that’s a perfect gift for children who are fond of animals. It’s a great toy for imaginative play, and we loved the attention to detail – the knitted blanket, the mouse’s clothes and even the little pillow are all just lovely.

We love Bop It! although it does seem to bring out the worst in us. If you do manage to not play this addictive game for a while, the voice saying “Bop It” and your child shouting at it might get on your nerves a bit. The only reason it didn’t score maximum marks was because we missed a couple of the old commands. Combining the two versions would have made it even better.

You might think this is just another Bratz knock-off, but this is a well-made doll with great clothing and a nice ethos – and the added bonus of not the weird, scary big eyes.

A brilliant idea with some great tricks in, but let down by a couple of items which are a bit rubbish really. My son does keep it stashed away under his bed now though as his secret hoard!

Being a big kid myself, I would have loved a lot more parts to play with, however for the age range this set is suitable for, the amount is just about right. The different sounds make the set all that more appealing and interesting. Despite the set’s minor flaws, coupled with the fact that it’s normally a bit out of our price range, we loved it and are keen to add more of the HappyLand range.

Ella is thrilled with My Pal Violet and with the exception of the music options, I am very pleased with this product. My Pal Violet and My Pal Scout (the green version) are very popular and I would recommend My Pal Violet to any family and considering the cost (£15.99), it’s well worth it.

Works much better than other marble run sets we have tried. Recommended for children aged 3+ it’s brilliant fun for any child that likes construction and to see things go. Strangely addictive, you can occasionally find me ‘improving’ DS’s run when he is at nursery.

For a jigsaw this is excellent. It has large pieces that little hands can manage and is a nice way to teach your child about woodland animals while encouraging dexterity. If I could get over my loathing of jigsaws I am sure this would get a much higher mark.

great toy to use for a short time. If like me, you have a child that doesn’t like tummy time very much this will isn’t quite a miracle but in our house it was enough to keep a lively baby entertained for more minutes than usual, encouraging him to play on their tummy, and (hopefully) help him to strengthen those muscles!

Nappy Duck and Potty Pig is a nice simple book, which shows characters using the potty without pushing the agenda too hard. It seems to have worked for us, as well as being a favourite book to look at (over and over again) Ben is now potty training.

The Baby Whoozit seems to be a perfect toy for a small baby, and one that will probably keep being of interest for a good few months, perhaps even past the crawling stage. There’s lots to explore, it’s beautifully made and a fantastic price. We love it!

The Noah’s Ark is a really nice, quality floor toy that would make an excellent present and you’re also helping a good cause when buying this toy. It kept my son entertained for ages. The Noah and wife figures even have magnets on their bottom and the top of the Noah’s Ark toy is magnetised so you can have all the animals inside and the people on top and act out a stormy sea scene!

The Toy Story radio-controlled car is a fun toy, and kids will have lots of fun with the car and figures. For parents, I’d say be prepared to help little ones get the hang of the controls and use rechargeable batteries! And I’m not convinced of the quality – it seems fragile and prone to breaking.

A great quality wooden toy that will stand up to a lot of bashing and dropping and whatever else your little monsters can throw at it – and will still look great. But my advice would be to use generic figures and accessories unless you have a hardcore fire engine fan, because the Pintoy ones are pretty expensive.

Bubble Buster is a great idea, but if you could just buy the wands it would be preferable (and much cheaper). The children loved the fact that the wands pinged when a bubble was burst and had lots of fun, but Mummy was just thinking how pricey over £10 is for two plastic wands and a bubble blower which died on first use.

The Vtech Animal Fun Bounce and Ride Giraffe is a popular toy with both our boys. It has been played with every day. It’s brilliant if you have no outdoor space, or for the winter when you don’t want to go outside!

If like me, you love playing these sorts of games with your kids, but would rather eat your own eyeballs than sing along to High School Musical, then Lego Rock Band for Wii is perfect. It couldn’t be any cooler – Iggy Pop does the game voiceovers! You can introduce your kids to Bowie, if you haven’t got around to it yet. I think overall Lego Rock Band is one of the better music games for the Wii, since it entertains kids and won’t offend the adults’ music sensibilities.

“Playmobil Pirates is a great, absorbing game for little swashbucklers, with some nice in-game features and extras to discover.”

The Tomy Guitar Rockstar is loud, unashamed fun. If you have a budding rock star in the family then this is a must. And it’s hard to believe it costs just £5. Amazing!

What do you get the train-mad toddler who’s too young for a train set? This wonderful chunky, mini all-singing, signal-flashing level-crossing barrier-lifting set might be the answer. A perfect first train-set; durable and with lots and lots to keep the most curious toddler interested. Well worth the money.

A massive hit with my animal-obsessed daughter who, for the 3 weeks we’ve had him, has taken him everywhere with her. I do question the price tag though – when she moves on to something else in a couple of months time, it will have been like spending £100 on an ornament for her room. Or am I just being cynical?