The Pink horse skipping rope is is a lovely skipping rope, that feels much more solid than the usual plastic sets I’ve seen in this price range. The price is very reasonable, at under £5 and it’s ethically made too.

The VTech Kiddizoom VideoCam camcorder is a fantastic idea for families who aren’t happy handing a Flip camera to their kids – at £60 this is considerably cheaper than those cameras, and is designed for the odd bang and bump. The additional special effects and video games make this lots of fun for children.

We were excited to test out a really modern scooter, and so the arrival of our Maxi Micro Joystick scooter was a big event for the family. I’ve always thought scooters are great for both parents and children; they’re the easy option when your child wants to whizz, rather than walk, to school and you haven’t got time to find the key to the bike shed. Plus, they’re easy to store. Actually, there isn’t anything not to love so we were excited to test out a more modern version – the Maxi Micro joystick scooter has no handle bars!

The Royal Quoits set from Aspace is an engaging and educational (if you make the children keep score) game, whose appeal crossed all the age rages from 3 years to 66 years. Its simplicity is part of its appeal and it is totally engrossing. We keep coming back to this and have had great fun in the good weather with it. We are planning to take it camping with us. Thoroughly recommended.

What do you get for the car-mad toddler to keep his fleet of toy cars in? A toy-box made of recycled car tyres, that’s what! And this stylish, ethical and eco-friendly box can be used for more than merely tidying the playroom.

Rosemary loves the Didicar, even if she does get hurt a lot, and she’ll probably come round to using it properly. It seems very sturdy and I think will last a long time. It’s something she can share when a friend comes round, without arguments (except perhaps who gets to sit in front!). All in all, the Didicar is a good toy and good value for money, but older children may well be better at using it in the right way.

The first words that came out of his mouth when my 7 year old saw the Lego Star Wars Luke’s Landspeeder was “look at all the characters! COOL!” Which is a mighty fine endorsement to be kicking off with. This comes with five characters (C-3PO, R2-D2, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker and a Sandtrooper) which is quite unusual for this size kit.

Flea begged for this Playmobil Hospital set for almost six months before we relented and bought it for her. And I don’t blame her for coveting it – it’s a proper hospital with operating theatres, wards, a reception, treatment rooms and even an on-site clown. What’s not to love, you’ll think? Then you’ll open the box.

The Nebulus TX aluminium scooter is an absolute steal. Why would you pay any more for a child’s scooter? The children loved it, it looks pretty cool, and it’s practical to boot – highly recommended.

Once it’s together this is a great play set with lots to keep children interested, and we liked that this comes with everything kids need to play pirates – lots of figures, plenty of accessories and some really nice details – apparently it’s one of Playmobil’s best sellers over the years, and we can certainly see why. But do set aside an evening to assemble the large Playmobil pirate ship – and don’t forget the screwdriver!

The minute my son saw the two Lego Ben10 Alien Force sets we were sent to review (Swampfire and Humungousaur), he identified them as a ’sort of Bionicle’. And they are pretty much that, but for the Ben 10 crowd. There are six different characters to collect (as well as these two there is also Spidermonkey, Chromastone, Bill Chill and Jet Ray). Although Bionicles come in cooler boxes.

The Lego minifigures are great quality and very affordable, but even so, I can see this range becoming VERY expensive very quickly if you keep getting duplicates – there are websites available that tell you the bar codes of the different figures if you want to cheat but even having looked at those I know the odds of me remembering what we’re looking for when I’m at the checkout in Tesco are pretty remote. A bit disappointing, for us, despite the quality of the toy itself, which is fine.

The wooden eco helicopter looks lovely – I just wish we had more sun! It was played with a couple of times and then ignored. I can’t help feeling it was a disappointment, considering the price tag, which is just under £20. At that price, it’s an expensive ornament which will spend it’s days on the windowsill waiting for sunshine … alone.

I liked the fact that the Dino puppet’s pieces are made from recycled paper and card and it’s a lovely little gift to buy someone. Not sure I would buy it otherwise though as we could probably get just as much fun out of creating our own from bits from our recycle box – and that’s costs nothing!

We really enjoyed playing with the Meccano Build and Play set, but the playing was perhaps more fun than the building! The end product is great, but it is suited most to children who enjoy construction projects, because it takes a lot of building to get there. We found that when the children have spent that long making it they’re a little reluctant to take it all apart to make one of the other 5 models! Really nice end product though.

What’s not to like? Lego + Star Wars = little boy’s dream come true. And when Dan saw the size of this Lego Star Wars Tie Defender craft and the number of pieces involved his response was “cool!”. The end product is a rather great looking craft which Dan now has by his bed. He may have even stroked it at some point. We do have quite a lot of Lego and the Lego Star Wars Tie Defender certainly didn’t disappoint.

The Playmobil Noah’s Ark is a great set and has some nice touches if you recognise what they are (we didn’t) – a working crane, for example. It’s around 50cm long, so not too big, which is great when it comes to storage. There aren’t as many accessories as you’ll find with some Playmobil sets but how much do animals need? All the basics are provided – hay for beds, food to eat, boxes to put things in. The Playmobil Noah’s Ark is, I’d say, a good quality take on a classic toy.

It’s a nice set as a starter for 4 year olds, but it’s a bit limited so I’d buy two – and a base board.

Although fun, I didn’t think this was mentally stimulating for the children – and I don’t think it would keep their interest for long, or that it’s something they’d choose to play over and over again. I fear Pig goes Pop may end up at the back of the games cupboard.

This folding Hello Kitty scooter is cute, and makes the perfect scooter for any little Hello Kitty fan. We thought it was a lovely design and reasonably good quality overall. Oh, and it’s great value for money!

I’m not sure what to make of this. I really want to like it, I think it’s a brilliant idea, I really do, and the material is really cool. But for my child, it was too much effort for too little reward. I wonder if the smaller cars in the range might be easier to use, because they presumably require less power to work – but I wasn’t sold on the Discover Rig. Sorry.

This Castle has provided me with some unexpected “alone” time and has kept my girls’ imaginations running wild for hours at a time. It is terrific for both individual and group play and has everything your little ones need to rule their very own playroom. Although a little pricey it is very well made and I feel it will stand the test of time, unlike many plastic versions that are currently on the market.

The Nerf Maverick dart gun is just the most fun EVER, and I’m amazed you can get a Nerf this good for under £10. Having said that, I’d recommend spending the extra £4.99 to get a spare pack of 20 Nerf darts, because you will inevitably end up losing some down the back of the sofa.

This is a gorgeous, meticulously made animation and one of those films you’ll love more than your children – which is a rarity. For older children, the story is perfect, and they’ll appreciate the dedication that has gone into making the film, and some of the references to the modern world that are included in the film’s version of the Fox family.

Of all the Playmobil sets that have passed through our house, this was the one that Flea played with least. This surprised me at first, because Flea is quite a big fan of dinosaurs, as a rule. I think, though, that the dinosaurs don’t naturally mix with the other Playmobil sets, and if Flea is playing dinosaurs she has a whole set of plastic dinosaurs that look a lot more realistic than the Playmobil Spinosaurus. Having said that, if you’re looking for a toy for a hardcore dinosaur fan, this range is solidly made and very good quality and value.

I was really excited when I saw the Battle Strikers game. I have seen it advertised on TV and I thought that it looked like loads of fun. The big box includes a game zone, magic finger controller and a turbo launcher that you use to launch your strikers into the game. The aim of Battle Strikers is to know out your partner’s striker and be crowned King of the battle!

The Diva Dice game is a great learning tool, which provides fun and family entertainment at a great price. We had loads of fun and I think the fact this is portable means it’s the sort of game we’d take on holiday or to relatives’ houses – it even comes in its own bag.

When I was asked to review a book entitled “Toilet Trivia” with my children, I was a little apprehensive about what this would be like! However from the moment I opened it we were in stitches and amazement. For example – did you know that in Australia you can’t wear hot-pink trousers past 4 o’clock on a Sunday or that in France it’s against the law to die unless you’ve already purchased a cemetery plot?! (Like what are they going to do – sue you?! Haha)

These handkerchiefs from the Nappy Laundry are really bright and funky and feature numbers (sums) or the alphabet. They are ‘child’ sized and made from a nice robust cotton. A really nice idea and environmentally friendly (how many packets of tissues do we get through in a week?)

So hands up who never went to an all nighter? Well if you didn’t here’s your chance to grab a bit of old school rave-style and party in your front room and for the rest of us, it’s time to embarrass yourself in front of your kids and throw some shapes like it’s 1992…or whenever it was.

I liked the way you could make so many bubbles at once and the the small dish that you fill with bubble mix in was really easy to use. You dip the front of the gun in the dish and then point it and press the trigger. Loads of bubbles come out. I was so impressed with this. We were amazed that something that just blows out bubbles can be so much fun. We had a great time with it all afternoon.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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?

This is a simple card game that if played enough will probably teach children the basic facts about countries of the world. In our house, it will probably get most play in the run-up to exams, as it’s not really great for playing with children of different ages. Still, if you’re looking for a nice quality game that’s more educational than snap this is probably the one for you.

I can imagine this Reindeer Poo in a box being a real fun novelty Christmas gift for kids and adults alike. The price is reasonable and the profits made from it’s sale help to Support the Natural History Museum and it’s fantastic research into conserving the biodiversity of our planet.