We chose the Vintage Musical Elephant Pull Toy as it only had a minimal amount of plastic, and we chose well. It’s the first toy our daughter engaged with and actually tried to grab. The ’soothing melody’ seems to soothe her, but doesn’t quite do the job for us parents.

One of a new range of toys from Silver Cross, this Rufus Rabbit pull-along toy is designed in a gorgeous vintage style and comes beautifully packaged. Once you’ve fought with the usual ties and fastenings to free it from the box you are left with this fabric bunny and his collection of miscellaneous velcroed, pull-apart vegetables in his pull-along cart.

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.

This heatable duck from Farm Toys is so soft and cuddly, I couldn’t help giving it a cuddle the moment I opened it! And Rosemary was also very taken by its softness and cuddliness, but also noticed that it was very heavy (for a three-year-old). There were clear instructions on the tag, cook on full power for about 2 minutes and you’re set!

The Disney Princess Role Play Tent is pretty and girlie, but at £29.99 I thought it was rather an expensive purchase for something that my daughter only ended up having a passing interest in, and which was so easy to damage. I was very disappointed in the fabric material and found the assembly awkward and frustrating.

The Little Tikes Get Out N Grill is a nicely made toy, and has lots of potential but could use more accessories to enable more role play. My two have already borrowed accessories from their kitchen set to add to the Get Out N Grill. The barbeque would also benefit from having some sound effects. Although the Get Out N Grill will last a long time, I’m now sure how long the children will play with it before being bored, which is a shame as it has potential to be so much more.

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 Playmobil school gym is a really great value alternative to, or addition to the Playmobil school set with loads of play potential and fun accessories that kept Flea occupied for hours. Being Playmobil the quality is very good, and the smaller size makes it much more portable and user-friendly than the larger sets. The Playmobil gym comes heartily recommended.

Like many households we’re collecting the Toy Story characters in toy form so Flea can re-enact her favourite parts of the films. Flea was really excited to be sent this set, which includes a Woody figure and a Bullseye horse – Woody can sit on the horse, which rears up when you push down on the tail. The toy is really quite straightforward, so I’ll admit the £27 RRP did make me shriek “HOW MUCH????” (Hunt around though, as John Lewis was selling this at under £20 when this review was published).

Got a Toy Story fan in the family? Buy this. Even though the Buzz Lightyear Sky Board isn’t too sturdy, we have really enjoyed playing with this toy – I thought it was a simple idea that worked really well. I think a Sky Board would be a great beach or park toy for Buzz Lightyear fans, just don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t last the whole summer.

The Mini Micro bag is a really cute, kid-friendly accessory that I’d recommend if your child is a dedicated user of their Micro Scooter. It’s been designed with little hands in mind, and is practical and well made. Not essential, but a nice extra for summer outings.

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.

The Tomy Micropet is possibly the most annoying toy that has ever graced our house. Mia smuggled them in her suitcase to take on holiday with us and one started to ’sing’ at baggage check! The airport staff did not raise a smile. The children did love them, though, it has to be said.

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.

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.

A really nice set with lots of play potential and a cute, contemporary feel, but I do query the deisgn of the figures and the wisdom of showing stuff on the box that children won’t be able to mimic. I love the range of accessories, and I think it’s got lots of play potential to justify the pretty hefty price , but perhaps some of the dozens of small pieces (the cutlery in particular) are a bit too teeny and destined to be lost down the back of the sofa. Overall, the Mighty World base camp is a really nice play set for over 3s, but not amazing.

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.

I’ve seen these scooters around in the smarter parts of London and I’ve definitely noticed the Yummy Mummy brigade at Flea’s school regularly pull them out of the back of their 4×4s. I always assumed they were just another scooter, until we got our hands on one of the new green Mini Micro Scooters.

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 interactive play mode really is quite special for youngsters, but even better is that they can turn Buzz into a regular toy when they’ve had enough of the slightly surreal conversations he engages them in. And even better than that, you can turn off the sounds entirely and Buzz is silent. It’s an expensive toy and not an impulse purchase but for the dedicated Toy Story fan, the Buzz Lightyear toy is a tried and tested recommendation.

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.

I do think this is needlessly expensive, but if your child is a Toy Story fan, then having the same packaging as is used in the film might be worth it. But I’ve been surprised by just how much my four year old loves these toy soldiers, and just how much use they’ve got, so even at £12, they are pretty good value.

The Tippitoes Boost Trike is and excellent, robust, first trike that offers comfort, safety and best of all fun! The only real problem we had was getting Elodie off it when our trip to the park was over!

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!

This wooden fire truck gets four stars for the simple reason that Kai adores it and it is a stunning set, but it loses points for me in that it doesn’t seem robust enough for serious play. Granted, it would look lovely sat safely on a nursery shelf but I’m not a big fan of toys designed to be seen and not played with. It’s already looking a little ‘well loved’, but it is loved which, I guess, is the main thing.

Little Croc’s Purse is a gorgeous little book that explores the issues of honesty and generosity in a fun, cute way. The illustrations are lovely, and Flea still regularly asks to read this story a couple of months after it first came into the house.

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.

Even if you haven’t watched the Handy Manny show on TV, I think the Handy Manny soft tool box is a great unisex toy. It’s well made, and will help children learn the names and functions of different tools, and it’s also small enough for little ones to pick up and carry around with them. Although I will say I’m glad the tools are soft – as BG keeps trying to hit me with the hammer!

The Playmobil Family Camper is of my favourite sets of Playmobil because it encourages kids to role play within family situations, and it’s really flexible in how kids can play. Great value for money considering all the accessories included within it, and it has stood up to a month’s play without anything breaking off or looking worn. Thoroughly recommended. Just don’t pick it up from above.

I think the Playmobil Easter Egg is a fantastic alternative to chocolate eggs if you know children will be receiving their share of chocolate from other people. There are a good set of choices that should please all kids, and the plastic egg can be used as a moneybox afterwards, making the whole thing remarkably good value for money at £7.99

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 Jojo Maman Bebe animal cubes are a really good value for money set – the design really is gorgeous, and the addition of the patterns and numbers mean that these can be used for education as well as fun as your little one gets older – a great idea.

These Travelling Souk wooden earth worms for babies look lovely. I’m a sucker for nice wooden toys and would probably have a houseful of them, if I could afford it. And it’s nice to get a toy for a baby that does something other than rattle, squeak or make some kind of annoying noise!

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced stocking filler or present for a young baby, this is a great option – bright, colourful and gorgeously tactile, and able to be used on prams, cots and baby gyms. A fab toy and I like toys that seem ‘educational’ not just cute.

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.

It was really fun playing with the Power Rangers Jungle Fury walkie talkies. I think I will definitely use them again, especially if I want to get fed. Apart from the batteries it was great. Everyone wants a go, even Mum.

I love the way this set brings the story to life. On more than one occasion I’ve seen Little S acting out the story on his own. He particularly enjoys saying, ‘chinny, chin, chin’ and acting out the part where the wolf goes down the chimney into the boiling water, although I’m not sure if that’s a good thing! My children have already had lots of enjoyment out of this toy. It would make a lovely gift for young
children but consider buying a proper book to go with it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.