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).

Everything you need to play is included in the Tailball Lite box – pole, ball, bats and instructions – but to be honest I just thought oh no not another bat and ball game! The idea of tailball is that it’s like tennis, but easier for young children – the lightweight foam ball is slower and easier to hit, especially thanks to the trailing streamers attached to the ball. To play tailball, children hit the ball to each other, and score a point each time the ball hits the ground.

Back in the day, learning to use a pogo stick was all about skinned knees and frustration, with days of practice before you managed half a dozen jumps. But kids these days have it so much easier. The bungee bouncer is much easier to use than a traditional pogo stick and did prove to be lots of fun for both my children. Plus it can be used (supervised) indoors – bonus! Maybe a tad on the expensive side for what it is, but if it gets your children outdoors and bouncing then it could be worth the investment. Just don’t expect too much of a challenge.

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.

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.

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.

As an adult, it’s easy to laugh the slightly formulaic nature of Scooby Doo cartoons – oh look, the alien/monster/witch/robot is really just a person dressed up in a suit. But I think Flea loves knowing that it’s not going to be real in the end – so she can enjoy being scared witless in the meantime. Oh, and the DVD includes a cute little feature showing you how to make your very own Gryphon (in case you’ve forgotten, the Gryphon is half-eagle, half-lion). Ours was rubbish, but we had fun trying.

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!

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.

Lovely quality and design, and lots of fun, these robots will help build fine motor skills and problem-solving. Flea has also enjoyed playing with them imaginatively and they’re sturdy enough to stand up to lots of energetic play, with no small pieces or sharp edges to bother the little ones. A lovely option for children of all ages.

The Playmobil Take Along Pirate Island is a great value pirate toy that stores away easily, and can be taken with you easily to friends’ houses. Just bear in mind that there are a lot of small pieces, so it’s not for kids who still like to put small things in places where they might cause injuries.

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.

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.

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.

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

The Asda Glow in the Dark Skeleton Costume is a cheap outfit that does what it says on the box. It might have been more exciting with a few accessories, but you can always buy those separately. We certainly found it very practical to wear it’s good value for money.

The Woolworth’s Frankenstein Costume is a great value, child-friendly and effective-looking outfit. Its near tantrum-free design is a real winner and whether you’ve got a little monster – or you simply want to make one – this should be a great addition to the halloween chamber of horrors.

For enjoyment expressed by the small people, the BBC Audio 3rd and Bird – The Muffin Express and Other Stories CD is the current No. 1. Bigger people might find that it grates. But then again, there aren’t that many children’s CDs that don’t.

It’s Thomas, and small boys will love it. Whilst they probably won’t choose to listen to the BBC Audio Thomas & Friends – The Little Old Engine & Other Stories CD over an actual read of the Thomas books, it could certainly help while away 1 hour and 15 minutes of a long car journey. In my ideal world I’d have bought it together with the books so we could look at the books together and then I think they would be keener to listen to it in the car.

I can’t believe the Aldi Children’s Halloween Costumes were only £5.99 each! Amazing value. I don’t think they’ll last until next Halloween but the girls sure will have fun with them this year.

I can’t think of any little girl who wouldn’t want one of these fluffy, original creations, the Halloween Pumpkin Tutu is the perfect present for any Princess or pumpkin worth their tutu and you’ll struggle to get them dressed into anything else!

The Snazaroo face-paints and Special KX kits are safe and easy to apply and – importantly – wash off easily. We were careful not to get any onto clothes, but I would imagine it would be quite straightforward to remove. And you can perform miracles of healing in a matter of minutes to the fake injuries sustained in an evening’s trick or treating. All in all, these kits are a couple of halloween essentials. Just remind me to disconnect the doorbell.

If you’re looking for a high-quality costume that won’t fall to bits, the Kids Army US Pilot Jumpsuit is for you. And it doesn’t hurt that my son looked completely, utterly adorable in it. Highly recommended.

The Kiddymania Dinosaur Dressing Up Outfit is something kids can play in for several years, which is a rarity among Halloween costumes. Little S can also testify that this is a GREAT costume for perfecting your roar in!

The M&S Pirate Skeleton Kids Halloween Outfit looks great once it’s on, but it is a little bit fiddly, and the fabric was definitely thinner on this than the other two outfits we tested. This is also definitely a party outfit, not a going out outfit – it’s thin and it’s October – who’s wearing cropped trousers at this time of year? Lunatics, that’s who.

The Playmobil Pirate Island Superset is a nice addition to a pirate Playmobil collection, but the base is a little limiting. I’m also possibly weirdly liberal, but I found it kind of amazing how many weapons two pirates need – daggers, swords, guns and a cannon?

The Playmobil Go-Kart Race Compact Set is a nice little set, and inexpensive enough to make a good present for a birthday party, as you don’t need any other Playmobil sets to be able to play with this set.

Eric Carle’s ABC Game is a nice visual way to have fun with the alphabet (and some strange animals). However at £14 I would have expected the pieces to have been a bit more substantial and robust. The whole thing looks so lovely it’s a shame it’s been let down somewhat by ‘cheap’ counters and a spinner than only just spins.

A classic board game, with all sorts of educational benefits. Well made, well presented and at a very reasonable price.

When I suggested bringing this toy back home after our holiday, my niece and nephew begged to keep it at their house, which shows how much they loved it – maybe one day they’ll get around to playing Connect 4, who knows? Fantastic fun for kids and very flexible, with a lovely nostalgia element.