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.

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.

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 Pure Love Bunny Hug Pillow is another lovely product from Natures Purest and encouraged us to check out their site – next on our wish list is definitely the bunting collection, which is just gorgeous! This product is amazing quality, from an environmentally friendly and ethical supplier. We couldn’t have asked for anything we – or our baby – would love more.

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 fact that we were all very excited to see that you can also buy trailers and farm equipment for the Britain’s Big Farm radio control tractor probably speaks for itself. This study radio control tractor makes a wonderful first remote control vehicle for children aged three plus. It’s lots of fun, easy to use and the quality means it stands up to lots of indoor and outdoor play.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 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 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.

These 2+ toys make an interesting addition to the repertoire. Ranging from a build-and-play plane (£19.99 on Amazon) to a variety of smaller creatures like the Ladybird and Caterpillar, these kits will sustain the Christmas Day pleasure of unwrapping/unpacking and creating something out of nothing just a little longer.

My Perfect Christmas is beautiful personalised book. It made us feel warm, fuzzy, and festive inside. We all enjoyed the pictures, the story and the sentiment behind the book. To receive in time for Christmas, order before 14th December.

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 Playmobil Playground Set is a really great toy that’s perfectly pitched for children aged 4 and 5, who enjoy pretend play around schools, playtime, making friends. There are some lovely items, and the quality is very impressive, with each piece strong enough for robust handling by pre-schoolers.

The Playmobil Ambulance is a great value set considering how much play value it has. Nice and sturdy, and it really encourages imaginative play. As an added bonus, it introduces the idea of kids getting knocked off bicycles, so we’ve been chatting about road safety, too. Totally recommend this one.

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

This is a really good buy. From a parent point of view, it’s great quality, well made, and a reasonable price. From a baby point of view, there’s lots of colour, textures and activities, plus plenty of room for rolling around.