It’s a shame perhaps that we tested this after testing the Leapfrog Tag, which in my view is superior to the Storio in almost every way. The Tag takes fewer batteries, is far cheaper, and most importantly of all is more fun – the Storio is pretty much ignored in our house, while the Tag (which Flea’s owned for over a year) is still played with most weeks. Perhaps at five, Flea and Harry were just too old for the Storio – it’s suitable for age three so if you have a toddler who isn’t yet reading, perhaps it’s more suitable – but I’d still worry about spending so much on something kids will likely grow out of within a couple of years.

All in all, this a good value for money educational toy, that teaches rather than preaches to a young mind. I recommend it is bought for a younger child as I believe it will be used again and again, and become a firm favourite.

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.

A real mixed bag. It’s ideal for the bottom of the age range if you can justify to yourself that playing video games is okay for the under-threes. However, it doesn’t really have enough to keep an active 3 year old interested.

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 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!

My advice would be to buy another game for 3 and 4 year olds, as I think the included game might go over the heads of younger children, so they’ll likely get bored quickly. But if you want a gentler introduction to gaming for children 5+, then this is well worth considering. And buy a power cord and second handset when you buy the console.