Years have passed since LEGO was born, but its charm remains unfaded. This collaborative post by Daniel Washington shows how LEGO can be used to teach your children important life skills - which will last as long as their LEGO...

Upgrading your family car doesn’t have to break the bank. Whether you need more space, better safety features, or just want to enjoy the latest tech, there are smart ways to get behind the wheel of something new without the hefty price tag. In this collaborative post written by Julia Evans, we'll explore how you can upgrade your family car while keeping costs under control, including a closer look at the often-overlooked option of leasing.

Robots are one of my favourite things, and thankfully my children enjoy them too. We've been sent the Smart Robot Car Kit to review by Elegoo, and it's genuinely a great set for any young engineer who has some very basic experience with robotics and electronics, but who wants to expand their ability and practise their skills, and maybe get more involved in programming. 

The set is recommended for age 13+, and looked quite daunting, but it actually took my 12 year old just over 2 hours from in-the-box to bathroom floor line-following robot - with very little help. Genuinely pleasing...

The packaging has some minimal single-use plastic, which would be hard to avoid, especially the static-free bags for the electrical components. It's mainly card, and is a gorgeous arrangement in bright yellow, which really feels like opening presents. 

There was just enough cute to stop my son feeling it was beyond him, but clearly this isn't a set for little ones. There are a lot of small parts, wires and circuits, and they've included 3 small screwdrivers, which is always very welcome (and saves hours of searching). Batteries are also included, and the main robot is rechargeable. You don't need anything aside from what's in the box. 

Maisto are a very well-known manufacturer of all kinds of small scale wheeled toys and collectibles. Die cast models, remote control vehicles and fantastic car tracks are just some of the Maisto items we've owned over the years and last month Tobar sent us their Angry Birds Island Challenge Slot Car Racing Set to review...


Everything arrives in a sturdy box and there is very little plastic packaging - nice one. You will need a whopping 8 x AA batteries to power your track, plus a small Phillips screwdriver, but it is Christmas morning-friendly otherwise and you can be playing in 5 minutes.


Inside the box you have 2.27m of track as 1 straight, 6 small curves, 4 large curves and battery section, plus 2 controllers, 2 vehicles, 6 adjustable track supports and 2 pieces of guard rail plus fastenings. There are also spare Guide Keel's for the underside of the cars (the bit that drops into the slot and keeps them on the track).

This post is written by Emma Stewart, and I'm sharing it to put some food on my table, but checking your tyres at this time of year is really an essential part of car maintenance and she has some good advice.

Foggy and wet conditions need good grip, and the ice and Wintry weather will be back with us before we know it...

Tips on how to care for your tyres

Whether you are a car driver or not, it always comes in handy to know about the basics of how to care for your tyres because all of us either drive or get driven to one place or another. Keeping your tyres in good condition is extremely important not just for a smooth and comfortable drive but also for the safety of the passengers. Below are mentioned some top tips to keep in mind for maintaining your tyres in spick and span condition:

I've got a really exciting toy giveaway today, and sadly it won't arrive in time for a Christmas, but it will make an excellent new year's gift for someone.

Now, you can relive the joy of lying under a van in a car park in the pouring rain at 10pm, but from the warmth and comfort of your own lounge and age 10+. Haynes are making model engines...


I haven't had the pleasure of playing with the Haynes kits yet, but at £36.99 for an Internal Combustion Engine and £54.99rrp for an over 250 piece, fully functional motorised Petrol V8 with its own mini Haynes Manual, it's got to be a fair price.

BubbleBum have been around for a good few years now. Their inflatable children's booster seats are perfect for taxis, if you need to fit 3 car seats or booster seats in one row, great extra car seats when you have an extra child with you, and ideal for any child who regularly changes vehicles or is going abroad on holiday. I'd never seen one in person before, so I was really intrigued to find out exactly how they work...


The BubbleBum is designed for children aged 4 to 11, who weigh between 15-36kg (height restrictions apply, see the ROSPA site for more information). Much more than simply a comfy cushion to sit on, the design holds your child in the correct, safe position for travel. In the event of a crash it is important your child isn't slumped forward, and belts are guided into the correct position over the lap and shoulder, so that injury to internal organs and the chances of your child 'slipping out' of their harness are minimised.

BubbleBum is crash test approved and meets and exceeds the EU ECE R44.04 and the US FMVSS 213 safety regulations for both Groups 2 and 3 and is a totally safe option for your family. These tests cover both crash testing and materials testing. The components used to make BubbleBum are similar to those in life rafts and air bags.

We really like the Nerf Nitro car launchers and the AeroFury Ramp Rage is a very neat set with a compact battery-operated launcher, 2 beautiful foam cars and the all important ramp for launching your vehicles as high and as fast as possible.


Packaging is almost entirely card and recyclable. It's best to cut the straps with scissors and unboxing only takes a couple of minutes. You will need 4 x AA batteries which aren't included, so don't forget them if giving as a gift. Inside the box you have the launcher itself, 2 awesome camouflage cars and one big yellow ramp.

Hot Wheels RC Drone Racerz is a drone and a vehicle in one. You can fly the drone indoors or attach it to the included Hot Wheels car base and it will fly across those jumps and loop the loop with style.


The box is mainly cardboard and opening takes seconds to open. Inside are lots of printed cards - they fold into ramps, a ring (to jump through), a start/finish sign and a phone stand for filming your driving.

The box also includes the Drone Racer, Controller, Hot Wheels vehicle base, 2 interchangeable body shells, spare blades, instructions and a USB connector for charging. In a move of sheer genius they also include a small screwdriver to insert the 4 x AA batteries for the charger (not included).

Our latest review for Meccano is the Chevrolet Corvette Car Model. A 279 piece model for age 10 and over, this gorgeous bright yellow vehicle is the most grown-up oldest-rated Meccano model we've reviewed so far.


Inside the box you have the all-important instruction booklet plus 3 bags of parts. One of the bags contains 6 smaller bags, including one housing the Meccano tools.

Magic Tracks are a whole new sort of car track. Made from small pieces which clip together very quickly and easily - yet don't come apart at all during play. The track will bend and curve into almost any shape you could desire, you can even roll it up for storage.


Magic Tracks has minimal packaging which is really quick to open. The no frills box will however store all of your track when you want to put it away - you don't need anything else.


The set comes with 220 pieces of narrow, carefully shaped slot-together Glow Track in 4 different colours, adding up to an impressive 11ft of speedway in total.

The Anki Overdrive has had a heck of a lot of use since it arrived. Five minutes to get out or put away, and tons of fun when it's running, this robotic car racing system is a real household favourite. October saw the release of Supertrucks to add to your existing sets and really increase gameplay...


We've been sent the Freewheel Supertruck to review. Three times the size of the Anki Overdrive cars, the Supertrucks use their heftiness, plus a new control system and weapons, to race and battle against the other cars.

The packaging is awesome, and designed to protect your Supertruck long term. Incredibly carefully thought out and quick to open and close, Anki know you want to keep your vehicles safe, and they make it very easy. No excuses.


The Freewheel Supertruck is gorgeous. A sleek and finely detailed printed plastic model articulated truck which also happens to be a very sophisticated robot...