On the third day of Christmas LEGO Star Wars gave to me...

Here are some of our favourite reviews from the last few months for children aged around about 6-9..

Hexbug - my 6 year old chose to buy the Hexbug Black Hole set with his birthday money and it's proven incredibly popular. We didn't review it on the blog, but we later got the chance to review the Hexbug Nano Glow-In-The-Dark. They're excellent fun, and the sets are brilliant for increasing understanding of Science


Zip Stix are ace. They're so cheap they really count as a stockingfiller - they start at £2.99 for a single pack. We reviewed the Zip Stix Stunt Pack which has cones, a ramp and 2 Zip Stix and still only costs £7.99. Plenty of fun for your money.


Big books are traditional at Christmas and my children always get an annual as well as a couple of other books to keep them occupied when they need to be calm and peaceful. They lap up facts and can learn so much, as well as having a more mature brain and now being able to enjoy a story without pictures. One of the most read books in our house this Autumn has been The Top 10 Of Everything, which is where our 6 year old seems to get most of his opening conversational gambits! RRP £14.99


Early Readers - As well as the big heavy hardbacks children of this age are beginning to read stories independently and we love the Early Readers from Orion Books. Nothing like your traditional school reading books, these feature a wide variety of stories and characters, one of the best known being the ever-popular Horrid Henry.  Priced around £5.


Board Games are brilliant for this age group. They help reinforce patience and sportsmanship, and bring the family together. One of our favourites is Articulate For Kids, which we've only had for a short while, but have played tons of times. Being able to read the simple words on the cards by himself gives our 6 year old a huge sense of pride and is expanding his reading skills in a really fun way. Don't Laugh! is an excellent game for this age group. Adults will find the jokes a little lacking, but 6-9 year olds will think they're absolutely hilarious.


A slightly more unusual gift is one that keeps on giving. Children of this age really enjoy reading comics and magazines, and can get an awful lot from an annual subscription and there is something to suit everyone, from The Beano and National Geographic Kids, to Adventure Time and Playstation. Stew - The Magazine For Curious Kids is one of our favourites, a bit quirky and different, and treating children as smaller intelligent people, it'll be great to keep and revisit as my younger 2 get older.


There is an awful lot of LEGO which suits the 6+ age range. Children's hands are far more competent and strong, and their clutch power means they can build and take apart tiny pieces now. LEGO Minecraft is going to be absolutely massive this Christmas, but if your children aren't into that then there are all kinds of options. We particularly like the Ultra Agents and Arctic ranges, and of course the LEGO Movie sets, but one of the most used models with my boys is the Heartlake City Pool from LEGO Friends!


This is the modern world, so my last recommendation is technology. Children of this age are reaching the point where 'what Jacob said at school' is becoming more inspiring to them. They want to be a part of the tribe and fit in, and keeping up with what's happening on Nickelodeon alone may not cut it any more. DVD's and CD's are something I would consider for this age group, and also games. There are plenty of Playstation/X Box/Wii and PC games around that are designed especially for younger children and aren't obvious 'learning', even though they will be solving logic puzzles, building hand-eye co-ordination, reading and typing and practising all kinds of other skills. All of my children have spent time playing LEGO games on the Playstation, and Club Penguin on the PC, and I'm more than happy for them to do that. No.1 rule as far as we're concerned for this age group and technology is "always know what they're doing, and always be more of an expert than your child". I've completed LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean several times....purely for research, obviously...

On the second day of Christmas LEGO Star Wars gave to me.....

I am a big fan of Bunches.co.uk. I've used them many times to send flowers, balloons and chocolates to friends and family, and I have never been disappointed, so reviewing one of their Christmas Plants is a pleasure.

I was sent the Frosty Flower Basket just over 2 weeks ago - on my birthday as luck would have it!


The way the flowers are transported is really important, and Bunches do it very well. Inside the main box is a pull out carboard insert with handles, so you can lift out the entire assembly in one, and then recycle everything you don't need.

On the first day of Christmas LEGO Star Wars gave to me.....

On Monday 1st December Disney will release Planes 2: Fire And Rescue on Blu-ray and DVD. Disney's Cars was great, a real change from the movies that were around, and when they released Planes my two youngest were enthralled by it. Planes 2: Fire And Rescue is a very worthy sequel, and makes a great story for young and older alike.

We love the minifigures collections and have a full set of most of the releases - although I can't believe they're on Series 12 already! This set are one of my favourites, with some great characters that will really add another dimension to your models and play.

Series 12 Minifigures includes the following 16 characters -  a Space Miner, Battle Goddess, Wizard, Dino Tracker, Swashbuckler, Jester, Piggy Guy, Hun Warrior, Fairytale Princess, Pizza Delivery Man, Video Game Guy, Spooky Girl, Prospector, Genie Girl, Rock Star and a Lifeguard.

Children aged 3-6 are moving from infant toys towards reading and whole new ways to play. They need stimulation and exploration and the freedom to try out new things in a safe environment. Role play and 'pretend' play are excellent ways for them to learn about the world, and using small parts builds their fine motor skills ready for writing. 

Green Toys are great, and mainly suitable below the 3+ age range. Made entirely from recycled milk bottles, they're brilliant for role play and imaginative play. It's hard to pick a favourite because the children play with all the vehicles in the bath and sandpit, but I love the Rocket and Cookware and Dining set - both suitable for children aged 2+ and can even be washed in the dishwasher!


Sing My Name do exactly what you'd expect from the title - they make CD's and Alarm Clocks which 'sing your name'.  The songs aren't too cheesy or grating, and the clock is really nice. There are thousands of names to choose from - my children have uncommon names but are both on the list. CD's full of songs featuring your child's name are around £15, and the alarm clock around £25.


Orchard Toys have a huge range of games and puzzles for younger children and they're a brilliant introduction to turn-taking and rules of gameplay. They all encourage discussion and social interaction and expand your child's vocabulary - and they're great fun! The Who's In Space? puzzle (£7.50 age 3+) is still favourite since last year, and the Can You Guess? Game (£11.75 age 4+) is a much newer favourite.


TinyMe make absolutely gorgeous and practical items which make superb gifts. They cost more than alternatives, but the quality is superb and the personalisation is really second to none, nothing is 'off-the-shelf', it's all made especially for you. The TinyMe wooden name block puzzle comes in a beautiful felt slipcase, is suitable from 18 months and starts at £22.


The Doodle Bear is a surprise hit in our house. We have the Magic Glow Doodle Bear (Around £25 age 3+) which uses not only a washable marker, but a light pen. Both of my boys love it and it's constantly in the wash!


The Hexbug Aquabot might seem a strange one to put in a collection of toys for younger children, but actually it's suitable for age  3+ and if my 4 year old hasn't broken it yet, then it's a great thing. Far less delicate than it looks, and great fun in the bath, we reviewed the Zombie Aquabot which glows-in-the-dark too! Around £8.



Books are a perfect gift for children of any age, and some of my favourites for this age group are from The Little Tiger Press. Two we've read a lot recently are Touch And Feel Story Books, which have gorgeous flocked sections that my children like to stroke as I read to them at night - it's very relaxing and calming....Priced around £7-£11


LEGO DUPLO used to just be for little ones, and now it has some more 'grown up' sets that your bigger children will be happy to play with.  The Batman range is excellent and my 4 year old is more than happy to put down the little LEGO and play with this. The Batcave Adventure set costs £39.99 and is suitable for children aged 2+.


LEGO have a great range called Juniors, which are based on larger pieces and don't have tricky builds or lots of small pieces that tiny hands can't quite press together or pull apart. The instructions are really clear and easy to follow, and they build is instantly recogniseable, so small children are immediately rewarded and can see what they're building.
Designed for children aged around 4+. I haven't yet reviewed any on the blog and I really should. They're an excellent bridge for a child moving from DUPLO, and can be incorporated into any other regular small LEGO once your child progresses. The LEGO Juniors Digger shown retails at £9.99.


My final recommendation for younger children is a Drumond Park game that my boys both love. Pumpaloons is great fun and we got most use from ours in the garden in the Summer, but it's a great game for parties and games nights as it gets everyone moving! Age 4+ and around £20. 


Some giveaways featured within review posts may now be over - for all of my current giveaways please see my giveaways page. All prices shown on this page were correct at the time of posting.

Men can be notoriously hard to buy for at Christmas, and sometimes more new socks, ties and Old Spice just aren't needed, or aren't quite fun enough. Hopefully here I will give you some ideas for a present that'll really put a smile on someone's face.

Gadgets are a brilliant thing to buy for Christmas, and useful gadgets are the best - things that won't sit in the cupboard 362 days of the year. We've been lucky enough to review some fantastic gadgets this year - here are our favourites....


The Ventura P Powerbank from Snooper is brilliant. Absolutely tiny compared to the standard, yet it can charge phones, laptops and other hand held devices, but will also jump start your vehicle, AND it's got a torch. Could it get any better? Yes it can - it's so small it can sit under the passenger seat or in a door pocket until you need it, and only needs a top up charge every 6 months or after use. It comes complete with a zipcase to hold all of the accessories. At £99.99 and with that level of function it's a really useful piece of holiday and emergency equipment.