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.

We were fortunate enough to review Santa's Snow Grotto at the Chill Factore in Trafford Park, Manchester last year, and it was absolutely awesome, so we were more than happy when they invited us to revisit this year and see how it has changed. Happily I can report it's barely changed a bit - in fact it looks even better!

We love Green Toys. They are plastic, but they're very special because they're made entirely from recycled milk bottles. The finish is gorgeous, with a dappled, warm feel to the touch - very much like a milk bottle, and the toys themselves are designed to inspire children into creative play, stretching their imaginations and understanding of the world.


Our 6th Green Toy review is one that my boys have played with a lot - mainly because it's taken up residence in the bathroom! The Submarine is such a simple toy, but this one is very carefully thought out, and offers masses of play value. 

Warburtons are very nice to their bloggers, and I have to say I felt a bit spoilt when a hamper arrived the other day full of interesting goodies so that we could try their new range of four Extra Special Loaves.

I've been aware of the Slow Toys movement for the last couple of years, and I'm a huge fan of companies such as Wonderworld, Pintoys, Haba, Hape, Le Toy Van and I've reviewed for Green Toys, Orchard Toys and The Toadstool for a long while now.

The Wonderworld Eco-House with Pintoy Firemen

Slow toys should allow a child to explore their world and play in any way that seems right to them, they stretch a child and develop a huge range of life skills.

Le Toy Van Wooden Fire Engine

Slow Toys are toys that aren't 'faddy', more classic and not based on a TV show or other character. They're traditionally wooden, although card is fine and plastic is included now as long as it meets the other criteria. Slow toys should not in the main take batteries or be powered other than by the user. They should ideally be produced in a sustainable way, with minimal impact on the Earth and it's inhabitants.