Top 10 Role Play Toys

Role play is an important part of child development, as it builds confidence, creativity communication, physical development and problem solving. Along with being a fun activity, it also allows children to get into character and act out real liferoles or fictional performances. Take a look at some of the best toys for encouraging roll play. 

ELC Medical Case

Little doctors in training will love the medical case, filled with lots of toy medical tools: perfect for nursing sick teddies and poorly dolls back to health. When playtime is over, all of the equipment packs neatly away into the carry case, which is also great for taking with for on the go fun. The medical case is perfect for role playing and make believe: with lots of detailed accessories to make play even more realistic, your little one will love creating lots of stories about their own medical ward. It's also ideal for playing with friends and family, which helps boost social and communication skills. Includes, case, stethoscope, blood pressure monitor, bandage, powder shaker, tweezers, thermometer, doctors hammer, otoscope, syringe and name badge.

Top 10 Magic Sets

Magic sets great for hand-eye co-ordination, dexterity, building confidence and presentation skills. From the age of 6 onwards is a ideal time for a child to begin learning magic tricks. It's important that you select a magic set that's right for your child. We recommend that you open it with your child, and both pick one trick that looks fun and begin to learn it together. Once you have a few magic tricks mastered, you can tell the whole family that you are both putting on a magic show.  Allow the child to be the magician and you can be his or her helper. It's great fun and makes fantastic memories.

Here's our pick of the 10 best magic sets for all ages.

Science4You The Science of Magic

Burst a balloon without touching it or fill it up without blowing. Create a magic dough that can be solid or liquid and use your magic wand to make astounding magic tricks. There are 28 activities and the set includes a 36 page educational book. For ages 8 and above.

5 construction toys your child needs in their life

There is a reason why kids love construction toys so much. It’s not about the form, purpose or function of the toy. It’s about all those endless possibilities kids can truly build with their own imagination, and there is no place more colorful, interesting, amazing and fascinating than a kid’s mind. So, inspire them with this selection awesome construction toys.

GiGi Bloks

Are you the parent of a Hatchimals fan?

If you're the parent of a Hatchimals fan, brace yourself: on October 5, the super-popular line is launching an addition that's sure to be at the top of many a holiday list this year: HatchiBabies.

What we're loving right now: vTech Switch & Go

VTech Switch and Go

We like the idea of these 2-in-1 dinosaur/vehicle toys for children aged between 3 and 6. They come as a vehicle and within a few steps, the vehicle easily changes into a lively dinosaur. The toy plays sound effects as it's pushed along and when transforming. There are also action buttons to which play additional sound effects and educational dinosaur facts.

Present ideas for 5 year old girls

Can't work out what to get her this year? Take a look at some of our suggestions:

Best toys for budding vets

Inspire a new generation of vets and veterinary nurses with these fantastic toys.

Melissa and Doug vet play set

Everything animal lovers need for happy and healthy pets, including a cute plush cat and dog to examine and treat.  The 24 piece set also includes:

Best games for young children - part 2

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

It's time to go hunting for bears in this fantastic board game based on the best selling children's book We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Squelch through the mud and "swishy swashy" through the grass until you find the bear's cave. . . Then run home as fast as you can; first one back wins!

Best games for young children - part 1

Bigjigs Animal Shut the Box

A beautifully illustrated wooden game, based on Shut the Box.  Be the first to flip down all of your animals to be crowned the winner.

Race your opponent to spin and land on each animal character, flipping them up as you play.  No loose pieces make this a great game to take travelling too!

1 player games

Here are some of our favourite games for just one player. They're perfect for some alone time or when there's just nobody else around.

Itop

A fidget spin-to-win masterpiece game to challenge yourself or your friends! The pocket-sized electronic spinning top counts the number of revolutions and keeps track of scores - can you beat the highest score? With 3 main play modes including – Top Score, 99 Spin Challenge and a Compass mode. The clever i-Top also comes with unlockable play modes – spin the secret combinations to see special animations appear. It's simple to do but will take practice to master. Available in purple, green and blue colourways.

Present ideas for 5 year old boy

What would a five year old boy want for Christmas this year? Take a look at some of the possible answers:

Our favourite new board games - part 1

Don't dust off the old board games this winter. Get a new one. Here are some of the latest releases which have caught our eyes:

Downfall

Our favourite robot toys 2018

As you know from decades of watching sci-fi movies, robots come in two metallic flavours: Helpful manservants that speak with an affected British accent or psychotic murder machines sent back from the future. But there are booming new categories that are going to benefit your child: educational robots for kids, robot toys for kids, and coding robots. If you’re looking to start the robot revolution in your own home, here are some consumer models that are programmed to be cool.

Meccano M.A.X.

Construct M.A.X. from scratch using 332 pieces, and once he’s built, children can interact with him in really cool ways. 

Unlike past Meccano builds, M.A.X.’s building time is cut in half, and will take kids between one to three hours to build. The included booklet features clear, step-by-step instructions with detailed photos and diagrams for a seamless assembly. The box also comes with Meccano’s signature screwdriver and wrench, so no outside tools are necessary. M.A.X. uses advanced technology to combine artificial intelligence with robotics, so each robot will be personalized to each kid based on how they interact and play with him. 

Present ideas for a 1st birthday or Christmas

Children at 12 months old are naturally curious and need lots of bold bright toys to keep them active and stimulated. Here are some of our favourite gift ideas for that milestone first birthday or Christmas.

Present ideas for 10 year old girls

A ten year old girl can be hard to shop for, she’s ready to take the world head on but still holds on to her inner child. We have compiled a list of gifts for 10 year old girls that will help you choose just the right thing for her. 

Lego Alternatives: What are the options?

Lego is wonderful, but they aren’t the be-all-end-all of toy building playsets and it's worth knowing that there are some other brands available which sometimes offer something a little extra or a little different. These alternatives have similar concepts, but also have unique characteristics that will appeal to any blockhead!

Plus Plus

Happy Roald Dahl Day! Our round-up of the best presents for Dahl fans...

Roald Dahl Day is the annual, global celebration of the world’s number one storyteller, his beloved stories and unforgettable characters. It happens on and around September 13th, the author’s birthday. To celebrate, we have chosen our favourite Dahl-themed toys and presents... 

Presents for 8 year old girl

Best presents and toys for budding astronauts and space scientists

The Universe and all its possibilities keep us in constant fascination. It’s an exciting adventure waiting to be explored. Here's our round-up of the best toys and presents for budding astronauts and space scientists.

Deep Space Home Planetarium and Projector

Our favourite travel toys for 12-18 months

John Lewis Discovery Cube, £20

The Discovery Cube from John Lewis & Partners is the perfect toy for introducing young minds to all manner of activities and stimuli. This ingenious cube is packed with exciting discoveries. Each face has a built-in activity, including a shape sorter, mirror, musical buttons and other fun things for little fingers to pull, push and play with. It even cleverly unpacks to form a fun playmat!
Ideal for aiding development of hand-to-eye coordination as well as fine motor skills, it can also help with problem-solving and thinking skills.

Best dolls 2018

Dolls teach children critical emotional skills and allow them to imagine themselves in the role of caregiver.  From baby dolls that cry (and wee!) to fashion dolls, these are the top toys dolls for toddlers and older children to cuddle and care for. 

Best for Toddlers:My First Baby Annabell

What is she asking for this year? Take 2

Some more of the toys that little girls will be putting on their Christmas lists this year.

Pikmi Pops

Pikmi pops; another collectible from the creators of Shopkins. They’re simply popped open to find little plushies and other surprises inside. The little creatures inside are scented. Of course they are!  Depending on the size you buy, they’ll also get surprise messages, prizes, charms, stickers, lanyards, dangler strings (okay), collector’s guides and stands.  It’s almost like they were trying to narrow down what would appeal to children, and then said – hell let’s just do all of it! Like L.O.L Surprise, they have made different series/seasons of them, just to keep the children on their toes.

Stocking Fillers for Baby's First Christmas

A baby’s first Christmas is a special time for everyone. To help those who may never have had to buy stocking fillers for babies before, we have selected some of this year’s best Christmas presents for little ones to give you some inspiration.

What is he asking for this year?

Fingerlings Untamed

These dinos do pretty much the same stuff as their cutesy counterparts: they react to your touch and can make up to 40 different sounds and movements. But one important difference is their two modes of play. In untamed mode, these little buddies will roar, hiss and chomp. Taming the beasts is easy—just pet them gently and they’ll nuzzle and purr to the touch. There are 4 in the range: Blaze (orange), Stealth (green), Fury (blue) and Razor (purple). They're priced at  £16.99 each.

Stocking Fillers for 3 year old boys

Here for the LOLs? What you should be pre-ordering for Christmas

L.O.L. Surprise! Interactive Live Surprise   £25 @ The Toyshop 

Little pets which  respond to sound, touch and motion. They blink their big eyes when they’re tired, wag their tails, twitch their ears and even blush!

There are three mystery, interactive accessories for Bunny Hun, Fuzzy Fan or Hoops D.O.G.G. 

Toy-based Advent Calendars: The sequel!

Hatchimals
With over 50 surprises to discover and build up the Christmas scene each day. The surprises include paper craft decorations, small presents, stickers and accessories for Hatchimals! It has exclusive characters both in-egg and out-of-egg. The festive cuties even come with attachable accessories. Keep them cosy in the sparkly nests, exclusive to this calendar. 

What is she asking for this year?

 

Pomsies

Pomsies look like literal balls of fur with catlike features: pointed ears, giant eyes, a tiny nose and a mouth completely hidden by fur. They’re designed to be cute. Instead of a torso, Pomsies have an adjustable, pose-able tail that allows kids to attach them to virtually anything: belt loops, backpacks, wrists, ankles.

But Pomsies are more than balls of fur you can move. They react to certain stimuli, purring when held and “fed” (when a kid pinches his or he fingers and presents them to the area under their noses where the mouth would be). Their huge eyes also glow different colours depending on their mood. Yes, they have moods.

Present ideas for 8 year old boys