A little toy gift guide for under 5's this Christmas

We spend a lot of time watching children play with toys and are always researching what we will add next. For us our biggest priorities when we choose a new toy is longevity and strength, there is no point  in buying a toy that will break easily. Please find listed our favourites and a little review for each. This is a completely independent review.

Happy hopperz - (From £24.99) we have had several of these wonderful toys for over a year, they are essentially animal shaped space hoppers that come in a variety of sizes and colours, we recommend the medium size. We have seen some children play with them for an entire 2 hour session. This toy is great for physical activity and will help your child burn of lots of energy.
One point to note is they are better if you have a yard or large floor space at home or can be used in the garden.


Make n' Go - (from £29.99) is a little remote control vehicle that the children can build with Duplo blocksto be whatever vehicle they chose.  We recommend this toy for motor  skills and creativity and imagination.

Lanka Kade Dinosaur A-Z puzzle - (£19.99) this puzzle is a firm favourite for my daughter it's fair trade and hand made and very educational, she has learned many letters and has developed her hand eye coordination as a result of putting the puzzle together and it's a great way to interact with your little one.

Brik a blok - (£111.98) This is the ultimate construction toy and is great for all ages, it consists of many panels that join together to form different shapes,  the older children can make their own tunnels and houses and little ones can play in the tunnel and whatever you build for them, it is a great way to involve the whole family and very educational for the older children that have to learn how to construct different shapes.

The puppet company Tree House - (£17.99) This is an adorable fluffy tree house that comes with a range of finger puppets, it is great for talking about our woodland animals and birds. Children from the age of 2 years upwards love to play with the tree house and is great for when friends are over as there are several puppets that come with the house. I took this on Holiday and my daughter and her three cousins had a lovely time play together and they are 2, 4 and 7 years old.

Little tykes rocking horse - (£16.99) This very durable toy is very popular at our parties and creches, we have 2 to avoid fighting, they provide a good level of movement and are quite stable, you can even get a see saw for more than one child. They are easy to keep clean and last for a very long time.

Fisher Price chatter telephone - (£7.99) This little toy has been around for decades and is still as popular today as it was in the seventies when I was a little. 

We hope you find some inspiration and if you have any suggestions please feel free to comment.