Last week we reviewed Tonka’s ‘Chuck and Friends’ set for pre-schoolers. This week we’re looking at the Tonka Garage Mod Machine Range. We had load of fun building these big trucks. The bigger the set, the better they get with lots of noise and even an engine to make the biggest truck go. A great gift for boys: 4 year olds will need lots of help with assembly, 7 and 8 year olds will make the most of the mix and match designs and multiple configurations for the trucks.
Tonka Garage …

Have you seen the ads for Kung Zhu fighting hamsters? My crew had and were very taken with what they saw on TV, and we’ve had fun testing the toys out. I suspected the major danger with this would be the chance to buy more and more gear for your hamster: armour, tanks, additional training and battle grounds.  In fact, the hamsters were the most popular part and, while J enjoyed using the training ground, they both wanted to take their hamsters to school, to bed etc.
Kung zhu hamsters cost …

You’ve got to love a toy that makes your child smile when they first get it to work. The Explore ‘n’ Grow is suitable for age 9months plus so I thought it might be too young for K, 21m. However he loved at, as did J, 5 and his friend from next door who is 4. The Explore ‘n’ Grow works simply: you put balls in; it chucks them out for you to fetch (maybe a great pet toy too!). It is a fab concept that little kids will have …

In some ways we’re not big games players in our family, but we do like puzzles, and this is a great one.
It is testing enough to get D, 8, thinking … and it challenges DH and I too. J, 5 just likes playing with the shapes.
It comes with a handy carry case so we took it when we went on the train over half term and it helped amuse the kids over a long journey. A great present for an older child who still likes to play, or a …

Playskool step start walk and ride

K, 18months, is keen on anything with wheels. When he swiped a storage box on wheels to site in and use as a car I knew it was time to get him a little ride on for indoors. We were pleased, therefore, to test the Playskool step start walk and ride for the Toylogists programme.
It was easy to set up, despite K helping, and he was keen to get on and ride as soon as he could. He likes the little ‘trunk’ at the front …

This is an attractive little kit for a girl. D described it as ‘exciting’. It took a little while and my help to set it up, and weaving was 50% d, 50% mum! We were able to complete the first project within a couple of evenings, although it took me longer to get round to sewing it up.
D, 8, says, “Cool, I like the phone-bag I made.” This is for age 8+ and is available from Toys R Us. The Weaving-Loom costs £9.99.

Galt Cute Cupcakes
Another winning craft kit from Galt for a very reasonable price. D and I got very carried away making cupcakes: there is enough plaster in the pack to make 4 cupcakes and one stand. We went freestyle and just used all the plaster (plus some from another kit) to make millions of cupcakes. They are going to be part of D’s Christmas gifts to her friends. Decorated with pretty colours and sparkles they look good enough to eat. (Actually, next door’s 2 year old had a wobbly when …

This is a cute ‘paintpot’ that talks! You ‘tip’ plastic pots of paint into the pot and it tells you which colours are which, and what you get when you add a combination of two colours. K really likes this one, and is passionately attached to the yellow paint pot. For me, I think it is quite alot of money for not an enormous amount of function. OK, it is cleaner and less messy to let your child learn about colours using Mr Colour Maker than real paint, but any …

The Leapfrog tag is a handy, handheld, ‘reader’. D, 8 and J, 5, are really enjoying using it. J is very interested in learning to read and it is really helping him tie up which letters combine to make which words. The games are simple, straightforward and ‘cool’ according to my little testers who have also got very excitied about getting ‘rewards’ when they complete a game.

We liked this cute toy from playschool. In the way that happens, I suspect that the 5 year old liked it just as much as K, 18 months. There are little gears too which you can slot in and out: they have kept K and J fascinated. A great gift for a little one, probably best for the crawling stage as your baby can push it along as he crawls.