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Mumsnet has revamped its product reviews. You can see the new version at http://www.mumsnet.com/Reviews. The old page information is below, but we recommend that you consult the new guide.



mumsnet: toys
Stacking Cups £6.00
What mumsnet members said about it: "This has to be one of the most versatile, long-lasting and cheap toys ever". "They can be used anywhere: bath, sandpit, or just on the floor and it is probably the most-used toy we have. That's saying something!" "Lots of fun, from looking at the colours, to building a tower, to using the cups for pretend tea parties - perfect for for one and two year olds". "A 'must buy', especially at only a few quid!" buy it manufacturer: ELC
Babywalker with Bricks £34.00
What mumsnet members said about it: "This has to be the number one toy for a child just taking their first steps". "My son learned to walk with it and now has great fun with the bricks". "My twins spent hours pushing each other around in this and now two they still fight over it". "Lasts for well over a year in the favourite toy category. My son who's now running takes his toys for rides and loves slamming it into walls!" "The bricks are good for building and it looks great as well". "Well worth the money". manufacturer: Pin Toys
Doll's Pushchair £4.99
What mumsnet members said about it: "Quite simply the best five pounds I've ever spent". "A toddler (boys and girls) who hates walking will walk miles when pushing one of these and if they get fed up they're easy to fold and carry anyway". "My two toddle around for hours with theirs, they take anything and everything for a walk - balls, plates, even dolls occasionally". "Appeals equally to boys and girls; after all they see us pushing prams around all day". "Great value, great toy". buy it manufacturer: Argos
Electronic Activity Cube £15
What mumsnet members said about it: "This plastic cube shape sorter in really bright colours makes an excellent first birthday present". "There's a little telephone on the top, plus a clock which opens the door when it hits twelve". "At 12 months my boy enjoyed opening and closing the door and using the 'lock'. He also loved the phone. It wasn't until he was a fair bit older that he could sort the shapes. Much later after that, he used the shapes in a more imaginative way, telling me the colours". "The phone can be irritating but remember the batteries come out easily!" buy it manufacturer: ELC
Baby Tad £25
What mumsnet members said about it: "Baby Tad is a cuddly baby frog with coloured shapes on its tummy that flash when it sings and talks". It has the option of classical melodies which is "great for sending them off to sleep". "Although the voice is slightly annoying to grown-ups, it never fails to delight our six month old, who gives a huge smile and kicks her legs whenever she sees or hears it". "My one year old daughter loves dancing to the songs and my two year old loves trying to sing along and do the actions to go with them". manufacturer: Leapfrog
First Steps Baby Walker £26.99
What mumsnet members said about it: "Good multipurpose walker and toy". "Lots of buttons to press when not in use as a walker". "Folds flat for transportation and is really sturdy for walking". "It is colourful with flashing lights and has several different educational games for toddlers to find various animals and numbers" and "cruising babies love it as they can wheel it across the floor and speak on the little telephone attached". "A huge hit in our house". buy it manufacturer: VTech
Bead Frame £16.00
What mumsnet members said about it: "I bought this for my son when he was nine months old because it was beautiful and he and his then three and a half year old sisters played with it equally and it is still one of the most played with toys. They love the patterns". "Develops hand eye co-ordination and seems to have true lasting value even if it seems expensive to begin with". "Other kids always flock to this when they come and play". buy it manufacturer: Toy Box
Lego Quatro £12.95
What mumsnet members said about it: "Very versatile, good for manipulation, kids can build anything from towers to bridges for other toys". "This is a very long lasting toy. Both children started to fix it together at about age one, now my eldest, nearly four, has a pretend world of Duplo and makes up stories for the little people". "Never a day goes by without it being in use". "This is the one toy that's composed of lots of pieces that doesn't make me despair. It comes in a handy tub for storing". buy it manufacturer: Lego
Little People Sweet Sounds House £22.99
What mumsnet members said about it: "My 18 month daughter loves this toy". "Lots of buttons to press which make house noises (washing machine, telephone, loo flush, computer etc). Some of these noises vary so sometimes the phone will give you a ringing noise and then an engaged tone". "Loads of accessories including a mummy, daddy, baby, table and chairs, highchair and pushchair". "The chunky pieces are ideal for little ones". buy it manufacturer: Fisher Price
Mamas & Papas Rocking Horse - Topaz £49.99
What mumsnet members said about it: "My one year old daughter loves playing with her rocking horse. It's easy for her to get onto and to rock herself backwards and forwards. The horse was passed down to her by my son, who enjoyed it right up to age four". "My daughter loves to dress it up, feed it and put it to bed at night - it's become part of the family". "It's sturdy, stable and fun". "Great for rainy days when you can't get to the park" and "unlike so many of my children's toys this looks stylish in the living room". buy it manufacturer: Mamas and Papas
Peak Road and Rail set £15.00
What mumsnet members said about it: "I bought this when my son was a year old. Since then the hill has been Teletubbies hill, Rosie and Jim's barge, Tracy Island and is currently a Digamon base to name but a few. It has also been known to double as a foot rest and a stool and yet still looks as good today as the day I bought it". It's a "good value" and "an excellent all round toy, realy long-lasting". buy it manufacturer: Little Tikes
Peekablocks From £6.99
What mumsnet members said about it: "There's a huge range of Peekablocks available. Each set of six blocks has a different theme; animals, sports, sounds, sight, vehicles etc. and have different textures and make different sounds". "The blocks have lovely detail, for example my kids love the parrot with a bell which tinkles and rocks when the block is shaken". It is "a great all round toy for a child from age six months up, and, unlike many, a relatively quiet toy at that". "I have been buying these blocks for all the new babies I know!" buy it manufacturer: Fisher Price
Wooden Bricks Bucket £10
What mumsnet members said about it: "These are top quality bricks in four strong colours". "They come in a bucket of 100 and are various shapes - perfect to encourage coordination and develop their imagintation". "An infinite number of things to construct" though "in the beginning they'll mostly be knocking down the things you've constructed". "Appeals to children from one three plus". "They're aesthetically appealing, very durable and great value for money". buy it manufacturer: ELC
Wooden Pop-Up Pegs £8
What mumsnet members said about it: "My kids were obsessed with this from about eight months onwards. The first challenge was to put a peg 'back in the hole.' Once they mastered that they spent long periods trying to pop the pegs out again". "Aesthetically-pleasing wooden toy", "the pegs are great for chewing on during those teething days". "I find it a great distraction during feeding time, and in general it raises a smile each time the pegs bounce up". manufacturer: Galt
Airtivity Ball Popper £19.99
What mumsnet members said about it: "My son is obsessed by balls, movement and music, and this encompasses all three". "Fantastic entertainment - you place the balls in the tube and watch them pop up again as if by magic, shoot down the tubes only for them to appear again and again". "A great first birthday present - all other toys were ignored and he still plays with it four months later". "Good for hand/eye co-ordination and learning to anticipate the next move. It plays some funky tunes too". "My child loves to guess which hole the ball will come out of". buy it manufacturer: Playskool
Little Tikes Cosy Coupe II Toy Car £37.95
What mumsnet members said about it: "A must for all car-obsessed one year olds". "They pootle around in the car and just love it". What's more they'll "keep playing with it until they go to school". It's a "really long-lasting toy and even better value if you can pick one up second hand as they are indestructible". "The best garden toy we've had. My son plays with it all the time. He's even had his tea in it!" "Brilliant if you've only got a small outdoor area". buy it manufacturer: Little Tikes
Toy Garage £25
What mumsnet members said about it: "My one year old is obsessed with cars and will sit and play with this for a good 30 minutes at a time". "It has lots of interesting moving little bits like a car wash, service ramp and lift, plus a removeable petrol pump". "The long curved ramps from the first and second floors make for great fun". "A great place to store all the cars". buy it manufacturer: Fisher Price
Animal Shape Wagon £15.00
What mumsnet members said about it: "This is a fab toy for children who are interested in animals. You post the zoo animals through their shaped holes into the bus and then you pull them along". "It has ten different animals to fit matching holes and the rear door lifts for easy removal". "When my daughter was 18 months, she preferred to put the animals in via the back entrance but is now learning to fit the shapes through the correct holes". "As it's wooden it makes a pleasant change from cheap-looking plastic toys". "Well made and long-lasting; it's a great value".
Farm Animals £5
What mumsnet members said about it: "My son loves these replica animals and there is a huge range to choose from, plus they are really cheap". "Very useful for teaching them animal names and noises" and "as they are plastic they make a great bath toy too". "They last for ages and older children can use them for imaginary play. They are still a favourite with my five year old". buy it
Frog in a Box £13.95
What mumsnet members said about it: "Traditional Jack in a box, but with a frog. It bizarrely seems to provide hours of entertainment for child (and parents as well)". "Both my children have absolutely loved this toy, though beware, they can easily make other heavier objects fly if you don't watch them". " A real development charter: at first they're a bit scared, then they laugh, then they work out how it works, then they start trying to scare you and make you laugh!" It is "a brilliant toy which lasts." manufacturer: Galt
Funky Footprints £15.00
What mumsnet members said about it: "This was a present at Christmas for my 18 month old and it's still extremely popular with children of all ages (and very amusing if the dog goes on it). It has footprints which make sounds as you step on them". "The best feature for us is that it folds away easily". buy it manufacturer: ELC
Light and Sound Car Transporter £15
What mumsnet members said about it: "If your child, like mine, is obsessed by cars and trucks, this is the toy for them". "It's colourful, study and more than just a truck, as it has two little cars that to go inside". "Plus it flashes and makes a noise too!" "Sturdy and durable - it will last several children". "This has been a firm favourite in our house for a while". buy it manufacturer: ELC
Mega Bloks: My Musical Farm £19.99
What mumsnet members said about it: "Mega Bloks are chunky, lego-type blocks, perfect for small hands learning to build. This set plays tunes and has animal noises (a plus or a minus depending on how your day is going!)" There are "lots of fun activities and opportunities for imaginative play for all ages". "As well as a farm, you can also build a market". "The best bit of this toy is that when they've finished playing with it all the bricks disappear into the barn roof, so god for tidy-up time". "Versatile, adaptable and long-lasting: a great all-round toy" manufacturer: Mega Bloks
Playtime Bus £14.50
What mumsnet members said about it: "A toy that I know is going to last us for years. At the moment, both of my one year olds love getting different tunes out of it, but as they get older, they will be able to learn letters, numbers and shapes". "This toy has a variety of modes, so can be played with in several different ways". "Great value and a great toy". buy it manufacturer: IQ builders
Tiny Touch Phone Plus £9
What mumsnet members said about it: "This toy is guaranteed to make my 11 month old daughter's eyes light up". "She never gets tired of it, either holding it to her ear to 'talk' or pressing all the buttons to bounce to the music". "It's already been through one daughter and is proving just as popular with number two". "It's bright, plays different nursery rhymes, counts up to nine and mimics real phone sounds". What's more: "It's durable and portable - ours came to Spain with us on hols". buy it manufacturer: Vtech
Click Clack Track £12.50
What mumsnet members said about it: "This is a quality wooden toy with a zig zag four-level car track which comes with cars". "My twin boys had just enough dexterity to place the cars properly on the top track at first, but quickly gained the skill, and can spend quite a while placing the cars at the top one by one and watching them click clack down the track to the bottom". "It's great for manual dexterity and what is even better is that more than one child can play with it at once so it's a good toy if you've got others around". buy it manufacturer: ELC
Shape and Sort £12.99
What mumsnet members said about it: "Nice looking wooden toy which helps with coordination and shape recognition." "I wouldn't say it's been an absolute favourite but they go back to it every now and then". "This is the sort of toy parents love their kids playing with; it's educational, tasteful and doesn't have a maddening repetitive tune. It makes a great present". buy it manufacturer: Plan wooden toys
Thomas & Friends Thomas Sit 'n' Ride £20.00
What mumsnet members said about it: "Be warned: this train is noisy!" "My 14-month old son has so much fun with it, especially hiding things under the lift up seat". "It's a sit on toy which he can be pushed on or push himself along on and he can walk along and push it quite easily and at £20 it's great value as well". "Great when they're just starting to walk and seems to have lasting appeal. Even though my daughter now has a trike, she still 'goes to the shops' (in the kitchen ) on her train". "Top value". buy it manufacturer: Tomy
Wooden Rowing Eight £24.99
What mumsnet members said about it: A "beautiful and sturdy wooden boat with eight rowers and one cox that can be pulled along". "Both my kids still enjoy it (now four and a half and two and a half)". "Rowers also have many other uses e.g. queuing at pretend bus stops, in dolls' houses etc". manufacturer: Excalibur
Light 'n' Sound Tractor £12.99
What mumsnet members said about it: "My son loves this very noisy tractor. When he presses the farmer bear, the engine rattles, the lights flash and the tractor roars into life and then races across the room at quite a pace!" "If my son is playing with something he shouldn't we send the tractor off to the other end of the room and off he goes after it!" "Continues to be a favourite even when they grow out of other baby toys". manufacturer: Bruin