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So it is that time of year again and we all need to know and plan for what are the toys this
Play-doh Ultimate Ice Cream Truck Playset
This 95cm-high playset is quite a thing to behold – and serves pretend ice cream from. It comes with 12 pots of Play-Doh in a good range of different colours and plenty of moulds, tools and to sculpt and squidge into imaginary lollies, cones, sundaes and desserts – with or without sprinkles. There’s a musical pull-down soft-serve feature (which we found a little stiff) cash register, with a bell sound, and a little cupboard to store everything in.
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Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Grocery Cart
This gorgeous wooden push along (L27cm x W30cm x H39cm) trolley has masses of play potential, with its built-in fruit-and-veg-themed shape sorter on its sides and a spinning roller drum and toy coffee cup (with removable lid) nestled at the base of the handle. Our child tester Zoe, 22 months (pictured above), particularly enjoyed making ‘smoothies’ by putting the wooden food pieces into the play coffee cup. It also comes with 2 wooden puzzle boards for lots of matching and sorting fun.
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Jurassic World Real FX Baby Blue
It’s an animatronic Velociraptor hand puppet with over 40 very dino-like movements and sounds – and it’s certainly got the wow factor. It takes a minute or two to get your head around how to operate it (you put your hand inside in a slightly unintuitive way) but once you’re set, it’s such fun and it’s clearly built to withstand quite a bit of over-excited prehistoric dashing about. “She looks exactly like the one from Jurassic Park!” gasped our child tester, Hurst, 8 (pictured above), who has been carrying it around – and making it roar at his mum and dad – since the moment he got it.
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Playmobil City Life Recycling Truck with Flashing Light
This 18cm-high lorry has working lights, a cab with a removable roof, a titling trailer, 3 bins, 2 figures and a lever at the back to lift and empty the bins – plus some great bits of rubbish to sort into the right bins. Our child tester Arthur, 4, (pictured above) liked how you can attach the bins to the figures’ hands and Frankie, 6, another of our child testers, said, “I like how it tips up the bins and I like the flashing lights too. It’s lots of fun!”
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Little Live Pets Mama Surprise
The latest interactive pet from the bestselling line Little Live is this cuddly hamster who arrives in her hutch, ready to be stroked and brushed with her teeny hairbrush. She reacts to your child’s nurturing and cuddling very cutely. “I like this toy – yes!” said our child tester Amelia, 3 (pictured above). “She sings to me and she’s very soft.” But that’s not all. Cuddle and love her enough and the heart on her chest will start to glow: a sign that she’s ready to have a baby! Use the nesting straw to make her a little bed in her hutch, place her inside – and wait for the first of 3 new arrivals. They come a day apart, which may test a younger child’s patience (Amelia’s definitely in that camp: “I wish more babies would come soon!”) but the thrill is worth it!
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Sylvanian Families Pony’s Stylish Hair Salon
A 44cm x 20cm x 35cm 2-storey hairdressing playset when the ponies come to style their hair (this is imaginative play, remember!). It has a reception (with magazines) and reclining wash basin downstairs and a spiral staircase leading to a dressing table area upstairs. It’s stuffed with loads of lovely little accessories and hair pieces
Comes with a Pony Girl Sally doll (you can buy others separately)
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Octonauts Above & Beyond Octoray Playset
This very sweet-looking playset on wheels transforms from the Octoray into a 33cm Octonauts HQ. It’s nice and sturdy, well proportioned for little hands – and features lights and 18 sounds, including the Octo Alert. Our child tester Aurora, 4 (pictured above), has been having a lovely time exploring how it works, opening and closing and transforming it and helping Captain Barnacle save the day. Comes with a detachable Mini Ray, Captain Barnacle, Chinese Sturgeon, Panda and Giant Salamander figures, and a mission card.
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Leapfrog Clean Sweep Mop & Bucket
This interactive mop bucket lights up and sings as you get stuck into those floors, the soap dispenser plays squirty sounds and counts to 10, and the mop holder spins round to squeeze the pretend water out when you press the foot pedal. It’s bright and robust and everything pops nicely back into the bucket once mopping is done but we’d say the (non-adjustable) mop handle makes it a little small for taller 4 or 5-year-olds. “I can use my mop to clean the floor after my messy baby sister at dinner time,” said our child tester Alice, 3 (pictured above). “I like the colours and the silly songs it plays. I can also use my mop as a broomstick.” Comes with a cleaning cloth, a spray bottle and a dustpan and brush.
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Toys @ John Lewis | Toys @theentertainer | Hamleys Toys