For young children, toys serve so many more purposes than entertainment alone. They can help to support a child’s early development, they can provide comfort in unfamiliar situations and surroundings, and they can help children discover more about the world around them in a safe and controlled way. So, it’s no surprise that the pre-school toy industry is booming! It was also no surprise to us that this category was one of the best supported in this year’s Mums Choice Awards.
Our squad of testers have been having lots of fun testing toys aimed at 1- to 3-year-olds, this year. There’s certainly no shortage of fun toys for this age group, but some really stood with our testers, and we are delighted to announce our winners as:
Gold – 2-in-1 Activity Tunnel (RRP £54.99) by Little Tikes
About the product: “With two ways to play – crawling fun and ball play – there’s hours of fun to be had with the 2-in-1 Activity Tunne! They’ll love crawling through the tunnel, playing peek-a-boo as they go, while the two ball drop towers encourage them to release colourful balls and watch them twist and turn down the slides! Plus, the durable tunnel plays silly sounds and music and easily collapses to store away when not in use.”
What our tester said: “Lovely product! It’s really easy to put together – it’s clear from just looking at the picture on the box. Heaps of play value, and suitable from even younger than 1-year-old (crawling) and really nice to have the ball run as an extra activity for hand-eye coordination development, too. Really handy that it packs away much smaller, too.”
Silver – CoComelon Colour Learning Sheep (RRP £22.99) by Wow! Stuff
Bronze – Micro Ride-On Air Hopper (RRP £39.95) by Micro Scooters
Shortlisted – Walk n’ Learn (RRP £66.99) by Maison Battat Inc
Shortlisted – Peppa Pig Muddy Puddle Boots (RRP £24.99) by Wow! Stuff