We’ve reached the final day of the Mum’s Choice Awards announcements! But if you’ve missed the previous announcements, you can catch up to speed with all our other award-winners here. ncluding yesterday’s big reveal of the winners of our age-based toy categories. But there are plenty more toy categories still to announce! Today we’re unveiling the top toys in the Creative Play, Family Games, Electronic & Multimedia Toys, Outdoor Toy, and Plush Toy categories.
What Are The Top Toys This Christmas?
We posted a round up of twenty most wanted toys recently. But if you’re yet to finish your Christmas shopping, be sure to keep reading.
Here’s a run-down of all the toys that our team of toy testers felt most deserving of a Mum’s Choice Award!
Best Family Games
Gold
Hide the Slug
(RRP £11.99), from Spinning Poodle Games
About the product: “Hide the Slug is an incredibly simple, very funny version of the classic card game ‘Cheat’. Players will have a mix of fruit and slug cards but they are only allowed to play the fruit – you have to sneak the slugs in without anyone noticing. It is great for large mixed age groups. 52 brightly coloured cards in a sturdy travel sized tin. Great to keep in a handbag/manbag for entertainment emergencies!
Our tester said:
“A great strategy game which kept our son and his friends entertained for ages! A few squabbles but good laughs as well. We loved the tin to keep the cards in – better than the cardboard ones which usually contain card games and also makes it easy to take the game with us when we go out.
Took our youngest a while to get the strategy but then she is only 4 but she’s now turning into the seasoned ‘fibber’ and can beat grandma hands down every time!”
Joint Silver
Confident?
(RRP £22.99), from Confident Games
About the product: “CONFIDENT? is a highly entertaining family party game full of brilliant questions, laugh-out-loud answers and crazy conversations. How many slices are in a loaf of bread? Have a think… and don’t forget the crusts! In this game, instead of giving exact answers, you GUESS with a RANGE. The smaller your range, the more you score, if you’re correct! Everyone can guess, but are you CONFIDENT enough to GO SMALL and win?”
Joint Silver
Word Master
(RRP £19.99), from Character Options
About the product: “Word Master is the fast-paced, addictive, tabletop word game that promises to take Wordle to a whole new level! Perfect for all the family, the rules are simple… one player sets the word, and the others must try to guess it. The aim of the game is to guess the word first, using a process of elimination. Word Master can be played by 2-4 players, aged 5-years-plus. There’s an option to vary the word length and there are 24 category cards to pick from, for fun and simple game play.”
Joint Bronze
Get to the Peak
(RRP £19.99), from Flair GP
About the product: “Get to the Peak is a super fun climbing game for all the family! Climb the mountain but be careful where you put your pick axe or your opponents might make you fall! Get to the Peak is a game of strategy and action. The aim is to reach the peak with your 2 mountain climbers before your opponent reaches the top. The risk you take while climbing is up to you, the more secure your climbers, the safer you are, but it lowers your speed!”
Joint Bronze
Simple Charades
(RRP £11.99), from Spinning Poodle Games
About the product: “Simple Charades is an ultra-simple charades game for young families. 54 picture cards in three levels of difficulty, each with a fun or silly suggestion to act out. Green cards are easy for young players yellow are more difficult and red cards are very hard or have entertaining mimes, intended for experts or parents. 54 brightly coloured cards in a travel-sized tin.”
Highly Commended
Fraidy Cats
(RRP £21.99), from Playmonster UK
About the product: “Watch out kitties, Mugs the motorised pug is on the loose! One big bump from Mugs sends your kitty flying, and you have to go back! Don’t be a Fraidy Cat… if your kitty is sitting on a dustbin they are safe, Mugs can’t reach you! Be the first player to get your cat around the garden to win the game! The purrfect race game for fur flying fun!”
Highly Commended
5 Second Rule Electronic
(RRP £21.99), from Playmonster UK
About the product: “It should be easy to name ‘3 Things That Go With Chips’ – but can you do it under the pressure of 5 seconds counting down and with other players staring, waiting for you to get flustered? Time is not on your side, so just say what comes to mind and risk ridiculous answers slipping out as time counts down on the electronic timer. There are opportunities to ‘duck’ the question or inflict ‘pain’ on your opponents by use of the SWITCH or PASS ON cards. It’s all good fun as players seek to reach the finish first in this fast-paced, fun family game! For 3+ players.”
Best Creative Play Toys
Gold
Paint Pop Paint Sticks Creation Station
(RRP £24.99), from Trends UK
About the product: “The Paint Pop Paint Sticks Creation Station is a table-top easel with everything needed for mini artists to create their own masterpieces. It’s double-sided, so creative times can be enjoyed with friends. One side has handy clips to hold paper, while paint can be applied directly to the whiteboard on the other. Use the cute duster provided to easily clean the whiteboard, ready to start a new creation! Six paint sticks are included, and the smooth, glide-on paint works without needing water or brushes. Twist the stick and you’re ready to paint away with no mess, creating a joyful experience for all! For travel, store away the accessories, fold up the Creation Station and you can paint wherever you go!”
Our tester said:
“We LOVE Paint Pop Paint Sticks – it’s good for my daughter to be able to paint without the need for water or brushes. And the Creation Station makes an ideal gift. It’s good value in that it can be used by two children at once, offering two surfaces to paint on. It also gets the creative process up and off of the table – so no need for protective newspaper or similar. You get 6 sticks with it but of course my 4 y o now wants ALL the colours.
Regardless… it’s good value for money and keeps her occupied for ages! Definitely recommend.”
Silver
Stickle Bricks Big Builder
(RRP £39.99 Tesco Exclusive), from Flair GP
About the product: “The perfect first construction toy for toddlers. Combining a variety of different coloured and shaped bricks, children can stick, stack and construct with easy to assemble pieces that lock together any way they like! There’s no telling where new ideas can lead, dreaming up bigger and better creations you can all put together, take down and start over. Promotes the development of dexterity and imagination.”
Joint Bronze
Little Stardust Pressed Powder Natural Play Makeup Kit (RRP £23.95), from The Natural Makeup Company
About the product: “This pressed powder kit has been formulated with a blend of minerals and plant-based oils without any nasties making it perfect for little ones to have fun with colour without damaging their skin with harsh chemicals. The kit includes different eyeshadow colours, a pink lipstick, a natural sponge and bamboo applicator, as well as a unicorn mirror.”
Joint Bronze
My Fairy Garden Blossom Balloon
(RRP £19.99), from Playmonster UK
About the product: “Join Skye the Air Fairy and her adorable Plantimal friend, Snap, and grow and play in your own magical Fairy Garden! My Fairy Garden invites kids to enter the fairy realm world through flowers and trees. Home to fairies of all different kinds – Water, Earth, Light, Air, Dream, and Shadow – they live in the Human World looking for children who care about nature as much as they do! Acting as guardians of nature alongside their magical Plantimal friends, the fairies are here to restore balance to nature… encouraging children to help them!”
Highly Commended
Peppa Pig Felties House
(RRP £14.99), from Sambro International
About the product: “Inspire pre-schoolers through creative play with the Peppa Pig Felties™ House.
Pre-schoolers aged 3 and over can colour their favourite Felties figures to their heart’s content. Then wash them afterwards, so they can be reimagined time and time again.
Once finished, the figures can be stored in the Peppa Pig house. This can be designed using the stickers and felt-tip pens which come with each pack. Then lovingly stored on any shelf or bedside table.”
Best Electronic & Multimedia Toys
Gold
Numberblocks Number Fun
(RRP £24.99), from Trends UK
About the product: “Numberblocks helps kids to see how numbers work. It allows them to master a new key maths skill with every adventure.
Join the Numberblock with 8 fun activities including:
- Meet the Numberblocks (1-10)
- Insert a Numberblock
- Find out some fun number facts.
- Let’s play hide and seek!
- Find the correct Numberblock
- Insert into the cube and help Blockzilla.”
Our tester said:
“Excellent educational toy for our 3-year-old – she loved it (so did big brother who’s a big fan of numbers and enjoyed showing her what to do!) Started off easily and as she got to grips with one task, then moved on to another. Also liked that there was a number recognition mode for when she just wanted to guess what number was on the block.
Lovely and bright – nice to have a 2-volume setting! She sometimes found it difficult to get the blocks in but think that was probably as she got tired, having played for a while. Bag was good to keep the blocks together. Would certainly recommend.”
Silver
Laser X Revolution Double Blaster Pack
(RRP £39.99), from Character Options
About the product: “Laser X is the greatest home laser tag game on the planet. It’s like having your own laser tag arena! Play inside or out, day or night. The blasters in the Laser X Revolution Double Blaster set fire over 90 metres with pinpoint accuracy! Gameplay allows unlimited players. The Laser X Revolution Double Blaster set includes 2 blasters and allows you to choose up to 20 separate team colours to light up your chosen blaster! Blaster beams go through windows and strategically bounce off walls and mirrors to strike rivals, while quick slide reload keeps the fun going. Advanced sensors allow an interactive voice coach to offer tips and tricks throughout the game.”
Bronze
HUE Animation Studio (RRP £49.95), from HUE
About the product: “Remember made-up plays and puppet shows? HUE Animation Studio for Windows combines imagination and excitement with movie-making technology to make stop-motion movies and time-lapse videos. The kit includes a colourful, flexible HUE HD camera (available in red, green or blue), 64-page activity book and animation software for endless family fun. Recommended by child development expert, Dr Amanda Gummer, this educational kit fosters creativity, collaboration and digital storytelling skills.”
Best Outdoor Toys
Gold
Stay Active Jump-It Wipeout
(RRP £59.99), from Character Options
About the product: “Three, two, one… Jump-It Wipeout! Take the leap and test your skills with the Stay Active Jump-it Wipeout game. This musical game brings a fast, fun jump challenge to your home! With five different musical tracks to jump to, no two games are the same. Try your luck against the rotating soft foam jump bar and stop yourself from being wiped out! In Jump-It Wipeout, you must jump it until the time is up or until you wipe out. Remember to keep your cool and be the last one standing.”
Our tester said:
“We love the fact that the whole range can enjoyed by all the family – but this is our favourite product in the collection, for sure! It’s so much fun and will keep us all fit!
But be warned… It’s not as easy as it looks! This is going to be the toy we just keep getting out time and time again – regardless of who – and how old – our guests are!”
Silver
Fitness Dice
(RRP £10.99), from ED.UK.8
About the product: “These brightly coloured dice will ensure fun and improved fitness at the same time. Ideal for individual or group use. Made from durable, wipeable vinyl, these large foam dice can be used indoors and outdoors. Helps develops children’s competence and confidence to move with agility, balance and coordination and to communicate and collaborate with others.”
Bronze
Micro Sprite Classic LED Scooter
(RRP £124.95), from Micro Scooters
About the product: “This 2-wheeled scooter comes with LED light up front and back wheels. The smart LED tech uses induction energy to turn the power kids create as they scoot into bright white light. No batteries. No fuss. Just a glow to light up the darkest evenings and brighten up the most ordinary days. Steers like a bike, rides like a dream. The agile Sprite puts smiles on faces as children enter the world of two-wheel scooting. Made with replaceable parts to last a lifetime of scooting.”
Highly Commended
Smoby Adventure Course
(RRP £69.99), from Simba Toys UK
About the product: “With this specially designed adventure course, toddlers can work on their motor skills while stimulating their senses and developing their balance and coordination. Composed of 4 bases and 4 boards, the path is perfectly flexible and intuitive. The versatile design enables you to assemble the elements as you want and promises endless configurations – so your little one will never get bored! The path can be used both inside and outside and the bases also have a non-slip surface, designed for walking and jumping.”
Best Plush Toys
Gold
Hundred Acre Wood Cuddly Winnie the Pooh
(RRP £25.99), from Rainbow Designs
About the product: “The adorable cuddly classic Winnie the Pooh, the most famous character from A.A. Milnes heart-warming classic storybook, Tales from Hundred Acre Wood, makes the ultimate snuggle companion for baby. This lovable 30cm premium soft toy has beautifully embroidered features and has been created using only the softest textured plush fabric to promote that special bond with baby and create memories that will last a lifetime.”
Our tester said:
“A beautifully soft teddy. We love the design – my daughter doesn’t put it down!”
Joint Silver
Disney Lil Bodz™
(RRP £16.99), from Sambro International
About the product: “Exclusively designed by Sambro, the incredibly cute Lil Bodz™ soft toys come with small bodies and oversized heads, with big eyes to create a unique look. Made using 100% recycled filling, each toy also has its own bespoke character sounds.
Lil Bodz™ is available in Disney Princess, Disney Classic and Disney Marvel characters collections, including Snow White, Jasmine, Dumbo, Stitch, Spiderman, Groot, plus others – perfect for Disney fans big and small!”
Joint Silver
Care Bears 35cm Plush – Care-A-Lot 40th Anniversary Bear
(RRP £19.99), from Basic Fun!
About the product: “Care-A-Lot Bear is the very first bear to exist in the magical kingdom of Care Care-A-lot. Care Care-A-lot Bear has the most magic and belly badge powers of the bears. She knows that caring for others is the best way to spread kindness and love wherever you go, and she uses her many powers to do so. She is never afraid to show how much she cares.”
Bronze
Adventures of Paddington Talking Soft Toy
(RRP £19.99), from Rainbow Designs
About the product: “Little ones will have plenty of fun, games and adventures with Rainbow Designs’ ‘Talking Paddington’ from the Adventures of Paddington TV series. Press Paddington’s tummy to hear him recite five of his favourite phrases such as “Hello, my name is Paddington!” and “Where’s my marmalade sandwich?” Standing at 25cm tall, this cuddly Paddington Soft Toy is the perfect friend to ignite little imaginations and inspire playtime adventures. Suitable from birth.”
Highly Commended
Squishmallows Disney 7.5”
(RRP £10.99), from Jazwares
About the product: “Get ready to snuggle with the Disney and Pixar Squishmallows plush! This ultra-collectible, ultra-squeezable Disney and Pixar plush is made with soft, high-quality materials. This Disney and Pixar collectible is perfect to snuggle with during long car rides and sleepovers and can bring some Disney and Pixar fun to your Squad. This authentic Squishmallows plush is easy to clean: hand wash, then air dry. Squad up with your favorite Disney and Pixar characters including Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear, and more! These lovable and squeezable Disney and Pixar Squishmallows plush are the softest and cutest plush around! Join the Squad.”
Highly Commended
Dream Beams Soft Toys
(RRP £3.99 for the Mini Surprise Collectables; £7.99 for the 18cm toys; £12.99 for the 30cm toys), from Dream Beams
About the product: “Meet the Dream Beams – the cuddliest bedtime best friends that glow in the dark! the Dream Beams are united in one single mission: to let every kid have a good night sleep by providing emotional support and an opportunity to release stress with the multi-sensory experience – cuddling, squeezing and glow in the dark features.”