Whether it’s construction toys, creative toys, toys with an educational slant, or plush toys that you’re after, we’re bringing you the very best playthings on the market, as voted for by fellow mums and their little ones. Keep reading to find out which toys came out on top in each category.
Best Construction Toys
Bringing the fun back indoors, kids will love getting creative with these brilliant toys! We are pleased to announce the winners of the Best Creative Toy category as:
Gold – K’Nex Amazin’ 8 Coaster (RRP £31.99) by Basic Fun! UK
About the product: “Twist, Turn, Dive & Swoop… The K’NEX Amazin’ 8 Coaster building set lets you build a real working roller coaster! A motorized chain lift sends the coaster car screaming through twists and turns 76m high. This fun and engaging construction set for children helps develop hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, and spatial awareness while providing an understanding of STEM subjects.”
What our tester said: “Our grandson loved this! It kept him (and dad 😊!) very busy! He was thrilled with the final construction and it looks like more K’Nex will be on the Christmas list. Brilliant for sparking interest in design and construction – also helped with fine motor skills and his concentration. But the best bit – no IPad!”
Silver – Laser Pegs (RRP from £15.99) by Flair GP
Bronze – 202 Magicubes Shapes Wheels (RRP £29.99) by Geomagworld
Shortlisted – 113PC Deluxe Builder Case (RRP £36.99) by Maison Battat Inc
Best Educational Toys
As part of the Mums Choice Awards 2021, we called in the help of our trusty families and teachers to put some of the best educational toys to the test! With ever more research to suggest the effectiveness of learning through play, there is a growing number of educational toys on the market. But with so many great products to choose from, where do you start? Our mums/teachers reviewed the best of the best and these are the toys that came out top in the Best Educational Toy category:
Gold – Science Mad 5-in-1 Weather Station (RRP £17.99) by Trends UK
About the product: “We experience the weather each day as we step outside of our homes, feeling if it’s warm or cold, windy or calm, and dry or raining. This weather station allows us to measure these conditions like a true meteorologist . . . you’ll soon be the expert in your family! The weather station is easy to set up so you can track daily conditions, run experiments, record measurements and learn wonderful weather-related facts. You’ll soon notice how your readings change throughout the year. Have fun being a hands-on weather watcher and you’ll soon be ready to present your own weather report!”
What our tester said: “Learning about the weather can be fun! The children loved this. They measured wind speed and direction as well as temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit and, of course, rainfall! Easy to follow instructions to assemble the anemometer and to understand the gauges. A wonderful learning tool!”
Silver – MathLink Cubes Numberblocks 11-20 Activity Set (RRP £35.00) by Learning Resources®
Joint Bronze – PAW Patrol Ryder’s Alphabet Tablet (RRP £18.99) by Trends UK
Joint Bronze – Popular Science Climate Change Science Kit (RRP £19.99) by Wow! Stuff
Shortlisted – 272 Classic 60 pieces (RRP £40.99) by Geomagworld
Best Creative Toys
It’s time to express yourself! Kids will love letting their creative juices flow with these top picks! The winners of the Best Creative Toy category are as follows:
Joint Gold – Shimmer ‘n Sparkle Insta Glam On The Glo Make-UP Trolley (RRP £79.99) by Character Options
About the product: “”Glam yourself, glam your world” with the InstaGlam On the Glo Makeup Trolley. Perfect for creative kids, who love imaginative play, this ultimate beauty set comes complete with 100 pieces of content including on trend makeup colours, nail polishes, applicators, hair accessories and more! The full make up experience! The InstaGlam On the Glo Makeup Trolley includes everything you need to create a full makeover from tip to toe! With this set, kids can become a real makeup artist and have so much fun creating amazing stand out styles to try out with their friends!”
What our tester said: “A large trolley that the children can store other bits in. The girls like the make-up and it is easy to apply. They also like how it is set-up.”
Joint Gold – HUE Animation Studio (RRP £41.63 + VAT) by HUE
About the product: “HUE Animation Studio places children in a highly engaging environment where they can enjoy the freedom to express themselves creatively. The kit includes a HUE HD camera, a 64-page activity book, HUE Animation software, storyboards, backgrounds and sound effects for making 20 ingenious stop motion movies, time-lapse videos and ideas for even more! This gender-neutral, educational toy offers endless hours of exciting, family fun and fosters 21st century skills of imagination, artistry and problem solving.”
What our tester said: “Stalk can be used well to direct recording and allow for voice over recording while creating picture of story. Built in microphone okay but better linked to external.”
Silver – Mini Chef Kitchenette (RRP £113.99) by Maison Battat Inc
Bronze – CoComelon Musical Clever Blocks (RRP £29.99) by Wow! Stuff
Best Plush Toys
Every child loves a plush pal, and we’ve been testing some of the softest and cutest of companions for this year’s awards. The results are in and we’re delighted to announce the winners of the Best Plush Toy category as:
Gold – Gruffalo Interactive Soft Toy (RRP £29.99) by Wow! Stuff
About the product: “This beautiful interactive Gruffalo soft toy features 12 sounds and phrases from the books and films encouraging children to inetract by pressing The Gruffalo’s Ear, Paw or Knee to hear Mouse narrate the story. If the child presses them in a certain order you will hear The Gruffalo himself speak!”
What our tester said: “We love the Gruffalo! This is a lovely cuddly toy; it is lovely to hear Mouse describing him. And it is a great feature to have to unlock the Gruffalo’s voice. Starting coding early – fab!”
Silver – Clappy the Animated Monkey (RRP £39.95) by GUND
Bronze – Dream Beams Soft Toys (RRP £6.99) by Happy Line Toys
Shortlisted – Care Bears 14″ Togetherness Bear Plush (RRP £16.99) by Basic Fun! UK
Shortlisted – Kissy the Penguin (RRP £39.95) by GUND
