Christmas 2014 - Kids Gift Guide

Spoiling our little one’s at Christmas is what makes the day so magical for us grown-ups. Seeing the look of pure innocence and wonder on their face when they see that Father Christmas has flown through the night and done his very best to fulfil that bustling Christmas List. Christmas 2014 is sneaking closer every day, and as I am a little bit behind on the Christmas Shopping front,  I have been sourcing inspiration and having a look at the toys that are set to storm Christmas this year.

Stocking Filler Ideas…

Stocking fillers are always an aspect that stumps me, I can never really think of anything that will fit nicely inside. Or decide on exactly how many stocking fillers to include. These are just a few ideas that came to mind when thinking about kid’s stockings on a whole:

The first thing that springs to mind when I dream up stocking filler ideas is chocolate, and in true Christmas spirit Toblerone (£1.00-£3.00) and Chocolate Orange (£2.00 - £3.00) are the ones that I would be noting down for the man in red. There are a wide variety of different flavours available, but my personal favourites have to be the Milk Chocolate Toblerone with Honey and Almond Nougat, and of course the Popping Candy Chocolate Orange.

Kids have many questions and it is only natural for them to be curious about the big wide world and what the grown ups of the world do. Mairi Mclellan is the author of a series of books entitled What Do The Grown Ups Do? and they would make lovely stocking fillers this Christmas for older children who want to know more about the big wide world of work, and what certain jobs entail. 

We were sent two of the series to have a read of, the first one was Richard the Vet. This is the fifth book of the series 'What do the grown-ups do?'. It's based in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, and the series aims to teach children aged 5-10 years about different jobs. The story is narrated through the eyes of the children, and the tone is kept light and fun while being informative. The story of Richard the Vet follows three local children who meet real workers and hear full accounts of the jobs that they do

. Richard is a large animal vet. Specialised in equine (horses), he spends most of his time between farms and stables. His hours are long but he loves his job. On their adventure, the children learn how Richard helps farmers to manage their prize bulls, how horses' teeth never stop growing, how to remove rotten teeth and how to avoid getting kicked!

The second book we have been sent from the series is Fiona the doctor. This story shows the children and the equipment in the doctor's bag that is used to help diagnose a patient's problem: the stethoscope, the otoscope, the oximeter.  They learn about the differences between blood pressure,  pulse, systolic and diastolic, GPs and specialists, and even why people get smelly feet! They also learn that doctors have their own jokes!

It is a lovely series of books that is sure to gain children's attention and maybe even get them thinking about their own hopes and dreams for the future.

The books retail at £7.99 and can be purchased from Amazon.

Boris and the DumbSkulls book is a traditional fantasy adventure for children 7+. The clever story and quirky humour makes it a great read not just for children but big kids (Mummy and Daddy) too! It's a a the perfect  read at bedtime, and what a story it is. It's the kind of book that's just filled to the brim with child eating witches, dead members of the aristocracy who come back to life to dance at the sound of music and a floating skull with a punk rock band made up of dwarves. The illustrations within the book will keep kids captivated with just how bold and colourful they are.

Boris and the Dumb Skulls retails at £7.77.

What’s not to love about a robotic pet that you aren’t going to end up looking after? A pet that if you forget to feed it (Which they will…) won’t pop it’s clogs!  The Pirate Robo Fish is exactly that, and priced at £12.00 it makes a very attractive stocking filler this year. The Pirate Robo Fish is the latest addition to the Robo Fish collection, with 6 new designs to collect! The fish are water activated, which means as soon as they are placed in the water they begin to move.  Each Robo Fish comes with a plastic Display Stand and two sets of batteries to keep the fun going longer!

For the older kids who enjoy a computer game or two, The Sims 4 may be a great addition. As a child myself the Sims was one of my favourite games, and I would be lying if I said I hadn’t given the name game a run through its paces. The Sims really has grown up in 2014, the level of detail that you can apply to a Sim when you create and customise them is incredible. Do you want them to have freckles? Give them Green skin? Make them marginally obese on top and incredibly skinny on the bottom? It’s all possible.  I can’t help but see how far this game has come from the very original, and it is lovely to see my younger sister enjoying a game I once loved. The Sims 4 retails from £46.32 for the standard edition up to £59.99.

Christmas Activity Gifts…

As Christmas is the perfect opportunity to get together as a family, why not indulge in some chocolate crafting? For starters the Chocolate Sweet Creatures Set (£12.77) comes with 6 animal moulds and a selection of colourful foil wrappers. It comes with instructions so that you can get the most out of the set, and explains how to melt down the chocolate and carefully spoon it into the moulds. Or if you fancy something a little more elaborate, how about  the Chocolate Candy Cottage Set? (£13.15) It comes with everything you need to build a masterpiece of a chocolate house, and makes a great alternative to the traditional Gingerbread house. The kit boasts structure moulds and sugar dough embellishments. You simply have to melt the chocolate down and pour it into the included moulds and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Once you have created the walls and roof to your chocolate house, the fun begins and it is all about putting it together in the tastiest way possible using melted chocolate as the cement!

What’s In Santa’s Sack?

Cuddly toys are a must at Christmas, and Dinosaur plush toys are even better. The Tobar Snuggleasaurs is a soft huggable plush toy that can let out a real roar by pressing the button on its belly. It is covered in felt details including teeth, spine and claws. 

My little guy is slightly in love with trains and locomotives, so when I saw this I knew that it would make an ideal Christmas gift. The brightly coloured Tobar Bump N Go Bubble Train moves along and blows bubbles out of its chimney. When you activate the train it begins to roll forward and even makes a chugging noise if those bubbles aren’t enough to capture little one’s attention. This gift is perfect for a young train lover, or even for little one’s as an alternative to a traditional bubble machine. It retails at £14.99.

Building a den is a right of passage, growing up I was lucky enough to live in a home that backed onto woodland, and building (attempting) tree houses was something I thoroughly enjoyed as a child. I would love for Leo to have those same kinds of memories one day, to look back on a childhood full of adventure and smile. The Eden Project have the perfect den kit available that will provide children with hours upon hours of playtime, and memories to boot! The Eden Project Build a Den retails at £35.00 and comes equipped with:

- Tarpaulin

- Groundsheet

- Handmade mallet

- Tent pegs in a peg bag

- 10m rope

- Metal mug

- Camouflage face paint

- Camouflage haversack

As seen on BBC One’s ‘High Street Dreams’, this play house is great for outdoor adventures in the garden or as a fun indoors rainy day activity for kids. The absolute beauty about this gift is that the den can be absolutely anything that they want it to be, a secret hide out or just an adventure waiting to happen!

Now this next gift idea would have made me one happy little girl back in the day, The Barbie Glamtastic Change Bag is something a little bit special. Now part of me wishes my own bag had the capabilities this little beauty does.. and that is because this bag can change its colour in order to match any outfit. All you have to do is hold the Barbie handbag up against whatever you want to match it to, press the heart shaped button and watch it change colour before your eyes! In all it can match up to 100+ different colours and has a great selection of clip on accessories that really will make this bag the perfect choice for many Barbie fans out there this Christmas. The Barbie Glamtastic Change Bag retails at £29.99 but is currently on offer at Argos for £22.49.

Baby Annabell Brother Baby George Doll will be joining the families of many over Christmas 2014, named after the Royal Prince he is set to be on many a Christmas List. George is just like a real baby (46cm in length), he has realistic sounds and movements, he babbles, gurgles and sucks on his very own dummy. This little guy can even be fed from his bottle, and while he drinks he makes sounds while his mouth moves. If you lay Baby George down on the floor and touch his forehead, the little guy will let out a big yawn and drift off to sleep. Just like any baby, Baby George has moments where he is far from happy… And when he cries, he can cry real tears! This baby doll has so many different features that really does make it stand out from the rest, and come Christmas Day there will be many houses waking up to a new addition!

Baby Annabell Brother Baby George Doll retails at £47.99.

Now for the ultimate boy’s toy that I know my 3 year old would just go barmy over – The Fisher Price Imaginext Super Nova Battle Rover, the absolute ultimate outer space experience for your little one to enjoy right here with their feet firmly on the ground! The Battle Rover is a very generously sized play set, and vehicle all in one that boasts it’s own removable space shuttle! This one play set includes projectiles, disk launchers, an alien detecting chamber that lights up, 19 lights and over 200 unique sound effects and phrases!

The space shuttle has transforming capabilities and even includes it’s very own projectile launchers, sounds, kid activated control panel, pull out drill, saw blade and crane, three figures and even a small vehicle. The entire set is just full to bursting and is sure to capture the heart and imagination of every child that comes into contact with it. Leo and I will be posting a full review on this rather epic toy very soon!

The Imaginext Supa Nova Battle Rover retails at £129.99 but is currently on offer at Smyths for £99.99.

Each year Leo will get one main Christmas present, and this is something that we are prepared to spend a little bit more on. This year Leo has asked for a Nintendo DS and after doing some research we decided that the 2DS was the most realistic option. 

The Nintendo 2DS really is the perfect entry level console for a younger child, they are advised for children aged 7 up, but Leo has shown an active interest in playing and has picked up the skills to be able to give it a pretty good go!

I found the 2DS the most attractive option initially because of its one piece design, it  takes out the need for hinges to fold it, and removes the risk of the screen snapping in clumsy little fingers. My only concern with not being able to fold the DS like you would the more traditional models, was that it may be too big and take up more room when taking it out and about, but we haven’t experienced this at all. In actual fact it’s a really nice size, and Leo can hold it happily with two hands while he plays.

You can hold the 2DS like you would a tablet and it boasts twin screens with touch screen controls. This makes it easy for younger players to operate and navigate through the menus and of course the games. Leo like many children is no stranger to touch screen operation, and he has very quickly worked his way around the 2DS, all be it a little through trial and error, but even though he doesn’t read it hasn’t held him back. The 2DS menu screen features words alongside images, which assists pre-schoolers in being able to enjoy.

The Nintendo 2DS with Mario Kart pre-installed can be purschased from GAME for the bargain price of £109.99.

LeapFrog have a number of exciting toys for Christmas that suit a vast age range, proving to be very popular this year is the new LeapPad and the highly anticipated LeapTV. Among the selection we have My Pal Scout, an interactive plush toy that holds many hidden surprises. You can personalise Scout’s content, and he can even say your little one’s name, you can choose the songs he sings from a list rather than just making do. You can choose your little one’s favourite nursery rhymes and watch their face light up with wonder when he calls them by name. Scout has been a firm favourite in our house over the years and it really isn't hard to work out why. Scout retails at £19.99 but you can pick him up from Amazon for £14.53 right now.

The Read with me Scout would make an ideal Christmas gift for children aged between 2-5 years old, and he has been designed to help little one’s with their reading. Read with me Scout is soft, interactive and great fun to play with. He comes with 5 board books and he can read each of the included books aloud to your little one. Each of the books is numbered 1 through to 5, and it couldn’t be easier for little hands to pick a book and to get Scout reading it. All you have to do in order to set Scout up is to choose the book you want him to read, look at the number and pick the corresponding number on Scout’s collar. Read with me Scout retails at £29.99 but is currently on offer at £24.99 at Amazon.

Being small provides you with the god given right to take advantage of the sit and ride vehicles on the market, and this is never as true than at Christmas. Take the Smoby Big Bobby Car Ride On for instance, from and produced in Germany. This ride on is as solid and sturdy as they come and can hold a child up to 50kg (110lbs, 7.8 Stone) so you can rest assured that this is going to last your child for some time. It comes in two colours, Red and Blue and even comes equipped with a horn! It retails at £35.14. Wayfair.co.uk have it on sale at £30.99. 

Got children who don’t respond well to getting up in the morning? How about the Beurer WL30 Wellness DawnSimulator Light to help ease the morning dramas? The Wellness Dawn Simulator Light gradually increases the light intensity, mimicking the sunrise to help you (or the kids) wake up gradually and in a more natural way, especially on dark winter mornings like we are experiencing right now! You can set alarms just in case the light doesn’t wake you up, and what really pleases me about this is that you can have soothing sounds to bring you around gently, rather than a traditional alarm clock making you jump out of your skin the moment it goes off. Maybe it will even help the kids be in a better mood for the return to school after the Christmas break!?

The Wellness Dawn Simulator Light retails at £49.99 but it is currently on offer at Amazon for £49.86

Disclaimer: I was sent the above products for the purpose of this gift guide. Prices correct at time of publishing. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

The Read With Me Scout Review

Over the years we have used a number of different LeapFrog Products with Leo, all items that we still use today. Favourites have always been My Pal Scout who put the biggest of smiles on Leo's face, and of course the ever popular LeapTop that Leo insists on using to be just like his Mummy. At the end of last year we even welcomed in a LeapPad Ultra into the fold, and that has been a great addition to our expanding LeapFrog collection. As a parent one of the greatest aspects about LeapFrog products for me, is how you can personalise them to your little one's. My Pal Scout and the LeapPad call Leo by name and interact with him on a whole other level to any other toy I could mention. 

With Leo's 3rd Birthday coming up in June, I have been giving thought to gifts that you can present to a 3 year old. The age of 3 is an age of in between, the baby days are far behind and the toddler days are numbered, he is on the cusp of leaving his toddlerhood behind him. Turning 3 means that Leo will be in his final year before starting school, and beginning a whole new adventure. So what do you get for a 3 year old?

Maybe the Read With Me Scout?

The Read With Me Scout has been designed to help children aged between 2-5 years old with their reading. He's interactive, soft and fun to play with. Scout comes equipped with 5 board books, and he can read each of the included books. Each of the books is numbered 1-5, and it couldn't be easier for little hands to pick the book and set Scout up to read the book. All you have to do in order to get Scout reading the chosen book, is select the number corresponding with the book on Scout's collar.

I am still helping Leo set Scout up to read the chosen book, but he is happy to assist and pat Scout on the head when it comes to turning the page over.

The 5 included books help teach children different skills, from colours, shapes and numbers right through to different kinds of weather.

The Pattern Book, "Let's Go Camping!"

The Narrative Book, "Let's Find Scout's Toy!"

The Concept Book, "Let's Have a Party!"

In the Rhyming Book, "Let's Cheer Up Eli!"

The Learn-About Book, "Let's Learn About the Weather!"

Leo and I have been really enjoying our Read With Me Scout, we have been following the books along with Scout as he reads to us, and we have been having a look at the books cuddled up together. When Scout reads the books he asks questions as he goes to keep interest, and Leo is always more than happy to point out the answers to his questions. When you come to the end of each page with Scout he will tell you to give him a pat on the head to turn the page, this is a nice simple action that makes it easy for younger children to participate in.

I really like the included books, and Leo already has firm favourites that he likes to have read to him. Let's Cheer Up Eli is one of the ones he likes to look at on a daily basis, he hates to see Eli sad at the start of the book and has been known to kiss the image to try and make her feel better. Leo likes the final outcome of the book where Eli finally has a big happy smile on her face again. Each of the books are board books, so there is no worry that little ones will damage the pages.

Scout has a number of interactive spots, there are two on his head, one in the shape of a star and a heart on his cheek. Pressing these spots will generate a number of different phrases and sayings from Scout, such as 'Your nice! I like being friends with you!' and by stroking Scout on the back you will hear many more phrases.

There are 2 final interactive spots on Scouts front paws, and by pressing Scout's left paw he will sing a number of different songs. By pressing Scout's right paw you can give him a high five and say Hello to Scout.

If you have a look at Scout's collar, you will find the on and off switch. This switch allows you to alter Scout's mode, aside from the storybook mode you can actually put him into bedtime mode. This mode features soothing music and lovable phrases from Scout. The perfect combination to help quieten your little one down ready for bed after a bedtime story.

So what do Leo and I think of Read With Me Scout?

From a parent's perspective I have been really impressed, Scout is a great addition. He promotes learning, listening and is a great way to introduce reading to younger children. One of my loves for the LeapFrog brand is that kids can learn while they are having fun, and of course that is exactly when kids are paying the most attention! I knew that Leo was going to love Read With Me Scout as he still thoroughly enjoys his My Pal Scout. Leo has demonstrated a real love for the reading aspect of this toy, and is the perfect age to be getting the very most out of his Read With Me Scout.

We would definitely recommend this toy, and we have been singing his praises to our close friends and family. Scout makes story time fun and interactive, he really is a great addition for both learning and fun.

Read With Me Scout retails at £29.99, but by purchasing at Amazon you can pick him up for £22.49 (At the point of writing this review).

Disclaimer: We were sent the Read With Me Scout for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions are completely honest and my own.  

The LeapPad Ultra Review

Just before Christmas when we were all getting ready to welcome the man in red himself, Leo was sent the LeapPad Ultra to have a play with. The LeapPad Ultra is the latest tablet device from LeapFrog and follows on from the LeapPad 2. Noticeable improvements are seen in the high resolution screen which is now 7". The entire tablet now seems to feel less like a toy, and more like a grown up tablet with the built in resilience that means it is prepared for excitable kids.

A great upgrade from the LeapPad 2 is that the Ultra now has it's own built in rechargeable battery. A battery that provides a whopping 9 hours of life. We have had other tablets in the past that required batteries and it meant that we would often go without it when the house had been sucked dry of each and every battery. So this rechargeable battery is a real bonus and one that I really like.

The LeapPad Ultra is geared towards aiding children learn and keep them entertained at the same time. I am all for anything that can do both of these things at the same time. As a parent you can even log in to the LeapPad Learning Path to see how your little one is excelling. I think for us this is something that will come into play when Leo is a bit bigger, for now he is more than happy just enjoying the novelty.

Leo loves anything like this that resembles Mummy and Daddy's iPad's, so I knew that this would be a welcomed addition. Of course as soon as the LeapPad was spotted it had to be brought out to have a play with straight away. One of the first things Leo did was have a play with the drawing app that is included, this is a firm favourite and is great while we are out and about in the car. It gives him something to do and keep him distracted if we are travelling a distance where he may get bored.

The LeapPad Ultra comes with 11 apps pre-loaded:

- Pet

- Pet Chat

- Art Studio

- Photo Fun

- Music

- Notepad

- Clock

- Calander

- Calculator 

- Bookshelf

- Voice Memo

The 11 apps definitely give kids something to get started with straight away, and with Leo being younger he was more than happy to just have a play with the Art Studio. As I knew we were expecting a LeapPad I did invest in the Cars 2 cartridge for Leo to have a play with, it is definetly something that he is going to grow into but for now it does seem a little advanced for him. Leo is 2 and the LeapPad is aimed for kids 4+, but I think whether your child is ready for one or not comes down to the parent, they will grow into it at some point even if not right away.

The LeapPad connects to the WiFi using LeapSearch, this means that everything your child views on their tablet is completely child friendly. We have used it to browse the App Centre to see what else they have available. There is a wide libary of different Apps that you can invest in, but as Leo is still getting to grips with the Apps on the tablet it seems silly to overload it with lots of Apps that won't get used right away. So we are taking it slowly and will add to it when the time is right.

These days kids love to take photos, I know that I have found some rather strange ones on my phone from when a certain toddler has decided to get creative! On the LeapPad Leo has his very own front and back camera, he also has 8GB of space to store his creations. Once the photos have been captured Leo can then even play around with the images on the Photo Fun App, these aspects right now are Leo's favourites, he does need a bit of help navigating around it but I know he will figure it all out with time.

There are so many great features with the LeapPad Ultra, ones that will continue to become apparent as Leo gets to know the tablet better. Within the Ultra he has his very own MP3 player that we will be adding his favourite tunes to as the time goes on. There is a built in motion sensor for games he may play and so much more to keep him enjoying the possibilities of the Ultra.

From a parent's perspective setting the LeapPad Ultra up was really easy, I simply followed the on screen instructions and set up Leo's profile. Getting a photo of Leo for his profile was tricky as he kept wondering off, but we got there in the end. The one thing that I do think let's the Ultra down that I have experienced with other models on the market is just how slowly it takes to load things. I think when it comes to kids and keeping their attention on what they are doing, the faster something can load the better. I would like to see the time between clicking on something and the time it takes to open it become much faster, but for aside from that I do really like the new LeapPad Ultra.

The LeapPad Ultra retails at £119.99 but if you have a look online you will find a number of different prices that beat this price. Amazon currently have it on sale for £86.99 at the point of writing this review.  It is not a fortune but definitely something that I will be looking to add to the home insurance at some point.

Over all I like the LeapFrog Ultra and all of the features it boosts, I am especially pleased with the rechargeable battery and the new big screen.

Disclaimer: I was sent the LeapPad Ultra for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions are completely honest and my own. 

The My Pal Scout Review

I have to admit that it is not very often that Leo looks at a toy with complete amazement.

It takes a really special toy to get big cuddles and wide eyes off Leo.

But when Scout came to visit, that is exactly what happened.

Scout is an interactive toy by LeapFrog, he can be personalised with your little one’s likes and can even say their name! Our Scout loves to eat cheese and say ‘Leo’, and I am pretty sure that is why he is such a big hit with little man.

Scout is a lovely size, bright green and full of life. It is not hard to work out why he has been so popular with my little man. There is so much going on, music, lights and so much for Leo to interact with.

I couldn’t even get Scout out of the box before Leo ran away with him, blue murder ensued after I tracked Leo and Scout down to remove him from the packaging. I wondered how I would distract Leo long enough to get Scout hooked up to the PC to get him personalised just for Leo.

Somehow I distracted bribed Leo and got Scout long enough so that I could hook him up to the laptop and use the very handy Leapfrog tool to make Scout like everything that Leo liked, from favourite colours (granted I had to make this up as Leo doesn’t have one yet….Or that he can tell me anyway!) to food and songs.

The set up process takes no time at all and it is so easy to hook Scout up to the computer. There are step by step instructions on screen so you really don’t have to be a computer whizz kid to get Scout up and running.

Once you have personalised Scout you can change the songs and likes as often as you require.

There is so much detail that you can pour into Scout, lots of musical choices that Scout will sing to you. He even makes up a personal song for your child. Leo’s goes a little something like this!

Clap, Clap *L*E*O* Clap, Clap 

I have to admit I myself was looking at Scout with big wide eyes, and when Luke got home from work Leo was showing off Scout to him. Luke looked like he was about to fall over when Scout started off saying ‘Hi Leo!’

Luke looked at me like the toy was possessed and asked me ‘How did he do that!’ part of me didn’t want to ruin the magic for him…But I decided I should tell him just to keep him sane!

Each of Scout’s paws has a different feature, Scout knows lullabies for soothing bedtime music, he knows playful sing along songs such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (one of Leo’s all-time favourites), He shares Leo’s favourite animal in a Dog and he is just full of unexpected surprises.

The day that Scout arrived Leo was blown away, the way he was looking at Scout when he said ‘Leo’ was just amazing. Each time Scout said ‘Leo’, Leo pulled him in for a cuddle and a big smile spread across his face.

Granny and I stood at a distance and just watched Leo playing with his new friend. It was so endearing to watch, and that was little man entertained for the whole afternoon.

Scout has continued to be a big hit with Leo and often gets brought up for cuddles.

As a parent I have to say that I am really impressed with how much content goes into Scout, there is so much for Leo to enjoy and learn from with Scout. What really makes this toy fantastic is the personalisation, and that in it’s self for me makes Scout more than worth his £19.99 price tag.

I can quite honestly give Scout a really big thumbs up from both Leo and I. My worry was that Scout may be a little to young for Leo now, but that thought was completely un-founded. If anything Leo loves Scout even more because he is older.

I would say Scout is perfect for a baby of 6 months right up to 3 / 4 years old.

I cannot think of a negative point to share with you and just want to say a big well done to LeapFrog for such a fun interactive toy.

At the time of writing this review you can pick up Scout from Amazon at the bargain price of £14.99!

Disclaimer: I was sent Scout for the purpose of this review. However all views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own. We quite honestly love Scout and highly recommend him!

Win a LeapPad1 with LeapFrog!

I am very excited to share with you a chance to win a LeapPad1 for your little one with LeapFrog!

The LeapPad1 is the original learning tablet just for kids and has some fantastic features that have been tailored for children 3-9 years old!  

- Motion-based gameplay and a built-in microphone and camera/video recorder. 

- There is a library featuring hundreds of games, digital books, videos and flash cards (LeapPad1 works with all LeapFrog Explorer™ games and apps). 

- It comes with a whopping 2GB of memory, enabling little one to build up a  robust suite of apps!

In 2012  the LeapPad1 was the winner of the most Educational Toy of the Year, Preschool Toy of the Year and overall Toy of the Year! 

The LeapPad1 retails at £79.99, and for your chance to win one all you need to do is follow the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Terms and Conditions:

Please only enter this giveaway if you live within the United Kingdom. A winner willl be chosen at random on the condition they have completed the entry form honestly.Once a winner had been chosen you will be contacted via email, if you do not respond within 48 hours another winner will be picked at random and the original winner's notification will not be valid. 

Dear Santa...

With each passing day we are getting closer and closer to that one magical day of the year. Christmas.

With this date coming around quicker and quicker each year, or that’s the way it feels anyway, we turn our attention to the Christmas lists written by our children so that Santa knows exactly what to bring with him on his sleigh.

I have been examining many a letter to Santa already, and I am pleased to share with you the toy’s that are going to be in high demand this festive season.

In no particular order I give you the Christmas 2012 Highly Anticipated Toys

Dear Santa,

This Christmas there are a number of very exciting toys that your elves have spent all year crafting, and I am so excited by what you may have in store for all the girls and boys.

Furby has recently been re-launched and is more life like than ever before. He dances, sings and even learns more English as your journey together progresses. He comes in a variety of bright colouring's and will be sure to add some extra excitement to Christmas day, maybe even annoyonce to many a adult!

The LeapFrog LeapsterGS is a gaming learning system for children aged 3-9 years old tailored in a robust kid's design. There is even a camera and video camera included so that you can edit your pictures or even put yourself into the game you are playing! 

The Innotab 2 is the latest creation from VTech for tech savvy kid's. There are many different apps to suit each child's taste from music, TV programmes and Ebooks, There are many children's favourites such as Peppa Pig and Thomas and Friends that you can download. 

The Mookie Scramble Bug is a unique ride on that can move in all directions due to the incorporated castor wheels. It features a fixed handlebar that your toddler can hold on to as they go along, the castor wheels mean that the Scramble Bug can turn 360 degrees with ease and is suitable for the use of children from 1 years old, right up to 3 years old. 

The Razor E90 Electric Scooter is aimed at children 8+ and reaches speeds of up to 8.5mph! It comes in a variety of bright colours and has recently been seen sported by One Directions Zayn and Little Mix's Perrie!

The Fisher-Price Wheelies Loops 'n' Swoops Amusement Park is the ultimate in toddler fun! There are play options on both sides and it stands at over two feet tall. It is the perfect height for kid's to send their Wheelies vehicles down a swirly whirly ramp filled with twists and turns and a gravity defying 360 degree loop! This action fun toy would not be complete without the many lights and that accompany!

The Mini Micro 3 in 1 Scooter  is exactly what it says on the tin! A toddlers very first scooter that will see them through until 5 years old. As the child grows you can adjust the scooter to reflect their new stage of development!

WOW Toys Dudley Dumper Truck is just one toy out of an extensive range of incredibly fun resilient toys that work with no battery's! 

So Santa please consider my Christmas list this year, and I promise that upon your arrival you will find a nice glass of Sherry and home made mince pies! 

P.s If you are still in the process of Christmas shopping, Argos Reserve and Collect is a great way to shop. You can reserve many of the above gifts online to guarantee collection in store! It really does take the stress out of Christmas shopping!

Merry Christmas!

Disclaimer: I wanted to put together a selection of toys that I have enjoyed this year that I think will be popular this year. In order to put together this composition I have been sent the toys to personally try out where possible and have or will be sharing my full experience with you. I have not been paid to write this and all views expressed are completely honest and my own.