MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023: Winners announced
Almost 500 child judges, their parents and a team of toy experts have joined forces to test hundreds of the hottest toys to decide which ones are really worth your time and money. Here are the winners of our MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023
The annual MadeForMums Toy Awards recognise the very best toys: the ones that will provide hours of fun for children. To help us make sure we give our awards to only the very best toys – the ones that children truly love to play with – we recruited nearly 500 child testers this year. They tested the toys thoroughly, then (with a little help from their parents) shared their thoughts and ratings with us. Our editorial team then spent countless hours building, crafting, scooting, riding, and of course — playing — with all of the toys during our live judging days, comparing our testers' feedback with our own to decide which toys are worthy winners. Working with our expert judges, we evaluated the play potential and value of every toy, to decide which toys are really worth your money and will keep your children engaged — in 46 different categories!
The MadeForMums Toy Awards are one of the most important toy awards of the year, conducted by parents for parents. The results show a superb range of playthings for all ages but, more importantly, price points that'll fit all budgets – one of this year's key drivers
And here they are, the 2023 MadeForMums Toy Awards winners. As well as our gold, silver and bronze winners, our editors also identified 15 top toys that really stood out and impressed us this year — in a range of shapes, sizes and budgets – and these get our coveted Editor's Choice award.
Our award winners include toys suitable for all ages — from babies and toddlers to teens and families, and our categories cover the whole market, from innovative STEM kits and tech toys to craft sets, modern playsets, traditional wooden toys and outdoor equipment.
Here are the winners of the MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023
Editor's Choice Awards
BEST FOR XMAS WOW FACTOR: Barbie Dreamhouse Playset, £349
I like the kitchen because it's so cool. I also like the big bedroom because it has a cot, a teddy bear and a cloud and then you pull and it has roses. The light is so cute – that's why I like it
Age: 3+ | Available at: Very, Argos, Amazon and Smyths Toys
BEST FOR FUN ON THE GO: SmartGames Cats & Boxes, £15.99
This game is really good. It’s really fun and I can play it for hours. I can take it with me in the car too, so that I'm not bored
Age: 7+ | Available at: Amazon, Smart Games and Fun Learning
BEST FOR A SPOOKY BUILD (x2): LEGO DREAMZzz Nightmare Shark Ship, £119.99
I love all of the unique pieces used to build it. I like how it’s so big and it’s a shark! It is good that you can build it 2 ways and I have made my own now using the wheels and the wings!
Age: 10+ | Available at: Lego, Very, Amazon and Argos
BEST FOR TERRIFIC, TINY DETAILS: Sylvanian Families Baby Mermaid Castle, £54.99
I love this toy! There’s lots of bits that go round and round which is really fun and goes fast if you want it to. It’s so so pretty. I will play with it lots and lots forever
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Argos and John Lewis
BEST FOR FOOTBALL FANS: Smart Ball Soccer Bot from Golden Bear, £49.99
I like that the Soccer Bot chases the ball. I like dribbling the ball away from the robot to practise my skills and it is good exercise. I will play with this lots and show my friends
Age: 6+ | Available at: Argos and Toys R Us
BEST FOR WANNABE CHEFS: Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Busy Chef's Restaurant Playset, £28.99
My daughter was able to be really creative, making up a whole plate of food, experimenting with different parts of the kitchen and really getting engrossed in her play
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, John Lewis and Very
BEST FOR BABY DEVELOPMENT: My 1st Years Peter Rabbit Sorter House, £33-38
My son had a smile on his face when we started playing with the shape sorter and he interacted well with all the different shapes and characters
Age: 12 months+ | Available at: My 1st Years, Not on the High Street and Next
BEST FOR SELF-EXPRESSION: The Mood Bears, £22.99
I want to play with my bear every day. He is my best friend and when I am scared he helps me calm down. Every day I have a little squeeze and then I do some playing and watch TV. I love to play with him and take him places
Age: 3+ | Available at: Mood Bears
BEST FOR AN AMAZING TRANSFORMATION: Transformers RC Converting Optimus Prime, £79.99
I absolutely love this Optimus Prime robot. He is so cool. Me and my brother have been playing with him today and can’t wait to show our friends. I love the way he transforms in a flash
Age: 8+ | Available at: Argos, Amazon and Asda
BEST FOR SAILING THE HIGH SEAS: Gabby's Dollhouse Cat Friend Ship, £69.99
I like this boat because the swimming pool turns pink and it has MerCat
Age: 3+ | Available at: Very, Argos and Amazon
BEST FOR CODERS IN TRAINING: Learning Resources PYXEL A Coder's Best Friend, £150
Wow, this is actually super cool! I like that I can make him do things and change so much. It’s like learning we do at school but better
Age: 8+ | Available at: Learning Resources and Amazon
BEST FOR A FUN FURRY FRIENDSHIP: Furby, £74.99
I love Una! She's so much fun and I really like the colour of her fur. Her singing and dancing make me laugh
Age: 6+ | Available at: Amazon, Very, John Lewis and Argos
BEST FOR LEARNING THROUGH PLAY: Clementoni The History Of Life on Earth, £29.99
It's excellent and fun. I love doing the VR because it feels like I am actually there in those times seeing mammoths and dinosaurs. It is my favourite toy because there is so much you can do with it. It's actually awesome!
Age: 6+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
BEST FOR A SENSORY STOCKING FILLER: Scrunchems Squishy Neon Scented Bears, £3.99
I like that it is squidgy and it smells like juicy orange
Age: 3+ | Available at: Tink n Stink
BEST FOR OPEN-ENDED PLAY: Connetix 120 Piece Pastel Creative Pack, £115
I love building something with these. They're really cool and I have built patterns, a fish and an owl and I love that Mummy and Daddy have fun playing the blocks with me. We all love them
Age: 3+ | Available at: Connetix Tiles
Best playset under £70
GOLD: Polly Pocket Pollyville Resort Roll Away Playset, £68.99
I like playing with the Ferris wheel, making it go around and around and putting the car down the slide
Age: 4+ | Available at: Argos, Very and Amazon
SILVER: Fisher-Price Little People Light-Up Learning Garage, £44.99 | Age: 1+ | Available at: John Lewis, Very, Argos and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: The Adventures of Paddington Campervan Playset, £29.99 (above, top right) | Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Cry Babies BFF Dreamy & Rym, £44.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos and Very
Shortlisted: Learning Resources Numberblocks Step Squad Mission Headquarters, Fun at the Farm Quiet Book by Little Camie, Pony Parade Stable Bumper Set
Best playset over £70
GOLD: L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G House of Surprises, £179.99
I really liked the slide and the pool with water. It’s so good to play with and I love it
Age: 4+ | Available at: Very, John Lewis and Smyths Toys
SILVER: Imaginext DC Super Friends Ultimate HQ Playset, £109.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Amazon and Very
BRONZE: Barbie Dream Boat Playset, £79.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon, Very and Argos
Best interactive toy under £40
GOLD: Twister Air, £24.99
It’s really fun. It’s like a workout. I had lots of fun
Age: 8+ | Available at: Argos, Very and Smyths Toys
SILVER: Curlimals Flutter Wonders Bella Bear from Golden Bear, £29.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos, Very and Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Bitzee Interactive Digital Pet, £32.99 | Age: 5+ | Available at: Argos, Very and Amazon
Shortlisted: De’Longhi Barista Coffee Machine by Casdon, Fingerlings Monkeys
Best interactive toy £40 and over
GOLD: Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends Talking Cranky Delivery Train Set, £59.99
I want to keep playing with it and get another train track to make it bigger. I want to collect all of the trains. It's my favourite toy
Age: 3+ | Available at: John Lewis, Very and Smyths Toys
SILVER: Jurassic Park Real FX Baby T.Rex, £79.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Smyths Toys and Amazon
BRONZE: Dyson Supersonic & Corrale Deluxe Styling Set by Casdon, £40 | Age: 3+ | Available at: John Lewis, Amazon and Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Tamagotchi Uni from Bandai
Best toddler toy
GOLD: LEGO DUPLO Town Dream Playground, £46.99
It’s a playground. I want to go on the whale slide. This is amazing
Age: 2+ | Available at: LEGO, John Lewis and Smyths Toys
SILVER: In The Night Garden Talking Soft Toys, £17.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: Argos, Very and Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Playmobil Doughnut Truck with Stacking and Sorting Feature, £39.99 | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Playmobil and Very
Shortlisted: Taf Toys Buckle Board, Learning Resources Spike The Fine Motor Hedgehog Tissue Pal, Melissa & Doug Wooden Work & Play Desktop
Best doll
GOLD: DesignaFriend Tilly Bumper Doll Set, £50
She is magical and it is my favourite toy. I like that it has loads of clothes to change into
Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos
SILVER: Lamaze My Friend Jasmine, £15.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: John Lewis, Very and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: BABY born Sister Play & Style, £59.99 (above, top right) | Age: 4+ | Available at: John Lewis, Amazon and ZAPF Creation
JOINT BRONZE: L.O.L. Surprise Magic Flyers, £36.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 5+ | Available at: Amazon, John Lewis and Very
Shortlisted: Cry Babies Newborn Coney
Best fashion doll
GOLD: Rainbow High Spring 23 Collection, £29.99
It’s so cute and little. I want to play with her every single day! Her colours are so beautiful
Age: 6+ | Available at: Amazon
SILVER: Monster High Skulltimate Secrets Draculaura Doll, £39.99 | Age: 4+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Argos and Very
BRONZE: Barbie Pop Reveal Doll Assortment, £26.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: B&M and Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Miraculous Magic Heroes Doll from Bandai
Best construction/building toy
GOLD: Simbrix Range, from £4.99
I will definitely keep playing with it. I want to do all the designs, especially the unicorn and the rainbow
Age: 5+ | Available at: Smyths Toys and Amazon
SILVER: MEGA Pokémon Forest Pokémon Center, £69.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Amazon, Argos, Very and Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Plus-Plus 100pc Tube, £6.99 | Age: 5+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Connetix 106 Piece Pastel Ball Run Pack, BRIO Builder Volvo Hauler, Edx Education My Gears Animal Set, SmartMax — My First Build & Drive
Best Science/STEM toy or kit
GOLD: Thames and Kosmos, KAI: The Artificial Intelligence Robot, £100
It was really fun to play with it and make. I think it’s cool to make it react to the movements I make
Age: 10+ | Available at: Thames and Kosmos
SILVER: LeapFrog Magic Adventures Telescope, £109.99 | Age: 5+ | Available at: Amazon, Very and John Lewis
BRONZE: Learning Resources Space Rover Deluxe Coding Activity Set, £65 | Age: 4+ | Available at: Amazon
Shortlisted: Craft-Tastic Scavenger Hunt Potions, FabLab Soapy Sculpts, Science Mad Light Up Globe, Science to the Max Interactive Human Body
Best tech toy or gadget
JOINT GOLD: tonies Toniebox, £79.95 (above, left)
Wow it's magic. Mummy, I can do it on my own. I love it
Age: 3+ | Available at: Tonies, Argos and John Lewis
JOINT GOLD: Yoto Player (3rd Generation), £99.99 (above, right)
I like doing the cards. I can do it by myself. I like the buttons too and the pictures on the front
Age: 3+ | Available at: Yoto Play and Amazon
SILVER: Harry Potter Real FX Spell Master Wand, £44.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Lite-Brite Touch, £39.99 | Age: 7+ | Available at: Amazon and Very
Shortlisted: Mi Mic Live
Best Christmas-themed toy
GOLD: LEGO Friends Holiday Ski Slope, £74.99
I really liked building this LEGO set. I felt really proud when I finished it. It looks really good and it’s fun to slide the sledge and skiers down the slope
Age: 9+ | Available at: LEGO, Argos and John Lewis
SILVER: Thames and Kosmos Science Advent Calendar, £30 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Thames & Kosmos and Amazon
Best stocking filler
GOLD: HGL 3D Push Pop Suction Caterpillar with Light, £5.99
It's amazing!! It's my favourite toy. It lights up in the dark and sticks to the doors. I can pull it off too!
Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon and Gift Giant
SILVER: Rex London Sharks temporary tattoos, £1.95 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Rex London
BRONZE: Mini Brands Series 4 Capsule by ZURU, from £6.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Argos and Amazon
Shortlisted: SUSSED Purple, DreamWorks Trolls™ Pom Poms keychain
Best family game over £20
GOLD: Exploding Kittens Good vs. Evil, £21.99
So much fun! The cats are cute and I loved playing this with my brothers and sister. It’s one of the only games we don’t argue about. We play it really often
Age: 7+ | Available at: Exploding Kittens and Smyths Toys
SILVER: 5 Second Rule Relay, £24.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Argos, John Lewis and Smyths Toys
BRONZE: This Side Up Electronic Family Game from IDEAL, £22.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Amazon and Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Peppa Pig Funny Photo Game
Best family game £20 and under
GOLD: Orchard Toys Unicorn Fun!, £12
We dressed the unicorns and I won Unicorn Party. I like how you hang the unicorns over the rainbow. I love it and I'm going to play it with my friends
Age: 4+ | Available at: Orchard Toys, Amazon and Argos
SILVER: Really Loud Librarians by Exploding Kittens, £20 | Age: 7+ | Available at: Exploding Kittens and Amazon
BRONZE: Kitten Games: Hurry Up Chicken Butt by Exploding Kittens, £19.99 | Age: 4+ | Available at: Exploding Kittens and Amazon
Shortlisted: Kosmos Open & Play My Gold Mine, Pigs on Trampolines, Kitten Games: The Best Worst Ice Cream by Exploding Kittens
Best jigsaw/puzzle
GOLD: Star Wars Grogu 3D Puzzle Ball, £14.99
I like that it has so many pieces. It’s so cute. I loved building it, I felt really happy when I completed it
Age: 6+ | Available at: Very
SILVER: The Happy Puzzle Company Decypher, £19.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: The Happy Puzzle Company
BRONZE: The Happy Puzzle Company Genius Square, £19.99 | Age: 6+ | Available at: The Happy Puzzle Company
Shortlisted: Rex London Sausage Dog Number Puzzle
Best collectible toy
GOLD: Sambro Marvel Bops N Tops™, from £1.99
I was very excited to open the blind bag. The 3 pack was also very good. I was happy to see the 2 characters I was going to open and, when I found a hidden blind bag, I was soo excited!
Age: 3+ | Available at: In-store at B&M and ASDA
SILVER: Care Bears Lil' Besties, £7.99 | Age: 4+ | Available at: Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: EUGY, £8.99 (above, top right) | Age: 6+ | Available at: Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Pinky Promise Royal Carriage 3 Pack from Bandai, £4.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 4+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: HGL Micro Fidgetz, L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise Dolls
Best scooter
GOLD: Maxi Micro Deluxe Foldable LED Scooter, £157.95
I want to play on this scooter every day and take it with me everywhere!
Age: 5-12 | Available at: Micro Scooters John Lewis and Very
SILVER: Xootz Wild Rider LED Scooter, £39.99 | Age: 3+ | Coming soon
BRONZE: Squish Mini LED Tilt Scooter, £39.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Jackstone House and Argos
Best convertible scooter
GOLD: Mini Micro 4in1 Trike Mini 2 Grow Light Up Scooter, £117.95
My daughter says it’s fun when she rides on it. She’s very excited and laughs when she sees the handles light up and giggles happily when she sees the wheels flashing
Age: 1-6 years | Available at: Micro Scooters and John Lewis
SILVER: smartrike Xtend Ride On | Age: 1-12 | Coming soon
JOINT BRONZE: Globber Go Up Foldable Plus Ecologic, £94.99 (above, top right) | Age: 15 months+ | Available at: Plum Play, Argos and John Lewis
JOINT BRONZE: Kinderkraft Halley, £69 (above, bottom right) | Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Kinderkraft and Amazon
Best first bike or trike
JOINT GOLD: Bobbin Bikes Gingersnap 12” Wheel, £209 (above, left)
The bike is super cool. I love being able to ride around with my toys in my basket and take them on adventures
Age: 2+ | Available at: Bobbin Bikes
JOINT GOLD: Xootz Bubble-Go Trike, £74.99 (above, right)
I am so excited to go on this trike. I love riding outside with all the bubbles coming out of the trike. I just want to ride it all the time
Age: 3+ | Available at: Xootz and Freemans
SILVER: Raleigh Pop — 12 inch Wheel Kids Bike Crossbar, £179 | Age: 3-5 | Available at: Raleigh
BRONZE: Kidvelo Rookie 14 Convertible Balance to Pedal Bike, £235 | Age: 3-6 | Available at: Kidvelo Bikes
Shortlisted: Bluey My First 2-in-1 10” Training Bike, Kinderkraft Easytwist
Best balance bike
JOINT GOLD: Squish Balance Bike, £179.99 (above, left)
I really like my new bike! I love riding it because it goes really fast and I like to use the brake
Age: 18 months+ | Available at: TGC Bikes and Little Riders UK
JOINT GOLD: Liferyder "Vogue" Balance Bike, £89.99 (above, right)
Mummy, it’s like a bike rainbow!
Age: 2+ | Available at: Liferyder
SILVER: Micro Balance Bike 2in1 Chopper, £99.95 | Age: 2+ | Available at: Micro Scooters, Amazon and Decathlon
BRONZE: Kinderkraft Rapid, £69 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Kinderkraft and Amazon
Shortlisted: Frog Bikes Tadpole Mini Balance Bike
Best toddler ride-on
GOLD: Scuttlebug, £24.99
My daughter absolutely loves it. It's the first toy she wants to play with after coming home from nursery and it’s a great introduction to a ride-on toy
Age: 12-36 months | Available at: Argos, Amazon and Very
SILVER: Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, £69.99 | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Very and Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Little Bird Told Me Stirling & Mac Rocking Horse, £199.95 | Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Little Bird Told Me and Amazon
Best electric ride-on
GOLD: Xootz Big Bumper Car — Electric Ride-On, £199.99
This is AMAZING!! I love it because it lights up and drives like a real car because it goes super fast!
Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Freemans
SILVER: Marvel Spiderman 6v Light-Up Web Slinger Mini Quad, £100 | Age: 2+ | Available at: Argos and Very
BRONZE: Xootz Land Rover Discovery Electric Ride-On, £299.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Very
Best toy for role play/pretend play
GOLD: LeapFrog Build-a-Slice Pizza Cart, £59.99
I like everything about it. I like playing with it with grownups and with my friends. It helps me learn new words and helps with my counting
Age: 3-5 | Available at: Very, Argos and John Lewis
SILVER: Melissa & Doug Barber Shop Playset, £34.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: John Lewis, Very and Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Smoby Maxi Cosi Twin Pushchair, £35.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos
Shortlisted: Pretendables Bakery Set, My Everyday Routine Quiet Book by Little Camie, Le Toy Van Star Beauty Bag, Tiny Treasures Bear Baby Doll Car Set, Ashab by Zagazoo
Best toy vehicle
GOLD: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Pizza Fire Van, £39.99
My son was really impressed with how fast the pizzas flew out of the side of the van. He had lots of fun playing with it
Age: 4+ | Available at: Argos, Very and Smyths Toys
SILVER: PAW Patrol The Mighty Movie Skye's Mighty Movie Jet, £49.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Bing Lights & Sounds Fire Engine from Golden Bear, £29.99 | Age: 18 months+ | Available at:
Very, Amazon and Argos
Best sustainable/ethical toy
GOLD: Build Your Own Wallace & Gromit Rocket, £29.99
This was a really fun project to build. It looks nice on my desk and I am proud I was able to do it myself
Age: 10+ | Available at: Build Your Own Kits and Amazon
SILVER: Cuddle+Kind – Charlie the honey bear, from £71 | Age: From birth | Available at: Cuddle+Kind
BRONZE: Yello Eco Recycled Plastic Beach Play Set, £7.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon
Shortlisted: Pure Earth Collection Organic Sensory Toys, WWF Wild Scenes Tiger's Hang Out, Edx Education Green-n-Learn Whales Story Counters Set
Best wooden toy
JOINT GOLD: Le Toy Van Construction Cars, £29.95 (above, left)
I love my new digger toys. I can do so many things with them. I want to play with them all of the days!
Age: 3+ | Available at: Le Toy Van and Amazon
JOINT GOLD: My 1st Years Personalised Kitchen and Washing Machine, from £150 (above, right)
I can tell my daughter will have plenty of years playtime ahead with this kitchen, it has already become a firm favourite
Age: 3+ | Available at: My 1st Years
SILVER: Great Little Trading Company Play & Store Wooden Toy Farm, £75 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Great Little Trading Company
BRONZE: Our Little World Activity Rocker and Play Gym, £90 | Age: From birth | Available at: Argos
Shortlisted: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Wooden Shape Puzzle
Best soft toy over £20
GOLD: Peter Rabbit Luxury Soft Toy, £21.99
He’s nice, soft and cuddly
Age: From birth | Available at: Amazon and John Lewis
SILVER: BABY born Bear, £29.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: Zapf Creation, Argos and Very
BRONZE: Rainbocorns Mermaidcorn Surprise by ZURU, £24.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Argos and Amazon
Shortlisted: Furby, Baby Paws, Learning Resources Sing-Along Numberblock Five, Amazing Dress Up Talking Milo from Bandai
Best soft toy under £20
GOLD: My Little Pony 40th Anniversary Unicorn and Pegasus Plush, £14.99
She is very snuggly and I love hugging her. I want to keep her forever. She's my best friend
Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon and Very
SILVER: DesignaBear Monkey Soft Toy, £12 | Age: From birth | Available at: Argos
BRONZE: Animigos World of Nature Black and White Guinea Pig, £10.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: Amazon
Shortlisted: Biggies Super-Size Mega Plush
Best art/craft toy or kit over £15
GOLD: Clementoni Pen Creator Studio, £29.99
The amount of magic you can create inside a pen is so cool. All my friends will love their pens. I can make them all different and add the colours that they like
Age: 6+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
SILVER: Spirograph Junior, £19.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys and Toys R Us
BRONZE: The Happy Puzzle Company WaxiDoodles, £16.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Happy Puzzle Company and Amazon
Shortlisted: Creative Kids Spin & Splatter Paint Machine, Loomi Pals Combo Set from Bandai, Aquabeads Deluxe Craft Backpack
Best art/craft toy or kit under £15
GOLD: Rex London — Woodland stitching set, £6.95
I love sewing all the different colours and animals. It’s fun. I’d play with this again – it’s really cool
Age: 3+ | Available at: Rex London
SILVER: Paint Pop Face Paints, £9.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon, Smyths Toys and Very
BRONZE: HGL 3000 Piece Loom Twister Kit, £8.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Gift Giant
Shortlisted: Crystal Art Buddies Kits
Best sensory toy
JOINT GOLD: Scrunchems Neon Noodles, £8.99 (above, left)
I like the colours and bobbly bits. I enjoyed swinging them around in the air and tying them in knots!
Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon
JOINT GOLD: Little Fox Quiet Book by Little Camie, from £44.95 (above, right)
My 20 month old has really enjoyed exploring this book, it has provided her with lots of fun and engaging experiences
Age: 18-36 months | Available at: Little Camie
SILVER: Fat Brain PipSquigz, £16.99 | Age: 6-24 months | Available at: Amazon
BRONZE: Jellystone Designs Calm Down Bottle — Unicorn | Age: 3+ | Available at: Halilit
Shortlisted: Our Little World Sensory Busy Board, PODSpop by PODS Play
Best educational/learning toy over £40
GOLD: Connetix 212 Piece Rainbow Mega Pack, £180
Oh I really like them, because they are fun. They allow me to be creative in an enjoyable way. They are easy to play with and I can’t wait to play with them again
Age: 3+ | Available at: Connetix Tiles
SILVER: My 1st years — Alphabet Spinner, from £40 | Age: 12 months+ | Available at: My 1st Years
BRONZE: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Mix & Learn DJ Table, £54.99 | Age: 6-36 months | Available at: Argos, John Lewis and Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Tonies Toniebox
Best educational/learning toy under £40
JOINT GOLD: Orchard Toys Dinosaur Dig, £12 (above, left)
I liked the dinosaur and the hammer. Pulling the bones out with the hammer was fun!
Age: 4+ | Available at: Orchard Toys, Amazon and Argos
JOINT GOLD: Orchard Toys Nutty Numbers, £9.75 (above, right)
I loved playing this game. I tried to make my path meet Mummy's so our squirrels could be friends. I like being a different squirrel each time
Age: 4+ | Available at: Orchard Toys, Amazon and John Lewis
SILVER: Taf Toys — Bunny School — Match & Count, £24.99 | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Halilit and Amazon
BRONZE: MEL Science hands-on experiments, from £19.90 | Age: 5+ | Available at: MEL Science
Shortlisted: Glo Friends Bookworm Story Pack, SUSSED Purple, Learning Resources Design & Drill Rivet Pop Workshop, Alphablocks Phonics Fun, SmartGames — Safari Park Jr
Best toy featuring a TV/movie/book character
GOLD: Peek-a-boo Bing from Golden Bear, £29.99
My daughter regularly plays with it and enjoys cuddling him. She tries to hold down the ears and laughs when they pop up
Age: From birth | Available at: Argos and Very
SILVER: CoComelon School Bus Ride On, £32.99 | Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
JOINT BRONZE: Sambro Barbie & Me Pedi Spa Party with Doll, £19.99 (above, top right)| Age: 6+ | Available at: Amazon and B&M
JOINT BRONZE: Imaginext Jurassic World Ultra Snap Spinosaurus, £59.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon, Very and Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Sonic Prime Action Figure 4 Pack from Bandai, Super Mario Rally Tennis, Learning Resources Numberblocks Friends One to Five
Best older baby toy
GOLD: Toomies NEW Hide & Squeak Eggs, £10.99
My son loves exploring them and discovering whether they rattle or squeak
Age: 6 months+ | Available at: Argos and Smyths Toys
SILVER: Sense & Grow Sensory Tissue Box, £19.99 | Age: 5 months+ | Available at: Amazon and Bargain Max
BRONZE: Melissa & Doug Multi-Sensory Pineapple Soft Stacker Infant Toy, £22.99 | Age: 6 months+ | Available at: John Lewis, Amazon and Very
Shortlisted: Clementoni Soft Clemmy Space Rocket
Best baby activity mat/play mat/baby gym
GOLD: VTech 4-in-1 Tummy Time Fawn, £34.99
My baby boy loves this toy and happily coos and chats to it as he plays. Whenever I lie him on the cushion, he kicks his legs in excitement and reaches to play with the toy attachments
Age: 3-36 months | Available at: Smyths Toys, Argos and Very
SILVER: Taf Toys Urban Garden Foldable Gym, £64.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: John Lewis, Halilit and Amazon
Best baby sleep aid toy
GOLD: VTech 3-in-1 Starry Skies Sheep Soother, £34.99
My son enjoyed watching the lights at night and the soothing music helped him to drift off to sleep without any fighting
Age: From birth | Available at: Smyths Toys and Argos
SILVER: ZAZU Soother and Sleeptrainer Brody the bear, £39.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: Kidinn
BRONZE: Sleepy Time Duggee from Golden Bear, £24.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: Argos and Amazon
Shortlisted: Taf Toys Bedtime Kit, ZAZU Breathing Light Emmy the Elephant, ZAZU Sunset Projector Henry the Hedgehog
Best bath toy
GOLD: VTech 6-in-1 Bath Set, £24.99
My son was completely fascinated by every aspect of this toy
Age: From birth | Available at: Argos, Mamas & Papas and Smyths Toys
SILVER: Toomies Bath Barista, £22.99 | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Amazon, Very and John Lewis
BRONZE: BB Junior Splash and Play Music Tug Boat, £9.99 | Age: 12-36 months | Available at: Amazon
Best walker, push-along or pull-along toy
GOLD: Vtech First Steps Baby Walker, £42.99
My twins found this product very engaging. They loved the lights, music and the detachable phone, in particular, was a hit!
Age: 6-30 months | Available at: Argos and Smyths Toys
SILVER: Toomies Pull Along Peppa, £22.99 | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: ELC
Best teething toy
GOLD: Sophie la girafe, £15.99
My son has been enjoying this toy every day! I’ve seen him play with it, squeeze it to make it squeak and use it for teething. He’s very happy when Sophie comes out of the change bag!
Age: From birth | Available at: John Lewis, Boots and JoJo Maman Bebe
SILVER: Oli&Carol Fruit & Veggies Teethers, £14.90 | Age: From birth | Available at: Bambino Baby
BRONZE: Matchstick Monkey Original Teething Toy, £12.99 | Age: 3 months+ | Available at: Matchstick Monkey, Amazon and John Lewis
Shortlisted: Mizzie The Kangaroo — Mini Mizzie, Jellystone Designs — Rainbow Stacker and Teether Toy
Best outdoor/garden toy
GOLD: Kickmaster Quick Up Football Goal & Target, £19.99
I love my goal. My friends and I play this and have lots of fun. It’s the best!
Age: 5+ | Available at: Amazon, Very and Jackstone House
SILVER: TP Toys Growable Adventure Climbing Frame, £169.99 | Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Argos
BRONZE: X-Shot Insanity Motorized Rage Fire (72 Darts) by ZURU, £49.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Argos and Amazon
Shortlisted: Gel Blaster Surge, X-Shot Hyper Gel HPG-700 Blaster (20,000 Hyper Gel Pellets) by ZURU
Best portable/travel toy
GOLD: SUSSED Green, £9.99
I like Sussed a lot! It was fun to play with my family
Age: 8+ | Available at: Not on the High Street and Amazon
SILVER: Learning Resources Kanoodle Pyramid, £24 | Age: 7+ | Available at: Amazon and Learning Resources
BRONZE: Spirograph Doodle Pad, £19.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Amazon
Best toy for active play
GOLD: "The Adventure Gym" by The Learning Tower Company, from £89.99
It's so cool. We can climb and jump off. We can even use it for car ramps. Look how fast they go!
Age: 6 months+ | Available at: Learning Towers
SILVER: Edx Education Whizzy Dizzy, £109.99 | Age: 3-8 | Available at: Shop Edx
BRONZE: Dyson Cordless Vacuum by Casdon, £25 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon, John Lewis and Argos
Shortlisted: Glo Friends Wigglebug Plush
Best video game
GOLD: Peppa Pig World Adventures from Outright Games, £34.99
I love my new Peppa game. I can play by myself and don't need help from Mommy or Daddy
Age: 3+ | Available at: Outright Games
SILVER: Gigantosaurs: Dino Kart from Outright Games, £34.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Outright Games
BRONZE: Paw Patrol: Grand Prix from Outright Games, £34.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Outright Games
Best fiction book
GOLD: Monster Support Group: The Werewolf's Tale, £8.99
I love it. I really like the monsters and the meaning behind the story
Age: 7+ | Available at: Amazon and Bookshop.org
SILVER: Emerald and the Ocean Parade, £9.99 | Age: 5+ | Available at: Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Juniper Mae: Knight of Tykotech City, £9.99 (above, top right) | Age: 7+ | Available at: Amazon and Bookshop.org
JOINT BRONZE: Outside Chance (Don’t Doubt the Rainbow 2), £6.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 11+ | Available at: Amazon and Crown House Publishing
Shortlisted: Marv and the Killer Plants, Pick a Story: A Superhero Mermaid Dragon Adventure
Best non-fiction book
GOLD: LIFESIZE Deadly Animals, £8.99
It was so exciting to learn about all the animals. I love the pictures – they are so fun to look at
Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon and Harper Collins
SILVER: Little Experts: Why Money Matters, £9.99 | Age: 6+ | Available at: Amazon and Harper Collins
BRONZE: Very Short Introductions for Curious Young Minds: Robots, Gadgets, and Artificial Intelligence, £7.99 | Age: 9+ | Available at: Amazon and OUP
Shortlisted: Wonderfully Wired Brains by Louise Gooding, and illustrated by Ruth Burrows
What are the MadeForMums Toy Awards about?
The MadeForMums Toy Awards are all about celebrating the best in children’s toys, from toys for newborns to toys for pre-teens – and all ages, stages and genres in between.
We're known here at MadeForMums for our expert, honest and thorough product reviews, and we’ve brought those same standards to our Toy Awards – knowing that the award of a winner’s badge from us will be recognised both by parents and major retailers as a sign of outstanding quality and play potential.
How are the toys judged?
We want to recognise the great toys that entertain, educate and excite children of all ages and stages, so we divided all our award entries into 46 different categories, tested them rigorously, shortlisted the very best of them, and then judged our shortlist on their play potential and value for money.
We also created 15 Editor’s Choice awards – to showcase the toys that our editors thought had something about them that was particularly special.
Who were the judges?
Of course the best people to rate toys are the children who play with them, so we recruited a panel of 490 child judges, ranging in age from 12 weeks to 14 years, and set them (and their parents) the arduous task of playing with our toy entries and telling us exactly what they thought of them. And they certainly told us EVERYTHING!
We also had several judging days held at MadeForMums HQ, where all the shortlisted toys were tested, evaluated and scored by the expert members of our MadeForMums Toy team and editorial writers who specialise in product reviews, and helped out by guest judge Rachael Simpson-Jones from Toy World.
With thanks to Gemma Cartwright, Christy McGhee, Helen Brown, Jenny Yu, Danielle Graph, Janet Mtima, Jordan Edmonds-Moore, Emma Onuma, Pranesha Patel and all our amazing child testers and judges
Read more:
- Must-have toys for Christmas 2023 – from the biggest sellers
- Best toys for 1 year olds
- Best toys for 2 year olds
- Best toys for 3 year olds
- Best toys for 4 year olds
- Best toys for 5 year olds
- Best toys for 6 year olds
- Best toys for 7 year olds
- Best toys for 8 year olds
- Best toys for 9 year olds
- Best toys for 10 year olds
- Best toys for babies (0-6 months)
- Best toys for babies (6-12 months)
- Best first bikes for kids
- Best balance bikes
- Best scooters
- Best ride-on toys for toddlers
- Best trikes
Authors
Emily is the Digital Content Producer at MadeForMums and creates editorial and video content across the brand. She also edits the weekly editorial newsletter, oversees our reviews process and loves creating our craft articles and videos. She specialises predominantly in car seats and pushchairs, and has yet to meet a buggy she couldn’t fold! With a 1st class degree in History, she always researches topics thoroughly to find the best recommendations for parents.
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