Heroes of the day
Published
The British Toy and Hobby Fair, held annually at London Olympia, is probably the most important event of the year for toymakers. Toyfair ‘heroes’ are picked out for their overall excellence in terms of quality, play value and value for money. We visited Toyfair to inspect the toys personally and bring you the best!
SYLVANIAN FAMILIES CITRUS BIRD JUICE STAND
From Epoch Making Toys
Price £39.99
Age 3+
When it’s time for a refreshing drink Sylvanian-style, look no further than the Citrus Bird Juice Stand. Join Father Bird as he pushes his portable lemon-shaped juice wagon around town, selling delicious juices and ice creams. With six types of toppings in cute animal shapes, there’s plenty of treats to choose from! When play is over, the portable juice wagon closes up, keeping everything secure inside.
In addition to the wagon and Father Bird figure, the set includes a juice stand with lid, two tables, fruits, a signboard, juices, glasses, lolly sticks, toppings and more. It is compatible with the Citrus Bird family set, sold separately.
Visit www.epochmakingtoys.com
NEEDOH JELLY HOPS
From Big Jigs Toys
Price £6.99
All ages
Hop into some squishy fun! These adorable bunnies come with a satisfying and comforting squeeze, plus a range of gentle scents including strawberry, banana and blue raspberry. Their smooth, shiny finish makes them great for tactile play and just the job for fidgety fingers. They also make appealing collectibles.
Visit www.bigjigstoys.co.uk
HEX BOTS SKITTER BOT SPIDER ASSORTMENT
From Spin Master Toys
Price £9.99
Age 3+
Bring chaos to family or friends with this autonomous robot insect toy which will scurry across any floor (including outside) bringing squeals of excitement along the way. Available in two styles and colours, the creepy-crawly has eight fast-rotating legs, light-up eyes and a distinctly spooky design! Batteries included.
Visit www.spinmaster.com
PLAYMOBIL 720ll ESA MARS RESEARCH ROCKET
From Playmobil
Price £49.99
Age 4+
Bring the excitement of space to your kids with this authentic-style rocket, developed in cooperation with the European Space Agency. It features a modular design that can be extended or shortened, depending on the mission, and docks onto a mobile landing platform that serves as a base station on Mars. There are two astronauts, whose mission is to collect soil samples and bring them back to earth. Movable crane arms help collect the samples and securely store them inside the rocket, ready for launch. There are two seats for the astronauts who can use the rocket's adaptable design to navigate difficult terrain, swap tools and extend individual elements as needed.
Visit www.playmobil.com
HANSEL AND GRETEL™
From Smart
Price £19.99
Age 5+
Help Hansel and Gretel™ to escape the witch’s garden through 60 challenges, which get more difficult as you progress. This colourful preschool sliding puzzle game tests players’ concentration as they use their planning skills to help the children escape, while the wicked witch cooks up her concoction. They can use the clues provided in the challenge booklet to slide the colourful puzzle pieces, but beware, this witch is very crafty!
The set includes a tabletop game board, candy puzzle pieces, Hansel and Gretel™ figures, a gingerbread house, challenge booklet and solutions, as well as a lovely picture book.
Visit www.smartgames.eu
