Best children’s toys for boys and girls

The Orchard Toys Match and Spell game is all about matching the words to the picture to help your child with their spelling. It can be played alone or with multiple players. Each animal card has an 'easy' side — where the name of the picture is already written out next to it, and a 'hard' side, where the squares are blank next to the animal. Once they've mastered the easy side, test their spelling memory by flipping over to the challenging side.

One parent review said, "I like that you can use it with letters as a guide or without letters for an extra challenge! This means my son (4) and daughter (2) can both play in their own way."

If you struggle to get your toddler in the tub, then the Slime Baff in Green could be one easy way to convince them that bath time is fun. Simply pour the contents into your bath and watch the water turn into brightly-coloured, eco-friendly slime for some multi-sensory playtime. This product claims to be skin-safe, drain-safe, stain-free and also vegan.

One parent review said, "Product is brilliant. My grandchildren just loved it and had a lot of fun with it. Cleaned up well."

There's no denying how much enjoyment this children's toy has brought kids of all ages over the generations, which is why it's no doubt one of the best children's toys around. The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Car truly is a classic toy that's not going out of fashion any time soon. It's a must-have outdoor toy for toddlers and a great way of getting them outside during the summer months.

One parent review said, "My little one absolutely loves zooming around on this. He can go as fast or slow as he wants as it is foot to the floor. There is also a floor provided for little ones that are too small to reach the floor themselves so they can be pushed by an adult."

With this rugged Melissa & Doug safari shape sort truck, two figures are ready to zoom across the savanna to help their animal friends. The alligator, zebra, rhinoceros, elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, and lion fit into the sides of the wooden truck through die-cut slots, making it perfect for imaginative play and fine motor skills.

One reviewer said: "Bought as a birthday present for a two-year-old. A well-made wooden toy with figures and animals that also doubles as a jigsaw. The removal figures can also be used in creative play settings, and the safari truck used along side other play vehicles. Best thing about this toy? It doesn't make any annoying noises or need batteries."

This brightly coloured MEGA BLOCKS big building bag set are a brilliant building toy to encourage fine motor skills and imagination, while the chunky size is ideal for little hands. The set of 60 blocks comes in a reusable storage bag for easy cleanup and is compatible with all Mega Bloks First Builders sets for little construction fans and endless building possibilities. They may be simple, but these Bloks are some of the best children's toys around.

One parent review said, "These are bright, chunky and strong. I purchased these for my 1-year-old, just as I did with my other three children. All four of my children have loved these, and even the older ones, 6,10 and 12, are happy to sit down with the youngest and build and create things. Definitely, a must-have in my house."

Let your little one go on a pretend picnic and snack on tasty treats while learning about different shapes, food and colours with this LeapFrog Shapes and Sharing basket. The picnic basket will even talk to your tot, making food requests, and then once they've dropped the correct item in, they'll congratulate them.

One parent review said, "This is a well-loved toy! My daughter loves the noises and bright colours. She enjoys emptying the basket and pretending to feed herself! I think this toy will last well, as when she gets a bit bigger, she will be able to make use of the shape sorter feature and role play. Definitely worth the money."

Your little one can enjoy this counting and stacking toy which helps to strengthen their fine motor skills. They can stack these two-piece flowers with this Learning Resources Poppy the Count & Stack Flower Pot. This is an excellent toy as it helps your child learn crucial life skills, including hand-eye coordination, counting skills, and imaginative play.

Mother&Baby writer, Mother of Three Hannah James said: "My little boys love playing with this flower pot. They like to pretend they are working in a flower shop. I have noticed that this has naturally encouraged their fine motor skills. They love counting the flowers and taking them in and out of the pot."

Wooden toys are gaining huge popularity again due to their ability to withstand toddler temperaments and that they look much nicer in your home than plastic ones. This John Lewis Wooden Activity Cube is made from FSC®-certified wood and consists of five different activities for your baby to get stuck into, which will help develop their fine motor skills and hand and eye coordination. Encouraging the learning of problem-solving skills, it'll help build early knowledge of letters, numbers, shapes and colour recognition.

One parent review said, "Contains a variety of activities for the inquisitive one-year-old. Safe so child can be left with the toy without concern."

Bath time just got even more fun with this monkey submarine, which is also great for developing fine motor skills and teaching your child about floating and sinking. They'll love pulling the string and watching the submarine make its way through the water with this Skip Hop Pull and Go Monkey Submarine Bath Toy.

One parent review said, "Contains a variety of activities for the inquisitive one-year-old. Safe so child can be left with the toy without concern."

Hey Duggee toys have been hugely popular with children who love the TV show, and we're sure this phone will be too. As well as encouraging some imaginative play, this Hey Duggee Flip and Learn Phone also teaches your child about colours and recognising different numbers. It has a backlit screen and helps with concentration and attention, as well as builds communication skills.

One parent review said, "Chunky little mobile phone for first-timers. Brings Duggee to life perfectly in enthusiastic small hands. Puts smiles on faces."

Your baby will feel as if they've got another friend in the room with this Fisher-Price DJ Bouncin' Beats Musical toy. At the touch of a button, this little guy bounces to life with colourful lights, music and over 75 songs. It's great for learning and will help teach your child the alphabet, counting, colours, and more with three smart stage levels while keeping little dancers wiggling, giggling and learning as they grow — get ready to boogie.

One parent review said, "This toy is simply amazing! It is loud, bright and draws in the attention of the children. It is interactive. Learn numbers, letters etc., play games with it or just watch it bounce and groove along to the music.

This VTech Little Star activity table will keep your little one fully entertained with its six fun activities to explore. It introduces them to numbers, colours, animals, fun phrases, songs and sound effects, and they'll love the pretend phone for role play and imaginative fun. Simply turn the steering wheel to move the bear around the star and trigger fun reactions and flip the book pages to hear nursery rhymes. The table's legs are also removable too, so your baby can still enjoy all the fun on the floor, in case they haven't learnt to stand just yet.

One parent review said, "I bought this for my granddaughter's 1st birthday, she has just started to crawl and pull herself up to stand. She loves the independence of standing and being able to play. Would recommend."

Whether it's Disney toys, In The Night Garden toys or Peppa Pig toys, you're bound to find a toy related to your child's favourite TV show or film. If your child is a fan of the Australian TV show Bluey, then they'll love having their very own Bluey Jumbo Plush Soft Toy to go on adventures with or cosying up to at bedtime.

One parent review said, "Bought this for my little girl as she loves Bluey, and she won't go to sleep without it, plus it's big enough for her to cuddle like a pillow, so I could get mine back."

A classic toy many of us will remember - we will never tire of Play-Doh. This fun Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Spiral Fries play set comes with five different Play-Doh colours, and the fry machine lets your child create their very own type of chips. Squeeze pretend straight-cut French fries with the to-go box, cut crinkle fries with the knife and stamp waffle fries with the mould. And then it's time to decorate creations with fun pretend toppings! Reviewers have said it's kept their children occupied for hours — result!

One parent reviewer said: "This has kept my niece occupied for hours. Best gift ever."