RECOMMENDED TOYS

On this page you'll find details of a range of products that we believe provide excellent entertainment for children 0-5 years both indoors and out. All the products featured have again been recommended by parents.

As a birthday may soon be approaching we've also selected a few companies that have helped to ease our birthday present shopping burdens in the past!

Click here to see a compilation list of your best toys, as sent by visitors to the site.

If you'd like us to add any of your favourite products please let us know via feedback@forparentsbyparents.com.

Baby Dazzlers - Development Toys for Children Aged 0-4yrs

Just Childplay - Quality educational toys and games

Will and Jo - Rocking Horses and rocking toys

The Ragged Rascal - Dressing Up

Delos Records - Classical Music CDs

Launch Pad for Kids - Craft and Activity Packs

Orchard Toys - Jigsaws

Barefoot Books - Audio Books

Early Learning Centre - Soft Stuff Range

Shopping Shortcuts

"Shopping with a toddler or baby in tow can be extremely stressful and I still dread Christmas and the long lists of presents to buy and no time to buy them! So I thought I would share some of the short cut ideas that I use. They always help ease my Christmas shopping burden so hopefully they might help other parent's too."

Pat

This section should be useful for birthdays and VERY useful for Christmas

Jeremy

Letterbox offer a great postal and online shopping service and they are a brilliant source of inexpensive stocking fillers. Pages of ideas and all for under £5.

www.letterbox.co.uk

The NSPCC have a strong Christmas catalogue that offer some excellent gift ideas for both adults and kids as well as lots of Christmas card designs. We know there are lots of these catalogues at this time of year, but it offers a good range of gifts plus you know that profits will benefit a really excellent cause.

www.nspcc.org.uk/shop

Early Learning Centre the shops are great and the product range unsurpassed, but why not check out their web site instead of wading through the High St crowds?

www.elc.co.uk

Finally, Blooming Marvellous have got a good toys section for ages 1-5 years which you can see at www.minimarvellous.co.uk.

At Will and Jo they encourage traditional, stimulating and educational toys for babies and young children. So if you want to give a present that will nurture young minds and bodies this is the site for you.

They can help you choose a gift to suit the age of the infant, gift wrap it beautifully within their complimentary toy sack and deliver it to that special someone!

NEW!! They have now vastly expanded their range of rocking horses, pushalong toys, hobby horses and other rocking toys.

They stock a great range from the exclusive rocking horse makers, Merrythought in Ironbridge, including traditional classic horses or, for something slightly unusual, rocking tigers and elephants.

Their latest addition is a collection of unusual wooden rocking toys! You will find everything from traditional wooden horses to rocking motorbikes and giraffes.

www.willandjo.com

You can also introduce toddlers and older children to the fun side of classical music with:

• Classical Princess: Music for Dressing Up;
• Good Music for Little Guys: Classics for Fun and Adventure!.

"My four year old son loves his CD 'Good Music for Little Guys: Classics for Fun and Adventure!'. It's brilliant for marching, jumping, being a cowboy, running about, being loud and play fighting!
All the things that boys do best!"

www.delosmus.com/genre/childrens.html

Each kit contains:

• games and crafts for you to do with your child so that you spend quality, fun time together;
• activities that your child can do on their own, developing their skills and concentration (and giving you a few minutes peace!).

The kits go a long way to replace the nursery/school activity sessions that kids often miss during holiday time without you having to try to find a shop that still sells pipe cleaners!

www.fundee.co.uk

Click here to see their full range of audio books.

"We especially love the crazy hair and crazy creature sets. My daughter's completely hooked!

www.elc.co.uk

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