Found: five extraordinary kid’s toys that will blow your socks off

Full disclosure. I came across this toy on my instagram stories, and seeing it in action, it wowed the PANTS off me! This little robot will draw whatever you ask it to, all you need to do is put the dolphin card in the back, and off it goes. Want a whale? Insert that card! Unicorn? No trouble! Just place the texta in the robots hands, and he will whizz around the page creating the perfect outlined drawing for your little one to colour in, while also teaching them how to draw.

I own one of these, so can speak to the quality and the popularity first hand. What I love most about these Rugabub playmats, is that you can flip them over for a totally different look and feel. One side looks like a beautiful woven rug, something that you’d happily showcase in your home, and is soft enough for your kids to play on. The other side (on most of the rugs) showcases a track that runs through a little town. My son loves to drive his cars along the road, and my daughter loves to create little towns with her toys. If I am having people over I can just flip it over to the beautiful rug side, but to be honest, the aesthetic of the track is visually appealing too, so either way I’m happy to have the rug out 24/7!

I came across these online and was bowled over by how cute they are! My kids have a play kitchen and these would be the perfect accompaniment! Beautifully made with felt, reusable and perfect for being passed down to siblings, cousins and friends!

Our favourites have got to be the retro-style milkshakes that look as though they’re straight out of an American Diner, but the donuts, french fries and sweets are so cute, too!

Last Christmas both sets of Grandparents were looking for a gift for the kids and we came across the Possum Play Couch. The kids have gotten so much use out of this, and they always have a promotion running for free extra pieces, so keep an eye on the website!

We got the deep blue colour, and it has paid dividends when it comes to cleaning and being marked. We’ve had cubby houses, movie lounges, camp sites and rock stages, with no sign of slowing down. Thoroughly recommend play couches a toy with longevity, especially as young imaginations continue to evolve.

As my kids are growing up, I’m desperate to find ways to keep them busy, but am also not keen on the mess that often comes with that! I came across these little books on Amazon and was floored! Other ‘mess-free’ painting books actually did make a mess, which always surprised me, but reading the reviews of these books, I thought I’d give them a go! Basically I just set my kids up with a little bowl of water, they dip their paintbrush into the water and then paint the page. As the brush glides over the paper, bleed-free colour appears! The kids LOVE it.

The best bit? Once the paper dries, the colour disappears and they can start all over again! Choose from unicorns, dinosaurs, baby animals and under the sea theme books.

These are fabulous for gifts for kid’s parties too. I often buy a stock and have them ready to go for when a party pops up!