MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022: winners announced
Over 600 child judges, their parents and a team of toy experts have been testing HUNDREDS of toys to find the best of the best for 2022. And the results are in: here are the winners of our MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022...
Only the best toys win a MadeForMums Toy Award. Even to get on our shortlist, a toy must make it through several rigorous rounds of testing and judging that focus not just on 'kerb appeal' but also on value for money and consistently good play potential over time.
The 2022 MadeForMums Toy Awards have involved over 600 child testers and their parents, hundreds of toys, a zillion batteries, a shortlisting marathon and untold long days – and nights! – of judging, finalising, collating scores and heated debate. And now, after a quick towel-down, we're thrilled to announce the brilliant toys that have won our MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022!
We have chosen Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in each of our 52 different award categories. And we have also picked out 15 very special toys to receive a coveted Editor's Choice award.
What kind of toys got the highest scores from our judges this year?
'Wow' toys that interact cleverly or simply stun by their size did make a big impression (particularly with our child judges – of course!) but, in these cost-conscious times, it's clear that our parent judges were most interested than ever in toys that deliver extra value for money. So, to score highly, a 'wow' toy would also have to have potential to be loved and played with for a very long time. Also fighting it out at the top of the scoreboard were 'clever' toys that are great to construct as well as play with or which can be customised and changed it in multiple ways.
Our judges also picked out some high-quality eco-friendly toys, including some stunning wooden toys and a handful of really inventive toys made entirely of (sturdy) cardboard.
Here are the winners of the MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022...
BEST FOR XMAS WOW FACTOR: Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Ultimate Ice Cream Truck Playset, £99.99
It's big! I love to play ice cream as ice cream is my favourite!
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and The Entertainer
BEST FOR A PARENT & CHILD PROJECT: Build Your Own Pinball Machine, £19.99
It's so interesting to build. And it's fun testing out which scores I can get. I even got 1000, which was 750 more than my sister managed
Age: 8+ | Available at: Build Your Own Kits and Argos
BEST FOR WANNABE GAMERS: Pixicade, £19.99
Your drawing comes to life and you get to play it as a game! I going to play with this LOADS of times
Age: 6+ | Available at: TP Toys, Amazon and The Entertainer
BEST FOR DINO DRAMAS: Jurassic World Real FX Baby Blue, £99.99
It’s exactly like the one from Jurassic World Dominion and you can make it move and look really alive. It's awesome and I love it!
Age: 7+ | Available at: Smyths Toys and BargainMax
BEST FOR MAGIC MOMENTS: Got2Glow Fairy Finder, £39.99
I like to run and see what fairies I can catch. I like that there are boy fairies to catch, too
Age: 5+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Amazon and The Entertainer
BEST FOR STEER-AND-SPIN THRILLS: Xootz Bumper Car, £189.99
I’ve never seen anything like this before. It's so cool. I really like when it glows. And the sound it makes when it moves. I can steer it myself!
Age: 3+| Available at: Bilco, BargainMax and Amazon
BEST FOR AN ECO BOARD GAME CHALLENGE: McMiller Fire in the Hole, £29.99
I love this. It’s made of cardboard and is so different and fun and competitive and funny! It’s great for when friends are over
Age: 7+ | Available at: McMiller
BEST FOR LOVELY LEARNING PLAY: Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Grocery Cart, £74.99
Zoe loves fitting the food shape in the holes. There are so many different elements to it – I think this will stay a favourite for a long time
Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Amazon and Very
BEST FOR SUPER-SLIDE POOL PARTIES: Barbie Dream Camper Vehicle Playset, £114.99
When my dolls go down the slide, they go splash, spash, splash in the pool. I like how the camper van moves and all the cool bits that come with it
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very, John Lewis and Argos
BEST FOR REALISTIC ROLE PLAY: Great Little Trading Co. First Class Toy Post Office, £60
I can post letters to everyone. I like weighing things on the scales and pretending to be a real post office. It’s really fun
Age: 3+ | Available at: GLTC and Very
BEST FOR A SPACE-THEMED BUILD: LEGO Friends Olivia's Space Academy, £59.99
I have always wanted a space set but they’re all for boys or too grown up. I can’t wait to show people this!
Age: 8+ | Available at: LEGO, John Lewis and Amazon
BEST FOR MAKE AND SHOOT FUN: Thames & Kosmos Ultra Bionic Blaster, £50
It’s this epic robotic arm. It’s complicated but fun to make. I feel like Iron Man with it on!
Age: 8+ | Available at: Thames & Kosmos and Amazon
BEST FOR TODDLER GIGGLES: Fisher-Price DJ Bouncin Beats, £49.99
Mummy, it's noisy! Mummy, look, look! It's funny, it's cheeky!
Age: 9 months+ | Available at: Amazon, Very and Argos
BEST FOR REMOTE-CONTROL THRILLS: Hexbug Hexmods Pro Series Elite, £49.99
This is absolutely ace! You can build bits on the car. It’s so fast and I can make it do stunts I’m like a real race car driver
Age: 3+ | Available at: The Entertainer
BEST FOR A SPELLBINDING CREATION: Clementoni Harry Potter Wizarding World Hagrid’s Hut Terrarium, £19.99
I enjoyed every single bit of this kit. I liked making Hagrid's hut and learning about plants
Age: 7+ | Available at: Amazon, Selfridges and MenKind
GOLD: My Fairy Garden Blossom Balloon, £19.99
It's so cool. I like the balloon – and I can take it off and play with it. I like to grow my plants like Mummy and it’s magic with the fairy and dragon
Age: 4+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and John Lewis
SILVER: Tickle your Taste Buds Bakery by Li'l Woodzeez, £21.95| Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Treasure X – Minecraft Caves & Cliffs Ender Dragon, £29.99 (above, top right) | Age: 5+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, The Entertainer and Very
JOINT BRONZE: Woody Treasures Wooden Farm House Set, £24.99 (above, bottom right)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon and Learning Bugs
GOLD: Super Wings World Aircraft Robot, £29.99
He is gigantic! I can make him fly. He is talking to me. I like his blue lights
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
SILVER: Akedo – Triple Strike Tag Team Arena, £49.99 | Age: 6+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Golden Bear Bing's House Playset, £44.99 (above, top right)| Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Boots, Booghe and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Toot Toot Drivers Fix & Fuel Garage, £49.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 12 months+| Available at: Very, The Entertainer and Amazon
Shortlisted: Action Heroes Police SWAT Truck
GOLD: Sylvanian Families Pony's Stylish Hair Salon, £69.99
I like how you brush the pony’s hair and the hair extensions. It’s really nice. I think other children would love it
Age: 3+| Available at: Sylvanian Families, John Lewis and Argos
SILVER: Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends Launch & Loop Maintenance Yard, £64.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and The Early Learning Centre
JOINT BRONZE: Octonauts Above & Beyond Octoray Playset, £59.99 (above, top right)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, BargainMax and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Cry Babies Magic Tears Dreamy's Mega House, £69.99 (above, bottom right)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Squishville by Original Squishmallows Ski Chalet
GOLD: Awesome Academy by Our Generation, £169.99
My dolls can go to school now just like me. So much fun stuff to do and play with! My favourite part is all the little pens and books
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
SILVER: Schleich Horse Club Lakeside Riding Centre, £99.99 | Age: 5+ | Available at: Schleich and Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Hexbug Battlebots Arena MAX, £99.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Hexbug, The Entertainer and Amazon
Shortlisted: Rainbow High Deluxe Closet
GOLD: Little Live Pets – Mama Surprise, £64.99
Wow! She sings to me and she’s very soft. And she has babies!
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Selfridges and Amazon
SILVER: Pokémon Flame & Flight Deluxe Charizard Feature Figure, £34.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Golden Bear Curlimals, £19.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Amazon and Argos
Shortlisted: Hippo-Pop by Land of B; TOMY Shake Your Stories; Mizzie the Kangaroo Music Box; Treasure X – Mega Treasure Bot
GOLD: Poppy the Count & Stack Flower Pot, £15
Beautiful flowers! I love Mr Bee! Fun! Fun!
Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Learning Resources and Amazon
SILVER: Sort & Stack Set by Battat, £9.95 | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Early Fun All Surface Swingball, £21.99 (above, top right)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Swingball, TP Toys and Boots
JOINT BRONZE: LEGO DUPLO Wild Animals of South America, £44.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 2+ | Available at: LEGO, John Lewis and Argos
Shortlisted: Active-Tots Wooden Climbing Triangle; Zany Zoo; Melissa & Doug Go Tots School & Playground
GOLD: CoCoMelon Boo Boo JJ, £42.99
It’s so original: interactive but soft! And it's a great size for toddlers. Vinay's figured out he has to press the red light to make him feel better
Age: 2+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Selfridges and John Lewis
SILVER: iFrodoll Personalised Deep Skin Tone Plush Doll Nevaeh, £20 | Age: From birth | Available at: iFrodoll
JOINT BRONZE: True and the Rainbow Kingdom 12" Deluxe True Doll, £34.99 (above, top right) | Age: 3+| Available at: The Entertainer
JOINT BRONZE: Baby Annabel Little Sweet Princess, £39 (above, bottom right)| Age: 12 months+| Available at: Zapf Creation, Amazon and Argos
Shortlisted: Flower Girl Sindy; Super Cute Little Babies Glitzy Cool Doll; Philly Fairy & Ballerina Fabric Doll Gift Set
GOLD: Meagan by Our Generation, £46.99
I love that she has a dog and can come on walks with me. She has beautiful hair and we can have the same hairstyles. I will play with her all the time
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
SILVER: Baby Annabel/Leah/Alexander, £64.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos, The Entertainer and Littlewoods
JOINT BRONZE: Tiny Treasures Bunny Bumper Care Kit, £55 (above, top right)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos
JOINT BRONZE: Design a Friend Kristin Doll, £50 (above, bottom right)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos
Shortlisted: Cuddle + Kind Claire the Koala
GOLD: LOL Surprise! OMG Core Series 6 Sketches + Melrose, £27.99
I love opening the surprise bags and the outfits, and Sketches’ long rainbow hair
Age: 4+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and Argos
SILVER: Rainbow High Core Fashion Doll Series 4, £31.99 | Age: 6+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and Argos
JOINT BRONZE: My Avastars Fashion Doll, £24.99 (above, top right) | Age: 6+ | Available at: My Avstars and Argos
JOINT BRONZE: BFF by Cry Babies, £21.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 3+| Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and Amazon
Shortlisted: Miraculous Ladybird Fashion Doll; Mermaze Mermaidz
GOLD: LEGO City Mobile Crane, £39.99
I like that I can lift and lower the winch and the cabin can rotate too, and I also like to put the support legs down. It looks like a real crane
Age: 7+ | Available at: LEGO, Very and Amazon
SILVER: EdX Education Theme Park Construction Set, £52.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: EdX
BRONZE: Clementoni Science & Play Floating Dragon, £19.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Amazon, Very and Selfridges
Shortlisted: EdX Education My Gears Transport Set; Gigabots Energy Cores; Fiesta Crafts Make a Vintage Car Craft Kit
GOLD: Playmobil 71088 Christmas Bakery Advent Calendar, £24.99
I like playing with Father Christmas and it’s fun scooping snowballs with the snowman
Age: 4+ | Available at: Playmobil, Boots and Selfridges
SILVER: GLTC Woodland Christmas Advent Calendar, £45 |Age: 3+ | Available at: GLTC
BRONZE: Orchard Toys Christmas Eve Box, £14 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Orchard Toys, JoJo Maman Bebe and John Lewis
Shortlisted: Fidget Toy Advent Calendar; Little Brian Paint Sticks Christmas Window Kit; Elf HQ – Puzzle Post
GOLD: Mantis, £19.99
This game is so funny. I love stealing cards from my Daddy
Age: 7+ | Available at: Exploding Kittens and Amazon
SILVER: Cobra Paw, £14.99 | Age: 5+ | Available at: Argos and Waterstones
JOINT BRONZE: Happy Salmon, £12.99 (above, top right) | Age: 7+ | Available at: Exploding Kittens and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Zombie Kittens, £19.99 (above, bottom right)| Age: 7+ | Available at: Exploding Kittens, Amazon, Smyths Toys, Waterstones and HMV
Shortlisted: Puzzled Space Race; McMiller UpRoar!
GOLD: Monopoly Travel World Tour Board Game, £29.99
This is fun and I learnt interesting facts about the world. It’s the best Monopoly because of the stampers
Age: 8+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and Amazon
SILVER: Super Mario Adventure Game DX, £30 | Age: 5+ | Available at: Selfridges, Very and Amazon
BRONZE: Dodo, £30 | Age: 6+ | Available at: Thames & Kosmos and Amazon
Shortlisted: McMiller It’s Bananas; CATAN Family
GOLD: Orchard Toys at the Museum, £16
I loved building this puzzle. The different sections have different colours. I really want to do it again and find all the objects in the booklet
Age: 5+ | Available at: Orchard Toys, John Lewis and Amazon
SILVER: SmartGames Horse Academy, £19.99 | Age: 7+ | Available at: Smart Toy and Games and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: The Space Station – Puzzle Post, £10.99 (above, top right) | Age: 7+ | Available at: Puzzle Post
JOINT BRONZE: Dinosaur Logic Puzzle Game, £10.95 (above, bottom right)| Age: 5+ | Available at: Happy Little Doers and Meli & Ro
Shortlisted: Mizzie the Kangaroo Puzzle Box Set
GOLD: Bubiloons Confetti Party, £9.99 each
Daddy, LOOK! This toy can actually blow balloons!
Age: 5+ | Available at: Smyths Toys and Argos
SILVER: Pokémon 2"and 3" Battle Figure Set 3-Pack, £12.99 each | Age: 4+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
JOINT BRONZE: Twilight Daycare Collectible Babies Mystery Character (Series 1), £12.99 each (above, top right)| Age: 5+| Available at: The Entertainer and Smyths Toys
JOINT BRONZE: 7.5" Original Squishmallows, £8.99 each (above, bottom right)| Age: 3+| Available at: Smyths Toys and Sainsburys
Shortlisted: Miraculous Kwami Surprise; LOL Surprise! 707 Dolls
GOLD: SmarTrike Xtend Scooter, £112
It’s brilliant! The wheels are bigger than my old scooter and it goes faster!
Age: 3+ | Available at: SmarTrike
SILVER: Maxi Micro Deluxe Foldable LED Scooter, £157.95 | Age: 5+| Available at: Micro Scooters and John Lewis
BRONZE: 3StyleScooters RGS-0 Toddler 3 Wheel with Seat, £66.99 | Age: 2+ | Available at: 3Style and Amazon
Shortlisted: Ozbozz Dinosaur Light Up Scooter, Xootz Bubble-Go Scooter, Li-fe 120 Pro Electric Scooter
GOLD: Woom2, £320
I really like the pedals and the stand! It's nice having a big boy bike and I like the bell. Can I go and ride it again?
Age: 3+ | Available at: The Little Bike Company
JOINT SILVER: Frog 40 First Pedal Bike, £355 (above left, top)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Frog Bikes and The Little Bike Company
JOINT SILVER: Forme Cubley 14, £289.99 (above left, bottom)| Age: 3+| Available at: BuyaBike and Winstanleys Bikes
BRONZE: CUBE Cubie 160 RT, £359 | Age: 4+| Available at: Cube
Shortlisted: Squish 14, Bobbin Gingersnap 16" Wheel
GOLD: Kidvelo Rookie 12 Balance Bike, £120
I love my bike, Mummy – it’s super fast!
Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Kidvelo
SILVER: Hornit AIRO, £139 | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Hornit and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: Squish Balance Bike, £179.99 (above, top right) | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: TGC Bikes
JOINT BRONZE: LittleBig Bike, £250 (above, bottom right)| Age: 2+ | Available at: Little Big Bikes
Shortlisted: Raleigh Balance Bike; Micro Balance Bike 2 in 1 Chopper; Bobbin Gingersnap Balance Bike; Xtend Bike
GOLD: Kinderkraft Tricyle MINIBI, £49
It’s so stylish and well made. And the fact the seat is adjustable means that it can be changed to fit her as she grows – a real bonus
Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Kinderkraft and Samuel Johnston
SILVER: Beehive Toys Ladybird Balance Bike, £39.99 | Age: 12 months + | Available at: Beehive Toy Factory
BRONZE: Globber Explorer Trike 4 in 1, £139.99 |Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Plum Play, John Lewis and Amazon
GOLD: Sea-Monkeys Ocean Zoo, £9.99
It's like I have a real pet FINALLY! They are so cool! It's amazing watching them grow
Age: 6+| Available at: Amazon, Booghe and Very
SILVER: Elf HQ – Puzzle Post, £9.99 | Age: 6+| Available at: Puzzle Post
JOINT BRONZE: Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends Disc Dashers, £5.99 each (above, top right)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
JOINT BRONZE: Squishville by Original Squishmallows 2" Squishmallows Blinds, £4.99 (above, bottom right)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Star Wars 2" Micro Galaxy Squadron Scout Class Mystery Packs
GOLD: Machine Works Haynes Hybrid Engine Kit, £59.99
Age: 10+ | Available at: Amazon
This engine is really good. It's a bit of a challenge and you have to work hard to complete it. It teaches you things about science which is really cool
SILVER: Coding Critters Magicoders: Blazer the Dragon/Skye the Unicorn, £52.50 | Age: 4+ | Available at: Amazon and Learning Resources
BRONZE: Geomag Classic Glitter Recycled 60pcs, £45 | Age: 3+| Available at: Geomag
Shortlisted: Clementoni Science and Play NASA Floating Shuttle; Kids First Robot Pet Shop; National Geographic Volcano Kit
GOLD: Playmobil City Life 70885 Recycling Truck, £24.99
I like how it tips the bins up. I like the flashing lights too! It's like the lorry that collects our bins. It’s lots of fun
Age: 4+ | Available at: Playmobil, Amazon and Uber Kids
SILVER: Casdon Joseph Joseph Extend, £25 | Age: 3+| Available at: John Lewis and Selfridges
JOINT BRONZE: Woody Treasures Ice Cream Set, £15.99 | Age: 3+| Available at: Amazon and Wooden Toy Shop
JOINT BRONZE: Dalmatian Vet Kit, £29.99 | Age: 2+ | Available at: Amazon
Shortlisted: Rex London Wild Wonders Tea Party Set; Kindi Kids Dress Up Magic Secret Saddle Unicorn Rainbow Star; Casdon Joseph Joseph Bake
GOLD: Le Toy Van Blender & Wooden Toy Fruit Set, £34.95
I like cooking and chopping and blending stuff and mixing up fruit. Strawberry smoothie is my favourite
Age: 2+ | Available at: Le Toy Van and Harrods
SILVER: Plum Bakehouse Traditional Wooden Kitchen with Fridge, £209.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Plum Play
JOINT BRONZE: Rattan Strolley, £115 (above, top right) | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Olli Ella
JOINT BRONZE: The Casdon Dyson Supersonic + Corrale Deluxe Set, £40 (above, bottom right)| Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, John Lewis and The Entertainer
Shortlisted: Hooga Playroom Kensington Kids Dollhouse
GOLD: Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends Flip and Jet, £14.99
It flies and it turns into a plane and a car! Spiderman spins round in the car and it's crazy. I'll play with this every day forever
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys and Argos
SILVER: Little Tikes Crazy Fast Cars Asst in PDQ Wave 4, £5.99 | Age: 3+| Available at: Local toy shops nationwide and online in late October
BRONZE: Paw Patrol Big Truck Pups Rescue Trucks, £18 each | Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos and Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: CoComelon Musical Bus; Bburago Massey Ferguson Farm Tractor With 3 Trailers
GOLD: Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Stretch & Strike Thrash Mobile, £39.99
It’s fun to make it big and small. The shooting disc goes SO far and you can drive over things with the big wheels’
Age: 4+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and Amazon
SILVER: Paw Patrol Big Truck Pups Rubble X-treme Truck, £54.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Selfridges and The Entertainer
BRONZE: Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends Web Spinning Hauler, £29.99 | Age: 3+| Available at: Selfridges, Argos and Amazon
Shortlisted: Star Wars 9" Micro Galaxy Squadron Millennium Falcon
GOLD: Pokemon 8" Plush, £14
He looks the same as on my game, so that means I can go into battle with him. He’s cuddly and my favourite
Age: 4+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Argos and Amazon
SILVER: 12" Original Squishmallows, £17.99 |Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys
BRONZE: Dream Beams, from £7.99 |Age: From birth | Available at: The Entertainer and Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Animigos World of Nature Koala and Baby
GOLD: Dantoy Blue Marine Large Dumper, £22
I cannot fault this product. It’s more than just a great dumper truck; it’s a platform to start conversations on environmental issues, recycling and reusing
Age: 2+ | Available at: Cool Shop
SILVER: Beebee+Bongo Little Ladybugs, £39 | Age: 2+ | Available at: Beebee+Bongo
JOINT BRONZE: Playmobil Wiltopia Animals, £9.99 each (above, top right) | Age: 4+ | Available at: Playmobil and Selfridges
JOINT BRONZE: Puffin Rock Oona & Baba, £34.99 (above, bottom right)| Age: 2+ | Available at: Cartoon Saloon
Shortlisted: Rattan Original Luggy Olly Ella; Ocean Flashcards by Happy Little Doers; Golden Bear Hey Duggee Explore & Snore Camping with Duggee
GOLD: Tamagotchi Pix, £49.99
This is so much fun! l can take selfies with my pet. There are so many games and also I like to complete the missions: some of them are challenging
Age: 6+ | Available at: Smyths Toys and Amazon
SILVER: MyFirst Fone R1s, £180 | Age: 7+| Available at: MyFirst
JOINT BRONZE: Toniebox by Tonies, £79.99 (above, top right) | Age: 3+ | Available at: Tonies, John Lewis and Amazon
JOINT BRONZE: SmART Sketcher Projector, £64.99 (above, bottom right)| Age: 5+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Amazon and Argos
Shortlisted: MyFirst Camera Insta Wi
GOLD: Melissa & Doug Wooden Slice & Stack Sandwich Counter, £49.99
I like to be a coffee shop owner. It’s fun making sandwiches and drinks. Would you like tomato in your sandwich?
Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon, Very and Samuel Johnston
SILVER: My 1st Years Doll's House, £120 | Age: 3+ | Available at: My 1st Years
BRONZE: My 1st Years Activity Cube, £50 | Age: 12 months+ | Available at: My 1st Years
Shortlisted: Great Little Trading Company Wooden Space Toy; Melissa & Doug La Patisserie Bake Shop; Woody Treasures Wooden Farm Train Set
GOLD: Hey Clay Animals Set, £14.99
Mason loves that you mould an animal, leave it overnight, it turns hard and you have a toy!
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and The Entertainer
SILVER: Spirograph Mandala Patterns, £24.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Playmonster
JOINT BRONZE: Aquabeads Beginner's Carry Case, £17.99 (above, top right) | Age: 4+ | Available at: Very, Amazon and Argos
JOINT BRONZE: Paint Pop Paint Sticks Giant Storage Tube, £19.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos, Very and Smyths Toys
Shortlisted: Little Brian Paint Sticks Classic Art Station; Numberblocks Stampoline Park Stamp Activity Set; Petit Collage Little Library Storytelling Box
GOLD: Clementoni Soft Clemmy Touch, Discover and Play Sensory Table, £39.99
The sensory features are brilliant: a great variety of textures and sensations – soft and hard, big and small – all in different shapes and colours
Age: 10 months+ | Available at: Amazon
SILVER: Baby's First Sensory Water Mat: SKY, £22.99 | Age: 3 months+ | Available at: While and Wonder, Amazon and Not On The High Street
BRONZE: Mindful Lil Minds Breathing Meditation Buddy, £26.49 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon
Shortlisted: Dog Activity Toy; Playgro Tails of the World Sensory Book; Peter Rabbit Unfold & Discover Activity Toy; Melissa & Doug Pineapple Soft Stacker; Splash About Pufferfish Pool & Bath Toy; Edushape Rainbow Soft Ball
GOLD: Numberblocks Number Fun, £24.99
I like Blockzilla: he eats the big number. You have to listen and get the different blocks. Can I play with it again now?
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Amazon and John Lewis
SILVER: Orchard Toys Number Bears, £9.50 | Age: 5+ | Available at: Orchard Toys, Amazon and John Lewis
JOINT BRONZE: Peas & Pod Seasonal Activity Boxes, £20 each (above, top right) | Age: 3+| Available at: Peas & Pods
JOINT BRONZE: Max & Ivy Enjoy Spending, Sharing and Saving, £19.99 (above, bottom right)| Age: 3+| Available at: Amazon
Shortlisted: BrainBox The World
GOLD: EdX Education Monster Counters Activity Set, £27.99
I love the little monsters and the pink ones are my favourite. I can put some monsters there and then I can take some away and do numbers. It’s fun
Age: 3+ | Available at: EdX
SILVER: MathLink Cubes Numberblocks 11-20 Activity Set, £35 |Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon, WHSmith and John Lewis
BRONZE: BSymphony Musical Toy Orchestra, £59.95 | Age: 3+| Available at: Amazon
Shortlisted: The Play Kits by Lovevery; Geomag Magicubes Shapes Little World Set; The Complete School Bundle by Happy Little Doers
GOLD: Imaginext Jurassic World Mega Stomp & Rumble Giga Dino, £124.99
I like scaring everyone by showing them the dinosaur eating the man! I love pulling it with me wherever I go! It looks so real and it is very big too
Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and Amazon
SILVER: Gabby's Purrfect Dollhouse, £79.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Selfridges, Amazon and Very
JOINT BRONZE: CoCoMelon Deluxe Family House Playset, £34.99 (above, top right) | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Booghe and JD Williams
JOINT BRONZE: Bluey Lights and Sounds House, £89.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 3+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Amazon and Very
Shortlisted: BattleBots Arena MAX; Miraculous Switch N Go Scooter; The Adventures of Paddington Talking Paddington Soft Toy
GOLD: PeekaPets Bunny, £14.99
Elodie reacts with lots of smiles. She kicks her legs and waves her arms too. It’s a big hit!
Age: From birth | Available at: Smyths Toys and Amazon
SILVER: Taf Toys Newborn Kit, £32.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: Halilit
JOINT BRONZE: Playgro Clip Clop Activity Rattle, £6.99 (above, top right) | Age: From birth | Available at: Smyths Toys
JOINT BRONZE: B Snugglies – Fluffy Koko, £9.95 (above, bottom right)| Age: From birth | Available at: Amazon
Shortlisted: Munchkin & Bear Silicone Sensory Balls, Olly Ella Cozy Dinkums
GOLD: Kidly Sensory Nesting Balls, £20
Roman plays with these for good 30 minutes – a long time for him! He loves banging them together – and watching them bounce and roll
Age: From birth | Available at: Kidly
SILVER: B Toys One Two Squeeze, £13.95 | Age: 6 months+ | Available at: Amazon and JoJo Maman Bebe
BRONZE: Munchkin & Bear Silicone Stackable Bear Tower, £18.95 | Age: 6 months+ | Available at: Munchkin & Bear
Shortlisted: Melissa & Doug Treehouse Twirl
GOLD: VTech 7-in-1 Grow with Baby Sensory Gym, £79.99
There’s lots to keep young and older babies entertained – and I like how it can be a fun, safe place to sit in too. The xylophone’s a huge hit!
Age: From birth | Available at: Very, Amazon and The Entertainer
SILVER: Playgro Snuggle Me Penguin Tummy Time Gym, £59.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: Smyths Toys
BRONZE: The Play Gym by Lovevery, £140 | Age: From birth | Available at: Lovevery and Amazon
GOLD: Munchkin & Bear Luxe Padded Play Mat, from £99
I wish I had one sooner! I’ve now removed my rug and replaced it with this. My baby enjoys playing on it, and my 4 year old. 100% recommend
Age: From birth | Available at: Munchkin & Bear
SILVER: Tutti Bambini Luxury Padded XL Play Mat, £149 |Age: From birth | Available at: Tutti Bambini and Wayfair
BRONZE: Taf Toys Savannah Super-Size Foam Playmat, £59.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: JoJo Maman Bebe, Wayfair and Amazon
GOLD: Jaspar the Dreamy Elephant, £49.99
The quality is amazing – it’s made out of such good, soft and it’s simple to use, with clear sounds. And the record button will record up to 20 minutes!
Age: From birth | Available at: The Dreamy Elephant Co, JoJo Maman Bebe and Argos
SILVER: Ewan Deluxe (beige), £39.99 |Age: From birth | Available at: Sweet Dreamers and Amazon
BRONZE: Zazu TIM the turtle sunset projector, £44.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: Heroes of Sleep and BabyPlus
Shortlisted: Lamaze Soothing Heart Panda
GOLD: Little Lantern LuMi, £36.50
‘LuMi is now a fine part of our bedtime routine! She asks for LuMi and often cuddles it – and she loves being able to put the light on herself
Age: From birth | Available at: Little Lantern
SILVER: Pabobo by Angelcare Lumicolour Bear Night Light, £35 | Age: From birth | Available at: Amazon
BRONZE: CoComelon JJ Sleep Soother, £34.99 | Age: 12months+ | Available at: Amazon, Boots and Selfridges
GOLD: B Toys Fish n Splish, £24.95
A lovely toy and you get a lot for your money. There’s enough here to entertain all 5 of my kids at once and they range from 14 months to 8!
Age: 6 months+ | Available at: Amazon and Smyths Toys
SILVER: BABY born My First Swim Girl & Boy, £19.99 | Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Zapf Creation, Very and Argos
BRONZE: Toomies Peppa's House Bath Playset, £20 | Age: 18 months+ | Available at: Amazon, Selfridges and John Lewis
Shortlisted: Splash About Pufferfish Pool and Bath Toy; Cuddledry Cuddleduck
GOLD: Babymoov 5in1 Music & Light Baby Walker & Push Toy, £109.99
There are lots of toys on this walker, which can all be accessed by the spin function of the seat. My son is very happy and smiley every time he goes in it
Age: 6 months+ | Available at: Babymoov, Very and Amazon
SILVER: Toomies Stack and Pull Ankylosaurus, £16.99 | Age: 12 months+| Available at: Amazon, The Entertainer and Argos
BRONZE: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Wooden Pull Along Toy, £19.99 | Age: 12 months+ | Available at: John Lewis, Amazon and Baby Mori
GOLD: Sophie la girafe, £15.99
This is the perfect teething toy. It immediately caught my baby’s attention and the squeak sound made her smile. She’s happily put it in her mouth to chew
Age: From birth | Available at: John Lewis, Amazon and Kidly
SILVER: Mini Mizzie The Kangaroo, £9.95 | Age: 3 months+ | Available at: Mizzie the Kangaroo, Not On The High Street and Amazon
BRONZE: B Toys Rain-Glow Squeeze, £7.49 |Age: 3 months + | Available at: B Toys and Amazon
GOLD: Yvolution Twista Skates, £62
I like that the wheels can change to help me to learn to skate
Age: 2+ | Available at: Yvolution (from October 20th)
SILVER: Nerf Elite 2.0 Motoblitz CS-10, £49.99 | Age: 8+ | Available at: Smyths Toys, Very and John Lewis
JOINT BRONZE: Hasbro Twister Splash by WowWee, £19.99 (above, top right) | Age: 6+ | Available at: Amazon, BargainMax and Sports Direct
JOINT BRONZE: Xootz Sketch Ya Deck Skateboard, £32.99 (above, bottom right) | Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon and Very
Shortlisted: Classic All Surface Swingball; Exploding Kittens Throw Throw Burrito – Extreme Outdoor Edition; Xootz Comet Electric Go-Kart; Golden Bear Smart Ball Skills Training Football
GOLD: TP Wooden Deluxe Potting Bench, £159.99
You can see my plant growing and it has its own special cosy house. I want to grow more and more, and have lots of flowers and strawberries and food
Age: 3+ | Available at: TP Toys, Argos and Amazon
SILVER: PlayHouse Waterwall, £100 |Age: 3+ | Available at: Argos and Very
BRONZE: Kub Original Hexacle Tray and Stand, £59.99 |Age: 3+ | Available at: Kub and Amazon
Shortlisted: Plum 4.5ft interactive Lights Junior Trampoline and Enclosure, Rebo Wooden Learn and Grow Single Planter with Greenhouse
GOLD: UFO Den & Climbing Frame, £249.99
I love it! I’m so high at the top, and I like going inside the den and hiding. It’s so cool
Age: 3+ | Available at: TP Toys
SILVER: Plum Discovery Forest Water Run, £399.99 |Age: 3+ | Available at: Plum Play, Very and John Lewis
BRONZE: Rebo Mini Wooden Climbing Pyramid Adventure Playset + Slide, £274.95 | Age: 2+ | Available at: Outdoor Toys
Shortlisted: Rebo Wooden Toddler Tower with Swing and 6ft Slide
GOLD: One for Fun Colour Your Own Play Tent: Dinosaur, £24.99
I like that you can colour it. I really love that it’s dinosaurs because I love dinosaurs
Age: 3+ | Available at: Toy Street and Next
SILVER: Rex London Wild Wonders Teepee, £99.95 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Rex London and Amazon
BRONZE: Superspace, £249.99 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Superspace
Shortlisted: Belle & Boo Play Tent
GOLD: Mysteries in Time, from £6.45
There’s a lot in the box. It made it fun to learn about ancient Egyptians. I would love to get a different one of these every month. That would be so cool
Age: 6+ | Available at: Mysteries in Time
SILVER: Happy Craft Box, £19.97 | Age: 6+ | Available at: Happy Craft Box
BRONZE: The Play Kits by Lovevery, from £36 a month | Age: From birth | Available at: Lovevery
Shortlisted: My Sensory Journey Subscription Sensory Box Surprise; Borrow and Nest Toy Rental; Bring a Book to Life Box
GOLD: LeapPods Max, £49.99
I love that I can do this myself and Mummy doesn’t have to help me. I like the dancing songs best
Age: 4+ | Available at: LeapFrog, Very and Argos
SILVER: Doodle Dat Resuable Colouring Mats, from £16.80 | Age: 2+| Available at: Erdaally and Etsy
BRONZE: HGL Dinosaur T-Rex Head Tub, £12 | Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon
Shortlisted: Tomy Megasketcher; MyFirst Headphone BC Wireless Lite
GOLD: Mini Micro 3in1 Deluxe Push Along Scooter, £109.95
I so excited! Look Mummy, wheeeeee! This is fun. I go fast!
Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Micro Scooters, Amazon and John Lewis
SILVER: Wheelybug, £69.95 |Age: 12 months+ | Available at: Hippychick, Amazon and John Lewis
BRONZE: Willow Rocking Deer, £119.95 | Age: 9 months+ | Available at: Little Bird Told Me, Joules and Amazon
GOLD: Gamez Jam Mini Basketball Hoop, £37.95
I have scored lots of goals. I think my friends would like this too. It’s good fun but not easy
Age: 3+ | Available at: Amazon
SILVER: Active-Tots Wooden Climbing Triangle, £69.99 | Age: 12 months+ | Available at: TP Toys and John Lewis
BRONZE: Classic All Surface Swingball, £32.99 | Age: 6+ | Available at: Swingball, Amazon and TP Toys
Shortlisted: Colourful Climbing Triangle and Slide by PomPom; Moon Shoes
GOLD: Rex London Wild Wonders Recycled Toy Tidy, £6.95
Nice big sturdy bag – and really great value for money. My daughter loves to spot and name different the animals, too
Age: From birth | Available at: Rex London and Joules
SILVER: Maya Toy Storage, £140 | Age: From birth | Available at: Obaby, Olivers BabyCare and Cuckooland
BRONZE: Bellybambino Vivid Rainbow Storage Basket – Large, £39.99 | Age: From birth | Available at: Bellybambino, Scandiborn and Etsy
Shortlisted: Little Brian 30-Pack Paint Sticks Storage Tube
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 52 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 over 600 child judges, ranging in age from 8 weeks to 16 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 the Toyologist Peter Jenkinson.
With thanks to Susie Boone, Gemma Cartwright, Jen Clements, Sarah Cummins, Danielle Graph, Emily Longman Wall, Christy McGhee, Janet Mtima, Emma Onuma, Pranesha Patel and all our amazing child judges and parent testers
Read more:
- Must-have toys for Christmas 2022 – 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
Helen is author of the classic advice book Parenting for Dummies and a mum of 3. Before joining MadeForMums, she was Head of Community at Mumsnet and also the Consumer Editor of Mother & Baby.
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