Christmas in July 

I think about Christmas all year round. I pay weekly into a voucher savings club so this means that I am constantly planning what to get for who and how much I would spend.

Going along to the Christmas in July event hosted by Evolution PR was a great opportunity for me to catch up with some bloggers and meet the faces behind the email addresses of the lovely brands and PR firms who donate to campaigns like my Christmas tombola or my couch to 10k for bliss prize draw. Not only that but I get a chance to meet some new brands, hear about this years top toys and even get the chance to have a play without any kids wanting a go too.

It was so lovely to see so many people I knew all in one room and I stopped to chat to a lot of them but it did mean that I almost slacked off my duty of helping to choose the UKMumsTV top ten Christmas toys. After a mad dash around the final stalls with only 30 minutes to spare I finally managed to make my way round everyone.

So what toys can we expect to see topping the Christmas lists this year?

When you are looking into the kids tablet side there are a few tablets coming onto the market in time for Christmas including the Leappad 2, Innotab 2 and the Kurio. I hope to have more information for these on here soon, as I can imagine that if it is like last year people will really want all the hard facts on these before they make their choice.

The tween girls toys are about to get spooky with the Bratzilla collection due out soon and the Novi stars (an alien based fashion doll) making a new entrance. LalaLoopsy is still top of the dolls in my daughters eyes and I can see why because apart from the annoying jingle the quality and attention to detail that has gone into these dolls really makes it stand out from the crowd.

Something that I know would be a big hit in our house are the Cuddle Uppets, Super soft blankets with a puppet head and feet and hands. Its like a giant cuddle you can play with and I almost stole one for my train journey home as I know it would have made it a lot more comfortable.

When it comes to action figures or character figures nothing comes to mind quicker than the Mike the Knight toy sets by characters online, in fact I reckon Mike the Knight will feature heavily on pre-schoolers Christmas lists this year  and the toy companys have already worked that out. Mike the Knight also features on Jigsaw puzzles from Ravensburger.

My girls Christmas lists have already reached an amazing length and that is just me adding to them but when I saw the new Megabloks girls range I just couldn’t help myself. These super pink sets are just adorable for the little princess in you life. If you are not into that maybe the teenager or even the husband would be interested in hearing about Megabloks World of Warcraft sets which really set off the inner geek in me. The quality of build and moveable parts take world of warcraft to a whole new level, one in which I would like to play again.

New for worlds apart is the Tatty Teddy range of toys which are just as adorable as the cuddly counterparts. My favourite product in that range has to be the table lamp which is also a play house. It can be great for a night light so is practical as well as being great fun. Worlds apart have also created a storage ride on but with a difference. This is a ride on that the kids can steer.

If you are just looking for little stocking fillers then I would have to recommend the shoulder buddies. Suitable for all ages as far as I am concerned the shoulder buddies have been loved in my house by my 2 year old all the way up to her godfather. A small little gift which although simple will provide endless fun and with all the different colours you are bound to find one suitable.

The winners of the Mums choice awards are

The overall winners of the event have been chosen, along with the winners of each category. The full results are below:

Overall Winners

1. Augmented Reality Puzzles, Ravensburger

2. InnoTab 2, VTech

3. Wheelybugs, Hippychick Ltd

4. Sylvanian Families Holiday, Flair

5. Leap Pad 2, Leap Frog

Top Boys’ Toys

1. Subbuteo, Paul Lamond

2. Dinosaur figures, Schleich

3. Star Wars rc pump and play R2-D2, Bladez Toys

4. Topps Minis FA Wembley Stadium, Character Options

5. Trash Pack Street Sweeper, Flair

Top Girls’ Toys

1. Wheelybugs, Hippychick Ltd

2. Sylvanian Families Holidays, Flair

3. myStyle Deluxe Charm Bracelet kits, Interplay

4. Love my street, World’s Apart

5. Bratzillas, MGA Entertainment

Top Creative Toys

1. Aquarelle, Ravensburger

2. Brain Noodles, Paul Lamond Games

3. Triqo Deluxe Box Mix

4. Paper FX, Flair

5. Make your own Go Kart, ARK DIY Toys


Top pre school

1. Peppa Pig jumping in muddy puddles, Character Options

2. Go MINI, Golden Bear

3. Large farm playset on the land, HABA

4. Mike the Knight Glendragon play set, Character Options

5. Polar World set, Tolo Toys

Top Gadgets

1. Augmented reality puzzles, Ravensburger

2. HEXBUG Scarab, Innovation First

3. Google Android RC robot, Bladez Toys

4. itikes map, MGA/Zapf

5. Water cannon, Bladez Toys

Top Electronic

1. InnoTab 2, VTech

2. LeapPad 2, Leap Frog

3. Kurio, Inspiration Works

4. Skylanders Giants, Activision

5. Singalongs, Wow! Stuff

Top Games and Puzzles

1. 3D puzzle, Ravensburger

2. It’s a chicken, Paul Lamond Games

3. Christmas Puzzle, Ravensburger

4. Rubiks Cube, Drumond Park
5. Logo What Am I, Drumond Park