Before undertaking any home renovation, set a budget and plan the work. You don’t have to undertake a full renovation right away, you could work on a room by room basis to make it feel less overwhelming.

If the budget stretches to it, employing an architect or interior designer can really help. They will have ideas and suggestions that you may not have thought of and will usually have trade contacts that can ultimately save you on the overall cost of your renovation project.

Getting a layout that works for the way you live is the most important goal when you undertake a home renovation.

This does not always mean extending. Sometimes moving a door, wall or window can open up a space to be more useful for you.

Or you could consider repurposing a room. For instance if you have a playroom space and the kids are all grown up, how about turning it into a study, pantry or utility room? An underused bedroom could become a walk in wardrobe, freeing up space in your main bedroom to make it feel more restful. Or a garage could be converted to house a new shower room and downstairs bedroom. The possibilities really are endless.

From improving insulation to installing a more energy efficient boiler, retrofitting your home is one of the best ways to save money and increase the value.

When we renovated our home our builder wanted us to put in an oil fired central heating system. Having lived for many years in the UK we were more used to gas and insisted that this is what we wanted.

We are delighted with the results. We can not only heat our home efficiently but we also use gas for cooking too. Despite living in the city centre, we are not on a gas mains, so we had a Calor bulk gas tank installed. Best of all, they monitor our usage and re-fill automatically when it’s getting low. I really couldn’t imagine switching to anything else now.

We also installed solar panels and from May to October we get enough hot water for 2 adults and 2 kids.

Even if you currently have an oil fired central heating system, by simply changing your boiler and tank, you can easily move to gas. And Calor are currently offering new gas central heating customers a FREE boiler and Smart Energy Monitor when they move. (T&C’s apply)

Unless you have purchased your home from new, and even then if you have been living in it for awhile, undertaking a renovation gives you the opportunity to put your own stamp on it.

From a simple decoration job to updating kitchens and bathrooms, you can inject your personality into your home. The most cost efficient way is to change soft furnishings such as rugs, curtains, blinds or lighting. Also changing or getting a company in to deep clean carpets or sanding floors and revarnishing them will all make a huge difference to the look and feel of a space.

Changing the colour on walls, doors, skirting boards and ceilings will give your home a fresh new look. Wallpaper is also making a comeback and can be a great solution to add colour and texture to truly transform a space quickly.

Look for clever ways to increase natural light when doing a renovation. Updating windows and doors or making openings bigger or adding roof lights are all great ways to improve natural light coming into your home.

Adding mirrors and using reflective colours on walls can work too. Or removing curtains and adding blinds that are hung above the window or door opening can help get more light into a space.

Consider adding glass doors into your garden where you currently only have a window. This can help bring the outside in.

If you have space, adding a patio with the option to add an awning will increase the likelihood of you using the garden in autumn and spring when the weather may not always be great. Invest in a flame tower or a gas patio heater and your garden can be another room all year round.

When we renovated our home, the best part of the whole process, apart from getting a lovely home at the end of it, was that it made me declutter!

We all have items in our homes that we no longer need. Tackle decluttering room by room and have different plies for donations, sell, keep and bin! Be ruthless, if you haven’t used something for 12 months the chances are you don’t need to keep it! Also think if it will go in your new space, if not it may be time to donate or sell.

If you are going to sell items, take good photos and post them on reputable websites. If you have a lot of stuff to sell, set up an email account to use for this purpose. Price everything fairly and state whether items need to be collected or if you are willing to mail or deliver.

Everything from mattresses to toys and games, soft furnishings, kitchens, bathrooms and furniture are traded online and not only are you getting paid for your unwanted items, but you are giving them a new lease of life.

Set a budget at the outset and stick to it. As well as considering how much you can afford, look at the ceiling price of similar homes in the area and don’t exceed that value.

The cost of renovating your home can vary wildly. Make sure to get at least 3 quotes for every job you want done. Read the small print to ensure you are comparing like for like.

Once you are satisfied that you have the right person for the job, put a contract in place and keep a tight reign on the budget.

Even a simple renovation can add considerable value to your home. But ultimately the aim is to make your home to best it can be for you and your family to enjoy.

Trains by James Gulliver Hancock suitable for ages 0 to 2 years

Full steam ahead! From underground trains, luxury safari trains and speedy Japanese Shinkansen trains, explore EVERY different type of train available in this colourful book for very young children (aged 0-2), as well as railway stations, the history of trains and much more. With eye-catching illustrations and easy-to-read text, this is an engaging introduction for little train-lovers.

Superworm by Julia Donaldson suitable for ages 0 to 4 years

“Superworm is super-long. Superworm is super-strong. Watch him wiggle! See him squirm! Hip, hip, hooray for SUPERWORM!” Super-long and super-strong, Superworm is always on hand to help animals and insects in need. From rescuing Baby Toad from a busy road or fishing Beetle out of a well – do not fear, Superworm is here!

Sleepy Eyes Bedtime Soothing Owl Soft Toy from Baby GUND suitable for ages 0 to 2+ years

The Sleepy Eyes Bedtime Owl is perfect for bedtime and play. Press the head & watch the eyes slowly close and hear soothing sounds as his belly gently glows.

Tonies fun audio system for kids suitable for ages 0 to 2+ years

Toniebox – the new audio system for children. Turn it on, pop a Tonie on and simply let the audio adventure begin. It’s all in one box with room for 90 minutes, so you can upload your MP3s, audiobooks or even narrate your own stories.

LEGO DUPLO Town Barn, Tractor & Farm Animal Care Playset suitable for ages 18 months+

This play-and-learn farm is an ideal developmental toy for toddlers who love animals or tractors. There are farm buildings and a tractor to build, plus farm accessories and a pig, sheep, horse, dog, hen, rooster and 2 cows to care for. As toddlers role-play the different farm activities, they build fine motor skills and develop social and emotional awareness.

The Baddies by Julia Donaldson suitable for 3+ years

The brand-new picture book from superstar author and illustrator Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler is a riot of slapstick fun and silliness. The Baddies are the meanest, nastiest ghost, witch and troll in the land. They just adore being bad, and fight over who is the worst. When a little girl moves into a nearby cottage, the Baddies can’t wait to scare her out of her wits. But the little girl quickly shows them that you don’t have to be big to be brave, and baddies don’t always win. Perfect read-aloud rhyming text and stunning pictures on every page with lots of details to spot Julia and Axel are the team that have created picture book favourites such as The Gruffalo, Stick Man, Zog and Highway Rat

Sir Adam The Brave & The Moody Monsters by David King suitable for ages 0 to 4 years

A brand new picture book adventure from the author-illustrator dream team behind the No.1 bestseller, A Hug For You, starring schoolboy Adam King in the guise of a medieval knight

When a trio of moody monsters jeopardise the Wompie Wonder Fair and throw the kingdom into chaos, something has to be done. And fast! Enter Sir Adam the Brave! Join him on his quest to save the day and find out what’s making those monsters so very moody!

David Walliams Memory Game suitable for ages 5+

A brilliantly entertaining Memory Game inspired by the stories from The World of David Walliams. Classic game of pairs featuring characters from books including Gangsta Granny, Billionaire Boy, and Grandpa’s Great Escape encourages concentration, turn taking and helps to develop memory skills.

Washimals Ocean Pets Playset suitable for ages 3+ years

Colour, clean and colour again with Crayola Washimals! Use the included Washimals markers to colour and create beautiful patterns and designs on your pets, before cleaning them off to play again! This fantastic Ocean Seashell Playset allows kids to play with new ocean themed pets at home or on the go! Features brand new pastel coloured pets in a fun beach theme that doubles as a storage solution. Contents include 2 pastel pets, 3 markers, 1 brush, 1 beach playset.

Squishmallow suitable for ages 3+ years

With a supersoft marshmallow-like texture each Squishmallow has its own fun personality shown on the hangtag. Each Squishmallow has its own unique style and design and there are loads to choose from with everything from an armadillo to a shrimp!

Cat Kid Comic Club – Collaborations by Dav Pilkey suitable for ages 6+ years

The Cat Kid Comic Club learns to collaborate in this creative, funny, and insightful graphic novel by Dav Pilkey. Excitement and imagination run wild as Naomi, Melvin, Poppy, Gilbert, Curly, and their siblings get back to making comics with originality and laughter. But wait – have they cleaned their rooms yet?! After their chores, the rambunctious group presents even more amazing mini-comics: a thrilling ride in “Chubbs McSpiderbutt”, an action-packed romp in “Frogzilla”, reflective haikus in “In the Autumn Pond”, a candy-coated mystery in “Mallo Cop”, and much, much, more.

By working together, the baby frogs discover that small things can have a huge impact. Readers of all ages will be inspired to dream up their own stories and unleash their own creativity as they dive into this pioneering graphic novel adventure from Dav Pilkey Heartfelt and humorous with an amazing cast of characters, this is the perfect present for Dog Man fans. Full colour pages throughout make it a fun and bright read!

The Friendship Fairies Go To Sea by Lucy Kennedy suitable for 6+ years

Meet the Friendship Fairies – sisters Emme, Holly and Jess. They’re just like regular girls, always messing and having fun, but they’re also fairies. Their mum works as a spy and she has a new case to crack – and this time she’s taking the Friendship Fairies along with her, to a little island off Connemara! All the girls know is that they’re going out to sea and that they need to take their swimsuits . Can Emme, Holly and Jess help their mum solve the mystery? This is the fourth book in the bestselling Friendship Fairies series by much-loved TV presenter Lucy Kennedy – magic, friendship and fun for readers aged 6+, with illustrations throughout by Phillip Cullen.

Pokémon The Collection suitable for ages 5 to 8 years

Join Pikachu for the ultimate Pokémon adventure in this creative collection! With 3 awesome activity books, a poster, a bookmark and stickers, this a perfect gift for fans of all ages. Jam-packed with Pokémon fun, this gift box contains a colouring book, search and find and a how-to-draw book.

Ravensburger Children’s World Globe, 180 piece 3D Jigsaw Puzzle suitable for ages 6 to 99 years!

This world globe is a great way to introduce your child to world geography. The design also shows different animals in the continents where they live. This puzzle uses unique plastic pieces, which slot together to build a sturdy and strong model. No glue required! Either assemble by eye or using the numbers on the reverse side.

Catan Junior suitable for ages 6+ years

Catan Junior takes place on a ring of tropical isles – including the mysterious Spooky Island, home of the Ghost Captain. Each island generates a specific resource: wood, goats, molasses, or cutlasses. You can also find gold. You start with two pirate lairs, and then build ships in order to expand your network. The more lairs you build, the more resources you may receive. Use your resources to build ships, lairs, or to get help from wise Coco the parrot.

This family game offers a world of adventure waiting to be discovered.

Spaceboy by David Walliams suitable for ages 9+ years

Ruth loves climbing trees, making a mess and throwing stones. But the thing she loves most is SPACE.

The girl is OBSESSED. She spends her days reading comics about alien invasions, doodling UFOs, watching B-movies about Earth being invaded by creatures from Mars… and gazing at the stars through her old, battered telescope.

Until one night, Ruth creeps out of bed in the attic room of her rickety old farmhouse to watch the stars – and is just dozing off when she spots something blazing across the sky. Something that looks like a flying saucer! Is she dreaming? No! And the flying saucer is on fire…

But when the UFO crash-lands in the cornfield, and Ruth rushes to help, she finds a mystery – and an adventure – beyond her wildest dreams…

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Diper Overlode by Jeff Kinney suitable for 9+  years

In Diper Överlöde, book 17 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from #1 international bestselling author Jeff Kinney, Greg Heffley is finding out that the road to fame and glory comes with some hard knocks.

When he decides to tag along with his brother Rodrick’s band, Löded Diper, Greg doesn’t realize what he’s getting into. But he soon learns that late nights, unpaid gigs, fighting between band members, and money troubles are all part of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.

Can Greg help Löded Diper become the legends they think they are? Or will too much time with Rodrick’s band be a diper överlöde?

Keeper of The Lost Cities Series by Shannon Messenger Suitable for ages 9+years

The Keeper of the Lost Cities series is perfect for fans of Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and Amari and the Night Brothers. It tells the story of Sophie Foster and her unique telepathic abilities, something she has never spoken of, even to her family until the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who also reads minds.

In the first book, Keeper of the Lost Cities, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a magical world! There are currently 9 books in the series, although the 9th book, Keeper of The Lost Cities Unlocked, is known as book 8.5!

Where’s Wally Find It Fast Game suitable for ages 5+

How quickly can you spot Wally? The Where’s Wally Find It Fast game is a brilliant, fun, quick paced matching game! Pick a card that contains a multiple images of Where’s Wally and other general objects then roll the picture dice – find an image on the dice that matches one on the card to win the round. The player who finds the most matches wins. For 2-4 players it makes a perfect stocking filler that all the family can enjoy.

Robotime 3D Puzzles suitable for ages 9+

Robotime 3D puzzles are the perfect gift for any budding building and engineering enthusiasts. Offering everything from Sam’s Study to Orpheus the working Robot, you can build sturdy 3D models with moving parts that offers hours of enjoyment.

LEGO-Creator: Caravan Family Holiday Playset suitable for ages 9+ years

Creative camping adventures and fun are awaiting outdoor fans in the LEGO Creator 3in1 Caravan Family Holiday Playset. At least 3 different build-and-play experiences are possible. Kids can build a caravan with a retro car model, then rebuild it into a camper van or a detailed lighthouse. Or they can free their creativity, tap into different passions and build something totally new. Packed with accessories and features, the set also includes 3 minifigures to jump-start play.

Failosophy for Teens by Elizabeth Day suitable for ages 13+

A game-changing guide to being happier, healthier and succeeding better, from Sunday Time bestselling author Elizabeth Day! This is a handbook for when things to wrong!

The book is full of creative and inspiring advice on how to talk openly about failure and turn failure into success, build resilience for when life sends you curveballs and reframe negative thoughts about yourself and much more.

The First To Die At The End by Adam Silvera suitable for ages 15+

It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict death, or is it an elaborate hoax? Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die, given his serious heart condition. Valentino Prince has a long and promising future ahead of him and only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident. Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first End Day calls go out, their lives are changed for ever – one of them receives a call . . . the other doesn’t.

Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.

LEGO Star Wars Luke Skywalker (Red Five) Helmet suitable for ages 16+ years

Feel the power of your creative Force as you build the Star Wars collectible Luke Skywalker (Red Five) Helmet. The buildable model of Luke’s iconic pilot headgear is the first-ever hero helmet or open helmet in the LEGO Star Wars Helmet Collection. Channel your inner Jedi to recreate authentic details, including a brick-built microphone and interior padding, plus translucent red visor elements.

Ravensburger Eiffel Tower 3D Puzzle with lights suitable for ages 12+ years

Recreate the iconic Eiffel Tower with this 216 piece 3D jigsaw which includes real working LED colour changing lights! A perfect addition to any teenagers room as it glows from red to white to blue.

Quirky Water Bottles and Travel Mugs 

From the Eoin O’Connor ‘Mutz’ collection to the Orla Kiely Metal water bottle collection and the Bioloco collection of travel mugs and water bottles, you are sure to find a suitable stocking filler for the savvy eco conscious teens in your life.

Our instinct as parents is to provide and protect. This has become even more apparent as we navigate our way through the current COVID crisis. But our kids, especially our teens, are more resilient than we sometimes give them credit for.

Opening up and talking about the family finances (within reason) gives them an opportunity to ask questions, gain understanding and ultimately be better prepared for their future.

For most, they will face tough financial decisions and being equipped with the skills to navigate their way through those decisions is perhaps one of the best gifts you can give them.

Children pick up on and mimic the behaviour of their parents and their peers. From a young age they are forming their financial understanding, through the games you play together and from listening to and watching your attitude and behaviour to spending and saving.

Everyday events from shopping to paying bills, saving for bigger ticket items and bringing them along when you lodge money to your account are learning opportunities and can help start the discussion around money and goal setting.

As they get older, enlist their help to research things like insurance, household bills, holidays, etc. Could they help save the family money or find a better way to get away for a family break? Can you reward them by sharing a portion of the savings in return for their help? By doing this you are equipping them to want to research in the future when it is their money and they are looking for ways to save and spend wisely.

Most teens have a basic understanding of where money comes from. Talk to them about ways they can earn money. You may choose to pay your teen for chores or they may help neighbours with babysitting, car washing, grass cutting, etc. As they grow, encouraging them to apply for a summer job, where they may have to pay tax and learn to use a tax estimator, are all great ways to show them the time and effort required to get money.

It is also good to have the conversation around future plans. Jobs they think they may like and what they may need to do to get there. So chatting about interest areas, looking at college courses and drilling into what they offer, and even looking at recruitment websites to get an idea of what salary they can expect are all ways to help them plan their financial future better.

Once your teen reaches 18, the offers for credit cards, store cards and other tempting offers will come flooding in. Talk to them about their credit score and how easy it is to get into debt. Explain how a credit card works and what happens if you don’t clear the debt each month.

Investing in stocks and shares can be an exciting way to teach your teen about risk and reward.

“The stock market is just one big shop. Instead of buying a chocolate bar in that shop, you can buy a piece of the company that makes chocolate bars. If the company that makes the chocolate makes a profit, it’s worth more, and the price you bought it for may go up. Maybe that company will decide to give the profits directly to the people who own the shares and that’s called a dividend. If the company makes a loss, which can happen, the share price can go down, that’s called a risk,” explains Susan Hayes Culleton, CFA, “The Positive Economist” and author of Money Matters.

There are also other investment opportunities open to them, including crypto currency, starting their own business, and investing in other financial products or services.

Talking through the options with your teen and doing the research helps them make an informed choice, but they do need to understand the risks to their investment and only risk what they can afford to lose.

Money Matters is a financial literacy textbook with the support of CFA Ireland. It is written as menu of personal finance, investing and entrepreneurship life skills.

The book is tailored for young people in the following ways:

• It is story-focused whereby students can learn about pensions through characters like Sarah who starts her first job and is wondering what “tax relief” means for her.
• It is full of relevant modernity including ESG, fintech, online brokers, differentiating between trading and investing as well as using technology for active learning.
• It gives a real taste of the diversity of careers available today and tomorrow in finance. Each chapter contains a case study of a CFA Institute charterholder and highlights how the the theory learned in subjects like accounting, business, maths and economics connect with the practicality of everyday life and life-changing decisions.

Find out more and buy your copy here  so you can start talking to your teen about money and finances.

Every year, meteorological offices around the world release a slew of names that will be used in order to identify each and every storm. Over the years we have become increasingly familiar with some of the most momentous both here and in the US, including Katrina, Irma, Ophelia and many more. The result is that those names see a drastic drop in popularity with new parents who might otherwise have considered them for their baby.

According to the US Social Security Administration, which tracks the most popular names in the United States, Katrina was at its most popular in 1982 when 3,323 babies were given the name. In 2005, the year Hurricane Katrina struck, the name saw a drastic drop to 1,327 babies – dropping consistently each year since to just 190 in 2016.

While unusual names, such as Ophelia, may not recover in popularity for several years, it is most likely that classic names won’t be overly affected.

This naming of storms by National Meteorological Services has been shown to raise awareness of severe weather and help with citizen safety.

A storm is named by a National Met Service when Orange or Red level winds are forecast to impact over a wide land area. Orange or Red level gusts can occur in exposed areas without the event being named. In addition there may be high impact precipitation (rain/snow) associated with the storm system.

“The naming of storms by National Met Services (as well as colour coding weather warnings as Yellow, Orange or Red) provides a clear, authoritative and consistent message to the public and prompts people to take action to prevent harm to themselves or to their property,” explains Evelyn Cusack, Head of Forecasting for Met Éireann.

“The storm names also add an extra interest for people with particular excitement in a family when one of their names appears in the list. We mostly pick names that can be easily pronounced, but some are less generally recognised.”

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Once a storm is named by any National Met Service globally, that name is retained if the storm moves out of that jurisdiction and into other waters. For example, in the past we have seen Ophelia and Lorenzo, both named by the National Hurricane Center (USA), and Emma by IPMA (Portugal) hit Irish shores.

Starting with the letter A, each of the 2023/24 winter storms will be allocated a name. Some will be stronger than others, and we may not even be aware of some as the die down before becoming a nuisance, but let’s hope we don’t make it through all of them…!

The UK and Ireland’s met offices began naming storms in 2015, and were joined by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) in 2019 to form the West group. The Southwest group consists of Portugal, Spain, France and Belgium.

These names have been released jointly by Met Éireann, the UK’s Met Office, and the Dutch National Weather Service (KNMI). The choices are based on suggestions from the public and aim to reflect the diversity of each of these countries.

1. Ciarán
2. Debi
3. Elin
4. Fergus
5. Gerrit
6. Henk
7. Isha
8. Jocelyn
9. Kathleen
10. Lilian
11. Minnie
12. Nicholas
13. Olga
14. Piet
15. Regina
16. Stuart
17. Tamiko
18. Vincent
19. Walid

Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms had been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center.

The NHC works with a set list of names that are used in rotation and recycled every six years (i.e. the 2019 list will be used again in 2025). The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. If that occurs, the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it. Several names have been retired since the lists were created, including in recent years Katrina, Harvey, Irma, Sandy, Irene, Matthew and Florence.

The NHC names also run in a January to December calendar. The current season of 2023 storm names includes: Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harold, Idalia, Jose, Katia, Lee, Margot, Nigel, Ophelia, Philippe, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince, Whitney.

The names for 2024 will be:

• Alberto
• Beryl
• Chris
• Debby
• Ernesto
• Francine
• Gordon
• Helene
• Isaac
• Joyce
• Kirk
• Leslie
• Milton
• Nadine
• Oscar
• Patty
• Rafael
• Sara
• Tony
• Valerie
• William

The Eastern Pacific Region has its own set of storm names set by the NHC. As with the Atlantic storms, these similarly run on a rotating six-year cycle.

The current season of 2023 storm names includes: Adrian, Beatriz, Calvin, Dora, Eugene, Fernanda, Greg, Hilary, Irwin, Jova, Kenneth, Lidia, Max, Norma, Otis, Pilar, Ramon, Selma, Todd, Veronica, Wiley, Xina, York, Zelda.

The names for 2024 will be:

• Aletta
• Bud
• Carlotta
• Daniel
• Emilia
• Fabio
• Gilma
• Hector
• Ileana
• John
• Kristy
• Lane
• Miriam
• Norman
• Olivia
• Paul
• Rosa
• Sergio
• Tara
• Vicente
• Willa
• Xavier
• Yolanda
• Zeke

COVID has had a huge impact on Irish small businesses, many of them are family owned. When planning your child’s Christmas gift buying this year we’d love you to support these businesses if you can. Do tell them you found out about them on MyKidsTime if they ask.

And please share this article on your social media as well to get the word out to other parents!

From books and family board games, to big brands like LEGO, Pokémon, Harry Potter, Squishmallows, Play-Doh, Paperchase and Crayola, Eason.com have you covered for all your gifting needs this Christmas.

Toysdirect.ie is run by McGreevy’s in Westport, Co. Mayo, a family-run toy shop since 1904. Their website offers all the top brands including LEGO, Schleich, Siku, and many more. They are committed to offering a great range of quality toys at the best value.

Owner Hazel opened Toy Corner just before Halloween 2019, in the heart of the wonderful village of Moycullen, Galway. Hazel is 7th generation in a lineage of retailers who learned the toy business from her mother and her parents before her. As well as a wide selection of toys on their online shop they also have a Boredom Busting box, a surprise box filled with lots of fun items, to a value of €50.

Did you know Schoolbooks.ie sells more than just school books? They have a range of fantastic gift ideas for busy parents including children’s books, face paints, painting sets, educational toys, games and much more.

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Patsy, owner of Tara Book Co says her aim is to nurture a love of reading in children. Once hooked on reading the benefits are many – increased comprehension, wider vocabulary, building stamina for longer reads. Tara Book Co select their books carefully, age grading each one, to make it easy to choose the right books for your child.

They can offer advice on what’s next for an avid reader or how to help a child struggling with their reading. They are strong promoters of Irish authors, illustrators and publishers, encourage and participate in Shop Local campaigns. Books are a wonderful gift to give – any time of the year.

Jiminy Eco Toys ​is an eco-specialist toy company, named after Pinocchio’s conscience Jiminy Cricket, it’s the brainchild of Dublin mum Sharon Keilthy. Jiminy.ie specialises in toys with low carbon footprints and minimal pollution-potential. They’re made from plants, not petroleum – wood, cardboard, and innovative from-plants bioplastics. You can browse by ages and activity interest area on their online shop.

The Toy Shop, based in Malahide, sells a variety of children’s toys, games, and gifts. Their range of toys has been sourced from mum Ali’s own experience as a mother of 3 children and an aunty of 20 nieces and nephews. From beautiful wooden toys, scooters, art and craft sets, games, puzzles, books, dress up sets, STEM toys they want to feed childrens’ imagination and encourage learning through play.

Nimble Fingers is a family run business based in Stillorgan. They offer high quality educational toys and art materials, thoughtfully selected from a vast number of suppliers both nationally and internationally, with toys, in particular, being selected for their play value. Current product selections include educational and wooden toys, children’s books, arts & craft materials and outdoor toys.

Since her launch in August 2012, the award-winning Lottie Dolls have become something of a global phenomenon securing the approval of industry experts, child development experts, international press coverage and most importantly, positive feedback from the parents and kids who love Lottie.

Each Lottie doll arrives in a giftable, illustrated and collectable “doll box bag” with handles with minimal plastic packaging.

Mum Fiona started Little Ones, a toy shop in Clare and on their website you will find classic toys which are fun, well designed and excellent quality but, above all, we ensure our products provide excellent play value and will spark your child’s imagination. Their suppliers select environmentally-friendly materials to produce gorgeous products which are then treated with non-toxic, water based dyes to add colour and vibrancy.

Little Dreamers started life in Galway in 2006 as a Baby & Nursery Store and now also carries a wide range of quality wooden toys with top brands include Kidkraft, Bigjigs, Le Toy and many more. They also stock educational toys and early learning resources.

Irish mum Suzie started Toys and Games Ireland, carefully selecting educational toys and wooden toys and games that you will enjoy playing with your children. They stock a wide variety, including Melissa and Doug puzzles, Hape wooden toys, Galt Toys, 4M science kits and much more.

The Bubble Room is a family run Irish Business based in Skerries since 2008, specialising in quality wooden toys, books, gifts and gadgets for kids of all ages. Brands stocked include Bigjigs, Orchard, House of Marble, Tobar, Melissa and Doug and many more.

Mimitoys started by mum Myriam Doyle in 2004 and based in Meath, sells unique, fun, quality toys for children up to the age of 14. Myriam says her favourite part of the job is to select toys that are different and will get children and parents to play together. She selects toys that will last, will be enjoyed and played with for years.

Wooden Heart is a family run business in the heart of Galway that has been supplying ethical, safe and high quality wooden toys and unique gifts for over thirty years. They source toys from over a hundred suppliers worldwide. Many of their suppliers are also family-run businesses who manufacture in Europe and are thus able to deliver goods adhering to the highest quality and standards.

Discovery Playtime is an online shop based in Dublin run by a mum of two, Mireia. She sells an abundance of educational, sensory and wooden toys for children aged from 0-6 years to promote learning through play. One of her bestsellers is her unique hands-on Discovery kits with everything you need to help encourage children’s curiosity, creativity and development of skills such as fine motor skills, problem-solving and communication.

World of Wonder Toys is an independent toy and nursery retailer with 6 shops across Munster. They offer a large selection of products for all ages and budgets, from LEGO and Our Generation dolls to outdoor toys, bikes and playhouses.

Kaliedy is an Irish online baby nursery and toy store and the exclusive stockist of Early Learning Centre toys in Ireland. Parents can shop for baby essentials (including Ireland’s largest range of feeding products and brands), nursery items, toys, and books.

Run by brother and sister Conor Brady and Ruth Roberts, Cogs The Brain Shop stocks a genius collection of fun quality products designed to build better brains and learn through play whatever your age. They have a fantastic, affordable range of educational toys, clever games (for adults and kids), puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, wooden toys, wide range of unique desk toys and brain teasers.

Stocking-Fillers.ie is the sister site of Cogs the Brain Shop and a 100% Irish-owned, family-run website offering a wide range of stocking fillers for children and adults. Find plenty of great value stocking fillers, including toys, jigsaws, board games, chocolates and socks.

Founded in 2016, Baba Box is a small Irish business specialising in baby gifts, gifts for new mums, mums-to-be and baby shower gifts featuring a unique mix of beautifully designed, luxury items from some of the best independent brands.

Síológ stocks a collection of high quality, ethically made childrenswear, toys and lifestyle products from independent Irish brands. Síológ (pronounced ‘) is the Irish word for seedling – and to help spread the eco love, each order will include a sachet of native Irish wildflower seeds to attract butterflies, bees and birds.

Robyn’s Nest is a small family-run business in Malahide, County Dublin which stocks a large range of traditional toys from brands like Melissa & Doug, Corrolle, and BigJigs, as well as an extensive selection of jewellery, homewares and and gifts.

Adams Cloud is the much loved series of beautifully illustrated & magical children’s books full of love & hugs to encourage bedtime reading and promote fun, learning & laughter in every family.

Enjoy the adventures and escapades of Adam and friends within the Irish Children’s Book of the Year classics Before You Sleep & When You Were Born along with the 7 other fun filled & educational titles. Also available is Adams Playground Jigsaw.

Visit www.adamscloud.com for these beautiful Irish books & gift sets with free books AND free shipping too if you include a pack.

Cool Food School stocks lots of cool food stuff for kids including their specially designed Food Kutter and Safety Food peeler. They also have a nice Christmas bundle that includes Kiddies Affirmation Cards and 2 pack of Kiddies Food Kutter and Safety Food Peeler.

Owner, mum Deirdre is passionate about teaching children of all ages about the joys of healthy eating.

Founded by Wicklow Mum of 2, Lou and Belle prides itself on bringing new and unique children’s brands to Ireland that are sustainable, high quality and that can be lovingly passed on to future generations. From heirloom dolls to handmade wooden toys and music boxes that play the Harry Potter theme tune, louandbelle.com has a range of beautiful Christmas gifts for the little ones in your life.

The online boutique offers beautifully presented pre-made gift boxes or customers can get creative and curate their own. All gift boxes have been designed by Irish artist Pickled Pom Pom and can be delivered direct to the recipient if required, an ideal solution if sending gifts from abroad.

Wonderfully Weathery Books is an Irish owned business set up to publish a series of children’s picture books. The books are about a land called Weatherville – Where the weather lives!

The aim of these books is to teach children about the weather by introducing them to different weather characters and showing how they interact together to create different types of weather. There are four books available in the Weatherville series:

• Riley Rainbow and the Colour Catastrophe looks at the magic of how rainbows are formed.
• Chloe Cloud and the Friendly Fog explores different types of clouds with a fun twist.
• David Drizzledrop and the Puddle Party dives into understanding the water cycle and where all that rain comes from
• Fifi Flurry and the Sleepy Snowflake is the new book and will jump into the world of snowflakes.

The collection of books are available online at www.wonderfullyweatherybooks.com

Subscription boxes offer a range of hands-on activities aimed at particular age ranges and interests. They’re all about learning through doing and imagining rather than only reading. Your level of supervision depends largely on your child’s need, but some need more adult involvement than others.

Suitable for: Ages 3-8, sibling boxes available

Frequency: Monthly

Price: 1, 3, 6 and 12-month subscription packages from £5.95/€8.50 per month + postage

This is a good all-rounder activity box that includes craft activities, a magazine featuring puzzles, games, recipes, and an assortment of stickers. Your child’s personalised box contains all supplies needed to make that month’s craft.

toucanBox boasts Montessori-influenced STEAM learning and creativity. They’ll have some hands-on fun and learn a bit about science and artists as well. Parental involvement will depend on your child’s age.

Suitable for: Ages 3-8, sibling boxes available

Frequency: Monthly

Price: £13.95/€16 per month

Getting muddy has been popular with children since forever, but now you can channel their love of mud for education and creativity.

Mud & Bloom boxes include seasonal activities such as nature crafts, seeds to plant, and games. Children will search for some of the materials outdoors, and there are small parts and things to read, so parents should supervise.

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Suitable for: Ages 4-10

Frequency: Monthly

Price: £25/€30 for the initial shipment, then £12/€14 per month

Geo Journey is a fun way for children to learn about the world around them via facts, fun and even souvenirs.

The initial shipment is a sturdy little suitcase, a personalised letter, passport, travel journal and more. After that, each month your child will receive a personalised letter from Geo the owl and Atlas the puppy about their travels around the world with stickers, activities, booklets and a little souvenir from each destination (e.g. a boomerang from Australia). Smaller children will need help reading the letter, but older ones can do it independently.

Space Journey is a similar offering, instead focussing on the solar system, space and astronaut life.

Suitable for: Ages 6+

Frequency: Monthly

Price: From £11.25/€15 per box

If your child enjoys science and engineering, the Letterbox Lab subscription is just the thing. Everything you will need for the experiments is provided, so there is no prep time or extra materials to go hunting for.

There are two subscription offers to choose from:

• Explore is for kids aged 6+ and includes 3-4 activities designed to occupy a few hours.
• Investigate is for ages 8+ and includes experiments and lab equipment (save everything for future boxes!) and can keep children busy for about six hours. The age is higher because it involves some reactive chemicals.

These boxes require supervision, but they include everything you’ll need except water.

Suitable for: Ages 3+

Frequency: Monthly

Price: From £7.25 per month for 12 months

Receive a fun-filled seasonal box every month to combat any day, not just rainy ones. Each Rainy Day Box contains several fun activities, separately packaged within the box, simple instructions, a reward chart, reward sticker and more.

Suitable for: Ages 7-11

Frequency: Monthly

Price: €140 per year

This one is a great gift for animal-loving children. First, you’ll receive a welcome pack which includes an interactive world map, collectible animal cards, and an exclusive Amazing Planet pin badge. Then, each monthly Amazing Planet box focuses on a different part of the world and its animal population, allowing your child to get up-close-and-personal with the local wildlife, with the help of themed booklets, interactive animal cards and gifts.

This one won’t get the kids off the screens entirely as it pairs with the Amazing Planet app (available for both iOS and android) for photos, quizzes and games that bring everything to life using augmented reality. Parental involvement depends on your child’s reading ability.

Suitable for: Babies to teens

Frequency: Monthly or bi-monthly, depending on the subscription

Price: Varies

KiwiCo offers a range of boxes for different ages from newborns to older teens, with plenty to appeal to all ages and interests, from science and crafts to kitchen skills and art.

• The Panda Crate caters for babies up to age 2 with the contents changing as your baby develops. This could be a good gift for anyone who is expecting because you can order it in advance and give the due date.
• The Koala Crate for preschoolers includes 2-3 projects around a theme such as camping, rainbows or a doctor visit.
• The Kiwi Crate for ages 5 to 8 features STEM-focused crafts for fun, interactive learning. They can make a kite, a stomp rocket or an arcade claw game, for example.
• The Atlas Crate teaches 6-11 year olds about different countries through crafts, recipes and games.
• The Yummy Crate gets 6-14 year olds into the kitchen to unlock the science of cooking and gain confidence in the kitchen.
• The Tinker Crate is aimed at ages 9+ and takes the STEM learning up a notch with projects such as building a walking robot, a hydraulic claw and a trebuchet.
• The Doodle Crate is full of crafts for young artists aged 14+, such as felt succulent plants and homemade soap.
• The Maker Crate is a more design-oriented collection of crafts for ages 14+, such as a clay desk organiser and macrame plant hangers.
• Budding engineers aged 14+ will enjoy the Eureka Crate projects, including an articulated desk lamp and a wooden ukulele.

Suitable for: Teens

Frequency: Monthly

Price: £24.95 per month

Each month, you’ll receive a limited edition craft kit to make beautiful things and learn new skills. It could be book-binding, ceramics, macrame, paper-making, cyanotype printing – or something completely different!

All Craftiosity kits come with the essential tools and materials in the box and step-by-step instructions to make something you’ll love. Better still, there are video tutorials you can watch to help you complete the project.

Suitable for: Ages 2+

Frequency: Monthly

Price: 1, 3, 6 and 12-month subscriptions available; from $87 for 3 months

Each month your budding chef can look forward to a new culinary adventures with award winning educational food and culture kits from Eat2Explore. They will get to explore a new country across 4 continent groups every month.

They also offer gluten-free and vegetarian subscription gifts.

Suitable for: Babies to teens

Frequency: Monthly

Price: From £34.99 for 3 months

The Willoughby Book Club offers numerous book subscription gifts to choose from, including several for children:

• Baby Book Club is a great introduction for children aged 0-12 months
• Toddler Book Club will help foster a lifelong love of books and reading for 1-3 year olds
• Children’s Book Club is the perfect gift for budding readers aged 4-12 years old, based on their reading interests
• Young Adult Book Club for ages 13+ will introduce new fiction titles and keep teens engaged with reading.

Suitable for: Ages 5+

Frequency: Monthly

Price: 1, 3, 6 and 12-month subscriptions available; from £2.oo per month

Make reading and writing the highlight of your child’s week with this highly personalised subscription that includes real letters from a magical cat!

With his first letters, Banjo sends a big, beautiful world map poster so that your child can track along with him on his travels and add stickers to it with every country that he visits. Twice a month Banjo visits new countries and sends personalised letters, along with a recipe, stickers, colouring-in sheet, reply stationery and travel guide for that country.

Better still, Banjo will reply to your child!

Suitable for: Varies

Frequency: Monthly

Price: From £9 per month

The Little Bakers Club is a monthly box which is delivered to your Little Baker, so they can learn to bake something, from monster cupcakes to flapjacks to cake pops. Each box includes all the pre-weighed dry ingredients, a step-by-step recipe card, and a little activity to do.

Suitable for: Ages 0-14

Frequency: Monthly

Price: €150

Imagine the excitement of receiving a new book in the post each month! This book subscription gift from Dubray is ideal for the younger booklover in your life, as a new, gift-wrapped book is delivered each month, chosen to suit their tastes and interests and to encourage a love of reading.

Currently this service is only offered to a delivery address on the island of Ireland.

Magazine subscriptions are a tried and true staple for all ages, and most magazines will offer some kind of subscription (frequency may vary). These are a great idea for both avid readers and for kids who need some fun encouragement to read.

Suitable for: Ages 6-11

Frequency: 13 issues per year

Price: €45 per year

Each month’s issue of Nat Geo Kids is packed full of fascinating facts, puzzles and breath-taking imagery about the environment, animals, history and culture.

Suitable for: Ages 7-14

Frequency: Weekly

Price: £84.99/€100 for 6 months

If you’ve ever hidden vegetables in other foods, you’ll appreciate the logic of this comic. Yes, The Phoenix includes fun and silly comic stories, but it also sneaks in some history and encourages children to draw their own comics.

Suitable for: Ages 8-13

Frequency: Monthly

Price: €76 per year

Aimed at curious and confident readers, Aquila makes science, history and general knowledge accessible to children, combining articles with puzzles and beautiful illustrations. Each issue focuses on a theme such as dinosaurs or coding.

Suitable for: Babies to teens

Frequency: Weekly

Price: Intro offer of first 3 months for £10; £49 for 6 months

Join Dennis, Gnasher, Minnie and all their Beano friends in this classic comic favourite that generations have enjoyed. With a Beano subscription, you’re guaranteed your weekly helping of mischief, mayhem and crazy comic fun by having it delivered straight to your door, before it’s in the shops.

First things first, set a date for your diary – the Toy Show will be back on our screens on Friday November 24th.

This year’s Penneys Late Late Toy Show range has everything you need for a cosy night in in front of the TV – comfy pyjamas for the whole family, fuzzy slipper socks and snuggly snoodies.

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Don’t miss the Santa letter set for that ever-growing list the kids are sure to make in the coming weeks (or during the Toy Show itself).

The Penneys Late Late Toy Show range will be in stores nationwide from October 9th.

The most important part is that Penneys will donate €100,000 to the RTE Toy Show Appeal, which helps to support a wide variety of children’s charities and causes around Ireland. They will also donate a further €20,000 to Children’s Health Foundation which helps to support sick children and their families at each of the children’s hospitals in Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly.

And the best bit? A special delivery of these cosy and snuggly goodies will be delivered to children spending the night of the Toy Show in these hospitals so they can enjoy the festivities too!

The Amazon Holiday Toy List is put together to help parents shop and find gifts to delight their child with just a few clicks. Shoppers can shop by age or brand or browse categories such as Pretend Play, Movies and Entertainment and Tech for Kids.

They also have their Toys We Love list which includes some fab choices this year from Bitzee to Barbie! There are plenty of classic brands on there too including Monopoly, Fisher Price and Disney.

This LEGO Creator 3 in 1 animal toy features 3 animals, a parrot toy perched on a branch, a playful frog and a toy fish.

The jointed parts allow movement of the body and there are easy to follow picture gudies to make construction easy and fun.

Suitable for age 7+

Buy from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

The Melissa and Doug toy dentist play set contains 26 pieces. It is the perfect way for children to learn about dental hygiene while having fun. It can also assist in allaying the fears of kids visiting the dentist as they can ‘pretend’ to clean, fit braces and fill cavities on an over-sized set of toy teeth.

Suitable for ages 3+

Buy from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

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Barbie is sure to be popular on toy lists this Christmas 2023 and the Barbie Dream House Pool Party is currently one of the top picks on the Amazon Holiday Toy List for 2023.

With 75 accessories, including a stylish pool with a slide from the top of the 3 story house into the pool, a pet elevator and 10 different play areas, hours of fun are guaranteed.

Suitable for ages 4+

Buy from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Kids of all ages can blast off to a fun adventure with the Little Tikes adventure rocket. Children can pilot the starship, look through the telescope, fix wires on the exterior maintenance panel or crawl through the escape hatch. And the swivel chair and star viewer screen make it feel like flying through the galaxy, so make a wish and let the dreams soar.

Suitable for age 2+

Buy from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Bitzee is a digital toy pet that needs your love and care. Each Bitzee starts as a baby — feed them, play with them, rock them to sleep and give them love to help them grow from baby, to adult, to Super Bitzee

The more you play, the more Bitzee pets you’ll unlock. Use treats to attract a new Bitzee pet. Collect all 15 interactive animals, like a cat, bunny, unicorn and more

Recommended age 5+

Buy from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Transformers robots have always been more than meets the eye, but now, through the Transformers Collaborative, fans can experience these larger than life characters as they team-up, mash-up, and meet up with other characters, teams, and people who share this same special quality.

The Tyrannocon Rex figure converts into T. rex mode in 27 steps and the Autobot JP93 figure converts into licensed Ford Explorer mode in 18 steps. Both figures feature deco and details inspired by the Jurassic Park movie.

Recommended age 8+

Buy from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. 

This LEGO Star Wars Ahsoka Tano’s T-6 Jedi Shuttle set includes 4 LEGO Star Wars mini figures, a buildable toy starship, lightsabers and blasters.

Kids can retract the landing gear for flight mode, use stud shooters, land the shuttle and team up with Sabine Wren to battle against Marrok.

Suitable for age 9+

Buy from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

This classic Fisher Price little people interactive farm play set has lights, music, sounds, and Smart Stages learning content and comes with 1 farmer figure, 4 animal figures, and 2 food play pieces for hours of interactive play fun.

Suitable for 12 months+

Buy from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. 

A Kitty-Powered Russian Roulette Card Game – The hit party game for family and friends who are into kittens and explosions and laser beams and sometimes goats! This fun game is beginner-friendly and quick to learn.

If you draw an Exploding Kitten, you lose and you are full of loser sad-sauce. All the other cards in the deck help you avoid or mitigate your risk of drawing an Exploding Kitten. If you don’t explode, YOU WIN!

Suitable for ages 7+

Buy from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

The Hasbro Furby interactive toy is predicted to be a top toy hit with boys and girls this Christmas.

They come in a range of colours and want to be your child’s best friend! They can move, talk, sing, glow and react to your child’s voice.

Your Furby can answer up to 600 questions and your child can unlock 5 game modes. It doesn’t connect to the internet but once 2 Furbys are together, they can interact with each other, making them the perfect gift for best friends.

Buy on Amazon.co.uk. and Amazon.com

From board games and LEGO to dolls, action figures and STEAM toys that will get the creative juices flowing, we’ve rounded up a mix of fantastic gifts for all ages at a variety of price points.

Barbie dolls and accessories are always a popular choice. This year with the release of the new Barbie movie, it’s predicted that Barbie dolls and play sets will be even more popular.

Top of the list from Mattel is the all new Barbie Dream House. Featuring 3 storeys, a slide from the top, pet elevator and puppy play areas!

The Melissa and Doug pretend Barber Play Set is set to be a top choice for many this year.

The set contains everything you need for an afternoon of imaginative play (pretend) trimming and cutting hair and beards!

The Bitzee Interactive Digital Pet Toy is a virtual pet that you can touch and feel!

Each pod comes with 15 virtual Bitzee pets that need your love and care. Each Bitzee starts as a baby and as you feed them, play with and give them love, watch them transform into a super Bitzee!

Standing at over 61cm tall, Gabby’s Purrfect Dollhouse is packed full of exciting features to find, including a Dollhouse Delivery tower, working Cat-A-Vator, sounds and so much more.

With a Gabby Girl collectible figure, Pandy Paws figure, furniture for each room, three accessories and two Dollhouse Deliveries, you can get right to the fun straight out of the box.

Just like in the show, drop a delivery in the tower and press the button to retrieve it – unbox it to find a surprise accessory inside. With so many rooms and surprises to discover, play out endless adventures with Gabby and her best pal, Pandy Paws.

Also set to be popular is the Gabby Girl Toy, which stands at 8 inches tall and has removable cat ears!

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The Hasbro Furby interactive toy is predicted to be a top toy hit with boys and girls this Christmas.

They come in a range of colours and want to be your child’s best friend! They can move, talk, sing, glow and react to your child’s voice.

Your Furby can answer up to 600 questions and your child can unlock 5 game modes. It doesn’t connect to the internet but once 2 Furbys are together, they can interact with each other, making them the perfect gift for best friends.

Kids can explore Barbie’s daring fashion statements with the Barbie Extra Doll, her adorable pet unicorn-pig and 15 accessories that let children create unique looks.

The Barbie Extra dolls blend bright colours with trendy fashions, making big statements! Each Barbie doll rocks a unique playful style, and each doll toy comes with an adorable pet full of personality!

Also set to be popular this year are the Barbie Movie Dolls including Ken, Margot Robbie as Barbie, Gloria and the President Barbie collectible.

Suitable for babies and toddlers up to 36 months, the Fisher Price Mix and Learn DJ Table encourages interactive play to stimulate the senses and improve fine motor skills.

The activity table has 100+ songs and phrases to learn, a piano keyboard, lights and 3 smart stages of learning. You can record and play back messages and teach your baby about colours, shapes, numbers and more.

With over 1500 pieces, the LEGO Christmas Holiday Main Street set is suitable for children aged 8+.

Recreate your very own Christmas street at home with a toy store, music store, a streetcar, postbox, town clock, Christmas tree and mini figures to populate the street.

It’s Bananas (aka The Monkey Tail) Game will add laughs to any gathering! Suitable for ages 6+ you just need 2 players to get the game started.

With over 250 million views on TikTok, order yours now as this family game is tipped to be on all Christmas wish lists this year.

Another Barbie item for the top 20 list is the Barbie Cutie Reveal Doll.

Each one reveals 10 surprises in one package which include accessories and a pet. With colour changing surprises and twinkle-shine face details. The Barbie Reveal doll is especially great for kids aged 3 to 7 years who love surprises!

Recapture the magic of Super Mario 64 with this buildable LEGO Super Mario Question Mark Block – a 2,064-piece collectible set that LEGO and gaming fans will love.

Open the block to reveal 4 detailed Super Mario 64 levels: Peach’s Castle, Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Land. Includes 10 LEGO Super Mario microfigures, including Mario, Yoshi, Princess Peach, and King Bob-omb.

For interactive play, add the LEGO Mario or LEGO Luigi figure (sold separately) and collect 10 hidden Power Stars to reveal secret reactions and more.

The Polly Pocket Pollyville Resort Rollaway doubles as a playset and storage unit. It comes with 4 Polly Pocket dolls, 25+ accessories and 3 floors for hours of imaginative play fun.

Once your child has finished playing, everything can be packed into the hand rollaway case and stored for next time.

Give kids a big place to explore their imaginations with this 3-foot-tall Play Doh Ultimate Ice Cream Truck. Hear classic ice cream truck jingles and cash register sounds to make kids feel like they’re really running their own business.

Make Play-Doh ice cream treats with the soft serve machine and scooping station, decorate with the sprinkle maker, tools and moulds, and check out customers at the register. They can also use the scoop to make pretend hard ice cream.

Spark creativity with the cones, dishes, stampers, moulds and other Play-Doh tools plus 12 classic modelling compound colours such as brown, blue, green, pink, and white.

The Mr Beast Feastable chocolate bars are set to be a top seller for Christmas 2023. Closely followed by the Youtube Gamers clothing range.

The range includes hoodies, pyjamas, t-shirts and tracksuits and are suitable for boys, girls, men and women.

Take a photo and print it instantly with the VTech KidiZoom PrintCam. The flip-up lens allows for easy selfies too. The camera is jam-packed with fun features like special photo effects, stamps and borders, 3 games, panoramic prints and comic strip maker.

You can also turn your photos into line drawings to colour. Kids can also use the print shop to print games, design and print your own cards, pretend money, accessories and more.

The GraviTrax Marble Run starter pack includes 122 pieces and 9 ready-to-go track instructions. This STEM track system is powered by magnets, gravity and kinetic energy – just build your track and set the Gravity Spheres rolling.

Create your own routes and crazy trick shots. If the Gravity Spheres stop or fly off before reaching the target, put your problem solving skills to the test and try something new.

No batteries required. Suitable for those aged 8 years+ and all GraviTrax Pro products are compatible giving you endless possibilities for design and construction.

Children will be looking to grow their Squishmallow collection this Christmas and the Emerald Galaxy Seahorse is proving to be a top toy for Christmas 2023.

Your favourite retro toy teams up with Stranger Things! Create art with light with this high-definition Stranger Things Special Edition Demogorgon Hunters Lite-Brite set in retro packaging for fans 14+ to collect and display.

Also includes, Stranger Things stickers to customise your unit frame and a branded pouch to carry and store your pegs in.

This unique handmade toy puppy comes with a reversible kennel that turns into a puppy park!

If you are not quite ready for the real thing, this adorable Cockapoo ‘Chester’ is the perfect way to introduce a pet into your home.

Available from Le Mieux and other stockists from early September 2023

Help your little one to unwind during the day and prepare for a night of peaceful sleep with the Fisher-Price Meditation Mouse plush toy. This soft mouse toy comes in an adorable design, featuring a variety of soft and satiny textures, an embroidered face and super cute pyjamas.

This Fisher-Price plush toy features a glowing belly light that can help to calm and comfort your baby, sending infants drifting off to sleep so that they can have happy dreams.

The Meditation Mouse plush toy features three calming modes to choose from, including a daytime relaxation session, a nighttime soothing sounds mode, and a 3-part bedtime wind-down exercise.

The Little Live Pets Mama Surprise now comes in mini formats! With each set you get a hutch playset, little live pet mama and 2 to 4 surprise babies along with accessories!

Nurture your ‘pet’ and wait for her babies to arrive!

The Hot Wheels City Ultimate Hauler transforms into a stomping T-Rex and comes  with race track, lights and sounds.

Best of all, it can store up to 20+ hot wheels cars and cars can be launched from the mouth of the T-Rex for extra fun play.

Magic Mixes newest release The Magic Genie Lamp is set to top toy wishlists this Christmas 2023.

Children can follow the magic steps to reveal their own plush toy surprise.

In Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side, you’ll play as an iconic Star Wars Villain. Choose Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, or Moff Gideon. Each Villain has a unique objective and abilities.

Meddle with your opponents by forcing them to face off against Jedi and heroes like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and The Mandalorian.

Have all the fun of the fair at home with a stylish Retro Candy Floss maker.

Perfect for parties, get togethers and Christmas gatherings. This machine comes with a measuring spoon and 10 red/white sticks so you can start to make your own candy floss right away. But you can order extra flavours and tastes including coloured sugar. There are also sugar free options available.

Experience all-terrain performance with the remote control all terrain Batmobile! This monster truck drives on water and any terrain with amazing performance and speed.

With a water-resistant body and lightweight custom tires, you can chase super-villans on all terrains, snow, mud, ice, water, grass and rock using your remote control. The Batman all terrain Batmobile is compatible with all 4″ Batman figures from the Justice League and DC comics universe.

The squishy nature of DoodleJamz JellyBoards create an amazing sensory touch experience, similar to finger-painting but without the mess. JellyBoards gel is 100% non-toxic and sealed securely inside the frame.

Now you can fidget and create art at the same time! JellyBoards has the squishy, tactile feel of fidget toys but also allows kids to express their creativity.

The perfect gift for Harry Potter fans, this is the first LEGO buildable model of Dobby the House Elf.

Once built, the figure has a posable head, ears, arms and fingers so children can change his look. The set comes with a display stand, Aunt Petunia’s floating pudding cake, a Tom Riddle diary and Harry Potter’s sock.

Kids will love this pretty Crayola unicorn that can be coloured and styled again and again.

Use the washable markers to create a design and style the mane with the hairbrush and beads that are included with the set. Afterwards, simply wipe the unicorn clean and start again.

A sequel to the popular Throw Throw Burrito card game, Throw Throw Avocado is a dodgeball card game for adults and children. Collect and match sets of cards quicker than your opponents while throwing and dodging squishy airborne avocados!

Throw Throw Avocado has simple and easy to learn rules, quick rounds of play, and is perfect for multiple family occasions.