Christmas Good Toy Guide 2019 by fundamentallychildren

Brought to you by the expert elves at

OD T

IDE

The Christmas Good Toy Guide 2019 EDITION Tested by children, endorsed by experts. Independent, trusted advice on toys.

OD T

Tested by children

Reviewed by experts

About the Good Toy Guide IDE

Independently endorsed

Key Fun: How much our testers enjoyed it! Skills development: How much it supports learning and development. Ease of use: How easy it is to set up and use. ££ £

RRP under £20

££ ££ ££

RRP £20-50

££ ££ ££ £££

RRP Over £50

Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and

Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with this magical 3

We are the experts when it comes to toys. In fact, Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with this magical 36 piece puzzle! Bright, colo we’ve tested and reviewed over a thousand of them. Why? Because we want to help lovely people like yourself find the best toys for the child, or children, in your life. We don’t sell toys, we just review them - so you can be confident that the Good Toy Guide is an independent resource you can trust. Happy browsing and a very merry Christmas, From Dr Amanda Gummer (and the expert elves)

For more information, visit GoodChristmasGuide.com

Contents 4

Budgeting with the Four Gift Rule A simple trick to help save money and manage expectations

Balanced Play

Letter to Santa

Find some calm this Christmas

Our three top tips for handling the busy festive season

Pull-out poster

Pull-out wish list

Find toys for... 0 to 2 years

3 to 5 years

6 to 8 years

9 years & up

Budgeting with the Four Gift Rule A simple trick to help save money and manage expectations We all love seeing the look on our children’s faces on Christmas morning, when they discover that big pile of presents under the tree. But meeting those expectations can be costly and often many of those toys end up at the back of the cupboard come January! Instead, you could try following the ‘Four Gift Rule’ and limit yourself to buying just four presents this year:

1. Something they want: Ideally something that will last a while, but it can be the latest playground craze if that’s what they have their heart set on. 2. Something they need: e.g. stationery, a duvet set, toiletries, or an educational toy. 3. Something to wear: e.g. a shirt with a favourite character, or a coveted fashion item. 4. Something to read: e.g. a special edition of a favourite book, or a sequel to a much-loved story. The key idea of this approach is that each gift is given for a reason. A few carefully selected presents will help you make the most of those precious ‘Santa years’ without spending a fortune, and your child will be more grateful for the gifts they do receive.

Toys for 0 to 2 years

Tested by children, endorsed by experts £ ££

£ THE £ £ VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR PLAYNEST®

££ £

A fabric-covered inflatable ring that provides a soft resting area and a self-contained play environment for babies. Now featuring the delightful Very Hungry Caterpillar characters.

££

Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

£ ££

££

BERG GO2

£ ££

An ergonomic design that’s stable and safe, whilst providing hours of fun! Scoot, pedal, grow! Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

Drift aworld dream wor Drift Drift offoff into into aoff dream a into dream world filled fille

BUSY £ £ AIRPORT

A chunky £ board book for toddlers with something to push, pull ££ or slide on every spread, and lots to spot and talk about.

££ ££

£ Fun

Skills Development

Drift aworld dream wor Ease of Use Drift Drift offoff into into aoff dream a into dream world filled fille

Awakening their senses

Babies love to explore the world through their senses. Toys that play sounds or light up, have mirrors, bright colours, patterns,Drift or off Drift offa into a dream into dream worldwor fille different textures will give little ones lots of exciting things to discover. Drift off into a dream world filled Favourite toys can be used as a distraction during tummy time, or to motivate babies to roll, crawl, and walk.

For more information and where to buy...

0 to 2 years

OD T

IDE

SHAPES & SHARING PICNIC BASKET £ Learn about colours, shapes, manners ££ and more while on a pretend picnic with the Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket™. ££ £ The interactive shape sorter on the lid recognises the food pieces and says the shape and colour of each one.

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed l Hand-eye coordination l Great for colour and shape recognition l Develops language skills Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

MAGICUBE FREE BUILDING

The magic of these magnetic cubes £ means they can be stuck together by any side - they can even remain ££ £ suspended in mid-air! Amazing structures Drift aworld dream world filled withand llamas and unicorns Drift Drift offoff into into aoff dream a into dream world filled filled with with llamas llamas and unicorns unicorns with with tht can be built and are easy to create even ££ ££ £ for the youngest of children. Skills Developed l Introduces the concept of magnetism

££

l Encourages creativity l Develops fine motor control Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

visit GoodChristmasGuide.com

OD T

0 to 2 years

IDE

LAMAZE DISNEY/PIXAR TOY STORY CLIP & GO ££

£ ££ ££

Introduce £ your baby to some of the most charismatic ££ Toy Story characters, packed with features to stimulate your little one! Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

JUNGLE HEADS AND TAILS ££

A fun first £ matching activity that develops into a game ££ as children grow in confidence and ability.

£ ££ ££

£ Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

Drift Drift offoff into into a dream a dream world world filled fille

Drift off into a dream wor

£ ££

£ TOOT-TOOT DRIVERS GARAGE ££

££ ££

Drive around the two levels of play using the lift, visit the car wash or get a service at the repair stand with moving spanner! Drift Drift offoff into into a dream a dream world world filled fille

Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

Drift off into a dream wor

££

££ ££

SKIP HOP SILVER LINING CLOUD 3 STAGE ACTIVITY CENTRE Designed to grow with baby, this action-packed activity centre transforms into a sturdy toddler table. Fun

Skills Development

Ease of UseDrift off Drift offainto a dream into dream worldwor fille Drift off into a dream world filled

Toys for 3 to 5 years

Tested by children, endorsed by experts

MAGICUBE RIVER ANIMALS

The magic of these magnetic cubes ££ means they can be stuck together by any side - they can even remain suspended £ ££ in mid-air! Use the Magicube character range to build the suggested figures, or mix them up to create some weird and wonderful animals and people.

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed l Promotes creativity l Allows children to explore the concept of magnetism l Develops sequencing skills Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

LITTLE GIBSONS SWEET DREAMS JIGSAW PUZZLE ££

£ ££ ££

Drift off£into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with ££ this magical 36 piece puzzle! Bright, colourful and tailor-made for inquisitive pre-schoolers. Fun

Skills Development of Use Drift aEase dream world filled withand llamas and unicorns Drift Drift offoff into into aoff dream a into dream world world filled filled with with llamas llamas and unicorns unicorns with with tht

FACE £ £ PAINTOOS

£ ££ ££

Face Paintoos transform the magic of ‘face painting’ into a £ ££ fun and easy activity for everyone. With Face Paintoos, it is simple to achieve great results every time! Fun

Skills Development

Drift Drift offoff into into a dream a dream world world filled fille Ease of Use

Drift off into a dream wor

For more information and where to buy...

3 to 5 years

OD T

IDE

CORGI CHUNKIES With moving interactive parts, free-rolling £ soft-tyred wheels and strong child-proof build, this new range is the perfect toy for £ the youngest of collectors! Choose from a £ huge range of vehicles including a Dump ££ £ Truck, Fire Engine, and a Police Truck.

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed l Great for imaginative play

l Develops hand-eye coordination l Promotes active play Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

LATCHES BOARD ££

£ ££ ££

An educational activity play board from Melissa & Doug, that £ ££ challenges children to navigate latches that hook, snap, Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas click, and unicorns with and slide. Fun

Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with th

Skills Development

Ease of Use

Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns

Learning pre-writing skills through play

Before children can begin to write, they need to learn to coordinate the muscles in their hands and fingers, known as fine motor control. They can practise these skills by playing with things that encourage small movements, such as building with blocks, dressing and Drift Drift offoff into into a dream a dream world world filled fille undressing dolls, or opening and closing latches.

Drift off into a dream wor

visit GoodChristmasGuide.com

Tested by children, endorsed by experts £

TONIEBOX

££

Meet tonies, your ticket to a whole new world of adventures and audio fun for children. Once downloaded, stories and songs are always ready to play. This digital audio system consists of the Toniebox, a wifi-speaker, and the Tonies, which are audio characters.

££

£ ££

Skills Developed l Promotes a love of stories and reading l Develops creativity l Great for listening and attention skills Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

CODING CRITTERS

These playful puppy pets bring early ££ £ STEM concepts to preschool learning through 100% screen-free coding. Kids £ Drift off into a dream world £ £ filled with llamas and unicorns with t code along with their new pets’ storybook £ £ into aworld dreamfilled world filled withand llamas and unicorns into aoff dream with llamas unicorns with th adventure, and help the brave Ranger andDrift off Drift ££ £ mischievous Zip have a playtime they’ll never forget! Skills Developed l Introduces basic coding l Encourages logical thinking l Supports STEM learning Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

For more information and where to buy...

MY FIRST SCALEXTRIC

3 to 5 years

OD T

IDE

A great introduction to the world of ££ Scalextric featuring an easy-to-assemble figure-of-eight track, this set is the ideal £ starting point for younger drivers. The two £ £ rally cars and adjustable power handcontrollers are colour-coded in red and yellow to match chevrons on the circuit.

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed l Develops turn-taking and sharing skills l A gentle introduction to winning and losing l Supports hand-eye coordination Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

KIDIZOOM DUO 5.0

££

Take great photos and videos with the ££ ££ £ camera, as well as playing fun learning games! Take high quality 5 megapixel ££ £ photos and videos of you and your friends Drift off into dream worldworld filled with and unicorns with Drift offa into a dream filledllamas with llamas and unicorns with this dual lens camera. Apply fun effects, stamps and frames to your photos Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with th and videos. Skills Developed l Encourages creativity l Builds observation skills l Supports children’s understanding of the world Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

visit GoodChristmasGuide.com

Tested by children, endorsed by experts Using pretend play to prepare for school At this age, children are still learning all they need through play. A few good pretend play props, like toy food, dolls, and cars - together with a blanket den or big cardboard box - will ignite a pre-schoolers imagination for hours of fun. It’s also a great way for them to build vocabulary and learn to make friends, which will help them when they start school. £ ££

£ ONEDEARWORLD MULTICULTURAL RAG DOLLS ££

££ £

Multicultural dolls designed to inspire children to be caring, curious and respectful to the world. Each soft cotton doll comes with a passport telling children all about their story.

££

Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

PILLOWFIGHT WARRIORS® ££

£ ££ ££

Go into£ battle with the Pillowfight Warriors® soft play Viking £ £Bring out your inner Viking Warrior as you challenge Spear. your friends and family to a pillow fight. Fun

Skills Development

Drift Drift offoff into into a dream a dream world world filled fille Ease of Use

Drift off into a dream wor

CROCODILE CREEK 48 PIECE DAY AT THE ZOO PUZZLE ££

£ ££ ££

Crocodile £ Creek’s Day at the Zoo 48-piece puzzle will ££ transport you to a fun, whimsical place filled with wonderous animals. Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use Drift into a dream world fille Drift offoff into a dream world filled

Drift off into a dream wor

For more information and where to buy...

3 to 5 years

OD T

IDE

SYLVANIAN FAMILIES RED ROOF COSY COTTAGE £ The Red Roof Cosy Cottage is a beautiful ££ house in the perfect size for both beginners and avid Sylvanian Families ££ £ collectors. This quaint two floor cottage includes a ladder to connect the upstairs and downstairs, as well as coming complete with Freya the Chocolate Rabbit Girl and a selection of starter furniture and accessories.

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed l Promotes discussion about jobs at home l Helps with manual dexterity l Develops imaginative play and story-telling Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

SEEKERS - THE MAGNETIC SCAVENGER HUNT GAME

The magnetic scavenger hunt game £ that will engage children with their surroundings! A lovely, sociable game, £ £ especially for encouraging children to work £ Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with t together and take turns. The magnetic board £ £dreamfilled dream with llamas unicorns with th Driftaoff into£aworld world filled withand llamas and unicorns is perfect for little hands and easy to use. £ £Drift off into Skills Developed

££

l Develops observation skills

l Develops reading and storytelling skills l Encourages communication Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

visit GoodChristmasGuide.com

Find classes, clubs and activities across the UK.

Inspire them to be ... anything they want to be.

Pu l ck l-ou m tp o e on ste yo r in ur sid fri e dg e!

sti

Balancing Play Two thirds of pre-schoolers don’t play enough board, card or sports games, which help them to learn make friends and take turns.

Three quarters of 5-12 year olds don’t get enough active free play, which keeps bodies healthy and develops resilience.

8 in 10 children aged 9-12 don’t get enough imaginative play, which lets children explore their feelings and develop their creativity. TM

Survey of 840 parents of 1-12 year olds, in the US and UK, carried out by Fundamentally Children in partnership with The Entertainer, The Genius of PlayTM and Theodora Children’s Charity.

5 Tips for Balanced Play

Active, child-led play is the ‘fruit and veg’ of the play diet

Passive, solitary screen time is the ‘sugary treat’ of the play diet

Balance indoor and outdoor activity

Mix and match playmates

Do your research before buying toys, tech or apps

Try to make this a big part of your daily routine by giving your child the time and space to play without structure.

Screen time can be enjoyed in small doses as part of a balanced play ‘diet’. Engage with screen time, rather than forbidding it or using it as a baby-sitter.

Choosing toys that can be used at home for active play will get children exercising, even when they can’t get outside.

Children play differently with different people, so involving other family members, older and younger children as well as peers will give them a variety of experiences.

Choosing toys, tech and apps that are fun, support learning and development, and are age appropriate will make sure your child is going to get the most benefit from them.

Home of TM

The Balanced Play Pyramid Active, social, imaginative, free, child-led play

Diff

od ÂŠ The Go Ltd ide Toy Gu

icul t to

Team games, board games, construction, reading and creative play

get too ch

mu of

Educational toys and games (inc digital) quiet/solitary play

a b c Passive screen time (TV/solitary video games)

on rati ode In m

www.FundamentallyChildren.com

Dear Santa,

Thank you for my presents from last year. I’ve been really REALLY good this year! Here’s my wish list:

Merry Christmas! From,

Toys for 6 to 8 years

Tested by children, endorsed by experts

HARRY POTTER SORTING HAT

Ever wondered which Hogwarts House ££ you’d be in? The Harry Potter Animatronic Sorting Hat can tell you! With 5 phrases at his £ £ disposal, your fate is in his hands- will you be£in Gryffindor house, Brave at heart; or Slytherin, cunning and shrewd? Place the hat on your head to find out!

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed l Develops storytelling skills l Familiar theme provides a springboard

for imagination

Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

£ ££

£ BASE £ £ ACE 3D PLAY PLATFORMS

££ £

££

A 3D play platform for mini-figures and building bricks. Use Driftcastles, off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with them to create space stations, a dramatic backdrop for a superhero mission, and more! Fun

Skills Development of Use Drift off Drift into aoff dream world with llamas unicorns with th into aEase dreamfilled world filled withand llamas and unicorns

£ ££

EASYREAD TIME TEACHER WATCH ££ £

The ideal first watch for learning to tell the time. The colourful watch face contains all the information the child needs and £ it’s supplied with a simple step by step teaching method. Drift off into a dream world fille ££

Driftaoff into aworld dream wo Drift off into dream filled

For more information and where to buy...

6 to 8 years

OD T

IDE

AIRFIX QUICKBUILD Airfix Quickbuild is an exciting range of £ simple, snap-together models suitable as an introduction to modelling for kids, or ££ as a bit of construction fun for the more experienced modeller. The pre-coloured £ pieces simply push together, without glue £ £ or paints, to build an impressive model.

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed

l Encourages children to follow instructions l Great for perseverance l Develops creativity Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

PLAYFOAM® PLUFFLE™

The Squishologists at the Playfoam® Wacky Workshop have formulated a brand new squish-sation! Introducing Playfoam Pluffle™: The mesmerizing, mixable, can’t-resistible, feel-good fluffy stuff that never dries out!

££

Driftoffoff into intoaoff adream dream world filled with with llamas llamas andunicorns unicorns with withtht Drift into aworld dream world filled withand llamas and unicorns £ £Drift £ £ filled £

££

Skills Developed l A great calming fidget toy l Stimulates children’s senses l Develops fine motor control Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

visit GoodChristmasGuide.com

Tested by children, endorsed by experts £ ££ SYLVANIAN FAMILIES RED ROOF COUNTRY HOME £

The Red Roof Country Home can be ££ £ opened up for play at 90-degrees, 180-degrees and any angle in between. Boasting a spacious balcony, the home also has a moveable staircase and working lights.

££ ££

Skills Developed l Good for turn taking and sharing l Encourages imaginative play l Supports emotional development Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

£ ££

£ HUE £ £ ANIMATION STUDIO

££ £

Is your child a budding filmmaker? With HUE Animation Studio they can create their own stop motion movies!

££

Fun

Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with

Skills Development

Ease of Use

into aworld dreamfilled world filled withand llamas and unicorns Drift offDrift into aoffdream with llamas unicorns with th

SPACE EXPLORER PILLOWCASE - COLOUR AND LEARN ££

£ ££ ££

Colour £in the planets, rockets and stars of our solar system and £ £ moon landing with this fun, educational pillowcase. historic 10 wash-out fabric pens included! Drift a dream Drift off intooffa into dream world wor fille Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use Drift off into a dream world filled

For more information and where to buy...

GEOMAG CONFETTI 88

££

Create an unlimited number of structures £ using the magnetic bars and steel spheres. £ £ This new platform makes it possible to build even bigger and more stable constructions – imagination without limits! The wide range of colours and bright pieces show you a whole new way to play.

6 to 8 years

OD T

IDE

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed l Teaches children about the science of magnetism l Encouraages creativity l Supports fine motor control Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

FIRST WONDER BOX

These subscription boxes are educational £ kits with a focus on learning through play - perfect for curious little minds. Children ££ £ get a personalised box, straight to the Drift off into dream filled with llamas unicorns with thi Driftaoff into aworld dream world filled withand llamas and unicorns door, which contains everything they £ £ Drift off into a dream £ £world filled with llamas and unicorns with t £ need to learn about a new topic. The box itself transforms into a game or craft ££ too! There are 40 themes to explore and £ you can cancel your subscription at any time. Skills Developed l Encourages creativity and imaginative play l Helps children learn about a range of topics l Stimulates curiosity and a love of learning

visit GoodChristmasGuide.com

OD T

6 to 8 years

IDE

MY LITTLE WORLD My Little World sets bring together £ beautifully drawn characters and scenes to create an exciting new role play world ££ that will spark a child’s creativity and imagination. ££ £

£ ££

Skills Developed

l Improves hand-eye coordination and dexterity l Promotes creativity

££

l Develops colour, shape and pattern recognition Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

HARRY POTTER HOGWARTS AND HEDWIG ££ SUPER£ 3D JIGSAW PUZZLE

££ ££

£ This stunning puzzle recaptures the magic of the Harry Potter stories with dramatic 3D design for all children to love.

Fun

Drift Drift offoff into into aoff dream ainto dream world filled filled with with llamas llamas and unicorns unicorns with with thi Drift aworld dream world filled withand llamas and unicorns

Skills Development

Ease of Use

Toys that will outlive the latest playground craze

Young children are under a lot of pressure to fit in, so many will be after the latest playground craze this Christmas. Toys that can give a sense of achievement, like crafts and puzzles, will be more than fiveDrift a dream Drift off intooffa into dream world wor fille minute wonders and will develop confidence too. Anything that can be customised will also let them show off their own personalDrift style. off into a dream world filled

Toys for 9 years & up

Tested by children, endorsed by experts £ ££

£ BUILD! KIT JUNKO ££

££ £

An eco-friendly build kit to turn junk into anything you want! Makes 1000s of different toys. Works with ALL SIZES of boxes, bottles, cartons, tubes and more.

££

Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

AIRFIX BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT MK.1 ££

Create £a high-quality replica of the Boulton-Paul ££ Defiant! Complete Airfix plane modelling kit.

£ ££ ££

£ Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

Drift off into a dream wor

Drift off into a dream world filled

Drift off into a dream world fille

NICKELODEON EXPERIMAKE CHEMISTRY CHAOS ££

Make sure you’ve got plenty of space for the £ ££ Nickelodeon Experimake Chemistry Chaos set – it’s the perfect STEM gift for those who love things all science!

£ ££ ££

Drift Driftoff offDrift into intoaoff adream dream worldfilled fille into aworld dream wor

Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

£ ££

£ DISCOVERY ADVENTURES ££ 40MM ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPE

££ ££

A great introduction to the moon and stars. View the night sky or animals and scenery with the dual eyepieces. Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

Drift off into a dream world fille

Drift off into dream filled Driftaoff into aworld dream wo

For more information and where to buy...

9 years & up

OD T

IDE

FIRST NEWS An independent national newspaper £ trusted by over 9,000 schools, delivered to your door every Friday. To cater for different reading levels, First News has lots of£ £ images and has a mix of bite-sized articles £ and longer stories - all responsibly written £ £ so they are informative, but not scary or overwhelming.

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed l Promotes an interest in current affairs l Develops written communication skills l Builds children’s vocabulary

HARRY POTTER MAGICAL INFINITY£ £ADVENT CALENDAR £ The Harry Potter® Magical Infinity Advent Calendar will delight any Harry Potter® fan. Turning the box through 180 degrees you will get your first sight of the numbered boxes to open. On each day in December open the boxes to reveal a broad selection of Harry Potter goodies.

££

£ ££

Skills Developed l Familiar theme provides a springboard for

imagination

l Encourages patience Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

visit GoodChristmasGuide.com

Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with t

Tested by children, endorsed by experts

Families that play together, stay together Keep the lines of communication open with tweens by playing together as a family. Many board and card games can be enjoyed by younger siblings, parents, and grandparents! Retro toys can be seen as a ‘cool’ way to play without looking babyish, so why not revisit your own childhood and share some favourite toys of your own? £ ££

£ DISCOVER THE WORLD ££

££ ££

Race around the world with this exciting family game: compete to be the first player to reach your destinations and collect the most Destination Cards.

Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

£ ££

£ PEPPERMINT TREEHOUSE ENGINEERING ADVENTURE ££

££ ££

Build and experiment through the story of Pepper Mint, a young engineer with this story-based STEM kit.

Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

Drift off into a dream wor

Drift into a dream world fille Drift offoff into a dream world filled

QUIRK! ££

£ ££ ££

A family£ card game where you make sounds and actions to ££ win cards from other players, once you have three ofDrift a kind, off into a dream wor that is your Quirk and you get to play it in front of you. Fun

Skills Development

Drift off into a dream world filled

Ease of Use

Drift off into a dream world fille

For more information and where to buy...

9 years & up

OD T

IDE

GEOMAG MECHANICS GRAVITY RACE TRACK £ Geomag have extended the Classic toy, ££ with its bars and spheres, adding new mechanical elements that give you new ££ £ opportunities to play. Move it with your hand or with a mechanical knob to start chain reactions caused by magnetic attraction or repulsion.

£ ££ ££

Skills Developed l Encourages creative play l Promotes understanding of magnetism and forces l Encourages trial and error learning Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

TICKET TO RIDE LONDON

Jump aboard a famous double-decker bus£ £to £ rumble through London’s historic streets. In this fast-paced Ticket to Ride game, players£race ££ ££ one another to claim the most important bus Drift offDrift into aoffdream with llamas unicorns with th into aworld dreamfilled world filled withand llamas and unicorns lines and complete their Destination Tickets, ££ £ world filled with llamas and unicorns with t Drift off into a dream connecting Districts in the capital of the United Kingdom. Skills Developed l Develops strategic thinking l Helps children learn the geography of London l Supports social skills Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

visit GoodChristmasGuide.com

OD T

IDE

9 years & up

RORY’S STORY CUBES Over 10 million possible combos and £ unlimited stories! Simply roll all nine dice and use the face-up images to guide ££ your imagination through a story that begins with “Once upon a time…”. The ££ £ handy box makes Rory’s Story Cubes ideal for travelling too. Skills Developed

£ ££ ££

l Encourages use of adverbs, verbs and adjectives l Excellent for imaginative story telling l Supports social and comunication skills Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

DOBBLE

A fun, addictive card game for the £ whole family. It’s a simple tin of 55 round Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas and unicorns with t playing cards. Each card has on it 8 symbols ££ £ selected from a possible 50 and shares one, Drift off into a dream world filled withand llamas and unicorns Drift off into a dream world filled with llamas unicorns with th and only one, matching symbol with every £ £ £ other card in the deck. The trick is to spot the £ £ matching symbol. ££ £ Skills Developed l Encourages observational skills l Promotes friendly competition l Develops attention and reaction skills Fun

Skills Development

Ease of Use

2019

Find some calm this Christmas Last Christmas, I lost my temper because I had forgotten to get the gravy. I felt like I’d let everyone down. Dinner, and therefore Christmas day, was ruined. Being the perfectionist that I am, I’d taken on the job of… everything. Did taking the pressure off everyone else mean that we had a happier, calmer Christmas? Absolutely not. It just meant that I was anxious and frazzled - which really just made everyone else miserable too. I think we all feel the pressure to create the perfect Christmas, especially in the era of social media, which makes it much easier for us to compare our Christmas with everyone else’s. So the first thing we can do to reduce the pressure is to let go of ‘perfection’ and accept ‘good enough’. By going easy on yourself and not expecting the world, you can be happy and relaxed for your family.

It also means giving yourself permission to share the many jobs that Christmas adds to an already busy to-do list. You can start by writing a list of everything that needs doing. Then, decide what things on the list absolutely have to be done by you (for example, wrapping the gifts from you-know-who) and which things you can pass onto other family members.

If you’re worried about appearing selfish, keep in mind the pre-flight safety rule: “Secure your own oxygen mask first before helping others.” It’s practical advice - you can’t help anyone if you’re passed out on the floor.

Your five-year-old can decorate the Christmas tree, even if the decorations do all end up in the bottom corner of the tree. Your partner can take charge of the shopping, and it doesn’t matter if they forget the gravy (no really, it doesn’t). The grandparents can take care of your children for a while, so you can get the gift shopping done. There might also be jobs on that to-do list that you don’t really have time for, but are worried about turning down. Giving yourself permission to say no whether that’s to festive visitors, or to volunteering at the school fete - will free up your time and energy for the more important things.

By taking care of your own needs first, you will be able to comfortably handle the jobs that do have to be on your list, while also being a content and positive role model for your children. This approach isn’t just for Christmas though! Find out how parent-centred parenting can help combat stress and give you a healthy life balance all year round at FundamentallyChildren.com. Three tips for a calmer Christmas 1. Let go of perfection 2. Ask for help when you need it 3. Be prepared to say no

www.GoodChristmasGuide.com @GoodToyGuide

Brought to you by the expert elves at TM