| There are so many toys for kids on the market | | | | 3-4 Years. Dolls houses, swings, slides, |
| these days; it's difficult making the right | | | | bubble makers, books, Lego, art centres, drum |
| choice. At least it can be narrowed down a | | | | kits, keyboards, guitars, cash register with |
| bit now, as a lot of toys come in age groups, | | | | plastic money, toy soldiers. |
| the shops are also helping by having boys and | | | | |
| girls sections, even board games and jigsaw | | | | 4+ Years. Workbench (to look like dad's) |
| puzzles can be found separate. There are now | | | | tabletop cooker, play tables, toy digital |
| some shops that only sell jigsaw puzzles, and | | | | cameras and CD players that actually work, |
| the choice is immense. | | | | etch a sketch, magnetic letters, play houses |
| | | | and play tents, bikes, skateboards, roller |
| Okay let's have a look at some of the age | | | | skates, spirograph. The list is endless. |
| groups, and a choice selection of what's on | | | | |
| offer: | | | | One of the best shops to go to for babies and |
| | | | toddlers toys, is The Early Learning Centre, |
| 0-6 Months Mobiles (these hang on the cot) | | | | the kids can play while you browse. |
| buggy activity centre, activity mats, cloth | | | | |
| books, chime balls, teddy bears (check | | | | Kids and grown ups all love the old classics, |
| warnings about eyes etc). Of course there's | | | | especially train sets and Scalextric, these |
| the usual rattles, musical teethers. | | | | can be built on and added to and last for |
| | | | many years, a lot of been handed down over |
| 6-12 Months. Stacking cups, sit and ride | | | | the generations, and some have sold for quite |
| boats and cars, baby walkers, activity | | | | a lot of money at auctions, there are |
| centres, rocking horses, baby swing for the | | | | collectors of all ages. Also worth saving are |
| garden. | | | | Matchbox and Corgi cars, especially the |
| | | | boxes, also Airfix model planes, which you |
| 1-2 Years. Shape sorting activity games, | | | | build and paint. |
| tabletop sandpits, cars, trains, planes, | | | | |
| fairytale castles, workshops with plastic | | | | Rocking horses are very hard to get hold of |
| tools, little kitchens and supermarkets. | | | | these days, and can be very expensive, try |
| | | | avoiding hand made ones as they sell for |
| 2-3 Years. Tricycles, V-Tech alphabet desk, | | | | hundreds of pounds. Be careful with plastic |
| scooter, friction movement toys, shape | | | | ones, as they tend to snap with time and then |
| sorters, dolls and dolls prams, Duplo bricks | | | | you get very sharp edges. The first thing |
| and characters. | | | | that tends to go with the plastic ones is the |
| | | | saddle. |