Mummy Monday - Toys we're loving right now

I thought I’d do a quick review of a few of the toys that were a hit in our house this Christmas. I was on a mission to find fun, interactive toys that would encourage my sons imagination. They aren’t the typical boys toys either, my son loves cars and trains and has loads of tracks and vehicles, he plays for hours with them and is absolutely obsessed with Thomas (his favourite) he also has a lot of Chuggington trains and vehicles from the ‘Cars’ movie. I love that he's into all that but I really wanted to encourage him to start using his imagination and encourage him to show an interest in different types of toys that encourage him to think and follow instructions. Four toys in particular have been really popular.

The first toy which I was actually so impressed with was this toy kitchen which I found on Amazon. I wasn’t sure whether my son would actually enjoy playing with this so I didn’t want to spend a ton on a toy kitchen incase he hated it. It was only £22.99 from Amazon so I was a little apprehensive but took a chance and was pleasantly surprised! It's battery operated, the hob lights up and makes boiling sounds. You can pretend you're turning the heat up by pressing the plus or minus symbols on the hob and the boiling sound gets louder or quieter. It comes with a few kitchen utensils and fake coffee pods for the built in coffee machine. Not much fake food for pretend cooking, just a salt pot and bottle of ketchup but for the money I paid I can’t complain and I can just go and buy some pretend food for it later. The only down side is that you have to stick the labels and embellishments on everything yourself, not the worst thing in the world to do, but some might find that a bit annoying. My son loves this and plays with it a lot, telling me he is being a chef and asking me to cook with him. I would definitely recommend this kitchen if you are on a budget, and even if you aren’t I think it’s a good quality toy and you won’t be disappointed. It's also quite compact so great if you are limited for space at home.

The second toy that my son loves is this Leap Frog ‘Sweet Treats Learning Café’ toy which was £26.97 from Amazon. It comes with two cups, one large and one small, the coffee machine asks you to make hot or cold drinks and you follow the instructions to make it. It also comes with some cakes and you have to find the right shaped treat that's being ordered. Like most 2 year olds, my son is not exactly big on listening or following instructions, but after some encouragement from me he tries to listen and find the right things or turn the temperature dial to the right number, which is great and makes this toy totally worth the money for me!

Third favourite is the Leapfrog ‘Musical Rainbow Tea Party’ toy (£15.49 from Amazon). I actually got this one for my daughter but it's been high jacked by my son! He likes the colourful cakes and likes listening to the teapot talk and pouring cups of tea. The teapot tells him when he has poured a cup and if there is still more water in it or whether it needs to be refilled. It’s not as complicated as the coffee machine so is easier to play with, I guess kids might get bored of this a bit quicker than the coffee machine as there are less play options. It’s still a great toy and a nice way to introduce kids to being a bit more thoughtful when they are playing and follow instructions.

Lastly, the most simple toy of all, this ‘Busy Me lights and sounds medical kit’. I got it on sale from the Entertainer toy shop for around £8.00 and my son absolutely loves it. The Stethoscope lights up and makes a beating sound which he finds really cool and the otoscope (I think it’s called, the thing you use to check inside your ear lol) also lights up. He loves pretending to be a doctor and helping his cuddly toys which is cute, this keeps him busy for a good while which is great, I'd definitely recommend it.