Christmas Crazes to Come

Electronic toys: Don’t forget the Batteries

1. Hexbug Bridge Battle Set £30 Challenge friends with this new Hexbug battle set or have fun with their new Hexbug Spider, which is remote-controlled but reacts to loud noises or things it touches. 8yrs+ www.amazon.co.uk


2. Fijit Friends £54.99 Likely to be the Christmas hit of 2011 these cute characters Willa, Serafina, Sage and Logan interact with over 150 voice activated commands. They dance, tell jokes and will bring a smile to your face. www.tesco.com


3. Bop It XT £29.99 This new generation model has a “shake it” command, as well as being able to hook up to speakers for a party group challenge. 5yrs+ www.hamleys.com


4. SpyTech Kit £27.99 Practice your 007 skills with this espionage set: create security door alarms, record secret messages and make a talking lie detector. 7yrs+ www.justwilliamstoys.com


5. Bubble Robot £15.49 Simple construction of this motored robot will provide hours of ongoing fun – just add more bubble mixture. 4yrs+ www.brightsparktoys.co.uk


6. Kiddizoom Twist Camera £49.99 Children love taking pictures and movies of family and friends then adding frames, stamps and wacky effects. A voice recording function has 5 different voice changing effects: pitch up, pitch down, slow, robot and echo. www.elc.co.uk

Arts & Crafts: Creative Fun

1. Makedo £11.95 This clever kit is perfect for making anything out of recycled materials, plus you can keep the pieces for another project. 3yrs+ www.amazon.co.uk


2. Botonist’s Suitcase £52 Gorgeous gift box for nature enthusiasts including flower press and magnifying glass. 3yrs+ www.cottontailsbaby.co.uk


3. Fashion Hairbands £17.75 Fashionistas will love this box of 10 satin hairbands, metres of ribbon, feathers, sparkling stones and gauze flowers. 5yrs+ www.hobbycraft.co.uk


4. Create your own Pop-up Books £15.25 (or mini £5.25) Budding authors and illustrators can make their own story books with 3D features. 5yrs+ www.amazon.co.uk


5. Medal Making Kit £10.35 Create historically-accurate medals such as the Victoria Cross, George Cross or the 1939-45 Star plus many more. 7yrs+ www.buttonbag.co.uk


6. Origami Lights £9.98 Create your own set of fairy lights with these origami butterflies, birds and flowers. 5yrs+ www.amazon.co.uk

Family Games: let everyone play

1. Speed Rugby £11.95 A simple, quick and fun way to play rugby with dice. You will be suprised by the ease to play but amazed by the strategy. At the end of the game, you will only feel the urge to play the return match. www.amazon.co.uk


2. Stormy Seas £24.99 Role the dice to see which item needs balancing on the deck of this boat without tipping the whole lot into the sea. Beautifully made from sustainable bamboo. 3yrs+ www.amazon.co.uk


3. Cluedo Harry Potter £19.99 Hogwarts comes to life as the board itself shifts from turn to turn. Secret passages change, appear or disappear. 9yrs+ www.amazon.co.uk


4. Vintage Monopoly £29.99 Next year you’ll see an Olympic Games edition of Monopoly, but for a nostalgia fix, you’ll love this classic edition with a built in bankers tray and a visual history of the game over the last 30 years. 8yrs+ www.johnlewis.com


5. Scabs n Guts £14.99 A totally gross game that delivers medical facts about the workings of the body. Person with the cleanest fingernails starts. Toys Toys Toys – Barnet

Learn a New Skill

1. Air Hunter Zing Shot £9.99 Line up the cans and fire these soft foam balls from up to 60 feet away. 8yrs+ www.hamleys.com


2. Nerf Long Strike Nite Finder Blaster £6.99 This new gun features a light-beam for precise targeting - even in the dark! Blaster comes with 3 suction darts and instructions. 6yrs+ www.pandemoniumlondon.com


3. Cars Blast n Launch £15.99 Boys will love stamping on this air-powered launcher to propel Lightning McQueen around the park. 3yrs+ www.justwilliamstoys.com


4. FunTrix Yoyo with DVD £5.99 Learn up to 30 new tricks with this superior yoyo, with a ball-bearing axel for a longer spin and easyto- follow DVD. 6yrs+ www.jugglingworld.biz


5. Z-curve launcher £19.99 What about some high tech archery? This arrow shooter uses foam-tipped and suction-cup arrows that can soar up to 100 feet. 8yrs+ www.harrods.com


6. Zoob Dudes £11.99 Inspired by the nucleotides that make up DNA you snap, click and pop the bits together. This new fireman figure with water backpack is cool. 5yrs+ www.brightsparktoys.co.uk