MadeForMums reveals this year’s must-have toys for Christmas – including a Barbie Dreamhouse and a robot pet

• The toys were judged by 500 child testers, their parents and a team of experts
• READ MORE: Top toy expert reveals children’s products set to sell out 

The UK’s number one parenting site has announced its pick of this year’s best toys for Christmas.

MadeForMums has revealed the must-have toys for 2023, as judged and recommended by kids, their parents and a team of experts.

Some 500 children and families were invited to participate in this year’s Toy Awards, testing hundreds of products at home before delivering their verdict.

Ranging from £3.99 to £349, the categories included Best Baby Toy, Best Board Game, Best Science Toy, Best Stocking Filler, Best Doll, Best Construction Toy and Best First Bike.

Among the products to impress the judges were an iconic Barbie Dreamhouse, Connetix, a set of pastel-coloured magnetic tiles with no limits, and a Transformers RC Converting Optimus Prime.

Here, FEMAIL reveals the top 15 toys for Christmas 2023…

Barbie® Dreamhouse™ Playset, £349

This year’s cinema successes see nostalgic toys returning to the spotlight, including the iconic Barbie® Dreamhouse™ Playset

Age: 3+

What is it? The iconic doll house that lets you host the ultimate Barbie pool party. It will inspire hours of fun with multiple features to discover, including 10 play areas, integrated lights and sounds, a working lift, a slide and over 75 accessories and customisable spaces.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘I’ve never seen my daughter so excited for a new toy and it really is a Dream House. She has been playing with it every day since it arrived. It offers endless opportunities and hours of imaginative play so overall I personally think it is an amazing playset.’

My 1st Years Peter Rabbit Sorter House, from £33

A beautifully designed wooden house that comes with seven colourful blocks that correspond to holes in the roof

Age: 12 months+

What is it? A beautifully designed wooden house that comes with seven colourful blocks that correspond to holes in the roof. The roof can also be removed and used separately as a puzzle – plus it can be personalised.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘My son had a smile on his face when we started playing with the shape sorter and he interacted well with all of the different shapes and characters.’

The Mood Bears, £22.99

These bears have a distinctive hue based on colour psychology that matches one of eight important human emotions

Age: 3+

What is it? A collection of colourful teddy bears that have been specifically designed to help children (and adults) talk about their feelings. Each bear has a distinctive hue based on colour psychology that matches one of eight important human emotions. 

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘My daughter has played with Hope Bear every day since she got him. She has also used him when sad or worried and used the colours on the bear to help tell us when she is feeling a certain way. She loved how bright and fun he looked. She cuddles him a lot, he is really soft and just the right size for her to carry around.’

Sylvanian Families Baby Mermaid Castle, £54.99

This enchanting mermaid castle has plenty of interactive features

Age: 3+

What is it? An enchanting mermaid castle with plenty of interactive features, including 12 fun ocean-themed attractions, such as a marine merry-go-round, jellyfish swings, ocean café and dream ship. It comes with three babies and has room for over 50 figures.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘It has a lot of different and exciting aspects to it. The more my daughter played with it the more little details we found, it’s a great toy for imagination and role play. Each time my daughter has played with it she has been creating a new ‘story’ with its extensive range of features.’

Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Busy Chef’s Restaurant Playset, £28.99

A kitchen where you use moulds, Play-Doh and your imagination to create a feast of pretend food

Age: 3+

What is it? A kitchen where you use moulds, Play-Doh and your imagination to create a feast of pretend food, including pizza, burgers and pasta. It has some great interactive features too: the griddle automatically slides, and you can use the spatula to put food in the oven. Each piece is carefully designed to save on space (and plastic) but this small set still offers great play potential.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘My daughter was able to be really creative, making up a whole plate of food, experimenting with different parts of the kitchen and really getting engrossed in her play.’

LEGO DREAMZzz Nightmare Shark Ship, £119.99

The Nightmare Shark Ship features powerful engines and sails, flying eyeballs, an opening jaw and a secret treasure chest

Age: 10+

What is it? A spooky LEGO set that can be put together in two different ways – build it in either ship mode or tank mode and the set will reveal different features, such as powerful engines and sails, flying eyeballs, an opening jaw and a secret treasure chest.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘This is a brilliant toy, my son loved the fact that you can make it two ways. He also loves that the ship is interactive with several moving parts which make it more fun to play with!’

Transformers RC Converting Optimus Prime, £79.99

An interactive transforming toy that cleverly changes between Truck and Optimus Prime autobot form using the remote control

Age: 8+

What is it? This interactive transforming toy cleverly changes between Truck and Optimus Prime autobot form using the remote control – it has a 360-degree spin, lights and sound effects.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘My son loved it and was so excited to play with it, he was squealing with delight when he saw it. My son and his brother have been playing on and off for hours with it. They’ve been laughing and having fun transforming it backwards and forwards and copying the voice.’

Furby, £74.99

This Furby will respond to hugs, pats, tummy tickles, shaking and even has interactive games you can play with it

Age: 6+

What is it? The iconic voice-controlled interactive pet moves, sings, lights up, responds to speech and has over 600 responses. It will also respond to hugs, pats, tummy tickles, shaking and even has interactive games you can play with it.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘My daughter has literally not stopped playing with this since she received it! Such a quirky, cute, ball of furbulous fun. She has absolutely loved every minute with her new ‘friend.’ So much laughter, so many features and I love that the Furby learns and grows the more your child plays with it.’

Gabby’s Dollhouse Cat Friend Ship, £69.99

An exciting 18-piece cruise ship that comes with a Gabby Girl doll and MerCat figure

Age: 3+

What is it? An exciting 18-piece cruise ship that comes with a Gabby Girl doll and MerCat figure, plus tons of impressive features, such as a spinning dancefloor, light-up disco ball, smoothie bar, dining area and water-activated colour changing pool.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘My daughter was so excited to open and play with this and wasn’t disappointed. She especially loved the colour changing pool and the portholes which can be turned to show different times of day so she could put the characters to bed.’

Learning Resources® PYXEL™ A Coder’s Best Friend, £150

You can teach this interactive robot pet to walk, bark, change colour and express emotions using real coding languages

Age: 8+

What is it? An interactive robot pet you can teach to walk, bark, change colour and express emotions using real coding languages, developing transferrable skills in a fun way.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘I was surprised how much there is to do on it and my son spent ages with it today getting the robot to do all sorts of funny things and different combinations. It’s very good quality and I love how much my son is learning from it.’

Clementoni The History Of Life on Earth, £29.99

This innovative kit combines hands-on science experiments and digital activities to take your on a journey through time

Age: 6+

What is it? An innovative kit that takes you on a journey through time by discovering how life has evolved on Earth. It combines hands-on science experiments and digital activities, including augmented, virtual and mixed reality, to provide an interactive and immersive experience.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘My son really enjoyed the different challenges within each item and it offers great educational value in a range of ways/activities. It felt like he learned a huge amount through playing, interacting and viewing the virtual reality.’

SmartGames Cats & Boxes, £15.99

A fun and simple single-player game that develops logical thinking, problem solving and planning skills

Age: 7+

What is it? A fun and simple single-player game that develops logical thinking, problem solving and planning skills. You have to move one puzzle piece at a time until all five cats are inside a box and there are 60 multi-level challenges to complete.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘The game is really well made. It is one of those toys that you can play for hours on end and re-use over and over. My daughter really, really enjoyed it. It’s a fantastic twist on a moving pieces puzzle game and the quality is fantastic. It’s a really well thought out game.’

Scrunchems Squishy Neon Scented Bears, £3.99

Vibrant scented sensory toys with a soft and squishy texture that help to reduce tension and promote relaxation when squeezed

Age: 3+

What is it? Vibrant scented sensory toys with a soft and squishy texture that help to reduce tension and promote relaxation when squeezed.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘The squishy texture is great. It’s great as a fidget toy and calming like a stress ball as it can be pulled and squeezed comfortably and squished in hands. My daughter liked pulling and stretching the toy and making the bears talk to each other.’

Smart Ball Soccer Bot from Golden Bear, £49.99

This intuitive football trainer uses sensor technology to try and tackle the ball – it can be used played in single or multi-player mode

Age: 6+

What is it? An intuitive football trainer that will help improve football skills, whether played in single or multi-player mode. It uses sensor technology to try and tackle the ball, plus the robotic base keeps track of the football wherever it goes, weaving itself around any furniture or obstacles – perfect for indoor play.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘This is a truly awesome toy! It’s really so much fun, and great exercise because you have to move really quickly to beat the robot! We are big fans of this toy that is for sure!’

Connetix 120 Piece Pastel Creative Pack, £115

A set of pastel-coloured magnetic tiles with no limits or specific instructions that help to foster STEM learning

Age: 3+

What is it? A set of pastel-coloured magnetic tiles with no limits or specific instructions that help to foster STEM learning. Children can use their imagination and problem-solving skills to build a variety of structures, from basic shapes to creative, intricate designs.

MadeForMums parent tester said: ‘My son has spent hours playing with this, building different things on his own and with adults, working out new things, incorporating them into his games and play with other toys. It’s a toy I think he will continue to enjoy for many more years.’

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