MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023 reveal the must-have toys for Christmas, as tested by parents and children at home

Published: 17 Oct 2023

Ranging from £3.99 Neon Scented Bears to the iconic Barbie Dreamhouse for £349, the annual MadeForMums Toy Awards reveal this year’s most sought-after toys for every age and budget.

With the help of almost 500 children and families, hundreds of toys have been tested and rated to bring the definitive verdict on the best toys for 2023

MadeForMums, the UK’s number one parenting site for product reviews, has today (Tuesday 17 October) announced the winners of the MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023, featuring this year’s must-have Christmas toys. The Awards reveal the priorities and trends influencing parents’ choices in the peak toy-buying season leading up to Christmas.

Cherished character-themed toys as well as timeless family board games are among the hundreds of toys across 30 categories, evaluated by the MadeForMums panel of expert judges and families at home, to determine the best children’s toys at every age and stage from newborn to teens.

MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023 categories include: Best Baby Toy, Best Board Game, Best Science Toy, Best Stocking Filler, Best Doll, Best Construction Toy and Best First Bike. And new or returning for this year are Best Fiction Book, Best Non-Fiction Book and Best Video Game.

With value for money being a priority for many households, and tight budgets leading up to Christmas, the most sought-after toys by parents and families were those that provide value for money, whilst still delivering wow factor and excitement. Stand out toys designed to be played with in multiple ways appealed to parents for their long-term play potential. The My 1st Years Peter Rabbit Sorter House, can be played with as a shape sorter as well as a puzzle. LEGO DREAMZzz Nightmare Shark Ship can be built in ship mode or tank mode, doubling the playtime, and Connetix magnetic tiles offer endless creative opportunities.

This year’s massive cinema successes see nostalgic toys returning to the spotlight such as the iconic Barbie® Dreamhouse™ Playset, as well as other much-loved characters from books and screen, such as Transformers and Gabby’s Dollhouse.

Christy McGhee, Head of Consumer Content for MadeForMums, says: “The MadeForMums Toy Awards continue to honour excellence in the toy industry and this year's entries have showcased an impressive range, with a notable emphasis on toys built to endure, which are better for family budgets and the environment. Cherished, nostalgic characters have also captured the hearts of our testers. This year, we're thrilled to introduce book categories, encouraging a love of reading that embraces both learning and playtime.”

The winning toys are chosen by a panel of judges and almost 500 children aged from 8 weeks old to 14 years and their parents and carers - who tested the toys and gave their honest verdicts. Special Editor's Choice Awards were given to 15 stand-out toys that impressed both the judges and the family testers.

For the full list of the MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023 winners go to https://www.madeformums.com/reviews/madeformums-toy-awards-2023-winners/

The MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023 Editor’s Choice:

Barbie® Dreamhouse™ Playset, £349

Age: 3+

Available at: Smyths Toys

The iconic doll house that lets you host the ultimate Barbie pool party. It will inspire hours of fun with so many details and features to discover, including an incredibly spacious floorplan with 3 levels, 10 different play areas, integrated lights and sounds, a working lift, a slide and over 75 accessories and customisable spaces.

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 12 months+

Available at: My 1^st Years

A beautifully designed wooden house that comes with seven colourful wooden blocks that a child can push into the correct holes of the roof — the roof also comes off to be used separately as a puzzle, plus it comes with a carry handle and can be personalised too.

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 3+

Available at: Mood Bears

A collection of bright and colourful teddy bears that have been specifically designed to help children (and adults) talk more about their feelings. Each bear has a distinctive colour based on colour psychology that matches one of eight important human emotions — plus they’re super cute, cuddly and soft.

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 3+

Available at: Smyths Toys

An enchanting pastel mermaid castle with plenty of interactive features including 12 fun ocean-themed attractions such as a marine merry-go-round, jellyfish swings, ocean café, dream ship and much more — it comes with 3 babies and has room for over 50 figures.

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 3+

Available at: Smyths Toys

A kitchen where you use moulds, play-doh and your imagination to create a feast of pretend food such as pizza, burgers, pasta and more. 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: ‘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

Age: 10+

Available at: LEGO

A spooky LEGO set that can be built 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: ‘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

Age: 8+

Available at: Argos

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

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 6+

Available at: Amazon

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, belly tickles, shaking and even has interactive games you can play with it.

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 3+

Available at: Smyths Toys

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 plus a water-activated colour changing pool.

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 8+

Available at: Learning Resources

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

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 6+

Available at: Smyths Toys

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 such as augmented, virtual and mixed reality to provide an interactive and immersive experience.

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 7+

Available at: Smart Toys and Games

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: ‘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

Age: 3+

Available at: Amazon

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

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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

Age: 6+

Available at: Smyths Toys

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: ‘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

Age: 3+

Available at: Connetix Tiles

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 tons of different structures, from basic shapes to creative, intricate designs.

MadeForMums parent tester: ‘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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