The best toys for six-year-olds have to do a lot. Most importantly, they have to be fun and engaging - but, it’s great if they encourage interaction with family and friends as well to help build those developing social skills.

From slime to Barbie dolls and mix and make toys there are plenty of fun options at this age. Child development expert and GoodtoKnow expert panellist Dr Amanda Gummer says: "At aged six, children are at a crucial stage of development and their curiosity and imaginations are really growing. When choosing toys or gifts for six-year-olds, opt for ones that will help foster creativity, problem-solving skills, and encourage social interaction whether as a bonding experience when you’re playing with your little one, or with their siblings or friends."

This list of the best toys for six year olds is based on a range of factors, including feedback from parents and kids, our own product testers, customer reviews and ratings as well as the top toys for 2024, as chosen by industry experts. We’ve also considered a range of price points to suit any budget or occasion.

Best toys for six year old boys and girls

1. Barbie

Barbie has seen a resurgence of late, thanks to the recent blockbuster movie, and her popularity is still riding high. Dolls make great toys for six year olds - they provide an opportunity for pretend play and problem-solving, while also building on their emotional intelligence. In a Boston University article about Barbie's popularity, clinical instructor of child life and family-centered care Ann Herzog says that Barbie 'can foster a child’s development by encouraging language and communication and by offering opportunities for pretend play and problem-solving.' She adds: 'Play with dolls, in particular, allows for emotional expression, developing empathy, and practicing problem-solving skills.'

2. Audio players

No-screen toys, like the popular audio players Yoto or Tonie, can make a great gift for this age group. These players help to encourage independent play and learning, can help with language development and are easy (and safe) enough for a six year old to operate by themselves with ease. Not sure which player is right for you? Read our Toniebox review to see how it faired in our tests. We've also put the Yoto player through its paces, and you'll be able to read that review very soon.

If you know a six year old who already has a Toniebox or Yoto player, then a new Tonie audio character or Yoto card makes a great gift (but it's always worth checking which they already have in their collection to avoid doubling up).

3. Dinosaurs

To a six-year-old, dinosaurs are seemingly other-wordly, awesome and fantastical creatures, made all the more exciting by the fact they actually used to exist! They are also prolific in a child's world - they can be seen on TV, on clothing, in books and even in food form - which only adds to their appeal.

Studies even show that intense interest in dinosaurs can have a significant benefit on a child's development, including increased knowledge and heightened attention.

4. Toy Pets

By six-years-old, kids could already be pestering their parents for a pet, but a real-life version may not be the right solution for the family at this point. But a toy pet could be a perfect way to teach some key skills that come along with pet-ownership, without the additional responsibility.

5. Mix and Make Toys

Mix and make toys tend to offer various types of play in one package - there is usually a element of experimentation or mixing of ingredients, followed by or combined with a particular process or action, before a mystery reveal of another toy inside.

Not only do toys like this spark imagination and creativity, they can help introduce the notion of delayed gratification too.

6. LEGO

You absolutely can't go wrong buying LEGO as a gift for a six-year-old. But do make sure it's age appropriate first - a LEGO set with too few or too many pieces is sure to leave them disappointed.

There are lots of reasons why LEGO is good for development, including the positive impact it has on problem-solving skills, focus and self confidence. GoodtoKnow's child development expert Dr Gummer adds: "I really like building or construction sets like LEGO that encourage spatial reasoning and fine motor skills."

7. Educational games

Kids are like sponges when it comes to absorbing information, so incorporating learning into play can be a great way to build on their cognitive development. Plus games like this are perfect for playing with friends and family, which can help children learn how to be a gracious winner or a good loser.

8. Sylvanian Families

Another toy to encourage role-play and storytelling, while also sparking creativity, is anything from the world of Sylvanian Families, which was introduced in the UK in 1987. More than just adorable animal characters, the toys on offer include playsets, accessories and more.

9. Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels toy cars date back to the later 1960s, and still hold strong appeal today, thanks to their low price point, engaging appearance, and the nostalgia they can instill in parents and grandparents alike.

10. Squishmallows

Squishmallows were the biggest selling toy of 2023 - super squidgeable and uber soft. No wonder six-year-olds love them! They come in a range of sizes and iterations (like the Fuzz-a-Mallow variant) and can cost anywhere from £5 to £50, so you can easily find one to fit any budget.

They are infinitely collectible too - and there are loads of adorable characters to choose from.

11. Board games

A good board game will help encourage interaction with friends and family members, along with encouraging a healthy dose of friendly competition. Dr Gummer, who is also the founder of The Good Play Guide, says: "I love a family board game night, or taking the time in a busy weekend to digitally detox with a puzzle or trivia game and there are loads of age appropriate options for cooperative play and strategic thinking."

12. Slime

Slime can be a bit hit and miss (often a hit with children and a big miss with their parents), but if you know a six-year-old who likes getting their hands dirty, then will love a slime-based gift. This kind of sensory play can help calm an anxious child too - it draws focus to one or more of the five senses and encourages mindfulness to promote relaxation.

However, slime should definitely be avoided if the child you know hates getting stuff stuck to their fingers - they really won't enjoy it. They might prefer the Squishmallow instead - soft and tactile without the gloopy hands.

13. Polly Pocket

Polly Pocket has had a bit of a redesign in recent years, so is more substantial than it used to be, a fact that will be music to the ears of parents who were worried about choking hazards.

With lots of sets to collect, featuring cute, bright character cases as well as the eponymous Polly and friends, these toys make great gifts for six-year-olds, without breaking the bank.

14. Jigsaws

According to parenting expert Amanda Jenner: "Jigsaw puzzles are great as they tend to have a longer attention span at six and love a challenge and this is really good for their cognitive skills and helps them to play independently."

They'll hone their problem-solving skills as they try and fit the pieces together, and feel great sense of achievement when they manage to complete it. If you know their favourite book or TV show, then you can always look for the jigsaw puzzle tie-in to win all the brownie points you can.

15. Heroes of the Goo Jit Su

Like Stretch Armstrong, but infinitely cooler, toys from the Heroes of the Goo Jit Su range can be stretched, pulled, twisted and squished before returning to their original shape.

These can make great fidget toys and be useful to encourage mindfulness and keep anxiety at bay.

Do six year olds still play with toys?

Six-year-olds definitely still play with toys - they love pretend play but are also ready for some more challenging games. They love playing with friends or family, but by the age of six, many kids have mastered independent play and are ready for a little more freedom.

GoodtoKnow's child development expert Dr Amanda Gummer adds: "Play is essential for the holistic development of six-year-olds. It’s crucial to promoting cognitive growth by encouraging problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills. Allowing children to engage in imaginative play and explore different scenarios, enhances their creativity and emotional intelligence. I’m a big fan of interactive play experiences which at six, will help children develop essential social skills such as cooperation, communication, and even resilience, laying a solid foundation for positive relationships and interactions with others as they get older."

If you've seen or heard that the six-year-old in your life doesn't play with toys anymore, it could be that they have too much choice. Like us, kids can get overwhelmed and overstimulated and this can happen if they're surrounded by too much choice and left wondering where to start.

How to choose the right toy for a six-year-old

Understanding the developmental needs of a child of six is crucial to choosing the right toy for them. Dr Gummer adds: "When choosing gifts for six-year-olds, I always recommend thinking about a child’s interests, and developmental needs. Art supplies such as paints, markers, and craft kits provide opportunities for creative expression and imagination. Outdoor toys like bikes, scooters, or sports equipment can promote physical activity and coordination, and construction toys can help with spatial awareness and reasoning.

"By making smart gift choices that align with children's interests and developmental milestones, a child can benefit from enriched play experiences that support their growth and learning journey."

How many toys should a six year old have?

The number of toys is up to you (and your little one, of course) and there is no exact number as to how many kids should have. But according to one study, when little learners had fewer toys in their environment it allowed them to play more creatively, focus and play with each toy longer.

The study tasked toddlers to engage with four toys, followed by 16 toys. The results showed that with fewer toys, participants had longer durations of toy play and played with toys in a greater variety of ways, therefore putting their creativity skills to the test, supporting their development and promoting healthy play.

Ultimately, kids don't need piles of toys to be happy, they just need a handful of the right toys for their interest, imagination and creativity to flourish.

What is the 20 toy rule?

As its name suggests, the 20 toy rule involves asking your child to select the 20 toys they want to play with over the next week or two weeks and carefully stash away all others.

Along with helping keep your living room or playroom clutter-free and tidy, the 20 toy rule gives your little one a chance to really play and engage with their toys and do so in a more focused way. This should hopefully benefit their creativity levels and kick start their imagination at the same time.

How we chose the best toys for six year olds

For this guide to the best toys for six-year-olds, we drew up a short list of suitable items based on our product knowledge and extensive research, making sure everything we picked was suitable for this age range. We spoke to parents of six year olds (and got feedback from the kids themselves) to see what toys they liked the best and why. Where possible, we also called products in and put them in the hands of six-year-old testers to try them out.

We also spoke to child development experts, including GoodtoKnow panellist Dr Amanda Gummer, to find out exactly what types of toys are suitable for six-year olds and the benefits that they, and play in general, can offer to children of this age.

Read more: How we test

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If you're paying an annual or monthly fee, knowing the hidden benefits of your Amazon Prime membership is key to make sure you're getting the best value for money.

With more than 200 million Amazon Prime members worldwide, there are lots of ways you can save money while shopping with the online giant. But being a Prime member affords you and your family lots of other benefits that could save you money outside of shopping on Amazon's app or website.

If you’re not a Prime member, then you're in luck as you can sign up for a 30-day free trial. After the trial expires, membership will set you back £8.99 a month or you can buy an annual subscription for £95 a year (which is the cheapest option).

What are some of the main benefits of Amazon Prime? 

One of the most obvious and well-known benefits of Amazon Prime is the super fast and free delivery. Members can enjoy free one-day and same-day delivery in some areas, making it well worth the investment if you shop on Amazon a lot and need last-minute items and can’t get to the shops. If you’re not a member, you’re looking at forking out between £2.99 and £5.99 for orders under £20 (£10 for books), and deliveries tend to take between three to five days. For many Prime members, this benefit alone makes a membership worth it.

Prime members are also given exclusive access to annual sales events, like Amazon Prime Day, or Black Friday, which falls at the end of November. Make sure you read our guide on how to get the best deals on Amazon Prime Day so you shop wisely.

GoodtoKnow’s Money Editor Sarah Handley says: “For lots of families, Amazon is a really convenient option if you need to get stuff quickly, and delivered straight to your door. If you pay the monthly or annual subscription fee, then it's worth checking what other perks you're entitled to, as they're not always obvious or well publicised."

14 hidden benefits of Amazon Prime 

1. Downloading TV shows and films to watch offline

Amazon Prime members have access to Prime Video - a platform with 16,500+ movies and more than 1,960 TV shows, including exclusive Amazon Originals and Live Sports, some of which are free to subscribers and others are available to rent or buy.

You can stream them to watch on your computer, phone, or smart TV, as well as through devices such as Chromecast or a Fire TV stick. But what you might not realise is that you can also download movies and TV shows to watch online if you have a Fire tablet or the Prime Video app.

Not only is this a great way to keep the kids entertained on long car journeys, but it’s also useful if you want to watch your favourite series on holiday and avoid roaming charges. You can even enjoy other shows and films by buying third-party channel subscriptions such as Disney, Eurosport Player, and Hayu through Prime Video, as well as other streaming entertainment channels.

Holly Andrews, managing director at KIS Finance, told GoodtoKnow, “To compare it to other services, Netflix can cost anywhere from £4.99 and £17.99 a month depending on which plan you choose, and this is just for movies and TV shows. With Amazon Prime, you are getting this, plus all of their other benefits, for £8.99.”

2. Deliveroo Plus

If you love treating your family to a takeaway, then another brilliant hidden benefit of Amazon Prime is you get Deliveroo Plus free for a whole year. That means unlimited free delivery on orders over £25 from your favourite restaurants and takeaways.

For those not in the know, Deliveroo Plus is Deliveroo’s subscription plan where you pay a fee to get free delivery from participating restaurants. It normally costs £3.49 or £7.99 a month depending on which plan you choose.

“Deliveroo Plus is one of the less well-known benefits of Amazon Prime,” says Ben Faulkner, marketing director at EQ Investors. “Deliveroo normally charges a minimum of £3.49 a month for Deliveroo Plus, making this a saving of more than £40 a year.” To claim this perk, activate the offer on the Deliveroo website.

3. Discount Odeon cinema tickets

If you and the kids love a trip to watch a film on the big-screen, then make sure you know about the discounted cinema tickets you can get with your Prime membership.

Each month, Prime members get an exclusive code to use at Odeon cinemas across the country. The code will get you either two standard tickets for £10, or two recliner tickets for £15, which is a saving of up to £18 depending on whether you buy adult or child tickets. Head to amazon.co.uk/odeon for your code, copy it, then go to Odeon to book your tickets. You can only use one code per calendar month, but it's a handy way to cut the cost of a family trip to the movies, or an impromptu date night when you manage to get a babysitter.

4. Prime Gaming

Your Prime membership also gives you access to free games (some of which you can keep) and free in-game content. So if your kid's love gaming, then this might be a perk they'd enjoy. But as with any online activity, make sure you know how to keep your kids safe online, and the questions to ask if your child is online gaming.

And your Prime subscription comes with a free Twitch channel subscription every month. Twitch is a video-on-demand service owned by Amazon that focuses on video game live streaming. To use it, you’ll need to link your Amazon and Twitch accounts.

5. Prime Reading

Prime members can also access over a thousand ebooks, magazines and comics every month that you can read for free on any device with a Kindle app. You can keep up to ten digital books at a time and unlike a library, there are no due dates.

And if that’s not enough of a perk, you can borrow or buy the Audible narration of many of the ebooks so you can listen to them instead, which is a great option for busy mums who struggle to find the time to sit and read a book. Prime members get a 30-day free trial of the Audible app too (an audiobook and podcast streaming service), with two audiobooks for you to keep.

Plus, through Amazon First Reads, members can enjoy early access to choose one Kindle book release each month for free.

6. Amazon Music

Another benefit is Amazon Music which provides access to 100 million songs ad-free, the largest catalogue of ad-free podcasts and thousands of playlists and stations. “If you don’t listen to music too much then this could be a good money-saving option for you rather than paying for another service like Spotify,” says finance expert Holly Andrews.

“But if you do listen to music a lot then there is also Amazon Music Unlimited. This will set you back £8.99 a month on top of your Prime subscription and give you access to 100 million songs.” You can also listen ad-free with unlimited skips and download for offline listening with Amazon Music Unlimited.

7. Try before you buy

Order up to six items of clothing, shoes and accessories without paying first. You then have seven days to decide what you want to keep and what you want to return. You only pay for what you keep.

This is really handy if you struggle to wrangle the family and get them into a physical shop where they can try things on. Just make sure you return them within the timeframe to avoid being charged.

8. Amazon Fresh

As a Prime member, you will also benefit from Amazon Fresh, a food delivery service. Enjoy free delivery on orders over £40, otherwise, you pay £3.99.

You can use it to buy your whole supermarket shop, including fresh produce, household goods and specialist brands (minimum order spend £15). You can place your order and have it delivered on the same day in one to two hour delivery slots (depending on where you live and slot availability), either from Amazon Fresh or directly from a local Morrisons store.

9. Compatibility with Alexa

Another hidden benefit of Amazon Prime is that you can shop for millions of items using voice-controlled virtual assistant Alexa, reorder things you use the most, and learn about the latest deals on Amazon. Alexa can also notify you about deliveries.

GoodtoKnow's Money Editor Sarah Handley says: "I've added items to my basket using Alexa before, and on more than one occasion, it was actually cheaper than if I'd added it on the app."

10. Prime Photos

If you're always running out of photo storage then you’ll love this hidden perk. KIS Finance’s Holly explains: “Amazon offers Prime members unlimited full-resolution photo storage plus 5GB of video storage.

“If you’re already paying for storage, for example £7.99 a month for Dropbox Plus, then moving your photos over to Amazon means you can cut out another monthly expense and save money. And if you need more storage, then you can get an extra 100GB for videos for just £1.49 a month.”

Prime Photos also allows you to share images and videos with up to five family members using the Family Vault. You can see your files on any device, and download the Amazon Photos app to back up all your content on your computer.

11. Amazon Family

New parents will especially love this hidden benefit of Amazon Prime: simply create a profile for your child or children and enjoy up to 20% off nappy and baby food subscriptions, plus personalised product recommendations and exclusive deals.

But to qualify for this deal, you have to subscribe to at least five items, which means you will need to get regular scheduled deliveries for each one.

12. Lightning deals

As a Prime member you can also benefit from 30-minute early access to lightning deals on Amazon - these are a range of offers and discounts on items which change on a regular basis.

13. Subscribe & Save

For lots of products, Amazon offers a Subscribe and Save function, where you can schedule regular deliveries of your most used purchases, for a discounted price. You choose the frequency of the deliveries, and you'll get a heads up from Amazon before the items are sent to make sure you still want them.

GoodtoKnow's Deputy Editor Heidi Scrimgeour is a huge advocate of the Amazon subscriptions that eased her mental load.

14. Amazon Household

Unlike Netflix, which has been cracking down on password sharing, Amazon is actively encouraging it by letting its Prime members share their account with friends and family through Amazon Household. As long as they have your password, they can shop exclusive deals, get free delivery, watch Prime TV shows and movies, and play games.

How do you sign up to Amazon Prime? 

It’s really easy to sign up to Amazon Prime, but before doing that make sure you take advantage of the free 30-day trial first. If you realise you don’t use it enough to make it worth the investment, you can cancel your subscription when the month is up.

Without cancelling, you will automatically be charged £8.99 a month to enjoy all the Prime benefits. But the good news is, you can sign up for a free trial once every 12 months so if you want to save money with Amazon at Christmas, or take advantage of Prime Day deals, you can just do that instead.

If you’re a student you can also enjoy a cheaper Prime membership at just £4.49 a month, plus you can take advantage of a whopping six month free trial rather than 30 days.

“Given the huge number of different features and perks compared with other subscription services, Prime is definitely worth looking into if you want to save money and cut down on outgoings,” says Holly.

If you love Amazon Prime for the TV streaming, you might also want to know how to get Disney+ for free, or how to save money on TV streaming to keep monthly costs as low as possible.

If you're a parent of a young person heading off to university, I salute you. I know only too well the combined tears and joy of this particular parenting milestone. It's undoubtedly one of the most exciting moments in a parent's life but it's also incredibly daunting. 

And when it comes to working out what your young person needs to take with the to uni and how much you need to buy, I reckon it's every bit as confusing as working out what you do and don't need when you're expecting a baby. 

Fortunately, there are a few hours left of Amazon Prime Day which is a fantastic opportunity to snag some essential items at unbeatable prices. Here, based on my own experience of packing my firstborn off to uni for the first time last year, are the Prime Day deals every parent of a newbie student should consider snapping up. 

Note that this year's Amazon Prime Day event is a 48-hour sale but the deals will end just before midnight tonight, Wednesday July 17th.

The best Prime Day deals for University students

With Amazon Prime Day almost over for another year, there's just enough time to bag yourself a bargain and turn yourself into a crafting Queen by Christmas.

Picture the scene - you could be dashing off hand-made pop-up cards, crafting your festive decorations, and even saving money by making everyone personalised custom clothing as gifts this Christmas!

Since Amazon's biggest sale of the year kicked off yesterday, we've been busy sharing bargains galore and bringing you everything from the best Amazon Prime Day baby deals to the best Prime Day toy deals. The discounts have been pretty epic this year, with prices slashed on Amazon's best-selling devices from Kindles to Fire tablets and from Ring Doorbells to wearable pelvic floor trainers. But we've just spotted this mega deal on a range of cutting machines from Cricut which crafters are going crazy for.

If you need a quick refresher on how Prime Day works before we dive into the Prime Day Cricut deals, have a quick browse of how to get the best deals on Amazon Prime day or remind yourself of all the hidden benefits of Amazon Prime membership if you've yet to join us over here in the world of Prime Day deals.

Amazon Prime Day Cricut deals

Here are the Prime Day deals that Cricut shared with us:

A leading innovator in smart cutting and crafting technology, Cricut is offering its first EVER Amazon Prime Day deal on the Cricut Joy Xtra Starter Bundle! Now under £200, it's down to £199.99 from the RRP of £249.99 but the deal will expire at 11.59pm so don't hang around if you fancy treating yourself to this or gifting it to some lucky pup. You can read my Cricut Joy Xtra review too to get the lowdown on how easy it is to set up and use, and how quickly it turned me into the crafty mum I've always dreamt of being!

Head to Amazon for more Prime Day Cricut deals or check out these highlights:

• Cricut Joy Starter Bundle - £189.99 | £159.99 Save 16%
• Cricut Maker 3 Starter Bundle £449.99 | £379.99 Save 16%

Will these Prime Day deals really expire at midnight?

Yes! Don't wait to see if the price drops lower. It won't. But they will shoot back up to the normal RRP on the stroke of midnight. You've been warned!

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is an annual sales event exclusively for Amazon Prime members. This year's Prime Day spanned two days, starting on 16th July and ending on 17th July. It’s a highly anticipated shopping event, often featuring some of the best bargains of the year on everything from electronics such as smartphones, laptops, and smart home devices to kitchen appliances, baby gear, toys and even groceries.

Like many working mums I know, my household is hectic. Between showing up for my job and raising three children — alongside keeping on top of everything from homework to a never-ending list of chores — it often feels like I'm constantly chasing my tail.

It's a full-time job to keep the house stocked with everything required by a family of five — plus a cat and a dog, because three kids clearly isn't enough work. Establishing any sort of routine for who manages which supplies seems impossible, as I've pointed out when trying to explain the mental load to my partner. Running out of essentials like cat food, toilet paper, milk, or coffee feels inevitable.

So, when a mum friend mentioned how Amazon's Subscribe & Save service had changed her life, I took notice. Intrigued, I decided to give it a try. Now, three months later, I can confidently say it hasn't just made keeping my household stocked with everyday essentials much easier. Reader, it has changed my life, from improving my skincare regime to making sure our cat no longer wakes us up miaowing at an empty food bowl after a 3am adventure.

Here's how Subscribe & Save has changed my life, plus a few cheeky Prime Day deals you could snap up if you fancy...

No more coffee emergencies

Don't judge: I can't function without my morning caffeine fix, and running out guarantees a grumpy start to my day. So I set up regular deliveries of my favourite coffee beans which means I wake up knowing there’s always a fresh supply waiting. From espresso coffee beans for particularly bleary-eyed mornings to a lighter roast for a more relaxed start on the weekend, my coffee cupboard is well stocked. 

I’ve even customised the subscription schedule to keep the caffeine coming. Smug glow. In fact, I've saved so much money by not running out of coffee and having to splirge on overpriced emergency coffee beans from my local corner shop that I reckon I might even treat myself to the Nespresso Vertuo Plus Automatic Pod Coffee Machine while there's 60% off for Prime Day...

The cat no longer starves

You know your relationship has settled into a routine when most of your texts are reminders to buy cat food. Our cat loves to roam, so it's not uncommon to wake up to her meowing frantically outside the back door after a few days of exploring. Unfortunately, we often run out of cat food when she's been AWOL for a few days, leaving us unable to feed her fast and get back to sleep.

My husband and I also used to clash over which cat food to purchase. Thankfully, those tense exchanges are now a thing of the past since I've set up regular deliveries of her favourite brand of cat food with Subscribe and Save. (Incidentally there's a whopping 42% off this jumbo box of Felix cat food for Prime Day.) 

It’s a relief knowing the cat's favourite food is always there and I don’t have to send any more less-than-romantic texts to the love of my life. Or endure any more arguments over whether she prefers Whiskas to Felix. Definitely Felix.

I've stopped muttering 'toilet rolls' to myself

Running out of toilet paper is one of those minor disasters that can completely derail the day. With five people and three bathrooms, I used to spend countless hours trying to remember to keep us stocked up, but now I've entrusted that task to Amazon. I’ve set up regular deliveries of toilet rolls (and there's 50% off my toilet roll of choice for Prime Day), so the bathrooms are always stocked. It’s one less thing to worry about, and it's surprising how much mental energy toilet paper management used up!

Guilt-free skincare arrives as if by magic

I can't be the only mum whose skincare routine could use some improvement. Ever since hitting 40 a few years back, I've come to realise that a good cleanser and daily moisturiser are essentials I can't do without. Gone are the days when a dab of baby lotion would take care of a breakout or a squirt of a dab of my favourite hand cream would keep my face hydrated. Now, deep into my perimenopause era, my skin craves proper care. Discovering the luxurious indulgence of Elemis prompted me to invest in skincare—it's my one splurge, and I blooming well deserve it.

Yet, when my supply starts running low, the guilt kicks in. Can I justify spending this much on face cream? Should I opt for something cheaper? I know, without a doubt, that cheaper products will end up being a false economy because they'll irritate my skin and I'll regret it. So to alleviate this guilt and make my Elemis splurge guilt-free, you've guessed it, I've entrusted the matter to to Subscribe & Save. Now, as if by magic, my skincare arrives just when I need it, and I am spared the pre-purchase guilt trip.

A kitchen full of dishes in the morning is a thing of the past

I can't tell you how many times I've gone to start the dishwasher after dinner, only to find we're out of tablets. By that point, I'm usually dead on my feet and already in my pyjamas, so the last thing I want to do is nip out to the shop. It's a minor inconvenience, and definitely a first-world problem, but still too much hassle. Plus, facing a kitchen full of dirty dishes first thing in the morning is surely the worst day to start the day. 

So, I’ve set up a subscription for dishwasher tablets that matches our usage. We haven't run out since, and the dishes no longer pile up like they used to. If only Amazon could so easily help solve the problem of whose turn it is to unload the dishwasher...

My favourite tipple

On those days when a refreshing G&T is just what you need once the kids are finally in bed, it's such a treat to know that my preferred brand is always within easy reach. It's Malfy Rosa Sicilian Pink Grapefruit Flavoured Gin if you care, and there's 25% off for Prime Day, btw.)

Plus, when a mum friend is having a difficult day, I love inviting her over for a cheeky sip without the hassle of schlepping to the shop for supplies. It's worth saying that Amazon Subscribe & Save has made it easy to monitor our drinking habits, too. If a new bottle arrives before the last one is finished, I take it as a sign that our efforts at moderation are paying off!

How Subscribe & Save works

Using Subscribe & Save bags you a discount on your purchase, as well as free standard delivery to the UK and Ireland on all repeat deliveries, plus the beautiful convenience of automatic deliveries. Before each delivery is due, you'll get an email reminding you about your order so you can make any changes.

It's easy to set up, as follows:

• Find an item that's eligible for Subscribe & Save
• Set the quantity and frequency for your subscription
• Click 'Subscribe now'
• Check your order details are correct
• Select 'Sign up and buy first delivery'

Although Prime Day may be over, Prime Day toy deals are still live so you have a little bit more time to bag a bargain. If you have kids' birthdays coming up, or want to get a head start on (dare I say it?) Christmas shopping, then now is the time to shop.

If you find the thought of scouring pages and pages of deals completely overwhelming, you're in luck. We've been scouring Amazon (so you don't have to) to find the best toys and games deals that you can snap up right now. We've been eagle-eyed to see if any of the toys we've loved, tested, recommended, or have on our own wish lists, have had their prices slashed.

Take a look at our curated list of the best Prime Day toy deals that are still available.

Best Amazon Prime Day toys and games deals

• Up to 32% off LEGO, including Minecraft, LEGO Friends and Harry Potter sets
• Up to 48% off Barbie, including dolls, accessories and playsets
• Up to 40% off Mattel games including Uno, Scrabble and Pictionary Air
• Save up to 30% on Melissa & Doug wooden toys
• Up to 29% off classic Little Tikes toys, including slides, play houses and Cozy Coupe
• Get up to 46% off Play Doh tubs and playsets
• Up to 50% off Polly Pocket, including bestselling playsets
• Up to 35% off Bluey toys, including puzzles, playsets and plushes

Best toy deals out there from ELC, Argos, The Entertainer and more

• The Entertainer has up to 75% off OMG dolls, board games, Barbie Play Doh and more
• Very has up to £200 off outdoor toys, slides, swing sets and trampolines
• The Early Learning Centre has up to 60% off toddler stacking toys, dolls houses and activity tables
• Argos has 25% off toys with special TOYS25 code, including Hot Wheels, LeapFrog and Fisher-Price

Mix and make toys

Baby walkers

Interactive toys

Birthday gift ideas under £20

Board Games

LEGO & construction toys

Dolls & Figures

Outdoor toys and games

Playsets

Books

When is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day technically ended at 11.59pm on Wednesday 17th July 2024, after 48 hours of discounts and offers galore. But there are still deals available right now. The discounts are exclusive to Prime members - but the good news is, if you're not already a member, you still have time to sign up for a 30 day free trial, to take advantage.

For the last couple of years, Amazon has also held a Prime Day-esque event in October, but it has not yet been confirmed whether that will happen in 2024.

Do you have to be a Prime member to shop Amazon Prime Day?

Yes you do need to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of any Prime Day deals. Exclusive access to the sale events throughout the year is one of the main perks of being a Prime member. But on top of that, there are a load of other hidden benefits of Prime that make the membership fee worth it.

You can get a 30-day free trial, even while the sale is on, and when that expires, membership will cost £8.99 a month. If you want to save a bit of cash, you can opt for an annual membership, which costs £95.

How to spot a good toy deal on Prime Day

The best way to spot a good toy deal on Amazon Prime Day is to check the price against other retailers, factoring in any delivery costs that you might incur. You can also use a website called CamelCamelCamel, to check the historic prices of Amazon products to see whether it tends to be the cheapest on Prime Day. If it is, then make sure you snap it up quickly as you might not be able to get it for this price again.

It's also worth remembering that Prime Day deals change all the time and may not be around for the whole 48-hours, so if you spot something you want, it's worth checking out asap to secure that price, rather than leaving it in your basket and hoping to come back to it later.

We share the hidden benefits of Prime to help you make the most of your membership.

Amazon Prime Day is here once again and this year brings some fantastic offers from Elvie, the British disruptive femtech brand that's shaking up health and wellbeing with a range of radical female-first technology products for women.

During Amazon's two-day sale on the 16th and 17th of July, Elvie is offering up to 25% off their award-winning products, so if you've got top-tier baby gear tastes but not an A-lister's budget, this is your moment to snap up some cutting edge parenting tech for a fraction of the usual price. It's easily one of the best Prime Day baby deals I've seen this year.

You can bag the Elvie single pump for £215.20 at Amazon, which is 20% off the usual price of £269, leaving a rather lovely £53.80 in your pocket - more than enough to treat yourself to a little something from our roundup of the best Prime Day beauty deals, perhaps?Here’s a look at the Amazon Prime Day Elvie deals:

Why Choose Elvie?

Why should men have all the fancy tech?! You've got to love that Elvie's mission is to revolutionise women’s health and wellbeing on a global scale by using radical female-first technology to create the kind of products that women want, need and deserve.

Elvie products are designed to provide comfort, efficiency, and ease of use, whether you're a new mum or a seasoned parent. Their breast pumps have won over 100 awards and are loved by the likes of Blake Lively, Kim Kardashian, and Daisy Lowe.

Let's get some real talk out the way before you buy, though. During Amazon Prime Day, it can be tricky to work out whether you're actually saving money or just being spun a clever marketing trick. Let me assure you that this is a legit deal direct from Elvie themselves. They even gave us the heads up that this deal was on its way a few day ago so that we could plan to share it with GoodtoKnow readers because once Prime Day ends tomorrow night, the price will be back to normal.

Should you buy the Elvie breast pump?

The Elvie breast pump gets a lot of interest, with a surprising number of people regularly posing the question 'Is Elvie breast pump worth it?' to the internet gods. No wonder - there's not much else out there in the world of breast pumps and this is an expensive bit of baby gear.

But listen, do yourself a favour and just trust me when I say yes, it's worth it - especially with these crack-a-lacking Elvie Prime Day discounts. I'm speaking as a mum who breastfed her three babies and who has been writing about parenting kit and baby gear for more than a decade. No other product comes close and this is hands-down (see what I did there?!) one of the best breast pumps money can buy. I say this with confidence because every single mum I've ever asked to review an Elvie product has absolutely raved about it.

As we said in our Elvie Pump review, this is the perfect pump for a busy mum who is prepared to spend a bit extra on a premium wearable design that will truly make life as a breastfeeding mum that little bit easier. We particularly recommend this breast pump if you love gadgets and appreciate excellent design. Our tester agreed, too: 'From taking this out of the box to everyday use and cleaning, it's clear that Elvie has put a lot of thought into making it as simple and hassle-free as possible. It's an expensive product but the design, ease of use, the functionality of the app, and the overall appearance of the pump make it feel like a top-notch item. It also looks great and it's truly portable.'

Founded in 2013 by Tania Boler, Elvie's team includes world-class engineers, designers and business minds committed to developing products that improve women’s lives, revolutionising categories which had been overlooked for many years, including breast pumps and pelvic floor health.

Looking for more shopping inspiration this Prime Day? Have a peek at our guide to the best breast pumps or get a jump on your Christmas shopping with the best Prime Day toy deals. 

Whether you’re a new mum in the newborn trenches or a seasoned mum navigating life with teenagers - it’s highly likely you’re very tired. We know what it’s like to function on little sleep, so here are our favourite ways to throw money at the problem.

When it’s 9am but already feels like 4pm you know it’s going to be a long day, right? And no amount of ‘take a bath’ or ‘have an early night’ well-intentioned self-care advice is going to cut it.

Mum-of-two Anna tells us; "When I'm super tired I play Doctors with my two and play the patient that can't wake up and they have to investigate. It's not much but it means I can lie down for a few minutes each day."

When we spoke with our resident expert Anna Mathur for her take on parenting burnout, she told us; “I often encounter two different causes of burnout, ‘circumstantial’, so circumstances in your life that mean you’re not able to resource yourself. Perhaps you’re juggling young children with a demanding job and limited childcare. And, ‘created causes’ where you may be trying to do too much, to too high a standard then you may experience less down-time and more frustration and self-criticism when you inevitably miss the goalposts.” The top four things that Anna recommended in that helpful article for mums to do are;

1. Cut corners and seek ‘done’ over perfect, be it muting the school WhatsApp notifications or placing boundaries around how you spend your energy.
2. Ask yourself, ‘What do I feel? What do I need?’ Next time a good friend asks how you are, challenge yourself to go beyond the ‘I’m fine’.
3. Rest rest rest. But, if that’s hard to do, consider what feels restful. Slow your movement to calm your body, or delegate some of the mental load.
4. Deep breaths and reading a book might not be as immediate a hit as a glass of wine at the end of the day, but it will be more nourishing.

I'm Stephanie Lowe family editor here at GoodtoKnow and when I became a mum six years ago, I thought it was some sort of competition ‘who was more tired than who’ both with my husband and with my new mum friends, it’s only now as I’m researching into it that I realise utter exhaustion doesn’t have to come with being a mum.

My friend Dionne, mum-of-twins and a teenager tells me; “When I take my kids to soft play I now put my Loop earplugs in. I used to feel all the mum guilt for blocking out their experience, when in reality soft play was a sensory nightmare for me that left me overwhelmed and on the edge. Since using them I think I’m a calmer mum.”

Mum-of-two, Keira agrees, she tells us; “Now when my partner takes the kids to their swimming lesson I don’t load the dishwasher or put a wash on, I sit and stare at a wall, in silence with my hot coffee. And it has made me a better mum. I have more tolerance.”

Lucy, a mum of three always felt guilty spending family money on herself before she slowly realised that that was what she was missing the most about life pre-kids, spending money on herself. “Now I make sure I have some money ‘just for me’ carved out of our family budget, so if I want the fancy dry shampoo I can without asking ‘permission’ which is just soul destroying.”

Amazon Prime Day is here, so if you were thinking of throwing money at the problem now would be the time to do it, whether it's cheap LEGO deals to get you ahead for Christmas shopping or the best beauty deals to treat yourself.

What do mum’s buy on Amazon ?

For more treat-yourself ideas take a look at our best beauty deals, our best perfume dupes and the fabulous curated edit of best gifts for new mums, you won't be disappointed.

Tick a job off your list early, and get all the back-to-school essentials you need with these Amazon Prime Day back sale - hurry while the offers last! 

The summer holidays haven't even started for most families - but back-to-school season will be upon us before you know it.  And, what better way to prepare than by snagging some fantastic bargains on Amazon Prime Day (which actually runs July 16 and 17.) From stationery to gadgets, we've rounded up the best deals that will have students of all ages excited to talk about getting back to the classroom.

Check out these Amazon Prime Day board game deals, hand-picked by our News Editor whose family loves them. There's also some fabulous Prime Day beauty deals, and we share how to get the best deals on Amazon Prime Day. 

Our news editor Lucy Wigley and her family LOVE board games - they've scoured the best offers in the Amazon Prime day sale to share their tried and tested favourites which they think are worth spending your money on.  

We love board games in our house. I have a cupboard heaving with ones that have seen so much play over the years with my two sons aged 10 and 11 - and we want to share which ones we love. Not only have these games provided hours of rainy day fun and a bucket loads of memories from being played endlessly on family holidays, they're also in the sale. 

While there are plenty of other Prime Day toy deals on offer, board games are great for bringing the family together. Hurry and grab yourselves some of the best deals on board games I know you'll love.

Best board games

For more on entertainment, check out these best toys for 6-year-olds, and cheap outdoor toys for summer. If you go away this summer, you'll need these life saver holiday toys.

With the mountains of clothes, tech and seemingly never-ending baby paraphernalia there is to buy, it's no wonder you're looking for the best Amazon Prime Day baby deals. 

Amazon's massive yearly sale has now ended. However, we've had a deep dive on the digital shelves and spotted some brilliant baby deals still available. 

This year's Amazon Prime Day event dropped on July 16th and took place over 48 hours with major deals across baby gear essentials from baby walkers and pushchairs to bottle warmers and sterilizers. There were also much-welcomed discounts on all the brands that parents love and trust, including Tommee Tippee, Maxi Cosi, Silver Cross and more.

While many of this year's top Amazon Prime Day discounts vanished in a puff of smoke at midnight on Wednesday, July 17th, there are still a handful of price slashes to know about. So, whether you're expecting a baby and planning ahead or already navigating the joys of parenthood and considering upgrading some of your kit — discover the best deals on top-quality parenting products.  

And here's a heads up: if the last two years are anything to go by, we may well see Amazon run another Prime Day event in October, ahead of the much anticipated Black Friday offering — so watch this space! 

The best baby deals available after Amazon Prime Day

• Prams & pushchairs: You can still get up to 15% off prams, pushchairs and strollers
• Baby monitor deals: Don't wait around and save up to 30% on selected monitors 
• Amazon Devices: If you're quick, you can nab up to 45% off gadgets 

Baby travel - prams, pushchairs, car seats and baby carriers

Generally speaking, there's no better time than Prime Day or Black Friday to buy a 'big ticket' item of baby gear like a pram, pushchair or car seat. You might not get the very latest models from brands like iCandy on sale for Prime Day but if you're open to suggestions, there are some cracking pram, pushchairs and travel stroller deals to pick from. While Prime Day might be over for now, a few deals are available. 

For car seats, remember children must use them until they’re 12 years old or 135cm tall, according to car set rules, and babies must use rearward-facing seats until they are at least 15 months old. Ideally, however, you should keep your child in a rearward-facing car seat until they are at least four years old because a rearward-facing seat is much safer in the event of a collision. 

Feeding: breast pumps, high chairs, bottle warmers and sterilizers

Baby feeding kit like sterilizers and bottle warmers are always cheaper on Prime Day so if you're expecting a baby, this is hands-down the best time to buy your feeding gear for a bargain price. However, we've noticed a few deals still available. 

Sleep and bedtime: cots, cribs, baby monitors

The secret to bagging a bargain when it comes to cribs, cots and cot mattresses knowing exactly what you need before you start browsing. Prime Day might be over for now, but if you're expecting a baby and kitting out the nursery, have a read of our guides to the best Moses baskets, bedside cribs and cot beds, or take a look at what's still on offer: 

Playtime and movement: baby walkers and activity toys

Popular activity toys for babies and the best baby walkers are often discounted on Amazon Prime Day. If you're expecting a baby or have a newborn you could be forgiven for thinking that it'll be ages before your little one needs this kind of item but the time will come around much more quickly than you think! Here are the deals still on offer:

Maternity and postpartum: clothing

When was Amazon Prime Day 2024?

Amazon Prime Day took place on July 16 and 17 this year.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is a 48-hour online sale that runs every year, usually in mid-July. You must have Amazon Prime membership to access the discounts - or you can sign up for a free 7-day membership and then cancel it if you only want to access the Prime Day deals. The sale extends across the whole site but there are always big price cuts on all the products that parents and families need, from everyday parenting basics like nappies, baby wipes, and formula milk to 'big ticket' items of baby gear like cots, bedside cribs, car seats, and prams/pushchairs.

How do you sign up for Amazon Prime Day?

• Sign up for a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial

New members can try Prime, for free, for up to 30 days. It's £8.99 a month after the 30-day free trial period and you can cancel your Amazon Prime membership at any time.

To take advantage of the Prime Day deals on baby products, make sure you sign up for an Amazon Prime membership. (If you don't want to pay for it beyond the free trial, don't forget to cancel your membership before the 30 days are up, otherwise, you will be charged.

If you have a smartphone, it's worth downloading the Amazon app so that you can keep track of lightning deals as these short 'flash sales' end quickly after a limited period.

How to get the best Prime Day baby deals

Amazon Prime Day baby deals are a rare chance for parents and carers to save money on all the items you need with children in your life, from the best prams and pushchairs to must-have parenting gadgets like baby monitors and breast pumps - with as much as 50% off selected baby essentials.

Prime Day is also a chance to make some mega savings on all kinds of parenting gear from half-price toys to stash away for Christmas to the next-stage car seat at a cut-price for your growing baby or toddler, but you need to sign up for Prime membership to access the sale. And if you're expecting a baby, Prime Day is the ideal time to kit out the nursery and save money on pricy items of essential baby gear such as bedside cribs, Moses baskets, and cot beds.

The last Prime Day sale before July's offering was in March 2024 and included discounts on big brands of baby gear including Mamas & Papas, Philips Avent, Tiny Love, Tommee Tippee, Fisher-Price, Silver Cross, and more, with Amazon slashing the price of popular items including car seats and baby carriers, thanks to one-off Prime Day baby deals.

Prime Day baby deals also represent a good time to think ahead and save some cash on the next bit of kit your child is likely to need. Look at deals on travel cots and travel strollers ready for future adventures with your baby, or stock up on baby sleeping bags in the next size up while prices are low. And if you settled for budget versions of items like bottle warmers or sterilizers, you might find you can treat yourself to a gadget upgrade on Amazon Prime Day for a fraction of the usual price.

Is Amazon Prime Day worth it?

Absolutely! Amazon Prime Day is a rare opportunity to snap up must-have items of baby gear and essential parenting products. From discounted car seats to the latest baby monitors, all kinds of baby gear items go on sale for Prime Day so there are some serious savings to be made - great news for anyone concerned about the cost of raising a child these days!

Amazon Prime Day baby deals: can you return items? 

Yes, you can return items that you purchase during Amazon Prime Day sale events as long as a product is unused. Amazon's returns policy is a standard 30-day period and this applies to Prime Day purchases, meaning Amazon (and most sellers on the site) will give you a full refund for items that you return within 30 days of receipt of delivery.

Looking for more Prime Day intel? Take a deep dive into how to get the best deals on Amazon Prime Day so you're all clued up for the next money-saving event or soak up tips on how to save money on Prime Day and finally, consider our view on If Amazon Prime Day is worth it.

We put the Yoto audio player (3rd generation) through its paces to see if it's worth the money, and how it stands up against other audio players out there.

If you have kids, you might already be familiar with the audio players available and even have picked a side in the Yoto vs Tonie debate. Similarly to the Toniebox (read our Toniebox review if you want to know more), the Yoto is an audio player that is designed to be operated by kids from the age of three, and encourages independent play and learning.

Stories are played via cards (about the size of a credit card), and it's got bags of extra features including a nightlight (which can double as an ok-to-wake alarm) and a room thermometer.

But with a price tag of £99.99 for the player alone - is it worth the money? Read our review to find out.

Setting up the Yoto Player

Setting up the Yoto player is really easy - it took me less than five minutes, which is very handy if you have a very eager child wanting to get the paws on it. You'll need to download the Yoto app (available on App Store and Google Play), and if you have that downloaded before you take the player out of the box, you'll be guided through the entire set up process.

You will need a plug (you get a USB charging cable in the box, but not the plug itself) and you need to connect your player to power before you start the set up process. For super fuss-free set up, it's helpful to have your WiFi password to hand too. As you're guided through the set up process, you're also asked to set up a family account (it's free) and you can add multiple players to your family account if you want. All you need is an email address and password. There is a subscription model that you can take advantage of - £9.99 per month and you can get two cards every month - but it's not a requirement in order to be able to use the player. You can buy cards individually or in sets as and when you need.

What do you get in the box?

In the recyclable box, you get the Yoto player, a charging cable and a welcome Yoto card. which can be used to point you in the right direction if you get stuck with the set-up.

Any cards or accessories, such as a protective 'adventure jacket', wireless charging dock or card case are sold separately.

Yoto Player design

Although audio players of this nature are relatively new, the design of the Yoto feels quite retro - almost the shape of an old Apple Mac computer. It's simply designed, with the main body and two orange knobs to control volume and chapter skipping. It's really intuitive where and how you add the cards, and while you do have to hold the card vertically, it doesn't matter which way round you put it in - which makes it very kid-friendly. The sound is crisp and clear, even when you reach maximum volume levels (which isn't deafeningly loud, thank goodness).

The Yoto's grey and orange colourway is eye catching, but it's worth pointing out that the Yoto only comes in one colour, unlike the Toniebox, which is available in broader range of shades. But if you are keen for some customisation, then you do have a choice of 'adventure jackets' that you can buy for your Yoto (but this is an added cost). These are flexible silicone cases that you put over the Yoto to protect it from bumps and knocks - you can choose from orange, pink, blue or mint green. I like that you can buy this additional protection, but would have liked it to have been integrated into the main unit to protect it from enthusiastic and possibly clumsy fingers.

While it doesn't have a traditional screen so to speak - you can't watch anything on it - it does have a display that, when active, shows the time and a weather graphic, or a pixel drawing of a themed character when you pop a card in. This style of graphic adds to the retro feel. I was initially concerned that this would make the Yoto unsuitable for light sensitive children when it came to bedtime, but you can tip the player forward, lying it display side down, which hides the display from view, and also activated the nightlight function (if you want it). You can turn off the nightlight in the app settings if you don't want it. You can choose the colour of nightlight, and even set it to show one colour at night and another colour in the day - a really useful feature if you are trying to teach your tiny human to stay in bed until a particular time.

It also has an integrated room thermometer which allows the parent to gauge the temperature of room the Yoto is in via the app, without having to step inside. I can see this feature being particularly useful during clammier summer nights.

You can also use the app to set volume limits for both day and night usage so you can be sure no-one is keeping anyone awake into the wee hours.

What's the best age for a Yoto Player?

The Yoto is aimed at kids between three and 12 years old, but I can see it being particularly appealing to kids from the age of six and older, as the retro design feels it holds longer lasting appeal. My Goddaughters, who are aged six and nine, both prefer the Yoto to the Toniebox. They both thought the Toniebox was a bit young for them, and they love being able to organise their card collections. They each have a card case that holds up to 64 Yoto cards.

However, my four-year-old nephew prefers the Toniebox - he loves that it comes in his favourite colour, red, and adores exploring the textures of the the Tonie audio figures.

How easy is the Yoto to use?

After a super-simple set-up process the Yoto is really easy to use. To wake the Yoto, You simply press the power button on the side of the player, and you'll hear a little chime and see a smiley face appear on the display. Then it's ready for the cards. You can have the card facing in any direction, which means younger children can play their favourite stories without worrying about orienting the card in a particular way.

To stop playback, you simply take the card out or it'll turn off automatically when the story ends (and if there is no activity).

To adjust the volume, you just turn the left hand orange knob, and you'll see a colour coded volume bar appear on the display. The right hand knob allows you to scroll through and skip to particular chapters on the cards - turn the knob to select the chapter you want, then press the knob to jump to that chapter. A detail I particularly liked when skipping through the chapters was that it's really clear whether you are skipping to a story or a song. As you scroll through the chapters, you'll see a character on the display for story chapters and musical notes for a song.

Once the cards are downloaded, (which happens automatically when they are played when you are connected to WiFi), you can listen to them anywhere without having to be connected to the internet.

You can also use blank or digital cards in order to create your own audio for your kiddos to enjoy.

What's the battery life like?

Once fully charged, you can get about 24 hours use out of the Yoto Player before it needs charging again. If a long battery life is particularly important to you, definitely opt for a Yoto - in comparison, the Toniebox battery lasts about seven hours.

How does it compare to a Toniebox?

Ultimately, the Yoto and Toniebox work in a very similar way, but they have a few key differences.

• Size: The Yoto is more compact than the Toniebox, which might be appealing if you want something a little more subtle.
• Cards versus characters. With the Yoto, stories are played via cards, which can be easier to store. The Toniebox uses Tonie audio characters that can look great on display.
• Lights: The Yoto has more lights than the Toniebox, thanks to its display, but you can place the Yoto display face down to activate the nightlight should you want it. The Toniebox doesn't have a nightlight, and any lights on it are completely covered when a Tonie character is places on top.

• Bonus features: The Yoto has a clock, nightlight and thermostat, and you can set alarms, which are really useful features - but if you don't need that, then the Toniebox may have all you need.
• Durability: To boost the durability of the Yoto player, you can buy an 'adventure jacket' to help protect it from bumps when you're on the move. Conversely, the Toniebox is covered in a layer of padding.
• Price: The Yoto has an RRP of £99.99, while the Toniebox has an RRP of £79.95. Yoto cards cost around £9.99, while Tonie characters cost around £14.99.

Is a Yoto Player worth the money?

If you want to jump aboard the audio player train, then a Yoto is definitely worth the money. It has a range of bonus features that set it apart from other players, so it does feel like you get good value for money. Its easily incorporated into a daily routine too, so cost per use is low too.

With the Yoto, there are also a broad range of extras you can buy - from the card case to the adventure jacket and wireless headphones. But this does add to the cost. However, if you buy via the Yoto website, you can add an activity jacket and wireless charging bad to your order, which works out more cost effective than purchasing them separately at a later date. You can also keep your eyes peeled for bundles, which include the player and a selection of cards, as you'll make a saving that way too.

If you want something more travel friendly, and at a cheaper price point, then you can always consider the Yoto Mini, which sells for £59.99.

Want to read more toy reviews to see what's worth spending your money on? Check out our Magic Mixies Pixlings review, or our Beast Lab Shark Beast Creator review.

As Prime Early Access deals start landing ahead of Amazon Prime Day, the first item on my wishlist is a Ring Doorbell. No, you haven't wandered from our parenting website to a tech site - this is all about capturing and sharing the everyday moments of family life as they unfold right on my doorstep.

When I spotted that the Ring Doorbell Camera is an Amazon Early Access Prime Day deal, I bit the bullet and ordered one right away. Stay with me, here. As someone who works from home, I've been slow to see the appeal of a doorbell camera. I’m pretty much always at home, so I never miss a delivery. Plus, I live in a rural part of the country where people tend to knock on the back door before letting themselves in rather than ring the doorbell. Yes, even the postman. You get used to it.

That said, I’m a huge fan of the doorbell camera videos that regularly go viral on social media. It seems every imaginable moment of family life has been captured by these humble devices, from heartwarming acts of kindness by a new mum's 'village' after the arrival of a new baby, to the sweet and funny family moments that would otherwise have gone undocumented.

Recently, we were chatting at GoodtoKnow HQ about our favourite viral doorbell camera moments. (Mine is definitely the one where a couple's neighbour captures the days leading up to their new chapter of life as they become parents, by the way.) Then, all of a sudden, out came a flurry of funny stories about moments captured on doorbell cameras belonging to our editorial team and their wider families.

Who knows whether I'll have my own doorbell camera moments to share with the world, but if nothing else, you'll soon be able to see that I'm not joking about the postman. I'm not all that into Amazon Prime Day, unlike folks who swot up on how to get the best Prime Day deals, but here are five reasons why a Ring Video Doorbell was the first thing in my basket after I browsed this year's Amazon Prime Day Early Access deals...

1. Capturing family milestones

There’s nothing like the joy of watching your little one begin to crawl or take their first steps, and most of us have dedicated hours to capturing those precious milestones on our smartphones. But what about all the other gorgeous doorstep moments of family life that aren't captured on film, like your toddler's first time scooting or cycling down the driveway? And oh, the times I could have captured my kids running out to the car when they were little to welcome grandparents visiting from far afield, which would have been automatically saved for me to cherish and share. With a teen who recently took possession of his first car, I'm a little sad I didn't have a doorbell camera to capture the moment he drove it onto the driveway or the first time he took it for a spin after passing his test.

2. Preventing missed deliveries

I know I said I rarely miss a delivery since I work from home, but there is one kind of delivery problem that a video doorbell would solve – when a certain less-than-reliable courier company claims they have attempted delivery of my latest Vinted spoils despite me being at home all day. I'd also welcome being able to check my phone when the doorbell rings and I'm in the middle of a work call. I've lost count of the times I've had to make my apologies mid-call only to discover that I've been interrupted by 76 rolls of toilet paper for the Airbnb my husband runs, which could have stayed on the doorstep until my meeting was over. (You try explaining when your boss asks if the delivery was anything nice.) With the two-way audio feature on my soon-to-be-delivered Ring Video Doorbell, I'll be able to instruct the nice loo-roll delivery guy to leave it in the porch for my husband to deal with later.

3. Monitoring arrivals

Perhaps my favourite feature of a doorbell camera is the fact that you can receive alerts when visitors arrive and greet them via the app without having to go to the door. I have two teenagers who slip in the front door at all times of the day and night, usually when I'm in bed with one eye on the clock while I worry about their whereabouts. So I love the idea of getting an alert when they're safely home instead of repeatedly staggering to their room to check on them, which risks waking the puppy. Even better, I can wish them goodnight with 'I love you, sleep well' which, I think, would help us to stay connected despite our wildly different schedules as our lives change and the kids grow up.

4. Managing unexpected visitors

From spontaneous visits from neighbours to ill-timed charity collections, unexpected visitors can really disrupt the day when you work from home. I love the thought of being able to see who’s at the door without leaving my current task. That translates to other stages of family life too; whether you’re in the middle of helping with homework or putting the baby down for a nap, you can decide whether to answer the door or ask them to come back later, all without disturbing your routine. I wish I'd had this when my kids were babies.

5. Preventing another teen house party

I'm not going to lie, this is the feature that really sold the Ring Doorbell Camera to me. When the editorial team were chatting about the merits of a doorbell camera, someone on the team let slip that they know someone who finds the activity history feature invaluable for keeping tabs on who comes in and out of the house. My mind immediately went to checking that teens are home by their curfew, or that they've actually left for college on time. I'm all for a device that will help maintain a sense of order and security in my household, ensuring everyone is where they’re supposed to be without me running up and down the stairs checking who is where.

Where this clever gadget really comes into its own is when you reach the stage of parenthood where you leave the teens at home while you go away for the weekend or even on holiday. I learned the hard way that leaving a teen home alone with strict instructions not to throw a party is ridiculously naive. (I only twigged to the shenanigans because the house was way too clean and the bins were way too empty, plus they left a rogue Courvoisier lid abandoned under the table, and who the heck drinks that!?) There's no way I'll ever leave a teen home alone again without the peace of mind that comes from knowing I'll be able to see *exactly* who is coming and going plus how long they're staying while I'm gone. Sorry kids, the party's over.

For me, a doorbell camera isn’t just about enhancing security; it’s about enhancing family life. From capturing spontaneous moments, preventing everyday hassles, and improving connection and communication in our busy, always-on household, I can see this device becoming indispensable once it's here. I plan to embrace the technology and let it help me manage and enjoy the beautiful chaos of family life on my very own doorstep.

Looking for more Prime Day shopping inspiration? Check out the best Prime Day baby deals or the best early Prime Day beauty deals to shop. Or for more first-person takes on parenthood, check out I tried the ‘romanticise your life’ social trend as a busy mum of three - here's what happened (and how to try it for yourself or Sweden's grandparent leave policy will never work in the UK. Here's why.

Beauty bargains feel like the biggest win especially if, like us, you're a skincare hound or a make-up junkie. It's the second day of Amazon Prime and the deals we've found are fabulous...

No matter whether you are shopping for perfume, make-up, or the most raved-about beauty buys spotted all over social media, Amazon Prime Day has already come up trumps for those looking to bag a bargain.

We've found some of the best deals around from the best perfumes of all time and the best long-lasting perfumes on offer. There are also deals on the best facial oils and even discounts on the best eye creams (see ya later dark circles). Plus, our pocket-friendly guide includes luxurious hair tools to help you achieve a salon-worthy blow dry and shower oils you'd find in a spa.

Amazon Prime Day kicked off yesterday and is set to finish tonight at 00:01, we've done another scour to bring you the best deals we know will make your life that little bit more glam for a little less faff. And, with bargains dropping for some of our top-name brands like Elemis, Elizabeth Ardent and Shark it'll be hard to say now. So if you're looking for a deal, stick right here. We've priced-checked each item listed below to make sure each Amazon Prime Day beauty deal is worth its weight in gold.

The best Amazon Prime Day beauty deals

Amazon Prime Day beauty deals

When is Amazon Prime Day 2024?

Amazon Prime Day will take place on July 16 and 17 this year.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is a 48-hour online sale that runs every year, usually in July. You must have Amazon Prime membership to access the discounts - or you can sign up for a free 7-day membership and then cancel it if you only want to access the Prime Day deals.

How do you sign up for Amazon Prime Day?

• Sign up for a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial

New members can try Prime, for free, for up to 30 days. It's £8.99 a month after the 30-day free trial period and you can cancel your Amazon Prime membership at any time.

If you have a smartphone, it's also worth downloading the Amazon app so that you can keep track of lightning deals as these short flash sales end quickly after a limited period.

Looking for more Prime Day intel before the big sale kicks off? Discover when is Amazon Prime Day and take a deep dive into how to get the best deals on Amazon Prime Day: 8 top tips for familiesor check out how to save money on Prime Day. Finally, find out If Amazon Prime Day is worth it.

Kids party games are a great way to get everyone involved - we've found some of the best games to play both indoors and outdoors.

Kids party games are the key memory maker - whether it's a 1st birthday party or a 13th birthday party - there's nothing better than belly laughing with your friends as you try to eat a dangling doughnut (seriously it's hilarious fun, check out #16) and chomping your way through all the birthday cake. Planning your kid's birthday party can feel a stressful and epic responsibility - you want everyone to have fun and feel included, right? Here we have researched and carefully curated our edit of the best kid's party game ideas - with high success rates among parents plus they've stood the test of time as kids keep on coming back to them.

As most parents know, kids' party game trends come and go, but these traditional party games are always a winner - most kids will get on board with these entertaining activities. And if you're unsure of party etiquette, Goodto.com's Family Editor and mum-of-one, Stephanie Lowe says; "The socially acceptable length of a kids birthday party is no less than 2 hours and no more than 3 hours, and ideally over lunch so they’re all fed too."

Kids' party games - our top 20

1. Musical statues
2. Bum shuffle race
3. Pass the balloon
4. What's the time Mr Wolf
5. Hope Little Bunnies
6. Bubble Chase
7. Simon Says
8. Musical chairs
9. Bobbing for Apples
10. Pin the tail on the Donkey
11. Tug of War
12. Piñata
13. Minute to win it
14. Water balloon toss
15. Find your partner
16. Doughnut dangle
17. Freeze tag
18. Balloon stomp
19. Jelly race
20. Tied in knots

Kids' party games can make or break your kid's day - no pressure. So, if you're not sure what to prep for, then it's worth noting that if you have a party with one other element - such as a bouncy castle or soft play set up, then you might only need two party games maximum - as it will be hard to pull the kids away. But if party games are the main bulk of the party, planning for 3-5 games is your best bet.

In this article, we break down the best games for age groups, keep scrolling to find out the best party games indoors and outdoors, from toddlers to teens.

Best deals on party favours

Party games for 2 year olds and up

Keep the games - and instructions - simple so that everyone can join in, and short. A toddler’s attention span is only double their age in minutes. I.e. with 3-year-olds, you have a maximum of 6 minutes of attention. Also, their development means they don’t really understand the concept of winning, so make sure everyone’s a winner - this isn’t a teachable moment.

1. Musical statues

The aim of the game is to stop when the music stops. A true classic, download some songs you know your audience will love (Hi, Paw Patrol theme tune). Set the rules ‘When the music stops everyone must be still like a statue. If you wobble, I’ll call your name, you’re out to come and help me watch for wobblers’. The first one to stop and stand still each time wins a small prize and then moves to the side. Continue the game until everyone has won a little prize.

Dad-of-two, Lee tells us; "I learned the hard way not to be too harsh on this one, especially if playing with under fives. Be lenient to wobbles is my tip."

2. Bum shuffle race

The aim of the game is for the players to shuffle to the end as fast as you can. Mum-of-twins, Lou tells us; “This one had my kids in fits of giggles - anything with the word ‘bum’ in it is a sure fire winner.” To play this, ask all the toddlers to sit on the floor in a line, at one end of the room - you might need an adults help to position them. And set a visible finish line at the other end of the room. When you shout ‘GO’, the toddlers have to shuffle along on their bottoms until they cross the finish line. Cheer for every child bum shuffling and crossing the line. Also be sure to hand out celebratory gifts to everyone.

3. Pass the balloon

The aim of the game is simple and fun, keep the balloons going round. As kids party games go this is a nice twist on the classic pass the parcel, with limited ‘treats’ in between each wrapper. Simply get the toddlers pass around the balloon, and play some music, every time the music stops, the toddler holding the balloon/ball gets a small prize. Mum-of-one, Shelly tells us; “The kids love this at my son’s 3rd party, be warned if you have runners, they’ll likely treat it like a rugby ball and go for a try.”

4. What's the time Mr Wolf?

What's the Time Mr Wolf? is a classic kids' game that gets everyone excited with a bit of suspense. In this younger version, go with a parent well-known to the children to be Mr Wolf. Aim of the game: Don’t get caught by Mr Wolf. Get the kids to stand with their back to the party, and the toddlers shout "What's the time Mr Wolf?" and then quickly creep towards Mr Wolf. Mr Wolf answers each question with a different number such as 3 o’clock each time.

The aim of the game is to reach Mr Wolf before they respond with "dinner time!", which signals the chase. Mr Wolf runs around and chases the kids back to the start line. Mum-of-one, Kiran tells us; “Maybe don’t try to be in ‘full character’ with a mask… it just scared all the kids.”

5. Hop Little Bunnies

The aim of the game is to listen and act. Invite the kids to listen to the song and act out the directions. Dad-of-two, Dileep, tells us; “This one was great, as all the kids recognised it from nursery.”

6. Bubble Chase

It’s pretty simple, spark up the bubble machine, and challenge the toddlers to pop as many as they can before the music stops. Be warned: if playing indoors wooden floors can get slippery if you play lots of rounds. Mum-of-one, Max tells us; “This was an accidental hit at my daughter’s party. They chased those bubbles for ages.”

Party games for 6 year olds and up

Once kids get to six years old, their brain development means they can enjoy team and more competitive games as well as wait for their turn during a game and enjoy watching others have their turn.

7. Simon Says

The aim of the game is to listen and be the last one standing. Kids may be familiar with this one. The party host takes on the role of ‘Simon’ and tells the children what they must do. When saying “Simon says….” ahead of telling the kids what to do next, they MUST do what they’ve been told. If Simon doesn’t say “Simon says…” ahead of telling them what to do next, the children MUST NOT do it.

For example, “Simon says jump up and down” The kids all jump up and down. “Wave your arms” The children should stay doing the previous activity. Any kids that get it wrong get given a sticker or small prize and are asked to watch from the sidelines. Continue until you have either a single winner or a handful of winners.

Mum-of-three, Dionne tells us; “We swapped it up and used my son’s name “Albie says” he loved it and was so confusing there were lots getting it wrong, leading to lots of laughter and squeals of ‘what?’. Was a great game to play before cake.”

Below is a list of ideas for Simon Says;

• Simon says crawl like a baby
• Simon says shout as loud as you can
• Simon says pat your head
• Simon says bark like a dog
• Simon says whisper hello
• Simon says sit on your bum
• Simon says blow a kiss
• Simon says stick your tongue out
• Simon says play pretend drums
• Simon says kick a pretend ball
• Simon says give a thumbs upSimon says imagine a smelly poo
• Simon says go to sleep
• SImon says fly your pet dragon
• Simon says jump as high as you can
• Simon says touch your toes
• Simon says play pretend piano
• Simon says lick your nose

8. Musical Chairs

The aim of the game is to be the last person in the chair at the end. Musical chairs is a great way to keep overactive kids happy. Set up chairs in a circle and play music. While the music is playing get the children to walk around the chairs, as soon as you stop the music the children must find a chair to sit on. Each time you stop the music remove one chair. If a child is not on a chair when the music stops, that child is out. Dad-of-one, Matt tells us his twist; “I created two circles of chairs so the kids had to do a figure of eight around them. It added dimension and the possibility for collision, excitement levels were high.

9. Bobbing for apples

The aim of the game is to grab an apple using just your teeth. Bobbing for apples doesn't have to be restricted to Halloween, although it is one of the most popular Halloween party games. Get a large bucket and fill it with water then add apples - simple! Blindfold the kids and get them to try to pick up the apples using only their mouths - add a timer for a competitive edge. "Just be sure to warn parents," mum-of-two Kiran tells us. "A spare change of clothes is needed as they get pretty wet!"

10. Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Pin the tail on the donkey is a simple game that will keep the kids entertained for hours. You can buy a ready made pin the tail on the donkey set or get creative and make your own. You blindfold one child at a time and get them to place a cut-out tail onto a picture of a (tail-less) donkey. After every child goes, the closest tail wins. Mum-of-three, Sharon tell us; “We did a football party to it was Pin the ball in the goal. Went down a storm.”

Party games for 8 years old and up

8-years-old is a great age for party games as they have more of an attention span for taking part in fun party games with different elements to them.

11. Tug of War

Invite your party goers to work as a team in this fun tug of war game. You will need a large bandana or ribbon to tie across the central point of the rope and something to create a line on the ground. Divide the kids into two teams. Each team grabs their end of the rope and, on the starter’s whistle, pulls the rope in unison. The first team to get the bandana over the central line wins. You can play round after round or divide the kids into smaller teams and have heats leading to a final.

12. Piñata

The aim of the game: Be the one to hit the Pinata open. Piñata is a Mexican treat that includes kids' two favourite things: chocolate and games. You can buy fun pre-made piñatas very easily or if you're feeling particularly crafty and have lots of time on your hands, make your own. They are traditionally filled with sweets and chocolates. The children are then blindfolded (one by one) and take turns hitting the piñata with a stick. When it breaks the kids are showered in sweet treats.

Mum-of-three, Lisa tells us; “I learned the hard way that Piñatas are best reserved for the age group who can give it some welly. I did it for my 5-yera olds and the adults ended up breaking it apart, for very frustrated kids.”

13. Minute to win it

This one's a bit different, the aim of the game depends on the challenge but be the first or have the most within 1 minute. Minute To Win It games are a winner. Based on the popular Minute To Win It TV game show, you challenge the kids to complete a challenge in a minute then whoever is last standing wins a prize. Remember you need to time the challenges using your phone or a stopwatch. Check out the Utube below for more ideas and here is our trio of Minute To Win It games that need minimal props.

• Keepy uppy - the kids have to keep a balloon in the air for a whole minute Make it tricky by only using feet. The ones with the balloon still up at 1-minute wins.
• Eight face - using After Eight chocolate squares, place one on the forehead of each child then challenge them to get it to their mouth without using their hands. The one who eats it first wins.
• Marshmallow collecting - Using chopsticks only, collect as many marshmallows in a cup as you can - the one with the most wins.

14. Water balloon toss

Great for warmer days and outdoor parties. Split the party into teams of two. Each pair get a filled water balloon. The aim of the game is to throw the water balloon back and forth without bursting it, each time a player catches it without bursting they take a step back - once the balloon pops that team is out. Mum-of-two Sarah tells us; “I learned to bend my knees as I caught them softened the blow and came second place.” The last team still playing wins.

Party games for 10 years old and up

Party games for 10-year-olds need to start having more of an edge now as these kids can be too cool for school - they love intense challenges and junk food.

15. Find your partner

As party games go 'find your partner' is a great way of breaking the ice at the start of the party, as it gets nervous kids talking to one another. Write down the names of famous pairs (Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Tom & Jerry etc) on individual stickers and hand them out to the children. Then instruct them to find their 'other half' whoever finds their partner fastest is the winner. Mum-of-three, Lisa tells us; “I made it a little harder and put the stickers to the kids' backs and get others to describe their character to them. They then have to guess who their character is.” Below is a list of potential pairs you could use;

• Mario & Luigi
• Tom & Jerry
• Micky Mouse & Minnie Mouse
• Wallace & Gromit
• Buzz Lightyear & Woody
• Pinky & the brain
• Pooh & Piglet
• Anna & Elsa
• Beauty & the beast
• Lady & the tramp
• Lilo & stitch
• Timon & Pumba
• Batman & Robin
• Spongbob and Partick
• Bluey & bingo
• Chase & Ryder
• Bart & Lisa

16. Doughnut dangle

The aim of the game is to be the first to eat their doughnut without using their hands. Tie a length of rope above head height between two trees or poles. Thread a piece of ribbon through the hole in each donut and then tie the ribbon to the rope so that the donut is hanging just above mouth level. On a start signal, each player tries to eat their donut – no hands allowed.

17. Freeze tag

The aim of the game, ‘it’ must tag ALL other players keeping them frozen. One player is chosen to be ‘It.’ It chases the other players and when they touch a player, that person must freeze and remain frozen until another untagged player tags them to unfreeze them, they then may re-join the game. The game is played until all players have been frozen and then a new It is chosen for the next round.

18. Balloon stomp

It's simple, the aim of the game is to be the first to burst your balloon. Have guests take off their shoes before playing. Each player will need an inflated balloon tie to a short piece of string and then tied around one ankle. On ‘go’ players attempt to stomp on (and pop) each of the other balloons, while trying to protect their own – no hands allowed! The last person with an inflated balloon tied to their ankle wins.

19. Jelly race

A fun and messy aim of the game is to be the first person to save the toy from their jelly without using their hands. This is a great 'last game of the day'. The day before, make individual bowls of jelly with a LEGO person in each one. With their hands behind their backs, the kids have to race to get the person out of the jelly using only their mouths. The first one to produce their LEGO person is victorious.

20. Tied in knots

The aim of this game is that the birthday boy or girl has to untangle their guests without breaking links. Tell the birthday boy or girl to leave the room, then get the rest in a circle, holding hands. Now, without breaking hands, the children have to tie themselves into the most complicated knot possible by turning around, stepping over each other’s arms, going under arms etc. When they’re ready, the birthday boy or girl comes back to unknot them, again without breaking any links.

21. Egg toss

Aim of the game is to be the pair furthest away and still catching the egg. Now, we're not gonna lie, unless you want it to get very messy we recommend boiling the eggs. You’ll need one egg per pair. Then pair players up and have them toss an egg back and forth to each other. Each time the children both catch it, they take a step backward and continue. The team that can catch their egg with the furthest distance between them, within the allotted time, wins! "This one is fun, but keep it short and sweet," Dad terry tells us. "The kids can lose interest pretty quickly, and make sure you get the adults cheering them on."

Prizes for parties

Kids love anything to be fair, as long as they get to choose it themselves.

Mum-of-four, Sandy tells us; “I find it’s best to have a huge variety of prizes to hand when hosting a kids' party. Stickers make great choices, a range of superhero and animal ones, and also check out the party aisle at the supermarket for some fun plastic games, such as puzzles.

How can I make my kids birthday party more fun?

Kids are easily pleased, no, really they are. And what one kid thinks is fun another might not. Music is always good to have on, maybe ask parents to share some of their kids' favourites, or the teacher what they listen to at school/in assembly.

Mum-of-one Steph tells us; "I found out by chance that my son's class song was 'Eye of the Tiger' when I put that on it was amazing how it warmed all the kids up straight away and kicked off the fun."

If you have budget for it, face painting is always good. And, if you don't have the budget for it, then get a simple tattoo station on the go... pick up some cheap water transfer tattoos and set up a table - the kids will love it.

If you're looking for more birthday party inspiration we have oodles of ideas for easy crafts you could crack out or maybe check out these 72 activities to entertain kids and for younger members of the family we have 1st birthday parties.

Video of the Week:

With Amazon Prime Day almost upon us, it's time to give some thought to what's worth snapping up when the online retailer flings open its virtual doors for its epic annual deals day. 

It's almost time for Amazon's biggest sale of the year and the perfect opportunity for parents to snap up some great Amazon Prime Day baby deals on all kinds of kids' stuff and parenting gear plus household essentials for the whole family. You can expect savings on everything from baby gear essentials including prams and baby walkers to discounts on the best kids toys and even deals on treats like the best perfumes of all time and items that would make perfect gifts for new mums. Amazon hasn't officially announced the date yet but (whisper it) our money is on a date in July - check back here for the lowdown as soon as we know.

This year, it's pretty much guaranteed that Amazon will slash the price of its best-selling kids' devices, just like last year. We've covered Prime Day sales for years and they've always included major deals on everything from Kindles to Fire tablets for kids. But we've just spotted this limited-time deal on the latest model of the Echo Dot Kids smart speaker and you'd be wise to snap it up before time runs out.

Heads up - it pays to do some prep for Prime Day, whether that's familiarising yourself with the hidden benefits of Amazon Prime membership or brushing up on how to get the best deals on Amazon Prime day.

Current deals on Amazon Echo Dot Kids

Amazon has an epic limited-time deal on the Echo Dot Kids Edition already, ahead of Prime Day, making this a brilliant item to buy now and pop away as a gift for Christmas or an upcoming birthday.

Here's the early Prime Day Echo Dot Kids Edition deal we spotted:

What is the Echo Dot Kids Edition?

The Echo Dot Kids Edition is a smart speaker for kids based on Amazon’s best-selling Echo Dot smart speaker. It comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ which grants kids access to thousands of hours of child-friendly content including Audible books and educational apps and games, plus children can use it to ask Alexa to help with homework, read stories, play music, and more. It also comes with customisable parental controls for peace of mind for mums and dads - it won't divulge swear words or anything that's not safe - and there are a range of cute, playful designs for kids to choose from.

Will there be Prime Day deals on other Amazon kids' devices?

Yes, Amazon traditionally slashes the price of all its devices on Prime Day and we're confident they'll do the same again this year. Here are some of the Amazon devices for kids that we're expecting good deals on for Prime Day 2024:

• Echo Dot Kids Edition: With Amazon's smart-speaker for kids, youngsters can ask Alexa to help with homework, read an Audible book, stream music, and much more. 
• Fire Kids Tablet : Available in Fire 7, Fire HD 8, and Fire HD 10 versions, this children's tablet offers access to thousands of apps, games, videos, and books, plus it comes with a kid-proof case and a two-year guarantee.
• Kindle Kids: An e-reader for children with access to thousands of books and Audible content that enables parents to set reading goals and track progress.

Should I buy the Echo Dot Kids Edition?

Should you buy one? Yes, the Echo Dot Kids Edition is an excellent addition to any modern kid's room and the best smart speaker for kids that money can buy, in my view. Plus who doesn't love the idea of a new device that DOESN'T mean yet more screen time?!

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Prime Day is Amazon's exclusive shopping event for Prime members. The sale usually lasts for 48 hours and features thousands of deals and discounts on all sorts of products and top brands. The first Prime Day was held in 2015 as a way to mark Amazon's 20th birthday. 

We take a look at the best educational Tonies you can get, and why they make perfect additions to any Tonies collection.

If you're new to the world of Tonies, Tonies are handmade magnetic characters, filled with stories, facts and songs - to play them, you simply sit them on top of an audio player called a Toniebox. You can read our Toniebox guide to understand all the benefits of this kind of toy, or you can take a look at our in-depth Toniebox review to see if it's the right choice for your family.

If you've decided on a Toniebox, then you'll need to buy some Tonies to play on it, but with more than 700 available, it can be hard to know where to begin. We'd definitely recommend taking at look at the most popular Tonies as a starting point, and keeping up to date with the latest Tonies to see what's new. While some Tonies are designed for entertainment purposes, there is a growing number of educational Tonies that kids will love too. To curate this list, we've not only called on our extensive product knowledge, but also a personal experiences and the first-hand opinions of kiddos we know and love.

9 educational Tonies to help your child learn about the world around them

How are Tonies educational?

All Tonies are designed to support your child's language development, encourage independent play and learning, and boost their imagination, but there are a selection of Tonies that are specifically designed to be educational as well as entertaining. And the topic selection is broad - in terms of both subject and age suitability. Some cover facts and figures about fascinating creatures (past and present), others will focus on historical figures and civilisations, while others will teach your children about other cultures from around the world. With the recently launched Blippi Tonie and the new Learn with Peppa audio character, even three-year-olds can get in on the education action.

What's really great about Tonies is that the hand-painted figures are really detailed - adding a great visual cue to accompany the audio tracks.

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We rounded up some excellent tractor toys that are sure to satisfy any tiny tractor enthusiast, and help with their development at the same time.

My nephew is four years old and has been obsessed with tractors since he was 18 months old. I thought this was just because his granddad is a farmer, and had probably spent more time on a farm than most during his lifetime. But when I was researching the best toys for 18 months olds and the best toys for three year olds, toy tractors kept cropping up, demonstrating that it's not just a quirk of my nephew. There are so many great tractor toys out there too - perfect for sensory play, imaginative play and fostering problem-solving skills to boot.

And so we've compiled this list of excellent tractor toys, with options suitable from 12 months, using our extensive product knowledge and real life experience, as well as taking into account popularity, product ratings and reviews on various retailer sites.

12 excellent tractor toys that are perfect for toddlers

Why do kids love tractor toys?

Studies show that from the age of about 18 months, many children can develop an 'intense interest' in a certain concept, and that it can have many benefits for their cognitive development. You might notice your child becoming increasingly interested in dinosaur toys, for example. But they could just as easily develop an intense interest in tractors, diggers, trucks and other large vehicles.

GoodtoKnow's sister brand The Week investigated why kids are obsessed with large vehicles of this nature and found that these kinds of toys hold a special kind of appeal during a child's sensorimotor development stage, where they learn about the world through their five senses, and so toys with moving parts, like wheels, that are brightly coloured, and make sounds are all incredibly engaging.

Additionally, they might have seen real-life tractors while outside of their home, or seen them on TV in shows like Tractor Ted, and be fascinated by their huge size, loud noises, or unusual movements - and so being able to have their very own version that they can hold in their own hands can be a useful catalyst for pretend play and creativity.

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Every month, there are a slew of new Tonies to add to your collection - here we highlight our favourite of the newbies to help you narrow down which ones to buy.

Tonies are hand-painted magnetic characters filled with themed facts, stories and songs. To listen, you, or your little one, will need to pop the Tonie character on top of the Toniebox audio player. If you are new to the world of Tonies, read our Toniebox review to see if its the right option for your family.

But once you have one, thoughts will likely turn to building out your collection of Tonies. Starting with a selection of the most popular Tonies is a good shout, or if your child is yet to start school, you might want to pick from the best Tonies for preschoolers. However, it's also useful to keep abreast of the newest releases to see if there is something that you know your child will just love. These are the latest Tonies to be released, including a slew of absolute nostalgia classics, and why we think they would make a great addition to any collection.

Latest Tonies to add to your collection

How much do new Tonies cost?

Newer Tonies have an RRP of £14.99, but you might be able to find some brilliant Tonies that have been out for a while for a little bit less than that - Tonies has a sale section on its website, where you can find Tonies for £12.99. Or you can buy additional Creative Tonies (where you can upload up to 90 minutes of your own audio) for £11.99. Remember though that you do get a Creative Tonie when you buy your Toniebox.

If you really want to expand your Tonies collection for less, you could always buy Tonies second-hand, or swap with friends and family, especially if their child has outgrown something that would be perfect for your own. But you need to make sure that that it isn't marked as 'Mine' in the previous owner's MyTonies account - if it is you won't see it in your MyTonies account (although you will still be able to play it on your Toniebox).

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We put the Toniebox and various Tonies through their paces to see if they are worth the price tag, and to gauge just how easy they are for kids to operate.

If you're new to the world of Tonies, then you might be wondering what a Toniebox is and how it works. Essentially, it's a wireless, screen-free audio player that is designed to be operated by children. It's got no sharp edges and features padded sides, so it can withstand the most enthusiastic of operators. It comes in a variety of eye catching colours that kids will adore too. Audio is played via magnetic figurines called Tonies, which sit on top of the Toniebox.

Read our review to find out if the Toniebox is the right audio player for you.

Setting up the Toniebox

The Toniebox arrived well packaged (it's all recyclable too, which is a big tick in the plus column) with everything you need for a successful set up. You get the Toniebox in the colour of your choice, a charger, instructions and a Creative Tonie that can be used to upload up to 90 minutes of your own audio.

The set up process took less than 10 minutes and the instructions are really easy to follow. In fact the instructions are surprisingly minimal, which made me nervous initially, but where the paper instructions leave off, the app instructions took over. You will need to register a new free account on the website or on the mytonies app, which is available in the App Store and on Google Play.

You will also need access to your emails to complete the registration process, and you will need to be connected to WiFi and have your WiFi password to hand. If you are buying this for a child in your family, it's a wise move to set it up first so that your child can hit the ground running.

Toniebox Design

I'm testing the bright red Toniebox because I'm a good aunty and red is my nephew's favourite colour. It's a rounded cube shape (not a sharp edge in sight), and it's got a layer of foam padding around all of the sides, so it feels really sturdy. The audio comes out of a speaker on one side of the cube, not all, and so it feels pretty intuitive as to how you should hold it to hear the audio in the best way. There is also a headphone socket on the top where you can attached wired headphones.

The Toniebox has two different sized 'ears' on the top, next to the magnetic panel where the Tonies are attached. The only lights on the Toniebox appear on this top panel, which is great if you are planning on incorporating this toy into a child's bedtime routine - no one needs a flashing light show just before bed!

It also has a circular dip on the bottom, which is where the charger fits - this is a cool feature and it keeps it sturdy even when it's charging.

What age is best for a Toniebox?

The Toniebox is aimed at children aged three and over. My nephew has just turned four and came to mine to take part in my 'storytime experiment' (also known as testing the Toniebox).

Initially, he was more excited about the Tonie audio characters I have, including Highway Rat and a Dinosaur, both of which were super recognisable to him. But when I showed him what happened when we put the figurine on the top of the Toniebox, that was even more exciting. By the time he went to bed, he was confidently turning on the Toniebox, swapping over Tonies and adjusting the volume.

For more advanced actions, like rewinding or fast-forwarding, or skipping chapters, a child of that age will need to be shown, but I have no doubt they will pick it up quickly, tiny sponges that they are.

How easy is a Toniebox to use?

Once you've completed the initial set up, and you've got a Tonie to play with, then Toniebox is really easy to use - and you'd want it to be, especially when one of it's main selling points is that it can be operated by a child.

To turn the Toniebox on, you pinch one of it's ears, and then you'll hear the start up music, then you just pop your chosen Tonie on the top, and it starts playing automatically. If you take the Tonie off, stopping play, and put it back on, it will start again from where it left off, but if you play a different Tonie in between, or the Toniebox turns off, the Tonie will start back at the beginning.

To stop the audio, all you need to do is remove the Tonie audio character. There's no need to switch the box off - it turns off automatically after 10 minutes. It'll also turn off 10 minutes after the end of a Tonie's audio tracks, so there's no need to worry about it running all night. By tilting the Toniebox to one side, you can fast-forward or rewind the audio track (and you can use the mytonies app to select whether you tilt it left to fast-forward or right, which I thought was a very cool feature).

To adjust the volume, you pinch the bigger of the Toniebox's ears to turn it up, and the smaller ear to turn it down. I really liked that the maximum volume was limited, and you can even reduce this further in the mytonies app.

You can also tap the sides of the Toniebox in order to skip to the next or previous chapter of the audio, but it does feel like you have to tap it in a very specific place, with a specific force in order to skip - it took me a couple of goes to successfully skip in the direction I wanted to.

For a child's opinion, I roped in my nephew, Max, who has just turned four. And it was a resounding thumbs up from him. He loved having a really good look at the audio characters and was excited about the ones he recognised. For Max, he was most engrossed in the stories when he was away from other distractions, so it was perfect for him when it came to bedtime. He was really happy to listen to it independently too.

Some Tonies encourage interaction by asking questions of the listener, and you might find your child is more likely to interact if you join in too - this was definitely the case with Max, and might be because of his age.

While the Tonie is great for independent play, it doesn't have to replace the personal interaction and story time that you might already have in place before your child goes to sleep. But it's a great additional to resource to help them hone their listening skills, learn new things and bring on their language development. And you can absolutely listen to it together if you want to enjoy some quiet time with your little one.

Another thing that's great about this Toniebox is that it's portable. Once it's set up, and the audio files from the Tonie figures are downloaded on to it (this happens automatically when you place the Tonie on the Toniebox when you are connected to WiFi. You will see a flashing blue light underneath the Tonie as it downloads, and once complete, the light will go green), then you no longer need to have a WiFi signal in order to listen to the audio.

Recording your own audio using the Creative Tonie

A really cool feature of the Toniebox is the ability to record up to 90 minutes of your own audio using the Creative Tonie, that comes with the box as standard. You can record your audio using the mytonies app and assign it to your Creative Tonie - it look me a couple of attempts to figure out how to assign my recording to the Creative Tonie, and a little while longer to figure out how to get it to actually play through the Toniebox. But once you've done it once, it's easy to replicate.

This process definitely required grown up input, but I know more than one child who would love to record themselves and hear their own voices back!

This functionality can also be really helpful if you are having to spend some time away from your child - being able to leave a recording of your voice, reading a bedtime story or repeating the phrases you say before your child goes to sleep, for example, could help to settle your child at bedtime, even if you are not there.

What's the Toniebox battery life like?

When fully charged, the Toniebox battery lasts for up to seven hours, but how long it actually lasts will depend how you use it and at what volume. Seven hours might not seem very impressive, especially when we are used to our grown up devices like smartphones and tablets lasting much longer. However for younger children with shorter attention spans, this is probably less of an issue.

When Max played with it, he played with it multiple times during the day, listened to it at bedtime, and then listened to some more stories the next morning before it needed a charge.

Which is better - Toniebox or Yoto?

Tonies aren't the only screen-free audio device out there - there's also the Yoto, which works in a similar way, but instead of figurines, the Yoto works with card-style audio files.

Both devices are portable and kid-friendly and are similar prices. The Yoto boasts an impressive 24-hour battery life, while the Toniebox battery will last up to 7 hours. You can also get a Yoto player than comes with additional features, like a built-in room thermometer, night light and an ok-to-wake clock.

But ultimately it comes down to what you need and potentially, which one your child has spotted. If you need a room thermometer, nightlight and clock, then it's worth buying the Yoto, but if this would be doubling up on what you already have, then you might choose the Yoto.

I personally love the Tonie audio characters - they are so intricate, instantly recognisable, and add a bit of visual flair to the screen-free experience. I also think seeing the characters helps to spark the imagination. But for our Family Editor, Stephanie Lowe, the Yoto might just have the edge - you can read her Yoto vs Tonies comparison to find out more.

Is the Toniebox worth the money?

I think the Toniebox is absolutely worth the money - within minutes, it had my four-year-old nephew entranced, and it was brilliant come bedtime. Even if you just by the box and have the Creative Tonie, you can record your own stories (then delete and record more, if you go over the 90-minute limit). You can also find a load of free audio files in the mytonies app, which you can load on to the Creative Tonie.

When it comes to the audio characters, it could easily become expensive to build up a collection of Tonies, but at the £15 mark, it's a perfect price point for gifting, so you can always let friends and family know if there are some Tonies your little one is looking to add to their stash.

When the Prime Day sale is over, you could save a bit of money initially by buying your Toniebox as part of a starter bundle, which will give you the box and a selection of Tonies, for less than buying them all separately.

Want to read more toy reviews to see what's worth spending your money on? Check out our Magic Mixies Pixlings review, or our Beast Lab Shark Beast Creator review.

With more than 700 characters available, it can help to know what the most popular Tonies are if your child is starting their own collection.

If you're new to the world of Tonies, they are hand-painted magnetic characters filled with facts, stories and songs, that sit on top of an audio player called a Toniebox (if this is all sounding very jargon-heavy, then make sure you read our guide to what is a Toniebox for a beginner's breakdown on all you need to know). You can also read our Toniebox review to see if the audio player is the right choice for your family.

A good starting point is a Tonies starter bundle, where you can get the player and a selection of popular Tonies - some bundles have a set variety of Tonies, while if you create a bundle on the Tonies website, you can choose your own. But which Tonies should you pick? Here we explain which are the most popular Tonies to help you make the right choice.

11 most popular Tonies (plus one we predict will be a bestseller)

To determine this list of the most popular Tonies, we analysed the Tonies that feature on the bestselling lists on the Tonies website, as well as other major retailers including Amazon, Very, John Lewis, and Smyths. The most popular Tonies are all suitable for preschoolers from age three.

If you're looking for Tonies for older children, there is so much choice available. From Tonies based on iconic Roald Dahl characters, like The Enormous Crocodile or Matilda (both suitable for age six and upwards), to educational Tonies like the Nat Geo Kids Astronaut, suitable for those from five years old, there really is a Tonie for everyone.

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With more than five million sold worldwide, what is a Toniebox, how does it work, and why do Tonies make great toys for kids? Here's everything you need to know.

While you might already been up to speed on this year's top toys, Tonies are a newer breed of toy that claims to have 'changed the way young children play and learn independently with its child-safe, wireless and screen-free approach'.

GoodtoKnow's child development expert, Dr Amanda Gummer, says: "Audio devices such as Tonies, with their engaging audio content and interactive storytelling offer a unique blend of both entertainment and education which makes them an ideal choice for stimulating young minds and enhancing language development." As such, we have included Tonies in our guide to the best toys for six year olds, although they are suitable outside of this age range too - they're perfect for children between three and 10.

If you want to dip your toes in the water, you can get a Tonies starter bundle which gives you everything you need, or you might want to weigh up Yoto versus Tonies, or read our Toniebox review, to see which audio player is right for your child.

What is a Toniebox?

A Toniebox is a wireless, child-friendly audio device, that promises to help kids play and learn independently. The Toniebox has no hard corners and is covered in a layer of foam, so it's soft and a bit squidgy. As well as being safe for kids to operate, it's also robust enough to withstand the most eager of tiny hands.

To play stories and songs on the Toniebox, you will need to buy Tonies - these are hand-painted, magnetic characters that sit on top of the Toniebox. More than 72 million Tonie figures have been sold so far, and there are more than 700 Tonies available, including The Gruffalo, and recognisable characters from the world of Disney, Roald Dahl and more. The stories and songs included on each Tonie are themed to that particular character, and have running times of anywhere from about 15 minutes to an hour.

Tonies can also be downloaded on to the Tonie box, so it can be listened to when away from a WiFi connection. An adult will need to complete the initial set-up, but then it's really easy for little hands to operate. Just pop the chosen Tonie on top and it will start playing automatically, the volume can be adjusted by squeezing the grey ears on the top of the box, and tracks can be skipped by tapping the sides. Easy peasy!

Each Toniebox comes with a 'Creative Tonie' which offers 90 minutes of recordable space so you can record your own stories for your kids to listen to, and there's an easy to use app, which comes with more than 10 hours of free songs and stories.

Benefits of a Toniebox

Tonies offer a range of benefits to children from encouraging independent play (which let's face it, is also a benefit for parents) to supporting their creativity.

Offering a screen-free alternative for children who might be more used to listening to or watching stories on a smartphone or TV, Tonies can support a child's language development through storytelling, which encourages them to develop their spoken language skills and use their imagination.

The robust design of the Toniebox doesn't feature any sharp edges, and offers easy operation for kids. When a Tonie is placed on top, the audio starts automatically, and the volume can be adjusted by squeezing the 'ears' of the audio player. This gives children a sense of autonomy, allowing them to play with it unaided.

There is a large range of Tonies to choose from, to suit a variety of ages. They're interactive and as well as fostering spoken language development, Tonies can also include fun-facts that relate to the stories, meaning kids aren't just playing with a Toniebox, they're learning too.

The Toniebox itself is also available in a variety of bright colours, which kids will love. Child development expert Dr Amanda Gummer adds: "I love the Toniebox’s ability to captivate children's imaginations with engaging storytelling. Each Tonie character contains carefully curated stories, songs, and educational content can foster a love of learning."

How much does a Toniebox cost?

For a Toniebox, you can expect to pay around £80, but you might find that certain colours are cheaper than others, although not by much. When buying a Toniebox for the first time, you might decide to buy a bundle instead, which includes the Toniebox and a selection of popular Tonies. You can buy ready-made bundles from the likes of Very, Amazon and Smyths. If you want to create your own bundle, then you can head to the Tonies website and use their Bundler tool. You can choose the colour of your Toniebox, and then pick a bundle to include either three, five or seven Tonies.

Once you have your Toniebox, then individual Tonies cost around £15, or you can buy Tonie bundles that offer better value for money. For example, this four character set of Disney characters costs £46.99 at Amazon, but if you bought the characters individually, at £14.99 each, it would cost £59.96, which is almost £13 more expensive. So you're essentially getting one Tonie for free when you buy them as a bundle. Similarly, this Julia Donaldson character bundle, containing three Tonie figures (Stickman, Highway Rat and the Gruffalo's Child) costs £39.99 on Amazon, which works out as about £5 cheaper than buying them individually.

What age is appropriate for a Toniebox?

Tonieboxes are aimed at children between ages three and 10, but the Tonies you choose may be more age-specific. Between the ages of three and five, stories can have a big impact on your child's language development, and studies have shown that involving children in storytelling can also help boost their memory, encourage a interest in learning, reading and writing as well as fostering cognitive skills.My nephew is four and loves his Toniebox - within minutes of receiving it, he was operating it by himself, swapping out the Tonie characters and adjusting the volume. He regularly takes it to bed with him and listens to it after his parents have read him a story.

By the age of six, when children may be becoming more independent, and potentially more interested in screens, Tonies are a great way to encourage them to enjoy some scree-free time. According to the Tonies Steps of Storytelling guide: "At this age, children can become a little reluctant to read together with their parents or independently, particularly if they are becoming increasingly keen on gadgets with screens or other games.

"Audio players, such as the Toniebox, can also be hugely helpful in helping reluctant readers, exposing them to a variety of words as part of their daily routine. Even repeating the same Tonie over and over can help them to understand the story more and to remember new vocabulary. Making this a fixed part of their day, such as before bedtime, can also be a great way to bond with your child and relax them."

How do you play with a Toniebox?

As the Toniebox is so easy to play with, children may play with it as and when they feel like it, but it can be helpful to create a bit of routine around when it's used and how. For example, by incorporating some Tonie-time before bed can help to relax your child and get them ready for sleep, and even help them sleep better. With a whole range of educational Tonies available too, the Toniebox can be a tool to help encourage independent learning, which can help set kids up well for school.

The fact that it's wireless, also means that the Toniebox is perfect to take in the car to keep little ones entertained on long car journeys. You can even buy Tonies headphones, like these from Amazon, so your little one can enjoy their own stories and songs, while you can enjoy something different. But to be sure you can play the Tonies without WiFi connectivity, you'll need to make sure they're downloaded onto the Tonibox - here's how.

Do you have to be connected to WiFi to listen to a Toniebox?

Once a Tonie is fully downloaded onto your Toniebox, you can listen to it without being connected to the WiFi, which is great if you plan on taking it with you on long car journeys to keep the kids entertained.

However, you will need to be connected to WiFi in order to set up your Toniebox in the first place, and in order to download a Tonie on to it.

Can you listen to Tonies in the car?

Yes you can listen to Tonies in the car - once the Tonie characters you want are downloaded on to the Toniebox, you can listen to them without needing to be connected to the WiFi, perfect for when you are on the move. You might choose to invest in some Tonie's headphones for your little one, so you can listen to something else through the car speakers if you want to.

How long do Tonies play for?

How long a Tonie plays for will depend on the specific character, but could be anywhere from just over 15 minutes to just under an hour. This might sound short, but considering they are designed for kids with shorter attention spans, this is actually the perfect length. You can always check the track list and running time of the Tonie before you buy to make sure it's suitable for your and your child's needs.

When it comes to the Toniebox itself, once fully charged it should play for about seven hours before it needs charging again.

Do Tonies need batteries?

You don't need to buy batteries for your Toniebox - it comes with a rechargeable battery inside. So while you won't need to replace the battery, you will need to charge it regularly. One full charge will get you about seven hours of play time. You get a charger in the box, so you just need to sit the Toniebox on top of the charger while it's plugged in to a wall socket.

You don't need batteries for the Tonie characters either, they will start playing automatically, as soon as they are placed on top of the Toniebox.

Do you need a Toniebox carrycase?

If you want to take the Toniebox and Tonies on the go, or simply want to keep things tidy at home, then it might be worth picking up one of these storage bag options.

Alternatively, you could opt to display the Toniebox and Tonies on the wall and make a real feature out them. You can buy specific shelving units that are perfect for a budding Tonies collection, such as this wooden version from Amazon.

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With five million Tonieboxes and 58 million Tonies sold between 2016 and 2022, there's no denying the appeal of these audio devices. And if you are keen to jump on the bandwagon, then a Tonie starter bundle is a great way to kickstart your collection.

If you're fresh to the world of Tonies, here's a quick lowdown. Tonieboxes are screen-free and wireless audio devices suitable and simple enough for kids age three and over to operate themselves. They help to encourage children to play and learn independently and can foster language skills too, especially when used from an early age - check out our picks of the best Tonies for preschoolers. To play character-themed stories and songs, you'll need Tonies, which are hand-painted magnetic characters that sit on top of the Toniebox. There are more than 700 Tonies in the collection, with the most popular Tonies including fan favourites from Peppa Pig, The Gruffalo and Disney.

Before buying, you might want to weigh up Yoto versus Tonies to see which audio box is right for you and your child, or read our Toniebox review to see if they really are worth the money. But if you settle on Tonies, then we've found some great bundles to get you started, including some brilliant bargains.

Is a Toniebox bundle good value for money?

When you consider that the Toniebox (which comes with the creative Tonie as standard) is £79.95, and each Tonie character is roughly £15, then it's relatively easy to work out whether a bundle is giving you value for money or not. You can maximise value for money by buying a bundle if you see it on offer.

For example, if you bought a Toniebox and three audio characters separately, it would set you back just under £125. However, at the time of writing, you could buy a bundle including the same products for just over £86 on Amazon, which is a saving of about £39 (which could be put towards another couple of Tonies, with money left over).

GoodtoKnow's Consumer Editor and mum-of-three Heidi Scrimgeour adds: "Buying a Toniebox is a decision you’ll probably want to take a bit of time to think about, because it’s a fairly hefty amount of money to part with when you’re new to the world of screen-free devices for kids.

"As I've had a Toniebox for years, I can happily say this is an investment that’s worth every penny. As well as the device’s storytelling features, it also encourages interactive play and comes in a super durable format that even the most rambunctious toddler can’t easily destroy - I’ve lost count of the number of times ours has been dropped, including once down the stairs!

"When it comes to the long-term benefits of owning a Toniebox, it’s easy to see that it ends up offering excellent value for money. I like to think of value for money in terms of price-per-use. If you use a Toniebox every day even just for a couple of years (and we used ours for many, many years) then it’ll effectively only cost you a few pence per day, all things considered. Much cheaper than an audiobook subscription or buying new books to read over the same period of time. Add all the ‘extra’ functionality, like the option to record your own stories and build your collection of Tonie characters as your child’s interests change and develop, and it’s clear that a Toniebox is a worthwhile investment in screen-free educational entertainment for your child."

For more screen-free fun for the little ones in your life, you might also like the best dinosaur toys, these mix and make toys or this year's top toys.

We put the Beast Lab Shark Beast Creator playset to the test, with the help of a very enthusiastic (and curious) four year old.

Unleashed on the British public at the tail-end of 2023, Beast Lab is an immersive playset, where players conduct a science experiment to create a beast to help save the world. One of a raft of mix and make toys making their way to the market, Beast Lab is aimed at those aged 5 and over, and is easily one of the best toys for six year olds, but it's appeal is broader than that, if my four-year-old nephew's reaction is anything to go by.

There are a couple of variations of the Beast Lab set available in the UK (more on that later) - we tested the Shark Beast Creator set for this review. Following the experiment's instructions, we would 'create' one of two shark beasts - either the Havoc Hammerhead or Mayhem Megashark. All sounds pretty fun so far. But to really ramp up the excitement factor, the playset features a range of captivating sound and light effects, as well as a cloud of incredibly cool 'bio-mist'.

And when the experiment is over, the posable shark beast is ready for battle, with it's killer moves, light-up pandemonium crystal core and ferocious battle roar.

With an RRP of £89.99, the playset includes:

• Experiment chamber
• Electronic shark beast figure with weapon accessories (with batteries included)
• A beaker
• A one-time-use experiment kit, with a fizzing 'fossil fragment', oozy 'attack serum', dissolvable paper 'skin scraping', fizzing 'roar rocks' powder, and a fizzing 'pandemonium crystal'
• Instruction manuals

Beast Lab packaging and set up

The Beast Lab playset is mostly packaged with cardboard which is recyclable, with the exception of a couple of plastic pegs, cable ties and packaging around the experiment ingredients. Make sure you check all of the cardboard before you throw anything away, I almost missed the beaker that was hiding in what looked like a cardboard support to keep the playset stable in transit, and it's a crucial part of the experiment, so it would be a shame to lose it.

There are four plastic pegs securing the playset to the base of the packaging, and some were easier to remove than others, and the cable ties securing various parts of the chamber were also a little tricky to remove - they were quite thick and tightly attached, so it wasn't all that easy to remove them with scissors

You'll also need to make sure you have six AA batteries and a small Phillips head screwdriver to hand - you'll need to add them to the base (while it is upright) before starting play.

If you want to maintain the mystery as to which Shark Beast is included in your playset, try to keep the chamber level once you've removed the sleeve, revealing the green liquid - if you tilt it, you can just about identify which beast you have.

Design

When it comes to design, Beast Lab definitely has the wow-factor. It's colourful, engaging, with a hugely mysterious element, and that's before you even turn it on. Once you start the experiment, the playset becomes really immersive and a treat for the senses, there are flashing lights, sirens, roars, and magical mist.

What's great about the design of this playset is that it is a lesson in delayed gratification, as players have to complete a series of tasks before the beast is revealed.

It's also relatively mess free - the instructions advise you place it on a tray for easy clean up, but we didn't actually need that during our tests. The only time there was any mess, was when the chamber was turned upside down to refill the green liquid contained in the chamber, ready for repeat play. Even with the lid on tight, some liquid from the experiment leaked out the top, so I wouldn't say it's a water-tight lid. Just if you make sure you empty the liquid from the experiment out first, and hold it over a bowl or sink when refilling the green liquid, then you'll easily catch any dregs.

What's it like to play with Beast Lab Shark Beast Creator?

Once we were ready to play, it was all systems go. Sound and light effects start as soon as you flip the power switch into 'Creation Mode'. Then you press the finger print scanner, before adding an ingredient to the chamber. Then when the heat dial flashes, you turn it one position, and, repeat the steps until all the ingredients have been added, the heat dial reaches red and the sirens sound.

The instructions are really engaging - they don't just say to add the ingredients, they really buy into the storytelling which will engage a players imagination perfectly. For example, when instructed to add the 'fossil fragment', which is shaped like a shark tooth, the instructions explain that 'this tooth fragment is the core building block of the Beast and determines which species you create.'

About half way through adding the ingredients, the mist starts to appear, which was hugely exciting for my little nephew and assistant toy-tester. It's really atmospheric, especially when you start to hear roaring sounds too. Once all the ingredients are added, you hear a new siren sound, which means it's time to screw the chamber lid on tight and pull down the emergency level to drain the green liquid and reveal the beast. The first time we did this, the liquid only drained about half way, which was a bit disappointing, but it was still fun to see the beast appear. (When we ran the experiment a second time, the green liquid drained all the way, and that's a really dramatic reveal.)

Can you play with Beast Lab more than once?

You can definitely play with Beast Lab more than once, but unless you want to buy a refill pack for the experiment ingredients, you might have to get a bit creative.

We ran the experiment with just water, and you still get all the mist, sirens and the drama of the beast's reveal. You could also add 'ingredients' from your garden, like a stick, pebble or a leaf, but bear in mind that whatever you use might affect how easy the top part of the chamber is to clean between uses. You could even get your little one to draw some ingredients on paper and laminate with clear sticky tape to give them a bit of longevity when immersed in water. The mist will eventually run out, but when that happens, you get a replacement mist in a refill pack, which promised to last for at least 50 mist reveals).

Once you have revealed the beast and the green liquid has drained from the chamber, it's really easy to refill. Simply turn the chamber lid upside down (make sure you've emptied the experiment remnants first) and press the green button - keep it pressed as the green liquid fills up again, ready for the next reveal.

The only part of repeat play that I found challenging was getting the beast back into the chamber after my nephew had been playing with it for a while. I'm sure there is a knack to it, but the knack definitely evaded me for a good 10 minutes.

Can you buy refills for Beast Lab?

Yes, you can buy refills of the ingredients you need to redo the experiment as you did the first time. You can pick the refills up for around £13 from the likes of Very, Smyths, and Argos. The refill packs include the ingredients for two different experiments, as well as a replacement mist that can support more than 50 additional mist reveals.

The refill pack allows you to conduct a Pandemonium Blade Experiment, where your child attempts to stabilise the beast's rage with more fizzing and oozing ingredients, and a Blade Fusion Experiment, that will give the beast a new weapon to add to its arsenal.

Value for money

Beast Lab is an excellent and engaging toy, but with a recommended retail price of almost £90, it's not cheap (although at the time of writing, it was available for £44.99 so if you want to buy it, check various retailers to see if any of them have it on offer). If you're happy to get creative with the experiments when you've used the ingredients on the first play, then it's good value for money, but if you want to buy the refill packs regularly, then it could prove an expensive pastime.

Batteries for the chamber aren't included, which adds to the cost too, making it even more worthwhile checking for sales and discounts before you buy.

Is Beast Lab worth it?

From a play perspective, Beast Lab is undoubtedly worth it, it's engaging, immersive and wildly entertaining. Even beyond the chamber, the beast itself is really fun to play with too.

When it comes to the price, it's worth the money too, as long as you are prepared to get a bit creative when it comes to repeat play. As long as the mist function still works, you can get away with not buying the refill packs, and if it's the same component that's in the refill pack, you should get at least 50 misty reveals before you need to replace it.

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With 67 million Tonies sold, there's no denying the popularity of the kids' interactive audio system. If you're not sure what Tonieboxes are and how they work, once you have the Toniebox base, you need Tonies, hand-painted magnetic characters, which are brimming with character themed stories and songs. Tonies make great gifts and you'll often find them recommended in toy guides, like in our best Peppa Pig toys roundup.

Tonieboxes are wireless and screen-free audio devices that help children to play and learn independently, as well as developing their language skills making them perfect for pre-school age kids. With a whole host of recognisable characters they'll love, including The Gruffalo, Peppa Pig and their favourites from Paw Patrol, it's a super engaging way for them to play, while learning at the same time. If you're considering buying one, make sure you read our Toniebox review first.

And now there's a brand new Tonie on the block - Blippi! With his educational videos adored by little ones, Blippi has taken the world by storm, amassing a legion of tiny fans along the way. And now, kids can join Blippi on an audio adventure on the Toniebox.

Lucia Kreuzer, General Manager for Tonies UK, says: “Blippi has been one of our most-requested Tonie characters ever and now the wait is over for our excited little listeners. We are sure Blippi will quickly become one of our bestselling Tonie characters – let the Blippi adventure begin!”

You can buy the Blippi Tonie directly from the Tonies UK website, for £14.99, but we can't yet see it for sale at that price from the likes of Amazon, Very, John Lewis or Argos. However, it's available on Amazon, but at a much higher price point, so right now it's not great value for money from the online giant.

6 best Tonies for preschoolers

If Blippi isn't your bag, or you want to build out your child's collection, we've shared out top picks for Tonies that are perfect for pre-school age children.

Tonieboxes are easy enough for kids of all ages to use, with more than 700 Tonie characters and stories available to suit a variety of ages and interests. The Yoto audio system offers a similar experience, and if you're not sure what the differences are or which might be better for your child, we've compared the two in our Yoto vs Tonies guide.

For this age group, you might also be interested in the best dinosaur toys, the best toys for 3 year olds or the best Frozen toys.

Not only are the best stacking and nesting toys fun for your little one to play with, they are also a critical part of your child's development. These types of toys are some of the best toys for six to 12 month olds, and not only help your child to develop their hand-eye coordination, but also foster spatial awareness and problem-solving and help to improve your little one's understanding of size and shape too. Gripping the blocks will also give fine motor skills a good workout, and in the case of textured blocks, can be a great form of sensory play too.

Child development specialist Dr Amanda Gummer explains: "Activities such as building blocks, rattle play, exploring toys with levers and push buttons can enhance skills of grasping and manipulating, especially when there are different sizes, textures and shapes to explore." She adds: "You can stimulate a baby’s curiosity with interesting things to see and hear whilst playing. Brightly coloured toys and images hanging from cots or on floor mats will all help encourage creativity and provide simple entertainment for little ones."

While your child might start playing with stacking toys from about six months old (although, remember that all children develop at different rates), these toys can easily keep kids entertained well into pre-school age.

We've picked the best stacking and nesting toys available to help you buy something suitable for your child. As we commit to sharing more sustainable products, we've also included lots of wooden stacking toys in the list too. We've also got great options if you want something more design focused, before your little one gets enamoured with more garish plastic toys.

15 best stacking and nesting toys for babies and toddlers

Why are stacking toys so good for babies and toddlers and why do they love them so much?

There are multiple complex reasons why children love stacking and nesting toys so much, from the skills they promote to the sensory experience they provide, as well as how the bright colours or characters that make up the design are so engaging for children from a young age.

According to a study, until they are two years old, children explore objects in increasingly complex ways. While initially infants might explore a single object, as they grow, they start to explore objects in relation to other objects - which is key to their cognitive development.

Stacking and nesting toys are also brilliant for developing a child's fine motor skills as they practice grabbing and using pincer movements to pick up the pieces, and their hand-eye coordination as they try to stack or nest the pieces together. This can also help your child understand sequencing and the size or colour of objects in relation to each other. Child development specialist Dr Amanda Gummer agrees, saying: "Stacking cups or blocks allow babies to practice grasping, stacking, and knocking down which promote hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness."

Another study from the University of Kent found that toys like this can help to bring on a child's linguistic skills, as the shapes and patterns are easy for a parent to articulate to a child. The research says: 'A child must be able to understand easily and clearly what a parent is referring to for vocabulary acquisition to proceed smoothly... This will be especially the case when a toy has multiple parts and if the intended purpose of the toy is to do something with the parts in a specific sequence, such as stacking ring or nesting block toys. For example, if there are four blocks or rings that are part of a toy, being able to refer to each block or ring in a clear manner will be helpful to both the parent and the child.'

Stacking and nesting toys can also be a key part of an infant and toddler's sensory exploration thanks to the colours, textures and sounds they embody. Dr Amanda Gummer adds: "Babies at this age love exploring different textures to stimulate their sense of touch and encourage sensory exploration... vibrant colours and high-contrast patterns capture attention and aid in visual development."

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Industry experts have selected the best kids toys 2024, and it's a remarkable list of products that have been (or will be) released this year. Lots of them are out already, while a few are slated for release later in the year.

If you're looking to get ahead and bag this year's top Christmas toys for the kids in your life while they're still in stock, now's the time to do it. But choosing the right toy can be a minefield. There new toys being released all the time, making it sometimes feels impossible to keep up to date with all the newness. And on top of that, you might be overwhelmed trying to choose between active and passive toys, or getting your head around the types of play that your child needs to support their development. Luckily, that's where we come in.

Revealed at The Toy Fair on 23 January 2024, an independent panel of retailers had sifted through more than 330 upcoming toy releases to find their absolute hero toys of 2024, and the final list did not disappoint. Unveiled by presenter, broadcaster and mum-of-two Anna Williamson, the team at GoodtoKnow was lucky enough to be among the first to see this year's hero toys line up, with new and upcoming releases featuring the likes of Peter Rabbit, Paddington, Harry Potter and more from companies like Orchard Toys, Playmobil and Just Play.

Take a look at the list to get ahead and start generating ideas for upcoming birthday and Christmas presents for the little ones in your life.

The Hero Toys line up has something for everyone, including games and puzzles, plush toys and collectibles as well as arts and crafts, outdoor toys and licenced toys too. With many families still feeling the pinch from high living costs, the Hero Toys list also has a focus on affordability and great value for money. Prices start at £4.99, and more than half of the toys are priced under £25.

Parents will also get a kick out of the nostalgic toys on the list, include the 50th anniversary retro Rubix Cube, available now on Amazon, and the Paddington in a Phone Box soft toy.

Presenter Anna Williamson voted the Magic Adventures Binocular Camera, as her top Hero Toy for 2024 saying: “As a mum of two I am always looking for ways to entertain my children for longer periods of time that doesn't just involve a tablet and YouTube! Engaging with my kids during play is so important, and finding a toy that is also subtly educational, lasts more than five minutes, and is interesting for them is a win-win. The 'magic adventures binoculars camera' is the perfect 'Hero Toy' to aid and encourage children’s curiosity of nature and the world we live in, particularly when the environment is such a hot topic in schools now.”

Reflecting on the exceptional lineup of Hero Toys at this year's Toy Fair, Rebecca Deeming, Communications & Events Manager at the BTHA, says: "Toys that offer multi-generational play have always been popular with families, as they allow for children to bond and learn with their parents and grandparents. At a time when cost is a continuing concern for many households in the UK, toys that can bring a family together for entertainment and offer a cost-effective way to make memories, have fun, and learn together are becoming more popular, and many of this year’s selection of Hero Toys offer this."

In other news, these millennial toys are a huge dose of nostalgia and the nation's favourite children's books have been revealed.

I originally reviewed the Melissa & Doug Fresh Mart Grocery Store for a newspaper article on the best toy kitchens for kids a few years ago, and it remains the best toy my children have ever played with. 

I sing its praises for one reason - because no other toy has ever come close to keeping my daughter engaged for as many happy hours of imaginative play as this did. It was our saving grace during the Covid lockdowns, doubling as a place for me to lean while I drank a cuppa and she pottered around, playing independently. It's a toy she never tired of and, truth be told, she bitterly regrets that we passed it down to a younger family friend a while ago, even though at ten years old she has definitely outgrown it. She still talks about this toy often, all these years later, and we both remember it fondly. 

In one of the best toy deals I've seen this Prime Day, you can get the Melissa & Doug Fresh Mart Grocery Store for £153.39 at Amazon, which is the cheapest I've ever seen and a whopping 41% off the usual price. It's still full price over at Very. Is it madness to admit that I'm considering snapping this up and popping it away for the future grandchildren I one day hope to have?!

As a parenting journalist I've been writing and reviewing toys for over a decade. I love Melissa & Doug toys because they spark children's imaginations and encourage creative roleplay whilst also still being robust and durable. I have featured Melissa & Doug toys in many of our toy roundups over the years, so you can imagine my delight when I spotted this Prime Day toy deal at Amazon.

As a shopping editor and mum of three, I'm choosy about the toys I suggest and only recommend items that hold my children's attention - which not all toys do. (As the mother of two boys and a girl, toys have to withstand a lot of action in my house.) A well-crafted free-standing wooden grocery store, it's impressively robust and can withstand even the most high-energy play dates. Friends who came to visit were drawn to playing with the Melissa & Doug Fresh Mart Grocery Store and invariably had be dragged away from it at home time. It's an excellent toy for several children to play with together, with lots of space for more than one child to roleplay being a customer while another plays the shopkeeper, but my daughter also loved this for hours of quiet, independent play. 

And if you're a parent who admits to hating playing with their child, this is one of those toys that fosters the kind of imaginative play that you just can't help but want to join in with.

When we reviewed this wooden grocery store, I found that my daughter particularly enjoyed using the conveyor belt to move items along just like she had seen the cashier do in the supermarket, and it's very easy for children to operate manually. She literally spent hours doing this.

What really stands out about this toy is the attention to detail compared to other toy kitchens or shops. Not only is it much more robust than similar toys but it also has thoughtfully designed extras - she loved using the beeping handset to scan items of shopping, along with swiping the toy bank card as well as using the cash register and playing with toy money.

I highly recommend buying the Melissa & Doug Fresh Mart Grocery Store Companion Set too as the set contains an impressive range of more than 70 shopping accessories that my daughter never tired of playing with. It's reduced from £34.99 to £20.49 for Amazon Prime Day, saving you 41% off all the accessories your child could possibly need, including an apron, plenty of play food items to stock on the grocery shelves, and a bag for packing groceries. 

If you're a regular Amazon shopper, you will probably already be aware of Amazon Prime Day - its annual sale that is exclusive to Prime members.

While there are lots of ways to save money when shopping with Amazon year round, its two-day sale event offers a great opportunity to bag a bargain, including a whole host of Prime Day baby deals that are perfect for new parents, and Prime Day toy deals that your kids will love.

You are probably familiar with how the sale works - a couple of days of ever changing bargains, exclusive to Prime members. But, it's not always clear cut as to when you actually get the best bargains. Especially when Amazon has other sales throughout the year, including a Prime Day-type sale in October and Black Friday at the end of November. If you need help finding the real bargains, then we've got bucket-loads of tips on how the get the best deals on Prime Day.

Is Amazon Prime Day worth it?

Whether Amazon Prime Day is worth it will ultimately depend on a few factors. If you spot a discount on something you would have paid full price for, then its definitely worth it. Plus, it's a great opportunity to stock up on gifts you might need throughout the year at a fraction of the price (although bear in mind you will need to find a place to store your purchases). It can also be a good opportunity to stock up on consumables - everything from bulk washing tabs to nappies.

If you've got a baby on the way, or are a new parent, GoodtoKnow's Consumer Editor Heidi Scrimgeour says Prime Day could be well worth holding out for if you can: "Is it worth parents holding out for Prime Day to bag a bargain bit of baby gear? Honestly, that might be the silliest question I’ve ever heard. It’s only NOT worth it if you bathe in £50 notes and have no need interest in saving a few quid. Absolutely everything that parents could possibly need to buy is price-slashed at some point during Prime Day so you’d be mad to miss out.

"You can save on everything from all the pricey gear you budget for like prams, pushchairs and car seats to all the little essentials that soon add up, like nappies, wipes and even baby food and formula milk.

"My top tip is to think about what spendy bits of baby gear you're going to need over the next 12 months. The next category of car seat for your growing tot? A travel stroller for next summer's holiday? If you've got the storage space, nab them during Prime Day and pop them away until you need them. And don't forget to think about Christmas and birthday gifts for little ones - Amazon's kids' devices are brilliant and always a mega bargain on Prime Day."

If you're planning to stick to a budget, it pays to be mindful and come up with a wish list of things you actually need. To get the best deal, it's also a good idea to be flexible on some of the specifics - certain colours of a particular product may be cheaper than others, for example. But only if it's not going to bother you. If it is, then it will be a false economy.

Remember, there will be some great deals available on Prime Day, but there will also be some deals that aren't so great. So, make sure you know how to tell the difference.

How to check if you are getting a good deal

• Shop around: Check other retailers before you buy to see if they are offering your chosen item at a cheaper price. Remember to factor in any delivery costs.
• Check the price before the sale starts. Start looking at prices now, then when deals drop, you can see what kind of discount you're really getting.
• Check price histories. Use website CamelCamelCamel to see the Amazon price history of your chosen product. You might find that something is actually cheaper at a different time of year, and you may choose to wait until the price drops further.
• Make sure you are a Prime member (or have a 30-day free trial) when Prime Day starts

What is the advantage of Prime Day?

While Amazon has deals available all year round, the advantage of Prime Day is the sheer number of deals available on the online giant's site compared to the average day. Deals on some products are likely to be the largest they will be all year and it's an opportunity to stock up on gifts, treats and essentials while the prices are lower. I test and write about toys a lot in my job, so believe me when I say I understand how expensive it can be to buy pressies for kids that they'll love. Even more so when you're kids go to the parties of other kids, and you need to buy presents for them too. Prime Day is the perfect to stock up on some toys at a fraction of the price, to ease the cost burden throughout the rest of the year. As well as percentage discounts, you might also find more special promotions during Prime Day, like getting one free when you buy multiples, so keep your eyes peeled for those.

It's also a great perk of being a Prime member, as these discounts are exclusive to those who pay the monthly or annual membership fee (or those who are in the midst of a free trial).

Is there anything worth buying on Prime Day?

Our experience of covering Prime Day offers in the past means we've got a pretty good sense as to what kind of discounts we can expect. Amazon devices like Echo smart speakers, Fire Sticks and Fire tablets will likely see large discounts, as well as big name brands including Philips, Oral-B, Shark, Tommee Tippee, LEGO, Tonies and more.

While Prime Day is an exclusive Amazon sale, that's not to say that you won't find bargains at other retailers during the same timeframe. Keep your eyes peeled for deals at large retailers like Very and John Lewis, as well as independent retailers through the likes of Not On The High Street and Etsy.

GoodtoKnow's Family Editor Stephanie Lowe likes to look for treats for herself when it comes to Prime Day: "My money goes on my family all year round, new school shoes, holiday savings, tennis lessons blah, blah blah. And even at Christmas I don't do well out of it because I'm so distracted sorting Christmas out for everyone else, I don't 'direct' my husband properly and end up with generic 'I didn't know what you wanted' gifts. So, I wait for Amazon Prime Day so I can get the true 'spoil me' items. The last great bargain I got was the Ulike laser hair removal with £40 off. The year before that was my gel nails kit - I like having a manicure and having smooth legs, i dislike going to get a manicure and a wax. So yeah, for me Prime Day is birthday and Christmas rolled into one. My top tip is to set up a notification on your wait-listed or watched deals so you don't miss out."

How do I know if something will be cheaper on Prime Day?

In most cases, you won't get advanced notice of the items that are going to be discounted, until the sale starts and the discounts are applied, but it's unlikely that brand new items will be heavily discounted. However, when it comes to Lightning Deals - short term discounts that are around for hours rather than days or until the stock runs out - Amazon tends to give you some warning. It'll highlight upcoming deals, as well as the time they start, and you can set alerts in your account so you are notified when the deal starts so you don't miss out.

How many sales does Amazon have a year?

Amazon usually has a minimum of two sales a year, its 48-hour Prime Day sale in July, and it's Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale at the end of November. Prime Day has taken place each year since it was first launched in 2015, so 2024 will be its ninth year.

There could also be another Prime-Day style event taking place in October, if the last couple of years are anything to go by. In 2022, Amazon held a 48-hour sale called the Early Access Prime Day sale in October, and it was seen as a precursor to its big Black Friday sale. The October sale returned in 2023, although it was called Amazon Prime Big Deal Days instead. While the names might change, they are in essence a Prime Day sale - 48 hours of exclusive discounts for Prime members. It has not yet been confirmed whether the October sale will take place again in 2024 - but we'll keep you posted as soon as we know.

Should I wait for Black Friday instead?

Whether you should purchase something on the Prime Day or wait for Black Friday, depends on how desperately you need it and what your research tells you. If you see a deal on Prime Day at a price you are willing (and can afford) to pay, then it's worth snapping it up, as there is no guarantee that you will get the same offer again come November. Plus, if you plan on holding off until Black Friday, and then find you can't wait that long, then you may find yourself paying full whack for something you could have got in the sale.

However, if you've used a tool like CamelCamelCamel, and found that the item you want is historically always cheapest at the end of November, and it has been for the last few years, then it may be worth holding fire. But it's a gamble - there is no guarantee that will be the case again when November rolls around.

Our experts

If you're not already a member, you can sign up for a free 30 day trial to take advantage of all the Prime member perks (including Big Deal Days and other hidden benefits of Amazon Prime, like free Deliveroo Plus) for the duration of your trial (just remember to cancel it when the trial ends if you don't want to pay the monthly or annual fee).