10 best toys for Christmas: From Furby Boom to Hexbug Nano

From Furbys to robotic puppies, there are lots of fun, innovative and educational toys in the shops this year. Kate Hilpern picks the ones the kids (and big kids) will love

1. Furby Boom

These electronic, robotic creatures are back with a whole new generation of designs ready to irritate adults nationwide. The list of things you can do with them is astonishingly long, including tickling them, talking to them and feeding them with your finger. There’s also a free app you can use to name your creature and monitor its wellbeing.

£49.99, argos.co.uk

2. Doc MacStuffins Doctors Bag Playset

This play set includes eight glittery and sparkly essentials to treat poorly house members or friends during role play. These include a doctor’s bag, thermometer, syringe, bandage cuff, sticker sheet and doc’s magical light-up stethoscope.

£12.99, toysrus.co.uk

3. LEGO City Coastguard Patrol

There’s a couple stranded in a sinking dinghy and three sharks nearby. Launch the submarine and helicopter from the boat to get there fast. Like all LEGO City products, half the fun comes with the building of it.

£59.99, shop.lego.com

4. Hexbug Nano V2 Hurricane

Originally released in the US, these tiny, micro-robotic creatures have become a huge sensation over here. Using the physics of vibration to climb up and down multiple layers of tubes, hexbugs will have an impressive habitat to explore with this 51-piece set.

£34.99, thetoyshop.com

5. VTech Innotab 3S

This is a versatile tablet that’s both educational and fun for kids aged three and above. There’s an impressive range of software and a new, exclusive communication application whereby kids can send photos, pictures and voice recordings through both tablet-to-mobile and table-to-tablet communication.

£99.99, vtechuk.com

6. Flying Fairy by Flutterbye

This magical fairy really does appear to fly gracefully, guided only by your hand. Suitable for children aged six-plus, it is easy to control and comes with a stand for charging and launching. Don’t forget the six AA batteries to avoid a disappointed child on Christmas morning.

£23.89, amazon.co.uk

7. Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapid Strike Blaster

Adults and siblings take cover. Aimed at children aged 8 upwards, it fires at an impressive rate of 3.2 darts per second. What’s more, each blast sends darts up to a whopping 23m (75ft). It’s lightweight and adjustable.

£24.49, johnlewis.com

8. Peppa Pig’s Theme Park Balloon Set

You’ll be hard-pushed to find a pre-schooler who doesn’t love this bossy cartoon pig who enjoys jumping in muddy puddles. So you can’t go too far wrong with this play set, in which kids guide Peppa through the kiosk to buy her ticket to go on an exciting balloon ride.

£20, tesco.com

9. Robo Fish Bowl

Not too keen on the idea of getting your children pet fish? With these no-hassle pets, you just drop them in the water and watch them come to life. The realistic swimming motion is almost spooky and there are lots of fish to collect. This set includes the bowl and two fish.

£16.99, smythstoys.com

10. Teksta Robotic Puppy

Robotic creatures are taking pride of place at the top of many a child’s Christmas list and these puppies, which interact with you in a range of ways including voice commands and hand gestures, are particularly popular among all ages.

£60, very.co.uk