Top Ten Budget Toys 2009
David Smith lists the best budget toys to hit the shelves this year…
Gold Tooth’s Getaway
This great little set from LEGO lets youngsters build two vehicles and race them around with the two minifigures onboard. Gold Tooth and Agent Swipe are priced around £8.80, and you get a free gold statue thrown in as well!
Jungle Jimbles
Manhattan Toy’s Jungle Jimbles are gorgeous cuddly toys that any child will be happy to snuggle up to. Standing a substantial 20cm high, there’s enough choice to fill a zoo, with giraffe, zebra, gorilla, elephant, tiger and hippo characters to choose from (although Lario the lion, pictured, has to be our favourite). Priced around £7.80 each.
Playmobil Shark Diver
Quite why anyone would want to lower themselves into the sea and let sharks and eels swim up to them is beyond me, but you can’t deny that it would get the heartbeat racing, even inside a safety cage. This colourful set recreates the thrill without the accompanying risk of being eaten and it is priced around £9.99.
Automoblox Minis
The new Automoblox Minis to launch this year are just as beautiful as the larger models, but they only cost around £8.99 each. Measuring 10cm long, you can build up a collection and then mix and match components from different cars. Pictured is the S9-R mini sports sedan.
Streetz Car Collector Pack
As well as the bigger sets in Mega Brands’ Streetz range, you can also pick up this seven-car Collector Pack for around £7.99 (that’s just over a pound per car!) The cars can be enjoyed on their own or added to other Streetz sets.
PlayMais
The arts and crafts sensation is a simply brilliant construction toy as well, inviting kids to get imaginative by sticking the pieces together to make animals, vehicles or anything that takes their fancy. You can get started for as little as £4.99 for a basic pack, crammed with the colourful corn-based pieces.
Top Trumps Guide to Gogo’s Crazy Bones
This cleverly combines two crazes in one product. Your little Gogo’s fans will love to be able to play a Top Trumps game featuring 30 of the cute plastic collectibles. Priced around £3.99 (and might we also recommend a packet of Gogo’s to accompany this – priced at just 99p?).
KeyTweens
Bandai’s KeyTweens are 8cm high and can be pulled apart to make new characters. Four dolls are available, at around £4.99 each, while Adventure World and Princess World variations (each coming with a special pet) are still budget-friendly at around £7.99 each.
Dangerous Book for Boys Science Discovery Kits
The stunning boxes for these sets are almost worth the price alone. Open them up, however, and you’ll be rewarded with a range of science experiments from Interplay. Each kit is priced around £5.99.
Go Go Hamsters
One of the biggest crazes of the year, Character’s Go Go Hamsters are artificially intelligent and love to go exploring. There are four characters to collect, each priced around £9.99.
Read our other Top Tens for 2009:
Top Ten Educational Toys 2009
Top Ten Girls’ Toys 2009
Top Ten Preschool Toys 2009
Top Ten Boys’ Toys 2009
