Give the gift of non-stop fun, whether your children are arty or outdoorsy...
The start of a new school year brings plenty of birthdays, so after you?ve bought the new pencil case, PE kit, lunchbox and everything else the kids need, you can move onto the more exciting stuff. Present-buying ideas are no problem ? Chad Valley has a fantastic choice of toys, gifts and games that are sure to be a hit at playtime.
Its huge range of 400 toys means you have plenty to choose from to inspire and spark children?s imaginations for an action-packed playtime.Whether children love outdoor play, learning something new, or making up epic stories, any one of these Chad Valley toys will make you a brilliant gift-giver? and the birthday girl or boy the happiest kid ever!
So when you wrap up their present, you know it?ll bring them endless fun ? at a birthday party with all their friends and for months to come, too.
Soften up: Children love to cuddle a furry friend, so you?ll find plenty of plush pals for them to snuggle up to and take with them everywhere they go. Big or small, they make great gifts for kids.
Little learners: The best educational toys are those that make sure kids are having fun while they?re learning. Great gift ideas for a birthday star include a learn-to-tell-the-time clock, great for helping them understand numbers, and a magnetic learning desk that?s just the thing for helping to expand a creative mind.
Action stations: Who wouldn?t love to create their own mini world? From rescuing people in peril to jolly adventures on the high seas, inspire an active imagination with toys perfect for story-telling and creating an exciting cast of characters.
Love these toys? See what else Chad Valley has on offer at argos.co.uk/chadvalley. Prices may vary and items are subject to availability.Promotional Feature
Multicoloured Bear
Every child should have a favourite teddy bear, and this rainbow-bright character is sure to be a contender. At a metre tall, he?s a life-sized huggable friend who makes the perfect colourful companion ? he can be carried round during the day or cuddled up to at night. He makes a brilliant first bear as he?s even safe for young babies, so your child can grow up with him. Complete with soft, squishy feet, big floppy paws and a cheeky grin on his snout, we think he?s just paw-some.
Buy Multicoloured Bear £19.99 from Argos
Long-arm Monkeys
Meet the primates who make the best mates. Perfect for the naughty little monkey in your life, these pink or purple snuggly soft toys have arms that are long enough to hug your kids back. Children can wrap these flexible friends them around themselves, tie their legs and arms in knots and have great fun while monkeying around in the jungle. There?s no twist in the tail ? their happy, smiling faces, squidgy bodies and equally long legs mean they make cheery companions for any child.
Buy Long-arm Monkeys, £9.99 each, from Argos
Magnetic Learning Desk
The perfect on-the-go learning and creativity companion, this smart desk comes in its own carrycase and is filled with plenty to keep a budding genius occupied. As well as 36 magnetic letters, 20 magnetic numbers and 7 magnetic maths signs, the set also contains paper, pens and chalks, a reversible magnetic white board and chalkboard and a handy storage area. Your child can practise spelling or maths, draw a picture, or simply doodle to their heart?s content. Compact enough to take on holiday or out for day trips, you?ll never hear cries of ?I?m bored? again.
Buy Magnetic Learning Desk, £19.99, from Argos
Wooden Shape Sorter
Sometimes timeless toys can be the best playthings, and you can?t get more classic than a brilliant shape sorter. A smart wooden box with 20 colourful blocks, from triangles and hexagons to stars, hearts and L-shapes, it?s sure to fascinate your children as they work out which of the slots each of the blocks will fit through. While they?re having fun, they?ll be learning too. The shape sorter is great for practicing hand-eye coordination, problem-solving and getting to know different colours and shapes. Best of all, when all the shapes are inside, it?s super-simple to tidy away.
Buy Wooden Shape Sorter, £9.99, from Argos
Floating Ball Zone
Your tiny tot will believe in magic with this innovative colourful play mat. Complete with 10 balls, plus a raised edge to stop them rolling away, it has a ball-blower in the centre, which uses a blast of air to make the balls float weightlessly. As well as being exciting to watch, it?ll help your little one develop fine motor skills as they reach out for the hovering balls. Simply charge using a USB, push the activation button and let the floaty fun begin. Afterwards, the mat folds away in a carry bag, so it?s easy to store.
Buy Floating Ball Zone, £24.99, from Argos
Wooden Clock
Learning to tell the time is so much easier when it?s fun, so this wooden clock makes a great addition to playtime. It?s been designed to suit different ages and abilities, so whether your child is just getting to grips with numbers, or is beginning to tell the time, it?s an essential learning tool. As well as numerical and word references, each five-minute section is labeled with ?minutes past? or ?minutes to? the hour, with the hands labelled for minutes and hours, too. For little learners, the colourful number pieces can be taken out and replaced in the right order or used for other number games.
Buy Wooden Clock, £6.99, from Argos
Rescue Boat
Your child will love this realistic-looking speedboat. They can help search for and rescue vessels in distress, speed to the aid of stranded travellers and perform heroic feats ? no water rescue is out of reach when the call comes in. Perfect for brave adventurers, this nifty boat will whisk across the waves before fighting off adversaries using the gun attached to the boat?s bow. It comes with a jointed play figure and accessories for all-round defence and daring missions. Sure to be a firm favourite with imaginative boat-loving kids and wannabe coastguards.
Buy Rescue Boat, £9.99, from Argos
Underwater Rescue
Help your child discover a life aquatic with their very own interactive rescue base at the bottom of the ocean. Lights, sounds and a tiger shark with mechanical motion help bring the briny depths to life, while lots of other accessories ensure there?s never a dull moment underneath the waves. Complete with two figures, cage, crab and diving vehicle, there?s plenty to discover, both inside and outside the base. They could pretend to be a diver looking for shipwrecks, a modern-day Atlantis or deep-sea explorers ? the sky, or rather the ocean, is the limit.
Buy Underwater Rescue, £29.99, from Argos
Wooden Pirate Ship
Avast me hearties! It?s time for your would-be buccaneer to hoist the stripey sails on this classic wooden vessel and get creative. Complete with a crew of six pirates, two spaces for cannon, a rope ladder and even some treasure to find, it?s a boatful of fun that?ll fire their imagination. Whether your child is following in the footsteps of Jack Sparrow or Long John Silver, they?re sure to have adventures galore sailing the seas and discovering new lands.
Buy Wooden Pirate Ship, £12.99, from Argos
Wooden Fire/Police Station
This is not one rescue service, but two. Whether your child is keeping law and order, or putting out blazes, this double-duty wooden play station means they can set off on different adventures as brave police officers or hero firefighters. Four-storeys high and complete with a fire engine, fire pole, firefighter, police car, a pair of rescue dogs and a helicopter, there?s no sticky situation your child won?t be prepared for. They?ll have hours of fun air-lifting people to safety, driving to emergencies and patrolling the mean streets.
Buy Wooden Fire/Police Station, £29.99, from Argos
Creative play birthday presents: Summer holidays
Birthday parties, and everything that goes with them, are a merry-go-round of fun and adventure! So, whether your little ones lose themselves in outdoor activities, or love playing make-believe, any one of these Chad Valley toys will help make you the best gift-giver ever.
Let's pretend: Children love acting out different scenarios from everyday life as well as fantasy stories. Toys that help them to do this - like play kitchens or toy food - will all boost their imaginative play.
Get creative: Kids love messy arty activities, and experimenting with paints, dough, cutting and sticking feeds their creativity. Get them involved with finger painting or drawing birthday cards to send. It?s the perfect way to give something personalised to the birthday boy or girl.
Action and adventure: As well as hours of action-packed fun, these toys can also help with balance and co-ordination and keep 'em fit too. Pick a first bike to get them active, or choose an exciting play-set like a loop-the-loop racing track.
Mini worlds: Let your little one invent stories and watch as they develop their own characters - who knows, you might even make a guest appearance in a doll's house tale!
Wooden Tea Set
Let them have fun whipping up a make-believe tea party - the perfect way to encourage sharing, turn-taking and imaginative play. Complete with a tea tray and sugar bowl, this adorable set is decorated with hearts, and the bright colours give it instant child appeal.
Buy Wooden Tea Set, £12.99, from Argos
Wooden Cake Stand
Anyone feeling peckish? When tea is 'ready' your child can have fun serving up these tasty looking cakes to their friends. Presented on a cute two-tiered stand, they'll enjoy balancing the treats carefully as they take them to the table. The bright, attractive cakes can also be used for sorting games by putting different shapes on each layer of the stand. Or encourage the kids to take turns at being the baker and customer in a game of shops. You can join in too ? introduce some simple maths by asking your child to share the cakes equally between their friends, or just try some fun counting games.
Buy Wooden Cake Stand, £9.99, from Argos
Table Top Kitchen
A classic toy for pretend play, this mini kitchen is packed with equipment for hours of fun. Your child will love making ?meals? for the family as they fry, boil, chop and sizzle. In a fold-up case, it has its own carry-handle, so you can pop it on the table and it's ready for play as soon as the urge to cook strikes. The set includes utensils, a pan, two sausages and a fried egg, with nice clicky buttons to make it sound real. Plus there's a pretend clock too, so you can help your child practise telling the time as part of their play.
Buy Table Top Kitchen, £14.99, from Argos
6ft Dinosaur
Get ready to run ? but your children will relish saving the world from dinosaurs like this blow-up mega-beast. If you're looking for a really impressive parcel, this should fit the bill ? though, fully inflated, it'll take some wrapping up! Standing a full 6ft tall, it's a mighty monster but super-light too, and is an inflatable toy with real bite. Whether the kids decide T Rex is actually a friendly pet or a merciless marauder, they'll find him an irresistible companion for imaginative games.
Buy 6ft Dinosaur, £19.99, from Argos
DesignaFriend Dancer Ballerina Doll ? Darcey
It's even more fun to play at ballerinas when you've chosen the doll yourself ? and picked out her outfit. Part of the DesignaFriend range, Darcey stands 46cm tall and has super-soft long hair that you can brush and style. She wears a pretty tutu and ballet shoes with ribbons, as well having a stylish sporty outfit and trainers. Perfect for imaginative games with friends, Darcey can go to dance classes, train for fitness - and take to the stage as a dance star.
Buy DesignaFriend Dancer Ballerina Doll ? Darcey, £29.99, from Argos
Training Bike
With no pesky pedals to worry about, this is the perfect first bike for building confidence. Kids love the freedom of going for a ride, and this bright and breezy set of wheels will set them on the path to freewheeling independence. It's designed so kids can keep their feet safely on the ground while still allowing them to get used to the sensation of balancing on two wheels, and is the ideal next step on from a four-wheeled ride.
Buy Training Bike, £29.99, from Argos
Inflatable Boxing Set
A great way to let off steam ? and aiming shouldn't be too hard with these monster gloves! It's quick and easy to set up. Use a pump, or just plenty of puff, to inflate the punch bag and then the kids can give it a good bashing with the outsize boxing gloves. Once they've worn themselves out with all that activity, the set folds down for easy storage. It really is the perfect outdoor toy for summertime giggle-filled fun, and will help busy kids keep fit and active.
Buy Inflatable Boxing Set, £9.99, from Argos
Billboard Bash
This fab track will satisfy the need for speed and it?s the perfect gift to share with friends. It?s quick and easy to set up the track, which simply clamps together. Then send the die-cast metal car racing along the loops and tracks to end with a dramatic finish as it smashes against the billboard and sends it flying! The set comes with one car, but you can use the track with any other Chad Valley cars too.
Buy Billboard Bash, £9.99, from Argos
Hovercraft
A set like this is packed with possibilities and makes a great starting point for a whole play-date of imaginative adventure. As well as the hovercraft and missile launcher, you?ll get a tank, soldiers and weapons to create a seriously fun action game. Imagine your hovercraft ploughing through the waves and then lower the ramp once you?ve reached dry land for your soldiers to disembark and get the action started. A really exciting role-play game for would-be action heroes?
Buy Hovercraft, £39.99, from Argos
Dough table
With six pots of brightly coloured dough, plus cups and cutters, the sky?s the limit for things to make and mould on this sturdy table. Your children can invent their own creations, or focus on pressing the cutters into the dough to make distinctive shapes. Dough ?food?, such as ?sausages? and ?pancakes?, can form the basis of a game and be cut with the plastic knives and forks, and there?s even a waffle machine for squishing the dough flat. Plus there?s all the fun of mixing two shades of dough to create a new colour. In fact there?s so much to do, you may want to join in yourself!
Buy Dough Table, £14.99, from Argos
Craft Tray
Budding artists will never be short of an opportunity to draw, paint and make their own masterpieces with this fantastic collection of arty-crafty goodies, containing an amazing 1,000 craft accessories including paints, coloured pens, crayons, tissue paper, pom-poms, templates and stencils. The tray sits comfortably on a child?s lap, with handy storage areas either side. Available in purple and green, the tray measures H20, W56 and D30cm and is suitable for ages 3 years and over.
Buy Craft Tray, £9.99, from Argos
Doll's House
Complete with stairs, furniture and a family, this classic three-storey Victorian house is a wonderful toy that will be played with again and again. The roof folds back to give easy access to the attic room, while the front folds down to create a pretty garden that has a path, pond and colourful flowerbeds. With two dolls and five rooms to decorate, your child can arrange the layout in any number of ways. A perfect gift to boost imagination.
