Welcome to our regular round-up review of gift ideas at the best prices for your family. For more ideas like this for Christmas shopping, check out our reviews section here.
Tonka Mod Machines
Tonka is one of those classic brands like Meccano which have been reworked for 2010. Famously tough, these trucks are built to withstand the most robust play, and now they come with extra wheels and accessories so they can be customised too.
We tested the Tonka Mod Machine system, which looks great and would be a good choice if you want a substantial looking gift from around £10. We bashed these, stood on them, then took them apart and dunked them in the bath, and they still looked as good as new. Definitely worthy of the Tonka name
Tonka Mod Machines are out now and widely available in toy shops and retailers including Boots. Suitable for aged 4 and over, priced from around £6 to £15
Amazing People of London book
So what to buy your history-mad child once they've completed their Horrible Histories collection? The Amazing People range looks at a famous location through the story of the historical figues who've lived there, and Amazing People of London has just been released.
Each volume in the range contains stories designed to be read in about 10 minutes. The language is fairly simple and written in the first person, so this would be good for developing and confident readers who like to know their facts. It's part of a series of books developed by psychologist Dr Charles Margerison, designed to help readers get inside the heads of amazing historical figures.
Amazing People of London is out now, available in book, audio and ebook formats - find out more from the website here
New Horrid Henry DS game
Whatever you think about Horrid Henry, he's a champion to naughty boys everywhere. Horrid Henry's Horrid Adventure, just released for Nintendo DS is based on the popular HH CITV series, so you get little animated sequences to tell the story.
There is a small amount of reading at the start, then you're in to a simple platform game where Henry must retrieve his toys from Moody Margaret. There's lots of running and leaping through the levels, so this is good for developing hand/eye coordination. Our seven year old tester pronounced it "Lots of fun".
Horrid Henry's Horrid Adventure is out now for Nintendo DS, RRP £24.99. Suitable for around age 5 and over. Currently reduced to £17.91 at Asda and Amazon
New on DVD - The Snowman live show
And finally, in honour of the wintry weather, let's take a look at a clip of The Snowman live show, which has just been released on DVD. Narrated by Joanna Lumley, this traditional treat retails at £9.99, is suitable for all ages, and is currently reduced to £6.49 on Amazon.