Christmas gift guide: Presents for 5 to 10 year olds

<p> Subbuteo The Game, &pound;39.95 (but currently &pound;29.99), from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paul-Lamond-3005-Subbuteo-Game/dp/B006ZX71M6&amp;tag=aolpdishedit-21 " target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p class="ListParagraph"> <span lang="EN-GB">The faces of dads across the land are sure to light up on Christmas morning as they&rsquo;re reunited with this classic football favourite&hellip;oh and the kids might like it too! Recently relaunched after 15 years on the toy equivalent of the subs bench, this core set allows them to stage their own matches with an improved pitch and two teams of sturdier than the originals players. Add their favourite Premiership, Scottish Premier League or national team for &pound;8.99.&nbsp;</span></p> <p> </p>

<p> Kindle Fire, &pound;139, from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk.</a></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst"> <span lang="EN-GB">Sick of the kids stealing your tablet? Time to get them their own! Where once older primary school children hankered after an iPod Touch, tablets are now relatively affordable and offer stacks of functionality - music player, e-book reader, watching films, gaming and internet surfing (it&rsquo;s easy to add parental controls). </span></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> <span lang="EN-GB">We&rsquo;re going against the grain of many of this year&rsquo;s Christmas gift guides for children, by picking the grown-up Kindle over &lsquo;specifically for kids&rsquo; tablets such as the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kurio-7-Android-Tablet-Kids/dp/B008VS3VQI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1353063137&amp;sr=8-2" target="_blank">Kurio</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/VTech-136853-Vtech-InnoTab-Pink/dp/B00763PSGU/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1353063340&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">InnoTab</a>. Whilst the latter are ideal for parents wanting something like this for preschoolers, we think the Kindle Fire has a better mix of price (it&rsquo;s a shade cheaper than the Kurio) and longevity (it&rsquo;s more grown-up looking than the InnoTab and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/LeapFrog-LeapPad-Explorer-Tablet-Green/dp/B004Z7H07K/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1353063354&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">LeapPad</a>).&nbsp; </span></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast"> <span lang="EN-GB">We know this is still at the upper end of how much most of us want to spend, so this could be one to get other family to chip in for or to get as a joint present for siblings (provided there won&rsquo;t be arguments over it!)</span></p>

<p> Hexbugs Nano Live Habitat, 24.99, from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hexbug-Nano-Hive-Playset-Electronic/dp/B0051C0HGY&amp;tag=aolpdishedit-21 " target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk.</a></p> <p> Brilliant little robotic bugs that scuttle around like the real thing; children can create habitats for them to explore either with the official sets or with whatever they can find around the house. Ideal for budding engineers!</p> <p> Toy tester Luca, seven, says of these: &ldquo;They&rsquo;re really fun and there are some good layouts you can make. I think my friends would like them when they come round to play.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p> Rosie Flo Colouring Fashion Show, &pound;14.99, from <a href="http://shop.rosieflo.co.uk/product/rosie-flo-s-colouring-fashion-show" target="_blank">Shoprosieflo.co.uk.</a></p> <p class="ListParagraph"> <span lang="EN-GB">Gorgeous fashion craft set which proves that it isn&rsquo;t only techy toys which manage to have a wow factor these days. With 18 models to colour for the catwalk plus a host of spectators and even a handbag pooch, it&rsquo;s surely a case of Anna Wintour eat your heart out!</span></p>

<p> Furby, &pound;59.99, from <a href="http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerms/FURBY+PURPLE.htm" target="_blank">Argos.co.uk.</a></p> <p class="ListParagraph"> <span lang="EN-GB">Another old favourite which has had a high-tech makeover - expected to be one of this Christmas&rsquo; biggest sellers. We were a bit non-plussed by the idea initially but when we tested him out at a recent toy industry event we really fell for his charms - think of him as a robotic pet which kids can stroke, pat and have conversations with. Crucially, owners can shape his personality - the way you treat him determines how he behaves over time. Great to play with on his own but even more fun when hooked up to the Furby smartphone and tablet app (although note that this is only available for Apple gadgets at the moment). Ages 6+.</span></p>

<p> Lego Creator Seaside House 7346, &pound;34.99, from <a href="http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9074927.htm" target="_blank">Argos.co.uk.</a></p> <p class="ListParagraph"> <span lang="EN-GB">Every day can be a holiday, well for your LEGO Minifigures at least, thanks to this cool seaside home, complete with surf board, beach and sea. It can be built in three different formats for maximum play value and makes a sound present choice for boys or girls across this age range.&nbsp;</span></p>

<p> Deadly 60 Board Game, &pound;14.99, from <a href="http://www.bbcshop.com/deadly-60/deadly-60-tracker-board-game/invt/1685/?source=112_74" target="_blank">BBCShop.com.</a></p> <p class="ListParagraph"> <span lang="EN-GB">Based on the popular CBBC programme, this board game pits you against some of the deadliest animals on the planet! First to find their three of the deadly 60 wins, but on the way you&rsquo;ll need to collect key trek equipment, medical supplies and much-needed extra physical strength.&nbsp;</span></p>

<p> Lego Heartlake Riding Stables, &pound;49.99, from <a href="http://shop.lego.com/en-GB/Heartlake-Stables-3189" target="_blank">Shop.lego.com.</a></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst"> <span lang="EN-GB">Whether it&rsquo;s for a child who&rsquo;s horse-mad, Lego-obsessed or both, this is sure to be a hit. Let them recreate the summer&rsquo;s Olympic equestrian events or help the two figurines groom and feed the horses with the equipment included. </span></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast"> <span lang="EN-GB">Our toy tester, Isabella, says: &ldquo;The Friends Lego is a bit girlier than some Lego but not all pink which I don&rsquo;t like either!&rdquo;</span></p>

<p> Snow Scooter,&pound;14.99, from <a href="http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.detail/code/D3110020" target="_blank">Cotsworldoutdoors.com.</a></p> <p> Fab snowboard meets scooter hybrid that&rsquo;s surely one of those &lsquo;why did no-one think of this sooner?&rsquo; products. We can&rsquo;t wait to get our hands (and feet) on one &ndash; the only problem: we can&rsquo;t guarantee the Christmas Day snow needed try it out! For ages 8+.&nbsp;</p>

<p> Harry Potter Wonderbook: Book of Spells for Sony PlayStation 3, &pound;24.99 for the game only, &pound;59.99 for the game + PS3 Move bundle, from <a href="http://hmv.com/hmvweb/navigate.do?pPageID=5676" target="_blank">HMV.com.</a></p> <p class="ListParagraph"> <span lang="EN-GB">Harry Potter fanatics will love this interactive game, set in the literally spellbinding surroundings of the restricted section of Hogwarts library. Using PlayStation&rsquo;s clever new &lsquo;Wonderbook&rsquo; technology alongside the Move device, which acts as a magic wand, they can learn the art of spellcasting and get their hands on brand new content written by J.K. Rowling herself.&nbsp; You&rsquo;ll need a Sony PS3 to play. Age 7+.&nbsp;</span></p> <p> </p>