NOW CLOSED: Does your child play with a Chad Valley toy? Tell us about it - you could win a £100 voucher

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for both the 10 lucky Chad Valley product testers and any Mumsnetter whose child has/had a Chad Valley toy - all feedback on the range welcome. You can find out more about Chad Valley here - do watch out for the testers videos which will be coming soon!

So if you are a tester or an existing owner please tell us:

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns
2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy
3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it?
4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not?
5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on?
6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy?
7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be?
8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not?

If you're not a tester but you add your feedback here you'll be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £100 store voucher for the store of their choice.

In addition, all official testers who add feedback will be entered into a draw to win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Not a tester.

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns - Bingo Lotto (about three years old, blue with yellow balls version)

2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy - does exactly what it says on the box, DS spied it in Woolies when he was about 4 and wanted it immediately.

3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it? He plays it with other people and on his own, just likes turning the thing, getting the balls out, trying to guess which one will be next, also we printed out all the traditional bingo calls and he likes trying to remember them too. He is 7 now and still loves it, we all play as a family.

4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not? A good half an hours and yes it does engage him well, his 5 year old sister less so, but she will play for a while.

5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on? Well, it's a game, so yes, shared and the rules are simple so we get on fine.

6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy? - excellent but we bought it for a couple of pounds when Woolies was closing down. Have googled and found it for approx £7 new which I think is excellent for the amount of use we've had from it.

7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be? The little counters slip off the cards too easily, the kids lean over to turn the handle and knock the cards and all the counters move. Would happily pay more for maybe indented cards that would hold them better. Also it is a bit fiddly for them to get the holder thing into it's stand, I still have to do it for them. I would also like to be able to unclip it open and put all the balls back in at once instead of one at a time through the hole.

8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Yes, teaches about turn taking, numbers, keeps them occupied, very good value I think.

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns
   Cash Register

2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy
   Small, portable, easy to use, makes beeping noises as though scanning goods, like the fact the calculator actually works so if you tap in numbers the sum is done for you

3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it?
   Sometimes they like to scan the shopping food we have, sometimes my oldest child likes to practise her maths

4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not?
   Varies on the complexity of the game and how involved they are - 10 mins to 20 mins. It does get used on a regular basis unlike some toys

5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on?
   not always and not easily - it's hard to have two checkout assistants

6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy?
   don't know how much it was as it was a gift. Don't think i'd really want to pay more than a tenner for it

7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be?
   The compartment for money should extend further, there should be more coins, and it would be good if the credit card slot was a bit deeper so it slid through easily and or more like the real ones

8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not?
   Yes - real life play is always good

1. Chad Valley swingball set. 2)Cheap and Cheerful. 3)Our two children play regularly with this toy; they think it's fun! 4)An average of 10 minutes. It is an engaging toy which improves their tennis skills. It is enjoyable to use.
2. The kids share it with their friends and the neighbours kids have all had a go.
3. It is fair value for money. Whilst it was very cheap, one racquet has just broken. In retrospect, it would have been better to have bought a higher quality product and paid extra.
4. The design is fine - the only improvement it needs is better quality materials.
5. Sorry, although we have had fun with this product I would not recommend it.

Not a tester...

1. Supermarket Cash Register

2. Really like it, comes with a small range of pretend food and money and the calculator actually works. It's small enough to take away with us on holiday/to people's houses.

3. He likes the noises it makes when scanning goods and when you scan the credit card.

4. He will play with it for ages. I think I need to invest in the supermarket trolley and extra food items to make it last longer as a game. We like playing with the money and counting it.

5. He doesn't like to share!

6. Very good (we got it as part of a 2 toys for £15 from Argos)

7. A few more food items/money would be good.

8. Yes i'd recommend it, it's not as annoying as some toys that make noises etc and you can make an interactive game of it if you chose so but my son is just as happy using it on his own.

1.We've been testing the complete kitchen set.
2.our overall /initial impressions of the toy :- daughters (4 and 6) really really excited by the box and the four year old in particular squealing with joy at all the play food as she unpacked it,and then all the other items. I liked the fact the cooker was dinky and so didn't take up vast amounts of space to put away.
3.How they interacted with it,and what was most liked about it:-They have both played with it a lot,although my younger daughter is the most keen.They have played at being cafe owners mainly as the set has a cooker,kettle,toaster,food,crockery and cutlery so everything to set up a small cafe.They both loved the realistic noises and the fact the set covered everything(I am impressed by the kettle noises in particular).
4.How long do they typically play with it? Well they have spent hours with it,a good half an hour or so a day.It was engagning for both girls and they developed it into a large game where they took turns to be the waitress and took orders on a pad etc.
5.did they share it? -well it was technically sent to my younger daughter but both girls shared it and it made for surprisingly harmonious joint play,there wasn't much aurguing. They have been unwell so no friends have been to play but I can see they will use it as part of bigger group games with other children.
6.Well I think the toy is really good value for money,it has so many different things to play with in the set,and it seems pretty robust.But especially given how much they have loved it.
7.One thing to improve the toy-the colours are very lurid,I would have liked it more if the cooker was plain red or something,with matching kettle etc.I do think it would look cuter.

1. would i recommend it to other parents? -yes.I would and i would buy it as a present now I've seen how much the children enjoyed it.

a sample scene:- My dd (just turned 4) was being the cafe owner,I was the customer,(we are a vegetarian family in rl). DD "would you like the chicken?" Me "no thankyou,I think I will have some cake please." DD "Good. Our chicken is absolutely horrible,even our meat eating customers don't want our chicken". I laughed and am still laughing,do you think she has a future in catering?

Not a tester

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns
   Chad Valley Shopping Trolley Play Set

2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy
   My dd absolutely loves pushing the trolley and it is an addition to her play kitchen. It is a good selection of play food. My only issue is the sturdiness of the trolley. Whilst the folding handle is good for storage i think it does make it less sturdy as if leant on too hard it folds down when being pushed.

3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it?
   She loves pushing the trolley and uses it also as a pushchair for her dolls.

4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not?
   She can play with it for 30 minutes or more. She generally uses the food within her kitchen but has set up tea partys for her dolls. It is definately an engaging toy.

5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on?
   Sometimes her older sister will join in but she has to be reminded it isn't very strong.

6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy?
   For the price i think this is overall good value for money but would like to see it made of sturdier plastic without the fold down function.

7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be?
   Remove the fold down function.

8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not?
   Yes only if they played quite gently with their toys , it wouldn't take boisterous play.

We are not official testers but this is our review for the following toy:-

Chad Valley Post Office Play Set

Our first impression of this toy was good. My husband set the counter up and it was well stocked with lots of essential Post Office items (stamps, parcels, stickers, envelopes) to encourage imaginative play.

My 8 and 3 year old were both very excited and played together nicely for about an hour. They were role playing post office salesperson and customer - writing letters and using the money to carry out pretend transactions. However, when it came to posting the letters it all went horribly wrong. The unit itself is very difficult to convert from counter to post-box and the plastic is very flimsy and it took me (an adult) quite a while to put it alltogether. By now they had used lots of the supplies and they abandoned it in a corner of the playroom ....... I hid it in the garage about 4 weeks ago and neither child has noticed - it willbe going into the recycling soon. This toy would be improved considerably if the counter was more stable and it converted to a post-box more easily.

They liked the stamps, writing paper and envelopes the best. These ran out quickly and I have replaced them with other similar items (paper, cheap envelopes, stickers) from £1 shops.

After the initial hour playing with this toy on the first day neither of my two boys has played with it again. Although they enjoyed the concept they found the fact that the counter falls off the unit very easily extremely frustrtaing and the difficulty inconverting it to a post box was insurmountable for them. They have played Post Offices again but stored their supplies in a shoe box and used another toy till for the payment transactions.

One of my sons friends was very taken with the little sheets of sticky stamps but other than this no other child has shown much interets in this toy. As a consequence I consider this toy to be very poor value for money and I would not recommend this toy to other parents. Although it does have an initial wow factor - the post office supplies are quickly used up and the office counter is very flimsy and too difficult to convert into a post box to maintain their attention for any period of time.

I'm not a tester. My daughter is 4 years old (and younger sister almost 2).

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns

Chad Valley Children's Playhouse

2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy

Sturdy, bright, good value summer toy. My other half is great at putting things together and this was very easy for him.

3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it?

She loves it - we bought it because she likes role play and this is ideal, especially as it's warmer now and she can play out in the garden all day if she wants to.

4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not?

She plays (with her little sister) for around 45mins to an hour depending on circumstances. It's very engaging, even for her 2 year old sister.

5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on?

As above, she likes to play with her little sister and her cousin who is often visiting. There are occasional arguments about who's 'Mummy' and so on, but generally harmonious!

6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy?

Excellent. Very few toys that keep her as engaged (exception = mud and gardening tools).

7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be?

I'd make it bigger! Then she could fit her play kitchen in :)

8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not?

Yes, especially if, like mine, your child enjoys role playing. She is extrmeely interested in how the world works and this touy allows her to be 'in charge' of her own home :)

Not a tester

1. Fire Station play set

2. Excellent toy idea

3. Like to use it with his lego men

4. how long do they typically play with it? 20 mins at a time
   He makes up little scenarios/ Acts out things he has heard

5. Yes - not too well. Got frustrated by the flimsness of it.

6)I would rather see it priced around the £15- £20 mark

7. It is so difficult to fit all the pieces in there.
   The plastic needs to have stronger joints. The spiral ramp didnt fit well together at all and now didnt fit at all. Lift doesnt work.

8. No- not unless the improvements are made. Its frustrating and disappointing.

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns chess set
2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy really nice quality, and a bargain price
3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it? he leared to play chess with it
4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not? he finds it very engaging, can play for a few hours
5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on? he wasn't so good at playing it with siblings, prefered it with adults
6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy? excellent
7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be? nothing
8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Yes I would I thought it was a nice set, at a good price for athe perfect introduction to the game

NOT A TESTER :o(

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns

• WHEELBARROW SET & LAWNMOWER (2 FOR £15)

2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy
   *looked a little flimsy like it would not last very long but nice bright colours.

3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it?
   my son loved it, the colours attracted him & helped him interact with grandad whilst doing the gardening. He loved being able to use the gardening tool in the soil.

4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not?
   *He will typically play with it for 20 mins alone, or upto an hour with family members. i think he is more engaged when playing along side someone who can show him how they work.

5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on?
   *He would willingly share with adults but not with other children.

6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy?
   *excellent value for money, both only costing £15 and lasted 2 months so far without damages.

7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be?

• i would be happier if they were more heavyweight. My son would like character pictures on them eg peppa pig/disney cars.

8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? *i would if they last the summer months. value for money definately.

not a tester

1. CHAD VALLEY airplane 2)good quality, nice shape. very robust and well sized for small hands. 3)they like putting the people that come with it and also other small toys in and out. flying the plane. serving drinks with the trolley. using the lid upside down to be a boat/flying lid. 4)yes, engaging. up to an hour. ages 2 and 4. 5)no.not great for sharing as cannot agree how to load plane, seems to fit best parrellel play, with space rocket or another (much less robust!) airplane, then they will fly together. 6)yes, 10/10. still in one piece after lots of crash landings. 7)my 2 nearly 3 yr old can't remove the roof without help, had the same issue with eldest when he was younger 8)yes i would. tough and safe enough for young children but with enough pieces for older ones. maybe 2-5 yrs. i do recomend it in fact when someone wants a plane toy.

Not a tester

1. FIRST MARKET STALL
2. I was pleasantly surprised when we opened this on my daughters birthday. its really easy to put together and once up is also very stable unlike similar products from other companies. Bright and colourful and lots of produce to sell.
3. It was the one present my 4 year old played with all day and even my older son got involved in the action. It just seemed to let their imagination run riot and they even added cans and food from my cupboards to apparently turn it into a supermarket to earn more money :) The till was the centre of the fun and that alongside constantly rearranging the pretend goods seemed to be the favourite part of play.
4. This toy is brought out every day and is a firm favourite. On average I would say its played with for around 30 mins but is always returned to multiple times a day. I do feel this is an engaging toy for the both my children. They get totally engrossed with imaginary customers and have even had a row with a pretend customer who tried to return an item he had apparently already taken a bite out of.
5. My daughter has played with this with my son and two of her friends and each time great fun was had. Sometimes theres great debate as to who will be shopkeeper and who will be the customer but it usually turns out to have one person being the shopkeeper and one the shelf filler. There's always a queue of imaginary customers at the door.
6. Absolutely brilliant value for money. This a a toy that is brilliant fun but it has some real educational too. Counting, measuring etc. I think its very fairly priced for what you get.
7. The one thing I think could have done with improvement was that the till kept getting knocked off along with the scales. i think if there was a better way to attach them to the main body of the stall it would much better.
8. I would absolutely recommend this product. Its not expensive and yet not only does it open up a whole world of imagination for children its also got the educational value.

.

We are existing owners!

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns
   CHAD VALLEY WATER PLAY TABLE

2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy:-
   It is a great deisgn as well as being a water table it can be used with sand too. It has a lid that can be put on the top to transform it into a little play table. I like this as it has many different uses. So once my son is fed up of one game we can quickly get into another without any fuss. It is good value for money and loved by a lot of children of various ages, 1 up to 5years have all had their little mits in the sand building castles and playing with that toy boats splashing.

3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it?
   You can fill it with water or sand. My boy loves to build a sand castle, or a better game is making me build them so he can knock them down.
   We enjoy playing with the little boats in the water.
   Its a great messy toys that could be used inside or out. My son is 2 and really loved splashing and making a mess with the sand. When left to play on his own he was busy taking sand out and filling up numouros buckets (and flower beds...) He enjoyed the different textures of the sand and the water.

4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not?
   When playing on his own he could be left between half an hour to an hour depending on if theres water or sand inside. The sand kept him busy for longer (at least until the sand had all been transported into the flower beds!)

5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on?
   He did enjoy letting others playing around the table. This encouraged him to play with it more as he wanted to show his friend all the accessories and everything they could do. Two boys of the same age played for about 30 minutes together with no arguments... just lots of messy sand.

6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy?
   Extremely good value for money. However the table could of been bigger to allow a bit more sand inside - although as it is advertised as a water play table I would say it does the job it was designed for.

7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be?
   More space for sand! I wouldn't want to change much about this toy, it is a great design and doesnt take up too much space in the garden or house.

8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not?
   I would most definately recommend this toy for children of the same age - even slightly older or younger as I feel the water table could be fun for all ages (provided they can stand up at the table) We have had a lot of good use out of it and feel it is a toy that will last a long time.

1. Q the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns - A Chad Valley 20 Piece BBQ Set.

2. Q your overall or initial impressions of the toy - A Well made and sturdy

3. Q how did/does your child interact with it? He started making sizzling sounds with his voice for the bbq sounds so was beyond thrilled when i showed him that it actually made real sounds from within. The use of bright coloyrswent downw well too - a very nice looking toy

4. Q how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not? - A About half an hour at a time - just long enough for us all to be served with our plastic hot dogs with sauce lol

5. Q did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on A - the toy was shared due to its nature - serving up food to others so its quite a social toy that would be hard to play with alone

6. Q how would you rate the value for money of the toy? - A 9 out of 10

7. Q if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be? - A To include a apron

8. Q is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? - A Yes! Definatly. Excellent value for money
   www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3677739/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CToys+and+games%7C14417629/Trail/searchtext%3EBBQ.htm

Not a tester.

1. the name of the toy: shopping trolley.
2. your overall or initial impressions: don't like the looks of it, and it's a bit small for the age range.
3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it? When used as a shopping trolley, rarely uses the items it came with - they tend to be used in cooking play. Most often uses it as a supplementary dolls' pram. Occasionally uses it to carry his superhero gear - apparently it is jet poprelled [sic].
4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not? Not a favourite, but a good, engaging toy, played with intermittently, usually several times over the course of an afternoon/day/week, and then ignored for a few days or weeks.
5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on? Only when there weren't enough prams or buggies to go around.
6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy? It was a gift!
7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be? A seat for doll or teddy, like the seat for a child in a real trolley. (Also the design - it looks like a basket on a walker, not a shopping trolley.)
8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not? Yes and no. It is a good role-playing toy for all ages, but it's just too small. Ds is 4, and has physically outgrown it. He wants to continue playing with it, but finds it annoyingly low. I would recommend it for a younger or smaller child.

1. Chad Valley Snakes and Ladders (giant walk on board)
2. great fun for all the family - can be used indoor or outdoor
3. my daughter loved jumping from square to square as you stand on the number you are on
4. we play several games one after the other - my daughter would happily keep playing it again and again
5. we played the game as a family which was good fun. It taught my daughter to take turns, counting the dots on the dice, counting the squares to move etc
6. great value
7. it would be nice if it had included counters so you didn't always have to walk on it and stand on the squares especially when you have to run after the dice and can't remember what square you where on.
8. yes would recommend this to anyone with children. My daughter is 3 and it was very good for her counting but would be equally as much fun with an older child.

We were not picked to test it but bought it on Saturday with my DS's birthday money.

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns
   A) Dino Adventures Set

2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy
   Easy to put together, lovely design, bright and perfect for my newly 5 year old dinosaur fan. Chunky. Quite solid despite the purely slot together design.
   We are toy dinosaur experts and the dinos it came with are good additions to Ds's collection.

3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it?
   He likes all the different levels, the volcanoes and the dinosaurs. He uses it with his current collection.

4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not?
   A couple of hours at a time. This toy has been played with daily since Saturday when we bought it. Certainly engaging for my dinosaur fan.

5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on?
   DS is an only child, he hasn't had opportunity to share it yet - but there is lots of scope to play with it with more than one child.

6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy?
   I thought at £24.99 it was a little more costly than I would have liked but cheaper than alternatives I had researched and therefore a fair price.

7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be?
   It needs to have the opportunity to clip together more permanently, I can imagine as time goes on I will be continually putting this together!

8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not?
   Yes, I would recommend. It's nice to look at and my son loves it a lot.

1. the name of the toy you've been testing or that your child owns

I (well DD1 & DD2) tested the Chad Valley Pink Wooden Dolls House, we also own a few other Chad Valley toys bought at christmas, including Girls junior trampoline and Pick'n'mix sweet shop

2. your overall or initial impressions of the toy

First thought was "oh I have to assembly this ummm" but DP said It wasn't as bad at it looked it took him an hour but that was because he insisted on reading all the instructions then laying everything out then put it together once it was up it looked great.

3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it?

the girls started playing with it immediately and haven't stopped yet every spare chance they get they play with it, it's helped them share and haven't argued as much over this toy as they have done over others, it came with 2 dolls so they each play with one pretending to be brother and sister or mummy and daddy, they love rearranging the furniture, they said they liked it all and love that its pink

4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not?

They spend anywhere between 5 minutes and an hour playing with it depending on what else is going on around them, but they always go back to it. they definitely found it engaging.

5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on?

The DD's share it between them and have also dragged DS (10) into playing it with them but have said that DD3 is not allowed to play with it until she 4 as she likes to break things

6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy?

I think it's brilliant for the price and If we hadn't been picked to be a tester it would be something that we would of bought for the DD's as it's the type of toy they love

7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be?

The girls said they would of liked more dolls with it, maybe a child or 2 so they had a family, also it could of done with a bit more colour as it was just pink and wood with a few stickers. The chimneys don't stick on they just balance on the top so got knocked off a few times and on one occasion the 2 chimney pots broke off but they glued back on easy enough.

8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not?

Yes I would my girls really love it it and have so fun with it, it's funny listening to them and I feel so many other children would enjoy it as well.

Thank you very much for picking us to be testers, it was and is greatly appreciated

assemble not assembly

Tester

1. the name of the toy you've been testing
   Dino Adventures

2. Overall impressions
   A little fiddly to put together - lots of wood to slot together. Great selection of toy dinosaurs which came with the set

3. how did/does your child interact with it? What did they like best about it?
   Wasn't really that taken with it! Had a few "dino wars" with his brother!

4. how long do they typically play with it? Did you feel it was an 'engaging' toy for your child? Why? Why not?
   Didn't really grab his attention for very long although he has played with the toy dinosaurs on their own.I I think that he has had too many interactive toys with noises and lights to be stimulated by the simplicity of the toy

5. did they 'share' the toy with anyone else or play with it with someone else? If so, how did they get on?
   Played a little with his brother who again spent more time with the dinosaurs on their own

6. how would you rate the value for money of the toy?
   Good value for money even for just the dinosaurs. If the playset had engaged my DS, it would have been excellent value for money

7. if there was one thing you could improve about the toy what - if anything - would it be?
   It was rather small - perhaps a bigger "dinoland" might have been more attractive to my DS.

8. is this a toy you would recommend to parents with the same age child as you? If so, why? Why not?
   No - I think that the toy would have been more suitable for a younger child than mine - 3-4 rather than a 5y old.

1-) Not a tester but we have several Chad Valley toys at home.
The most recent impressive one is Brain Buzz Magnetic word tiles which I had bought few years ago for future use, when DD grows up! And now it is the time, dd is playing with it, making words, learning to spell.
2-) It is brilliant! I could not find it anywhere else, I was looking to buy one as present.
3-) it is educational, it is fun, easy to carry as it comes with a transparent bag.
4-) on and off she used it almost daily basis since she learnt the letters. The more she learnt the letters at school, the more use we get out of it. Competing with each other etc.
5-) she used it with her friend when her friend comes to visit her. they both liked it.
6-) I cannot remember how much I had paid for it, as it was long time ago, but I am sure it was affordable!
7-) make it available to buy it everywhere! I cannot find it to buy for my friend?s kids. Also more letters in the same pack would be great. So longer sentences can be produced.
8-) would recommend. Reasons above.

Not a tester - but a very happy consumer.
Chad Valley Double sided easel - Was purchased in the Argos sale for £10!!!

The toy required some assembly, but instructions were clear and easy to put together with eager little ones around. Its chunky frame and seat were a delight and it has good height too. The stool slides under the toy with ease too for compact storage. Supplied with chalk and eraser.

My son was never a fan of really putting crayon to paper and it was suggested to try him on an easel - something new to lure his creativity and it took to it right away. The chalk sticks are like school ones - not the chunky ones some stores sell which I prefer, and there is a clip to slide paper under to hold it in place so its not sliding all over when heavy handed scribbles are made.

My son played with this toy for a long time, but I had to keep my toddler away from it when he was using it as she kept trying to eat the chalk. The size of the desk when the lid is put down also meant that my son could have his lunch sat up to it, and when finished could flip up the lid and start drawing again, The first few days we had it - it was his favourite toy, now its part of our active toy rotation which he uses once a week, and will keep him busy for a good 1-2 hours depending on what I supply for him to use, (Paints, crayons, chalks, printed pictures etc)

Sharing this toy is easy as one child can be stood at either side, He has not shared this with his sister however, because as I mentioned before - she would have eaten the chalk. She can raise and lower the lid herself though, again showing how simple the toy is to use.

The toy is fantastic value for money, and I was really pleased with the self assembly option, The instructions suggest having the chalk board face up so it can be used flat, and there is a clip for the other side to hold the paper. I take the toy apart to change this according to what we will use it for, My son prefers to chalk upright at an angle, and draw flat - by simply taking the top crayon rack off and flipping the board gives different uses for this fantastic toy. Well worth the full retail price - and as you can imagine a bargain at sale price.

I dont feel there is any room for improvement, a solid, sturdy, fun, flexable toy - and NO STICKERS - which made it looks really smart. (I hate stickers, children always rip them)

To anyone who would like to purchase an easel, or to try a new angle when approaching home art, this is a definate reliable purchase. Its very light but incredibly durable - and can be used in a wide variety of ways, easily cleaned and its real fun!

My son is 3 - and has no problem using this toy, or sitting on the seat unassisted.

Thanks for all the feedback on the Chad Valley toys.
Am pleased to say the winners of a £100 voucher for the store of their choice are SamsGoldilocks (non tester) and SummerRain (tester). Well done