Chad Valley Playhouse

The excitement in our house when this Chad Valley Playhouse arrived was enormous! If there's ever a playhouse at a toddler group you can guarantee my children will be in there like a shot.

The injection moulded panels click into place really easily, it only took a few minutes to put together. It also comes apart for flat storage.

My husband and I usually set a timer when a new toy arrives. We both then guess how long it will be before there is an argument and we have to threaten to take the toy away if the children can't play together nicely. The timer ran for almost three hours, even then we only turned it off because it was lunch time. 

My boys were happily occupied for ages. There are endless possibilities for imaginative independent play with a toy like this. We put their little chairs inside and they sat on them, chatting away in their new home. Then they opened and closed the door five thousand times.  They ran around the garden pretending to go shopping before returning home. They looked out of the window. They opened and closed the door again. At this point I intervened and played alongside them for a while. I suggested they park their trikes outside, this they did - over and over and over again.

This playhouse is the best toy for summer. Even if it rains we can all huddle inside and pretend we're really on holiday or on the moon.

This gets a huge thumbs up from all of us at Calico Towers.

The Chad Valley Playhouse is available from Argos for £69.99.

Chad Valley Fire Engine Play Tent

My two boys, both pre-schoolers, watched me set up this Fire Engine Play Tent from Chad Valley. Their eyes were wide as they saw this sizable tent emerge from its small box. They couldn't wait to get their hands on it, 'helping' me with the poles. Luckily it was quick and easy to assemble.

They dived in and played for ages. They didn't realise it was a fire engine, preferring instead to to call it a bus - well, it is red. They took turns being the driver and wearing the hat. That's the beauty of a toy like this, parents can get involved and play alongside their children (in my case, usually as a referee) or they can play independently. My boys soon moved all their soft toys in and some play food. Then they went to Grandma and Grandad's and the supermarket. The possibilities for play are endless.

This toy is great for the British summer. It can go outside, but works just as well indoors. It's a cheap and cheerful play tent. If your children are a little boisterous, you may find the tent on the flimsy side (this is where the refereeing comes in), but on the whole we found it great value.

The Chad Valley Fire Engine Play Tent is available from Argos for £19.99.