This playmat was very easy to put together. It's bright and colourful and a lovely chick design with farm animals for our baby to crinkle, grasp and play with and a mirror to look into. Isabelle didn't seem to like it as much as the others as it wasn't as padded as the others and we have wooden floors! She liked playing with the animals but seemed to bore quicker on this compared to the others. The animals are different textures and made different noises – it could perhaps have done with some more noises built into the mat for her to explore when moving around on it.The mat washed well in the machine. It packed away easily under the bed/cot. I liked this playmat, but think there are better on the market.

Anya really loved this mat! It comes with clear instructions and details about what all the toys do and was very simple to set up. The playmat is very appealing to look at, with several colourful, textured animals and coloured stripes and spots all over the activity arches. The mat itself is very soft, with cushioning around the edge. The flat area in the middle of the mat makes it good for tummy play, although Anya didn't seem very happy like this and much preferred being on her back. She seemed very comfortable and happy on her back and was content to lie there for quite a while looking at all the animals. The animal toys all have smiley faces so she spent most of her time smiling back at them! The thing I liked most about this mat was that the toys are connected to the arches by plastic rings that can be moved up and down the arch and placed wherever you like. Anya is too small to reach most hanging toys yet, but I was able to move the toys right down so she could easily reach them. She obviously liked them as she kept trying to reach them and ended up spinning herself all the way around on the mat so that she could get to all of them. I don't think I've ever seen her move about so much! The mat is quite large and we found it was best to keep it out all the time, as it was difficult to put it away anywhere. It was also easy to sponge clean. I would definitely recommend this mat for younger babies, but I think it could be quite limiting for older babies. Although the hanging toys ring and rattle, and there is a mirror with a vibrating butterfly, there is nothing on the mat itself to play with. The price of the mat compares well with other similar mats and I think it is good value for money.

This mat was very easy to put together with simple instructions. It's lovely and soft for Molly to lie on and the slightly raised edges meant she was less likely to roll off. The toys were nice for her to hold but because the arch was quite high she wasn't able to reach them without me detaching them from the bars and the mat itself didn't have anything on it for a child to explore so she became distracted quite quickly. The mat is hand washable which is great as the fluffy surface could be a bit difficult to wipe down. It packed away into the large carry bag quickly and easily which was helpful and because the bag was flat it was easy to store away. Although it is good value for money I think that a child of 6 months onwards would need a little more stimulation to keep them interested.

We found this gym really easy to put up although the velcro on the arch did not work very well and so had to be tied to keep it in place. It's very bright and colourful and the ladybird shape is very appealing. The mat is very plush and padded and each shell on the ladybird offers the baby a different activity/noise so there is plenty to stimulate the senses. Isabelle liked being placed on it as it is so padded and moulded to the shape of the baby, she seemed very comfortable on it. She liked playing with the toys etc but it didn't help her to roll as the way it is moulded, she tended to stay in the middle of it. The mat is soft and plush and protective for a new born but would limit an older baby's movements. The selection of toys are good, although the arch was quite high and a stretch to reach. It has a variety of sounds and lights and textures which she loved exploring. It was difficult to wipe clean and would be impossible to machine wash due to it being so bulky. We have used this mat more than once, but Isabelle preferred the Hauck mat which has been the most popular. If budget wasn't an issue I'd recommend this playmat. It is larger than your average playmat so would not be suitable for travel or if space was limited. Compared to the others, this is fairly pricey but does offer more for the baby in terms of entertainment.

This mat is absolutely wonderful, definitely our favourite. It was very easy to set up and the packaging gives details about all the toys and activities and why they are good for your baby's development. I loved the look of the mat. It's lovely and cheerful and there are lots of bright colours. The mat is very, very soft and cushioned and Anya looked incredibly comfortable laying on it. The only downside is that it was so soft we couldn't use it for tummy play, as Anya couldn't lift her head up enough. It would be fine for older babies though. The hanging toys are wonderful. There's a lovely variety and the textures and noises are great. Anya really liked them. Unfortunately, the toys can only hang in one position, but the arches aren't too high so she could almost reach them. The good thing is that the toys are very simple to take on and off, so even when we weren't using the mat itself, we could easily pop the toys off and play with them on my lap. Anya was fascinated by all the different toys and we have spent a long time playing with them all. The mat itself also has some lovely activities, from hidden mirrors to vibrating flowers. Anya is too small for these at the moment but happily sat on my lap while I showed them to her. There is also a selection of songs which can be played and even some talking creatures! The mat isn't very easy to store, as it is rather big, but we have played with this so much, I haven't wanted to put it away anyway! This mat is more expensive than most playmats, but I still think it is good value for money. I know that we will still be using this mat when Anya is older, as she will be able to sit on the mat and explore all the activities, and the toys are so varied, I'm know she'll never get bored. I would definitely recommend this mat

When I first took the playmat out of the packaging it easily popped into position and was quick to set up although I found it wasn't so easy to get back in the bag. With the bright colours and soft cushioned mat it's a comfortable and stimulating toy. My 3 month old was very interested in the sounds that the mat made but was too young to activate them herself as you need to push down on the mat which she's not able to do yet so this was down to me. Not too sure about the 'lights' part of the playmat as in reality this is only actually a small red led underneath the material on three of the legs and is not particularly visible, I was expecting something a little more bright and obvious. The detachable toys are lovely, great for baby to play with and the fact that you can remove the soft little caterpillar from the rattle/teething ring was a bonus for me as meant it could be sterilised if needed. The mat itself although very soft and squishy would be tricky to clean if baby was sick (like babies often are!) and with the lights and sound bits inside its only surface washable. The activity toys around the edge of the mat were also lovely good quality toys but more suitable for a baby a bit older than Molly (I'd say 6months+). All in all a lovely mat that will get plenty of use and see a baby through many stages of development so a good investment.

This playmat was easy to put together and could be put up into a nest or down into a quilt quickly. We really liked the design - it's bright without being too much and it has the benefit of folding into a nest and opening out into a quilt with a mirror to play with and a snail to crinkle when she rolls around. Isabelle loved it and it seemed to be her favourite by far. She quickly learnt how to set the music going by pulling the Pooh character and was able to roll around on it when built as a nest. There was a good selection of toys - 3 Pooh characters with one playing a tune when pulled and the tags allowed you to add your own or change them if need be. It hasn't been put away since it arrived as Isabelle loves it so much!I would recommend this playmat to other Mums - it would suit newborns through to crawling babes and is good value for money.

I was a bit disappointed with this mat when I first opened it, as it didn't look like there were many activities on it, but actually we've used this every day since we received it. It consists of a flat padded playmat with activity arches, but with a bit of clever clipping and Velcro sticking, the mat can be turned into a playnest with sides. Unfortunately this was the only mat that didn't come with instructions and I really could have used them! However, by studying the photographs on the packaging I worked out how to clip the sides up. Anya loved playing in the nest; I think she felt nicely cocooned. The sides of the nest are stripey so she enjoyed trying to roll on her sides to look at the stripes. The hanging toys are rather disappointing though. There are three basic soft toys. The Winnie the Pooh plays a tune but the others have no interactive features. Anya is only young though and was very happy laying looking at the little characters. The reason we've used this mat so much is that it's wonderful for tummy play. It's very soft, but still flat and smooth, so Anya could easily lift her head clear of it. There are printed pictures as well as a scrunchy snail and a squeaky Pooh bear. Anya seemed fascinated with everything on the mat and has spent ages happily playing on her tummy. The mat was fairly easy to wipe clean, but as it is just a basic padded mat I imagine it could go into a washing machine if it got very dirty. The activity arches are quite hard to store, although they do go easily back into their bag, but the mat folds up easily and can be stored out of the way. I would recommend this for younger babies, as Anya has already used it a lot, but I think older babies would easily become bored with the toys and the mat. For that reason I don't think this mat is such good value for money, as it has quite a limited use.

This is the largest play mat I've ever seen and gave Molly plenty of space to roll around without going onto the floor. It clipped together easily but there were no instructions included so I needed to look at the picture of the packaging to convert it into the enclosed area which was a bit tricky first time around. The idea that you can use this mat inside a travel cot by putting the sides up was really appealing to me and it was useful when on the floor to prevent her from rolling onto the hard surface. The mat is hand washable which is useful but the surface is not thickly padded so I was a little worried about my daughter banging her heels on the floor. It came with 3 toys but they weren't very attention-grabbing and I thought that the hanging up Velcro tags were quite hard so wouldn't be suitable to detach the toys for tiny hands and faces as the edges are a little sharp. I tried out the mat with the sides up and Molly really liked it. She was especially interested in the striped pattern around the edge of the play mat. This was a nice playmat and was of a good size for the money. I also thought it was a novel idea to be able to fold up the edges to create an enclosed space. However, I felt that the toy attachments were a bit disappointing and seemed poor quality which let it down.

The trike came with clear instructions and was extremely easy to put together as it only had 4 screws! We loved the look/design - it was sturdy and made of metal as opposed to plastic and also had a hand brake which was a feature our son enjoyed. Thomas couldn't wait to use it; it looked very smart when assembled. He could pedal it easily and found it much better than plastic trikes he has used previously. It was suitable for a 2 and a half year old, but in our opinion, by the time Thomas would be able to use it independently, he would be too big for it. We liked the sturdy design but didn't like the fact there was nowhere to place balls etc as there was with the others. I would recommend this trikes to other Mums if it had a bucket and was no more expensive than it currently is. If it remained unchanged, then I don't think I would. For me I didn't think it offered great value for money.

Of the two pedal trikes we tested, this was our favourite. The instructions that came with the trike were quite clear and it took me about half an hour to put together using just an allan key and a spanner. The trike looks fantastic – I really liked it. It has a very simple, go-kart style and is painted in lovely solid bright colours. It looks very exciting and Maia was desperate to have a go on it. The Puky is quite small which is good as it meant that Maia could easily reach the pedals. The seat has 3 positions and we found that with the seat in the middle position Maia could reach the pedals and the handlebars comfortably. She found this the easiest of the two pedal trikes to ride, and with a bit of help she has almost learnt to pedal it by herself. This would be a great first trike as it is small enough to be used easily be much younger children. The parent handle is completely made of metal and feels very solid and secure, so it's great for helping your child to steer and for giving them a helping push! I spent a long time pushing Maia round the garden and found it comfortable and easy to push. Although this is more expensive then the other trikes I think it is good value for money. It's a real case of 'you get what you pay for'. This trike is made completely of metal and feels very solid and sturdy – although it was still light enough to be used easily by Maia. It feels like it is built to last and, with the variable seat positions, it can easily be adapted to last your child for several years. I would highly recommend this trike.

This trike reminded me of one that I used to have when I was little! It was sturdy, brightly coloured and although being made of metal it was still relatively lightweight. It was easy to put together using only 4 bolts and took very little time at all. Also the seat was multi positional so the trike could grow with your child which I thought was great and it fitted our 3 year old well. William really enjoyed using this one as it was easy to pedal and he loved using the trikes own 'hand brake' when he stopped. The parent handle was comfortable and easy to use and was height adjustable which was useful. The seat had a high back to it so it was comfortable for William to be sat in and he felt very grown up using it. Although it was the more expensive trike I think that the fact that it is adjustable meant it would last longer and would get plenty of use. I really liked pushing this one as it felt well made and my son really enjoyed using it too so I would definitely recommend this one to other parents.

The instructions that came with the trike were clear but it took time to assemble. We would recommend changing screw types in order to include tools for assembly as not everyone would have the necessary tools to assemble. The design was nice and the colours were bold and boyish, it looked great when assembled. Thomas could only pedal the trike on the pavement, not on grass. We liked the inclusion of a bucket which allowed our son to take balls and toys to the park. I think this is a good trike, but there are others on the market of a similar style, for a cheaper price.

The JCB trike comes with very clear instructions and was quick and easy to put together using minimal tools - just a screwdriver and a spanner. We liked the design of the trike and the grey and yellow JCB colours will appeal to both boys and girls. Maia especially liked the JCB stickers! Maia was very keen to have a go on this trike and had climbed onto the seat as soon as I had put it together! Her favourite part was the tipper bucket at the back! She spent a very happy afternoon filling it up and moving things around the garden. Maia found this trike the hardest to pedal and push along. It is quite big and Maia couldn't reach the pedals easily to push, even with the seat in its most forward position (there are three seat positions). Also, the pedals are made from plastic. We first tried this on a day when the grass in the garden was quite damp, and Maia's feet kept slipping off the pedals. However, with a helping push from me on the parent handle, she was happily riding around the garden. The JCB trike has a metal frame but most of the other parts are made from plastic, so it doesn't feel as solid or stable as the Puky trike. The parent handle feels a bit wobbly and doesn't feel very strong. I would recommend this trike for older children who already know how to pedal, but I think smaller children and those who haven't used a trike before might find this too big and difficult to pedal. At £29.99, it is good value for money as I'm sure that any child that was given one of these would get many happy hours of use from it in the garden.

My 3 year old was desperate to get onto this trike and found waiting the 25mins that it took his Dad to put it together quite difficult. The instructions were not particularly clear as although the parts were numbered on paper, they were not shown in number order so finding the part needed next was a little time consuming. Once the trike was up and running William was straight on it and really enjoyed the ride! When pedalling himself we found that on a few occasions the pedal lock (to change it to free wheel) popped out so he couldn't pedal himself until I had clicked it back in again, this was a little frustrating. The trike was in the colours of a JCB which I thought was nice for a boy. It felt quite solid and our son loved collecting in his box behind the seat. Being a big 3 year old I thought that the seat was a little on the small side but William wasn't fussed. I found the parent handle really good and loved the fact it was adjustable as I am quite tall. Definitely a toy that our son liked and I would be happy to buy this for our kids as it seems good value for money.

The Scuttle Bug came with clear instructions, but they weren't even needed as the trike was self explanatory to assemble. I liked the design of the trike; it was very different to the others in style and shape. Unfortunately, the plastic moulds attaching the rear wheels to the frame are already stressed after only a day's usage indoors. Thomas was very keen to get on it and fortunately was able to pedal round indoors - when the trike arrived it was raining! He could pedal the trike easily, the Scuttle Bug is for children aged 1-3 and our son being 2.5 was really too big for it. Our nephew who turns one next week had a play and it seemed to suit a younger age group similar to his. This trike is unusual as it is suitable for indoor and outdoor play,and a great feature is that you can fold it down very easily and it's so portable. I would recommend this trike to Mums with younger children, so they would have more use from it.

The Scuttle Bug is a wonderful little trike. I thought it might be a bit young for Maia as she is nearly three, and this is quite a simple push along trike – there are no pedals. She loves it though! It came in a bright colourful box (very appealing to inquisitive toddlers!) and was very, very easy to set up. It came with an instruction booklet but we really didn't need it. It was already assembled, we just had to unfold the wheels and it was ready to go. The trike itself is great. Maia loved the spotty ladybird design and smiley face, and I was very impressed by the clever design and neat, sporty look of the trike. The folding mechanism is very quick and easy to use and is a real bonus. Children's toys are usually big and bulky, but this folds down flat and is easy to store out of the way. The Scuttle Bug is very easy to ride and manoeuvre. The day we received it Maia spent the whole afternoon riding it around the house. It is quite small and the wheels are small and quiet, so it is easy to ride around in small spaces. As an indoor trike it's great. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to try it outside because the weather was too bad, but I imagine it would be fine to use on short grass and other flat surfaces. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a first trike for their child. The Scuttle Bug is so lightweight and manoeuvrable that very young toddlers will quickly be able to push it along and steer it themselves. It's not so good for older children, as it is not recommended for children over three due to weight limitations. It also doesn't have any pedals. Having said that, Maia loves it! It's great value for money. Any child given this would get many hours of enjoyment from it.

The 'ladybird' colours were great fun and the fact that it could be used around the house was an added bonus as Will loved to scoot around the place. Unfortunately I felt it was a bit small for my son and although the age range was 1yr-3yrs that at nearly 4yrs he was a bit too big. This compact foldaway trike is a great idea and I was really impressed by it. I would definitely recommend it to other parents who have children younger than Will. It's good value for money and if you were to buy it when your child was a 1yr old I think it would get lots of use over the years!