Top 5 electronic and educational toys for under £15
Our favourite electronic and educational toys for under £15 around now
Why buy one
Electronic or ‘talking’ toys can never be a replacement for interacting with your child, but they’re a great way to get little ones excited about learning. Whether it’s a cute electronic pet, and pretend phone or remote control, children love the interactive nature of electronic toys from a young age. Pressing buttons can help strengthen motor skills, and they are useful for teaching colours, words and phrases.
What to spend
Electronic toys can be expensive, with prices reaching well over £50, but it’s possible to find smaller, cheaper versions, with fewer features for around the £10-15 mark. They won’t keep your child busy for hours, but they’ll be a fun diversion for shorter periods of time.
What to look for
Look for toys that have an educational value that your child can learn new skills from, such as a device that can teach them words and colours, or has some value as a role-play tool.
Learning Lights remote, £11, Leapfrog
Suitable for babies from six months old, all the way to the pre-schooler years, this play remote control introduces numbers, shapes and first words. Combining fun and learning, there are also 10 sounds and songs to engage children as they press the colourful buttons.
Gadget set, £11, Chad Valley
If your phone or keys intrigue your baby, then this is the set to buy them! There’s a play phone, set of keys and a remote control all with interactive features such as music, lights and sounds to help them learn as they play. As they reach toddlerhood, the set can also be used as props for their role-play games.
Twist and Play Koala, £9.99, VTech
A cute electronic toy for very young children, this friendly koala helps develop your child’s fine motor skills as they twist his ears and press the heart-shaped button on his tummy. There are 15 activities, plus melodies to sing along to and exciting textures and beads to discover, too.
Laugh & Learn Game controller, £13, Fisher Price
This toy comes in the guise of a games controller and is a clever way for your baby to start to familiarise themselves with numbers, letter and colours. It has two modes and lots of activities to keep your little one occupied, with buttons and a joystick to help improve motor skills and coordination.
Noisy Farm by Axel Scheffler, £12.48, Usbourne
This sturdy book has interactive sounds to bring the story to life. It tells the tale of a very noisy farm, and toddlers will love to press the buttons to hear the realistic animal sounds. It’s perfect for teaching children about farm animals and also to stimulate a love of books, plus it has engaging pictures by the illustrator of the Gruffalo.