Move over Furby! The must-have toys for 2016 revealed - from a rocking mammoth to a VERY rude robot

• e-mail

Whether it's a Queen Elsa doll or the latest reincarnation of Furby, each year a new must-have toy has parents elbowing each other out of the way when it comes to Christmas shopping. 

This Christmas, we'll all be desperate to get our hands on farting robots, eco-friendly playhouses and rocking mammoths.

That's according to parenting website MadeforMums, which has revealed the winners of its inaugural Toy Awards.

Top Heirloom Toy: Judges loved the £129.90 Kid’s Concept Neo Rocking Mammoth, saying: 'We could see it gracing any nursery, and being handed down to generations to come'

The winners, spread across 25 categories, were chosen by a panel made up of 120 children, as well as parents and toy experts.

Judges looked at toys for children of all ages, starting with learning toys for babies, and also focusing on products designed for learning about travel and science.

Read on to find out which toys topped the list for 2016.

TOP HEIRLOOM TOY

Kid’s Concept Neo Rocking Mammoth

Rocking horses are so last season - this year, if experts are to be believed, children up and down the country will be coveting this £129.90 woolly mammoth instead. Manufacturers promise the 50kg creature provides a 'smooth ride' and is a guaranteed playtime friend. 'We could see it gracing any nursery, and being handed down to many generations to come,' said judges.

TOP FAMILY GAME

Jumbo Games Peppa Pig Party Time Race Game

Cult children's cartoon character Peppa Pig has spawned an entire toy empire, and the latest addition is this £9.99 board game. It follows Peppa and her family as they make their way to Suzy Sheep's birthday party, and it's the player's goal to be first to arrive. They'll need to roll the dice and move around the game board, trying to avoid the 'hazard' spaces that threaten to delay their journey.

Family Game winner: This board game was voted best for families and is an inexpensive treat for kids at just £9.99

TOP ACTIVITY MAT

Skip Hop Explore & More Amazing Arch Activity Gym

Retailing at £90, this play mat is decked out with brightly-coloured embroidered animals and an adjustable arch, meaning your baby can play with it sitting or lying down. 

It even has a 'parent pocket' which you can slip your phone in to record those special moments - or FaceTime relatives from overseas.

Best activity mat: Retailing at £90, your child can enjoy the Skip Hop Explore & More Amazing Arch Activity Gym either lying down or sitting up

TOP OUTDOOR TOY

Little Tikes Go Green Playhouse

This garden playhouse with an eco-friendly theme may come with a £270 price tag, but thanks to a solar-powered light and a water butt that collects rainwater, it's educational as well as fun. 

'We were really taken with the green theme,' judges explained. 'Our child judges were entranced by the gardening accessories, the postbox, the doorbell and, most thrillingly, the sink that pumps real water.'

This garden playhouse with an eco-friendly theme may come with a £270 price tag, but with a solar-powered light and a water butt that collects rainwater it's educational as well as fun

TOP ART/ CRAFT KIT

Kinetic Sand Sandcastle Set

This £19.99 squeezable sand pit is ideal if you can't face a trip to the seaside. 

It comes with four moulds to help create a sandcastle, seahorse, turtle or even a fish.

And it also comes with your very own sand box and 1lb of Kinetic Sand, so you can bring all the fun of the beach home with you.

This £19.99 squeezable sand pit is ideal if you can't face a trip to the seaside

TOP WOODEN TOY

Sibis Schorsch

Judges rated the £125 wooden push-along walker from award-winning German toy company Sirch, built with silent wheels and a soft-closing lidded compartment for carrying toys. 

Judges said: 'We're really impressed by the way the lid is designed so it can't trap and pinch little fingers. 

'Our toddler judges definitely enjoyed pushing it, standing on it, opening the lid and filling it with toys.'

Top wooden toy: Judges voted for the £125 wooden push-along walker from award-winning German toy company Sirch, built with silent wheels and a soft-closing lidded compartment for carrying toys

TOP BABY TOY

Taf Toys Musical Boat Cot Toy

At £29.99, this musical toy covers three different developmental stages and can be used as a crib soother, 'tummy-time' trainer or as a crawling toy. 

It also has a special 'soothing mode' that plays a calming melody, nature sounds, and projects colourful star shapes.

Top baby toy: Taf Toys Musical Boat Cot Toy, £29.99, has a special 'soothing mode' that plays a calming melody, nature sounds, and projects colourful star shapes

TOP BATH TOY

Skip Hop Zoo Light-Up Surfers

Perfect for bathtime, this £10 gadget features two animal characters which can float on their surfboard or on their own. 

And they light up when they make contact with water. 

Little ones will love brightening up tub time with their new glowing friends.

Perfect for bathtime, this £10 gadget features two animal characters which can float on their surfboard  

TOP CONSTRUCTION TOY

Lego Duplo My First Truck

Duplo has been a household favourite for almost 50 years, and its popularity shows no sign of waning. 

Its £16.99 My First Truck features building blocks designed to help your child learn to match pairs. 

The set comes with eight pairs of colorful food-decorated bricks, perfect for matching or memory games.

The £16.99 Lego Duplo My First Truck was voted top construction toy 

TOP DOLL 

Tiny Treasures Newborn Open Eye Baby Girl

This startlingly lifelike baby doll comes kitted out with a BabyGro and hat, as well as a hospital tag and birth certificate. 

At £39.99, she also comes packaged in a cardboard carry-case which makes her easily transported, and is scented so she smells like a real baby. 

Judges said they were 'bowled over' by the adorable doll.

The £39.99 Tiny Treasures Newborn Open Eye Baby Girl was voted Top Doll Toy

TOP LEARNING TOY

ToucanBox Under the Sea Super Box

This £19.95 personalised arts and crafts box contains everything you need for sea-themed crafts projects. 

Judges said: 'The materials supplied in the box are good-quality and plentiful and the (lovely, clear) instructions are both written and drawn – so most children can follow them without adult help.' 

Top learning toy: This £19.95 personalised arts and crafts box contains everything you need for sea-themed crafts projects

TOP SCOOTER

Yvolution Y-Glider Deluxe

Available in four different colours, the £39.99 Y-Glider Deluxe is designed to help children develop their balance, co-ordination and motor skills. 

With a unique steering mechanism which helps the user to learn how to steer correctly, the self-propelling scooter is perfect for first-time riders.

Top Scooter: The £39.99 Y-Glider Deluxe is designed to help children develop their balance, co-ordination and motor skills and has a unique steering mechanism according to Yvolution

TOP PET/ ANIMAL TOY

Little Live Pets Snuggles My Dream Puppy

At £49.99 the soft, furry puppy opens and closes his eyes, yaps and pants, feeds from a bottle and falls asleep in your arms. 

Judges says the animatronics were 'cute and realistic without being stilted or annoyingly noisy'. 

The young testers reportedly took their new responsibilities as puppy owners 'very seriously – petting, feeding and cuddling Snuggles with delight and care'.

Top Pet/ Animal Toy: The £49.99 Little Live Pets Snuggles My Dream Puppy opens and closes his eyes, yaps and pants, feeds from a bottle and falls asleep in your arms

TOP PLAY APP

Peppa Pig: Seasons - Autumn and Winter

This £2.29 app aimed at preschoolers features different games and activities, based on the autumn and winter seasons, to play with Peppa and her friends – from picking fruit to throwing snowballs. 

'The games are well-pitched at the under-fives,' judges said. 'And we liked the fact that there were reward stickers to collect as you play.

'Our child judges (not all of whom were Peppa Pig fans) particularly enjoyed picking the fruit, tobogganing and, of course, jumping in muddy puddles.'

Top app: The £2.29 Peppa Pig: Seasons - Autumn and Winter app aimed at preschoolers features different games and activities

TOP PLAYSET/ COLLECTIBLE

Sylvanian Families Beechwood Hall

This sprawling,  doll's-house-style family home comes with working lights and a front door that opens out to reveal five rooms, two balconies, a moveable staircase and a reversible panel that can turn into a garden or an additional living space. 

Judges called the £69.99 toy a 'beautifully made little house, designed with lots of attention to detail.'

Top Playset/ Collectible: At £69.99, Sylvanian Families Beechwood Hall is a doll's-house-style family home comes with with lights and a front door that opens out to reveal five rooms

TOP PLUSH/ CHARACTER TOY

Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Activity Toy

This teether, designed to be worn around the wrist, is described as 'full of textures, patterns and sounds'. 

Skip Hop say the £16 toy is 'perfect for multi-sensory play' and 'ideal for fun at home or on the go.' 

Experts who tested the product added: 'Our child judges all loved feeling and holding and jiggling it.'

Top Plush/ Character Toy: This £16 Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Activity Toy, designed to be worn around the wrist, is described as being 'full of textures, patterns and sounds'

TOP PUZZLE/ JIGSAW

Orchard Toys Giant Railway

The £13.99 floor puzzle is made up of 22 pieces that turn into a play train track once you've fitted them together. 

It also comes with trains, people, stations, level crossings – and a cow. 

Experts said: 'Our child judges [loved] spreading their train track out over the floor, and all the grown-ups were super-impressed with a jigsaw that offers so many extra minutes of play value once you've slotted it all together.'

Top puzzle: The £13.99 floor puzzle is made up of 22 pieces that turn into a play train track once you've fitted them together

TOP RIDE-ON/ WALKER

Micro Scooters Mini 2 Go

At £99.95, this mini scooter allows children to scoot around both standing up or sitting down. 

The expert panel explained: 'We were impressed both by the looks and the versatility of this ride-on. 

'And our child judges were thrilled to discover the special 'secret' storage drawer under the seat. The seat itself is wide and comfy, and we liked the little footrests.'

Top scooter: At £99.95, this mini scooter allows children to scoot around both standing up or sitting down.

TOP TECHNOLOGY/ SCIENCE TOY

Meccano Micronoid

This £39.99 robot can be programmed to dance, sing, giggle, talk, answer questions – and even fart. 

Judges said: 'We rated this toy hugely, both for the build and for the mega-play value it offers after the build. 

All our child judges found the finished robot incredibly entertaining, and had loads of fun making it dance and flash its eyes and repeat silly phrases.'

Top Technology/ Science Toy: The £39.99 Meccano Micronoid can be programmed to dance, sing, giggle, talk, answer questions – and even fart. Judges said: 'We rated this toy hugely'

TOP TODDLER TOY

Golden Bear My First JCB Stacking Stanley Mega Truck

This 43cm long plastic truck features six super sized wheels, making it perfect for indoor and outdoor challenges. 

It comes with five shape-sorting blocks which are numbered, helping little ones with simple number and colour recognition. Stanley, who costs £24.99, even has a manual tipping bucket which children can load, transport and tip.

Top Toddler Toy: The £24.99 Golden Bear My First JCB Stacking Stanley Mega Truck features shape-sorting blocks and super-sized wheels, making it perfect for indoor and outdoor fun

TOP IMAGINARY PLAY

Hape Aqua Retro Kitchen

At £69.99, this wooden play kitchen features a sink, clock, oven and a range of wooden accessories including a ladle, spatula, frying pan and saucepan. 

'It's just the right size and height for an older toddler or preschooler,' judges said. 

'And its lovely retro styling appeals equally to the grown-up and small-person eye. It's sturdy but still light enough to be carried from room to room, if needed.'

Top imaginary play: At £69.99 the Hape Aqua Retro Kitchen is just the right size and height for an older toddler or preschooler

TOP ROLE PLAY

Casdon Morphy Richards Kitchen Set

'It's the little details that sealed it for us,' judges said of this £17 mini kitchen set. 'The toaster actually pops up the play toast and you can fill the coffee maker with water and watch it trickle through into the jug like real filter coffee would. 

'We also liked the gender-neutral packaging and colours, and the feedback from the parents of our child judges was universally positive: a lovely, well-priced toy that sparks hours of imaginative play.'

Top role play: THe £17 Casdon Morphy Richards Kitchen Set won praise for its gender neutral colour scheme 

TOP TOY VEHICLE

Battat Take-Apart Airplane

This toy plane is made of 21 chunky pieces that can be assembled – and taken apart – with the the child-size battery-powered drill that comes with it. 

At £19.99, judges called it a 'great-quality, wonderfully colourful toy plane all by itself'. They said: 'All of our child judges gave it an unreserved 10 out of 10 for play value.'

Top toy vehicle: The Battat Take-Apart Airplane, £19.99, is made of 21 chunky pieces that can be assembled – and taken apart – with the the child-size battery-powered drill that comes with it

TOP TRAVEL TOY

Playmobil 123 My Take Along Ship

'The boat is a nice size,' judges said of the £29.99 toy. 'And, although it's light and easy to carry, it feels very robust. 

Our child judges all loved stowing the play figures away in the hull, and making the boat float in their bathwater. 

We have a bit of a soft spot for the little dog floating in his rubber ring.'

Playmobil 123 My Take Along Ship won the top travel toy award