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Game for a laugh? Here are some Christmas ideas to keep everyone entertained over the festive season.

• Gator Golf Hasbro - RRP £14.99
• Jenga Hasbro - RRP £9.99
• LOGO Game Drumond Park - RRP £29.99
• LEGO Games Minotaurus Lego - RRP £17.99
• Monopoly City Hasbro - RRP £24.99
• Bop It Hasbro - RRP £19.99
• Peppa Pig Tumble and Spin Jumbo - RRP £12.99
• Pictureka Flipper Hasbro - RRP £24.99
• LEGO Games Ramses Pyramid Lego - RRP £19.99
• Rubiks 360 Drumond Park - RRP £13.99
• Topsy Turtle Hasbro - RRP £16.99
• Uno Moo Mattel - RRP £14.99

Running short of present ideas for Christmas?

For inspiration, take a look at our roving robots for kids of all ages, where you can meet the original Robosapien who’s great at kung fu, can walk run and turn, has full function arms and grippers and can pick up, throw, kick dance, even make rude noises!

He’s also fluent in international “caveman speech” - now that’s clever!

For more about the loveable Robosapien click here!

Big kids and little kids all love building. If construction toys are on your Christmas present list it pays to check out the best of the bunch before you buy.

For hours of fun this Christmas, take a tip from the experts, and choose from construction toy wishlist brought to you by the Toy Retailer’s Association.

Construction toys for boys and girls

Let kids get Lost in the Star Wars saga with Lego’s Star Wars Echo Base and the Star Wars Darth Vader’s Tie Fighter.

Or get technical with the Power Miners Titanium Command Rig 8964 (all Lego) or the MagNext Systems Deluxe (Mega Brands).

Construction toys for toddlers

Little ones can start their building appetite with the Duplo Feeding Zoo (Lego), the Play ‘n’ Go Table (Mega Brands) or the Police Seaplane (Playmobil).

Car-crazy construction this Christmas

Petrol heads can build their own remote controlled vehicles, Tuning RC Carbon Style Car (Meccano) and create their own City Garage (Lego).

Finally, kids can be inspired by Spykee Micro (Meccano) the remote controlled robot, venture into another time and place with the Pyramid (Playmobil) or build their own fairground with the K’ Nex Amusement Park Series (Tomy).

Keep the kids happy this Christmas with a gift chosen from the Creative Top 12, compiled by the Toy Retailer’s Association.

This Christmas, kids will delight in creating magical creatures with the Spin Master’s Bendaroos Mega Pack, or Bendaroos Paperoni Deluxe Studio. Or the little ones may prefer In The Night Garden AquaDraw by Tomy.

Budding artists will enjoy Spin Master’s Doodle with Glo Doodle, or tricky treats include creating amazing illusions with light with the Crayola Glo-Station from Vivid.

Mini chefs can get stuck in with the Lets Cook Fruit Factory (Character Options) which turns fruit into delicious juice, scrumptious smoothies and tasty ice cream, whilst Hasbro’s Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice-Cream Shoppe Playset magically makes pretend ice cream out of dough.

Little girls will love creating their own jewellery with Flair’s Toobie Woobies or Aqua Beads Mini Playset.

Budding musicians can make their own music on U-Create Music (Mattel), and fans of the Ben 10 cartoon character can create identity cards with Flair’s Ben 10 Hero Identity Station.

Or for a stickertastic time, the Crayola 3 in 1 Sticker Studio Mega Pack from Vivid will get kids cheering this Christmas.

Creative Top 12 Toys for Christmas

• Ben 10 Hero Identity station Flair   - RRP £17.99
• Bendaroos Mega Pack Spin Master  - RRP £19.99
• Crayola 3 in 1 Sticker Studio Vivid  - RRP £16.99
• Crayola Glo-station Vivid  - RRP £22.99
• Aqua Beads Mini Playset Flair  - RRP £15.99
• Glo Doodle Spin Master  - RRP £19.99
• In The Night Garden Aquadraw Tomy - RRP £29.99
• Lets Cook Fruit Factory Character Options - RRP £19.99
• Paperoni Deluxi Studio Spin Master - RRP £19.99
• Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice-Cream Shoppe Playset Hasbro -  RRP £17.99
• Toobie Woobies Flair - RRP £14.99
• U-Create Music Mattel - RRP £34.99

Running short of gift ideas for the tiddlers this Christmas?

Never fear, take a look at the Toy Retailers Association’s pick of this year’s toys and technology for the little ones - you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Toys and technology gifts suitable for preschoolers are:

Princess Peppa’s Palace (Character Options) and In The Night Garden Sleepy Time Igglepiggle (Hasbro).

Well-loved faces, familiar to parents and children alike make an appearance with My First Remote Control Thomas (Tomy) and Postman Pat Vehicles (Character Options).

Budding engineers will be spoilt for choice with the Fisher Price Lets Get to Work Manny or Mattel’s Stack ‘n’ Surprise Count ‘n’ Build Snail Pail.

Little imaginations can figure out the crazy world of The WotsWots Zoom Along Plush by Hasbro, giggle along with Waybuloo Peeka Lau Lau (Mattel) or get lost in a good book with Leapfrog’s Tag Reading System.

For Christmas night cuddles, how about Vivid’s Night Night Timmy, and those finding their feet can take their first steps with V-Tech’s First Steps Walker.

And young photographers will enjoy capturing the Christmas action with a KidiZoom Multimedia Digital Cameras (VTech).

If you need inspiration for presents to buy the kids this Christmas which won’t cost an arm and a leg, take a look at this year’s best-buy toys for boys and girls as recommended by the Toy Retailer’s Association (TRA).

With prices to suit all pockets, shopping for Christmas toys could cost less this year if you choose from the TRA’s annual Dream Toys list.

All the featured toys are priced under £50, ensuring an affordable and enjoyable Christmas for everyone.

This year’s Dream Dozen, in alphabetical order are:

• Bakugan Battle Pack - Spin Master (RRP £19.99)
• Battle Strikers Starter Set - Mega Brands (RRP £9.99)
• Ben 10 Alien Force Kevins DX Action Cruiser -  Bandai (RRP £29.99)
• Bendaroos Mega Pack -  Spin Master (RRP £19.99)
• GO GO Pets Hamsters - Character Options (RRP £9.99)
• GX Racers Tightrope Terror - Flair (RRP £22.99)
• Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera - V-Tech (RRP £49.99)
• LEGO Games Minotaurus - Lego (RRP £17.99)
• Monopoly City, Hasbro (RRP £24.99)
• Princess Peppa’s Palace, Character Options (RRP £39.99)
• Sylvanian Families Caravan, Flair (RRP £44.99)
• Transformers Movie 2 Voyagers Figures, Hasbro (RRP £22.99)

Do you have friends with no sense of direction? Worried they might get lost on the way to your Christmas party?

Then we have a great Christmas idea for you. Make sure they get to the party on time with the latest SatNav system.

SatNav brands

If you are looking for an in-car satellite navigation system, it can be difficult to choose from the many different brands available.  Well-known brands include Tom Tom, Navman, Binatone and Garmin.

Mapping

Think ahead. It pays to buy a SatNav with full UK and full European mapping. Having pre-installed maps will save you money.

European mapping

Adding them after buying a SatNav will cost a fortune. Choose European mapping for your SatNav as well as UK maps - you may one day decide to take your car abroad, so save cash by having full European mapping from the word go!

Be hands-free with Bluetooth

Buying a satellite navigation system with Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls will let you keep both hands on the wheel, and your eyes on the road. Using a GPS with hands-free allows you to answer calls while driving, dial and talk.

Up-to-date maps

Look to buy a SatNav pre-installed with the latest maps, or you may have to pay for up-to-date maps later on.

Full postcode search

For precise address location, when you choose a satellite navigation system, make sure it has a full 7/8 digit UK postcode search facility.

Click and buy Sat Nav at Christmas Present Idea

Binatone, Navman, Tom Tom and Garmin

A mixed bag of musical treats for all tastes brought to you by Christmas Present Idea!

Robbie Williams - Reality Killed The Video Star

Robbie Williams returns to form with his eighth studio album Reality Killed The Video Star. Features the single Bodies.

Cheryl Cole - Fight for This Love

Fight for This Love is the first solo single from Cheryl Cole’s debut solo studio album 3 Words. It is Cheryl’s 23rd chart single to date.

Black Eyed Peas - E.n.d (The Energy Never Dies)

The Black Eyed Peas stick to their pop funk sound with their latest album, The Energy Never Dies. The Album’s producer Will.I.Am hails it as the beginning of a new concept, ideally suited to the digital download generation, with the hip-hop fusion track Boom Boom Pow standing out.

Alexandra Burke - Overcome

Since winning 2008’s The X Factor competition, Alexandra Burke has sold 105,000 copies of debut single, Hallelujah in one day.

Overcome is Alexandra’s first full release. Guests on the album include Pixie Lott on You Broke My Heart and Flor Rida on the single, Bad Boys.

Foo Fighters Greatest Hits

The latest album from the Foo Fighters, headed by ex-Nirvana drummer turned Rock God, Dave Grohl. The Foos sell millions of records world-wide, and their Greatest Hits collection shows why.

Includes Everlong and All My Life, Echoes, Silence, Patience And Grace. Also features two new songs - Wheels and Word Forward.

Crazy Love - Michael Buble

Michael Buble’s fourth studio album Crazy Love has a definite ’70s feel and features two Buble originals, plus a guest appearance from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.

Best of Snow Patrol - Up To Now: Best Of: 2cd

Up To Now collects some of the finest moments from Snow Patrol’s lengthy career, and features some of the band’s biggest hits including Run and Chasing Cars. There are also three new songs, live tracks, B-sides and Snow Patrol’s cover version of Beyonce’s Crazy In Love.

Here’s a practical present idea - a frost-free fridge or freezer makes the ideal gift

Here are some features to look out for when buying.

Frost free freezers
Say goodbye to defrosting! Frost free freezers circulate cold air around the freezer maintaining a constant temperature and preventing frost build-up.This prevents food such as frozen peas and sliced bread from sticking together.

Fast freeze facility for food
Fast freeze technology freezes food quickly, retaining more nutrients and preserving texture and taste.

Super cool fridge technology
Super cool technology works in the fridge section. When you fill your fridge with food to chill, turn on the super cool feature so that the food is cooled quickly and continuously for a certain amount of time.

Frost free fridges at Christmas Present Idea

A bottle of wine is always a welcome gift at Christmas, and an enjoyable wine need not be expensive in these cost conscious times.  Here are some recommendations for the perfect Christmas tipple.

2007 Christophe Pichon Viognier

Even if you can afford the Rhône’s top white wine (Condrieu, at £20 upwards) this vin de pays hits the mark. It tastes of Condrieu, heady floral perfume, apricot flavour, silky texture, because it’s made from the same grape variety, viognier, and grown on the same granitic east-facing slopes, but just a bit further south.

2006 Etienne Sauzet La Tufera Bourgogne Chardonnay

One for devotees of fine white burgundy, especially Puligny-Montrachet, or fans of new-world chardonnay who want to see why there’s such a fuss about French wine. This comes from two parcels of old vines just beyond the Puligny-Montrachet boundaries, hence the simple Bourgogne designation. It’s elegant, nutty and mineral.

2007 Ken Forrester FMC Chenin Blanc, £17-£18

This is a statement wine. Rich, nutty and creamy, with flavours of apricot and cocoa, and it’s off-dry: the wine equivalent of a voluptuous yet majestic blonde. It’s produced in Stellenbosch from chenin blanc and fermented and aged in French oak barrels.

1998 Alfred Gratien Millésime Champagne, £38

If you can still afford Krug or Cristal, give, give, give. If you can’t, choose Alfred Gratien, an insider’s champagne. This has honeyed crystallised-fruit flavours, hints of toast and steely acidity. If the recipient feels there’s nothing to celebrate at the moment, this will outlast any recession.

2004 Selvapiana Bucerchiale Chianti Rufina, £20

Selvapiana only keeps the wine from the Bucerchiale vineyard separate from the rest of the estate’s wine in the very best years, so that makes this special for a start. It has subtly spicy aromas and lovely savoury cherry flavours. It will keep for up to 12 years, but maybe there’s somebody who would share it with you sooner.

2004 Château Lalande-Borie Saint-Julien, £19.99

Lalande-Borie is under the same ownership as the glittering Château Ducru- Beaucaillou, so this is a chance to savour some of the magic of a top bordeaux at a more affordable price. Supple and cedary, with sweet fruit and a velvet finish.

2006 Yering Station Shiraz Viognier, Yarra Valley, £11

Stylish, full-bodied Oz shiraz with 5% viognier to give a lift to the perfume. It’s not aged in oak, so the purity of the fruit shows, and there are also touches of dark chocolate and spice.

2006 CarinaE Malbec Reserva, Mendoza, £9

If the intended recipient is a Francophile, play up the French connections - malbec is the grape in Cahors, and the consultant winemaker, Michel Rolland, is from Bordeaux. This is full-bodied and oaky, but not hefty, with a ripe blackberry and black- pepper character.

1995 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904, £25

Rioja is one of the most popular reds, but this is grand old Rioja. It’s a gran reserva (top category) from a benchmark bodega, and full of autumnal sweetness, sandalwood and cigar-box flavours.

2005 Aurélien Verdet Gevrey Chambertin, £23.75

Want to make someone feel really special? Give them good red burgundy. Aurélien Verdet’s Gevrey is fragrant with cherries and roses, and has a palate that is both sweet and savoury, vibrant and pure. It’s delicious now, but it will open out over the next four years. Make sure you’re around.

Buy Christophe Pinchon now!

Source: Sunday Times