Knowing how to find brilliant toys for under £10 is a skill that all parents (scrap that, all adults) should have, and here's why.
Being a parent is expensive, even more so when birthdays and Christmas roll around, and this year's top toys don't come cheap. The costs soon tot up when you have more kids. The costs rise further when your child starts school and gets invited to the birthday parties of their 30 classmates where they want to take a pressie for their friend.
It's a similar story for those with nieces, nephews, Godchildren, and a myriad of other children in their life - when it comes to present giving, you quite often need something that the kids are going to love, but isn't so expensive that it either breaks the bank or annoys the child's parents. GoodtoKnow's Family Editor Stephanie Lowe knows this situation all to well: "My son still has 'class parties' so that's 28 presents I have to buy this year alone so £10 per child is my absolute limit. I'm really anti-tat so spending £10 on something that's actually loved and worth-it is a must."
That's why we've come up with this list of toys suitable for a range of ages and interests, that all come in at less than £10. We've chosen toys based on our extensive product knowledge, our real-life experience or that of children we know and love, those that have the best customer ratings and reviews, and those that are bestsellers. For a wider choice of toys, check out out toy collections that cover everything from the best toys for 6-12 month olds to the best toys for 10 year olds.
18 toys under £10 that make perfect gifts
Age: 3+
Squishmallows were the bestselling toy of 2023, and they're still going strong. There's loads of characters to choose from, they're infinitely collectible and kids love how soft and squishy they are. You cannot go wrong buying a Squishmallow as a gift.
Age: 7+
We all know LEGO sets can be expensive, some costing hundreds of pounds. So if you're looking for a LEGO gift around the £10 mark, then check out the Creator sets. There's loads to choose from, like this dino, and each set makes three different creations.
Age: 5+
Kids love a bit of magic, and this is some of the most delicious smelling magic around. Pop the bread in the toaster, push down the handle, and when you lift it back up, you'll find a scented, breakfast-treat-shaped plush pet. Play again and again, for less than £10.
Age: 7+
Uno is the number one bestselling toy on Amazon, and for good reason. The rules are easy enough to follow that the whole family can get involved, it's small enough to take on holiday, and it's under a tenner.
Age: 8+
The classic problem-solving cube is one of the most gifted items on Amazon. Players can give their mind a work out as they try and unjumble the squares. But with 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 combinations, but only one solution, will they solve it?
Age: 5+
Make maths fun with this wizard-themed game. Players take it in turns to solve the sums, turning over their card and rubbing the heat sensitive patches to magically reveal if they have the right answer.
Age: 6 months+
A great sensory toy for a baby, this rainmaker will help develop their coordination and senses, as well as introducing them to cause and effect. It's small and lightweight enough for little hands to explore, too.
Age: 12 months+
Colourful construction blocks make a great gift for infants as it can help develop their hand-eye coordination, help improve their cognition and teach them about cause and effect. My nephew is four and still loves playing with these.
Age: 3 months+
Sensory toys are brilliant for babies - not only are they fun, they also help them explore the world around them through sensory play. This toy has various colours, shapes, textures and sounds for them to discover.
Age: 3+
With four jigsaws in the box (12, 16, 20 and 24 pieces), this puzzle offers great value for money. With the Bluey theme, it's a great extension of the TV programme to keep kids entertained while they work on their problem solving.
Age: 5+
This STEM toy helps to nurture scientific thinking as players conduct the seven different bubble experiments, from blowing giant bubbles and making 3D bubble shapes to making a bubble snake and learning some wacky water tricks to boot.
Age: 5+
Fidget toys like this are addictive in the best way. The popping sensation is so fun, and can help to reduce stress and anxiety by allowing the player to focus their mind and senses on the game.
Age: 3+
For budding racers, this set of five Hot Wheels cars makes a brilliant pressie. They're intricately designed, brightly coloured, and are a great addition if you know a child who already has a track. It won't blow your budget either.
Age: 4+
Match and Spell encourages letter recognition, phonetic word building as well as matching and memory skills. This is a great base for building literacy and language skills, and can be played solo or with others.
Age: 3+
Paw Patrol fans will adore making the on-screen adventures a reality with their own Chase figure and patrol cruiser. Brilliant for getting their imagination running wild, it's also brilliant for the bank balance at £10.
Age: 5+
Mix and make toys are so much fun, so when you can find one for less than £10, it's well worth snapping up. Part of the expanding Magic Mixies range, players need to mix together the ingredients in the cauldron to reveal the adorable Mixlings inside.
Age: 3+
If you want to buy something a bit more educational, then the Shopping List game from Orchard Toys is excellent. With a minimum of two players needed, kids can practice their turn taking, while also improving their matching and memory skills.
Age: 5+
One of the top Christmas toys last year, this Cutie Cuts Lil' Snippers toy needs a bit of TLC in the form of a haircut before the cute toy is revealed. Each comes with child friendly scissors and a comb, and there are 21 to collect.
How we chose these toys under £10
To curate this list of the best toys under £10, we used our in-depth product knowledge and expertise as well as personal experience to list the toys we really rate. Many of the toys on this list appear in other toys collections that can be found here at GoodtoKnow. We also looked at customer ratings on the retailer's websites, as well as which toys topped the bestsellers and most popular lists, as well as those that are trending right now.
Prices were correct at the time of writing with all toys available for £10 or less.
