Dr Amanda Gummer on Christmas Toys 2025

Dr Amanda Gummer is a Play Expert and child psychologist. Dr Gummer has a PhD in Neuropsychology, a postgraduate certificate in Higher Education and over 20 years’ experience working with children and families. She runs FUNdamentally Children and founded the Good Play Guide in 2012 to provide an independent, expert accreditation service for children’s play-based products. She is also the Chair of the Association of Play Industries.

Dr Gummer is widely considered as the UK’s go-to expert on play, toys and child development and can be seen regularly in the media, including BBC News, Sky News, The Daily Mail and many more, offering advice on news stories and issues surrounding children, families and child development.

In this practical session with Dr Gummer, you’ll discover how modern toys are evolving beyond gimmicks to genuinely enhance learning, explore the concept of a balanced play diet, and learn how to guide parents towards playful, purposeful gift choices that benefit the children in your care.

In this episode you’ll:

• Discover Christmas 2025 toy recommendations and what makes them developmentally worthwhile
• Learn how the MESH accreditation identifies toys that build emotional resilience through eight key characteristics
• Explore how technology in toys is maturing to genuinely enhance play value rather than add gimmicks
• Understand the balanced play diet framework for helping parents balance children’s leisure time like nutrition
• Access free School Readiness and Christmas resources to share with families, complete with research and recommendations

Watch this episode to discover Dr Gummer’s top toy picks for Christmas 2025 and learn how to guide parents towards choices that build resilience, support development and create joyful play experiences.

Episode Links:

https://www.goodplayguide.com/blog/balancing-the-play-diet

https://www.goodplayguide.com/christmas/

https://www.facebook.com/GoodPlayGuide

https://www.instagram.com/goodplayguide

https://www.goodplayguide.com/school-readiness-play-guide/

Featured toys:

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/insect-lore-butterfly-garden/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/hue-animation-toolbox/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/strider-12-sport-balance-bike/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/adventures-of-monkey-activity-affirmation-book/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/little-rebels/

http://goodplayguide.com/reviews/mood-bears/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/mighty-wheels-10-mighty-fire-truck-lights-sound/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/tie-dye-dotz/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/the-amazing-waxidoodles/

https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/the-adventures-of-paddington-talking-paddington-soft-toy/

MESH – mental, emotional, and social health

https://www.meshhelps.org