The Tesco Baby and Toddler event is going to be the biggest one they have ever had according to a little bird whispering in my ear. It will be running from 16 January until 05 February so you have plenty of time to snatch those tasty discounts for you and your little one.

• Click here to get some discounts with Tesco

The Tesco Baby and Toddler event is still very hush hush in terms of what they are planning on offering to us parents so I can’t really tell you much more than it will be happening and that it will be big.

There are two offers already ambling around on the site. The first is the Pampers Baby Dry Carry packs down to £4.30 each, instead of £6.49, and the Huggies Baby Wipes on the everso fabulous buy one get TWO free deal. Awesome.

Tesco will also be offering their twitter followers the chance to win a prize every day during the Baby Event and the prizes are really cool (and still to be announced) so they are very excited about it all. So here you go, mark the date in your diary and get ready for some ace baby and toddler deals.

Tesco Direct has knocked £10 off this Star Wars Clone Trooper Blaster, bringing it down from £19.97 to £9.97. If you're not familiar with the Star Wars Clone Wars CGI/Animated series, then the troopers in this are the good guys. Not the baddies in the real people movies. Presumably that shift from being goodies to baddies is what threw their aim off so much. Delivery is free if you can collect from a store.

• Click here for your Star Wars Clone Trooper Blaster at Tesco Direct

This is actually a pretty cool looking 'gun' and could be one for a Christmas gift or to pop in the present drawer. Until very recently, my son had a proper aversion to real looking toy guns, the kind that look like guns that shoot bullets. He has a Nerf gun that he liked to play with, but it didn't look anything like a real gun, and a laser blaster type thing that had lights in it. So if you, or your child, isn't too keen on anything realistic looking but still has a hankering to play with 'guns' then this sort of thing is a good alternative.

With this toy your child can recreate their own Star Wars Clone Wars battle with their own Electronic Blaster. The blasters have lights and sounds or ring projectiles.

Unfortunately the batteries are not included. The age range for this toy is 5 years and upwards.

Thanks to wishihadadonkey at HUKD!

Now here's an excellent present for a Christmas Stocking. This Plasticine Mega Pack is £8.50 at Tesco Direct, reduced from £20.

• Click here for your Plasticine Mega Pack at Tesco Direct

Plasticine is fun on its own, and also great for making accessories for other games and toys. Like rocks and plants for toy train sets, or to go with a Lego set.

It was a favourite of mine when I was a kid too. What I really liked about plasticine is that unlike Play Doh, it doesn't dry out. Also, it is harder so you can make proper models with it.

However, it can get mucky and won't necessarily last forever. Especially if it is used to help accessorise other games! Replenishing their plasticine stock is an excellent use of the good old Christmas stocking. And this is a huge pack, at a good price.

This Plasticine mega pack contains 20 different colours of placticine plus loads of cool accessories, allowing your offspring to make hundreds of cool models. Placticine will never dry out so you can use it over and over again. Plasticine is suitable for children in the age range of 3 years and upwards, although I think they get the best use out of it if they're 5 or older.

Thanks to mummybones at HUKD!

Looking for something techy or gadgety for Christmas this year? Well I am at any rate. And I'm not talking about just the kids here but the whole family. Oh yes, isn't it about time we looked at some toys for mums and dads too?

There's something about flashy lights, and whizzy graphics, and things that go 'ting'. Or apps. Now apps are great although you can't wrap them and put them under the tree. At least it is one less bit of clutter to have around the house!

Here's a selection of some of the top tech Christmas presents to inspire you. I've looked for hot and trending toys or gadgets for all the family, from mum and dad, through teens to tots.

Also, I've not included toys that we've covered a bit here on PlayPennies, like the Fijit Friends. Or tablet PC toys, the Leapfrog LeapPad Explorer and the vTech Innotab. Personally I'm not sold on them, the tablet PC toys I mean. It sounds like the Innotab runs through batteries fairly quickly. But they definitely sound better than some of those toy laptops I've tried in the past that have just dreadful screens!

The Wallace & Gromit complete collection is down to £4.99 at Tesco Entertainment and this includes free UK delivery. The set has all of the famous Wallace & Gromit tales included and would make an utterly awesome Christmas stocking filler.

• Click here to have some fun with Tesco Entertainment

The Wallace & Gromit collector’s set has four Wallace and Gromit tales to mark the 20th anniversary of their creation. You get a Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and A Matter of Loaf and Death.

I absolutely love these movies, mini shows, and wish that there had been more of them to watch. I think that these are among the finest forms of cartoon-style show around and have totally snapped this set up to enjoy this Christmas.

Actually, I’ve bought it to sneak into my husband’s stocking but will obviously hijack it to watch myself on Christmas Day. A great price for this collection from Tesco and especially tasty with the free delivery.

Thanks to goonertillidie at HUKD!

Hahah! Oh, I love these! Here are adorable Star Wars talking plush toys for £9.97 each and, thanks to the Tesco 3 for 2 offer, you can get three of them for £19.94. Genius! Usually these sell for around £12 to £15 and you can get R2D2, Yoda, Darth Vader and Chewbacca. Oh, oh, I WANT Chewbacca!

• Click here to use the force at Tesco Direct

Ok so I totally want the whole set. Not only is R2D2 very realistic looking, but the way the other toys have been designed means that they have these huge heads on these tiny bodies. It’s hilarious. You press their stomachs to hear them talk (oh so funny) and I just want to cuddle Chewie.

The price is excellent to start with but the fact that you can nab three for two means that overall you end up paying £6.67 per toy, not bad at all. These would make superb Christmas gifts for anyone who loves Star Wars.

Thanks to themilnes at HUKD!

I love it when I find baby equipment that's been massively reduced. This Cosatto Noodle Highchair has been marked down from £90 to £22 at Tesco Direct. Delivery is free if you can arrange to collect instore. To be more specific this is the Zoodle version of the Cosatto Noodle Highchair and I presume from what I can find out that this refers to the pattern.

• Click here for your Cosatto Noodle Zoodle highchair at Tesco Direct

The Noodle Zoodle - sounds like a character from a Dr Suess book! The Noodle Cosatto Zoodle high chair is both practical and colourful. The chair features a comfortable 5-point safety harness to keep your baby secure. The 6 position height adjustable seat lets your high chair grow with your baby.

The Cosatto has a footrest and 2 removable easy-clean trays with cup holders for early weaning and encourages independent eating. The 3 position recliner allows your baby to have a nap without be disturbed.

The high chair comes with fully removable covers for convenient cleaning and can be folded compactly with the free standing position for storage or travelling. Age range 6 months+. Maximum weight capacity 15kg.

Thanks to gemwood at HUKD!

This is a really hot deal here and it is utterly brilliant for stocking fillers, or, if you are on a budget, as a nice tidy gift for one person who has an iTunes love. You get three iTunes vouchers valued at £15 each for a total of £35, a saving of £10 off the original price.

• Click here to get some iTunes at Tesco

The vouchers are easy enough to find, just enter in your location and then click on the link on the left that says Visit Shop. This will then take you through to the offer so you can nab it or book it to collect instore. You also get Clubcard points when you buy these.

The offer is only valid from 14 November until 27 November so if you fancy this deal, you better dive in now! The savings are great here, you basically get one £15 value card for only £5. I plan to buy this iTunes deal so I can drop one into each stocking for my iTunes family.

Thanks to johnwatsom_2003 at HUKD!

As I sit writing this my six year old son is sitting next to me playing with his Peppa Pig playground playset. The toys in this range have an appeal that last for quite a while. I think he still plays with all his Peppa Pig stuff even though he's a little bit old for the show now. I don't think you can really go wrong then with this Peppa Pig Peppa Secret Tower if you're looking for something as a Christmas gift. Tesco Direct has it reduced in their 50% sale from £19.97 down to £9.97. Delivery is free if you can collect in store.

• Click here for your Peppa Secret Tower at Tesco Direct

Princess Peppa has her own secret tower, and she wants to share its magical mysteries with you! At least that's what it says on the website. I can't quite see what is 'secret' about it to me (I was thinking it might have a secret compartment, but I couldn't see anything about that in the blurb).

It folds out to reveal royal rooms, accessories and beautiful furniture, all fit for a princess. There’s all sorts of secret wonders to be discovered, including a magical mirror and a large clothes dresser – after all, a princess needs somewhere special to store all her beautiful outfits. When Peppa is tired, she can relax in the luxurious four poster bed. Again, that's what it says on the website and I have to wonder who on earth writes these things and have they even seen the show? Peppa is one of the best role models for little girls on the telly. She's not princess obsessed, and she's not fashion obsessed!

However, if I was going to have anything 'princess' themed in your child's bedroom then this would probably be it.

This Peppa Secret Tower is designed to encourage development of hand to eye co-ordination, while also offering your child hours of imaginative play. It’s suitable for little princesses aged 3 years and up.

When I was given this Arm & Hammer My Way! Spinbrush for my daughter I was extremely sceptical. An electric toothbrush for a five-year old? Really? I was willing to bet that she would cut and run the moment she felt it vibrating against her teeth.

The My Way! Spinbrush isn’t entirely standard fare. It’s very gadgety and has been rather cleverly designed to attract a child’s attention. It can be customised with stickers. And they give you a LOT of stickers in the box. We still have three sheets of them floating about the house.

The stickers for the “girls” toothbrush consist of rainbows and pinks, purples and flowers, unicorns, princesses and castles. The boys get footballs and cars and other such exciting things. You have enough letters to write most names on the brush.

The sticker part was a hit. She spent absolute ages painstakingly sticking them onto her brush and getting them right. Then she spent some time getting used to the switch to turn it on and off by brushing my chair, the lounge suite and the table. Obviously the brush needed cleaning…

She has been a lot more focused when it comes to brushing her teeth since she started using this. I was completely wrong about her hating it. She loves the vibration, loves the way her teeth feel afterwards, and now I don’t need to nag nearly as often. Bonus.

So, those are the pluses. And the negatives? Well, you can’t change the brush. The batteries, yes, but not the brush. So, if you are one of the Good Teeth People you will have to bin it after three months which is bad for the planet. However, it costs only £5.99 at Boots or Tesco which is marginally more expensive than a standard brush, and does clean more efficiently. Overall, I have to admit, this is a surprisingly good product.

Tesco Direct has reduced a selection of its girl's party dresses down to £7. Prices before the reduction range from £9.50 to £16.50. So in some cases that's less than half price.

• Click here for party frocks at Tesco Direct

With the Christmas party season coming up, this is a chance to grab a lovely but affordable new outfit for a little girl. There is a big range of sizes left, although not in every style.

Check to see if you can click and collect - that is buy online but collect at a store. Not all stores do this, but Tesco is gradually increasing the number that do. Click and collect is free.

For example, this cute Heart Print Dress is available for sizes 13 to 14 years. It has a mesh underskirt, sort of tutu style, which I'm told is all the fashion at the moment. Look about on the site for younger sizes, these are sometimes listed separately. You can also get the same dress in sizes from 5 years to 12 years.

I also fell in love with this Blue Sequin Dress. It is availabe for sizes up to 2 years, and comes with its own little handbag. How cute is that? In fact I am emailing the link to my step daughter. She's getting married next year and if her fiance has any little girl family members, this would make a PERFECT wedding outfit.

Thanks to lynda-anne at HUKD!

'Tis the season alright – and party invites are flying all over the place. With that, gorgeous outfits and party heels are filling shop windows, so it's only fitting that we've had the colours of the catwalks crossing our desks in make-up form here at PlayPennies HQ.

We received a whole set of make-up from Tesco's Barbara Daly range and handed them over to mum and daughter Susan and Elaine to get their take on it from two different target audiences.

They tested a few different eye shadows (£6.75 each), the first of which was the Long Wear Eyeshadow, which came in Black Marble, Shimmer Sand, Shell, and Bronze Gold.

The Long Wear Eyeshadows are cream eyeshadows in pen form – no brushes required, which is ideal if you're only taking a little clutch bag with you.

“They are slightly shimmery and very creamy, but not 'slimy'. It's easy to apply, doesn't crease and doesn't end up slipping as the hours tick by.

When I say it doesn't slip, I mean it. I put each colour on the back of my hand and after a minute or so went to rub them off - they didn't budge, smudge or leave anything on the finger I was rubbing with.”

Susan eventually got it off with make-up remover, and despite the limited colour range, and that mistakes aren't going to be easily rectified, both her and Elaine gave these a 9 out of 10 and would definitely buy them again.

The sugar coated and party delight Eyeshadow Bon Bons are quite cute. You'll receive four little half spheres of powder eyeshadow in a compact, complete with a double-ended, double-sided foam applicator that fits inside.

It is THAT time of the year. Tesco Direct is doing a massive clearance of toys online. The site is describing this one as it's biggest and best ever half price toy sale ever.

• Click here for the toy sale at Tesco

What sort of bargains are on offer at the moment? Lots! I'm in the middle of going through everything right now, looking to stock up on stuff for the boy's Christmas stocking, Christmas presents, and items for the present drawer.

He's been after this game, Hasbro's Crocodile Chomp for a while. And it is reduced here from £20 to £10.

Now if you're looking for something special, this Hornby Train Set has been reduced from £120 to £60. That's a pretty good price. We spent the afternoon at the Museum of Childhood yesterday, and my son was really into watching the toy trains there. I think that he is getting more interested in real model trains, rather than his wooden ones.

There's also a Gormiti Supreme Eclipse down from £8 to £4; Plasticine Master Crafter, reduced from £10 to £5; and a Barbie Teaset, which was £15 and is now £7.50.

Delivery is free if you can arrange for collection at a store. Do check first to make sure there's a store near you that offers this service, as not all of them do.

Thanks to qwertycrazy at HUKD!

Use this code to get 20% off Halloween costumes sold through the Clothing At Tesco shop in its Facebook page.

Click here to use your Tesco discount: log in to Facebook first!

• Discount: 20%
• Promotional code: GHOSTS
• Expires: 23rd October, 2011

To use this code, log in to your Facebook page. Try the link above or do a search for Clothing At Tesco. When you get to the Clothing At Tesco page, click on the Like button. Look on the left-hand side of the page, under their profile picture, and you'll see a link for Spooky Halloween Shop. Click on that.

This will open their Facebook shop. Choose the costume that you want. When you click on it, you'll be transferred to the F&F Clothing At Tesco main website. Use the code GHOSTS to get 20% off when you go through checkout. Look for a the Promotional Code and eCoupons button.

Delivery is free if you can collect from a store.

Thanks to goonertillidie at HUKD!

MicroStars Micro Dome soccer playset usually costs around £29.97 but is now £7.49 at Tesco Direct. This is a superb discount on this soccer playset that would make any little soccer fan very happy this Christmas.

• Click here to score a goal with Tesco Direct

The MicroStars Micro Dome is a tabletop soccer game which involves battling against your opponent to create goal scoring chances. Your objective as a team manager is to complete the 32 moves given in each match and score more goals than your opponent.

The 16 MicroStar players included come in their own integral carrying case which, when opened, turns into a mini realistic football stadium. Each MicroStar player has a certain colour base. Rare colour bases equal a higher skill rating and included in the squad are two random and ultra rare black base figures that are unbeatable in game play. The set is ideal for kids over the age of six and is on sale for a whopping low price!

Thanks to deborahm at HUKD!

What a sweet little dinosaur. This is a triceratops 'hatchling'. It will stomp its feet and cry for attention just like a 'real' baby dinosaur. It looks quite cuddly and cute too. Tesco has the toy reduced down to a clearance price of £12.48. It was originally £24.97, so this is half price.

• Click here for your baby dinosaur at Tesco Direct

Soft and snuggly, this baby dinosaur hatchling figure comes to "life"! You simply touch its tongue to wake Stompers the triceratops up. When he's awake you'll hear the toy roar like a 'real' dino hatchling! Even baby dinosaurs get excited, and this one moves its arms to let you know that something's got its attention.

And when it's time to feed your little hatchling, simply touch something to its tongue for realistic dino chomping. Your prehistoric playmate even comes with a discovery sheet so you'll know a few interesting facts about your new friend. Colours and styles may vary.

Suited to children aged three years and older.

Two of the three reviewers on the site were very impressed with the toy. Commenting that "both my children really enjoy how it moves and looks" while the other reviewer said that it was a  "fun product; this is a mini version of the large Kota. My little boy loves it!". However, one reviewer was less than impressed: "doesn't really do a lot except roar, move its head and walk a few steps".

Thanks to missgem at HUKD!

Pushing buttons, flashing lights and a handset to talk into. Toddlers love electronic phone toys, and actually as a mum I found them pretty cool to play with too. There's something therapeutic about just pushing buttons! Tesco Direct has reduced the price of the VTech Buzz Lightyear Talk and Teach Phone from £19.97 to £13.31. That's a saving of one third on the original price.

• Click here for your VTech Buzz Lightyear phone at Tesco Direct

I'm really impressed with the look of this phone. The whole Buzz Lightyear design fits really well here. Even if you didn't know, anyone who was familiar with Buzz Lightyear will instantly recognise this phone. Perfect for any little Toy Story fans, that's for sure.

The blurb on the website describes it as a "play and learn Buzz Lightyear desktop role-play game". Children can press the 0 to 9 number buttons to learn Toy Story characters, numbers and letters. This is achieved through three modes of play; Battery Hunt, Number Code and My Friends.

When the handset is picked up, children will hear the voice changer in action. With the voice changer your voice can be distorted using three funny effects; alien, monster and robot.

The chunky buttons on the phone means the games are not only stimulating but easy to use. With lots of cheerful music and Buzz Lightyear''s voice, it''s time to blast off into learning!

The phone also claims to help with basic maths skills, as the child learns to identify numbers and their order. Batteries are included, and the age range for this toy is 3 years and upwards.

Thanks to missgem at HUKD!

Tesco Direct has this Bright Starts Savanna Dreams bouncer on half price at the moment. Marked down from £35 to £17.50. My son loved his bouncer. It helped keep him occupied, let him get a good visual around the room when he was just starting to sit up, and was used to start the weaning process. He also took his naps in the seat. In fact we still have it, although now it is the cat's favourite place to nap!

• Click here for your Bright Starts Savanna Dreams Bouncer at Tesco Direct

It is really important when looking at baby bouncers to make sure that the cover can be taken off and washed. Babies will drool, spit up, and have nappy accidents. Usually immediately after you've washed the cover from the previous incident!

The Bright Starts baby bouncer has a machine washable seat pad, which is a nice practical finishing touch. Its cradling seat design has an adjustable 3-point harness for baby's comfort and safety.

The seat has a lovely, bright design that I quite like. It is suitable from birth up to a weight of 3kg. There's three toys on the bar, which is removable. You get a star shaped bead rattle, and a geometric shaped teether, along with a giraffe. The seat also vibrates, to help soothe the baby.

The bouncer we had, which was a different model, also vibrated. This worked well to help my son nod off when napping as a very tiny baby but he found it quite irritating as he got older. Each baby will be different. But simply rocking him worked just as well, and I could do that with one foot while reading a book and relaxing with a cup of tea.

Thanks to bbezimienna at HUKD!

What sort of rituals do you go through for your little one as part of the night time routine? My son has always slept better if he's had a favourite 'friend' to look over him. So something like the In The Night Garden Pj Iggle Piggle would have been perfect. He idolised Iggle Piggle when he was 2! Tesco has this toy on special offer online at the moment, marked down from £19.97 to £13.47.

• Click here for Iggle Piggle at Tesco

Delivery is free if you can arrange for store collection. Check that your store has this facility on the website before you buy.

The Iggle Piggle goodnight friend figure, from the In the Night Garden television series, is made from plush fabric that children will love to cuddle. Iggle Piggle has removable pyjamas and slippers, and will hopefully encourage your child  to wind down for bed time. You can also use the toy to help them learn to dress for bed.

Along with a bed time story book and a cuddly blanket, the gentle reaasuring glow from the lantern will help to ease your child to sleep. Batteries are included. And the recommended age range is for 2 years and upwards.

Thanks to alexoid at HUKD!

How ridiculously expensive are the Thomas the Tank Engine train sets and accessories? It is well worth grabbing it when you find a bargain. Tesco has reduced some of these sets by half price, including this Thomas & Friends Wild Ride, down from £30 to £15.

• Click here for your train set at Tesco

I'm looking at a large plastic storage box of the Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden in my living room and I shudder to think how much I spent on all the stuff in there. But, the important thing is that it gets a lot of use. My son loves it, and loves setting it up and making different railway configurations. So overall, it works out for fairly good value for money.

Plus all the wooden railway's work together. So he has some items from other ranges too. Some particular favourites are wooden replicas of famous steam engines such as the Flying Scotsman, for example.

In this particular set, Thomas and his new friend Hiro can have exciting adventures together. It includes a motorised Thomas engine. The set is based on the story of Thomas and Hiro. When Thomas' trucks prove to be too heavy, his brakes fail and he goes on a wild ride! Rocketing into a forgotten siding, Thomas discovers Hiro- one of the oldest engines on the Island of Sodor.

The train set is suited to children aged from 3 years, and requires one AA battery.

Thanks to littlesooten at HUKD!