How many parents – and grandparents  – look forward to that time when you can dunk the little ones in the bath and know that bed time is just around the corner. It’s a lovely time of the day, for many reasons, but bath toys are always a welcome addition along with the bubbles. I’m already a huge fan of Hape products but the new Little Splashers range is wonderful. First of all, no scissors or screwdrivers needed to prise these colourful creatures from the packaging. A mere second to peel away the sticker and the package pops open with a little pressure in the right place – an added bonus. I loathe packaging.

The toys themselves appear larger that others I’ve come across and perfect for little hands. We tested the cheery red octopus, the green puffer fish, a crab and a starfish. Two sea creatures in each pack.

They quickly fill with water and squirt from different places – the starfish from every point, the octopus from every arm. Our little testers had lots of fun whether they were empty or full of water. The fish and star fish have suckers which means they can stick on the side of the bath so there were lots of different opportunities for play.

Swimming Teddy was the cause of lots of fun and laughter. Smiley Teddy with his swimsuit and rubber ring sped across the bath, powering through the bubbles. A lovely size to hold and easy to use – a few turns of the button on his back sets his legs kicking through the water. Great fun to be had before bedtime.