Vilac Crocodie Beep Car

There are toy cars, and then there are toy cars with a crocodile at the wheel who beeps at you. This is the second kind. Andy Westface has put a gloriously greedy-looking croc in the driving seat of this chunky little wooden racer, and honestly, the vibe is immaculate. Press the crocodile's head and it goes "squeak squeak." That's it. That's the whole feature. And yet somehow it will be pressed approximately four hundred times before lunch.

We love it because:

• The squeak is genuinely fun, not the kind of noise that makes you quietly consider moving house. It's soft enough to live with and satisfying enough that your child will want to hear it on repeat. You've been warned, but in a good way.
• Andy Westface's artwork is bold and joyful and completely distinctive. The colourful crocodile scales are the kind of thing toddlers fixate on happily, and it looks lovely sitting on a shelf when it's not being raced across the kitchen floor at speed.
• It's a Vilac wooden toy, so it's solid and built for the kind of handling that toddlers dish out. Not precious. Actually robust.
• The pressing, rolling and pushing are all quietly brilliant for fine motor development and hand-eye coordination. You're basically running a Montessori session without any effort.
• 14cm long, so it fits in a coat pocket, a nappy bag, a buggy basket. It goes everywhere.

What's in the box:

• 1 wooden car with built-in squeaky horn (and one very pleased crocodile driver)

Great for:

• Ages 18 months and up
• First birthdays and second birthdays, that slightly tricky "what do you get an 18-month-old" moment, basket stuffers that actually get played with
• Fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, imaginative play, cause-and-effect discovery

Important to know:

• Recommended from 18 months
• Dimensions: 14 x 7 x 14 cm
• Made from wood with a painted finish
• Tested to EU toy safety standards (Directive 2009/48/EC)
• Wipe clean