Whenever we go on a day out, there is usually a gift shop selling little novelty toys at pocket money prices. I can usually persuade the kids to get an ice cream rather than a toy these days as they know these toys are pretty short lived, but they managed to con my sister into buying these on one trip out, and also got them as a stocking filler present from their grandma last year.

The cost of these is usually between £1.50 and £2 depending on where you see them. Gift shops can be more expensive as they know that they have a captive audience.

The toys are usually reptiles in green plastic, but you can also get more vivid shades like the orange one shown in the picture above. The concept of these is quite basic. The toy has a tongue that is rolled up, but when you squeeze the toy in the middle, the tongue rolls out, and not only does it look funny, if you are sneaky with it, you can manage to poke someone in the ear with it and surprise them.

I have found that the rubbery body of the reptile is always well made, though for some reason my kids seem to squeeze them far too hard and the tongue ends up splitting or popping off. Therefore, in spite of owning at least 2 each over the years, we currently do not have any. However, while they are intact, it is a very tactile toy that is a lot of fun for a couple of weeks at least, so I would have no hesitation buying some more to entertain my children with on another occasion.

They are the perfect size for young hands to hold this in one had and squeeze. I would watch children under 3 with them just because I have noticed that the tongue can be removed from the toy and I would be worried personally that this is a choking hazard.

These would be really great in a party bag, and although it can be mildly annoying having a child squeezing this near your face, I would much rather have one of these than one of those annoying paper ones you get at parties with the noisy bit as a mouth piece. Now that is annoying when you get a room full of kids with those.

All in all, not a long lasting toy, but something that will last slightly longer than the car journey home from a day out, and the kids seem to love them, so 4 stars - one knocked off for the tongues breaking on all 4 we've owned.