#AD We were kindly gifted the products for inclusion in our guide. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
Older children and tweens can be tough to buy for. I used to be safe getting my son HotWheels, Lego and Pokemon cards, but no longer! He wants an iPhone. He won’t get one until he is in teen years. It seems like everything on you children’s must-have list is the equivalent of a rent payment, needs batteries or demands a screen.
We tend to pick one more expensive gift and then a couple of smaller gifts so are if you are expecting a feature of all the newest tech gadgets then this is not the list for you. I want gifts that will encourage children to play, to read, to spend time with the family.
If your kids haven’t written their wish list for Santa yet, check out some of our favourites topping wish lists this year.
Here are the perfect Christmas 2019 gifts for kids!
Have you got a budding musician in the house?
Introducing the ingenious Sphero Specdrums musical rings. These app-enabled rings that turn colours into music with a simple tap. Create music; beats and loops anytime, anywhere and make the world your instrument. We’ve tried them on just about everything in the house and they also come with a keyboard style colour play pad. Offering an exciting unboxing experience, no matter their musical skill level your children can experiment with sounds. Retailing at £64.99 they are easy to use, and suitable for a range of ages. Created with an accelerometer, light sensor and LEDs, just connect them to your compatible device via Bluetooth, then fire up the Specdrums MIX app that enables children to produce songs to share with their whole family. Battery life lasts well at approx. two hours. They are available to buy from Argos or Sphero.
To encourage the whole family to play (and shake) together.
My son loves using the step meter on his watch, he sets himself challenges with his friends and I encourage him to stay active rather than sit in front of the TV. Shake Off is a fun and frantic fitness game that gets both adults and kids moving around. I love that this is a simple game with no complicated set up or instructions. The box includes, 2x Shake-o-meters, 2x Sweatbands, 1x Spinner and 1x Electronic timer (it does require batteries so don’t forget to get them on charge!) For £19.99 it’s a very social, energetic game to play on Christmas day!
For the football loving sports fan.
Most children will have a sport they enjoy, from trampolining – to horse riding – to having a kick about at the park with their school fellows. A football lover, in the past we have bought my son cards, games, kits and boots. There comes to a point where you run out of ideas. Staring at the blank spaces on his magnolia covered walls a perfect, unusual choice gift came to mind. Maps International is one of the largest online wall map shops and sells a map of the UK and shows the location of the grounds of all the Premier League, Championship, League One and Two clubs plus the Scottish Premiership and Championship stadiums. On sale for £17 the bright colours look great in children’s bedrooms and will be loved my mini football fans! It can be personalised with a message and to your child’s own team colours! We laminated ours to ensure no rips when pointed at by eager little hands!
A BETTER (and cheaper) tech option than a mobile phone!
Buy a product that is a phone, games console, organiser and watch all in one that offers hours of entertainment! Wow your children (6+) with the new Kurio Smartwatch 2.0 (RRP £79.99). Packed full of options it includes a built-in camera with photo filters for selfies and quality video which can be shared, as well as messages and voice recordings. The Bluetooth function means you can pair Kurio devices and play two player games. You can link the Kurio Smartwatch 2.0 up to an android device to make and receive calls. Offering 20 pre-loaded, content-controlled apps and games a built-in motion sensor adds to gameplay and the activity tracker. I like the option to add ‘In Case of Emergency’ information. The built-in speaker & microphone lend themselves to using mp3’s and playing music. Oh, and it tells the time as well. On a practical note the battery is rechargeable with a day of use and memory can be expanded with a microSD card. The Kurio looks just like an adult smartwatch paired with the fun of a snap on, thermal colour changing replacement strap. Designed for children the touch screen face is large with a practical and robust plastic casing. The screen is also splash proof and scratch resistant!
Has your child been naughty or nice this year?
Bring a new tradition to your home. You will have been living under a parental rock if you were not familiar with The Elf on the Shelf trend. Once home and named, Scout Elves receive their Christmas magic, meaning they can fly to the North Pole each night to report back to Santa Claus on all of the day’s activities and what’s been seen! We like to give a couple of small gifts on the build up over advent so why not join us in investing in a mischievous, festive Elf on the Shelf®: A Christmas Tradition new keepsake box (£16.99 RRP). It comes, beautifully presented with an elf and wonderful Christmas book. I love the thoughtful added feature that you can eegister your Elf and download an Adoption Certificate + Santa Letter. New to the range is the adorable Arctic fox with a glow in the dark snow globe collar and illustrated book (£19.95).
For the ninja, superhero, princess, spy of the family.
Whilst the dressing up box may be getting slowly more and more ignored role play is still very much an important element of my sons play. After seeing him hiding under a blanket, wearing a balaclava and counting Monopoly money he explained the current game for choice is ‘spies’. Very 007. Wanting to encourage this adventure the SpyX Micro Gear Set (£19.99 RRP) was added to our stocking gifts. It features a utility belt with 4 micro tools; Micro spy light, Invisible ink pen, Micro Motion Alarm and Micro listener. Perfect for 6+ secret missions they are travel size, encourage his imagination and all the features work well – the favourite being the invisible ink pen!
The perfect gift to snuggle up in and read the night before Christmas in.
Tepees and play tents are commonly seen in bedrooms and nurseries, the perfect secret hideaway. Why are they such a popular accessory? We all want to create the best and most fun space for playing, relaxing and learning. When children outgrow their playhouses, whether a child is 1 or 11 they will love reading, playing and cuddling up with their teddies in their own private den! The Great Little Trading Company is highly reputed for selling high quality toys and the Superhero play Tepee is no exception. With a range of gender-neutral designs, the superhero and zigzag covers are our favourite! The fabric is robust, made of thick cotton canvas, with a range of gender-neutral designs, the superhero and zigzag covers are our favourite! If you want to coordinate your child’s room, there is a variety of matching bedding and beanbags to compliment your Tepee design! The machine washable base is practical and the thick plastic poles are durable so less likely to snap than wood. Sale from £75 to £56. At 155 (cm) high the square shape means the tent fits easily into corners of rooms, it is quick to build, easy to lift and move around.
For the children that want a dog for Christmas, but the parents that don’t.
I love a dachshund! Welcome to your home the brand new ROBO DASH (5+) to be your child’s new best friend. A clever, interactive toy the lively puppy offers the characteristics of a real dog; in multi directional moves, sounds and acts – he even wags his tail when he’s happy and will fetch the ball shaped remote. Selling for £59.99 ROBO DASH follows gesture commands to perform tricks and actions, to shadow your child’s movement or direct using the manual control. ROBO DASH comes complete with touch sensors on top of his head which grow and shrink his spring-like fabric body up to 45cm. This is a decently sized toy! We like that the toy is suitable for grass and carpet use and to add to his realism the pup has obstacle control, though he does have a very futuristic look!
For the child who likes to go fast! I would choose this super cool Dominator Scout complete scooter.
Whether it’s a two or three wheeled, a stunt or folding scooter children love a scooter. Make the school run fly by. Designed for young riders this well-designed stunt mobile is perfect for boys and girls just starting out. It offers a smooth ride and its aluminium frame is light to pick up. Features include 100mm plastic core in-line style wheels, a fixed handlebar with soft grip to comfortably support riders, good balance and a bright design. £49.95 is a great price to get children outdoors and improve physical development, coordination and balance! Ride more, push less and buy the Dominator Scooter HERE.
For the child who likes everything car, I would choose the all-time favourite Scalextric!
Check out the Endurance Set, a standard kit with two cars, controllers and a flat, circular track which is suitable for age 5+. The track only takes minutes to set up with its simple slot in construction and was laid by my seven-year-old! There is a lot of flexibility in the plastic. In my youth we had a track that lived in a suitcase in the loft. At the far ends of the circuit as they were far away from the power unit the cars slowed down for the bends through sheer loss of voltage. Let’s say simply that things have changed. You still have the immense red and yellow car battle, but this kit boasts new super resistant cars (after a week of being slammed off the track they are showing no sign of breaking!) and speed limiter hand controllers. It is fast, fun and a fantastic buy that will get years of use for £64.99. Want a bit extra? The why not buy an expansion pack for extra curves and challenges for the pro driver?!
What have your little-big ones got on their Christmas list? How many presents do you usually get them?
