The 2024 Christmas Gift Guide guides are live! Families, us included will be on tighter budgets this year so we tend to pick a book, a gift of clothing, one or two practical gifts – especially in stockings, then a couple of toys. I buy a mix of second-hand and new – always factor in postage costs. My littlest is easier to buy for than my 13-year-old who this year wants online games, Vbucks and a movie pass from Netflix. Stick with their likes and interests so things don’t sit unused on shelves. This guide has ideas for parents with babies and toddlers right up to teens for inspiration. We tend to buy from brands and companies that have a good reputation so toys will last.
We have made it easy to see the retailer, price, postage info etc, followed by our own review as a customer in our product descriptions. (Always check websites’ last postage before Christmas dates.)
P.s Check if websites have discounts to sign up to mailing lists before you buy – every little helps and most offer between 10-20% off on first purchase.
Remember to buy batteries/have scissors and screwdrivers on hand on Christmas day to avoid toys being trapped in boxes and not working.
Orchard Toys Doggy Doggy Woof Woof (RRP £9.75).
Founded in the 1970s Orchard Toys is a leading British manufacturer of award-winning educational games and jigsaws for children aged 18 months to 12 years. Orchard Toys are well-known amongst parents for their fun and easy to play games and are really popular for preschoolers up to Key stage 1 age children. An excellent interactive game that is fun to play is Doggy Doggy Woof Woof! It is a tabletop memory and matching game for 2-4 players, age 2-6 years old that will leave its young players giggling. You can play it two ways. Game 1: players try to complete three dogs on their kennel board by matching dog heads to bodies, shouting “Doggy Doggy Woof Woof” after each successful match. Keep your eyes peeled for the waggy tail card – when you find it, it’s time to stand up, and wag your tail! Game 2: turn over the kennel board and try to collect as many complete, matching dogs as possible by taking it in turns to pick a card from the pile of dog heads and bodies and try to match with any of your face up cards on the table! There are 13 different pups to complete. Rules are simple for children to follow and you can play over and over. The cards are perfect for little hands, easy to hold, durable and easy to wipe clean!
FREE UK Mainland delivery on orders over £30, or £3.95 under £30 spend.
Crayola Magic Light Brush (RRP £24.99).
Crayola has inspired artistic creativity in children for over 100 years – since the first box of crayons rolled off the assembly line in 1903. Since then, the Crayola brand has grown into a portfolio of innovative art tools, crafting activities, and creative toys. The Magic Light Brush from Crayola is a revolutionary painting set that turns mess-free painting into a magical experience. Ideal for kids aged 3 and up, the Crayola Magic Light Brush promises to bring colour and light together in a whole new way. Included in this innovative set are – The Magic Light Brush Unit and base, 6 Color Wonder Paints, and 18 Blank Color Wonder Paper Sheets. The paints are mess-free, appearing only on special Color Wonder Paper, not on skin, clothing, or walls which is great news for parents! The Color Wonder Paints are safe and non-toxic designed to prevent drying up, allowing for endless hours of creative fun. The unique kids’ paintbrush lights up to indicate the paint colour, adding an element of surprise and excitement to your child’s painting session. A lovely gift I was so impressed with the creativity and magic of this gift making it an ideal pre-schooler present. Available from most toy retailers including Smyths which offers FREE postage over £20.
Beguile Beauty Box Mini Me One-Off Box (RRP £40).
Beguile Beauty Box is a luxury beauty subscription box like no other delivered to you each month to showcase mystery beauty products. The focus is on luxury high-end products. We feature them in our Gift Guide for Her, but they also offer a popular “mini me” range, which can either be purchased as a one off or a subscriber gets this free each month when they sign up which I think is a great deal. Is your teen/tween obsessed with your makeup? Gift their own box to open and discover a range of items picked from the following list: Barry M Face Jewels, Real Techniques Eye Shadow Brush, Candy Lip Smacker Trio, Montagne Unicorn Animal Mask, Collection Glam Crystals Glitter Glue, Collection Glam Crystals Face and Body Glitter Temptation, Collection Glam Crystals Liquid Eyeshadow Divine, Dr Paw Paw Lip Balm, Revolution Rainbow Highlighting Powder, Love Hearts Small Fan Brush, Technic Cosmetic Makeup Bag, Nail Polish, Strawberry 2in1 body bar, Kids Magic Rainbow Invisi-bobble and Temporary Tattoos Sheet. My daughter absolutely loved it, the products are well chosen, our box included a bath Fizzer, Pony Tail hair mask, glittery gloss and liquid eyeshadow along with a small palette of bright eyeshadows, stick on nail varnish, face jewels…I was impressed how many items you received and of well respected high street brands. Delivery is free (and they are well wrapped so nothing arrives damaged) in pink tissue paper and branded box which makes the box gift feel all the more special. You can buy a single mini me box for £40 or get it free with adult subscriptions where you can purchase a 1, 6, 9 and 12 months subscription. With the adult subscription you also get *50% off the first box applies to 6, 9 and 12 month subscription terms only. 50% is the discount off a standard £45.99 box, which equates to a cost of £22.99 for the first* box. This applies to new customers only.
WOW! Pods Disney Stitch Doll – 4inch/10cm (RRP £10).
Pop culture fans assemble! PODS 4D have been designed specifically for fans of character brands; girls, boys and adults alike. Painstakingly styled to be like no other collectable on the planet, with finely detailed paint applications on the character they are a cool gift. The character in the POD also sits in front of the high- resolution 3D lenticular which in itself is one of a selected image used under a specific license to Wow! The character appears to burst out from their world to yours in fabulous 4D effect! Unique Hex POD housing connects to other PODS in seconds. Connect them together to create any size and shape of your display, limited only by your imagination. For the first time you can mount your collection on the wall. Collect and Connect characters from MARVEL, DC, Disney, Sonic, Jurassic World, Wednesday and more. Compatible with NANO PODS and MEGA PODS. Celebrating 100 years of Disney, Stitch from Lilo and Stich is a popular character in our house at the moment and even though this is not an active play toy my daughter loves it and has asked to create a collection to put on her wall which can be easily done as they are lightweight. They are suitable for ages 4. Available from Argos and Amazon.
Baker Ross art supplies and craft kits for children.
Co-founded in 1974 Baker Ross is still a family owned and run business whose innovative ideas led them to become one of the leading suppliers of arts and crafts, toys and party supplies to parents, schools, playgroups and organisations in the UK and beyond. With so many fun themed crafts and all-in-one craft kits for children and such reasonable prices the only problem you will have is choosing! Why not buy a few different sets as these are perfect for rainy days and each encourage different skills. The Colour-in Theatre Stage Kit (RRP £6.95). This amazing set includes everything needed to create a magical theatre experience: 1 pre-printed theatre card template, 2 background scenes, and 8 characters all made of this card. The theatre measures a generous 18.5cm x 21cm x 6cm, providing ample space for creative storytelling. I love that this pack has multiple elements for children – to colour, assemble and then imaginative play with the completed theatre. With blanks provided, they can even design their own characters, adding a personal touch to their performances. Why not pair the theatre set with Rainbow Colours Multi-Purpose Deco Pens (RRP £10.95 on SALE for £7.95). Suitable for decorating wood, porcelain, glass, plastic, metal and paper the medium tipped, water based pens the pack comes in 8 assorted colours Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, Indigo and White. They flow really nicely and will make a great addition to the craft box. A must buy is the Baker Ross 150pcs Bumper Art Case (RRP £12.95 on SALE £6.95). So, for not even £7 you get a case (33.5cm x 27cm x 3.5cm) containing high-quality art supplies including 36 felt-tip pens, 24 wax crayons, 24 oil pastels, 24 colouring pencils, 20 paper clips, 2 watercolour paints, 1 brush, 1 paint palette, 1 stapler, 1 pair of scissors, 1 sharpener, 1 white sponge, 1 glue, 1 ruler, 1 eraser, and 1 HB pencil. You cant ask for better value for money and I love that the case gives you somewhere to safely store all the art supplies. The pens and crayons etc are the perfect size for pre and primary schoolers. My daughter LOVED the Winter Fairy Charm Bracelet Kit (RRP £7.95 on SALE £4.95) which makes the perfect stocking filler. Perfect for jewellery fans aged 5+ each kit contains winter fairy themed enamel and metal charms (15mm-20mm), plastic crystal beads in teal/purple/blue/white, silver spacer beads and white elastic. It includes easy to follow instructions for hours of fun. The Mosaic Tile Coaster Kit (RRP £13.95 on SALE £9.95) for a pack of 4 is a great craft activity for ages 5+. Each kit includes 9cm square MDF board, grout & mosaic tiles. There are 6 assorted mosaic piece colours – Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple & Orange for children to create their own patterns and designs. The coasters are a generous 9cm x 9cm; tile size 11mm x 11mm. You could get this to entertain the littles in a November weekend and then gift the handmade coasters to grandparents for Christmas. For cat lovers the Cat Super Shrink Keyrings (RRP £4.95 for a pack of 8) there are multiple designs to colour then pop them into the electric oven and watch them shrink down seven times smaller (adult help needed). All that’s left to do is add the keyring (split rings included). This is such a fun activity on the ‘magic’ paper! We have been so impressed with the Baker Ross Craft sets and this is just a handful of what’s on offer! Get FREE deliver yon orders over £25 with the code FREEDEL.
Green People Oy Clear Skin Goals Gift Set (RRP £44 SALE £42).
The pioneers of organic beauty since 1997 Green People are an organic skin care brand, the ones that rewrote the rules on caring for sensitive skin and helped create the first standards for organic beauty. Forever at the forefront of botanical innovations and planet-friendly packaging, Green People’s international brand continues to grow year after year. If you have teens self-care and skin care have become high on the priorities list and you want to ensure the products that you are purchasing are designed for younger skin. The Oy Clear Skin Goals is a popular gift set of spot-controlling products tailormade for teenagers and tweens. Attractively boxed and packaged for young people the set includes a simple 3-step routine with safe, natural ingredients. I love that the box on the inside has instructions for each of the products, what they target and how to use them. Certified organic, cruelty free, vegan and alcohol free the set is unisex and a great choice for that first skincare routine. The pump action foaming face wash (100ml) is a great combination of Tea Tree, Witch Hazel and Willow Bark that cleanses, is antibacterial and soothes all in one. This is followed by a 30ml purifying cleanser that helps control breakouts whilst reducing redness and irritation. Suitable for sensitive skin and those prone to exam the 50ml moisturiser is lightweight and non-greasy. The fragrance of mandarin and sweet orange of each product is gentle and even my teen with ASD loved the scent. On the site additional products that would pair well with this set are suggested which I like if you are feeling a bit lost as what to buy.
Save up to 20% on first purchase when signing up to emails and the site also offers FREE UK delivery on over £35 and £3.50 for purchases under this.
Ginger Fox BANGARANG Family Card Game (RRP £11.99).
Ginger Fox specialises in creating games, gifts, books and mugs for adults and families, taking their products from the heart of the Cotswolds throughout the UK and into the USA and Australia. In classic family party game BANGARANG Charades meets Pictionary! Suitable for 8+ years, 4+ players and average gameplay is 20-30 minutes so this is ideal for keeping littles entertained. BANGARANG is designed with family fun in mind. What’s in the box? 80 cards, Card stand, Wipe-clean board, Wipe-clean pen, Easy-to-follow rules with QR code for rules booklet and digital game timer. You can play both sides of the card, either blue or pink. Guessers have to guess the words from the card from the loud, hilarious clues given by the other players at the same time! Clue may be a word, mimed, drawn, a sound, spelled out with body parts! This is a collaborative game, so everyone is a winner which is good for with younger children. Play 12 rounds and then tot up your score to see how well you play as a team. You can try to beat your team’s score the next time you play BANGARANG! I like that the game involves no complicated set up, comes in a bright, attractive box and can be played over and over.
Create an account to receive 10% off your first purchase. Delivery via Royal Mail 48 (2-3 business days) is FREE, Royal Mail 24 (next business day) is £3.99.
Candy Grabber from QD Stores RRP £19.99.
QD Stores are an independently owned chain of discount retail outlets situated throughout the East of England with a huge selection of Christmas gifts for the whole family. Products stocked include a HUGE range of items for the home and garden, basic groceries and a range of clothing and footwear plus much more. The company also run Cherry Lane Garden Centres. They sell so many reasonably priced gifts you will struggle to choose. Global Gizmos is the leading manufacturer of a wide range of boardgames, arcade games, tabletop games and many other great products. The Candy Grabber is an ideal toy for girls and boys of all ages. The mini arcade-style Candy Grabber captures the nostalgia of the claw game, complete with joysticks for full control and authentic arcade sounds that play during each game. It even includes plastic coins so you can get started right away. Challenge your little ones to grab their favourite (lightweight) treats. It also works if you use real money if you want to use it as a piggy bank! 22 x 17 x 30 centimetres. A great all-rounder gift.
Jaques of London Wooden Tool Bench (RRP £23.99) & 11-inch Wooden Chess Set (£28.99)
Jaques of London is a multi-award winning, 8th generation family-run company who have been inventing and making toys & games since 1795. They offer a large catalogue of beautiful, primarily wooden products with a commitment to sustainability. For younger children their bestselling Wooden Tool Bench is an ideal Montessori role play toy for 3+ years. Through play, children will develop fine motor skills by hammering and tightening screws. The tools included (hammer, screwdriver, spanner and screws) are well sized and the toy is painted in bright primary shades to help encourage colour recognition. This is a high quality, robust toy made from 100% wood and water-based paint for safe play. I like that it comes with a wooden ruler to introduce mathematical thinking. You can construct the whole bench which makes it portable and easy to pack away and store. Moreover, the removable shelf means it has build flexibility which encourages creative play. Very well made and value for money.
For older children encourage critical thinking with the beautiful Wooden Chess set. This beautiful folding 11-inch (30 x 29.5 x 2.5cm) walnut and sycamore chess board comes with baize-based, hand-crafted Staunton chess pieces. To give an idea of size the King piece is 2.5 inches). I like that each piece is held in place with elastic so they don’t get damaged when transporting the board. The design is simple yet impactful – the dark brown wood against the pale and with the Jaques logo. Ideal for taking away on holiday and out and about, they also sell a 15-inch board of this design. Ideal for taking away on holiday and out and about, they also sell a 15-inch board of this design. The site currently has a sale on with 15% OFF EVERYTHING WITH CODE: WOW15 or you can sign up to get 10% off. They offer carbon-neutral shipping on all orders with items under £40 standard UK delivery £3.95 (they also offer a tracked 4-8 hour express delivery for £5.95). Over £40 is FREE.
Canal Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer (RRP £34).
Headquartered in France, and with offices in the US, China and Spain, Canal Toys continues to grow in popularity in the UK. Expert in arts and crafts, Canal Toys are synonymous with fresh and innovative products, which are all in-house designed product ranges. The Instant Pocket Printer employs thermal print technology so there is no need for replacement inks and ink is immediately dry. Kids can enjoy hours of fun printing out photos from their mobile. For ages 8 years and over. In the box is the printer (H18, W20, D6cm), 1 sticky roll, 3 paper rolls, a USB charger cable, decorative stickers and 3 pens (pink, purple and blue) to customize your prints. It prints in black and white and then you can add colour with the pens. This pocket printer is incredibly user-friendly, it works with a free app allowing young artists to add filters, draw on, insert playful stickers, add notes or use the cool AI function too. Enjoy hours of fun with your friends printing out your mobile photos. They can also customise shots with the markers and stickers afterwards. I love that children can make their own stickers – my daughter loves to make labels for notebooks so this would be perfect. The Instant Pocket Printers compact size means it can fit in backpacks and Bluetooth connectivity means no pesky wiring. It is quite a gender-neutral style gift so would suit creative boys and girls and is chic enough to still be cool for teens! The charger does not include a plug (wire only) but it is compatible with any USB electrical plug. I would note that to set expectations the quality is not the same as a professionally printed photograph which most children won’t be concerned with. It comes with 1 year manufacturer’s guarantee.
Cocoba’s Gruffalo Chocolate Range.
Cocoba, the Kent-based chocolate company renowned for producing irresistible chocolate and hot chocolate gifts, has launched a brand-new product in partnership with Magic Light Pictures – The Gruffalo, the best-selling children’s picture book created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. With prices starting from £2.95 and beautifully packaged with Gruffalo themed imagery, The Gruffalo Chocolate Range is the perfect gift for children and families this Christmas as a stocking stuffer or festive gift. Now I have to say having sampled Cocoba’s signature premium milk chocolate that it is just delicious, sweet and smooth. Cocoba have created a Belgian chocolate bombe shaped as the much-loved Gruffalo character (RRP £4.95) with perfect detail that, when submerged in hot milk it melts to uncovers delicious fluffy mini marshmallows. Handmade with care at the factory in Kent, each Gruffalo-shaped bombe transforms into a rich, creamy hot chocolate that kids will love. All ingredients are clearly listed on site and the adorable box packaging. The range also includes Gruffalo-themed hot chocolate spoons (4 pack), perfect for stirring into warm milk to create a rich and creamy hot chocolate. Additionally, Cocoba offers Gruffalo-themed chocolate bites (RRP £6.95) shaped like the popular characters from the story (x3). With 100g of delicious handmade milk chocolate, they’re a perfect present for Christmas. Also, a great buy are the (£2.95) single Gruffalo hot chocolate stirrers. Crafted from 30g of smooth, premium milk chocolate, my daughter just decided to flip the stirrer upside down and eat it like a lolly pop! Cocoba’s chocolate products also include Belgian hot chocolate, chocolate bars and lollipops, truffles and buttons, and a growing range of vegan chocolate.
Sign up and get 15% off your first order. Orders under £40 are £3.95 and orders over £40 are FREE.
MyFirst 3dPen Make – 3d Pen for Kids With Wireless & Rechargeable Battery (RRP £49).
myFirst is the world’s first kids’ tech ecosystem: Real tech for kids with fun devices, connected services and kid-safe social network to socialise, share and go anywhere, all safely connected with their friends and family. They have created a new craft tool – the amazing myFirst 3d Pen which makes an excellent alternative to screen time. Available in blue and red, unleash your child’s artistic potential, encourage their fine motor skills and bring their drawings to life. Perfect for kids aged 5 to 13 the wireless myFirst 3dPen Make boasts an inbuilt battery with convenient USB charging so there are no pesky wires. You can be reassured your child can play safely the inner device’s heat stays where it belongs, keeping those little hands cool and comfortable. This 3D pen for kids has an ergonomic shape that makes it comfortable to hold. It is simple to follow the straightforward instructions from the user manual. The 3D pen only has a few buttons so it is user friendly. You can make jewellery, Christmas decorations, anything in your child’s imagination! With lightning-fast solidification thanks to the low-heat filament it dries very quicky and is non adhesive, so no sticky clean up. In the box you also get a useful Thermoplastic Sheet to make your creations on and to use when following templates. Plus, the filament is made from PCL materials (Polycaprolactone, a biodegradable polyester) that are gentle to the touch and harmless. You can purchase extra myFirst 3dPen Make Filaments for £18 when you finish the ones that come with the original set (3m PCL Filament x 9 Colours). It also comes with 2 sheets of stickers/labels. As an added benefit this product is covered by 12 months manufacturer’s warranty. myFirst offers FREE SHIPPING to United Kingdom for every order with minimum order value of £100.
Prezzee digital Gift Card.
For older children like my teen they are so hard to buy for. So why not gift them choice? Prezzee is a digital gift card which can be redeemed at more than 190 retail outlets including John Lewis, Lush, Curry’s, Lego, Adidas, Argos, Cineworld and Bella Italia to name a few. This option provides them with the gift of choice while allowing the gift giver the options of gifting anything from £5 – £500. No hidden fees, send instantly or schedule delivery and no more lost gift cards with the Prezzee wallet to keep them handy to use at any time. You receive an email with your Smart eGift Card that includes your code and a link through to Prezzee website. This is the bit I like; you then follow the simple prompts to swap your Prezzee eGift Card (this is clearly viewable in your wallet) for one or more retailers. Simply scroll through and pick where you would like to buy from (loads of choice from Apple, to Deliveroo, to Go Ape). I like that you can split money – so if you got a £20 Gift Card you could split that between two retailers and that those retailers cover not just clothes, but places to eat, cinemas etc! The whole site is simple to use and very visual to my teen could do it himself happily. I chose an Xbox Gift Card which can be used to buy Xbox full game downloads, apps, films, TV programmes, devices and more on Xbox and Windows. Once you have swapped your Prezzee card for your retailer card(s) they are available to use in your wallet immediately. Simple!
Driftwood Designs’ Children’s A3 Poster Prints (RRP 12.00).
Driftwood Designs began back in 2012 when old school friends Lizzie Spikes and Becky Barratt put their heads together and started producing cards and prints of Lizzie’s paintings. The company has grown from a small collection picked and packed on Becky’s kitchen table into a thriving Welsh publisher, design house and retailer. Gifts for children can take on all forms – toys, books, clothes, but what about a keepsake, something special for a bedroom or nursery? Posters, prints, canvas, frames, tin signs are perfect for bringing life to bare walls. Driftwood Designs sell a huge range of art prints with bold and colourful illustrations paired with beautiful well-loved rhymes and songs, in both English and Welsh. With painted words alongside art, childhood is brought to life. The A3 Poster Prints are unique, there are an amazing 34 designs suitable for children and I feature my favourite three. From left to right – is Nos Da (Goodnight) poster with the beautiful deep blue night scene and sleeping animals in the Welsh lullaby ‘all the creatures are in bed except for the owl (gwdihw) so sleep tight now.’ The middle poster features a couple of verses from Heno Heno (Tonight Tonight) which I have sung to my daughter since she was born. Two children cwtched up in their little beds in a really detailed drawing, with toys around them and muted colours, they are images packed full of life, playfulness and imagination. The print on the right it ‘O Lili Wen Fach’ Poster with words from a song about a snowdrop. I love how in each deign the illustration – scene, colours and fonts are all so different. The winter scene of a lady and her dog walking in the snow-white village is just really beautiful. Oh, little snowdrop where did you come from? The posters are made from 350 GSM 100% recycled paper stock which is of high quality. This card gives a matte finish to the print so it doesn’t shine on the wall. The poster is A3 in size and measures 297 x 420mm. As an added bonus buy 2 posters and get a 3rd FREE. Inspired by Wales – its beautiful scenery, language and culture Driftwood Designs also sells all sorts of homewares, such as oven gloves, chopping boards, aprons, cushion covers, lampshades and even clocks. Catering for any budget, stocking fillers or Secret Santa gifts why not take a peek at the website for gift inspiration for other members of the family. There are designs that will suit any mood or colour scheme – and all inspired by Lizzie’s passion for creating a beautiful environment to live in. Printed in Wales, made in the UK. FREE postage on orders over £5.
Casdon Tea Set (RRP £9 SALE £7.99) and Casdon Post Office (RRP £15).
Founded in 1946, family run and well known Casdon is the number one manufacturer of role-play toys in the UK. Suitable for imaginative toddler play (2+) the Casdon tea set comes with cups, saucers, a teapot, sugar bowl and milk jug in gender-neutral colours. In total it comes with 33-pieces which is fantastic for the price. Children will be encouraged to develop their fine motor skills; role play and be introduced to early maths with the addition of play cake that can be divided into quarters. Little ones will have so much fun taking on the responsibility to plan and host their very own tea party. This set is very sturdily built and easily washable. From their Little Shoppers range, and suitable for pre-schoolers (3+ years) the Casdon Post Office set is an amazing toy that comes with several accessories to provide an authentic post office experience. The post office requires some assembly, but the instructions are clear and easy to follow so it takes less than 5 minutes to build. Included in the box are weighing scales, post box, bank notes and coins, cash drawer, stamper, postage stamps, post bags, post boxes and letters (size wise it is 45.5cm, 21cm, 19cm). The toy is very interactive – the scales can weigh, there is a real post box and pretend stamps seal letters in envelopes. You get a stack of “official” looking post office forms… For passports, car tax and driving licence. The pretend money is a great addition. Overall, the toy is bright and the post office is well built and very sturdy. Encouraging pretend play is a fantastic way to support your children’s early development and both sets are great quality that you know will last. Sign up to receive 10% off the first purchase. Free standard delivery on all orders over £25 from Casdon. Amazon delivery is FREE with Prime.
Style 4 Ever Nail Art Gel Studio (RRP £18.99).
We are a big fan of art and craft gifts as they are something children can use over and over, providing hours of fun and engagement. The Style 4 Ever Nail Art Gel Studio is made by popular Canal toys. Create your own unique, gel nails with the Style 4 Ever Nail Art Gel Studio, suitable for ages 8 years and up, making it ideal for pre-teens who are developing their sense of style. The kit includes three vibrant nail polishes in turquoise, purple, and pink, a safe to use UV lamp that dries nails in just one minute, and all the tools necessary for creating different patterns, including brushes, stencils, and embellishments. The set also offers four sets of press-on nails for quick application. The quality of the kit really impressed me – everything feels sturdy and well-made, so it’s great value for money. Perfect for sleepovers and parties with friends, this kit ensures hours of creative fun while protecting eyes and skin with a built-in locking system. The gels are easy to apply, and the step-by-step process is straightforward enough for kids to follow without too much adult supervision. A great gift for those who love fashion, feature and DIY crafts. Batteries: 4 x AA required (not included. Free Standard Delivery over £20.
Golden Bear What’s your favourite toe? Family game (RRP £19.99).
Experts in play British company Golden Bear are a team of developers, creators, marketeers, brand experts and designers who have been manufacturing iconic toys for 45 years, from the much-loved Teletubbies and Noddy, to the BBC’s Hey Duggee and the preschool favourite Bing. What’s your favourite toe is a large family-size humorous card game for 3+ players (for ages 8+). Can you guess who said what? The keenest player wears the toe headband and reads out a question from one of the cards ( a massive 250 in total) and the other players each offer an answer (which are written on a wipe clean board) and the player wearing the headband has to guess who said what. The bigger the group, the more ridiculous revelations to uncover. With multiple questions the rounds are quick this is a great game for children (or adults at the pub) as you can pick it up really easily, play it repeatedly with different people and you can create your own questions with 50 blank cards, ensuring every game is unique. This game could easily become a family favourite.
Liledu Montessori Toy Subscription Box – Sensory Start Play Kit (RRP £27.99).
When you have younger children, babies and toddlers, especially as first-time parents you can feel overwhelmed with the choice of toys and what is age appropriate and safe. Children grow so quickly and so many toys used to clutter up the house or went unused and were bagged up for the charity shop. Liledu was founded in 2023 to offer a smarter, eco-friendly way to play and learn and has already delivered over 64,000 toys to families to date. Liledu‘s eco-friendly Montessori toy rental subscription for babies and toddlers supports parents who want to encourage hands on learning through Montessori methods but don’t want to spend a fortune on premium brands. With the toy industry reliant on plastic, Liledu offers a sustainable alternative. Its toys are crafted from natural or sustainable materials manufactured by trusted brands including HAPE, Green Toys Inc and Tender Leaf. Available from £27.99 a month, the monthly play & swap subscription provides little ones with 4 – 8 toys (worth £150) selected by childhood education experts and are tailored to the child’s development stage from birth to 24 months. If you start a subscription, you customise it to your child’s age so toys match your child’s developmental stage (you currently get 30% off your first month). Liledu’s play kits help teach a range of skills and concepts, including gross and fine motor skills, object permanence, reflection, language, emotional learning, temperature variations, sharing and so on. You also receive monthly play guides with expert tips and activities to support your child. Take a peek over on Liledu’s website to see what their packs contain; you simply move the slider to your child’s age and the kits are shown. The site itself is packed full of info and is easy to navigate. We feature a Sensory Start kit (picked for babies) and the toys arrived well packaged in a sturdy branded box and stored in lovely cotton drawstring bags. Including toys that stimulate auditory and visual senses, improve fine motor skills, and introduce rhythm I was so wowed with the quality and variety. Included were black and white flashcards and useful flashcard sleeve specially designed to stimulate baby’s brain. The adjustable Smallfoot Seaside baby pram chain has differently sized wooden balls and a cute wooden dragonfly with wings filled with crinkling foil. It also has a little mirror. The length of the chain can be adjusted by sliding a ball or shortening the string, making it suitable for prams of various widths. The push-lock points on the mounting rings ensure a strong attachment to the baby pram, crib etc and the gentle colours make it a sweet, aesthetically pleasing toy. The beaded raindrops rattle/rainmaker is perfect for strengthening little fingers. The Smallfoot Big ocean mobile is just a wonderful decorative eye-catcher in the nursery, made with vibrant contrasting coloured 3D wooden sea creatures. With the acrylic beads as air bubbles, painted fish swim around the big whale who spins calmly in the middle of the mobile with its felt fins. Hape sleepy sheepy (rechargeable with charging cable) acts as a gentle night light that plays (5x) lullabies. You can also choose between two volume settings. It also features a sleep mode within 5 minutes when music is paused or 30 minutes while music keeps playing. The kit offers a varied and high-quality toy and accessory introduction. In terms of how it works, each month Liledu delivers a new play kit to your doorstep and you send the previous one back (with free shipping and returns). Everything is flexible, you can skip, pause or cancel anytime. There are no fees for normal wear and tear or small missing items and toys are cleaned with gentle organic cleaning products. Love a kit? Keep it an extra month at 30% off! If your child and you fall in love with a toy you can also purchase it with the bonus of an exclusive member discount.
Snow Windows (RRP £24.99).
Over the last 8 years, they have worked with businesses both large and small throughout the UK such as Harvey Nichols, Mars, Cisco, Costa, Audi etc decorating their windows with snow spray for Christmas. Snow Windows has launched a pack of four affordable, reusable and easy to install stencils that allow users to create beautiful snowy scenes using snow spray on their windows this Christmas. Available on Amazon, B&Q and The Range, they come in a pack of four and are reusable. Easy and fun to use, you simply line up the stencils (A3 size) to create a complete picture or mix and match the stencils to create different scenes. The snow spray, which is sold separately, will remain on the window for as long as desired (if untouched). After Christmas, simply scrape off with a squeegee and wash off any remaining residue with soapy water. This would make a great stocking gift so kids can decorate the house Christmas day, or why not introduce it with the Elves and surprise the kids with lovely winter scenes on the windows in the morning! The site also sells their own brand of snow spray (£6.99) in a 300ml can that doesn’t run and is not affected by condensation. A unique, very festive gift.
Vivid Goliath Power Saber – The Ultimate in Galactic Battle Play (RRP £59.99).
Founded in 1980 Vivid Goliath are one of the few family-owned global toy and game companies, home to some of the industry’s top selling and family favourite games for over 40 years. Their latest groundbreaking innovation: the Power Saber (6+) was unveiled ahead of San Diego Comic-Con, the world’s first ever fully auto-extending and retracting saber. With features including motion-based SFX with 9 battle sounds, an in-hilt LED, fully retracting and extending blade control and belt clip the new Power Saber is perfect for fans of all ages and promises to be the must-have toy of the year! Available in either red or green it is made for ages 6+ and extends an impressive 90cm. The Saber requires 4 x AA batteries (not included) and is the perfect gift for fans. Once powered on, the saber will automatically shut off after it hasn’t been handled for a few minutes–saving battery life. It is not a licensed lightsabre so the sounds are not official and the body is slightly different for die-hard fans but overall I can see kids absolutely loving this. It has instructions on how to unbox printed on the box . It even has clever little tabs that attach the saber to the packaging–and that attachment also works as a display stand. I loved that this way there is less wasted plastic. The size, retractability and sound effect when you touch another object are some great features on this toy!
GlocalMe KeyTracker (RRP £39.38 on SALE £34.66).
GlocalMe is a mobile data connection solution brand under Nasdaq-listed technology company uCloudlink helping users across the world to access mobile internet data more efficiently with a range of hardware and software products. Now I am not tech minded so can get overwhelmed when purchasing tech devices, if you are like me and just want to know the USP’s then read on. This would make a great gift for children wanting to walk to school/ go out with their friends but are wanting a bit of reassurance (and parents too!) GlocalMe’s new Life KeyTracker that helps parents keep an eye on their children and alleviate some of the anxiety of parenting. The Life KeyTracker is a small and slim device that is no bigger than a keyring (approx. 8×4 cm and weighs only 45 grams) that can be attached to a rucksack etc, connecting directly to a smartphone through an app to display its exact location. In the box comes the tracker, waterproof case, and user manual. With purchase you get a free one-month positioning service and after this there are multiple subscription services in the app to meet your needs. The app is easy to install and navigate and the device has excellent accuracy due to Six-fold positioning technology – (GPS, AGPS, LBS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Active Radar). This is a fancy way of saying users get coverage in 200+ countries and regions, including indoors and underground. The tracker comes with a SIM-free Wi-Fi Hotspot feature (4G LTE). It’s powered by CloudSIM, with a global network of 350+ carriers, to get online wherever you may be. It also comes with a complimentary 30 minutes of 4G unlimited global emergency hotspot connectivity (subject to data plan). I like that users can set up a safe zone. The splash and water-resistant features mean parents won’t need to worry about water damage. The tracker also has an impressive battery life of nine days, so no need for constant recharging, unlike other devices. The site offers a 30-day money back Guarantee. Pictured for additional interest is the strap and waterproof covering for if you wanted to use the GlocalMe KeyTracker with a pet (it is also suitable for keys/luggage/when you are out hiking so is a great all-rounder gift).
I hope these ideas have helped give you some ideas for Christmas! Remember if you can pick wrapping paper that can be recycled!
#AD. We were gifted the products for the purpose of inclusion, our thoughts and views are our own.