CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE | Gifts For Little Ones

December 16, 2018

Of all the people to buy for at Christmas, the little ones have to be the worst. And by worst, I mean you could literally keep buying everything and never stop, at risk of falling into the trap of overspending your budget and possibly gifting a bit too much. Sometimes, it’s really hard knowing the perfect gift and stopping at it.

Buying for kids can get quite addictive, and it probably doesn’t help Christmas shopping without a clear idea what to buy. Noticing what a child’s into or likes playing with can guide you to what things you could gift, as can age appropriate toys when a more educational present is preferred.

I’ve found some really lovely children’s gifts that are fun, challenge development and are a little bit special – gifts I’m sure any toddler would absolutely love to receive this Christmas. So here’s my concise guide:

[ DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS GIFTED PRODUCTS. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN, NOT OF THE BRANDS NAMED. ]

MIFFY BACKPACK & BOOK (Miffy Shop, Bag £15 | Waterstones, Book £4.99 )

Books are always a great gifting idea for little ones, especially when they’re timeless favourites like Miffy. The wide library of Miffy stories are perfect for toddlers as they’re simple reads with a life skill or lesson to learn from. Our Reuben (21m) adores Miffy and he loves being read ‘Miffy is Naughty’ – this book is an entertaining read with a brilliant message, telling the story of Miffy being tempted into taking something that isn’t hers!

Where else to carry all those books and toys but a Miffy bag? The Miffy backpack is a bright and colourful EVA bag just the right size for youngsters to carry their essentials in. It’s spacious and zips up with a cute little Miffy zip pull. This bag depicts a large sized Miffy with her colouring pencils; with a raised 3D effect, Miffy looks set to jump right out!

HAPE WONDER WAGON (Hape, £85)

Baby walkers and ride ons are top toys for promoting physical activity, furthering development and giving little ones chance to burn off energy. The big and chunky Hape wonder wagon is a robust wooden cart that can be pulled along, pushed, even ridden in!

Arriving fully constructed in the box for a stress-free Christmas morning, the wonder wagon is a solid wooden toy that’ll last years. It has all the attention to detail for safe and comfortable play – from the rubber handle bar grips, to the smooth contours, the chunky plastic trimmed wheels to the child friendly wooden toggle that releases the handle. Reuben loves to to use his wagon to collect all his cars and blocks then push them around, before sitting down in it.

PERSONALISED THOMAS BOOK (Find Me A Gift, £24.99)

Gifting special editions of favourite literature is a such a thoughtful way to give books. A personalised favourite book is even more so!

This is the book I had made for Reuben: presented in a lovely silver foil printed box, it’s a copy of the original Thomas the Tank Engine story when Thomas was first introduced in The Railway Series, the very books I read as a child. Right there on the cover is your child’s name in large print in the same vintage font and the name is printed on each page’s header, so it all looks very smart and professional. You can add a custom message inside too. It’s such a beautifully made book. Reuben loves Thomas so I know he’ll be thrilled to see this.

DEAR ZOO ANIMAL SKITTLES (The Personalised Gift Shop, £39.99)

Wooden toys are surely the loveliest kind of toy to gift. They have that classic style and look pretty in the toy box. But they can also be pretty good fun too, like this cheerful Dear Zoo Skittles set.

There’s so much to love about this gift. Firstly it’s the retro classic, Dear Zoo, that kids just love. It’s a cute little pull along that toddlers will have so much fun playing with. And it’s also a skittles set. Contained within the cart are a selection of 2D wooden animals and a wooden ball so little ones can try their skills at knocking them over. So much fun! To make it even more perfect, your little one’s name is elegantly engraved on one of the wheels. An absolute treasure I hope Reuben will keep for years to come.

PHOTO BOOK (Photobox, £14.99)

Holidays are for making memories, but these days we don’t print off our photos like we used to. Little ones love to flick through books so why not remind your toddler of those good times by creating a photo book made just for them.

With 16 sturdy, glossy pages and a photo on each one, the customisable Photobox board book is a sweet gift that’s personal and durable for (often messy!) little hands. I’ve made a book using some of Reuben’s favourite photos from his first trip to Thomas Land in the summer, which will make for a brilliant stocking stuffer.