Thankfully, as parents, we have several tricks up our sleeves to extract what presents our kids would like without them getting too suspicious about the magic of Christmas. Whether its getting the kids to write a letter to Santa saying what they’d like, or simply seeing how they react to specific TV shows to see if they’d like a toy from that show – there’s normally a way to find out what they’re after without too much hassle. But, sometimes the element of surprise is the best part, so here’s our Childrens Gift Guide to surprise the kids this year.
*Disclaimer, My parents did this “Surprise gift” one year and bought us a shared present. We all thought (me and my 3 older brothers) that it was a toy or game for us all, turns out it was “The Chronicle of the 20th Century” – A book full of historical stuff that we didn’t care much for on Christmas day. Evidently, it turned out to be incredibly helpful during school – some may even say my parents knew what they were doing there! This Childrens Gift Guide will not include this book 😉
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Childrens Gift Guide
Wooden Train
So let’s start with something practical. If your kids are anything like Grayson – then they’ll love their cars and trains. There’s a local shop, Flicka, that do some incredibly beautiful toys and accessories for kids, and this lovely little wooden train is a great gift for the younger children. The carriages have small blocks of various shapes and sizes, allowing your child to play and explore. Grayson has a similar Lego train, and it’s been a staple in his daily play routine for quite a while!
Magic Tricks
If your kid is at the inquisitive age, then Magic Tricks might be right up their street. These are a double burner in terms of gifts – because you have the fun part of learning how to master the trick – and when that’s done, the next part of performing every time someone visits the house! Our Local Toy Shop, Kerrison Toys, has a range of “Marvins Magic” sets, which are a great price, and hours of fun. This set has 25 tricks to learn and master.
Aqua Dragons
When I was a nipper (well, 15ish, I don’t know) – these were called “Sea Monkeys” – I’m not sure why the name changed, but the concept is just the same, and equally as mesmerising for kids (clearly, of all ages!). I’d still be tempted to buy some now for my office, to be fair! This kit comes with a tank, and instructions on how to hatch your own “Aqua Dragons” – and after a few days of waiting and watching – your kids will start to see the dragons swimming around in the water. Growing up to 2cm long, they’re quite the sight, and a great way to introduce an understanding of lifecycles. You can also find these at Kerrison Toys
Building Blocks
Most kids love to stack things – right? Well these stunning building blocks from Little Acorns are not only adorable, but incredibly practical. They’re natural wood – no paint to rub off and age the blocks – and nothing to worry about should an over zealous baby decide to chew one (though, probably not encouraged!). There are 38 blocks in this set – meaning the possibilities for creations are endless.
Play Kitchen
We got Grayson a kitchen last Christmas – and he absolutely adores it. As the year has gone on, his culinary skills have progressed, so much so, that for breakfast now we get served Plastic toast and Pebbles from the beach, with a side of dried pasta and a Kiwi. You simply can’t ask for anything better to start your day. The Great Little Trading Co have a lovely “Pat-a-cake Play Kitchen“.
It comes with Utensils, so it’s ready to go – all you need to do is add some, err, food, for your own little Gordon Ramsey or Nigella Lawson to get creative with – and it looks absolutely beautiful. There’s also a nice kitchen over at Ikea – but we’re trying to avoid the big big brands this Christmas, so I won’t link you to that.
Hopefully our Childrens Gift Guide has given you a bit of inspiration for those extra gifts for your kids! You can check out the rest of our Blogmas series here.