With so many children's gifts available this festive season, choosing the right one can be a little tricky. But, fear not, because I've rounded up some of the best gifts to get little ones, aged 0 - 8...
Liewood Fifi the Rabbit
Nothing makes a better gift for a little baby than an ultra soft cuddly toy and one the sweetest is Fifi the Rabbit, a soft little teddy that is guaranteed to become a baby's BFF. Fifi (£29.95 scandiborn.co.uk) is made from soft 100% organic plush fabric and equipped with a name tag to ensure Fifi never gets misplaced.
Nothing makes a better gift for a little baby than an ultra soft cuddly toy and one the sweetest is Fifi the Rabbit, a soft little teddy that is guaranteed to become a baby's BFF. Fifi (£29.95 scandiborn.co.uk) is made from soft 100% organic plush fabric and equipped with a name tag to ensure Fifi never gets misplaced.
Likely to stay close by baby side as he or she grows, Fifi make for a sweet gift that a little one, and their parents, will love and cherish.
Jojo Glow Reusable Baby Microfibre Cleansing Pads
There is nothing more delicate than a baby's skin, so a gift that ensures it's handled with care will always be welcome. The JoJo Glow Baby Reusable Microfibre Cleansing Pads (£18 jojoglow.co.uk) are the perfect present for a baby as they are super soft and help to protect their delicate and sensitive skin. What makes these pads impressive, is that they are reusable and recyclable, helping to eliminate the amount of waste caused by throwaway cotton pads. As well as being a great addition to bathtime, Jojo Glow's pads they are perfect for life on the road - at playtime, lunchtime and changing times as they're so easy use (all you need to do is add water)!.
The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Busy Boombox
Sensory toys make brilliant gifts for babies and one of best in the toy market this year is the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Busy Boombox (£24.99 smythstoys.com). It is a pretend stereo loaded with hands-on activities, lights, music, and fun sounds for baby to explore and enjoy.
The Laugh & Learn Busy Boombox baby toy features Smart Stages technology, that enables you to tune the learning content to best fit your baby’s age and stage. There are fun tunes that teach the alphabet, counting, colours, and more.
Growbag Tommee Tippee
For the boujee babies out there, you can't go wrong with the Ptisenbon Eau de Tartine et Chocolat (£34.95 Harrods). A favourite fragrance of mothers and children for 30 years, the Eau de Tartine et Chocolat is a fresh, pure, and delicate scent that is the perfect introduction to fragrance for little ones. This gentle mist perfumes young skin with the comforting sweet scent of nature, mingling with notes of jasmine, honeysuckle and white cedar. Launched in 1987, in collaboration with Givenchy, Eau de Tartine et Chocolat was then the first fragrance for babies.
Thomas & Friends Race & Chase R/C
It's hard to find a little boy that doesn't absolutely love Thomas the Tank Engine, so a guaranteed gift favourite this year is the Thomas & Friends Race & Chase R/C (£29.99 The Entertainer).
This remote-controlled train toy connects Thomas and Percy via a hand steam cloud handle, allowing them to race around the floor. Both these train engines feature realistic sounds and character phrases from the Thomas & Friends TV show! Children can control all the exciting racing action with an easy-to-use, two-button remote, which children can use to send the train toys forward or in reverse J-turn for exciting racing play.
It's hard to find a little boy that doesn't absolutely love Thomas the Tank Engine, so a guaranteed gift favourite this year is the Thomas & Friends Race & Chase R/C (£29.99 The Entertainer).
This remote-controlled train toy connects Thomas and Percy via a hand steam cloud handle, allowing them to race around the floor. Both these train engines feature realistic sounds and character phrases from the Thomas & Friends TV show! Children can control all the exciting racing action with an easy-to-use, two-button remote, which children can use to send the train toys forward or in reverse J-turn for exciting racing play.
Bloomsbury Mill Dinosaur World Nap Mat
For the tots that love to recharge their batteries in the afternoon, the Bloomsbury Mill Dinosaur World Nap Mat makes for a fun and handy gift. The super soft dinosaur mat is an all-in-one nap mat that let's your little one snuggle up at any time of the day. Whether it's for a sleepover, camping trip, or just a rest from an afternoon of play at home, this amazingly portable and effortless mat is the perfect companion to roll out for nap times on the go. Featuring a range of incredible creatures from t-rex to triceratops and even pterodactyls, the Dinosaur World Nap Mat (£29.99 bloomsburymill.com) also features a colour co-ordinated carry loop, removable pillow, storage pouch, and name tag.
For the tots that love to recharge their batteries in the afternoon, the Bloomsbury Mill Dinosaur World Nap Mat makes for a fun and handy gift. The super soft dinosaur mat is an all-in-one nap mat that let's your little one snuggle up at any time of the day. Whether it's for a sleepover, camping trip, or just a rest from an afternoon of play at home, this amazingly portable and effortless mat is the perfect companion to roll out for nap times on the go. Featuring a range of incredible creatures from t-rex to triceratops and even pterodactyls, the Dinosaur World Nap Mat (£29.99 bloomsburymill.com) also features a colour co-ordinated carry loop, removable pillow, storage pouch, and name tag.
The Viking Who Likes Icing
The Viking Who Likes Icing is a great gift for little book worms. Even Prue Leith loves it, describing the book as "A winner with my grandson. And I liked it too!". It is about Nut, a boy that isn't like the other vikings; He doesn't climb hills or swim icy lakes … but he does have one great passion – Nut LOVES to bake cakes! So when Viking Sports' Day comes round, it looks like certain disaster for Nut. Fingers crossed his baking can save the day!
The Viking Who Likes Icing is a great gift for little book worms. Even Prue Leith loves it, describing the book as "A winner with my grandson. And I liked it too!". It is about Nut, a boy that isn't like the other vikings; He doesn't climb hills or swim icy lakes … but he does have one great passion – Nut LOVES to bake cakes! So when Viking Sports' Day comes round, it looks like certain disaster for Nut. Fingers crossed his baking can save the day!
Told in effortless verse, The Viking Who Liked Icing (£6.99 Waterstones) is a fun and heartwarming picture book that celebrates being yourself.
Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Classic
For the little adventurers, you can't go wrong with the iconic Cozy Coupe Car from Little Tikes. An instantly recognisable classic, that has been driving little ones around for 30 years, this child-powered toy car ride on is loved by kids and parents alike. Easy to manoeuvre and durable, this toy car ride on combines classic design with new innovations, like a cupholder and a smooth-opening driver’s door. The front swivel wheels spin 360 degrees, making the car super easy for kids to control and the foot-to-floor mode is great for developing gross motor skills. With a friendly face on the front, a clicking ignition switch, working horn, and opening petrol cap, the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe (£49.99 jdwilliams.co.uk)
encourages active play and imagination.
Moulin Roty Enchanted Forest Shadow Puppets
The Moulin Roty Enchanted Forest Shadow Puppets (£12.99 scoutandcokids.com) is a set of 10 enchanted forest-themed shadow puppets. The set includes a dragon, knight, princess, fairy, witch, palace, forest, and more. It is the creation of Moulin Roty, a French brand that has been creating beautiful, traditional toys since 1975.
Personalised Rocket LED Colour Changing Night Light
For the future astronauts, I recommend gifting the Personalised Rocket Night Light!
Ready to shoot off into space, this rocket is designed to be personalised with a name of your choice, adding a special touch for your chosen little one. Powered by the included USB cable or three AA batteries, the Personalised Rocket LED Colour Changing Night Light (£19.99 prezzybox.com) features seven different colours to choose from - red, green, purple, white, lime green, light blue, and blue. The light can also be set to flow between every colour for those that can't commit to just one!
For the children that prefer rainbows and sunshine to outer-space, I recommend My Very Own Rainbow, a beautiful light show that fills any room with rainbows.
A charming light projector designed to inspire sweet dreams, My Very Own Rainbow (£9.99 smythstoys.com) uses multi-coloured LED’s to display rainbow colours on walls and ceilings in a darkened room. It automatically shuts off after 40 minutes to save battery life and includes a sunlight rainbow crystal that enables you to bounce the rainbow around the run. A secret code included in the box also unlocks multilingual online facts and activities.
Barbie Extra
A Barbie will forever be a great gift idea but, if you want to take things to the next level, a Barbie Extra is the way to go.
Barbie Extra dolls (£30.00 Tesco) rock bold fashions and bright colours, and they are known for making big statements! Each Barbie doll has their own unique style that is, as the name states, pretty extra. They let kids explore self-expression through style and offer fashion and styling play with posable dolls (each features 11 points of articulation). Each doll comes with 15 premium accessory pieces, as well as an equally fabulous 'extra' pet that matches the Barbie's personality.
A Barbie will forever be a great gift idea but, if you want to take things to the next level, a Barbie Extra is the way to go.
Barbie Extra dolls (£30.00 Tesco) rock bold fashions and bright colours, and they are known for making big statements! Each Barbie doll has their own unique style that is, as the name states, pretty extra. They let kids explore self-expression through style and offer fashion and styling play with posable dolls (each features 11 points of articulation). Each doll comes with 15 premium accessory pieces, as well as an equally fabulous 'extra' pet that matches the Barbie's personality.
For the craft lovers, I recommend gifting the Cutie Stix Creation Set (£23.99 smythstoys.com).
The creative set provides everything a child needs to make their own unique bracelets and necklaces. With a choice of fun bead 'stix', children can use the Creative Workshop to safely cut and core the stix into gorgeous little beads and turn them into necklaces and bracelets. There are 15 assorted sized stix in two sizes, enabling a number of jewellery design combinations to be made.
One of the best gifts that I think you can gift a child is the start of a magical (book) journey. And there is nothing better than Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and there is no edition better than the MinaLima one.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: MinaLima Edition (£32 Waterstones) is a special edition of the world famous book, created alongside the ultra-talented design magicians behind the gorgeous visual graphic style of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. The book features colour illustrations on nearly every page, as well as eight exclusive interactive paper-engineered elements - including Harry's Hogwarts letter, the magical entrance to Diagon Alley, a sumptuous feast in the Great Hall of Hogwarts and more.
Nailmatic Nail Polish Colour Maker Kit
Another great craft set, for the pamper loving princesses, is the Nailmatic Nail Polish Colour Maker Kit (£38.95 scoutandcokids.com). This kit lets little ones create four of their own water-based nail polishes. The colour solutions used to create the polishes are water-based, vegan, cruelty-free, dermatologically tested, and - of course - super-fun! They will also get parent approval, as they wash off in warm soapy water and don't require nail polish remover. The kit includes 5 coloured and glittered solutions, 4 buildable bottles, a ruler, and labels to name the colourful creations.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: MinaLima EditionOne of the best gifts that I think you can gift a child is the start of a magical (book) journey. And there is nothing better than Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and there is no edition better than the MinaLima one.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: MinaLima Edition (£32 Waterstones) is a special edition of the world famous book, created alongside the ultra-talented design magicians behind the gorgeous visual graphic style of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. The book features colour illustrations on nearly every page, as well as eight exclusive interactive paper-engineered elements - including Harry's Hogwarts letter, the magical entrance to Diagon Alley, a sumptuous feast in the Great Hall of Hogwarts and more.
This beautiful addition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone will take pride of place on any collector's bookshelf, and mum and dad are sure to enjoy discovering the world of Harry Potter all over again.
For the Jurassic World fans, I recommend the Slash ‘N Battle Scorpios Rex Dino Escape Dinosaur Toy (£30 Argos). Inspired by Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, this all-new hybrid dinosaur, Scorpios Rex, is extremely fast, dangerous, and unpredictable. Brave boys and girls are sure to love it!
This Slash ‘N Battle Scorpios Rex action figure has a dynamic claw slashing feature, an impressive chomp and roar, and it can deliver a mighty tail whip attack! It is easy to use and pairs nicely with other dinosaurs in the Jurassic World collection, to help build a dinosaur park John Hammond would be proud of.
Everything Under the Sun
Everything Under the Sun is a great gift for the curious kids.
Based on the award-winning podcast by Molly Oldfield, Everything Under the Sun (£25 Waterstones) is a fantastic collection of 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world. Expect answers to 'How much bamboo can a giant panda eat?', 'Do aliens exist?', 'What we would do if we didn't have a prime minister?', and 'Why do hammerhead sharks have such strange-shaped heads?'. The fascinating facts are accompanied by beautiful illustrations by award-winning illustrator, Rob Biddulph. Whether you read a question a day, or dip into it whenever you are feeling curious, this is a book to treasure and share all year round.
This 3-in-1 play set provides a world of endless construction possibilities, allowing creative youngsters to build a space shuttle, a rocket toy, or even a lunar lander. The set even includes an astronaut mini figure with a helmet and multi-tool to provide more interstellar fun once the creation is complete!