This post contains gifted items
My least favourite part of Christmas is shopping. Choosing gifts for children however is a horse of a different colour. Whether I am selecting gifts for my own 3 or to donate to our local giving tree I love it! Here is a selection of gifts which I believe will be a hit this Christmas.
Playmobil
Playmobil is such an incredible toy for imaginative play. I had Playmobil toys when I was child and now all 3 of my own children have loved it too. Moose is really into it at the moment and I just know that he will adore the How To Train Your Dragon set.
A little while ago we were sent the Playmobil MARS Space Station to try out. Moose hasn’t stopped playing with it since so the Mars Mission Rocket will definitely go down well with him! I really like that the MARS Playmobil can fit together so that they can be played with as one big set or as smaller modules.
That’s the great thing about Playmobil, it is adaptable and has a range of ways a child (or a particularly eager adult) can play with it.
Games
Moose opted for Angry Birds 2 as his birthday movie this year at the cinema so it came as no surprise whatsoever that an Angry Birds version of a family favourite might be popular. This one is really easy to play, doesn’t take very long and is great fun.
Flags of the World is a great fun game packed with information about countries, capitals, lakes and populations. The game contains 200 high quality cards each showing the flag of an independent nation. On the back of each card you will find information about the country, its capital and geographic location, as well as clues to its identity such as mountains, rivers, natural resources and so on. There are three sets of rules for adults plus one for children. The rules can be modified according to the levels of difficulty and to your own ideas. Great fun!
Don’t Rock The Boat game is a great one for families. Arrrr ye ready for some fun? Take turns to balance your pirate penguins on the ship but if you rock the boat and send some mateys overboard ye be a landlubber! This 10-1/2×10-1/2×3-1/2 inch package contains a ship with three masts two piece water waves sixteen pirate penguins and rules. For 2 to 4 players or teams. For ages 5 and up.
Take N Play Anywhere – Magnetic Travel Game Tins are one of my favourite finds for Moose this Christmas! Not only are they inexpensive (around £7.99) but because they are magnetic they are great for stashing in your bag so you can play anywhere.
Gifts for the really little ones
Whether you are buying for a boy or a girl the Baby Gund Sleepy Seas Light & Sounds Whale would make a perfect gift. This musical soft toy will help your babies drift off to sleep. The whale is presented in an oh-so-soft light blue fabric, with blue ribbons for its hair, and dark embroidery creating a smiling face. Press the left fin and the animated whale splashes into life. Press the musical note on its right fin and the plush starts to play one of five different noises: Ocean Magic, Soothing Ocean Whale Sounds, Brahms’ Lullaby, Bubbles or Ocean White Noise.
Sometimes practical gifts are the best option for new babies. The award winning Microwave Steam Steriliser from MAM now comes in a new trendy grey colour with 6 bottles! The MAM Microwave Steriliser helps make cleaning your baby accessories that little bit easier. Up to six MAM bottles fit comfortably across the two levels and in as little as 5 minutes all of your feeding equipment will be cleaned and stored hygienically for up to 48 hours. The compact design allows for easy storage in a cupboard or microwave when not in use, keeping your work service free from clutter. When travelling, the Microwave Steriliser can also be used as a Cold water steriliser.
Something to read
How exciting it would be for a child who is learning to read to be able to find a book all about them. We love Mason Goes To Sleep because it’s a great little story which runs through the bedtime routine and is just long enough to entertain.
The Toniebox is something completely new and unlike any other children’s audio book I have seen before. It’s an easy to set up audiobox which plays stories. You place a Tonie character on top and the audiobox uses that to play a story through it’s speakers. Moose absolutely loves listening to The Snowman on his and we even have a blank Tonie onto which we can record our own audio book. Neat!
If you have an older child who loves to read then you should check out Freya Fontaine and the Winged Lion of Aretas. It’s an exciting new adventure story and Bess loved it!
Freya was just a regular eleven-year-old from London until the friend she’d only just met told her something she’d never expected. ”There is buried treasure in Petra Freya, buried golden treasure,” Hiyaam whispered, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement. ”A jewelled winged lion, Freya, and I know where it is.”
Getting ready for the big day
The toys the kids will love
Lego is always a really safe bet when it comes to Moose so I was thrilled to find this smaller set which will easily fit into his stocking!
Foodie Roos are adorable mini plush collectible characters that look, feel and smell just like their favourite foods!
Each Foodie Roos container gives a hint at which character inside, with a unique “Peek a Roo” reveal!
Super cute plush friends, with 20 characters to collect in series 1.
The food container also becomes the Foodie’s room! Comes complete with stickers to decorate the inside to make your Foodie Roos feel right at home.
It’s my opinion that all parents should know about Paint Sticks. They are a revelation especially for Mums like me who love crafts but hate the tidying and cleaning which usually goes with it!
Paint Sticks are a bit like giant lipsticks in an array of colours. We love them and Moose plays with them most days.
Little Brian paint sticks 2 in 1 Mini art station is a table top double sided easel, featuring a white board and a chalkboard. Features 6 chalk sticks, 6 mini paint sticks, 1 Duster, 10 sheets paper stored inside. The perfect size for table top utilisation and is simple to fold away. Features a handle so you can transport around with ease and to unleash creativity anywhere. The handy clip can be used to utilise the art station as an easel for painting or drawing On paper.
Decorate your child
One of the best new toys of 2019 has to be the Face Paintoos. I was put in charge of these at a recent kids birthday party and I managed to face paint 80% of the kids at the party in record time because they are just so simple to use!
Face Paintoos transform the magic of ‘face painting’ into a fun and easy activity for everyone. With Face Paintoos, it is simple to achieve great results every time!
No artistic skills required! Face Paintoos don’t smudge, they are quick and easy to apply and remove.
Face Paintoos Party Pack comes with 20 tattoos, including wild animals, magical creatures and cutest pets! Perfect for parties, playdates, school fetes or for everyday fun!
Removal wipes, applicator sponge and instructions included.
A future James Bond?
The Micro Spy Gear set is perfect for mobile Spy Surveillance! Features a utility belt with 4 micro tools, including a Micro spy light (with an ear clip for hands-free), an Invisible ink pen (decoder light reveals secret messages), a Micro Motion Alarm (beam detects movement or vibration) and a Micro listener (features ear piece).
Harry Potter’s all the rage here with pretty much everyone. No surprise then that the Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak was rather popular. You can see what we thought about it here
It’s school time for fuzzi babies! Fuzzikins school pop-up playset comes complete with four students (hamster, lamb, monkey, Mouse) and a wise owl teacher. The pop-up opens to reveal three school sections, all with built-in furniture; the playground, the classroom and the dining room. Have you coloured the classmates and the teacher with the washable pens? When you wish to change your design, rinse in warm water, dry then free-colour! Now, colour The stickers and decorate your school! The pupils can sit at their desks and learn about numbers and letters on the wipeable white board! When it is lunchtime, their lunch will be served through the serving hatch then finally, it is time to Have fun playing hopscoth in the playground! Perfect for story telling and hours of creative play with endless possibilities of personalization. Simply create, rinse, free-colour and play!
Teamsterz Car Transporter is a huge, free-wheeling car transporter with 12 detailed die-cast cars and lots of barrier and traffic cone accessories. Transporter features detailed cab and space for up to 40 cars. With carry handle so you can pack up and take with you wherever you go! Suitable for ages 3+.
This lovable, robotic, remote control puppy is designed to follow you wherever you go. ROBO DASH will follow your gesture commands to perform tricks and actions, like chasing his tail like a real dog. He has two modes: follow me – bringing ROBO DASH to life as he shadows your movements – and manual control mode using the multi-directional remote. ROBO DASH comes complete with touch sensors on top of his head which grow and shrink his spring-like fabric body up to 45cm. ROBO DASH will fetch the ball shaped remote when you roll it on the floor.
Dragons’ tower garden is a grow & play playset featuring a magical tower castle that is home to mummy and baby dragons and the beautiful fairy Thea. Take the baby Dragon anywhere in his egg shell. You can use the egg shell to water the plants as well! Dragons’ tower garden comes complete with pea and grass seeds to grow in 3 growing areas. Just add soil!
