Top Kids Gifts that they will play with long after Christmas
I’ve got a 7-year-old daughter and with her being an only child my husband and I are super aware of her not getting spoilt (especially with a Filipino grandmother!) I love giving gifts and spend hours at Christmas thinking and planning the perfect gift for everyone.
So when it comes to Teddie I’ve done the research plus also seen first-hand the gifts that she plays with for years and the ones that get discarded quickly.
I thought it might be handy at this time of year to do a best of round-up for all the parents out there with way too little time of their hands and too much to do before the big day!
Here are my top gifts over the years and the ones that are still getting lots of use.
Kidamento Camera
Teddie loves taking photos but I don’t want her getting too handsy with a phone just yet. So I was on the search for a digital camera which could take being handled by a child and also appealed to her in look. She loves her Kidamento kitty camera and it actually takes good photos too. There’s also additional features like filters for selfies but it’s still all very age appropriate.
Hey Clay
The creatures you make with Hey Clay are just adorable!! This air dried clay kit comes with a super cool app which shows you step by step how to make each alien, monster, farm yard animal etc. The designs are just brilliant and the best thing after is that you are left with a whole set of figurines which provide hours of make believe, story-telling fun. There’s also always a bit of left over clay which you can use to create creatures from your own imagination.
Duel Toy Rocket
There is something very satisfying about stomping down on something as hard as you can and watching it fly! This foot operating rocket launch comes as a pair so you can compete against each other. It’s a great toy for all ages – little kids love it and it’s a good one to bring to the park or picnic and it brings all the kids together.
Outfoxed
My husband comes from a long line of board game lovers. Me not so much. But I don’t mind a game of Outfoxed! The fox has stolen the pie and it’s a collaborative game of who-dunnit it. There’s clues and you have to use deduction and attention to detail to work together to find which fox is the guilty one!
Rush Hour
This is a brilliant problem solving fun game for everyone – it’s a great size to travel with and there are challenges that range from super simple to the ones that take me ages to figure out. The basics of the game is that there is a ice cream truck that needs to get out of the traffic jam but is blocked by other vehicles. You need to move the other cars and trucks out of the way to clear the path. It’s a game of pure logic. We take this to restaurants and it’s also a great one to travel with. Adults love it just as much as kids (maybe more)
Crazy Forts
What kid doesn’t love to build a fort. I don’t know what it is about being under a sheet but it creates so much fun and mystery and excitement in our house! This fort kit consists of plastic tubes which link with round balls with holes. There are heaps of combinations you can make from a castle to a cabin and it comes with all the instructions. An easy afternoon of fun.
Silver Locket
There was a period where Teddie didn’t want to go to school as she missed us so much and she’d take photos of us to prop up on her desk (sob!) Thankfully it’s passed and she runs into school these days. But one solution I did find was a special locket which contained a tiny photo of us. I searched high and low for the perfect one since I wanted something fairly robust, classic and simple. I love the simple personalised round one from Tiny Blessings. I think it’s a great gift for a child that is going through some separation issues.
Books!
I am a massive reader and so is Teddie. Since I’ve been reading books to her until recently I’ve had to find books that I find amusing as well! I mean it needs to be a good time for both of us right?
These books have us both laughing out loud:
Bear and Rabbit is a series about a gentle Bear and a grumpy know it all Rabbit who eats his own poo. If you are prone to doing funny voices when reading out loud these books can be downright hysterical! All in all great stories with a bit of fun thrown in.
Grimwood
There’s now 2 Grimwood books and they are just so gloriously silly! They follow Ted and Nancy two foxes on their adventure from the City to Grimwood where they meet a whole bunch of crazy characters. I swear my spirit animal is Sharon the Party Crow.
How to draw all the things for kids
We are all budding artists in this house with various degrees of success (I am terrible!) So it’s great to have a little guide to help you step by step to draw everyday objects. It’s a very meditative process around the table on a weekend and you can get quite lost in it. I think I once drew a page of jellyfish before I woke up from the trance. Teddie loves it.
Sand Pals
Being beach lovers, we spend so much time down there and love building castles. This kit is next level and will even have the grown-ups tapping into their inner architect. The shapes allow you to make perfect brick shapes and then there’s a mechanism which pushes it out meaning you can carefully stack them creating amazing structures.
Beach Cart
Strictly not a kid’s gift but something they do love! This handy cart means we can walk from our house while Teddie rides in style amongst the towels and snacks. A great investment for the family as you just pile everything you need it, pop the kid on top and then you’re ready to go. It is also a great leg work out for the parent pulling it!
Merry Christmas! x
