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Top Christmas Gift ideas
With Christmas just round the corner, it’s time to start thinking about what gifts you’ll be buying this year. Wrapping your head around some good gift ideas can give you a head start in being prepared before the crazy shopping trips to the high street begin. Trailing around the high street shops looking for inspirations can be a time consuming task and often with little success. So to make the decisions a bit easier here are some suggestions for Christmas presents for tots to teens, put your feet up with a cuppa and have a look.
Preschool
For the aspiring musicians in the family there is ‘Melissa & Doug: Band in a Box’ includes everything they will need for a solo performance or to start their own marching band.
Available from Early Learning Centre www.elc.co.uk
Children who thrive upon new discoveries and learning as they play will love this interactive toy by VTech. ‘Gadget the Robot’ will help teach your little one about letters, numbers, objects and much more.
Available from Argos www.argos.co.uk
Traditional wooden toys are always a favourite with children of all ages, they are classic and great as they never need new batteries!. ‘Hape Toys’ have a lovely selection of puzzles to suit all interests: alphabet, numbers, farm animals, vehicles and much more.
Available from Amazon www.amazon.co.uk
Make bed time fun with an adorable ‘Pillow Pet Dream Lite’, can be used flat as a pillow with amazing nightlight which turns your bedroom into a starry sky or folded into a cuddly pet. Choose your favourite pet from dog, penguin, panda, butterfly and many more.
Available from Amazon www.amazon.co.uk
Encourage your creative toddler with their artistic skills by drawing endless pictures with no fuss, no mess and never running out of drawing materials. ‘Aquadoodle’ by Tomy allows your children to draw with water over and over again, as the water dries the picture fades ready for the next creation.
Available from Toys R Us www.toysrus.co.uk
If your little one is desperate to get on the move but can’t yet master a scooter, then this may solve your problem. The ‘Mini Micro T-bar Scooter with Seat’ is a 3 in 1 scooter which grows with your childs needs. It starts as a ride on, then changes to small scooter and finally a Mini Micro scooter, suitable for ages 1 – 5 years.
Available from John Lewis www.johnlewis.com
Age 5 – 11
Children love the old favourite games we remember from our childhood, although some have had a few upgrades over the years. ‘Guess Who? Extra’ is the original face guessing game now with electronic timer, yes and no buttons and 6 different sheets of faces.
Available from: The Entertainer www.thetoyshop.com
Lego is always a favourite on Christmas lists and with the new Lego Friends selection, girls love the new creations. The ‘Lego Friends Watch’ comes with multi coloured strap, and interchangeable strap offering plenty of design possibilities.
Available from John Lewis www.johnlewis.com
Let your explorer discover the world around them with the ‘National Geographic Land and Sky Telescope’. Can be used indoors or outdoors, either hand-held or with the tripod. Suitable for ages 8 years and over.
Available from Argos www.argos.co.uk
Children will adore the return of the 90’s toy: ‘Furby’. These interactive pets have been re-vamped with more features including LED eyes to display emotions, it responds to touch, voices and music. May be an idea to stock up on batteries as this must have toy will be a favourite!
Available from Amazon www.amazon.co.uk
The wonder of magic is ageless so with a magic set, the whole family will be entertained. ‘Marvins Magic Box of Tricks’ has plenty of easy to follow tricks for hours of fun.
Available from Play .com www.play.com
Teens
The well travelled teen will enjoy marking off where they’ve been, or where they plan to go in the future with the ’Scratch Map’. Create your own personal wall art with this fun pressie.
Available from Scratch Map www.scratchmap.co.uk
Give their brains some exercise this Christmas with a great game sure to be a winner with the whole family. Work together in teams to describe the most number of words against the clock. Articulate!
Available from Toys R Us www.toysrus.co.uk
Roller skating seems to have become popular again with teens, with lots to retro designs now available. ‘Stateside Skates’ have a great selection with a range of styles from the classics we used as kids to modern in-line skates.
Available from Amazon www.amazon.co.uk
All teenagers seem to be constantly texting and emailing, so they will love a pair of ‘Mujjo Touchscreen Gloves’ this winter. They can use any touchscreen device while keeping their hands warm.
Available from John Lewis www.johnlewis.com
Make sharing music on your ipod or mp3 easy and fun with a ‘Robot Splitterbot keyring’. Two people can listen to the same music at once with this great idea.
Available from Amazon www.amazon.co.uk
The official top selling toys of 2012 can be found on the Toy retailer association website (http://www.toyretailersassociation.co.uk/dreamtoys/2012/top12)
have a look and start your shopping now. While shopping online is fast and convenient, why not take a trip to your local toy and gift shops (https://www.chilternchatter.com/lifestyle/shopping)
for more gift inspirations and get into the Christmas spirit!
Christmas is a time not just for giving presents but for families and friends to get together, laugh and have fun. Hope for snow and enjoy this special time of the year!
Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
