Every year I find it becomes harder and harder to decide on which gifts to get, so I have put together a few ideas of gifts we have tested to help you out!
In no particular order!
Here are some of the toys we have really loved.
LEARNING RESOURCES
CODING CRITTERS – RANGER & ZIP
Award winning Coding Critters from Learning Resources
RRP £40.00
Suitable for ages 4-10 years
There are three sets to choose from a cat called Sneaker & Scamper, a dog called Range & Zip or a dinosaur called Rumble & Bumble.
Isabella was so excited to get this out of the box and she was not disappointed!
She has loved using it as an interactive pet and also programming it to follow directions and perform tasks from the book.
I think its an amazing screen free and educational toy to give as a gift.
Its easy for children to use themselves yet still challenge them, perfect fro keeping them busy on Christmas Morning!
Playfoam Pluffle had to be on my list. I cannot recommend it enough and its really great if you are looking for a sensory gift.
RRP £12.00 from Learning Resources
Suitable for ages 5-10 years
This stuff is just amazing and did I mention its mess free!!
It never dries out so you can use it again and again, its fluffy and squishy.
Its available in beautiful 6 vibrant colours and has glitter mixed in it.
Its great for developing hand strength and tactile learning.
This is ideal as a calm down activity or for children that like to keep their hands busy.
LANKA KADE
If you have been following us for a while, you will know that we are massive Lanka Kade fans and we are also proud to be a brand Rep for them.
Lanka Kade make Beautiful wooden Fair-trade toys and we love all the items we have purchased from them.
They are a toys to be treasured and passed on for years, due to their fantastic quality.
I have chosen the Christmas Characters to add as I think these would make amazing stocking fillers or maybe even for an advent calendar if you can’t wait until Christmas.
They also make a lovely gift with a book as a story sack. I have added The Nutcracker story with them and Isabella is really loving finding the different characters in the book.
Lastly you can also use them as a stacking toy so what more could you want.
RRP From £2.70 – £3.00
Suitable from age 10 months
CODE : STRAWBERRY10 FOR A DISCOUNT
ORCHARD TOYS
This is a really colourful 20 piece puzzle from Orchard toys and I would highly recommend any of the puzzles or games.
We have so many and they are super chunky and last years.
This puzzle is great for developing hand and eye co-ordination and counting skills
It comes with a giant poster which is really helpful to follow when making the puzzle or beautiful to stick on a wall.
Suitable for ages 2-5 years
RRP from Orchard toys £10.50
This is a magical colour matching game and Isabella just loves anything to do with Rainbows and Unicorns so this was a win win!
She loved the cute little unicorn characters and the pot of gold.
Its an amazing game to develop colour recognition and matching and memory skills.
Its a 2-4 player game so lovely for Christmas parties or from some one to one time with your child.
Suitable for ages 3-5 years
RRP from Orchard Toys £8.25
This is definitely one for your handbag and amazing for traveling due to its size and great entertainment.
Isabella loves all the Orchard Toys mini games and this one was no different.
The cute penguins tie in with Christmas and winter.
Its a 1-4 player game so children can play this on their own!
I think it would make a really lovely stocking filler.
Suitable for ages 3-6 years
RRP from Orchard Toys £5.00
This is our first colouring book from Orchard toys and won’t be the last.
It has 24 pages and comes with stickers which Isabella loves!
There are numbers 1-10 to trace and colour and we have had great fun counting with it.
All the images are beautiful and the quality of the paper is so good.
Its an A4 size so nice big pictures to colour.
Suitable for ages 4+ years
RRP £3.00 from Orchard Toys
POWELL CRAFT BOUTIQUE
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD RAG DOLL
Isabella loves stories and cuddly toys so this beautiful Little Red Riding Hood from Powell Craft Boutique was a lovely addition to the angel we bought from them previously.
It’s suitable from birth and made with cotton.
The cloak can be taken off and Isabella loves pulling the hood up and down.
I think its an amazing prop for story time but it also looks beautiful sat on her bed!
RRP £16.00 from Powell Craft Boutique
Its 40cm high
Every year we always buy the girls a Christmas nightdress or pyjamas, which they then wear throughout the year too.
They are always so excited to put them on the night before we visit Father Christmas and on Christmas Eve.
This year Isabella will be wearing this absolutely beautiful nightdress from Powell Craft and the picture does it no justice as the detail and feel of the fabric cannot be felt.
Its has long-sleeves with appliqued angel and forest scene and braid trims.
I just love its traditional look!
Made from 100% cotton
A percentage of their sales for nightwear sales goes to mobile creches which is so lovely to help other children.
RRP £36.00
DKL BEYSAL TOYS
We love Plus Plus in our house. Isabella loved using the larger piece sets and now enjoys using these smaller pieces too.
They are so great for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination development.
This set comes in a handy metal suitcase so great for on the go play.
Each suitcase includes 300 pastel pieces and 100 neon pieces, plus a guide book for ideas.
You also get a base plate to build creations on.
You can make 3D and 2D creations.
Plus Plus also comes in other sizes and colours.
There are many different packs available and are available from DKL Beysal.
The perfect educational building gift.
RRP £19.00
Suitable from 1 years – 12 years of age
I get asked about this all the time.
PlayMais is just amazing!
PlayMais is an all natural crafting toy that is 100% biodegradable and doesn’t impact the environment. It’s made from corn grits and water, and colored with food coloring
It works by getting it a little wet from a sponge and then it sticks together, so you can create pictures (as above) or little models with the larger PlayMais.
You can view all the different types of sets available over on DKL Beysal.
Who doesn’t love the Story of Black Beauty?
This is any horse lovers perfect gift.
Anna Sewell’s classic horse tale, Black Beauty, has inspired generations of horse lovers, and you can get it in a set with a beautiful Breyer Classics Black Beauty horse from DKL Beysal.
Approx size horse 15cm H X 22cm L
Breyer Horses are hand painted.
Suitable from age 4 years +
This Beautiful kit from DKL Beysal includes everything to create your own colourful unicorn
It comes with 6 paint pots and a brush, Plus a Breyer unicorn.
Isabella cannot wait to get this out as she loves painting and playing with horses!
I thinks its a great gift for anyone creative!
Unicorn measures 8″L x 6.5″H x 3″W
Suitable from ages 4 years+
Personalised Wooden Name Tracing Board from The Little Coach House.
This is absolutely beautiful and I can’t recommend it enough.
I love the Montessori approach to learning and these handmade wooden learning resources are made from beech wood, which is also FSC certified.
I think this is not just a toy/learning resource but something your child can hold onto forever.
I will be purchasing one for each of my older children too as I think they will look beautiful in their bedrooms.
The Little Coach House also make other resources from wooden number counting boards to flash cards so please go and check them out.
I also have a discount code for The Little Coach House as we are a brand representative for them.
Discount Code : STRAWBERRY10
RRP £25.00
Suitable from ages 2 years +
Don’t leave it too late to order as the current dispatch time is 3-4 weeks and final orders for Christmas is 8th of December.
The Great Little Trading Company is one of my all time favourite childrens companies and I have been buying their products for years.
Megan and Sophie had a playroom filled with their stuff and they were all such amazing quality, so here I am ten years later buying the same stuff for Isabella as I know they will last. Yes I wish I had held onto everything but we passed them onto a preschool to enjoy.
We have many of their toys in our home once again. Some of my favourites are the SixPence play shop, the Emily dolls cot and the Emilys dolls highchair. I do love the Zigzag Sling bookcase and I cannot wait to open the painting easel which Isabella has asked for this year.
We have chosen the new wooden ambulance set to share with you. I think it makes not only a fun but beautiful gift for any child.
The push along ambulance comes with 12 accessories, a stethoscope, a digital thermometer, a syringe with plunger, an ear/eye scope, a reflex hammer, a telephone, a bottle of vitamins, a box of plasters , cough mixture, a tube of antiseptic cream and a doctors note pad.
All the toys are a smooth painted wood and of great quality.
Isabella has loved zooming her teddies around in the ambulance and playing doctor with her dolls.
Isabella had her immunisations and even brought her ambulance along with her. We role played the immunisations out before the appointment with the set and when it was her turn she jumped up on the chair and did not have one tear. The nurses commented how by preparing her before hand made such a massive difference!
I truly believe in GLTC’s Moto of “buy wood, buy once” as it really does last.
RRP from Great Little Trading Company £45.00 (although I have noticed its on offer today for £33.75)
Suitable from 3 years+
Little Brian Paint Sticks are a must have!
I can’t even put into works how easy they make life.
The are the best quality and the most vibrant colours.
No mess, easy to use, and quick to dry.
The have so many varieties, metallic, day glow, chalk sticks and even face paint sticks!
Isabella uses these everyday and we take them out to restaurants too.
You can use them on so many different surfaces, we have tried mirrors, windows, tin foil, and paper.
They even have a paint station now, which comes with chalks and paint sticks. It folds up flat for storage and has a white board side and a black board side.
They are available to buy from Amazon, Argos and Smyths Toy Store.
RRP from £5.99
Suitable for ages 1 year +
The Field is an Irish made and hand crafted toy of exceptional quality.
It’s great for indoor and outdoor play and has endless opportunities to what children can do with it.
We have made it into a spooky farm and Isabella has played with her dinosaurs in it
I’ve also seen it be used as a center piece at a children’s party!
It’s fantastic for small world play and perfect to develop children’s imaginations and bring out their creativity.
Here are some ideas we are planning to use it for,
Farm, Zoo, Football, Picnic, Tea party, Fairy garden, Dinosaurs, Horse scene and a House for Santa with snow!
RRP £39.99
Available on Amazon.co.uk
Little Scribblers’ Busy Bags are self contained educational activity bags that include reusable and engaging activities that your little one can use at home or out and about. They are ideal for keeping little ones entertained when travelling, at a restaurant or if you need a few moments of calm at home.
We love Little Scribblers activity bags.
They are educational and so much fun.
The packs are the perfect size to take out or for travelling to keep little ones entertained.
Im still amazed at home much learning is packed into one bag.
Developed by a mum with many years of Early Years Childhood and Education experience.
This is the new Christmas activity pack, which makes a perfect gift/stocking filler.
Also these are just amazing to keep little ones busy and entertained over Christmas without using screens!
RRP £4.50
Suitable from ages 3 years+
I really hope you enjoyed our Christmas Gift Guide and that it gives you some ideas.
Some of the items were gifted or I used a discount code to purchase but all views are my own and in my own words.
I would only ever recommend something I would buy myself.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
My Three Little Strawberries
xxx
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