Gift Guide 2019 – Great gifts for kids who are not yours

Kids are way harder to buy for than adults and that is because most of the toys available now are so expensive. Buying a gift for a niece or nephew or your mate’s kid might seem like a nice gesture but it can get pretty pricey.  In this post I am going to show you some of my top picks and why I included them. I have split them by age to help you find inspiration in the right place.

Baby and Toddler

There is only one thing any child this age needs and that is clothes. Buy in a size above what they are now and the parents will love you for it. These great baby all in ones are from BONDS baby, an Australian brand and they available from Zalando.co.uk They have lots of funky designs and are available in different thicknesses so you can get some nice winter ones too.

Preschool

This is an awkward age but sticking to the classics can really help here. This Hape 2 in 1 Kitchen and Grill set is not cheap but it is amazing quality and packs away easily which the parents will love you for. The Chicco Rocket Crossover car is a great first RC car that is easy to use and will be loved by even the smallest grease monkey. Playbrush is one of those presents that will win you brownie points with the parent so don’t expect too much joy on the child’s face when they realise you gave them something that means they brush their teeth longer. They will, however, thank you once they have had a go with the app. Lastly for this category, Squishimals, if in doubt on what to get for a present for a child always opt for a soft toy. Squishimals are squeezy plush animals that smell delicious, feel amazing to squeeze and look pretty cute as well.

5 to 8 years

These are the inquisitive years before they get lazy. Nurture this side of them with a variety of items that get them being creative or using their various skills. Blo pens rainbow is great for making beautiful Christmas cards whereas Orangutwang is a brilliant family game you can all play together. The Discovery Digital Walkie Talkies are easy to use and can be played with from 4 years plus which makes them great starter walkie talkies. Virus is a fast-paced card game where you want to cure yourself of disease whilst killing off the other players by spreading the virus. It will get competitive but is simple to play so easy for younger players to pick up the rules.

10 years plus

If the kids are not demanding iPhones and tablet computers then you might be on to a winner. This category of kids has to be the hardest because they are so hard to please. Sadly for me, both of my girls now fall into this category which is why I let one of them choose the items for this part. Specdrums from Sphero helps combine their love of technology with something creative and a little bit challenging. You see Specdrums plays music by being placed against different colours. You can use sounds that are in the app or create your own which is lots of fun. Next up is the science mad Chemistry Set. Now my Alison loves this set, it uses real chemicals and comes with a little burner and beakers. Basically it is a great introduction to chemistry before they go to high school. Just make sure they are supervised and understand that for some experiments you will need to buy additional ingredients from the supermarket.

So there you go some great gifts for pain in the bum kids. I hope I have helped to give you some inspiration and good luck. Buying for kids is a minefield so I would always ask the parents if there is something, in particular, you could get instead.