Ho, ho ho.. the pandemic and upcoming lockdown cannot put a dampener on our festivities. And even if it ends up that we can’t see all of our lovely friends and family come 25th December, we’re confident that Father Christmas will still be able to do a ‘socially distanced’ stocking and present drop. In fact, we hear he’s been isolating along with his elves and getting ready for the big day for a while now.
With this in mind, here’s my list of some of the top gifts for kids this year. All these toys were #gifted to us to try out, but rest assured the reviews are all fair and 100% honest.
This has got to be one of the must have gifts this year for children aged four and over especially if we’re all still in lockdown come Christmas and getting out for walks is all we can do. We got ours from Skates.co.uk. The JD Bug Scooter is a foldable scooter and is considered one of the safest and lightweight kids foldable scooters in the UK. It comes with an extra safe folding mechanism and a carry strap for easy transport (helpful given it will likely be me carrying it!)
The makers of the JD Bug explain “the adjustable handle bar height with soft, foam grips and new larger grip tape which covers more of the footplate for a secure, firm, footing makes this product versatile enough to be used by both children and adults alike.” Hmm maybe I should give it a go too…
We got ours in purple and, not only is it pretty snazzy and very fun, it also looks so well made and feels really secure. It also comes with a load of cool stickers too which children can stick all over the frame. That will kill another 10 minutes at least in lockdown!
If you want to get your hands on The JD Bug, then ask Santa to head over to Skates.
The scooters RRP at £54.95
Dantoy – I’m green range
For all those eco conscious parents, you have to check out Dantoy. They have launched a brand-new “I’m Green” line of bioplastic products. We got our hands on their 22 piece pretend play dinner set which can be used for play kitchens both indoors and out.
Not only does this amazing plastic free play set encourage make believe play, but it also encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun. And it makes mum feel slightly better too knowing she is not buying yet another plastic gift.
I really like this brand. They are from Denmark and want people to buy less, buy well, embrace toys, and look after the environment. Brand after my own heart for sure. And if that’s not enough, all Dantoy’s packaging is made from recycled cardboard. Their toys are made to last and are approved for contact with foods, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, frost-proof and contain zero toxins.
If you want to get your hands on The Dantoy pretend play dinner set, then ask Santa to head over to Amazon: The 22 piece set RRPs at £19.40
It’s Your Story personalised books
My daughter simply loves reading stories at bedtime, especially ones all about her, so this seemed like the most perfect gift to get her. These photo-personalised books make wonderful Christmas gifts and great keepsakes too.
We got the “Where’s Amelia’ book and to say the story is cute is an understatement. I loved reading this with her and it definitely made the magic of the festive season come alive.
If you want to get your hands on the full range of books, then send Santa some photos of your little one online and ask him to head over to It’s Your Story.
These books RRP at around £20.00 and they are very simple to create online.
The LiTTLEDUG Workstation by BiGDUG
This has got to be one of my favourite gifts for 2020 for toddlers. Due to popular demand BiGDUG have launched a children’s version of their famous workbench, The LiTTLEDUG Workstation!
Inspired by BiGDUG’s BiG400 Heavy Duty Workstation, the LiTTLEDUG Workstation is this year’s must-have Christmas present for engineers and DIY gurus of the future, who want to help out Mum & Dad with odd jobs around the home. Given we are all DIY crazy right now due to the pandemic, this feels like a perfect gift.
This is a bargain at only £19.99 and so much fun. The workstation comes with a mini tool set, including a spanner, socket spanner, hammer, screwdriver, pliers and vice.
If you want to get your hands on theLiTTLEDUG Workstation then get Santa’s elves to check out: BiGDUG
This gift RRPs at 19.99 and comes with free delivery.
Stocking filler fun with HARIBO Starmix Tube
Now who doesn’t have a sweet tooth? These HARIBO Starmix Tubes are perfect stocking fillers for all the family – not just the kiddies.
Featuring the same merry mix of iconic pieces that we all know and love, new for 2020 is the HARIBO Starmix Tube. It’s the perfect stocking size and absolutely delicious (ssshh don’t tell anyone that I’ve already tried them just to make sure they taste ok..!)
If you want to add these sweet treats to your stockings, then ask Santa to head to: Haribo and grab a tube or three. The Starmix Tube has a RRP of £1.
Another lovely little stocking filler are these cute kids t-shirts from tentree. These tees range in sizes from 1 to 5 year olds and are just adorable. This top is from tentree’s limited-edition kids collection and are so soft to touch. You could also match with your mini and get one for yourself too. Or pick up one of their hoodies, which also look awesome.
What I love about this brand is that tentree is committed to sourcing the most eco-friendly materials possible. They use organic cotton and recycled polyester (i.e. taking discarded bottles from landfill to make the clothing). I just love everything about this concept, and I’ll definitely have to have a browse around the adults section too.
If you want to feel that lovely ethical cuddle of a Future Planter T shirt then take a look here. The tees RRP at 19.95 and range in sizes from 1-5 year olds.
If those nursery walls are feeling a little bare, then you need to check out Ink and Drop to fill them up with some awesome prints.
We got three lovely prints; the vintage style dinosaur chart, the safari Animals chart and the sea creatures chart.
All of these vintage charts are really pretty and look great framed, but what I like best about them is that they are also educational. Amelia adores (like all toddlers do I’m sure) animals and dinosaurs, so these were great choices for her.
Framing these prints needn’t be expensive either and I’ve found you can pick up some really cheap (but nice) frames from B&Q and Asda recently. Both of which are staying open during the next lockdown I’m told.
If you want to place these lovely prints on your nursery or playroom wall, then take a look at their website here.
The prints range from £13.00 to £75.00 depending on how big you go.
Goemag magnetic construction set
This 42 Piece Eco Classic Colour set from Geomag is just awesome fun for all ages. I have found myself really enjoying playing with this – it’s slightly addictive seeing what you can make and how stylish you can go with a structure. I have tried magnetic building sets before, but never had so many pieces as we do in this one. It means you really can make some great things (from rockets, to houses, to farm yards).
Plus, this magnetic construction set is environmentally friendly too. It’s all made from recycled plastic and using eco-friendly manufacturing methods. Bonus! This set has 42 pieces inside, which all come in amazing bright colours. There is a mix of rods, side pieces and magnetic balls too.
If you want to get your hands on the Geomag set, ask Father Christmas to have a look at the Entertainer online here.
The set RRPs at £27.00, but remember, these are for ages 3 and over due to the little pieces.
A perfect gift for long lockdown wintery days. Peppa’s Grow and Play is so much fun for kids of all ages.
Play and Grow cress with Peppa, pea shoots with George, basil with Rebecca and red amaranth with Suzy. Then harvest the plants and enjoy in sandwiches, salads, pack lunches and other recipes. This was the MadeForMums Top 100 Xmas Toyand you can see why.Simple wholesome fun.
If you want to grow your own cress, then take a look at Smyths Toys John Lewis AmazonUK HobbyCraft and other toy retailers. This RRPs at £9.99 and is for age four upwards.
If you have a creative little one, then the Fuzzikins Ice Cream Van Bag must not be missed. Kids can get creative by colouring in the cute flocked characters and accessories. And the best thing; well they can then rinse them with water and can then colour them again and again. I love any kind of painting that doesn’t create loads of waste so this is just perfect for our household. And Amelia just adores washing her toys so I really think this will be a winner this Christmas for her.
To get these little Fuzzikins characters, ask Santa to head over to Hobbycraft or AmazonUK for these. They RRP at £14.99 and are for ages four upwards.
Personalised gifts for children by Nells Archdale
Now I just had to add this one in at the end, as these are truly stunning gift ideas for little ones.
Nells Archdale has a creative background from the London College of Fashion and has recently started (as a result of lockdown) creating bespoke and personalised gifts for children, from paintings to personalised hair bushes. All her art is calligraphy and illustration based and 100% bespoke to your requirements.
Full disclosure here; Nell is actually Amelia’s godmother and recently created this stunning painting for Amelia’s third birthday. She really is very talented (and as a mum of two herself) she knows what kids (and house /style conscious mummies) want.
To take a look at what Nells has created so far, you can find her on Instagram here.
All her products are 100% bespoke and therefore range in cost.
So there you have it.. a list of some of the top gifts out there this year if you want something a little different. All of the above gifts can be ordered online so hopefully shouldn’t cause too much stress with this next lockdown coming into force. Happy shopping and stay safe.
PitterPatterPither 