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Introducing the new breed of Hatchimals – Hatchimals Pixies!!
Have you heard of Hatchimals Pixies yet?? Erin has been a massive fan of Hatchimals right from the very beginning, when the first ever self hatching egg toy was released on to the market. Since then, not only has she been a fan of the original Hatchimals, but the mini Hatchimals collEGGtibles, of which there have been a variety of seasons and variations over the years from glitter to colour changing and most recently mermaid themed characters (Mermal Magic)! I have to admit as a parent, I did wonder whether the novelty of these collectible eggs would eventually start to wear off, but it shows no signs of stopping yet!!
This Summer, Spinmaster have added a brand new addition to the Hatchimals range with the release of Hatchimals Pixies – a larger size Hatchimals egg which still hatches like the smaller collectible eggs, but with a larger size pixie / fairy like character inside.
We were sent some Hatchimals Pixies for Erin to put through their paces and here’s how she got on!
What are Hatchimals Pixies?
Hatchimals Pixies are larger size shimmery Hatchimals eggs with collectible dolls inside. There are four different beautiful eggs to chose from, each with a different coloured exterior, and inside you can open to reveal a pixie from Crystal Cannon, Polar Paradise, Wishing Star Waterfall or Glittering Garden. You can see the colour of the egg from the packaging, but for each Hatchtopia location or egg colour, there are two different Pixies you may reveal.
Each of the Hatchimals Pixies have 3 mystery pixie accessories to discover, hidden inside a blind bag.
The Hatchimals Pixies have magical glittery wings that really flutter and shake, poseable heads, colourful sparkly hair and fabulous outfits that are inspired by their Hatchtopia location.
Also inside the Hatchimals Pixies egg, is a small Pixie bed where the Pixie can have a lie down and well earned rest after being played with.
There are EIGHT different Hatchimals Pixies to collect (see collectors sheet below) and more to come, with Wave 2 expected in October!
Hatchimals Pixies are recommended for children ages 5+ and retail at £7.99 each.
How to hatch a Hatchimals Pixie
The Hatchimals Pixie hatches in exactly the same way as the original Hatchimals CollEGGtibles. Simply hold the large egg in the palm of your hand and warm it by gently rubbing until the purple heart turns pink.
Granted Erin found this a little harder than she has found the collEGGtibles, but with a bit of persisitance the heart changed colour and showed that it was ready to hatch. Once the heart has turned pink, you gently press down to crack the shell and discover which Pixie is inside.
Our Experience of Hatchimals Pixies
Erin recently celebrated her 6th birthday, and so we gave her the Hatchimals Pixies as a birthday treat. She was VERY excited when she saw them in the packaging. She hadn’t seen them before, but immediately clocked on to the fact they were like a giant Hatchimal CollEGGtible, and wanted to open them pretty much straight away.
The eggs are pretty solid and sturdy and when you first take out from the packaging you are given a collectors sheet so you can see what Hatchimals Pixies characters are available in the first wave / first season. All the Hatchimals Pixies have their own names like Glittering Gracie and Polar Penelope, and on the collectors sheet you can learn a little more about each fairy like character, including their Pixie Power (their special skill / magical power) such as the ability to grant wishes, their Pixie Faves, and the things that they love. I liked this additional information as it helped Erin get a feel for the personality of her little pixie!
As she’s been known to do with Hatchimals CollEGGtibles, Erin asked for a bit of help to “start her off” with changing the heard from pink to purple, but was then able to finish it off by herself, before poking her thumb through the plastic to reveal which Hatchimals Pixies character was hiding inside.
Once you have cracked the Hatchimals Pixies egg, you can then snap and break off the soft pieces of shell to remove the character, who is standing on her little Pixie bed inside.
Erin loved the little Pixie character she found inside her Hatchimals Pixies egg – she had Glittering GiGi, who has sparkly turquoise hair, big blue eyes and a cute little leaf dress. The wings on the back are made from rubber material that really wobble and ‘flutter’ as you move the Pixie around.
The lower half of the egg is then kept to house the Pixie bed and when the bed is lifted up, a little blind bag is hiding inside, in which there are 3 surprise accessories for the Hatchimals Pixie.
Inside the blind bag Erin had a hair band (which easily slots on to the Hatchimals Pixies’ head with two small holes to secure it in place, and then two other accessories, which can be popped into her hand so she can actually hold them. There is also a small plastic disk which can be used to display or stand your Hatchimals Pixies. There is a definite LOL Surprise doll vibe about the Hatchimals Pixies, particuarly with their glittery hair, and they are similar in size, however unlike LOL dolls, the clothes and heads of the dolls cannot be removed.
From a parents perspective, I loved the fact that the bed can be lifted up out of the base of the egg and the smaller accessories stored inside. Not only did this stop me from finding little pieces of plastic all over my carpet, but also meant that they were less likely to get lost. For those with younger siblings this is also reassuring for parents to know that they couldn’t accidently be picked up by a brother or sister when not being played with.
So whats the verdict?
Erin really liked the Hatchimals Pixies and loved the fact that they were fairy like and had fluttery wings. From my point of view it would be great to see something a bit more interactive about them, for example colour or heat changing dresses. Erin was perfectly happy without these features, however I guess for £7.99 each the finished toy is fairly small for the money. That said, with all of the Hatchimals toys range, the enjoyment is largely about the hatching experience as well as the toy inside.
With 8 Pixie characters and 4 different egg colours, there is of course the chance of getting duplicates, but until you hatch you don’t know which of the two pixies from that location you are going to get. This could make collecting all 8 a little challenging and once hatched, they are a bit less exciting to swap with friends.
Overall I think Hatchimals Pixies are a fun new addition to the Hatchimals range, and no doubt Erin will be keeping an eye out for Wave 2 / Season 2 later in the year.
At 5 years of age, Erin is starting to take more and more of an interest in fashion. Gone are the days where I can dress her however I want to – she now has VERY strong opinions on what she will and will not wear, and like many girls her age, she loves dresses, shoes and accessories, often spending ages rummaging in her wardrobe before appearing with a twirl in an ensemble she has created herself!
When I heard that Spinmaster had created a new range of collectible fashionista dolls with mix and match outfits and accessories, I knew almost immediately that Erin was going to be keen to try them out! Here’s what you need to know.
About Off The Hook Collectible Fashionista Dolls
Off the Hook Dolls are a new range of collectible fashionista dolls from Spinmaster, aimed at children 5 and above. Each doll stands at around 4 inches in height, and comes with a range of different clothes, shoes and accessories which you can mix and match to create over 175 different outfit combinations.
What makes Off The Hook Dolls a little bit different, is that they actually hook together, with all the pieces unhooking apart so that even small hands can quickly and easily swap and change the outfits as required.
There are 6 different doll characters to collect – Jenni, Naia, Vivian, Alexis, Mila and Brooklyn, each with different personalities and styles. There are 6 individual looks per doll to collect, in three different themes which are Summer Vacay, Spring Dance or Concert.
We were sent a selection of Off The Hook Dolls to try out and here’s what Erin thought!
Our Experience of Off The Hook Dolls
The Off The Hook Dolls come in three different pack sizes as follows:
Single Pack – RRP £7.99 – The single Off The Hook pack contains 1 doll (visible from the packaging so you can ensure no duplicates) and one outfit. It also contains two blind bags with hidden accessories inside.
BFF Style Double Packs – RRP £12.99 – These sets contain 2 dolls (again visible from the packaging) and include reuseable plastic bags and pots with mini surprise accessories hidden inside.
As with most 5 year olds, Erin loved the surprise blind bag element of the Off The Hook dolls, opening up them to reveal different accessories like bags, sunglasses and shoes.
She found the “unhooking” element of the Off The Hook dolls really funny, and very quickly got to grips with how to unhook all the pieces including removing the head from the torso, the hair from the head and the torso from the legs. Whilst the concept is a bit Halloween’esque (especially if you find the odd head lying around on the bedroom floor!!) she absolutely loved the ability to change and mix the outfits according to her preference. The only element she struggled with slightly was getting the hair off the heads, as there was a bit of a technique to this. She occasionally needed a bit of help from a grown up.
The Off the Hook dolls’ outfits are bright and colourful and the shoes easily slot on to the legs – one thing to be aware of is that they do shed a little bit of glitter when played with, and that the figures aren’t fully poseable in that they do not bend at the knee. For that reason they can only stand, and depending on which shoes they are wearing, some stand more easily than others!
As with most collectible dolls of this nature, there aim is to try and collect the wide range of outfits, of which there are a LOT! Each set comes with a reference sheet where you can see which ones you still need to get, tick off them as you find them or even set up swapsies with friends.
The addition of the re-useable plastic tubs and bags in the BFF Style Double Off the Hook dolls packs is great, as not only do they still have the excitement of a surprise reveal (lifting off a little paper cover to reveal the accessory inside) but they are great for keeping all the bits and pieces safe and tidy when they are not being used. Having had other collectible dolls before, the smaller parts have often got lost and misplaced, so these are a big plus from a parents point of view!
The final set we were sent was probably Erin’s favourite, The Off The Hook Style Studio, which as a larger set retails at £19.99.
This set comes with a Naia doll, and 3 complete outfits, as well as lots of hidden surprises and a wardrobe style rack / rail for hanging all the outfits so you can sort through them when making your outfit selection! There are 17 pieces in total included in this set, giving Erin lots of options when deciding which combination she wanted Naia to wear.
The wardrobe rail in the Style Studio is fantastic, with the ability to pop the shoes and accessories on one of the three shelves, as well as hang the different torsos and legs when they are not being used. Not all of the torsos fitted on the higher shelf (depending on the angle of the arms) so Erin tended to stick to the bottom rail as she found it easier to use.
Overall, the Off The Hook Dolls have been a huge hit with Erin, and she has gone back to play with these time and time again after we received them for review. The massive range of mix and match options with the outfits means that Erin has yet to get bored, and from a parents point of view its lovely to have some quiet time whilst she sits quite contently doing a little bit of role play with the characters selecting their outfits for the day!
I think the Off The Hook Dolls are great value for money and would make an excellent gift for any child who has an interest in fashion, accessories and collectible toys!
Off The Hook Dolls are available to buy now at Amazon.
*We were sent a range of Off The Hook dolls from Spinmaster in exchange for this honest review. All thoughts and opinions are our own*
Those of you who follow my blog regularly will know that Erin is a huge fan of collectible toys. There is something incredibly appealing to Erin about ripping open packaging, ticking items off a list, and aiming to collect all the items in a set. Now a 5 year old girl, she is also a huge fan of jewellery – beads, bangles, bling and anything that sparkles. When I realised that Twisty Petz, the new collectible range from Spinmaster would enable her to combine her love of both, I was pretty confident they would be a huge hit! They didn’t disappoint!
About Twisty Petz
Twisty Petz are the sparkly new innovation from Spinmaster, and I first came across them at this year’s BlogOn conference, as Spinmaster kindly sneaked one into my goodybag! These loveable bead based collectible pets transform from an adorable animal to a beautiful gem bracelet or accessory – all with a simple twist! With a range of different Twisty Petz available, with over 70 different pets to bring to life, these bracelets come in a range of colours from sparkling rainbow, pastel, gold and pearlesent, and even fuzzy velvet. Connect a few Twisty Petz together, and you can even create a fabulous necklace, or fasten to book bags, rucksacks and travel cases for a cool and recogniseable accessory – perfect to make your children’s items stand out from the crowd! When you want to convert your bracelet back to a pet, Twisty Petz just requires just two simple twists to become a pet again – be it a kitten, a unicorn or a panda. With collectable lists inside each pack, children will want to collect and swap them all!
Our Experience
Erin was very excited about Twisty Petz, and as soon as she saw the packaging she couldn’t wait to crack them open and start playing with them. Unlike other collectibles we have reviewed, Twisty Petz single packs reveal which one you have from the outside of the packaging, meaning there is less of a surprise element, In a way I actually found this a positive, reducing the risk of duplicates by allowing you to hunt in the shop for the ones you might be missing. That said the three packs do have two visible and one covered, so for those who prefer the anticipation of a big reveal, the three packs might be the better way to go.
Twisty Petz come in two different sizes – large and small. They are available as single packs (with one Twisty Pet / Bracelet inside), three packs (with two visible from the packet and one surprise).
The mini Twisty Petz which are much smaller, perfect for backpack accessories and come in a pack of 4 with an additional charm. The smaller pets also come with a gem shaped jewellery box where you can safely stash away the Twisty Petz minis, and there are 24 of these smaller size pets to collect.
The Twisty Petz are very easy to change from bracelet to pet. They come packaged already made up as the pet, and to create the bangle you simple pull or stretch it apart, and it pops open to reveal a straight line of beads, You then curl it round and fasten the end of what was the tail into the top of the animals head, which creates a loop bracelet. The beads are bright and colourful and Erin enjoyed wearing a few at a time stacked up like bangles.
Once you have a few, creating a necklace is also really fun, and Erin enjoyed putting a few together (she could do this herself) to create a long necklace that hung low on her chest. The fun part about this is that they are fully interchangeable so depending on her mood she can create lots of different looks and colours, Erin’s favourite was the fluffy style fuzzy texture, with pastel shades, where as I loved the turtoise design which was a little bit different from the rest.
Each Twisty Petz pack comes with the collectors sheet, so you can tick off the characters as you find them, and as with most collectables some are rare and harder to find where as the majority are classed as common. There are over 70 different pets in Series 1 (which I assumes means that like Hatchimals CollEGGtibles of which we are now on Series 3, there will be more series of Twisty Petz to come at a later date).
Erin needed a bit of assistance at first to recreate the animals, and I would personally say it is very much a case of practice makes perfect. The process is fairly straightforward, simply popping the circle beads into the sides of the largest ball shaped bead and twisting round until the ‘legs’ are created. After playing with the Twisty Petz for a while, Erin soon figured out how to do this herself. Twisty Petz are recommended for ages 4 and above, and I would say a younger 4 year old may struggle, but at 5, Erin was more comfortable doing this on her own. The hardest part is keeping Neve away from them, as although they are incredibly appealing to a nearly 2 year old, they do have small parts if they were to break so we have to keep them out of reach!
Overall, we have been big fans of Twisty Petz, and Erin has gone back to play with these regularly since they arrived (which is always a positive sign!). With a range of characters to collect, Twisty Petz are great for both encouraging creative play (acting out scenes with the characters which Erin does regularly!) as well as helping dexterity and hand / eye coodination skills of changing Twisty Petz from bangle to character and back again. I think the combination of jewellery and collectible is a huge pull for little ones, and as such, these would make a great gift or stocking filler as the dreaded Big C approaches!
Erin has today gone to school with a unicorn Twisty Petz attached to her bookbag (what girl doesnt love a unicorn), and I am confident that she will be wanting to continue collecting and try and find them all!
Twisty Petz are available to purchase from The Entertainer and prices start at £5 for single Twisty Petz and £13 for a pack of three.
Want to win a Twisty Petz Collectible Toy?
We have one Twisty Petz single pack to giveaway (colours and style chosen at random) to one lucky winner! To enter use gleam app below. Please see our Giveaway Terms and Conditions and Privacy statement in relation to this giveaway, by entering you are deamed to have accepted the terms held within. UK entries only – giveaway closes Sunday 22nd July at 11.59pm! Good luck!
*Disclosure – We were sent a selection of Twisty Petz and Twisty Petz mini for the purpose of this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links*
This is a collaborative post and contains press samples and affiliate links
We’re all looking to spend a little less this Christmas, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Rather than buying lots of plastic tat stocking fillers that your family simply do not need, why not opt for a small selection of higher quality products instead – items that they can actually use and enjoy rather than discard and forget about in days.
We’ve rounded up a small selection of Christmas stocking fillers that are sure to go down a treat this December. The best part, all of the items in this guide cost less than £15 each – some even less than £10!
1. Headbands and Hairclips
Let’s face it, you can never have too many pretty hair bands, clips and accessories. If you’re looking for something a little unique this Christmas – go and check out Stych – the one-stop-online accessories shop.
Their team of talented designers produce accessories with the coolest designs and themes including hair clips, headbands, scrunchies, bags and bracelets, all housed in beautiful gift boxes.
With prices starting at just £6, you can pick up some really unique pieces within an affordable price range. I honestly can’t explain how beautiful these products are and fantastic quality too – gifts that will be sure to raise a smile nestled under the tree this Christmas!
My girls have always been fans of the Cry Babies Magic Tears toys, but did you know they now do miniature versions too?
Aimed at children aged 3 years and above, these super cute pocket-sized babies come with five surprises to discover including a baby bottle, a dummy, a hoodie, a suit and a personalised accessory. With eight talent dolls to collect in the range, each character has a special talent, from cooking to dancing and skating. Children will love feeding her water from her bottle and then watching in amazement as she cries actual tears!
3. Orchard Toys Countdown to Christmas Activity Book
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of Orchard Toys in this house, with their fab range of educational and fun mini-games making a regular appearance in our home – especially at Christmas.
What you may not know is that Orchard Toys also have a fab range of activity books including this cute Countdown to Christmas, used as either an advent treat or stocking filler, it comes with 24 fun activities to complete during December, from colouring scenes to stickers.
If you’re buying a stocking filler for an older child who always forgets where they need to be, a diary can make a practical and thoughtful stocking filler. Suitable for Potter fans of all ages, this pocket-sized A6 Wands at the Ready 2023 diary includes magical-themed icons, characters and quotes. With a week-to-view layout, there’s plenty of space to house daily notes and appointments as well as additional note pages, address pages, notable dates, and a year-to-view calendar.
Collectable toys always make a good stocking filler for kids, who love the surprise reveal and peeling back of layers to find what is hidden inside. The small plush Snackles are a big hit in 2023, soft and squeezable plushes that come paired with popular mini brands.
Each of the 11 collectable characters comes with their favourite snack, an origin story comic and stickers. Will you find the Tabasco Dragon or the Hershey’s Bear?
Another collectible that’s seen a huge increase in popularity in 2023 is Ami Amis, which are quite frankly ADORABLE.
These soft and cosy 10cm knit plush toys have 30 unique characters per wave – ideal for collecting, sharing and displaying, Each wave of Ami Amis features a mix of common, rare, and ultra-rare designs, the latter of which comes with a special sticker inside the hangtag!
Craft activities always make fun festive stocking fillers and are a popular choice amongst parents, as they are great at occupying children who normally wake at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning.
This super cute DInosArt kit comes with a 3D dinosaur character as well as a paintbrush and paints, ready for your child to decorate and bring their dino to life. Suitable for children aged three and over, they’re simple and easy to create, even for small hands!
Who doesn’t love finding a blind bag inside their Christmas stocking!? Whether you opt for original Tsum Tsums or the latest limited edition DIsney100 versions, each pack contains some of their favourite Disney characters and accessories. Great to collect and display in their bedrooms, which Disney characters will they discover hiding in theirs?
Bath time might be an essential part of life, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. If you’re looking for gifts that can help banish bath time boredom, these adorable bath bombs from Mini U are sure to go down a treat with youngsters!
Available in a choice of designs including super cute rockets, clouds and mermaids, these adorable bath bombs come to life when placed into the water. Gently place the bath bomb onto the surface of a warm bath to release the colours trapped inside, making fun patterns and fizzing on the surface!
Children will ADORE the surprise rainbow reveal, whilst parents will love their affordable price tags with bath bombs starting at just £3.99!
If you’re sick of seeing crayons, pens and pencils scattered across your home, adding a fun new pencil case to your child’s stocking can be both fun and practical.
They don’t come much cuter than the range from Nebulous Stars. Not only do these soft yet robust pencil cases keep pens upright for easy access, but they also come in a range of brightly coloured and friendly designs – we love the Axolotl pictured below.
Another surprise reveal toy, children will love the wearable and collectible nature of Pinky Promise. Peel open the crown to reveal their two Gemmy Friends character and ring. Each character can attach to and detach from all of the jewellery that comes in Pinky Promise products, allowing children to express their creativity by mixing and matching the characters.
With over 80 different characters to collect and wear, including special, exclusive, and unique ones, which one will your child get in theirs?
You may not have heard of BumBumz yet, but trust me when I say you soon will have. Made by Kellytoys, the makers of Squishmallows, these adorable beanbag plush characters come in a range of themes from fruit and veg RootBumz to RetroBumz and even BreakfastBumz as pictured below. With a diverse range. of designs that are great to cuddle and display, each BumBumz comes with its own ‘most likely to’ statement that reflects its personality, and a fun collectable sticker.
Whoever you’re buying for this Christmas, we hope that the above has given you some much-needed inspiration for fun alternative and budget friendly choices this season!
AD – This post contains press samples and affiliate links
It never ceases to amaze me when I see the requests on the girl’s Christmas lists to Santa each year. Some of their requests I anticipate – others I most definitely don’t! As a parenting blogger, however, I do regularly get insight into some of the latest toy and game trends for boys and girls alike, so with that in mind, here’s my round-up of Christmas gift ideas for boys and girls for 2023. For simplicity, I have categorised them by theme so you can find some that suit every kind of child, whatever their age or personality!
*Please note -this post contains press samples and affiliate links – this means if you go on to purchase a product via one of my links I receive a small commission directly from the retailer at no extra cost to you. This allows me to continue to write content that I hope you find useful – so thank you*
For baby’s first Christmas
Just because babies are tiny and don’t fully understand what’s going on at Christmas, doesn’t mean they have to miss out on all the festivities and fun. A great gift for newborns, these GOTS-certified Dream Blankets from Aden and Anais are made from four layers of organic cotton muslin and measure a significant 120cm square. Cosy, comfortable and fully machine washable, they can be used for everything from sleepy cuddles to play time and tummy time, making a stylish and practical addition to a baby’s nursery. While there are six different colours and designs to choose from, we absolutely ADORE this striking and unique Oceanic design.
After a day full of cuddles, ripping wrapping paper and potentially their first taste of an epic Christmas dinner, your little one will be ready for a cosy and comfortable night’s sleep. It’s traditional for toddlers to get new PJs for Christmas, so why not treat your baby to a new sleeping bag too?
Designed to keep your baby cosy in the colder winter months, these 2.5 TOG sleeping bags are made from soft and insulating cotton and bamboo fabric, with a front opening concealed zip for stress-free nocturnal nappy changes. With a choice of pink blush or ribbed blue, they are available in two sizes – 6-24 months for babies or a larger 2-4 years – helping you create a familiar sleeping environment for toddlers too.
If you’re looking for an affordable yet fun toy for babies aged 10 months or above, this super cute Turbo Turtle from Hape could be just the ticket.
A teether and activity toy combined, your little one will love grabbing the soft textured handle and taking this friendly turtle for a spin round the living room. The pattern on the wheels is captivating as they spin, while the textured handle an work wonders on those achey gums.
If your baby shows the first signs of those pearly whites making an apperance, drooling and teething pain can leave them feeling a little fractious over the festive season. Treating them to a natural teacher such as this super cute Albert Bear Natural Rubber Teether is a great way to soothe their gums. at the same time, becoming a cute companion to comfort and reassure.
Suitable from birth, this 100% natural rubber teether is sustainably made, textured and has perfectly sized handles for your baby to grip and ensure control. There’s also no holes for bacteria to hide, thanks to the one piece design – great for peace of mind!
Treating them to their first ever Christmas dinner but don’t want to ruin their cute festive outfit? If your baby has a tendency to get more food on them or around them than actually in their mouths, these waterproof cape sleeved bibs are a great solution. Easy to get on and off (even on the wriggliest of babies) with a crumb tray to catch any discarded food during dinner, they give parents one less thing to worry about (and clean up) after a festive family dinner.
The perfect PJs for lounging around in between Christmas and New Year, these super soft Snoozy Pyjamas are made from breathable organic cotton and bamboo blend, for a cosy but breathable night’s sleep. We love the stretchy elasticated waistband to ensure a comfortable fit, while little ones will love the friendly character on the chest.
If you’re looking for an outdoor toy for an active child or a scooter for a child who is keen to start mastering some stunts, the Rampage R1 2023 Stunt Scooter makes an excellent choice. It comes in a choice of two colourways, with gusseted Y bars, a high tensile fork, IHC compression, and large 110mm super high rebounding wheels, making it ideal for riding to the park or heading to the local skatepark with friends. A comfortable (and cool!) ride for riders of all ages between 7 and 12 years.
You can check out the full range of Neochrome Stunt Scooters available for all ages at SkateHut now.
If your kids love heading out into the great outdoors but still like to look stylish in winter, the range of beautiful Chelsea boots at Start-Rite will be right up their street. With a French Navy Patent design, they are great for teaming up with dresses, tunics and leggings for a modern twist on the traditional winter boot. We love the brightly coloured check elasticated side panels and the simple zip to the one side, which make these boots quick and easy for your child to slip on without assistance.
With a sturdy rubber sole and leather linings to absorb moisture, their feet will be kept dry and comfortable, wherever their adventures may take them.
If your child is starting to outgrow toys or you’re trying to avoid gifts that are all focused around screen time, experiences can be a great alternative, allowing you to spend quality time with your tween or teen whilst experiencing new things together.
Buyagift has a huge range of gift experiences, the majority of which come with 24-month expiry dates and the option to exchange, so whatever you choose, you can be sure they’ll be able to find an experience that they can take at a time and place that works for them.
We love the idea of this Harry Potter bus tour – a great way to explore the city and tick off some of the iconic Potter locations. From a hawk flying experience to meeting exotic animals, zoo experiences, llama walks, grooming ponies or even meeting meerkats, there are loads of unique animal experiences to choose from all across the UK.
With experiences available for either one or two people and for both adults and children, this voucher makes the perfect gift for any animal lover…including yourself!
Puzzles are a great way to spend time together with your children over the festive period and are great for mindfulness and calming the mind too!
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of The Story Orchestra, having collected all of the beautifully illustrated books over the last few years. This Christmas, you can also get the stunning Nutcracker Story in a musical puzzle format. This 48-piece puzzle features striking illustrations from the story – including the special gift Clara receives from her uncle on Christmas Eve, the wooden nutcracker soldier, to the toy’s transformation into a prince who takes Clara on a tour of his kingdom, the Land of Sweets.
With four special sound effect pieces, once the jigsaw is complete, children can press to enjoy ten-second sound bites from Tchaikovsky’s original score. A beautiful gift to cherish and enjoy this Christmas.
If you are looking for a Christmas Advent calendar or like to count down with anticipation to Christmas Day with your children, this lift-the-flap puzzle Cat Family Christmas is a beautiful gift that the whole family can enjoy together. With 76 pieces, the Cat Family’s adorable Christmas scene comes to life including twelve little flaps to lift and reveal surprises each day until Christmas Eve.
We LOVE playing board games in this house – especially at Christmas. Anything that encourages the kids to get off their screens and get the whole family involved and spending time together is a real positive, so we are always looking for fun games to add to our collection. Here are some new games you might not have played before.
We’re MASSIVE fans of Orchard Toys games, with their Christmas Eve box being bought out year after year (even now the girls are older than the recommended age). This year Orchard Toys have added a new Christmas mini-game to their collection – Elf Lotto. Suitable for two to four players aged 3-6 years (but suitable for the whole family to play together), this fun lotto game involves memory and matching skills as player attempt to fill their game board with a variety of cheeky elves. Coming in a small yet perfectly formed little box, it makes a great stocking filler too.
Never did I ever think I would write the words Hurry Up Chicken Butt in a blog post, but thanks to this game from Exploding Kittens – here we are. This fast-paced, high-energy game for two to four players can be played with anyone 4 years and above (or possibly younger if you can explain the instructions). The best part about this hot potato game – it gets everyone up and off the sofa, acting out animals, jumping, and making LOTS of animal noises as they pass the chicken around the players. Speed is of the essence here, so expect lots of fun and hysterical laughter as the timer starts to run down!
Most tweens will be familiar with Roblox and LEGO – so a block world will be fairly familiar to them, but have they ever tried to make models using blocks, or guess what other people’s block creations may be?
This creative building part game BLOCK PARTY does just that – quite challenging, and as such aimed at children aged eight and above, this guessing game involves pictionary style creation of the item on their card, using tiny little blocks that are stacked, displayed and layers to build a 3D block design. Can you guess your opponent’s creation before the timer runs out (or will your building skills leave everyone scratching their heads in confusion!)
The hit BBC show Traitors was one of our favourite programmes last year and as such, the Traitors Card Game based on the series is sure to be a popular pick for tweens and teens this Christmas. Players are randomly assigned the title of Traitor or Faithful at the beginning of the game, and the Faithfuls must work together to discover the Traitors’ identity and vote them out. The Traitor on the other hand must try to deceive the other players of their innocence to win the game.
With digital events (on your phone or tablet) to mix things up and keep players on their toes, this Ginger Fox game is a great after-dinner activity that can be played with the whole family (up to eight players) at a time.
Fidget toys have grown hugely in popularity over recent years and the craze is showing no sign of going anywhere yet. This Christmas has seen the release of Quick Pops – a high-energy handheld game and tactile fidget in one. With four fun game modes, including memory and even multi-player options, Quick Pops will keep kids entertained for hours – ideal if you’re travelling to visit family during the festive season.
We love the scoring mode, with 30 different levels to try and master – and it’s challenging so your kids will need to show resilience and determination! With interactive lights and sounds, they must push and pop the buttons in order and quickly, testing their memory and reflexes as they try and outwit the game.
Imagination toys always go down well with my girls at Christmas. The festive period can be a bit overwhelming, so toys and gifts that allow them to sit down, get artistic and use their creative flair are always well received.
Washimals have always been a big hit with Neve – who loves getting creative before washing the characters and starting all over again. This adorable Ocean Pets sea creatures set includes four cute characters that can be decorated using the six special Washimals pens included. Not only can children create fun designs and patterns, but the designs actually glow in the dark too – great for displaying with pride in their bedroom. When they want to mix things up, simply wash off the design using the working shower included to remove the pen and leave to dry.
We only recently discovered the world of Wixels, but this creative twist on pixel art is incredibly clever and lots of fun to do.
Simply moisten the board with a damp cloth and choose from one of eight fun animal designs. Place it on top of the board to use as a template and use the markers to spot colour each pixel for use as a visual guide. Then remove the template and simply saturate each pixel with the correct coloured marker, watching as the image comes to life before their eyes.
Educational AND fun, this creative set encourages patience, persistence and concentration, with finished designs that can be displayed or washed to reuse.
All kids love slime right but if the thought of making your own breaks you out into a cold sweat, this So Slime DIY kit will be right up your street,
it may look like a miniature KitchenAid, but this fab mixer allows children to add colours, combine colours and add decorations such as sprinkles and sparkles to create their very own unique and marbled slime. Simply twist and mix to bring their slime to life, with eight different recipe cards for inspiration. There are ten bags of slime to create, making this budget friendly set great fun for siblings to share.
If ever there was a toy that was educational while still being INCREDIBLY good fun, Geomag would be it. These powerful magnetic rods make construction and creativity pretty much limitless, with the ability to create a whole host of fun designs such as towers, houses and pyramids by simply connecting the pieces together. This glitter collection adds a bit of extra sparkle to their creations, before packing the pieces away into the three indluded storage boxes.
Does your little one always like to write about their adventures or keep their secrets away from prying little sisters? As a Mum of two girls, I can certainly relate to the latter.
The VTech Secret Safe Diary is a great way to encourage self-expression, creativity, journalling, photography and more. This fun lockable journal can be personalised to their preferences – from writing diary entries to recording voice notes and even saving pictures with fun filters and effects, this unique diary will only pop open with face recognition, with a number password for extra security.
If you’re planning to travel over the festive period, one of our absolute favourite gifts and one we will never stop actively recommending is the Yoto Player or Yoto Mini – fun, interactive and portable audio players for kids. With a huge range of Yoto cards to choose from, children can listen to classic stories, new release fiction or even meditations and relaxing bedtime sounds. You can even record your own voice onto a card for a unique bedtime story or check out the Yoto free daily podcast and child-friendly radio station.
Easy to operate (even for small hands) – you can be safe in the knowledge that your child is listening to age-appropriate content (whilst potentially learning a thing or two as well!) with no ads, camera or microphone.
If you’re more team Tonie than Yoto (or have younger children or preschoolers), Tonies have a huge range of characters that are ideal for the festive period. From their new Little Reindeer’s Christmas Wish advent Tonie, with a new story to listen to every day during December, to their Elf on the Shelf Tonie full of stories, songs, games, jokes or the reimagined Christmas songs and carols penguin. The festive designs are currently sold out but we’re expecting them back in stock very soon!
If you’re buying for a gamer or child who is obsessed with their Nintendo Switch or is hoping to get a new games console from Father Christmas, some great new games have been released in recent months that they will love to add to their collection.
All the games featured are available on a variety of consoles including Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox.
DC Justice League: Cosmic Chaos
Recommended for children aged 7 and above, children will love taking on the role of Happy Harbor’s hero and embarking on missions, exploring secret locations and battling villains with iconic super hero moves including Superman’s Heat Vision, Wonder Woman’s Truth’s Pull and Batman’s exploding Batarangs.
Rainbow High Runway Rise
Rinbow High fans will love this role play game, taking on the role of Ruby, Poppy, Sunny, Jade, Skyler, and Violet, From exploring the school and Rainbow Union, you need ti find clues to sovle puzzles, collect rainbow diamonds and unlock the very coolest outfits for your characters!
The Grinch: Christmas Adventures
A great adventure to play over the Christmas period – Take on the role of the Grinch and his faithful pup Max, solviing puzzles, throwing snowballs and using a candy cane lasoo – can you make the Grinches heart grow by three sizes and save Christmas once and for all?
My girls both love beautiful hair accessories and if you’re looking for something a little unique this Christmas – go and check out Stych – the one-stop-online accessories shop.
Their team of talented designers produce accessories with the coolest designs and themes including hair clips, headbands, scrunchies, bags and bracelets, all housed in beautiful gift boxes.
With prices starting at just £6, you can pick up some really unique pieces within an affordable price range. I honestly can’t explain how beautiful these products are in the flesh and fantastic quality too – gifts that will be sure to raise a smile nestled under the tree or in their stocking this Christmas!
Us grown-ups may think they have far too many soft toys already, but children just can’t get enough of the soft and cuddly squishy toys – so you can always expect one to make an appearance on their Christmas wish list.
Here are some unique picks for 2023.
From the makers of Squishmallows, Jazwares, Bum Bumz are the latest craze that will soon be at the top of your tween or even teen’s wish list. With the cute themes, and soft and squishy textures we’re used to from Squishmallows, these small weighted characters look absolutely adorable on a bookshelf or as a cute room accessory. Best of all, each Bum Bumz character has their own name and ‘most likely to’ label with sticker. They’ll love collecting them all, and learning more about each character’s unique personality.
This year collectible’s QUEEN LOL Surprise! have some amazing new collections that are sure to be a big hit with fans of the brand.
Firstr up is the LOL Surprise! Mega Ball Magic – a huge pack with 60+ surprises to reveal by smashing, squishing, crushing or even poping the balls into water like a bath bomb. Really tactile and engagnig, children will love this exciting unboxing adventure with lots of fun outfits and accessories to reveal.
The LOL Surprise! Magic Flyers have been a huge hit with my daughters – with some really impressive flying that left me actually a bit gobsmacked. Simply turn it on and tpa the ball to see it light up. Tap again and it starts to quiver and shake, tao a third time and the final shakes open up the ball to reveal your character inside. Step back and watch as she literally sours into the air, spinning and circling for quite some time before catching her in your hands. Quite robust and able to withstand a fair few eventful flights – this gift brings back major nostaligc vibes too!
No, you haven’t reverted back to the 1990s, Tamagotchi’s are back, and the virtual pets are now cuter and more interactive than ever! Kids will love raising their Tamagotchi from egg to child to Adult, including feeding it, playing with it, giving it medicine, helpng it use the bathroom and keeping him fit and healthy. An important lesson in empathy and caring for others! We love the huge range of colour schemes and designs, with a little keychain so you can take him with you everywhere you go!
Obsessed with Kitties? Then they’ll love the Smitten Kittens! Crack open the case to reveal their kitty, along with five surprises including stickers, a squishy kitten litter compound and a milk bottle for feeding. Each super soft plush kitty makes 10 realistic sounds including an incredibly lifelike purr and with eight adorable plush kittens to reveal, will they be lucky enough to find the super rare Rainbow Kitty?
If your planning to gift your child a Yoto Player or Tonie box this Christmas, you may alsoi be considering teaming it up with some high quality headphones. While most ear buds aren’t suitable for children, the myFirst CareBuds are specifically designed for children from 4-13 years old with a maximum volume of 85db. They also come with a selection of diffferenet sized eartips, ensuring a comfortable fit for kids of all ages.
As if that’s not all, these intelligent CareBuds also hav a unique function that switches them to ‘transparency’ mode when they are moving. This helps keep kids safe by ensuring they can still hear their surroundings (such as traffic and other pedestrians) when listening to their music on the go.
So there we have it! From board games to books, plushies to hair clips, we really have all bases covered. I hope you’ve got some inspiration for the children on your list this Christmas!
*Disclaimer – this guide contains products which I have either reviewed or been sent press samples, however as always all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links*
Hi, I’m Lucy, a thirty something mum of two from Birmingham. A memory maker, tradition keeper, stationery addict and Mr Men fanatic. HR Advisor by day and sleep deprived Mama by night!
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Introducing Twisty Petz
