The ULTIMATE Christmas Wishlist for Kids
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 (Full-sized skydancer anyone??) 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 2024. 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 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.
For toasty toddlers
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.
For classic Christmas attire…
If your kids love to dress up and look stylish at Christmas, the range of beautiful Chelsea boots at Start-Rite will be right up their street. With a black 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 gold 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.
For some quality time together
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 spend 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 players 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.
Squishmallows Take 4 is a fun and fast-paced card game makes a great gift for Squishmallow fans. With familiar characters like Leonard, Malcolm, Winston and Michaela, children must race to collect four cards from the same squad (e.g. Classic, Fantasy) before grabbing the exclusive Benny the Bigfoot toy to claim their victory.
Suitable for 2-4 players with a recommended age of 8+, the hardest part will be making sure Benny gets popped back into the box when the game is complete!
Can you think on your feet? This fast-paced, high-energy board game is great fun for the whole family to play together – and sure to result in lots of laughter along the way.
The rules are very simple – to progress along the board you must name 3 things from a category specified on a card in 5 seconds flat. Sounds simple right? With a fun twisted timer to add to the pressure, what actually results are some ridiculous answers blurted out in a fit of panic – and if you aren’t able to do it, you risk your opponents snatching the points!
The hit BBC show Traitors was one of our favourite programmes AGAIN 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.
For creative kids
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.
If your child loves getting creative, they’ll love this twist on a classic 80s toy from Spirograph. Using the large frame with slots for paper, this set comes with everything you need to get arty – including 40 sheets of paper, six spirograph wheels and two unique stencil sets, helping children create a range of unique mandala designs to colour and personalise.
The images literally couldn’t be easier to make – simply pick your pens and rotate the wheel in the frame and watch as the design comes to life!
Completely paperless and mess-free – the Spirograph Doodle Pad is a great way to entertain children during travel, waiting areas or in restaurants. With a digital light-up screen, a double-sided stylus and four stencil wheels, children aged 8+ can create endless multicolour designs.
If they want to keep and display their creations, simply lock the screen to avoid accidental erasing. When their ready to start again, press the reset button and return to a blank canvas! We love how everything can be stashed away neatly inside when not in use!
Fidl Bitz foam building cubes are great for open-ended play, with a unique design that sticks together without being sticky – who knew?
There are two different colour schemes available and these will be allocated at random. They’re great fun to stack, build, shape and squish and listen to them crackle for the ultimate ASMR experience!
The Hey Clay modelling sets were a huge hit with my girls. Each kit contains a rainbow assortment of super-soft air-drying clay, combined with free access to the Hey Clay app. Children aged 3 and above can make a range of cute unicorn characters, following the engaging step-by-step guides to bring their creations to life. Once dry, (in approximately 24 hours) these cute characters are great fun to play with too.
If ever there was a toy that was educational while still being loads of fun, Connetix would be it. These powerful magnetic tiles 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. Tipped to be a top pick for Christmas 2024, you can see our full Connetix Review here.
Neve has become somewhat OBSESSED with Sticki Rolls this year, so if you’re seeking an affordable treat that can keep them entertained for hour,s this Sticki Rolls Sticki Book could be just the ticket. WIth 120 stickers inside, these wearable (and shareable) sticker braclets are not only fun to wear, each bead comes with tonnes of peel of stickers that can be used to decorate their scrap book.
If your kids are starting to ask for lip gloss, this Yummiland Lipgloss Truck takes things one step further – allowing them to make and create their very own. Great for imaginative play in its own right, each truck contains two Num Nom characters as well as everything kids need to mix and scoop their own lip glosses. We love the beautiful scents of birthday cake and chocolate!
If your child that loves drawing, sketching or simply putting pen to paper, gifts from Stabilo will always be well received. Affordable and fun, they make a great addition to their pencil cases for school work and fun. We love this pack of eight pastel highlighters, adding a bit of. colour to even the most boring of assignments. If your kids are always forgetting to put the lids back on – fear not. These pens can have the lid left off for up to four hours without them starting to dry out. Phew.
For more detailed pieces, these Stabilo fineliners come in eight rainbow shades in beautiful spring tones. Each pen writes with a fine 0.4mm line – ideal for fine writing, drawing and sketching. Best of all they don’t smudge – even for left handers!
If your kids are forever nabbing your phone to use the camera, they’ll go crazy for the VTech KidiZoom PrintCam which includes a built-in thermal printer. Not only can they snap pics of their favourite moments with friends and family, but they can print them instantly, great for scrapbooking, journalling or displaying in their bedrooms! Even better, they can add fun photo effects, stamps and borders, as well as panoramic prints and even create full comic strips!
For the active kids
If you’re kids simply can’t keep still – they’ll love the new active Hyper Dash Game. Simply set up your course of 5 dash targets and tag any target with the electronic dash tagger to start racing, then follow the voice and light commands of the dash tagger in sequence. The quickest player wins!
Kids will love the three different play modes. as well as Team Dash – where four different teams can compete in the ultimate relay race.
For those bedtime magical moments:
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. Check out our pick of the best Christmas yoto cards to go with it.
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!
For the gamers
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.
Barbie Project Friendship
Can Barbies work together to save a beloved Malibu landmark, the Malibu Waves Community Center? Players are challenged to transform six fabulous spaces including a Pet Salon, Campsite and Tech Lab, and more, comlpeting fun quests, unlocking exciting minigames, and earning valuable community points to give outfits and spaces a stylish upgrade!
Transformers: Galactic Trials
This game is the perfect combination of racing and combat – Evil NEMESIS PRIME has stolen the Prime Relics, which bestow incredible powers on whoever possesses them. Now, the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS must race to recover the relics and save Cybertron. With iconic characters like Bumblebee, Megatron and of course Optimus Prime, kids will love unlocking new skills, characters and skins,
Matchbox Driving Adventures
If your child is obsessed with Matchbox cars, they’ll love this Switch game, suitable for kids aged 3 years and above. Play in adventure or competition mode, exploring six epic locations including the City Centre, Beach, Mountains, Arctic, Jungle, and Volcano. Kids will love unlocking new vehicles and upgrading them with slick paint jobs, as well as tackling real-world scenarios like extinguishing fires, making deliveries and even airport drop-offs!
For the ones with pretty hair
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!
For those who love a cuddle
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 2024.
There’s been a huge rise in emotional support toys in recent years, which are not only super cute but serve as a great reminder to believe in yourself. While many are crochet, we love the plush versions from Relatable, the makers of What do you Meme?. The emotional support fries plush comes with a red pouch featuring five removable fries, each of which has their own adorable expression. We love that each one can be removed individually for sharing – a great way to brighten someone’s mood!
If your kids struggle to sleep, these Hug-A-Lump weighted plush teddies could make the perfect gift. Each Hug-A-Lump weighs 1.5kg (approximately 3.3 pounds) and has an instant calming effect. With 8 characters to choose from, you can pick between a cute cross, cat, or even a goose for their new bedtime companion!
The Snackles plush toys proved a huge hit with tweens last year, and this year Snackles are back with a second series! Each super soft Snackle character sits at 35cm high, is made from the squishiest plush and comes with its favourite licensed snack. There are ten new characters to collect, each with their own unique personality – read their bio on their tag to learn more!
For the collectibles fan
If your kids love collectables, they’ll love the exciting peel and reveal of these Mini Brands capsules. With five surprise toys inside, there are over 70 miniatures to collect from Marvel to Pixar, Mickey and Friends and Disney Princesses – who will they find in theirs? If they’re lucky- there’s even a super rare gold miniature to unbox and display!
The miniature theme doesn’t stop there – the Mini Verse range has become fairly iconic over the last 12 months, with huge followings amongst influencers that has made these a must have collectible for 2024! From the Mini Verse Food range where you can make tiny replicas of real life dishes, to Make It Mini Spa – DIY spa products that REALLY work! As massive fans of Harry Potter, my girls are obsessed with the Mini Verse Potions – which are great to display and collect.
You might think you know everything there is to know about LOL Surprise! but you’d be wrong, there are LOADS of new additions to the LOL Range which kids will be excited to get their hands on this Winter. We love the new Hair Beads collection. There are eight styles to collect, each of which comes with over 60 beads to create unique and iconic hairstyles.
If mermaids are more their vibe, they’ll love the LOL Mermaids collection, each of which comes with its own fishbowl and colour change tail!
For interactive play
Toy dinosaurs can be expensive, but this Zuru Smashers Dino offers excellent value for money! Each T-Rex Battles Playset can be unboxed to reveal two battling dinosaurs, each with firing powers. There are more than 20 suprises hidden inside, which kids can dig, and excavate to contruct their very own smash-o-saur. WIth four dinos to collect as well as mini eggs and mini characters to collect, this is a dino treat that can entertain your kids for hours!
Tipped to be one of the top toys for Christmas 2024, this interactive Pets Alive Mama Duck & Baby Surprise toy recently won an important accolade from Dream Toys! An interactive, surprise experience, kids can open the egg to reveal two, three or even four baby ducklings, with the number allocated at random! Mama duck makes over ten adorable sounds and waddles, just like a real duck, with her babies following closely behind. If your child is lucky, they could even real a rare golden duckling!
For the football fanatics
If you’re buying for a child that’s football-obsessed, the Panini Premier League 2024/25 Adrenalyn XL Pocket Tin will be right up their street. Panini’s Premier League Adrenalyn XL Official Trading Card Game is back for the 2024/25 season – bigger, better, and more exciting than ever! Each pack includes 8 trading cards, 8 all-new Golden Ballers, over 20 supercharged special card categories, and ultra-rare Limited Edition and Parallel cards to chase and collect.
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*
