Ideas for Christmas Gifts

By Emma Thomas

We all have different love languages. For some the giving and receiving of gifts is a highlight! They enjoy spending time thinking about what gifts to give, planning, purchasing and wrapping. For others the start of December brings about anxiety as they think of all the presents that need organising in the next few weeks! 

As a family you might choose to give many gifts or just a few, you might look into secondhand gifts or homemade presents. You could follow a trend like the popular ‘something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read’. 

These have been some of my favourite gifts to give. 

Babies

Babies love empty cardboard boxes and wrapping paper. They don’t understand what is going on so it’s best to keep things simple. Also you don’t want to start with too many presents – then you will feel like you have to give more each year! 

My preference is to give practical gifts. Think about how their development will change in the next few months – will they be starting swimming lessons? Or need a bag for going out? Maybe they are growing fast and need new clothes or shoes!

Simple toys like large blocks, stacking cups and balls promote important gross motor development for this age group. For our little ones it’s important to remember that the more the toy does (battery operated light up toys), the less they do!

Toddlers

For most toddlers unwrapping things is the best part of present giving! Try wrapping the pieces of gifts separately for added fun. 

At this age it can be a great time to invest in a wheeled toy like a balance bike or scooter. There are lots of great bargains available on Facebook Marketplace if you’ve got the time to look. 

Toddlers love imitating their adults so kitchen toys, dress ups, baby dolls and ‘work’ things (old laptop, kids tools) are popular! 

Kindergarten Children

Our Kindergarten children have strong preferences and interests – they may have got to the stage where they are starting to ask for specific gifts. Now they are a bit older they are also able to understand gift vouchers or an experience gift. 

My favourite toy for Kindy kids is magnetic tiles, these are so versatile and endlessly reusable. Lego, craft supplies and simple board games are also popular. 

Books

Books are my weakness – I can’t walk past a book store without looking for my favourites – and Christmas is a great excuse to give books! I love looking back at the inscriptions in my childhood books as I read them to my kids. 

DIY Gifts

A gift you have made yourself has extra meaning. This year I’m making sets of photo magnets for my nieces and nephews with pictures of all the important people in their lives. 

When my daughter was 1 I made her a song box for Christmas. This was a box filled with little toys which each represented a song. Things like a stethoscope for ‘5 Cheeky Monkeys’ and a frog for ‘Der Glumph’. This is something we still enjoy playing with! 

Group Gifts

A group gift can be a special way to bring people together. We have taken my nieces and nephews to see a theatre show – this was such a special thing to do together. 

A cubby house, trampoline or swing set can also be a great group present for siblings! .