My approach to buying presents + Christmas Gift Guide
In need of some inspiration for Christmas?
I debated publishing a guide this year. With the economic situation being stressful, I wondered whether I would adding more pressure to your plate. Ultimately I decided that sharing toys with real 'play potential' would help you to make more informed choices.
This Holiday Gift Guide is a little different to others available because I do not have affiliate links with any companies and I don't have any brand partnerships either. All of the present ideas that are listed are items that we own. And it's not just items we own in order to fill out this list, they are all items that my children love.
I don't earn any money from this guide, it simply exists to help you find good quality present ideas for your children. Each item is hyperlinked directly to the brand website so that you can research stockists in your local area.
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My approach to buying presents
As we are a family of three, I have to be really organised when it comes to buying presents, especially since my daughter’s birthday falls on the 22nd.
I have a special Christmas wallet (via Monzo, for those of you who are UK based) which I add to each month so when it comes to the Christmas season, I’m not overstretching my budget.
My children each have (the same) allocated amount for Christmas and birthdays, I then work out how much I need to save each month.
Whilst this tip might not be much use to you now in mid-November, it’s something you might want to implement in future years.
The types of items I buy for my Children
I don’t go crazy with piles of presents for each child. That would quickly become too overwhelming.
I aim to buy around 3 presents (excluding the stocking and advent calendar) for each child. Items I look to include:
One skill-based toy each
An open-ended toy (for the play space)
One book each
A game to play as a family
Something practical
Something creative
Something they love
An experience
For example:
Mr 4 - main presents
Numberblocks set (11-20) - this is something he loves and it’s a great skills-based toy
Ollie Ella dinkum doll
Great Pretenders Cloak and crown
Mr 4 - Stocking
Orchard Toys Crazy Chefs game
x2 tonies (Stickman and Octonauts)
I’m the Bus Driver book
playdough
Wonder Cloth play mat
Miss 6 - main presents
Schleich pony club set
Ollie Ella baby cot (she already has her own doll)
Roller-skates
Miss 6 - stocking
bead making set (bought locally)
Orchard Toys Bus Stop game
Isadora Moon book
x2 Tonies (Rapunzel and Gruffalos Child)
Wonder Cloth play mat
What about older children?
Admittedly, present buying only gets harder the older children get. This is where experiences and memberships start to come into play.
Whilst giving physical presents might be difficult, the good news is that older children understand the practicalities of Christmas much better than their young siblings.
For example, if you buy your teen concert tickets for their favourite band or musician, they will understand that they will get fewer physical presents on Christmas Day.
This year, we are talking to my eldest son (13) about what he really wants. Having recently had a huge growth spurt - he is now close to 6ft - he would love a new bike so that he can go mountain biking again. So a bike is likely to be his present this Christmas.
Not only is this a practical present, it will also help him get out of his room (and away from computer games!)
Here are some other ideas for older children.
Experiences
Date day in the city - e.g. museum, lunch and shopping
Concert tickets
A weekend away - mountain biking, camping, skiing (or whatever your child loves!)
An adventure day - try abseiling, climbing, caving etc.
Membership Ideas for Tweens and Teens
Art memberships -Art for Kids Hub and Primerry
Coding - Code Combat
A local or national museum / discovery centre in your country
Subscription box - e.g. Kiwi and Co
Kindle Unlimited - via a family library
Finding Appropriate Content
We’ve been trying to think outside of the box when it comes to presents for my teenage son but the problem with content for older children is checking to see if it is appropriate.
Even books become complicated. Whereas once upon a time it would be a simple case of flicking through a picture book, it’s not completely feasible to do this with 500+ page books.
I’ve also been looking at apps such as Spotify so my son can listen to podcasts and music, but I have to admit it doesn’t seem like an appropriate option right now.
If you are ever unsure of anything media related for your child, Common Sense Media is an excellent place to start. The site includes books, video games, podcasts and tv shows, so you can make more informed decisions.
Next Steps
If you found the guide helpful, please consider joining my Substack page as a subscriber. I currently have two options available (free and paid) which you can read about here.
And if you need more help understanding toy choices, join my paid membership because this month is my Toys 101 Workshop. You can read more about it below:
Newsletter Release Dates
Open-ended versus skills-based toys - November 15th
An introduction to loose parts play - November 22nd
Toy Declutter challenge - running throughout November
What do you receive as a paid subscriber?
Access to the Toys 101 Workshop series
Printable resources
Journal prompts and reflection questions
Access to the Playful Prompts library
Seasonal Rhythms Guide and Printable resources
New masterclass topics every month - plus access to previous masterclasses
Access to community discussion boards
Bonus video workshops
Substack is now available in app form!
One of the main reasons I launched my Substack page in September was because I wanted to write about play and raising children in the early years with fewer distractions from social media apps. Whilst I fully appreciate that Instagram is a free resource for me to use, having to perform for social media can get pretty tiresome.
Here I can write detailed posts that go direct to you as a subscriber. It’s easy for me to write detailed posts and add printable resources for you to use without you being redirected to another page. I don’t have to worry about the algorithm controlling who sees my content and you get to see what you’ve signed up for.
The app is free and available to everyone (whether a free or paid subscriber). You can find out more below.
