This is a collaborative post
As I recently became a grandparent I am now have fun thinking about what to buy little Lily, and boy have toys come on a long way since I last bought them 20 years ago! So I thought I would write a little list of ideal presents to buy for grandchildren this year in the hope it might help other people.
New borns
- Teething rings. There are so many to choose from, and you can probably never have too many so I have bought Lily one that is duplicate of one she already loves. Either as a replacement for when the original wears out, or heaven forbid, gets misplaced.
- Personalised towel. I am a firm believer that you can never have too many personalised items! And having a personalised towel is a lovely idea and something that others in the family may not have yet heard about.
- A kit to make a hand or foot cast. It is easy to have lots of photographs but there is something lovely about having a cast to sit on a mantelpiece as a reminder of just how tiny they once were.
1 — 5 years old
- Push or pull along toys are perfect for this age. I think a lot of us learnt to walk by pushing little trucks along, didnt we?
- Stacking toys. This age really is perfect for educational toys and stacking toys are ideal because they are great fun to play with as well as being educational, if only for making a tower to then knock over! Shape sorters are also a great toy for this age too.
- Jigsaws also come into their own at this age and can lend themselves to hours of fun. Simple ones with picture of familiar objects would get my vote (and a tip with jigsaws is to write the puzzle name and a number on the back so that when you walk in one day and every box has been emptied on to the carpet you know which piece belongs in which box).
6 — 10 years old
- Top for this age has go to be a bike, hasn’t it? The joy of a first bicycle stays with you for years. You can get smaller bikes suitable from the age of 2 and many bikes are adjustable so grow with the child. Always a sound investment and I love seeing children out on Christmas Day who are clearly riding their new present.
- Lego or other building kits make amazing presents and you can get a kit for every budget (and indeed age group. I mean have you seen the new Colosseum kit that has launched this year? 9000 pieces and over £400!)
- Board games are also ideal for this age. Children have gone from parallel play to now being able to play and learn to take turns so board games can be great fun
Teenagers
- Escape room experiences are this year’s hit and actually great fun for the whole family. Maybe you could go along too!
- A book such as “1001 movies to see before you die”, a popcorn maker and voucher for Netflix
- A make your own neon sign kit
Hopefully there is something on this list that appeals, and will bring smiles to faces on Christmas Day!