Christmas presents for children: Christmas present ideas for boys, girls and teenagers

Seeing beautifully wrapped Christmas presents under the Christmas tree puts a smile on anyone's face. It's not always easy to find the perfect Christmas present for children, but the effort that goes into finding Christmas presents is really worth it as you get to see how happy they are when unwrapping their present. To help you choose the perfect Christmas present for your child here are some Christmas present ideas for babies, children, boys, girls and teenagers. We will also show you some practical Christmas present ideas for children of all ages.

How do I find the perfect Christmas present for children?

As soon as December approaches, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles as well as godparents ask themselves the big question: what is the perfect Christmas present for children? There isn’t just one answer because every child is individual and has different interests and preferences. However, there are some tips you can follow when choosing the perfect Christmas present for children:

• Age: how old is the child? The age of the child is a good indication of what might interest them and what could be educational.

• Interests & hobbies: what kind of presents does the child like? Do they have a hobby, a certain area of interest (e.g. dinosaurs, space or animals) or do they enjoy reading?

• Favourite toys: are there any types of toys that your child particularly loves? Maybe another toy from the same set, such as accessories or things for a doll or toy figures, so that they have the complete set.

• Wish list: at Christmas time it's traditional to write a Christmas list and maybe there is something you can get them off their Christmas list. It is also a good idea to chip in and do a joint Christmas present if it is something particularly large or expensive.

Generally, Christmas presents for children should be educational, fun and something they are interested in. This will guarantee that they get a lot of use out of it. However, it is not always easy to find a Christmas present that combines all the above criteria.

Therefore, try to be creative and personal when choosing a present. Take the child’s interests into account and choose a Christmas present that gives them the chance to be creative and use it in different ways. Furthermore, children’s presents should always be of good quality. The toy should be well-made. If it’s not your own child you’re buying for, it’s always a good idea to ask the parents for advice first. They often already have some initial ideas about what the child might like. If you already have a specific gift idea for Christmas, it’s best to check before buying whether the child already has it. That way, nothing will stand in the way of their fun. We’ve listed some ideas for thoughtful Christmas presents for children below to make your search easier.

Ideas for practical Christmas presents for children

• Trendy ugly Christmas jumper or a more traditional Christmas sweater

• Winter clothes, for example, snowsuit or ski wear

• Gloves, woolly hat or a scarf

• A pair of slippers

• Christmas socks

• Thick jumper or a smart cashmere jumper for teenagers

• Pyjamas, especially Christmas pyjamas

• A watch

• A schoolbag or a new holdall

• Reusable water bottle or a lunchbox for school

• Cuddly blanket for a children's room

• Bed linen with their favourite colour or cartoon character

• Gaming clothing

• Mini-Me clothing

• Onesies

Christmas presents for younger children: ideal Christmas presents for babies

There is a lot of choice for younger children or babies, such as a rattle or a doll. Babies go through a fast and exciting development, especially in their first years. They learn to grasp, crawl, walk and talk. Choosing the correct toys can help to support your baby’s early development and also help them to get creative. From the age of 1, babies find everything interesting that moves or that they can move themselves. This motivates them to learn to walk and to play independently.

If you're looking for a Christmas present for children up to the age of 2, you should make sure that the toys they play with are high quality. Babies and young children like to chew, throw and pick up and carry their toys. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that the toys you buy are safe and high quality.

Christmas present ideas for babies

• Music box to help them fall asleep

• Mobile to help the baby’s development

• Rattle

• Teething ring

• Finger puppets

• Useful presents such as baby blankets or bibs

Christmas present ideas for young children up to the age of 2

• Building blocks (soft)

• Stand-up stackable animals for knocking down and sorting

• Soft stuffed dolls or soft toys

• Sturdy toys that they can pull along with them

• Musical instruments for children

• Ball track for children aged 1 and over

• Model making set

• A night light to help them fall asleep

• Bowling game with soft skittles

• Ride-on push car or a trike

Christmas present ideas for children aged up to 6 years old

• Colourful children's apron so that they can help with cooking

• Clothes or a bicycle seat for their favourite doll

• Bucket balance stilts for balance training

• Mini theatre to help develop their creativity

• CD player for listening to audio dramas or audio books

• Toy cars with trailers

• Ball track that they can build

• Children's puzzles with their favourite character or things

• Doll's house or police station to help develop creativity

• Dressing up costumes

• Toolbox or a doctor's kit set

• Picture books

• Magnetic drawing board for drawing pictures on

• Walkie-talkies for playing with friends

• A children’s kitchen for indoors or a mud kitchen for outdoors

• Audio pens and interactive learning systems (e.g. educational apps)

Christmas presents for children 6-years-old and older: finding the ideal Christmas present for boys and girls

School children also enjoy playing and being creative after school and this is why it is important to create a balance between playing and learning. Children are also discovering their own personalities, developing new interests and slowly taking up their own hobbies. In some cases, the interests of boys and girls start to differ, which is why it is important to find out what your child’s interests are so that you can find the ideal Christmas present for them.

Creative gift ideas

• A simple and sturdy children’s camera

• Board games or card games for family game nights

• A craft kit or jewellery-making kit

• Iron-on beads for crafting

• A cute jewellery box for little treasures

• A child’s first cookery or baking book

• A jigsaw punch for making your own jigsaw puzzles

• Magic trick set for little magic fans

• Lego set for building models

• Magnetic building blocks

Gift ideas for little nature lovers & tech fans

• Gardening set for little gardeners or a herb garden for children to grow at home

• Telescope or magnifying glass for exploring nature

• Puzzle games for little tinkerers

• Magazine subscriptions for children

• Experiment kits (e.g. children’s chemistry lab, experiments for the bath or growing crystals)

• Children’s workbench for little builders

• Robots for children to build and programme themselves

• Nature books for little scouts

Gift ideas for sports-mad children

• Roller skates for children

• Car racetrack to build and reconfigure

• Remote-controlled car (suitable for outdoor use where applicable)

• Skateboard for children

• Lunchbox, water bottle or jersey from their favourite team

• New football/basketball/volleyball

Christmas present ideas for teenagers

• Smartwatch

• Instant printer for smartphones

• Vouchers for clothes shops or group activities

• Cosy beanbag or LED lights for a teenager’s bedroom

• Accessories for their favourite hobby such as sportswear

• Bluetooth headphones

• Computer games and accessories for gamers

• Powerbank as a replacement battery for their smartphone

• Concert tickets for their favourite band

• Experience days (e.g. for a photo shoot or a canoe tour)

• E-Reader

• Online course (e.g. for photography or learning how to draw comics)

• Colouring book for adults

• Their first sewing machine

• Content creation accessories (e.g. ring light or microphone)

Conclusion: Christmas presents for children that match their interests and age range

When you go Christmas shopping to buy Christmas presents for your children make sure to look for something that they would be interested in and something that is in their age range. This will help you to find the ideal Christmas present. It is also important to choose something that is made of high-quality materials so that it will last your child a long time. It is also advisable to give a gift that will help to develop your child’s creative skills as well as support them in their early years’ development. By doing so you can find a Christmas present that is great fun, but educational at the same time.

______________________________________________

Image sources in chronological order:

Cover photo: iStock.com/diignat
1st image in text: iStock.com/Halfpoint
2nd image in text: C&A
3rd image in text: iStock.com/StefaNikolic
4th image in text: iStock.com/Galina Zhigalova