Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts for kids

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Published on Saturday, 01 December 2012 08:00

Last Updated on 10 December 2012

Monica Costa

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Look no further for unique Christmas Gifts. This guide is brought to you by London Mums’ panel of testers! There is something for every taste and for every pocket.

GIFTS FOR BABIES & TODDLERS

GIFTS FOR GIRLS

GIFTS FOR BOYS

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN (that parents will love too)

CHRISTMAS FAMILY MOVIES

DVDs and Blue Rays are such an easy choice as a present for Christmas. Everyone likes a family movie over the festive period. Check a selection of London Mums’ favourite DVDs for this Christmas 2012.

UNISEX GIFTS

MATHABLE® JUNIOR

Very clever game that helps children to get a great introduction to the world of playing with numbers. My 6 year old son absolutely loves this game and after playing just once he loved his maths tasks. There is no better way to help children practice their numeracy skills than with this game. The reversible game board can be played in two different ways and has 60 tiles. Children from age 5 up can begin their journey and compete to get the highest score. (RRP £14.99) Mathable was launched by Wooky Europe who teamed up with Carol Vorderman to launch this new product.

MOSHI MONSTERS COOKIE CUTTERS

This year has been all about the loveable Moshi Monsters – school kids have gone Moshi mad over this unique collectable craze so this Christmas, why not treat your little Moshi fan to their ultimate stocking filler.
The brand new Moshi Monsters Cookie Kit from Maps will appeal to fans of the cute characters allowing them to get creative and bake their favourite monsters. Each colourful carry-handle tub includes 2 Moshi Monster Cookie Cutters, 2 decorating tubes, 450g of cookie mixture (makes 24 cookies) and an instruction leaflet featuring a bonus download code for Free Rox on the popular moshimonsters.com website.
The contents are stored in a cool reusable storage tub and there are six different designs for fans to collect. At around £4.99, this is a perfect stocking filler pressie that will keep children entertained during the long Christmas break. Available from Amazon.

Like What a Performance!

A great game for all the family this Christmas! Ages: 5-12 – Players: 2-6.
Can you pretend to be a monkey, make a noise like a firework or wiggle your ears? If you can’t, use the magic decoder and reveal your hidden forfeit. Be a star and rise to the challenge in this all-action game of fun for all the family ! www.orchardtoys.com

Standeazy

With smartphone technology allowing the use of the likes of BBC iPlayer, netflix, etc and FaceTime with 3G, a smartphone stand that is ultra portable is ever more needed. It folds flat to the size of a credit card and is made from a special material that can be bent time and time again without wear and tear.
It is light and small – it fits into any card wallet (being credit card sized) so it’s always around at home or away.
Standeazy is simple, inexpensive and fun. It is for kids as well as mums or dads. Kids will love it to watch their favourite videos whilst out in not so entertaining places like cafes, the plane, train, etc. Available on www.standeazy.com or on Amazon.
RRP £4 plus P&P.

GIFTS FOR ARTY CHILDREN

Smencils 5-Pack Sweet & Spicy

The ultimate Christmas coloured pencils, the Smencils range really brought xmas to our art club! www.Smencils.co.uk And all children attending our London Mums Christmas party walked away with an amazing goodie bag containing a set of these smelly coloured pencils. Do eat them though 🙂 some smell like chocolate and the temptation can be great!

Artzooka

Whether it’s Christmas or Birthday I personally prefer kids’ presents that are a bit educational and that encourage creativity. This is why we have selected these items by Artzooka. Great quality and value for money!

Sock Ups  

Kids can make their own sock pets over Christmas. The instructions are easy to follow and in each box is enough material to make three cute animals including the stuffing. RRP £12.99
 

Sketcher Tape  

With some wonderful base pictures you can use the coloured tape to add some wonderful detail to your pictures. Each pack contains backgrounds, tape and inspiration pages to help you. RRP £9.99

Wolly Mammoth packages

Two British mumpreneurs co-founded Woolly Mammoth in May this year. The company provides ready made art&craft packs that arrive through the letterbox twice a month (with a personalised label, we have found kids love receiving their own post) containing an imaginative make-and-do craft kit, photo suggestions, and either a story, song, quiz or game linked to that week’s theme. In our busy lives we never seem to stop. Work, school, activities and chores take over our weeks. Fiona and Charlotte designed Woolly Mammoth kits to make it easy for grown ups and children to have fun together. It seems like a great idea for a present to artistic children and… their mummies this Christmas 🙂

GAMES

Wonderbook™, Book of Spells

Wonderbook: Book of Spells is the first title for Wonderbook, the latest addition to the PlayStation experience and the first-of-its-kind experience for PlayStation®3. It has been launched by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Using the innovative new PlayStation 3 peripheral, Wonderbook™, Book of Spells will transform the world around you with the next step in augmented reality gaming. It is also the first product to result from Sony’s partnership with Pottermore, J.K. Rowling’s unique and free-to-use website that builds an exciting online experience around the reading of the Harry Potter™ books. Harry Potter fans across the country can now get their hands on exclusive new and original writing from J.K. Rowling. Wonderbook: Book of Spells comes to life as you read, allowing you to cast spells with your PlayStation®Move Motion Controller which becomes your own magic wand. Go on a fantastic journey to read and learn the secrets of wizardry and the art of spell-casting, just like a student at Hogwarts.

In the words of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, “Wonderbook: Book of Spells is the closest a Muggle can come to a real spellbook. I’ve loved working with Sony’s creative team to bring my spells, and some of the history behind them, to life. This is an extraordinary device that offers a reading experience like no other.” Book of Spells provides students with a safe environment in which to read, discover, learn and practise spells they already know and love, such as Incendio, Wingardium Leviosa and Expelliarmus, as well as discover mischievous notes and spells scribbled into the margins by previous Hogwarts students. In addition to humorous anecdotal facts relating to the spells, J.K. Rowling has written a conundrum to lead you through the experience, providing insight into what makes a successful witch or wizard, and inviting fans to journey through the book and unlock new tales at the end of each chapter rewarding students for their successful spell-casting. Further information about the game as well as screenshots and videos can be found at www.playstation.com .

iPieces, the revolutionary new iPad gaming range from Jumbo Games, is launching four family favourites ahead of Christmas. The latest additions to the award-winning collection include Ludo and Pool games plus two games for the hit children’s TV shows Fireman Sam and Peppa Pig. iPieces use innovative technology and interactive playing counters to allow up to six players to enjoy traditional board games on the iPad. Easy to use and practical to transport, iPieces can be enjoyed at home or on the go, making them the ideal game for all the family – and for any occasion.

Players simply download the free game app from the iTunes store and use their iPieces to bring each game to life through stunning visual animation and entertaining sound effects. RRP from £9.99. Available from Tesco, ASDA, WHSmith, Toys R Us, John Lewis, Play.com Carphone Warehouse and other good retailers.