10: Papermash Stationery set £3.75
This may not be the most spectacular gift they’ll receive this Christmas, but when it comes to writing thank-you notes in the New Year a pack of stylish, grown-up stationery will be just the thing to make the job a treat, rather than a torture.
9: Sun Jar £20
Lots of children are uneasy about sleeping in a completely dark room. A few adults are too, come to that. The sun jar is an eco-friendly and even slightly educational night light that you leave on a windowsill to charge during the day. It releases all those captured photons in a soft night-time glow that subtly lights the bedroom, scaring away the most determined cupboard monster.
8: Liv Doll £19.99
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If you’re the parent of a girl aged between 3 and 13, you’ve probably already lost the teenage fashion doll war. There are a wide range of dolls, most of them household names, and all of them transmitting questionable messages about aspiration and body image to your little princess. Liv is, on balance, the best of the bunch, with comparatively normal proportions and a clever little online element that gives access to the doll’s virtual ‘personality’. Best of all, Liv dolls have replaceable hair, so one afternoon’s coiffure experiment need not result in the doll’s lifelong disfigurement.
7: VTech KidiZoom digital camera £74.99
Digital cameras are ideal for younger photographers. Any random shots of the floor, someone’s knee or the inside of the dog’s ear can be surreptitiously deleted with no wasteful disposal of film. Chunky grips and simple controls mean this practically indestructible item can be used by even the youngest shutterbug. Onboard editing and a few games on the colour viewfinder add value and keep sticky fingers away from your own precious PC.
6: Puppet Theatre £49.99
Creative? Check. Offers lasting entertainment? Definitely. Eco-friendly? Well yes, now you mention it?Throw in a couple of puppets (they may well have a few) and this spiffy little puppet theatre will amuse a roomful of kids for hours. When they’re bored it flips around to become an equally entertaining shop. More republican-inclined families can enjoy a puppet-based alternative Queen’s speech on Christmas afternoon and give the telly a well-deserved rest.
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5: Honeybake Cooking set £44.99
It’s great for kids to learn essential cooking skills, but what do you do when they want to get in on the red hot cupcake craze and you really can’t face the resultant mess? That’s when this wooden baking set really shines. Perfect for quiet, dolls tea parties and tough enough to stand up to sleepover hullaballoo it’s an essential for every young girl’s bedroom.
4: Indestructible Remote Control Aeroplane £39.99
The problem with remote control planes is that they can be rather hard to master. And while you’re mastering them there can be some rather unfortunate landings. This lightweight biplane takes rough landings in its stride, and has a control mechanism straightforward enough for even the youngest pilots to get the hang of. The light body means that you can risk practice flights indoors, and the sturdy construction makes a flight around the park a realistic possibility.
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3: Nerf Havok Fire EBF-25 £49.99
One look at the picture tells you that every young boy in Britain will want this. Firing three (harmless) Nerf darts per second it’s the ultimate sanction for indoor firefights.
2: John Lewis Telescope £40
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If your child develops an interest in computers, law enforcement or even plumbing there’s no guarantee that there will still be paid work in those fields by the time they grow up. Astronomy though, that’s a field that will always be expanding. This well-specified telescope is the ideal start for junior stargazers.
1: Little Lyon Nylon String Guitar £40
Playing Guitar Hero on the Xbox can only teach your children so much. This great little nylon-string guitar is just right for younger hands and, as a bonus, includes art supplies so that your future rock star can decorate the plain white body of the instrument until it’s theirs, and theirs alone. One of the best present ideas for a creative youngster that I’ve seen.