What do you buy the kid who has everything? Present shopping for children can sometimes be hard. Especially if you're on the lookout for something a little bit different that will make their little faces light up when they open it.
If you’re looking for a unique, but totally cool, gift for your son, daughter, niece nephew or grandchildren, we’ve got you covered. We’ve gathered together the best gift ideas for kids of all ages – and there’s something here for everyone, whatever their taste or whatever your budget. All these ideas are great for birthdays or any other special occasion...
An inflatable air fort
Starry Night Air Fort, £106.63, Amazon
Ages: 3 years and up
Kids love hanging out in tents and dens, but this really takes it to the next level. it's an inflatable air fort, which is ready for play in seconds - you just switch on the fan and it's filled with air. No messing about with poles, and there's no floor so it's easily accessible for kids of all ages. A brilliant toy for sleepovers, playrooms and sure to be the fave hangout spot in the house. We're loving the starry night version, but it's available in plenty of other designs too!
A personalised storybook
Personalised storybook, £22.95, Letterfest
Ages: suitable for all ages
A unique gift idea for kids that puts them in the spotlight – this is perfect. You can personalise the story to include names and the physical attributes of the child – and pen your own personalised message in the front inside cover. Sure to be a bedtime story favourite for many years to come!
A colour-in wendy house
Colour In Wendy House, £29.99 (WAS £34.99), Amazon
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Ages: 18 months and up
Wow this will keep them entertained for hours! A great unique gift that encourages their creativity. It is made from sturdy bio-degradable, eco-friendly 100% recyclable materials, so it ticks the eco-cred box too!
A personalised scooter gift set
Scooter Bundle, from £102.90, Micro Scooters
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Ages: 2-5
A scooter is always a top gift for a kid, and this one is not only stylish, but you can choose which accessories go with it. Suitable for children aged 2-5, choose from which scooter you prefer (LED or Mini LED), the colour and which bundle the recipient would like. There are helmets, bells, and more to choose from.
A unique kids' experience day
Diggerland admission for two, £64, Virgin Experience Days
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Ages: 3+
An experience day is a great unique gift for kids – it’s a memory that they’ll cherish forever. If they’re truck mad, the Diggerland experience is perfect – but there’s something for every boy and girl, whatever their interests - whether it be a chocolate workshop, trampoline session, or even a treetop adventure at Go Ape.
A Bluetooth karaoke machine
Groov-e Portable Party Karaoke Boombox Machine, £55.99 (WAS £69.99), Amazon
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If you've got the next Harry Styles or Taylor Swift on your hands then this is the unique gift you want! The Groov-e Portable Party Karaoke Boombox Machine lets them sing their hearts out with music you can play via bluetooth directly from your smartphone, tablet or laptop. There's also an old-school CD player so you can get your old CDs out of the cupboard for a family karaoke session of the classic hits on Christmas Day. Amazing!
An interactive learning piano system
LUMI all-in-one compact learning piano and platform, £299, LUMI
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This is truly a different and unique gift for kids (that the adults in the family may want to steal too!). LUMI is an all-in-one piano learning system which consists of an interactive, light-up keyboard which links up with a platform app you access through a tablet. Kids can get access to a music teacher 24/7 and learn at their own pace with 250 interactive lessons and over 800 songs to choose from, with new ones being added every month. Our child tester, who has issues with focusing, found the arcade-style games really fun! Subscription to the platform starts from £5.83 per month.
A magic interactive pet with its own misting crystal ball
Magic Mixies Magical Misting Crystal Ball with Interactive Plush Toy, £49.99 (WAS £84.99), Amazon
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This Unique gift for kids will keep them entertained for hours. An interactive wand casts spells to reveal a fortune-telling pet inside the Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball. You can repeat the reveal again and again and the Crystal ball can also be used as a pretty night light. The wand, crystal ball and Magic Mixie toy have over 80 lights, sounds and reactions.
A grow-your-own fairy garden
My Fairy Garden Enchanted village, £19.99 (WAS £37.99), Amazon
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Ages: 4+
Well, this is a unique gift idea - a fairy village filled with plants that little ones grow themselves from seeds. The kit contains everything you need to grow a beautiful fairy garden at home complete with magical lights, music and sound - and fairy play pieces. A great way for them to discover the magic of nature through play.
A guinea pig toy that gives birth to babies
Little Live Pets Mama Surprise Guinea Pig, £65, Amazon
Ages: 3 and above
As far as kids' toys go, it doesn't get more unique than this - a cute 'lil interactive guinea pig that kids have to love and care for - and when her heart lights up, there's a baby on the way! Young pet lovers can feed Mama Surprise and brush her hair. When her heart lights up and she sings, that's a sign that her first baby will be delivered soon. On the first day, a baby and a care package will appear in her hutch. With more care and attention, she'll reveal two more babies over time. Such a cute idea that encourages children to be loving and nurturing, we love it!
A candy floss maker
Giles & Posner pastel candy floss maker, £24.99 (WAS £29.99), Amazon
As long as you can deal with a bit of a sugar rush, this is a gift kids will adore. What could be better fun than making your own funfair-worthy fluffy candy floss at home (with a bit of adult help of course)? This cute set comes with a measuring spoon and 50 wooden sticks - just add a spoonful of candyfloss sugar and watch the magic happen!
A Minions LEGO Kung Fu Battle build set.
Minions Kung Fu Battle build set, £24.99 (WAS £34.99), LEGO
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Ages: 6+
There's not a kid on the planet who doesn't love Minions, and LEGO is an all-time classic gift which encourages imagination and creativity as well as teaching them how to follow instructions. All in all, it's a winning combo. The Rise of Gru was a big kids' movie hit (my two saw it no less than three times in the cinema!) so they'll love the chance to recreate one of the best scenes from the movie with Kevin, Stuart and Otto. there's even a cool interactive guide to help them in the Lego Life app.
A smartwatch you can call them on
Xplora XGO 3 Watch children's smart watch phone, £99.99 (WAS £139.99), Amazon
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Ages: 4-11
This is smart little piece of tech which not only makes the perfect gift for kids, it gives parents peace of mind too. It's a smartwatch which allows the wearer to make and receive calls, and send text messages and emojis and pictures to up to 50 pre-agreed contacts. You can also use it to locate your child and create Safe Zones which will alert you whenever your child leaves or enters the zone. It's also available in black, blue, green and orange as well as the pink above.
A kids director's camera
Little Tikes Toby 2 Director's Camera, £24.99 (WAS £69.99), Amazon
Ages: 3-10 years
This fun little camera is the perfect gift for any aspiring director, actor, photographer or artist. The easy-to-use camera takes high-definition photos and videos and the green screen and built-in backgrounds lets their imagination run wild and become a superhero, astronaut, news reader and more!
STEM toy build your own pinball machine
STEM toy Build Your Own pinball kit, £19.99, Amazon
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Ages: 8+ (but younger children can get involved if an adult is helping out)
This is very cool – a cool retro style pinball machine you build yourself. And it’s made from 100% sustainable cardboard and paper – not a piece of plastic in sight! Kids can make this alone, or as a part of a family project as extra fun, and the really great thing is that it helps develop problem-solving skills and enhances coordination too. No glue needed – just press out the pre-cut parts and slot them together, it’s completely mess-free.
A DJ mixer designed for kids
VTech Kidi DJ Mix, £59.95, Amazon
Ages: 6+
Do you have a mini music fan at home? The next big superstar DJ maybe? Then check this out! This unique DJ mixer for kids includes 15 tracks in 7 different music styles and 15 multi-coloured instrument launch pads which light up. The professional-inspired turntable, cross-fader, light and tempo controls will delight budding DJs and the multi-coloured disco light effects will get the celebrations jumping on Christmas morning!
An interactive audio storybook player
Tonies starter set, £79.95, tonies
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Most kids love story time, but this is something completely different! Tonies are audiobook players for kids with a cute twist – the story is contained in a Tonie figure which they place on top of the Toniebox to hear stories, songs and educational content. You can even upload your own audio to make your own special story session for them to listen to.
It’s totally wireless and screen-free and there are over 200 different Tonies to choose from including The Gruffalo, CoComelon, The Snowman, The Little Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, Peter Pan, as well as children’s fave Disney adventures such as Coco, Frozen, The Lion King and Cinderella.
A subscription baking box designed for kids
Junior baking club subscription, from £7.50, Bakedin
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Ages: 5-11
A subscription box is the gift that keeps on giving, with a fresh box of activities delivered directly to your door! The junior baking club one above is great for getting children creative in the kitchen. Or if they’re more into crafting, toucanBox is a good choice. If you have a little scientist at home, check out Little Passports range of boxes, which start from age three. Even the littlest of littles can get involved with Lovevery's play kits - which are suitable for children ages 0-48 months.
A great gift for young biologists
LeapFrog Magic Adventures Microscope, £54.99 (WAS £63.99), Very
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Ages: 5+
Young biologists can zoom in on flowers, animals, food, minerals and more using 9 double-sided smart slides that activate amazing BBC videos and images. Kids will be amazed what they can see with up to 200x magnification on this real microscope.
A relaxing ASMR toy
So sand rainbow cake kit, £8.99 (WAS £15.99), Amazon
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Ages: 3+
Some experts argued that ASMR toys (that’s Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response toys if you want the proper jargon) were just 2021’s updated version of fidget toys. But one things for sure, this rainge of brightly coloured toys that are all oddly satisfying are a massive hit with kids of all ages, and show no sign of going away. The scented sand cake kit above is great, and there’s a full range of colourful ASMR toys on Amazon.
A book collection
Mr Men 48 book set, £29.99 (WAS £191.52), Books2Door
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Ages: Suitable for all ages
This is a gift that can be enjoyed at bedtime all year round – and by buying a full set online you can make some fantastic savings. There’s a whopping 82% off this Mr Men collection at Books2Door and there are bargains to be had on many other collections, including Peppa Pig, Star Wars, Julia Donaldson and Where’s Wally.
A super fun bath toy
Toomies Bubble & Bake Bathtime, £19.99 (WAS £20.99), Amazon
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With the best-selling Bubble & Bake Bathtime Kitchen from Toomies, kids can step into the tub and into the kitchen all at once! They can make believe they’re cooking up a mouth-watering feast with a versatile oven/hob cooker combination and a kitchen sink with a working t.! Sure to make bath time more fun than ever!
A personalised jacket
Customisable upcycled denim jacket, from £55.99, KOOKOO BUT KIND
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Ages: Available from 0-1 years to adult sizes
How about a truly unique, personalised and customisable jacket that's both good for the environment and sends a positive message - as well as looking downright adorable? Just choose between the themes Be Kind or Endangered and the KOOKOO BUT KIND team will do the rest. They'll prepare a one-of-a-kind upcycled denim jacket for your little one that features recycled elements, including PVC free and recycled sequins and recycled organic cotton and thread.
An interactive pet
Tamagotchi pix, was £48.44 (WAS £59.99), Amazon
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Ages: 6+
If they’re begging you for a puppy, kitten or hamster, an interactive pet is the next best thing. The Tamagotchi Pix is the super duper mod version of the 90s classic parents will remember – featuring a camera and touch button control.
An interactive dog toy
Moji the loveable labradoodle, £99.99, Amazon
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Ages: 6+
If you want to get them something a little more cuddy, can we introduce you to Moji - possibly the most realistic interactive pet we've ever seen! Just like a real puppy, he responds to voice commands, and he has a smart collar that interacts with action cards and lets you know when he is hungry, thirsty or wants to play. Moji also has various touch points that will trigger different responses as well as dozens of tricks, including 'sit', 'shake', 'paw' and 'lie down'. In total, he has over 150 unique reactions so kids will be kept busy for hours and want to take him everywhere!
An interactive purse
Purse Pets, £26 / $28.99 each, Amazon
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Ages: 5-7
While we're talking about interactive pets, how about this - an interactive purse! Purse pets respond to your touch, they really blink and have 25 different reactions and sounds which are unique to each style. You can get the glam unicorn and fierce fox pictured above and there's also a luxe leopard up for grabs. Perfect for mini fashionistas who want to really bring their look to life!
a STEM toy
National Geographic rock tumbler starter kit, £47.06, Amazon
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Ages: 8+
STEM toys make great gifts for kids! It stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and STEM learning encourages children to discover more about these subjects through fun – learning while they play basically. We love the National Geographic tock tumbler kit – which lets kids transform rocks into extraordinary polished gem stones. There are so many different STEM toys up for grabs on Amazon.
A jewellery making kit
Crystal jewellery-making kit, £27.30, Amazon
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Ages: 8+
If your tween loves accessories, take the chance to foster their interest in a new hobby by giving them a jewellery-making kit. They can have hours of fun making earrings, bracelets, and necklaces for their friends.
An Aquabeads set
Aquabeads mega bead trunk, £24.99, Amazon
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Ages: 4+
If you're looking for a very fun and creative activity then Aquabeads are great. You follow the templates, placing the beads to make pictures which you then set by spraying water. This kit contains 3000 beads in 30 colours, carry case, and design pegs.
A keepsake toy for life
Steiff Elmar teddy bear, £89.90, John Lewis
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Ages: suitable for all ages
Cute and snuggly Steiff teddy bears are collector's items that can be passed down through generations. The iconic yellow label with Steiff button in the ear proves their authenticity. There’s also a Steiff cat if bears are not their thing.
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