Christmas Gift Ideas For Kids

This post is part of my 10 week Christmas Preparation Plan for 2011.

This originally was planned to be a post for Christmas gift ideas for boys, but I had a number of readers email and ask could I include Christmas gift ideas for girls too. So I have collated a list based on age more so than the sex of the child. I have based the ages on the ages of my kids, rounded up!

13 year olds

Movie Box
Christmas Gift Ideas for kids
We now let our 13 year old see movies at the cinema on his own – something which he loves! So a perfect gift for a 13 year old like our son who likes the movies is to put together a movie box. Buy a large popcorn tub and add:

  • 2 x movie vouchers for a cinema close to home
  • 2 x packs of their favourite lollies
  • 2 x bottles of water to wash down the treats!

Clothes
I have found it is at this age, that they start to get a little more conscious about the clothes they wear. The fashion tips from my eldest are:

Speedo Shorts
Christmas Gift Ideas for kids
Not sure what the attraction is really with these shorts, but lots of his mates are wearing these, so they are top of his list at the moment.

Vans
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Vans are the shoe of the teenager at the moment. I did actually buy everyone in our family a pair when I was in LA. Only one pair didn’t fit – Mr I’s didn’t, but given the rate of growth of out eldest son’s feet, he will be able to wear them quite soon!

They were so much cheaper in the US though. So this maybe a gift that family might like to chip in for the teenager in their life.

10 year olds

Magazine Subscription
Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids
Our ten year old is completely mad about football of the round ball variety. He is also not the keenest of readers, but he does however devour the sports pages of the paper we have delivered each Saturday and Sunday morning. It may not be great literature, but if a subscription to Four Four Two keeps him reading I am all for it – this gift would certainly get him reading!

Christmas Gift Ideas For Kids
There were a number of “girl focused” magazine subscriptions that I looked through, but I couldn’t find one that really stood out as one I would like to buy for a girl who I knew who was 10. This word find subscription however I thought would be the perfect gift to help pass the school holidays, trips in the car and on the days when it is too hot to go outside to play.

8 year olds

Sewing Kit

Studio Girl have a fantastic range of hand craft activities. But I think the favourite for my daughter who likes to sew would be one of their sewing kits. They are available form Lincraft here in Australia and the best bit is they contain everything your child needs to make the item.

Construction Kit
Recycled Creations

Put together a construction kit for the creative one you know. At 8, they can be taught how to use a glue gun safely, include a range of recycled off cuts and materials that they will be able to use, in a box – their imagination can then do the rest!

5 year olds

Christmas Gift Ideas For Kids
Tool Box
A long time favourite gift for me to give to kids of this age is a tool box that contains real tools, but just smaller versions of the ones that mum and dad use. They have always been hugely popular. We include:

  • Hammer
  • Nails – clouts are great as they have a big head for kids to hit.
  • Nuts and bolts – may never use them for their intended purpose, but do provide great fine motor practice.
  • Padlock and key – again a fun item for the kids to use. Tip for parents, keep one of each the keys that comes with the padlock as inevtiably they will lock it to something and not know where the key is.

To see some young kids in action with these types of tools, you can check out an earlier post of mine here.

Pencils
Christmas Ideas For Kids
I can still remember when I received my first set of Derwent pencils – I loved them completely and ruthfully monitored that once used every one was put them back into their right spot! Big W currently have the above Derwent set on sale for $19.88.

3 year olds

Cooking Kit

I love having my kids help me cook in the kitchen. There are many prepackaged cooking kits you can buy for kids, but if you want to it is very easy to pull together your own cooking kit Christmas Gift. Simply buy a child sized apron and then shop around for:

  • set of small tongs
  • small grater
  • small juicer
  • small whisk
  • measuring spoons

Wrap them with the apron and you have created a practical and useful gift!

Lunchbox Gift Set
Christmas Gift Ideas For Kids
Especially perfect if they will be heading off to kinder in the new year. The Goodbyn bynto box pictured above is a BPA phthalates & lead free lunch box. It provides 3 containers in 1, plus bottle & stickers.

What are your favourite gifts to buy kids?