Gifts for kids

A closer look: Grown-ups have no built-in advantage here, which is half the fun: a sharp-eyed six-year-old can happily beat the whole table. Stick to one way of playing until everyone has the hang of spotting matches, then try the others, and keep the tin in a coat pocket for restaurant waits and train journeys.

Why we picked it: Spot the matching symbol before anyone else. Fast, easy and fun for all ages, in a travel tin.

• 2–8 players
• Ages 6+
• 5 ways to play
• Travel tin

What owners say: Quick, easy to learn and properly competitive. Kids and adults love it.

A closer look: Jokes are one of the easiest ways to get a newly confident reader practising out loud, because each one is short and the payoff comes quickly. Leave it by the bed or in the car door pocket for journeys, with a pencil nearby so they can tick off the ones that got the biggest laugh.

Why we picked it: Jokes from the world of Roald Dahl, with Quentin Blake’s illustrations. Expect to hear every single one at Christmas dinner.

• Paperback
• Illustrated by Quentin Blake
• Ages 6+

What owners say: Delightful and easy to read. Kids giggle through it before they’re out of bed.

A closer look: Once the four characters are built, the same bricks rebuild into a cake with sprinkles, bubble tea, a pear and a panini, so the set gets pulled apart and played with rather than left on a shelf. With 150 pieces, including tiny eyes and mouths, a small tub or zip bag to keep them in is worth handing over too.

Why we picked it: Genuine LEGO: build a cupcake, ice cream, avocado and taco, each with a funny face.

• Genuine LEGO Classic
• Ages 4+
• Builds 4 food friends
• Step-by-step guide

What owners say: Bright, cute and great value, with little projects that are easy for kids to follow.

A closer look: Each card is a thick 9cm square, just right for lunchbox notes, a game of noughts and crosses or a quick thank-you drawing for the grandparents. The rainbow box doubles as a desk dispenser with a holder for the stylus, which helps stop it wandering off, and a wooden cocktail stick works as a spare.

Why we picked it: Scratch the black away to reveal rainbow colours underneath. Quiet, mess-free and absorbing.

• 150 scratch sheets
• Rainbow colours underneath
• 2 stylus pens
• All ages

What owners say: Vibrant colours, easy to scratch and hours of quiet fun.

A closer look: Run the bath first, then drop one in and let them watch it fizz away until the little crystal crown, shell or angel appears. Each ball is wrapped separately, so keep the rest sealed somewhere dry until next time, and give the tub a quick rinse afterwards, as the shea and cocoa butter can leave it slippery.

Why we picked it: Twelve fizzing bath bombs, each hiding a little crystal toy. Bath time, suddenly popular.

• 12 bath bombs
• A different crystal toy in each
• Shea and cocoa butter
• Colours the water

What owners say: Kids love the colours and the little toys. Some make necklaces with them.

Heads up: The toys are small, so keep an eye on younger children.

A closer look: Tip it onto a baking tray and most of it stays put. Stray bits lift off the floor more easily if you dab them with a bigger lump of sand rather than reaching for the hoover, then everything goes back into the castle pots. It’s free of wheat, gluten and casein, handy to know for children with those allergies.

Why we picked it: Genuine Kinetic Sand in three colours to mix, with moulds and tools. Sticks to itself, not the carpet (mostly).

• Genuine Kinetic Sand
• 3 colours, 383g
• 9 tools and moulds

What owners say: Keeps kids amused for hours, feels lovely and isn’t messy.

Heads up: Once mixed, the colours blend together, which kids tend not to mind.

A closer look: Hold a few back rather than handing over all thirty at once, and save them for the next long car journey or doctor’s waiting room, where a new stretchy string or infinity cube buys a surprising amount of calm. The squishy pieces are washable, which is worth doing once they’ve been passed round several sticky hands.

Why we picked it: Thirty of the current favourites, from pop-its to squishies. Enough to share round the cousins.

• 30 fidget toys
• Pop-its and squishies

What owners say: A fantastic range with all the current trending toys. Great for long car journeys.

A closer look: Before the first mission, put both handsets on the same channel and agree a backup in case the neighbours’ kids are using it too. The VOX setting transmits as soon as they speak, useful on a bike or scooter with the handset clipped on, and the built-in torch comes into its own on camping trips and garden games after dark.

Why we picked it: Rechargeable by USB-C, so no batteries to buy, with up to three miles of range for back-garden spy missions.

• USB-C rechargeable
• 22 channels
• Up to 3-mile range
• Backlit screen

What owners say: Great fun and easy for young kids to use, with a clear signal over a surprisingly long range.

A closer look: Encourage them to work through the instruction guide and master a handful of tricks properly before trying the rest, as a short, polished routine goes down far better than a long one. Once they’re ready, clear a spot in the living room, line up some chairs for the audience and let the hat and costume do the rest.

Why we picked it: A proper magician’s hat and costume plus plenty of tricks, so Christmas afternoon becomes a magic show.

• Magician’s hat and costume
• Lots of tricks
• Illustrated instructions

What owners say: Good quality with easy instructions, and kids love putting on shows.

A closer look: Heat a mug of milk until it’s steaming, then stir until the chocolate has melted away. Each stirrer is wrapped separately, so the three can be shared out between people. Check before gifting: the marshmallows contain pork gelatine and the pack may contain traces of nuts and peanuts, so they don’t suit vegetarians or anyone with a nut allergy.

Why we picked it: Belgian milk chocolate spoons topped with mini marshmallows: stir into hot milk and there’s instant hot chocolate.

• 3 × 25g stirrers
• Belgian milk chocolate
• Mini marshmallows
• Snowman gift box

What owners say: Delicious, not too sweet and a lovely little gift.