Great gifts – at great prices!
Read our guide to find some excellent presents for under £20 (with some as low as £3.99!). All of them will be gladly received by your children….
Under £20
Day & Night Spider-Man , £19.99
Day & Night Spider-Man is a delightful present for the young Spider-Man fan in your life. It’s great for a child who’s a little too young for some of the more complicated Spider-Man toys, and is suitable from around 18 months upwards.
It’s basically a cuddly toy which has a stock of cute phrases (in a US accent) and also has a web blanket which he can hide up his sleeve! This is an adorable toy, which can even be switched to a night-time mode, whereby he eventually goes to sleep himself.
We can’t believe there are many parents out there who haven’t come across Fifi, but just in case you don’t know her, she’s a very busy, and very popular flowertot!
If her tummy’s pressed, bedtime Lullaby Fifi will sing a lullaby to your little one before bed. The flowers of her pyjamas even glow in the dark too! Very huggable!
(best for pre-schoolers)
Under £15
Itsyourstory – Christmas book, £14.99 (plus postage and packing)
If you’re looking for a top present this Christmas, then this might be the one for you. It really is something special, a book that your child will adore and hopefully cherish forever!
Itsyourstory.co.uk make beautiful personalised books. All you have to do is send them a photo of your child (you can email it if you like) and they will pop him or her into their very own story. But unlike some personalised stories, these ones really work – the pictures are great, the story is actually entertaining, and the quality is excellent too. Your child’s name goes on the cover and you and he or she will be entranced!
For Christmas, the most obvious choice is their new Christmas book, ‘Name of Child’s Snowman’, which transports your child to the North Pole for a magical Christmas adventure. The child’s face is incorporated into all the illustrations and the story includes information about them such as family members, their address and the name of a friend.
(the site offers a variety of stories, best suited from ages two to seven)
The author of Mog has invented another irrepressible moggy, and this time he’s a greedy guts who has three owners! None of them know that Twinkles, Arthur and Puss are one and the same cat, but he’s happy being fed and pampered by all of them!
This is a gorgeous book – beautifully illustrated as you would expect from Judith Kerr, and boasting a lovely, amusing story that will delight your children. Hardback books are always a pleasure and this would be a great choice for Christmas.
(for up to around age six)
Planx, from Hippychick.com, sets start at £12.45
The simplicity of this is genius! This latest construction toy is, literally, a whole load of wooden planks, but that allows for endless building opportunities. Our testers got going immediately, trying to balance the pieces on top of each other, working out why some constructions fell and others didn't, and, er, trying to get the other's bundle of planx for themselves! We'd say that means they're a success.
Not only that, but planx are environmentally friendly (they’re made out of South African pine trees which have been grown in managed plantations), and small sets can easily be added to if (or most likely when!) they prove to be a hit. That way you can make fantastic constructions like this crocodile.
(all ages)
Ratatouille Talking Plush Assortment, Mattel, RRP £11.99
Fans of the hit film (of which there are many) will love playing with these tie-in toys. Those on offer include Emile, Linguini, Skinner, Gusteau and of course, Remy, and all the toys “speak” and make funny sounds.
(any age)
Under £10
A fantastic present for girls and boys alike. Based on the books by Lauren Child (as well as the ever popular TV series), this annual is a cut above average. It not only contains stories but games (even a lovely snakes and ladders), activities (including make your own snap cards!) and stickers.
This really will excite your children and provide them with lots of ideas, stimulation and fun. It might even give you a break while it keeps them occupied!
(from age three upwards)
Doctor Who fans will be absolutely thrilled with these figures. Boys (and girls) should have hours of fun re-creating the world of the Dr, particularly he battles against the evil Master. Other figures include lonely assassins the Weeping Angels, Laszlo and Professor Yana, as well as Dalek figures. Terrific fun.
(from age three upwards, but should still be popular with young tweens!)
What could be better than a present which is loved by both child and parent, and is actually useful? Our tester suddenly became desperate to brush her teeth when she saw this, she continued doing so for the whole two minutes and was clearly thrilled.
This musical toothbrush plays a song when it’s used, and the music increases in volume as brushing continues There’s currently a choice of tracks by Destiny’s Child, Black Eyed Peas and Queen, with more planned.
(age five upwards)
This lovely Roary friction racing car is sure to be a huge hit with fans of the TV series. It's not the fastest car in the world, but our young tester wasn't too concerned about that. He was far more impressed that he finally owned a Roary of his very own, and that it spoke to him, uttering memorable Roary phrases!
(best for pre-schoolers)
Tweens just can’t seem to get enough of High School Musical, and there are so many tie-in products! But this one is a great one for your kids to start with…..Get them playing with this special new High School Musical edition of UNO and watch them break free from the competition!
(recommended for ages seven and over)
20Q, Mattel, £10
20Q is a great game for children of around eight and over. It’s based on the classic game 20 questions, but this time you challenge the Q! It kept our tester mesmerized!
(recommended for ages eight years and over)
AquaDraw Mini Mats Disney Princess, Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine, Winnie the Pooh and/or Sponge Bob Square Pants, Tomy, RRP £5.99 for a pack of four.
The Supernanny team loves these mini mats. They not only keep your children entertained – at home, in a restaurant or even on a plane - but they’re just so easy! All you have to do is fill the enclosed pen with water, so there’s no mess. Children just “colour” with the pen and a picture magically appears on the mat. Excellent value for a great present, which can be used again and again.
(recommended for ages three and up, but a two year old tester seemed very happy with them as well!)
Under £5
Young Thomas fans will love these little flexible engines that magically transform simply by turning them inside out! Thomas becomes snow covered, Percy chocolate covered and James turns into a Busy Bee to bring favourite stories to life. A good stocking filler, and a good imaginative aid to story-telling.
Girls aged between five and seven just can’t get enough of Rainbow Magic. Now fans of Rachel, Kirsty and their multitude of fairy friends can enjoy sticking and dressing up their own little dolls. Popular presents, which will immediately occupy your daughters, and well priced as well.
(will appeal to girls from ages four until around seven)