Since we were little, we’ve been enraptured by the life of Josh Baskin in the hit 1988 film Big starring Tom Hanks.
When Josh accidentally wishes to be bigger at the mere tween age of 13, he suddenly finds himself with an adult life, job and funds that allow him to purchase every toy, game, and gadget he could ever wish for as a kid. The scenes that take place in the legendary New York toy store, FAO Schwarz – specifically Tom Hanks dancing on the walking piano – still make us giddy to this day.
Learning curves and life lessons aside, we’ve always wanted to have a bedroom filled to the brim with childhood wonders like Mr Baskin. Nevertheless, as adults, we must spend our money on extremely boring adult things – food, water, and electricity to name a few.
Yet once little humans miraculously enter our lives – whether in the form of grandchildren, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, or our own children – we’re suddenly granted a fantastic opportunity to awaken our inner child and relive the childhood wonder associated with toys and games vicariously through them.
This has been made even more possible with the re-emergence of toys that were popular throughout the 1990s and 2000s, such as Furby and Tamagotchi. Nostalgia aside, treating our little ones to special gifts over the Christmas period is wonderfully fulfilling. Unlike grumpy old humans, there’s always a sense of awe behind the eyes of a child who has just received a present – even if it’s just an old avocado.
Without further ado, we’ve rounded up a selection of toys, gadgets and games that are all the rage amongst the little ones at the moment. It’s never too early to start prepping for December 25.
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Le Toy Van Large Wooden Kitchen
It's the cottage-core aesthetic that really sets this play kitchen apart from its Scandi minimalist rivals. Rendered in sugary pastel tones, it broadens a child's imaginative play with lifelike rotating taps, working oven dials and a smart butlers sink. It's made from solid FSC certified wood, too, so is about as sustainable as it can get.
Buy now £320.00, Selfridges
Bigjig Toys Junior Art Easel
Unleash their inner artist with this clever two-sided easel by Bigjig Toys. Freestanding at the optimal height for your little artists, one side offers the classic chalkboard option (and comes with a handy little pack of coloured chalks to boot) while the other opts for the more modern white board surface, that's thankfully wipe clean too.
Buy now £49.99, Amazon
Palaeontologist Starter Kit
Awaken the inner palaeontologist in your little one with this fantastic exploration and excavation kit from the learning toy experts over at Kiwico.
Role-playing as a real scientist working on-site to unearth ancient artefacts, your child will use tools to excavate dinosaur bone replicas, which they will then assemble into a skeleton display – just like in the museums. Plus, your child will also be able to make detailed fossil impressions with some colourful miniature dinosaurs. You’ll have your very own miniature Dippy at home in no time.
Buy now £24.27, KiwiCo
Bandai Tamagotchi Uni
The newest generation of Tamagotchi is finally here, and the virtual pet popularised in the early 2000s has never been more hi-tech. Rather than the old-school, 8-bit black and white Tamagotchi screen, the Uni has a fantastic technicolour display.
Boasting its very own version of the Metaverse, Tamagotchi owners can meet up in the worldwide Tamaverse to play minigames, chat and exchange gifts. What’s more, thanks to the innovative smartwatch-esque design and movement tracker in the Tamagotchi Uni, kids can take their Unis for walks and wear it as a super cool accessory.
Buy now £44.99, Amazon
Yoto Player (3rd Generation)
If you feel like you’d quite like to delegate the task of bedtime reading occasionally, you should probably invest in a Yoto Player. The compact, screen-free audio player works with special cards that you simply pop in to read one of your little one’s favourite stories, from The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom to Robin Hood. Plus, each one comes with a blank card so you can add your own audio via a handy app. For the latter, you can get granny or grandad to record their bedtime book of choice and play it as they drift off.
As well as stories, the Yoto can also play white noise or a Sleep Radio channel when it’s time for bed, and comes with a built-in night light. And while it’s screen-free to make sure it doesn’t affect little eyes, it does come with a fun pixel display that can either be used to bring the stories to life – by displaying the Gruffalo’s terrible tusks and terrible jaws, for example – or set as a programmable day and night clock, to let your little ones know when it’s time to go sleep and when it’s time to get up.
While the use of the player itself is only recommended for children aged three and up, there are cards with stories and noises that are suitable from birth all the way to 12 years old.
Buy now £99.99, Amazon
Spool Knitting Set
Teach your child the art of knitting from a young age with this brilliant miniature spool knitting set. Easy to operate by simply winding yarn around the conical structure, your youngster will be able to create everything from miniature animals to their very own custom yarns for when they’re able to take the next step into more complex projects.
Buy now £10.49, KiwiCo
Furby Coral Plush Interactive Toy
That’s right, it’s another piece of late 90s and early 00s nostalgia. What can we say, it’s clear that Furby – against all odds – has stood the test of time. With five voice-activated modes and over 600 different unique phrases, jokes, and songs to share, this crazy little pet-like creature will be your little one’s new best pal. They can care for Furby and provoke reactions by giving them hugs, pats on the head, feeding them and combing their hair.
Buy now £74.99, John Lewis
Biggies Inflatable Dog Plush
A burgeoning rival to the beloved plush Squishmallow, Biggies Inflatable plush toys are all the rage amongst primary school attendees. Suitable for ages 5 and over, this magical toy comes with a manual pump which helps it to grow up to 10 times its original size while remaining oh-so soft and cuddly.
Buy now £20.00, Argos
Kitchen Scrap Planter
A fantastic gift for the budding horticulturist, this shared activity between kids and parents allows little ones to watch plants grow right before their eyes while teaching them the power of reusing and recycling.
This set has purposely been designed with clear bowls, so that kiddos can watch how roots reach downwards to drink water, while the stems grow upwards towards the light. Regrow leftover spring onion bottoms, garlic, potatoes and more without any mess or fuss.
Buy now £20.22, KiwiCo
Froggie Dissection Lab
Yet another fantastic educational, yet somehow wonderfully cuddly toy by KiwiCo, this plush Froggie Dissection toy can be opened up to reveal the major internal organs that we humans have in common with the hoppy reptile: heart, lungs, stomach, liver and more. With the help of the accompanying educational cards, you can also play a diagnosis game to figure out what illnesses Froggie might have.
Buy now £24.27, KiwiCo
Paw Patrol Movie Skye Deluxe Vehicle
The new Paw Patrol film PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie is set to launch in November and this toy is part of the merch collection. It is made for role-playing adventures with Skye where the plane requires no batteries but has interactive turn handles to operate the wings and buttons for soft dart projectiles.
Buy now £49.99, Hamleys
Barbie Dream House Doll Playset, Slide and Accessories
Whether your child has always been a lover of all things Barbie, or was recently inspired by Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking blockbuster – make all of their wildest dreams come true by hiding a Barbie Dream House under the Christmas tree this year.
Buy now £199.99, Very
Micro Scooters Sprite Foldable LED Scooter, Blue Stripe
Since their invention in the early 20th century, scooters have captured the hearts and minds of kids across the globe. Treat your kid to a brand-new two-wheeled wonder this Christmas from Swiss brand Micro – just be sure to get imaginative with how you wrap it, so that you don’t ruin the surprise. They’ll be gliding to school in style by 2024.
Buy now £124.95, John Lewis
Hamleys Harry Potter Gryffindor Bear
If they have pledged their allegiance to one house in the Harry Potter universe in particular, this plush toy will delight come Christmas morning. The adorable furry bear is adorned with a scarf in the colours of and embroidered with the coat of arms of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin.
Buy now £30.00, Hamleys
Harry Potter Box Set: The Complete Collection
It’s never too early to get the kids started on their wizarding training. Plus, once they’re inevitably enraptured by life at Hogwarts, you can go ahead and plan that trip to the Wizarding World in Orlando – you know, for the kids.
Buy now £30.00, Amazon
Lego Star Wars 75318 The Child
Watch as Baby Yoda comes to life before your very eyes with this brilliant Lego Grogu set. A gift that is sure to make any young Padawan’s eyes light up with joy, this Lego figurine measures a whopping 19cm high when assembled. It contains 1073 for your child to get stuck-in to, and the final figure is complete with a posable head, moveable ears and an adjustable mouth for different facial expressions.
Buy now £79.99, John Lewis
Barbie Doll | Magical Ballerina
Bring out the inner twinkle-toed ballerina in your child this Christmas with a Magical Ballerina light-up doll from Barbie.
Buy now £18.66, Amazon
Alice Axolotl small soft toy 27cm
Axolotls are incredibly cute sea creatures that always seem to have a smile on their face, so it fits the bill that Alice looks like the happiest axolotl to have ever lived. We’re adding her to our basket for those ludicrously fluffy fuchsia ears alone.
Buy now £18.00, Selfridges
VTech Touch & Learn Activity Desk
A brilliant, interactive four-in-one piece of kit - the VTech Touch & Learn activity desk encompasses a writing pad, desk, blackboard and dedicated art station. Thanks to VTech’s innovative stylus, your children can enjoy pages of fun while learning all about letters, numbers, music, colours and so much more.
Buy now £45.00, Arogs
Disney Princess Sebastian interactive soft toy 20cm
Whether your little one was enchanted by the original animation or Disney’s recent live-action recreation of The Little Mermaid, chances are they’re a big fan of Ariel’s trusty guardian and sidekick, Sebastian. This plush and extra-soft toy is wonderfully interactive. He can laugh, talk and even move his head and claws.
Buy now £30.00, Selfridges
Sesame Street Elmo Slide Plush
This interactive Elmo plushie will delight little ones this Christmas, as they learn to sing and dance along to Elmo's catchy 'Elmo Slide' song.
Buy now £59.99, Hamleys
LOL Surprise Magic Flyers - Flutter Star
This hand-guided, collectible fluttering fairy toy from LOL Surprise will leave your child truly believing in magic this Christmas.
Buy now £32.99, Amazon
Hornby Santa’s Express Train Set
Fancy an early Christmas gift? Scoop up Hornby's sweet Santa Express Train Set and you can claim a 4ft potted Nordmann Fir Christmas tree for free. The fir, worth £79.99, will be delivered directly to your door in a pot so it can be replanted after the festive period and join you again for many Christmases to come. The offer is valid on other model train sets including The Coca-Cola Christmas Train Set (£99.99) and Mallard Record Breaker Train Set (£249.99), allowing you to grow your set and add an extra element of excitement under the tree.
Buy now £79.20, Amazon
Liewood Wilhelm Printed Pyjamas
What to wear the night before Christmas? Look to Liewood's charming cotton pyjamas which now come in Christmas-appropriate prints. As beautiful as they are practical, parents will love the small details - from the full-length sleeves to sweet little buttons on the henley-style top - to ensure optimal cosy vibes before the big day.
Buy now £47.00, Monsoon
Liewood Baxter Chair and Nicolo Table
Children's furniture can often be an eyesore in a beautifully curated home. Not so with Liewood's Baxter chair and Nicolo table - both are crafted to the highest safety standard without compromising on the sleek Scandinavian style that's become a hallmark for the brand. Mix and match pieces for an elevated homework corner or cosy reading nook.
Buy now £120.00, Liewood
Mini Rodini homeware
A natural extension to the cult childrenswear brand's offering, this homeware collection still boasts Mini Rodini's signature cheeky strawberry and viola motifs. Bedding is beautifully crafted from 100 percent GOTS-certified cotton, crucial for a peaceful night's sleep for your little ones.
Buy now, Mini Rodini
