The ultimate Christmas gift guide for kids

This vintage-style candy machine has some serious nostalgic vibes. Fill it with delicious lollies (tip: peanut M&M’s fit beautifully, according to one review) and be the present giver of the year. It is so much more exciting for the recipient than simply gifting a bag of plain old lollies. And no, it doesn’t require coins to turn the dial. 

Colours: Black, red

Key features:

• Made from glass and aluminium alloy 
• Measurements: 11.5 x 12.7 x 22.5 cm

Never heard of junk journaling? It’s a mash-up of all the “junk of life”, in stickers, pictures, collage and scrapbooking form. This handy kit includes a journal, stickers, colourful tape, ribbon, photo corners and more, so an arty kid can express their creativity however they like. Maybe it’s decorating next year’s school books or journaling about summer road trips and school holidays. It all comes in a handy tin briefcase that can be used for years. 

Colours: Fruits, florals

Contains:

• 1x B5 Journal
• 6x Printed Papers
• 4x Sticker Sheets
• 6x Die Cut Embellishments
• 2x Washi Tapes (2M / 78.7in)
• 1x Ribbon (1M / 39.3in)
• 4x Printed Envelopes
• 1x Sheet Photo Corners

If there’s one gift that will never go out of style it’s good old Lego. With so many amazing crafty kits available now you can build pretty much anything – but we’re big fans of a classic storage box full of different colours (35, to be exact) to really let the imagination run wild. This set also contains windows, eyes wheels and the classic free baseplate so the recipient can build for hours on end. 

Key features:

• 35 different brick colours
• Green baseplate included (3″L, 6″W)
• 484 pieces included
• For boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 99 years old

Kiwi summers of our childhood were spent playing around the sprinkler in the backyard, so we simply had to include this larger-than-life dinosaur version.  Standing tall and proud at over six feet, this larger-than-life inflatable sprinkler will be a hit with kids and adults alike. Just pump it up, attach the garden hose and spend hours playing beneath the sunshower of water that sprays from its mouth. 

Colour: Green

Key features:

• Comes with a hose adaptor which fits onto most garden hoses.
• Includes repair patch in case of punctures.
• Made from durable, non-toxic phthalate-free PVC.

Get the kids off the PlayStation and into a game that’s a little more hands-on. We can’t go past Bananagrams – a holiday staple an educational anagram game is fun that’s a holiday staple in our house. All you need to play is a table, meaning it is perfect for summer camping trips beach holidays and airport waits.  It’s also great for those sleepy, Christmas Day food coma lulls. Fun and educational – and it all comes in a cute banana case. 

Key features:

• Suitable for children aged 7+ 
• Only 740g
• Easily portable 
• One hand can be played in as little as five minutes 

Is there a tiny Harry Potter fan in the house? Gift them shoes that will make them truly believe they can fly. These Gryffindor Crocs are just too cool for school.  They not only say Gryffindor on the backstrap, they also come with iconic jibbitz, including the Gryffindor shield and sword. There are also select Batman and Frozen Crocs in the range – check out our write-up here. 

Sizes: US1 – US 13.

Key features:

• Lightweight ventilated Croslite upper
• Soft footbed
• Heel strap to lock foot in

Sometimes the best gift for a kid is quality time doing something cool. Red Balloon has a whole range of family-friendly experiences that mean treasured memories for years to come. Take them on an alpaca farm tour, or check out some sea life at Kelly Tarltons. For older kids, a day on the famous Rotorua cable car, luge and zip line means a few thrills (and maybe a few spills) or for something a little less high octane, an interactive All Blacks rugby experience is set up for true sports fans.

Make bathtime and bedtime a little bit easier with the promise of a snugly colourful robe. We’re big fans of Homey’s adult-sized striped robes so we were extremely overjoyed to see they also come in kids’ sizes. Available in three sizes to suit ages 5-12 and eight colourways, these robes are made from the same plush towelling material as the adults’ to absorb excess water after bathing or swimming.

Sizes: Small, medium, large

Colours: Sherbet stripes, blueberry stripes, picnic stripes, margarita stripes, lavender, bubblegum, coconut, wasabi

Key features:

• Three sizes available
• 100% cotton