For many people, Christmas is by far the least budget friendly time of the year. This year, with the rising cost of living crisis, getting gifts for your friends and family can seem daunting. To make life a little easier we have collated a budget friendly gift guide of our favourite, quality resources that offer excellent value for money. Our suggestions have been divided into themes so that you can shop by your child’s interest, or age and continue to spread Christmas joy to your little ones whatever your budget.
Looking for a more up-to-date budget friendly gift guide? Have a read of our guide on educational gifts for toddlers.
Pirates
A Hoy me hearties! If it’s Pirates that your little one is interested in then we have everything from books such as “Pirates Don’t Drive Diggers” and “Port Side Pirates” and toys like the Pirate hand puppet and dolls set to the ultimate Pirate Storytime set!
Once Upon a Time…
Ensure your little one has an enchanted Christmas this year with our suggested range of fairy and princess gifts! There is something for every little day dreamer here including a wooden castle, Stories of Fairies, fairy characters and puppets and even a princess train!
Superheroes
If it is Superheroes that have captured your little one’s interests this year then indulge them this Christmas with our suggestion of gifts. From books such as “Superkid” to a cuddly superhero toy, collection of wooden superheroes, superhero dress up and magnetic pretend play to turn a regular person into a daring Superhero!
Vehicles
Whether it’s cars, boats, trains, planes or bikes that have your little ones captivated – be rest assured that you can find quality gifts for a friendly price. Our Figure of 8 train set comes in under £30 and includes vehicles, people, trees and buildings as well as a sturdy wooden train track providing great value for money. Other options include a modern day smart car toy set complete with electric charging point, eco friendly cars, a road floor puzzle and a car service centre complete with car wash, petrol pump and mini vehicles!
Space
Looking for a space themed gift with a price that isn’t out of this world expensive? Our range of budget friendly, spaced themed gift ideas include jigsaws, books, tuff tray mats, story sets, dressing up costumes (jet pack and space suit) and various small world characters such as mini figures, wooden adventure packs and life on mars set and mix and match rockets to name a few!
Animals
Animal themed gifts are always likely to go down well at Christmas and can come in a variety of different forms from T-Rex dressing up costumes and Dino Feet to a cuddly selection of farm animals and memory games. Other options in our selection include books such as “The Dinosaur who lost his Roar” and the “Big Book of Animals” jigsaws like our suggested Dinosaurs puzzle and Elephant linking puzzle and wooden toys like our dinosaur figures and shelf, and farmhouse sorter.
Role Play
Role play gifts are a fantastically versatile option for Christmas presents that are guaranteed to go down a treat. Here we have a suggested a number of high quality resources that will last you until the next Christmas and beyond! Included is dolls and dolls houses, domestic toys such as a clothes hanger and mini henry hoover, dress up options of the wizard, chef and builder and beautiful wooden gifts such as the dentist set, doctor’s kit and afternoon tea set.
Sensory Play
Sensory gifts are always a fantastic budget friendly gift guide option as Christmas presents. Gifts such as an ocean waves projector or colour changing glitter lamp can be used in a little one’s room to create a calming environment for night time. Other sensory gifts can be used for exploration and play for example the colourful tactile shells suggested are fantastic for sand and water play, the slime play pack great for tactile exploration and generally messiness, and the pop up tent is a fantastic option for children that want to create a cosy home away from home.
Under 5’s
Finding good value gifts that offer some element of developmental and educational value for your littlest ones can seem tricky around Christmas with shops filled with brightly coloured plastic for children under 5. In our selection we feature mostly wooden toys chosen to support children’s development alongside fun. For example, the sit and ride rabbit hopper and the diditrike both will provide your little ones with activities that benefit their physical development. The shape sorter, stacking tower and puzzle book will offer an opportunity for children to develop problem solving skills, and the sensory wooden puzzles, wooden number blocks, sensory book pack and push along bear will provide stimulation as children explore senses, numbers and movement.
Eco-Friendly Gifts
Making your Christmas as eco-friendly as possible can often be quite a challenge when factoring in gifts for children, wrapping, food, decorations and everything else in between. Instead of plastic gifts this year why not browse a selection of eco alternatives, including wooden gifts such as our wooden pizza set, kettle and toaster, shop scales, traditional tale figures, dolls stroller and stamp a scene fairy garden! Another option is to consider gifts that are made from recycled materials like our sand vehicles made from milk bottles or our Eco block set made from recycled plastic. Finally, consider toys that are made using sustainable materials such as the sugarcane used in our bio dinner set. For more ways on how to have an eco-friendly Christmas then head to our latest blog post!
