Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids Under 8 - Gift Guide 2020

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After the year we have had, I don't know about you but I cannot wait for Christmas to come round? Seeing all the decorations and gifts in the shops has got me all excited and I know the kids are looking forward to it too, after all its been a pretty rubbish year for them too! Now I think most kids are the same when it comes to writing a Christmas list (its never ending!) and it can be hard to decide what it worth buying and what isn't, especially for younger kids who love most toys they see. 

So today I have put together a gift guide full of great gift ideas for younger kids (mostly under 8) with a range of toys, activities, crafts and gadgets and to suit different budgets too. So whether you are looking for a main gift idea, some stocking filler ideas or a gift for a family member or friend, you are sure to find some inspiration below. 

So Sand DIY - So Satisfying Magic Sand

Have you ever touched magic sand? If not you are totally missing out! There is something about it that is so satisfying and relaxing, watching it run through your fingers but also form shapes and can even by cut! This soothing sensory toy is perfect for those who love ASMR or who love crafts and the kit contains everything a child could need for hours of fun. 

Inside the box you will find over 10 tools to mold, shape and cut your magic sand as well as 3 bags of sand and the components needed to turn it into "magic sand". The sand station is the main part of this set and it provide a place for kids to play with all that magic sand in one place as well as keeping everything tidy (well as tidy as can be expected). 

This set is priced at £24.99 and is currently available from Smyths, Argos and online at Amazon. 

Geomag - 83 Piece Confetti Set

Construction toys are a great option for younger kids because they are not only fun but can be educational too, always a great combo when it comes to choosing gifts I think. The Geomag confetti range combines colourful rods and panels with magnetics to allow children to create a limitless amount of structures and objects using this 83 piece set. 

The Geomag Confetti 88 pieces set includes 39 spheres, 44 light blue, orange, red and green rods, 2 square platforms and 3 pentagonal platforms. These kits are perfect for teaching kids early about how magnets work and of course allowing them to express their creativity through colour construction. 

The Geomag Confetti 83 piece set is priced at £29.99.

Stomp Rocket - Duelling Rockets

Kids seem to have endless energy don't they? So I always think any game or toy that is going to help them burn off some of that energy whilst having fun is always going to be a winner. Even more so if its a game kids can play together! Which is why I think this Stomp Rocket Duel set ticks all the boxes of a great gift. 

This special Duelling Base lets 2 kids launch air rockets at the same time, so you can see whose goes higher! It requires no batteries, is lightweight to be able to take out with you and kids will love seeing who can get their rocket the furthest in the air (they can reach up to 200ft!). 

The duelling rocket set comes with 4 rockets as well as the duelling base and is priced at £15.99. 

Snax the Sloth - Talking Sloth

Meet Snax, the adorable cuddly sloth that is not only great for hugs but can move and talk too!  Kids can chat away to Snax who will talk back to you.... all be it very slowly in true Sloth style. Of course his long arms make for the perfect cuddle and his cool yellow hoodie means he is always looking stylish and keeping warm. 

Kids will love hearing Snax repeat back what they said in slow motion and his moving eyes and mouth are a super fun and interactive feature. 

Snax the Sloth is available from Argos, Smyths, Toymaster and online at Amazon, he is priced at £30.00.

The Book of Comparisons - The Childrens Book Club Subscription

Kids love fun and amazing facts and letting us all know about the right? Well this book is full of them and will keep kids fascinated for hours reading all about facts such as Did you know that you can fit two football teams on the tongue of a blue whale? Or, Did you know that the Samoan moss spider is as small as a grain of salt? 

The book features 96 pages of amazing, funny and truly fascinating facts as well as beautifully captivating illustrations too. It will leave kids amazed at all the comparisons and truly bring home just how big (or how small) some well know things are, including how many people you could fit on a blue whales tounge...? Comparing everything from animals to space, humans to vehicles there are some truly extraordinary comparisons in these pages. 

The book is a beautiful hardback and is actually just one of the books you can get via the Childrens book club! The Childrens book club is a monthly gift subscription service available as one of monthly gift or up to a 12 month subscription. Each month a book is chosen to match your childs age, likes and dislikes and beautifully gift wrapped before being sent. A one month subscription is priced at £11.99. 

Zimpli Kids - Gelli Spa

You can never be too young to truly enjoy a bit of a pamper or a spa day, but this Gelli Spa set from Zimpli kids combines the relaxing nature of a spa with the fun kids love. Gelli Spa creates the ultimate spa experience at home! Kids can often their feet in the relaxing Gelli, add a drop of oil for a sweet scent, then treat their feet with the mini pedicure set! This set is perfect for pamper parties, mum and daughter days and even sleepovers!

The Zimpli Kids Gelli Spa box contains 1 x Inflatable Foot Spa, 5 x bags of Pink Gelli, 1 x Bottle of Minty Essential Oil, 1 x Mini Pedicure Set and 1 x Bag of Massaging Marbles. It is priced at £14.99. 

Zimpli Kids - Chocolate Emoji Maker

What kids don't love chocolate right? Well they might love it even more when they get to create their very own chocolate bars in a fun range of emoji designs! The Zimpli Kids chocolate emoji makers allows kids to get creative and design two of their very own chocolate bars. 

The kit uses the finest Belgian chocolate and comes complete with 2 x 45g Bags of Milk  Chocolate, 2 x 15g Bags of White Chocolate, 2 x 8g Bags of Dark Chocolate, 2 x Tray Moulds, emoji®️ stencils and Instructions on how to create your bars. The chocolate can be melted using warm tap water and so is totally safe for kids to do too as no boiling water is required. 

This set is priced at £9.99 and contains enough ingredients to create 2 bars, you can of course though use the stencils and moulds time and time again if you just purchase more chocolate to make again and again. 

Rockpool Game - Gibsons Games

Rockpool is a game that combines fun and learning as kids learn about the impact of rubbish on nature, especially rockpools through this game. In the game players push their luck to collect the most shells and clean up rubbish from the beach before the tide comes in. But they will need to watch out for cheeky creatures who steal shells!

Players take turns adding Stone Cards to the Rockpool to reveal what’s underneath: shells, starfish, dog toys, cheeky shell-stealing creatures or even some horrible rubbish! Sometimes a Wave will come in and wash the contents of the Rockpool away and all the shells are lost. At any time, players can “Shout” to empty the Rockpool for their team and add shells to their collection.

The game is great fun for the whole family whilst still being simple enough for younger kids to be able to understand and enjoy too. It is available from Gibsons Games and is priced at £13.00

3D Unicorn Head Craft Set - Fiesta Crafts 

If you are looking for a gift that is sure to have everyone giggling this Christmas then this hilariously cool 3D Unicorn head craft kit might just be the answer! These super fun craft sets from Fiesta crafts use durable reinforced card to allow kids to create large 3D heads/masks of animals such as this Unicorn. 

The heads are simple to make as all of the shapes needed are pre-cut and all feature bright vibrant designs that appeal to younger kids. These masks are perfect for dressing up, fancy dress or just for bringing a smile to everyone's faces, the best thing is as long as they are looked after, once built they can be used time and time again!

Each mask set is priced at £6.99 and as well as the unicorn, other animals available include crocodiles, sharks, lions and dinosaurs. 

Haribo Selection Box 

A selection box is a must over Christmas right? But if your kids prefer sweets over chocolate or you have way too much chocolate at home already, then this Haribo selection box is a great alternative. Featuring some classic Haribo favourites including the starmix, supermix, tangfastics and giant strawbs this selection box is a Haribo lovers dream. 

The selection box contains 6 mini packs in total and weights 182g in total. It is priced at £6.95

The Pack of Positivity Playing Cards - Gibsons Games 

Regardless of age, we all need a little positivity in our lives and this year that has never been more true. This Pack of Positivity is definitely needed during these difficult times and is packed full of pick me ups, along with a dash of sarcasm and a healthy portion of puns. These quirky cards have been illustrated by Katie Abey and provide bucket loads of happiness and motivation for the whole family!

In this 52 pack, each card features a different image of Katie’s work, such as ‘The Peacock of Potential’ and ‘The Hippo of Happiness’! The cards are made by Piatnik who have produced the finest quality playing cards since 1824. Their superior standard makes these playing cards a favourite in the market, and the single packs with unique classic and historic designs on each card are ideal for collectors and gifts.

Each pack is priced at £5.00 and would make the perfect stocking filler this Christmas. 

Zimpli Kids Baff Bombz - Rocket

Bath bombs are an instant way to make any bath time more fun for kids and these super cool rocket "baff bombz" from Zimpli Kids make a great gift idea or stocking filler. 

Use these fun "Baff Bombz" to add some colour, bubbles and make bath time an exciting affair. Simply drop the rocket shaped bath bomb into a warm bath and watch as it fizzes, wizzes and zooms around the bath releasing a trail of red, orange and yellow. Each pack contains one baff bomb and is priced at £3.99.

GEMEX Starter Set from John Adams

GEMEX is a fairly new product but it is fat becoming very popular as kids use these fun sets to create everything from charms to keyrings. The GEMEX Starter Set allows you to create gorgeous gems in just a few minute by carefully pouring the liquid magic into the mould and add decorations. Shine the light and the gel will harden in just a few minutes. The starter set includes everything kids will need to create up to 20 gem accessories to wear and share!

The set includes 1 x 15g bottle Liquid Magic, mini torch light, magic mould, assorted gems / decorations, instructions. Requires 2 x CR2016 batteries which are included in the set. You can also get various other sets such as the Deluxe creation station which can be added to this for even more creative GEMEX fun. 

The starter set is priced at £13.00 and is available at Argos, Smyths, Toymaster and online via Amazon. 

Locked in Goodness Hair Accessories 

Hair care doesn't have to be boring and many young kids love playing hair dressers or practiving hair styling on themselves, their friends and us parents. So these lovely gift sets from Locked in Goodness make a great gift idea. Locked in Goodness believe in natural hair care and so have created products that are plant based, natural, organic and vegan friendly. 

You can either purchase the products separately, or if you are looking for a great gift idea, their gift sets (like the one below) are a perfect idea. The set below contains award-winning natural, organic, vegan & eco-friendly Hair Smoothie, Hair Gel, Bamboo Hairbrush and Satin Scrunchies packed in a beautiful natural brown Kraft magnetic gift box.

The set below is priced at £26.99, however there are a range of different sets available which start at £16.99.

Planet Buddies -  Child Friendly Headphones 

Many kids enjoy spending time watching movies or playing games on technology such as kids tablets and if you are buying for a child who enjoys spending time on a tablet then these child friendly headphones are a great choice. 

These headphones from Planet Buddies are designed with kids in mind and feature a child based audio limit of 85 decibels which is the recommended limit by the World Health Organisation. These headphones come in a range of designs including the panda below as well as penguin, owl, turtle, whale and tiger. Each set is designed with a fun, animal print headband with the panda and tiger designs featuring a super cute fluffy headband. The headphones also feature adorable animal designs printed on the earcups, the headphones are fully adjustable with high-quality materials and soft padded earcups for maximum comfort. To ensure strength and durability, headphones are designed to withstand handling, drops, and knocks by small children.

These headphones are priced at £19.99.

Planet Buddies Beanbag Tablet Holder

Tablet accessories for kids who love tech are always a winner and these super adorable mini meanbag tablet holders are a lovely gift idea. 

Kids can view their screens in comfort with the Planet Buddies tablet bean bag cushion stand which helps to improve your child’s posture, reducing neck and upper back strain. The cushion stand allows kids to easily adjust their tablet from landscape to portrait modes without the need to detach and reattach to a rigid stand. The tablet cushion stand offers comfort and keeps any device within touching distance so kids can click and scroll with ease.

Designed to be ultra-lightweight, the tablet stand is the perfect travel accessory for optimum viewing everywhere you go too. The cushion stand also features two discreet and convenient pockets for storing small items or accessories. 

Each tablet cushion stand is priced at £19.99 and are available in a range of designs including the turtle shown below as well as whales, owls and penguins. 

Tech and Games from Smiggle

Smiggle is a firm favourite with kids for its bright and fun stationary, but did you know they also have a great range of toys and tech items too? They have some fantastic items that are perfect for Christmas and these are a couple of our favourites - 

Illusion fold up headphones - These super cool headphones come in a range of fun prints that kids will love, they are suitable for any device with a 3.5mm audio jack and fold up for easy storage. They are a fab option for kids who like to listen to music or play on their tech etc on long journeys or even for at home learning. The soft ear pads and adjustable headband make these the perfect gift for little ones as they are super comfy to wear too. 

Hangry Heroes Night Light - A night light can great for kids who don't like complete darkness at night or who perhaps like to read in bed but don't want a bright light. These super fun Smigglets from the Hangry Heroes range from Smiggle are so cute (we especially love the pizza one below) and even change colour! 

Toys and Stocking Fillers from Smiggle

If it is stocking fillers you are after then Smiggle have it sorted. They have a huge range of fun stocking fillers from girly nail varnishes to bath bombs, slime and fluffy sand to name a few. Of course they have lots of awesome funky stationary that is perfect for stocking fillers too! Here are a couple of our favourites include the 8 compartment fluffy sand, peel off nail varnishes and galactic galaxy slime! 

L.O.L Surprise OM.G  Styling Head

Do you have a future little hairdresser on your hands? Or a little girl her loves practicing different hair styles and looks? If so this beautifully fabulous L.O.L Surprise styling head is absolutely amazing and a fantastic idea for anyone who loves hair or L.O.L Surprise! In keeping with the usual surprise element of the L.O.L Surprise products, the styling head is no different as it contains 30 surprises to unbox. 

The L.O.L Surprise Neonlicious styling head offers a fun and totally unique way to style and customise hair. Each styling head comes with various pieces of stick on hair is a range of neon colours that can be mix and matched and places on the dolls head to create various fun styles and looks. The box includes 14 hair pieces as well as 15 accessories and of course the styling head itself. There are two different styling heads to collect, Neonlicious and Royal Bee and they are currently available at Smyths and priced at £31.99 each. 

Barbie Fashion Boutique with Doll

Barbie is such a classic toy, and as a kid I always asked for at least one Barbie on my Christmas list! But with so many different barbie dolls, sets and accessories to choose from now it can be hard to decide on which one to get. However the Barbie Fashion Boutique is a great gift option for any barbie or fashion lover! 

The Fashion Boutique set contains a genuine barbie doll and everything you need to set up your own fashion boutique. This works great as a stand alone set or as part of a wider Barbie collection. It is available from Toys and Bears and is priced at £29.99. 

Toniebox and Tonies - Child's Music Box

If you know a child who loves listening to stories or dancing along to music then the Toniebox is a great gift idea. It uses the Toniebox (the green cube) as a speaker and the Tonie characters can be placed on top to play a variety of music and audio stories. The stories/songs etc that are played will depend on the characters and there are some great characters including Julia Donaldson books, Fairytales, Disney and even a Christmas Tonie! There are also Creative Tonies (little characters) that you can download your own Audio files onto to play through the Toniebox. 

Once content has been downloaded onto a Tonie it can then be played anywhere at all and doesn't even require wifi. The Toniebox starter set which comes with the Toniebox and a creative Tonie is priced at £69.95 and the Tonies are priced at £14.99 each. 

So there you have it, our comprehensive list full of gift ideas for younger kids this Christmas. As you can see above there  are lots of different ideas out there and hopefully some of these will help you with your Christmas shopping this year! Is there anything above you think your kids would love or that you would consider purchasing for a loved one? Let me know in the comments below. 

xXx

**This post contains products which I received for inclusion within this gift guide. However all words, opinions and images are my own and I retain full control of this post.**