Santa’s Top 10 Christmas Gifts for Kids 2016

If you want to make a splash this festive season, then turn your daughter’s bed into a mini ocean, with her as the star of the sea. The mermaid bedding Set by Snurk lets her wake to the flick and swish of a mystical tail, transforming her into the beautiful creature she adores in movies and storybooks. It’s 100% cotton, snug enough for the lightest of sleepers to disappear into.

Little girls tend to have a fascination with dressing up like mum or aunt, or their big sister with the cool eyelashes. A touch of Nailmatic Nail Polish introduces them to the pleasures of glitz and glam. Her toes will be wiggling with joy by the fireside this year, cast in shimmering pink. And don’t worry, it’s water-based for an easy wash-off when she has to help peel the sprouts!

The dance-mad kid needs every opportunity to show off, and Christmas time is perfect for impromptu talent shows. Your whole family will be beaming helplessly as your daughter twirls into the living room wearing this adorable tutu by Bob & Blossom. Made for all budding ballerinas,  it comes in sizes for babies, toddlers and young children. Gorgeously adorned with a satin ribbon, she’ll look the part of a royal ballet dancer, enjoying the super elasticity and comfort of the waistband.

The 80s were a glorious time for many parents; we can’t refuse the occasional callback, even if our kids don’t understand why we’re so obsessed. Thankfully, the Berlin Boombox melds a bygone decade with the digital tech we’ve grown to cherish, transposing a beloved speaker design for smartphone compatibility. Your teenager can build it from scratch, as it comes with a handy guide for locking its cardboard-based frame together.

UK designer Le Van Toy is no stranger to impressive, stimulating play pieces, but their three-storey doll house is the most eye-catching of the bunch. There’s everything a child needs here for their imaginary friend’s life to seem closer to home than ever. Open up this wooden treasure and behold its best features: a staircase, amazing decorations and circular windows, ready to shed light on that teeny tiny furniture.

Tangled wires are a nightmare, especially if your fingers aren’t old enough to fiddle with them very well. Kids and teens can be averse to neatness, but they’ll appreciate the saving grace of these headphones by Wraps, which loop around the wrist when they’re not blaring audio. A simple, ingenious solution to a problem we’ve all faced, they also function as fashion accessories. There’ll be no more cries of frustration when your son is heading for the bus, wanting his favourite band to join for the ride.

Daddy doesn’t get to be the only caveman this Christmas! Your darling toddler or babe will have great fun riding Neo, our fur-tastic mammoth ride-on toy by Kids Concept. With a luxurious coat, he’s ready to trumpet the art of textured play, inspiring little monsters to grasp and savour every minute they spend moving back and forth in his shoulders. Neo’s definitely a faithful eli-steed, even if he can’t eat the carrot from the hearth on Christmas eve.

For indoor and outdoor games, your munchkin can have a taste of royalty, as the Princess Castle Playhouse lands into her life like a dropped drawbridge announcing her arrival in a land far, far away. A couple of her gal pals can fit inside, gushing over secrets together, using the complementary storage bag for any toys they bring with them. It assembles effortlessly, propping up your daughter’s fantasies in a bright pink fashion. This stunning castle by Win Green will take pride of place in any fairytale kingdom.

Unicorns tend to be the rarest beasts in a made-up world, and we reckon your child deserves to mimic them – after all, they’re equally special, charging towards the next great thing in life over and over. This unicorn disguise by Wild & Soft is made from material that resembles real fur, lined in cotton to make the jumps, preens and skips as grandly comforting as one could ask for. If they find a knight to play with, or a wizard in a dressing gown robe, there’s no telling how much fun they’ll have.

Snap the Christmas crackers and break out that Noddy Holder scream, because we’ve reached the end of our Cuckoo countdown. And what’s rounding it off, you ask? Well, we have the ultimate gift for those little doodlebugs! The Doodle Duvet Cover with Wash Out Pens by Doodle By Stitch allows creative kiddies to let their imagination run wild with possibilities. Budding artists can spend hours doodling away on their giant notepad style duvet with the blessing of mum and dad. Simply pop the duvet cover into the washing machine and like magic the fun can begin all over again.