14 brilliantly creative Christmas gifts for kids

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Choosing Christmas gifts for kids can be tricky, especially this side of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you're tired of buying the little people in your life presents that become discarded just a few days later, then we've just the solution.

We've scoured the internet to bring you some brilliant gifts that will really get your kids’ creative juices flowing. Whether they’re aged two or 12 (or 22), we’ve found Christmas presents for kids of all ages.

We’ve covered all bases as well. From stocking fillers to under-the-tree extravaganzas, there's something here to satisfy even the most inquisitive of younger minds.

And if you're looking for consumer electronics for bigger kids or adults, take a look at the following articles: The best Wacom tablet deals, The best laptops for graphic design, The best monitors for designers and The 6 best smartphones for designers.

By the way, we know it's early for Christmas chat – M&S started it, so blame them. Read on for our pick of the best Christmas gifts for kids...

Best Christmas gifts for kids under £20/$25

01. Trunkaroo

• Ages: 3-8
• Price: £20/trunk or a monthly subscription

If you've ever felt at a loss as to how to keep your kids entertained, or you're on the hunt for that extra special gift to spark their creativity this Christmas, look no further than Trunkaroo.

This brilliant DIY brand offers all the necessary materials, instructions and ideas for a craft project in a single ‘trunk’. With a strong focus on making STEAM (science, technology engineering, art and maths) interesting and magical, trunks include everything your kids need for hours of hassle-free fun and learning.

You can purchase single trunks or join Trunkaroo on a monthly subscription, for which you’ll receive two trunks direct to your door. It’s a fantastic, hands-on way to keep little ones entertained.

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02. Tynker

• Ages: 7+
• Price: From $8 per month (yearly subscription)

If your kids are digital whizz kids, they’ll appreciate a subscription to Tynker this Christmas. Suitable from ages seven and up, Tynker is a complete learning system that teaches kids to code, giving them crucial 21st century skills.

The first level sees kids starting to experiment with visual blocks, using a Lego-like visual language to learn fundamental programming concepts. They then progresses to JavaScript and Python as they design games, build apps, program drones and make incredible projects.

"My son Woody began experimenting with coding in the past year or two," says illustrator and designer Ben O'Brien. "I really like the look of Tynker, which sells itself as more gaming or toy-based, as kids can use it to code things for Minecraft, for robots or drones and to build games."

Fancy a free coding option? Scratch is aimed at kids between 8-16. It lets them program their own interactive stories, games, and animations – and share their creations with others in the online community.

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03. Farmer Christmas picture book 

• Ages: 2-8
• Price: £8.99

Get your kids in the festive mood with this beautifully illustrated, large-format children’s picture book, Farmer Christmas. The magical tale follows three children as they set off on a festive countryside adventure. 

It'll have your kids peering out of their bedroom windows on Christmas Eve to catch a glimpse of Farmer Christmas and his trailer full of presents...

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If your little ones have a passion for drawing, who better to teach them than celebrated illustrator Quentin Blake? This little sketchbook would make a great stocking filler for any budding young artist.

With lots of tips and hints from the brilliant man himself, there's plenty of room for kids to unleash their creativity and draw amazing illustrations. It also comes complete with a quality sketching pen and two watercolour pencils in a handy attached case.

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Help your little one learn about the world around them with these fun-filled activity cards

05. Mindful Kin

• Ages: Whole family
• Price: $12.89/£9.50

Ok, so a box of cards might not seem like the most exciting present for your kids to open. But there’s so much more to these than meets the eye. 

A set of 20 simple and fun mindfulness-based activities written for young children – but suitable for the whole family to do together – these cards help little ones learn about the world around them. They explain how to help manage thoughts and feelings, and teach a range of relaxation techniques too.

Guaranteed that after you’ve tried a couple of these with your little ones, it won’t be long before they’re wanting you to read them another card. 

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Make learning with your kids fun with this beautiful infographics book

Infographics make learning easy and fun, and this series from Big Picture Press and Simon Rogers is no exception. Bright, colourful and full of information to keep enquiring minds occupied, these are a brilliant way to engage curious young adults. And you might even have some luck with older kids who aren't particularly excited by science and education. 

This one focuses on technology, but the series also looks at the human body, animal kingdom and space.

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Best Christmas gifts for kids under £50/$75

Nothing sparks the imagination quite like Lego

We couldn’t write a list of creative gifts for children without including Lego – a toy that will no doubt be on top of many a kid's (er, and adult's) wish list this Christmas. The popular little brick has exploded in recent years, with Lego sets available in pretty much every theme you could think of. 

It's hard to pick a favourite, but for this list we're going for Red Creatures, from Lego's three-in-one Creator sets. Each of these sets comes with enough Lego pieces to build not one but three models, which means more play time and great value for money. 

Prices vary depending on what set you choose, but themes include:

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This fun, hands-on kit teaches kids how circuits and electronics work

If music is your kid's jam, then this lovely little synth kit would make the perfect Christmas gift. It's a fun, hands-on kit that teaches children how circuits and electronics work. 

"I had to help my little boy build this – he's seven", says Ben O'Brien. "But there was enough for him to do in the building, and then it's just fun to play with. This company make lots of other things too, all of them are ace." 

"Great packaging, too, for design-savvy parents," he adds.

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These fun play houses will keep kids entertained for hours

How many times have you bought your kid a lovely gift, only for them to be more interested in the box it came in? Well, here's a gift where the box is essentially the present. 

Paperpod produces a fantastic range of innovative, highly interactive, safe and affordable cardboard playhouses; designed and manufactured in the UK from recycled corrugated cardboard. 

Great for letting kids' imaginations run wild, you can choose from designs including a rocket (pictured), teepee, aeroplane and car. Environmentally friendly and guaranteed to keep kids entertained for hours, what more could you possibly want?

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The Wacom Intuos is a brilliant tool for young ones to get started with digital art. Designed for both right and left-handed users, budding artists can easily draw, paint and sketch on a computer with the ease of pen. Intuos Draw also comes with ArtRage Lite drawing and sketching software, and online tutorials to get your little ones off to a flying creative start.

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Best Christmas gifts for kids under £100/$125

Kids can bring their creations to life using all manner of mediums at this luxury art easel

After a more traditional drawing and painting method? Look no further than this gorgeous, small person-sized art easel. Here, tiny fingers can experiment with paint, chalk, pens, crayons, markers, and more, all at one convenient station. 

It’s also designed to let children use several different art media: on one side is a chalkboard, on the other is a dry erase board, and in between the two easel sides is a dowel for holding a butcher paper roll. 

The easy-to-clean design makes it very parent-friendly, and with not one but two available art stations, there will be no arguments about who gets to use it first. Winner.

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It's impossible to ignore how tech-savvy kids are, with little ones often about to use digital devices more efficiently than their parents. If you're after a tablet for your kids this Christmas but can't – or don't – want to spend hundreds of pounds, then the Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition tablet is an excellent choice. 

It comes complete with one year of to Fire For Kids Unlimited, giving you access to over 5,000 popular apps and games, videos, books and educational content from Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street and many more. 

Built specifically for kids, there are also easy-to-use parental controls and a kid-safe browser that keeps them safe from inappropriate content. 

And the best bit? The Fire 7 comes with a two-year, worry-free guarantee that means if they  break it, simply return it to Amazon and the company will replace it for free. No questions asked.

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Best Christmas gifts for kids over £100/$125

We already had Lego, we know. But this is educational Lego – so it scores extra points. Deigned to help develop coding and constructions skills, this STEM toy lets children build, code and play with five different robots: Vernie, The M.T.R.4 (Multi-Tooled Rover 4), The Guitar4000, Frankie the Cat, and The AutoBuilder.

It comes with an interactive motor, colour and distance sensors. Simply download the free app and control your creations. We're impressed.

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14. Mud Kitchens

Watch the look on your kid's face if you surprise them with their very own Mud Kitchen this Christmas

• Ages: 2-7
• Buy: £250-£530

In this ever-growing digital age, there's nothing quite like getting back to nature to spark creativity. Mud Kitchens provides the perfect space to encourage kids to get outside and explore the world around them.

“The benefits to playing with mud are vast. Research has shown that it can make children healthier, smarter and happier,” says Mud Kitchen founder Natalie. “They’re not just for mud but can encourage other sensory play such as water, foam, bubbles, dried foods and sand.”

Every kitchen is handmade using quality timber and comes fully assembled. Prices start at £250, which includes UK-wide delivery (surcharge applies to Ireland and Jersey), personalisation and utensils. 

A two-month payment plan is also available to spread the cost and still guarantee a Christmas delivery slot. The team will be taking orders for Christmas until December 10 (subject to change), so make sure to get your order in asap. Only available in the UK.

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