CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR KIDS 2017

Now I have children of my own, I find present buying a lot easier. I know what my kids like to play with and what they really really want for Christmas.... a yellow power ranger apparently!

If you need some ideas for kids gifts, look no further....

Andy & The Odd Socks Album - Who Invited This Lot?
Andy Day (him off CBeebies!) has his own band, The Odd Socks and they have created this brilliant album for kids of all ages. Featuring songs about dinosaurs, robots and ninja pigs amongst other things, this would make a fantastic stocking filler. It has literally been on repeat in our car since we got it!

Exploding Kittens Game - £29.99
This game may sound a bit extreme but it is suitable for the whole family and promises lots of fun!

Personalised Thomas the Tank Engine Book - Not on the High Street £29.95
If you are looking for something a little bit special and unique, this personalised Thomas book certainly fits the bill. A beautiful reproduction of the original Thomas the Tank Engine story, your child's name will feature on header of each page plus the front cover. You can also include a personal message at the start of the book.

The Creakers - Tom Fletcher
This magical story tells the tale of those creatures who lurk under your bed, hiding in the shadows. We really enjoyed Tom's debut novel, The Christmasaurus and I'm sure this second book is going to be equally as popular.

Rubik's Junior Kitten Puzzle - £9.99
Aimed at children from 3-9, this cute little kitten can be twisted to create a crazy mixed up animal and then easily solved. I could never solve the original Rubik's cube so I reckon I'd have more luck with this!

Lego Disney Princess Ariel & the Magic Spell - £25.00
Part of the Princess range, this set features Ursula's Grotto where Ariel can swim up and be transformed to reveal her human legs. Also featured is Ariel's cave plus the all important buildable crystal glove that contains her voice!

PJ Masks Headquarters - £44.99
One of the biggest sellers this Christmas, this is a must for any PJ Mask fans. Elliot LOVES PJ Masks and this was the top of his Christmas list!

Fisher Price Teach N Tag Movi - £39.99
With 360 degree mobility, Movi encourages children to get their minds and bodies moving while teaching them to follow directions and think about the world around them. We reviewed this great little toy a few months back and it has continued to be popular in our house!

How are you doing with your Christmas shopping?!

Taking on the Wicked Uncle Challenge

Do you find is easy buying presents for children? I have to say as a mum now I don't find it too difficult and I have a better understanding of what kids like. But before Elliot came along I was a bit clueless, especially when it came to little boys. And now I understand why my brother in law used to look so dismayed when his children opened yet another gigantic box of stickers ;)

Wicked Uncle have taken the stress out of present buying and I have to say, I was really impressed with their website! You can search their website using the child's gender, or their age and there are different catagories such as outdoorsy, spooky & spells and engineer. There is also the option to see whats popular on the website to give you even more ideas on what to buy!

We were contacted by Wicked Uncle who asked if we wanted to take on the blogger challenge. We're never ones to turn down new toys so it was a big yes from us, especially Elliot! We had to find a willing friend/relative who needed some help buying toys so we asked my sister Laura to help us out. Laura doesn't have children of her own so she was a perfect candidate to test out the website!

Here's what she had to say about her Wicked Uncle experience:

"When I got asked to take part in the challenge I looked straight away at what I could buy and was really impressed. The website was really easy to use with different catagories for age, hobbies etc and I soon found the perfect items to buy. There was such a wide variety of of choices, all at affordable prices and it was very easy to navigate. Check out was straightforward and I liked that you could add gift wrap or a card. The package arrived quickly and was well packaged."

So there we go, a big thumbs up from Aunty Laura! So what did she choose? The parcel was delivered to her house (but gifts can also be delivered directly to recipients) and she bought it round to my parents one Sunday afternoon. Elliot was beside himself with excitement and couldn't wait to tear into the box!!

Laura chose him My First Microscope and a Live Butterfly Garden - both perfect choices for Elliot! He loves to learn and he's really into nature so both these items were very well received. 

The microscope is really nice and very bright and sturdy, perfect for his age group. He has spent lots of time looking at items under it and most things in his toy box have studied! 

 The butterfly garden is a brilliant gift and perfect for a nature lover like Elliot.The box includes a voucher which is sent off to claim your caterpillars and once they arrive you can watch them grow up to ten times their size before transforming into chrysalides. I like the fact that the butterfly habitat is reusable so you can use it again and again each year. The caterpillars can only be sent off for between March - September so we are going to save this activity for next Spring and Elliot can't wait to grow his own butterflies!

We were all really impressed with all that Wicked Uncle had to offer, there is so much choice on the website but it was good to see different items that you wouldn't normally pick for gifts. I will definitely use the website in future for those hard to buy children!

*Disclaimer - Laura was sent a £40 voucher to exchange for Wicked Uncle gifts but all views are my own