Best Christmas gifts for children under five – as chosen by kids themselves (and their parents)

What does an under-five want for Christmas in 2024? Well, according to Ayla, two, from London, it’s “a rainbow in the sky”. But short of cloud-seeding, what actually are the best gifts to delight young children?

Whether you’re a parent whose repeated attempts to get them to write to Santa have failed, a grandparent panicking in John Lewis, or a close (but clueless) family friend, here are 28 ideas for Christmas presents for under-fives direct from kids, and their parents, themselves.

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The best gifts for children under five

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Chill-out area

Tipi tent, £68
_dunelm.com
£69.99
_amazon.co.uk

I’m going to fill the tent with cushions and books from the charity shop and spruce it up with fairy lights because she loves going into tents and is obsessed with books. This will be a nice, comfy, quiet space for her to chill. Beverly, mum of Sofia, 19 months

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A space for drawing

Ikea Flisat desk, £89
_ikea.com
Art table with paper roll holder, £64.90
_amazon.co.uk

I’m getting her this desk because she loves my friend’s little girl’s one, and drawing, and I want to encourage her not to sit on my desk and draw all over it – instead, she can draw all over hers. The Ikea one is amazing, as it has adjustable legs and a roll of paper. Beverly, mum of Sofia, 19 months

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Train sets for kids (and adults)

Brio starter train travel set, £30
_{argos.co.uk
amazon.co.uk}

Brio sets are the best. I love building a track the night before Ollie comes down and then we play together on the new layout. I love that it’s wooden and eco-friendly and will last until we become grandparents. For Christmas, I’ve been scouring Vinted for another set to add to Ollie’s track – people are always selling it and every set will work together. Tom, dad of Ollie, three

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Old-school toy

Personalised pink yo-yo, £12.95
_{personalisedgiftshop.co.uk}
Pink heart wooden yo-yo, £3.80
_amazon.co.uk

I want a yo-yo like at Nana’s house. I want a pink one. Effie, three

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In the driver’s seat

Fisher-Price garage playset, £45
_argos.co.uk
£51.55
_amazon.co.uk

I’m getting this garage for Jude. The cars go down the ramp, light up and make noise – he loves things like this at the moment. Melanie, mum of Jude, one

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Blok party

Mega Bloks build ‘n’ learn table, £20
_argos.co.uk
£19.99
_amazon.co.uk

I’m also getting him this building-block table to try to encourage him to stand up, as at the moment he just loves doing frog legs and jumps instead of standing. Melanie, mum of Jude, one

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Music, stories – and podcasts

Yoto Player, £89.99
_{yotoplay.com
amazon.co.uk}

Raeya loves her Yoto for listening to music, playing the slot-in story cards and listening to children’s podcasts – a guy called Jake does one every day. Ed, dad of Raeya, five

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Skateboarding like Barbie

Skateboard, £17.50
_saltrock.com
£24.99
_amazon.co.uk

Sofia really wants a skateboard for Christmas. Her favourite Barbie is Renee, who is a skateboarder, and she wants to be like her. Kate, mum of Sofia, four

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Paw Patrol cruiser

Skye’s mighty pup jet, £24.99
_elc.co.uk
£17
_amazon.co.uk

Because I like to play with it! Dashiel, three

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Magnetic tiles

Magna-Tiles 32-piece set, £35
_argos.co.uk
100-piece set, £41.99
_amazon.co.uk

Julio loves building things and any form of magnetic tile will keep him occupied for hours at a time. I’ll also be keeping an eye out for 1kg bags of Duplo on eBay – there are some real bargains on there. Ben, dad of Julio, four

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Story time

Toniebox, £79.95
_{tonies.com
amazon.co.uk}

Tonies story figures, various, £14.99
_tonies.com
Gruffalo story figure, £14.99
_amazon.co.uk

George loves listening to Tonies on his Toniebox before bed. He’s so into The Tiger Who Came to Tea and The Very Hungry Caterpillar and stories like that at the moment. Listening to them before bed helps him wind down, sometimes more than looking at the book. I find it really useful and he’s also asked for more. Jessica, mum of George, two

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Wearable princesses

Disney Frozen kids watch, £29.99
_{argos.co.uk
amazon.co.uk}

I really want a watch – I love princesses and I’m excited to wear a princess watch on my wrist. It will tell me when it’s 8pm, which is my bedtime. Lara, four

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Indestructible drawing pad

Doodle board, £15.59
_amazon.co.uk

These doodle tablets are great for little ones – they keep them busy on long journeys and in restaurants, plus they encourage their imagination and help them learn how to hold a pen. And they’re very hard to break! Kerry, Mum of Cleo, two

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Decorations and butterflies

Bauble decoration kit, £10
_{flyingtiger.com}
£7.26
_amazon.co.uk

Butterfly puzzle, £15.75
_{smallkins.com}
£25.99
_amazon.co.uk

For Christmas, I’d like a bauble to decorate the tree, but as a present on Christmas Day, I would like a butterfly toy. Marianne, three

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Bird is the word

Montessori bird feeding game, £29.55
_{projectmontessori.co.uk}

Fraser is absolutely fascinated with taking stuff out, putting it back in – and particularly poking anything that looks like a dangerous hole. I think this toy will help with that. Bella, mum of Fraser, two

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Let it go

Frozen Elsa singing doll, £19.99
_{johnlewis.com
amazon.co.uk}

I want Elsa and I want a cake. Why? Because I want it. Ada, three

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Power toys

Lego Ninjago Lloyd’s Elemental Power Mech, £17.99
_{lego.com
asda.com}

Monster Jam megalodon monster truck, £45.50
_argos.co.uk
£17.99 for a smaller version
_amazon.co.uk

I would like a remote-controlled monster truck and lots of Lego for Christmas. I love building Lego kits with my daddy, especially carts. I saw this Ninjago one that looks great. Toby, four

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Imaginary play

Wooden dollhouse, £34.99
_{smythstoys.com}
£40
_argos.co.uk

Wooden farm set, £55
_kidly.co.uk
£25
_argos.co.uk

I’m hoping to get them toys that will get them playing and imagining, so I think anything with people or animals will help with that. Camille, mum of Pippa and Teddy (twins), two

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Supermarket trolley

Shopping trolley, £28
_{johnlewis.com}

I want chocolate and a Christmas trolley. I like pushing a trolley around Lidl. Freya, three

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Dressing-up

Rapunzel dress, £35
_{disneystore.co.uk
amazon.co.uk}

Doctor’s kit, £18.40
_elc.co.uk
£29.99
_amazon.co.uk

I want a Rapunzel dress so I can dress up just like my Rapunzel doll. I also want a doctor’s kit. Willow, four

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Prehistoric play

Dinosaur toy, £11.16
_{rockawaytoys.co.uk}

I want a T rex. I want it to be yellow, black, white and blue. Tallulah, three

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Helping at home and riding bikes

Learning tower, £154.99
_{learningtowers.co.uk}
Folding standing tower, £64.99
_amazon.co.uk

My son has just started tottering around on two legs and seems keen to “help” in the kitchen. With this in mind, I’m planning to get him a learning tower. It’s a wooden structure that stands next to the kitchen counter so that he can see what’s going on up there and get stuck in. Paddy, dad of Ruben, one

ScrambleBug ride-on toy, £39.99
_tptoys.com
£39.17
_amazon.co.uk

As an avid cyclist, I’m keen to get him on a bike as soon as feasibly possible, so I also have a ScrambleBug on my Christmas shopping list. It’s a four-wheeled ride-on toy that (in theory) he shouldn’t be able to fall off. It folds up for storage, and, according to the manufacturer, “the fun insect design is pleasing to the eye,” which I’d argue is subjective. Paddy, dad of Ruben, one