Those Christmas adverts and Christmas shop windows are here, and are here to stay for the next six weeks, whether you like it or not. With each passing year, it seems that Christmas is coming round faster each time….. It only feels like yesterday that we wrote last year’s Christmas gift guide here at NotSuchAModelMum. Perhaps time really does fly when you get old like me!!! To help ease that sometimes hair raising rollercoaster that can be the Christmas silly season, I have compiled a few favourite items of ours which will come in useful when trying to think what the hell to buy people! First up is my gift guide for kids.
If your kids are anything like mine and love nothing more than some wheels and the feeling of freedom at high speed, then a Woom bike is the answer. These bikes are incredible. They are German made, and are therefore built well, and are designed to withstand the hard up life of being a well loved and well battered kids bike. These light aluminium framed bikes come in fab colours, which is great when my eldest girl has outgrown it, it can then be passed down the chain to the other siblings, whether girls or boys. They offer a simple user guide to help you choose the right size for your child. They are also super easy to assemble even for the likes of me who has two left hands! I can’t rate these bikes enough. I so wish they offered an adults range too! Woom bikes, I hope are you listening??
If you are like me, and believe deep down that you might have a genius kid (!) hidden underneath all that Paw Patrol and voyeur-esque YouTube watching other people opening yet another kinder surprise, then investing in some musical instruments is the way forward, and, if you are looking to invest in an instrument which is versatile enough to suit more than one child, then the Piano would be top of my list. In an ideal world, a Steinway Grand Piano would be great, but, until I win the lottery that will just have to go on hold. Instead, depending on my budget, my first choice would be the Casio LK-136AD keyboard… and you can plug in headphones which makes it a winner in my book!
My second choice, if you have a little more to spend, is the Yamaha YDP-143R . The piano is a beautiful instrument which is relatively easy to learn and, if nothing else, it sits there like a well loved ornament, and when people come to visit, they might think,” Oh what smart kids you have!”
Something fun that makes it easier to learn the piano, are these Piano stickers . They are a godsend for my children, and make the process of learning a lot easier.
Another great, cheap gift for both boys and girls is an acoustic guitar. As a child no-one in my family or in my group of friends played the guitar, so I never thought about trying to learn. My internet in guitars was piqued when a friend bought one for us and my four year old son now wants to learn to play…so, thank you friend for your gift. I am just glad that it wasn’t a drum kit!
If your kids bicker constantly about what belongs to whom, then the simple idea of a desk space for each child, has been one of my best gifts yet. The Micke desk from Ikea is perfect for this and my daughter, who is very much into crafting, now has hew own space. When we gave her the desk, we built it, then placed all her wrapped arts and crafts presents inside. For my son Carter, we filled his desk full of cars and sticker books and this year we will add finger skateboards and building kits.
If you fancy an experience or a day out then Virgin Experience Days have some exciting and brilliant ideas, from indoor skydiving to stadium tours.
It was, in fact, Jess, who introduced the author Micheal Morpurgo to me as a children’s book writer. Having known him as the author of the incredible War Horse, I hadn’t realised he was also a children’ s writer too. We read one of his books, The Butterfly Lion, and I have now bought his whole collection for Christmas. It is ideal reading for kids age 7 plus.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a trip to the Theatre. The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre. I will be taking myself and the kids to this plus many more shows this Winter!
My son is obsessed with Skate Board Fingerboards. You can design the skatepark in any way you like and there are so many different scenarios for the skateboard obsessed child.
Love them or hate them, children and grown ups to boot, adore Nerf Guns… They are ideal for ambushing poor Grandad when he exits the bathroom on Christmas Day!
I am now at that age with both my eldest two, where timekeeping and and learning to tell the time are important, and this fab, child-friendly Smart Watch with built in games and a camera, will not only entertain the kids for hours but are also great interactive learning toys.
This interactive world globe called the Shifu Orbit, is great for all kids to learn about places in a fun and engaging way. It comes with a tablet app. which of course they will love as they will think it is their own iPad!
A while ago I did try doing some Origami a while ago with Bronte, who was I think just too young back then, and now at 8, she can’t get enough of the stuff!
Another great idea to keep kids busy and reap the fruits of their labour, is this Weaving Loom .
It seems that all 8 year olds… at least, the ones that I know, are obsessed with slime. Whether making it, playing with it, or throwing it at each other, here’s something fun to feed this fun! 
Every quintessential Christmas must have a board game or two, plus that essential three day marathon puzzle. Well, that’s the case at our house! Here are some fun choices.
GIFTS FOR BABIES
I must admit that Darcy is really too young to understand what Christmas is all about. It is more my guilt that she, as the third child, has nothing new just for her as everything seems to be hand-me-downs. So, to keep this mum-guilt in check, I’m going to add a few fun toys for her under the tree.
A great time waster for the bath are these Water Flutes, and they are also loved by her siblings too!
2. This Christmas, I’m going to give Darcy the freedom to roam! The baby Walker I wish I had bought this baby walker sooner for my other two, as its a life changer! Although, it does depend on space and if you have carpet, the baby isn’t going to be able to walk far!! 
These Jungle Fun Bath Toys are a great way to engage the kids and build on our story telling skills for all of us, making bath time fun and interactive.
