Stumped on what to get you or your friends’ kids for Christmas? BabyGro founder and beijingkids board member Johanna Selth offers her top ten suggestions for the holidays.
1. Mini Micro (pictured above)
It is a proud moment when as a Mum or a Dad you see your toddler master and perfect the skills of a fully grown surfer. But believe us that is what happens within days, when you give your child a Mini Micro! This Swiss-designed product has been a huge bestseller at BabyGro in 2010 and will give your toddler hours of outdoor fun. They are incredibly portable – I took my son’s with us on our recent trip to the US, just pulled it apart, popped it in the suitcase and viola! At 1.5kg it won’t put you overweight. My 2 year old whizzed around everywhere in DC!
2. Skip Hop Zoo Packs
The perfect kindergarten bag for little ones, Skip Hop Zoo Packs will inspire your child’s imagination and help create the excitement of going off to school. Whimsical details and durable materials make this the perfect on-the-go pack for kids on-the-go! Team it with a matching Zoo Lunchie for a very useful Christmas Gift.
3. Trunki Snoozihedz
Travelling this Christmas? Give your child an early gift for the aeroplane to help him or her relax. The new Snoozihedz from Trunki is an innovative 3 in 1 travel pal, pillow and blanket is perfect for napping on the move! Presented in the form of a cute character (the pillowcase), simply un-zips to reveal a durable inflatable insert for the pillow and a plush fleece blanket. The blanket also has a cute face and pocket for teddy to take some shut-eye too. SnooziHedz features the unique Trunki Grip? which connects the blanket to the pillow preventing it from sliding off in transit. Useful for every type of transport, the Snoozihedz will be the one item you never want to leave behind!
4. Crayola Beginnings TaDoodles
Kids super-brand Crayola makes safe, non-toxic markers, crayons and paints for little people. Their new range of TaDoodles: easy grip, egg shaped bath crayons, stampers or paints, will give your toddler lots of indoor fun over the cold winter months.
5. Micro G Bike
We all know that riding a bike for the first timeG Bike is a thrilling yet scary experience – what if you could give your child the exhilaration without the fear? Introducing the micro? G-Bike – a stroke of genius by micro’s Swiss designers! Its brilliance won it the prestigious Award for Innovative Design from Eurobike in 2006. You only need to watch a child ride one of these to see how it completely makes sense as a first bike for a toddler. At only 1.95 kg – around half the weight of other balance bikes on the market – it’s so easy to handle for both kids and their parents. For ages 2-4 years.
6. Skoose Hair Bows
Small, lightweight, colourful, pretty – these hair bows are great stocking fillers, so useful and will make your little girl feel like a princess. Designed for all ages, even particularly effervescent adults, there are some many colours and styles to choose from. Brighten up your little girl’s Christmas…
7. Simply Good’s Create a World
This soft imagination game offers endless playtime fun. It is great for girls and boys of any age, with no rules or boundaries apart from those set by your child’s imagination. Very portable, the game is made from 100% high quality felt, it is colourful and easy to clean. A wonderful alternative to high-tech toys, every child can express him or herself and create his own unique world!
8. Rileyroos Shoes and Boots
Baby’s first Christmas is a great opportunity to buy something practical – before they start clamouring for iPads and hideously noisy electric items! Invest in a gorgeous pair of Rileyroos shoes or boots that will last the whole winter. Made of high quality, ultra soft leather or suede and with a slight curl to the sole to provide leverage as little ones make their natural gravitation from sitting to crawling to walking, these shoes from the US are perfect for little feet. Sizes from 6 to 24 months.
9. Dunck Floating Bath Toys by Skip Hop
Rinse, stack, pour & float! This adorable set of three colorful ducks float and pour, providing endless bath time fun! DUNCK does double duty as mom or dad’s rinse cup, keeping baby happy and clean! Stacks up neatly for storage after bath. BPA-free, Phthalate-free, PVC-free. Also available from Skip Hop: Octopus Ring Toss and Fountain, Soapster Foaming Soap Penguin and Zoo Bath Mitts.
10. Boon Creatures
Create any fish you wish! Surfs up in the bath tub – fill them up, pour them out, watch the water trickle out of the tiny holes on their sea creature heads. Mix and match their parts to create new underwater species. Bonus? They’re soft and flexible, sort of like real fish. But less stinky. A great gift for babies 9 months and up, your older kids will also want to play! BPA, PVC and phthalate free.
