If you have young people in your life, then you know all too well how tough it can be to pick the right Christmas present for a toddler, child or teen.
If you’ve left your gift shopping until the last minute, you’re in
What to buy for kids and teens this Christmas
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For ages 0-4
1. Vtech Build a Burger
Your little one can learn all about matching and sorting colours and shapes while they build this toy burger - and fine-tune their motor skills at the same time.
$30 from The Warehouse
2. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Sit & Steer Driver activity centre
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This car-themed activity centre will keep your baby or toddler busy for hours as they explore the moveable steering wheel, honk the horn and sort shapes – with more than 150 different songs and sounds to hold their attention.
$89.99 from The Warehouse
3. Paw Patrol Holotoyz 4-in-1 puzzle
If your toddler is obsessed with Paw Patrol, chances are they’ll love this puzzle themed around the popular kids’ TV show. Once they’ve assembled their puzzle, you can get the Holotoyz app and scan the puzzle to bring Chase, Skye, Marshall and Rubble to life.
$16 from The Warehouse
4. Kmart Koha Bear
For every one of these cute and cuddly bears purchased, $2 will go to the Salvation Army as part of Kmart’s Wishing Tree Appeal to help out Kiwi families in need.
$15 from Kmart
5. LEGO DUPLO Peppa Pig Garden and Tree House
This Peppa Pig playset is the perfect introduction to DUPLO - featuring characters Peppa, her little brother George, a treehouse and garden tools that will keep them occupied for hours.
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$34.99 from LEGO
6. Little Nation Play Couch
Rather than destroy the lounge in favour of fort building, Little Nation’s Play Couch Grand offers endless opportunities to play – converting to a reading bench, playhouse, tunnel and more. Plus the covers are removable and washable, making easy work of saving the fabric from inevitable spills.
$440 from Little Nation
7. Mud Mates Mud Kitchen
Ideal for outdoorsy types, these handmade mud kitchens are crafted from treated timber to handle all weather conditions. There are plenty of knobs, shelves and hobs to ignite little imaginations, and each kitchen can connect with a garden hose – promising hours of entertainment.
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From $355 from Mud Mates
8. Lovevery The Music Set
Hoping to raise a mini-musical maestro? This wooden toy set from Lovevery is a good first step. They’ll learn to match notes and recognise patterns and sounds with six different toddler-sized instruments.
$247.59 from Lovevery
For ages 5-7
1. Play-Doh Swirlin Smoothies Blender Playset
You can’t go wrong with Play-Doh – and since the colours tend to end up mixed together anyway, why not encourage it? With this set, your child can form their own fruits and vegetables and transform them into a colourful smoothie.
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$15 from The Warehouse
2. F.A.O. Schwarz Glow Brights Plush LED with Sound French Fries
This plush toy isn’t just cuddly – it lights up with built-in LEDs when squeezed and plays music. Pro tip – the battery back comes with a switch-off feature that’s perfect for quiet time or bedtime.
$39.99 from Farmers
3. Marvel License All Over Print T-shirt
With this vibrant tee, your little superhero won’t have to choose their favourite Marvel character – they’re all represented, from Captain America to the Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man.
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$12 from Kmart
4. Bluey Friends Plush Toy
The perfect gift for the Bluey fanatic in your household, these plush toys are just the right size to take wherever they want to go. Choose from Bluey herself, little sister Bingo, dad Bandit, mum Chilli and more.
$19 from Kmart
5. Moki Mixi Kids Volume Limited Wireless Headphones
These wireless headphones are made to protect little ears and come in a range of colour combinations – from blue and red to purple, green and pink. They’re also foldable so perfect to take along on your next flight or family roadie.
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$49 from JB Hi-Fi
6. Zuru Mini Brands Secret Garden Capsule
Each one of these Mini Brands Capsules comes with different-sized toy plants you can collect to create your own little garden. You might even collect the extra rare scented mini plants.
$15 from Kmart
7. Squishmallows Christmas ornaments
Squishmallows are as popular as ever this year, and these Christmas-themed ornaments are sure to be a hit. You may just start a new festive tradition.
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$15.99 each from Farmers
8. Zuru Pets Alive Mama Duck Surprise
Not only does this fluffy mother duck quack at the touch of a button, but she also comes with four mystery eggs. They could hatch into ducklings, yolk slime, stickers or even the coveted rare golden duckling.
$60 from The Warehouse or $59 from Kmart
9. Car Transporter Truck with Sports Cars
This car carrier from LEGO City comes complete with three toy cars and four minifigures to build. You can even move the truck’s cab to see the engine.
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$159.99 from Lego
For ages 8-12
1. Diary of A Wimpy Kid 10 Second Challenge Game
If your kid reads the popular books by Jeff Kinney, they’ll love this board game version offering 90 challenges to complete in 10 seconds or less, with illustrations by the author himself.
$29.99 from Whitcoulls
2. Furby Aurora Furbealis
Furbies are back and this glow-in-the-dark version comes with more than 600 songs, jokes and phrases to hear in English and Furbish, as well as countless accessories.
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$79 from The Warehouse
3. Pokemon Scarlet & Violet 7 Stellar Crown Blisters Assorted
The perfect gift for the Pokemon card collector in your home, each one of these blister packs comes with 10 cards to play alongside an existing deck.
$8 from The Warehouse
4. Subscription to Letters from Afar
A magical subscription for aspiring young globetrotters. Each month, fictional explorer “Isabelle” will send a hand-written and illustrated letter from a far-flung corner of the globe, detailing what she’s seen and experienced. It’s snail mail with a good dose of hidden education – the receiver learns all about different cultures, cuisines, wildlife and landmarks.
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From $11 from Letters from Afar
5. Tamagotchi Original Gen 2
Did you know Tamagotchis are back? Like baggy jeans and Oasis, these digital pets were a hallmark of the 90s and the 00s. Turns out they still exist and are as popular as ever.
$39 from JB Hi-Fi
6. Marvel Spider-Man RC Drone
This mini drone features a Spider-Man figure with propellers and a remote control. With your supervision, your child can learn the basics of controlling a toy drone.
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$22 from Kmart
7. Stitch
Build the iconic Lilo and Stitch character out of LEGO with this set. As well as a turning head and moveable ears, Stitch also comes complete with a Hawaiian shirt, ice cream cone and hibiscus flower.
$129.99 from LEGO
8. Zuru Bunch o Bubbles Blaster
Nothing says summer like blowing bubbles – this bubble blaster takes away the mess that usually ensues and will keep kids of all ages occupied for hours.
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$69.99 from Farmers
9. OXX Cosmetics Nails for Days Advent Calendar
Let your tween be their own glam squad with this advent calendar. It comes with cute shades, as well as a nail file and glitter, for the perfect at home mini mani.
$10 from Kmart
For the teens
1. Bestway Hydro Force Summer Slide Activity Island
What better way to spend a summery Christmas Day than in the water? This inflatable island has features the whole family can enjoy, from a splash pool to a slide.
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$299 from The Warehouse
2. LEGO Harry Potter Expecto Patronum
Your resident Harry Potter fanatic can create Harry’s stag Patronus or Professor Lupin’s wolf with this versatile LEGO set, complete with a minifigure and a display stand.
$116.00 from The Warehouse
3. Hackt!cs board game
Give the gift of financial literacy with this innovative board game. Teens can learn practical money skills as they move through the game, from saving to investing to entrepreneurship.
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$116 from hackticsboardgame.com
4. Girls Cross Strap Slide Slippers
These fluffy slippers in pastel blue and pink will be a welcome addition to any tween or teen fashionista wardrobe – perfect for wearing around the house or packing for a sleepover.
$39.99 from Peter Alexander
5. Disney+ subscription
There’s something for everyone on Disney+, from all the newest TV shows to teens' favourite movies as well as all the classics from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel, to name just a few.
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$14.99 a month or $149.99 a year from Disney+
6. Mecca Max Fairy Gloss Mini Lip Gloss Trio
They’ll be the envy of all their friends with this lip gloss trio from Mecca, with three different shades – clear, candy pink and tawny rose. The holiday packaging is just a bonus and makes it perfect for displaying under the Christmas tree.
$33 from Mecca
7. TimeZone gift card
Load up a gift voucher for your teen to spend how they wish at TimeZone. The best part is you can pay for games in minutes rather than money – such as an hour’s worth of play for $28 – meaning you won’t spend all your credit in the first 10 minutes.
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Prices vary from TimeZone
8. OXX Cosmetics Summer Solstice 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar
An advent calendar is the perfect early Christmas present to help count down the days until the 25th – or for simply opening all at once to enjoy. This set from Kmart’s beauty range comes with body wash, body butter, body mist, hand cream and lip gloss in different tropical scents.
$30 from Kmart
