5. Soft leather baby cowboy boots, from £69.95
These soft leather baby cowboy boots should be compulsory footwear for every non-walking baby. Part of a fabulous range of childrens cowboy boots from Australian brand Cowboy Jacks, they come in baby sizes 1-3.
6. Handmade crochet traditional storybook characters, £23
Pebble is a community business in Bangladesh that employs over 5,000 women to handcraft knitted and crocheted toys. Alongside their best-selling and utterly divine fruit and vegetable-shaped crocheted rattles is the new Once Upon a Time range of traditional storybook characters.
7. Mr Moustache gold edition mobile, £20
If they are lying on their backs, give them something interesting to look at, that might raise a smile with the grown-ups too.
8. Tuxedo babygrow, £38
Formalwear for babies: still funny, and perfect for the Christmas puree.
9. Jacob bunny rattle, £10
Beautiful in its pristine, just unwrapped state, but soon to be rattled and loved (and chewed) by its new owner: super soft Jacob bunny rattle.
10. Sheepskin booties, £15
Nothing beats a bit of natural sheepskin for babies: these deliciously warm sheepskin booties are from a range of products to suit all purses.
TODDLER GIRL
1-3 years
Valise Belle Enchantee dressing up kit
11. Spherovelo bike, £69
Conceived by the design team that gave us the Early Rider balance bike, the Spherovelo encourages the development of gross motor skills as toddlers learn to balance and propel themselves forward, whilst its moulded, spherical design makes it difficult, though not impossible, to fall off. Available in red, white, pale blue and mint green.
12. Trunki wheeled suitcase, £37.95
Just what you need when trying to ferry a reluctant toddler through passport control, the Trunki wheeled suitcase is still the unrivalled airport toddler tamer.
13. Wooden vegetable toys, £10
Playing with food just got a lot less messy with this assortment of eight velcro-joined wooden vegetables.
14. BabiCorolle Mademoiselle Cassis doll, £22.99
Soft and safe from birth, this doll is part of an enormous selection from the specialist doll retailer.
15. Charly emperor penguin, £55
Dont ask me why, but there seems to be a strange fixation between little girls and cuddly penguins.
16. The Land of Sometimes music and story CD, £9.99
This magical music and story CD will keep toddlers entranced (and quiet) as you drive to Grannys house for lunch, and is refreshingly inoffensive to the grown-up ear too.
17. Dressing up set , £214
Of course you could go down the synthetic, supermarket route, but there is something utterly magical (if outrageously expensive) about the Valise Belle Enchantee (pictured above). Inside the case your toddler will find a silver-sequinned petticoat, a mask and a mirror, guaranteed to make her the fairest in the land.
18. Ikea easel, £16
Move art projects on a level, and off the kitchen table.
19. Pushchair for teddy, £9.99
There is no better way to get a small child to agree to a walk in the park than by allowing them to bring their own toy pushchair (and favourite teddy) too.
20. White cat hand puppet, £10
Little girls will love bringing this cutesy kitten hand puppet to life.
Toddler Boy 1-3 years
Radio Flyer Wagon
21. Superhero tights, £14.99
One of my favourite new products this winter: Superhero tights for little boys, made with a super-cosy terry inner and non-slip-soles, and packaged in a groovy little box.
22. Brio pull along engine, £19.95
This is a toy that can grow with your child over the next few years, and then be passed on to the next generation. The design of the Brio Pull Along Engine has remained virtually the same since the Fifties.
23. Skipper pond yacht, £22.99
Whether they do it in Kensington Gardens, the Aldeburgh boating pond, or the unseasonably large puddle in the garden, sailing model boats is still as fun as it always was.
24. Tractor Ted stationery tin, £8.99
Small fans of large pieces of farm machinery will already know about Tractor Ted, an animated green tractor with his own set of DVDs and books teaching children about life on a farm. There are endless other present ideas on the website, including a predictably good range of toy tractors, and a tractor-themed stationery tin.
25. Festive knit jumper, £33
Tootsa Macginty is a new British knitwear label with a fabulous line in animal knits. I love this festive robin jacquard knit. Get children into them while they are still too young to notice.
26. Wind-up racing ducks for the bath, £7.99
Bath toys in large numbers make wonderful presents for small people. Try a team of wind-up racing ducks, which have splodges that can be rubbed off in the bath (only to reappear when dry).
27. Wooden tool kit, £20
Just because a lot of little boys like bashing and hammering, it does not mean their parents houses needs to be littered with plastic; a wooden tool kit will stand the test of time, and, crucially, doesnt take batteries.
28. Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, £44.99
If you have lots of space and are feeling selfless, buy your toddler a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. It is the bubble-shaped hunk of mobile plastic they (bafflingly) always want to go in at nursery, and will continue to fold themselves into long after it has been outgrown.
29. Radio Flyer wagon, £85
The Radio Flyer wagon (pictured above) is a brilliant, multi-use vehicle, as useful for dragging your kids around the park as for storing toys.
30. Dressing up pyjamas, £19.99
Dressing up costumes that double up as nightwear..? Sounds like the perfect recipe for a stress-free Christmas day. A mainstay in my house until very recently, when everyone suddenly wanted to be Arsenal players.
Nursery school girl: 3-5 years
Super Chef play kitchen
31. Mini Micro scooter, £74.95
Still the ride of choice for every discerning pre-schooler, the design of the 3in1 Mini Micro Scooter means that the moment they can walk, they can scoot, often at rather terrifying speeds.
32. Crazy Stuff Zebra scooter helmet, £27.99
Head protection is vital when scooting down the pavement, particularly if this is their first taste of Christmas day freedom, but the key is to buy something they will want to wear. Try this.
33. Little Puggle monthly arts and crafts supplies delivery box, from £12.95 per month
Little Puggle is a clever subscription service which delivers a box full of exciting, carefully chosen art and craft materials for your resident artist to work through every month.
34. Interactive plush pony toy, £89.99
Baby butterscotch is the latest in a long line of interactive plush toys, perfect for pony lovers short of a paddock.
35. Zoobug sunglasses for kids, £36
There will be no complaining that the winter sun is getting in anyones eyes with these butterfly-shaped transparent blue sunglasses with embedded diamante crystals. Unlike most fashion glasses, they provide 100 per cent UV protection.
36. Pony flag race Lottie doll, £16.99
New pocket-sized Pony Flag Race Lottie Doll developed to garner commonsense values and a positive body image.
37. Fairy glitter domes, £7.99
Little girls can be remarkably industrious. You want to make sure you have a few easily achievable craft projects up your sleeve to keep them busy while you baste the turkey.
38. Super Chef play kitchen, £155
Be sure to invest in a good quality play kitchen that is inoffensive to adult aesthetics, as the chances are it will be installed for the next few years in your own kitchen, under your feet. This (pictured above) is a great one.
39. Clever Box craft set, £30
Acknowledge that it is still the cardboard box that is the most fun and give them one for Christmas. This Clever Box Craft Set comes complete with stickers, colour pictures and paper to create your very own princess tower.
40. PuddlePak swimbags, £19.99
Small people will love the new fish-shaped PuddlePak swimbags from Trunki, inventors of the infamous ride-on suitcase. Not only should they encourage children to carry their own kit, the Puddlepaks are also fully waterproof both inside and out, meaning no damp patches in the car on the way home, and no soggy post-swim sandwiches.
Nursery school Boy: 3-5 years
IwishIwasa superhero costumes
41. Qualcast Panter hand-powered lawnmower, £35.99
It may have raised a few eyebrows at the time, but the Qualcast Panther 30 hand-powered lawn mower that I gave my youngest son for Christmas last year is proving to be the most successful present of all time. Not only does it tire him out doing something constructive outside, it spares the rest of the garden from the heavy hands of a five-year-old novice gardener. Our lawn has never been more closely cropped.
42. High Times book, £10
A beautifully produced concertina book that folds out into a 139cm panorama detailing the history and mythology of flight, has provided endless inspiration for questions and stories from all three of my children. Illustrated by the Berlin-based Golden Cosmos, it is looking so wonderful as the backdrop to a complicated display of dinosaurs and mini-figures on my eight-year olds bedroom shelf that I am tempted to frame a copy for my godsons Christmas present.
43. Personalised microscooter number plate, £9.95
Now that term has begun, all of those shiny new Micro Scooters must be getting mixed up at nursery. Which is why you might want a Scootrix number plate to personalise and attach to the front of your toddlers preferred mode of transport.
44. Andy Warhols A Coloring Book, £12.95
Commissioned in 1961 by his then employer Arthur Endelman to give to his clients children for Christmas, Andy Warhols A Coloring Book is back in print. On page one is the artists invitation for children of all ages to colour and paint his whimsical animals, and to frame them or give as presents (which explains why the illustrations are on the right had page only). In itself a revealing piece of work from the 20th century artist, the question remains as to whether you can bear to let your own children scribble in it.
45. Djeco funky animal collage set, £15.25
Finally a craft kit for young children involving minimal fuss, the results of which are easy on the grown-up eye. I gave my three-year-old godson this Djeco Funky Animal Collage Set when I went to see him last week and we made one together in about 10 minutes - both of us fully absorbed with the stylish French design and glitter stars.
46. Superhero costumes, from £8.50
There must be something deep within the male psyche that makes four- and five-year-old boys, almost without exception, want to dress up as superheroes. Costume designer Tamsin Thorne began making dressing up clothes for her son and his friends four years ago. Spotting a gap in the market for carefully made, non-merchandised costumes (pictured above), she set up IwishIwasa and now supplies capes (£15), wrist bands (£8.50) and head gear (£19.50) for boy (and girl) wonders with a planet to rescue.
47. Lego Duplo, £18.99
Get them started early on a plastic brick habit. Lego Duplo is a well-designed product that will survive hours and hours of creative play. Our collection has been in use for seven years now and still refuses to be put in the charity bag.
48. Purple Mahalo beginners ukulele, £17.99
Ukuleles make wonderful presents: perfectly formed, child-sized musical instruments which, if kept in tune, sound rather lovely when aimlessly strummed. Before you know it they will be asking for lessons.
49. Doctors Bag soft play set, £28
Take a deep breath and lie very still when using this Doctors Bag Soft Play set by Lets Play Shop.
50. Shark kite, £12.49
This shark kite will provide your little one with another perfect reason to get off the sofa and go to the park.
Infant boy ages 5-7 years
Gun-shaped ruler
51. Gun-shaped ruler, £4.99
Hard to fit in a pencil case, easily confiscated, and sending out all of the wrong messages, this gun-shaped ruler will none the less ensure that bad boys and girls willingly underline their titles.
52. Wooden sword toys, from £6
Weaponry may have got more sophisticated, with Nerf guns topping most boys most wanted list, but the appeal of the historically accurate wooden sword lives on and on. The range of broadswords and cutlasses from Historic Toys has been designed to encourage imaginative play which aids the development of social skills. And being hit by your brother with a piece of wood still hurts as much now as it did in the Fifties.
53. Makedo find and make kit, from £5.99
My five year old has been eyeing the recycling basket in a whole new light since having a go with a Makedo connector system. Each kit contains a safe, plastic serrated edged saw for cutting through cardboard, and a selection of reusable clips and hinges for turning last weeks cereal boxes and milk cartons into rocket ships and garages. So much more practical than Sellotape, so much safer than staples, and honestly so much fun.
54. Child's Farm bath and hair products, from £4.65
My filthy army of testers have given the thumbs up to Childs Farm, a new range of paraben, sulphate and mineral-free bath and hair products for children. The fact that there is a tractor on the front of the Caked in Mud hair and body wash was enough for my youngest child to give it a go, but the products themselves smell delicious, as each is scented with organic essential oils. Mix them all together in one bath, as happened last night, and risk going to school smelling of Haribos.
55. Cars 2 spy jet shoot out toy, £20
Boys of this age still love the Cars 2 movie so play to the crowd with a sturdy Cars 2 Spy Jet Shoot Out toy.
56. Drum kit, £60
Drums make show-stopping presents for little boys (and girls) but think carefully (as I failed to) before giving one. Fabulous if you have an outhouse at the bottom of the garden; not so great if your sons bedroom happens to be above the kitchen.
57. iPod Nano, £129
Any lunchtime Christmas journey will be suddenly silent as your son listens to prefab pop while dreaming his way on to The X Factor: iPod Nano.
58. Tundra wolf sledge, £80
Take a gamble on the weather this year and give the ultimate in toboggans. This is a great present for all of the family: smaller children will enjoy being pulled around, and can then sit and watch as daddy attempts a vertical.
59. Playmobil pirate ship, £46.96
You really cant go wrong with a Playmobil pirate ship complete with pirates, treasure, and, crucially, weapons.
60. Rechargable electric toothbrush, £36
One of my youngest sons obsessions is my electric toothbrush, so this year I am getting him his own.
Infant Girl aged 5-7 years
DoodleBread starter set
61. LeapPad2, £89.99
A great product if you are trying to spare your iPad from grubby fingers. Alongside apps for learning to read and write cleverly disguised as games is Art Studio, an app on which your child can paint, draw, and colour, either onto a plain template, or onto a photograph (the device has a built-in camera).
62. Faber-Castell Connector watercolour painting set, from £10
I have reconsidered my position on painting with children since having a go with a five-year-old and a Faber-Castell Connector watercolour painting set. Where usually my small companion would cover himself and any other available surface in a thick smear of poster paint, with these watercolours he has started to paint a more considered and controlled interpretation of his surroundings.
63. DoodleBread starter set, £15
A favourite product, Doodle Bread (pictured above) is still as exciting now as it was when we baked our first batch of rosemary and spinach star bread. A starter set comes with a silicone bread mould, a novelty shaped secondary mould (the doodle shaper), and two flour mixes, one plain, and one coloured. The resulting loaf will have a coloured shape running the whole way through it. Choose from Tomato and Beetroot (red), Blueberry (blue), Cocoa (brown) and Spinach and Rosemary (green).
64. Melissa and Doug friendship stamp set, £7.20
An unfailingly popular way to decorate pictures and, dare I say it, thank you letters.
65. Stateside Skates Vision Girls quad roller skates, £32
Happiness is a little girl on roller skates, and the more retro and brightly coloured the better. Give with a sturdy set of elbow and knee protectors, and take to the pavements immediately.
66. Nintendo 3DS XL and Moshi Monsters Moshling themepark, console from £179.99, games from £27.99
Risk excitement overload with two playground crazes in one.
67. Barbie hair-tastic colour and design salon, £24.99
No doubt sending out all the wrong messages, this new Barbie Hair-Tastic Colour and Design Salon will be a huge hit with little girls into hair styling (and there are many). Add colour and sparkles onto Barbies hair either freehand, or using a stencils.
68. The Anorak subscription, from £22 for four issues
A subscription to Anorak Magazine would make children in this age group (and beyond) happy well after the last of the decorations have been taken down. A quarterly publication bursting with ideas and inspiration, and urging its young readers to tap into their own imaginations, it costs £22 for four issues, or £40 for 8 issues.
69. Sylvanian Families, from £15.99
The small, furry, and surprisingly expensive Sylvanian Families are still topping the popularity charts with their combination of traditional, cutesy styling and an inordinate amount of kit. An entry-level Maces Mouse family of four costs £15.99; a campervan costs, £39.99, and a Grand Hotel costs £134.99. Now it is over to you as to how far you want to encourage the addiction.
70. Lundby Stockholm house, £85
Indulge little girls despotic desires with a dolls house where they can be mistress of their own universe. Swedish company Lundby make the highly collectable and absurdly modern Stockholm house, complete with open-plan interior and acrylic swimming pool.
Junior Boys (8-11 years)
Ultimate dangerous den kit
71. Silverstone air Go-kart, £219
They might not be made in the shed from orange crates and pram wheels any more, but Go-Karts have lost none of their appeal today. Kettler is probably the best-established brand, and has been making pedal-powered racers for over 50 years. My boys have been taking it in turns to perform impressive hand-brake turns under the December downpours in the sturdily designed Silverstone Air go-kart.
72. Staunton standard 3.5 chess set, £59
Of course you can get most of them as iPad apps, but traditional board games like Snakes and Ladders, Draughts, and Battleships still strike a cord with children, not least because they require the participation of other family members and friends. Never have I been prouder than when my seven-year-old first challenged his grandfather to a game of chess, and nor is there a better way for the fiercely competitive yet generationally challenged to connect with their grandchildren.
73. Neoprene beach rugby ball, £10
Though ours might be currently stuck at the top of a tree after an ill-aimed and over-ambitious drop kick, this neoprene beach rugby ball is a very good bit of kit for boisterous boys and girls, and is easier on the greenhouse than a traditional rugby ball.
74. Andy Stanton audio books, £8.99
Anyone who has attempted reading any of Andy Stantons absurd frolics around the town of Lamonic Bibber out loud might assume that Kate Winslets rendition of the first four books in the Mr Gum series will be equally painful. But, once you have tuned into the high pitch of Polly, accepted the grotesque phlegm of Mr Gum, and got used to the cracking pace Winslet sets, you may find yourself in unexpected stitches on the school run. A memorable highlight for my family was the fart song in Mr Gum and the Goblins.
75. Burny light , £75
Worn as a head torch for twilight football, a rear light for cycling home after school, or a warning light for a gloomy walk back from the park, the Burny is deeply useful bit of kit. With three settings: a strong white floodlight, red, and flashing red, and a clip and band for attaching to most surfaces, my only complaint about this tiny, super lightweight gadget is the ease with which it can disappear into a boys pocket for reading after lights out, never to be seen again.
76. Nano blocks set, £6.99
Appealing to older children, and possibly their fathers, Nano Blocks are the worlds tiniest building blocks, the smallest pieces measuring 4x4x5mm. Not for those in a hurry or prone to tantrums, the Miniature Collection comprises 15 sets to make everything from electric guitars to elephants, each with over 50 pieces in a set; great news for those in search of a bit more pixelation in their model making.
77. Comic book seed paper, £8.50
I am not sure what this Comic book Seed paper will teach children about the life cycle of a plant, but water it, place on soil in a sunny spot, and wildflowers will miraculously grow.
78. Ultimate dangerous den kit, £103
The excitement of unpacking an adventure kit from the Battle Box Company is worth bottling up for rainy days. Inside the Ultimate Dangerous Den Kit you will find everything you need to set up a camp (including military tarpaulin, rope, tent pegs, camouflage net and hessian sand bags) plus the crowd-pleasing extras like a Union flag, chocolate bars and camo paint.
79. Lego Lord of the Rings orc forge, £40
It simply would not feel like Christmas without a hugely complicated Lego model to put together.
80. Risk Nostalgia wooden version, £31.91
Learn strategy, risk, and double-dealing with this very attractive retro addition of the world domination board game, but give only if you are prepared to engage in a long, drawn-out battle.
81. Make your own robot, £17.95
Here is a box to keep a boy busy: containing 15 different cardboard robot templates, this beautifully designed Make Your Own Robot set should inspire some creativity beyond the games console.
82. Penny skateboard, £79.99
In a young sartorial world saturated by graffiti images it is always a delight to find something genuinely cool for boys that is not covered with spray paint. These original plastic Penny Skateboards come in a myriad of colours and are guaranteed to turn heads at the half pipe.
83. Nike Mercurial Victory football blades, £39.99
When it comes to the football boot fetish, any colour goes, and the brighter the better. And for anyone bewildered by the terminology, go for blades.
84. Samba 12 x 6 training goal, £82.50
Not a particularly attractive addition to the garden, but one which will delight the family players.
85. Pucket, around £50
Those unconvinced with learning too many complicated rules should try Pucket. Players must race to clear their side of the board of discs (pucks) by pinging them through the small hole leading to the other side of the board. Expect much raucousness and fierce competition.
Junior Girls 8-11
Black, red and white Skytops
86. Nellie the Elephant sleeping bag, £59.95
Anyone considering running away with the circus should not leave home without a Nellie the Elephant sleeping bag. Unlike its slippery cousins, it is made from 100 per cent cotton, and it is machine washable at 40 degrees. So much easier on the eye than most sleeping bags on the market, it will look almost decorative when left strewn on the sofa after illicit, early morning telly watching.
87. 16 GB iPad mini, £269
Smaller, lighter, and even more covetable, if you are feeling very generous, and trust her not to lose it, the new iPad mini is the last word in Christmas desirability this year.
88. Sweet Secrets lockable diary, £7.95
Snooping siblings and parents can be so annoying. Encourage your girl to get her feelings off her chest safe in the knowledge that nobody can read them with a Sweet Secrets lockable diary.
89. Stabilo 68-pen set, £16.90
High quality, water-soluble pens in a very grown-up looking holder: perfect for getting started on those thank-you letters.
90. Mystic Wolf Spirit hoods, £89
The original Californian Spirit Hoods fake fur hat (with ears) and attached scarf (with paw detail mittens at its ends), beloved of B-lister celebrities and market stall counterfeiters, is so much cooler when worn by kids.
91. Peace and Love necklace, £25
Pretty and feminine without being too grown-up, girls will love this Peace and Love necklace.
92. Black, red and white Skytops, £45
Over-sized retro trainers (pictured above) are the footwear of choice for mufti days and holidays.
93. Milkshake maker, £20
This is about the same price as a round at Starbucks, and will provide with many many more drinks.
94. Felt jewellery kit, £11
Encourage the potentially bored and whinge prone to keep busy with a craft kit, ideally one whose resulting creation can be worn with pride, and without offending any nascent fashion sensibilities. Button Bag has a fabulous range, my favourite of which is the Felt Jewellery Kit, £11, containing everything needed to make two felt brooches and two hair slides.
95. Wicked Cool friendship bracelets book, £16.61
Whenever I see my 11-year old niece she is frantically making friendship bangles for her friends, her own wrists laden with similar tokens from her inner circle. This spiral bound book is a great way to get girls started on the initially fiddly, but ultimately rewarding habit of bangle making, and comes complete with coloured embroidery thread.
96. Gibbon Slack line, £60
Essentially a long, robust length of nylon with a ratchet on one end, the Gibbon Slack line will transform your garden into a very challenging adventure playground. Attach between two uprights and attempt to walk the line: highly addictive and fantastic for developing balance and inner core strength.
97. Isla bikes, £349.99
Forget all of the gadgets and gizmos; an ergonomically designed and lightweight bicycle will do more for a girls cycling enthusiasm than a pink basket and a Hello Kitty bell ever did. Isla Bikes design child-specific frames and components, meaning they are light enough for a child to handle, with gears and breaks that can be successfully operated by small hands.
98. Smile Shimmer lip gloss, £6.95
Give in and let your precocious protégé wear some lip-gloss on Christmas day. This one is natural, hypoallergenic and specially designed in the US for young girls - note the age-appropriate clip to attach to jeans or rucksacks.
99. Kissing Horses large wash bag, £18
This is the age of sleepovers and residential trips, so make sure your girl is prepared with an unembarassing wash bag of her own.
100. Bayan 1 speaker dock, £119.99
A compact, grown-up looking speaker dock for her cherished iPod Touch, perfect for blocking out the sound of annoying younger siblings when she needs some tween time, and cool enough to last her well into teenhood.
Find your perfect Christmas gift with the Telegraph Christmas gift list - over 1,000 gift ideas to browse or search.
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