9 Of The Coolest Gifts For Kids

Gifts that are guaranteed to score extra points for favourite aunts/uncles/ parents

1. MOVIE MAGIC

Home theatres are all the rage. But who has room for a 75-inch TV? Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, Kodak’s Pocket portable projector brings the big screen to any wall in the house. Simply connect it to your mobile device wirelessly and stream your favourite flicks. Or try it in the garden for a novel alfresco evening…

2. IN A SPIN

It’s the gadget set to top all Christmas lists this year. The i-Top is an electronic update of the classic tin spinning toy. Set to unleash competitive spirit around the dinner table, the device counts its revolutions to crown a winner, with tasks including the 99 challenge and compass mode. Made for kids, but likely to lure in Nan and Grandad too!

3. THREE OF THE BEST CODING TOYS

Know a tech-savvy tot with Silicon Valley in their sights? Then get one of these wrapped up and under the tree on the 25th. Fun,  but educational too and guaranteed to keep little ones amused while you see to the turkey.

1: Botley The Coding Robot

A friendly bot that can be programmed to manoeuvre an obstacle course and learn a word or two.

2. Sphero Bolt

Drive this robot on assault courses, controlled via your smart device, and create games using JavaScript.

3. LittleBits Electronic Music Inventor Kit

Build a synth guitar from electronic building blocks.

4. KIDS, ASSEMBLE!

Today’s kids need more than a makeshift bed sheet-come-cape to feel like the superheroes they see on the big screen. The LittleBits Avengers Hero Inventor Kit lets tots and teens build their very own hi-tech hero gear, all thanks to electronic building blocks and a superhero training app, teaching them to create circuits and block codes along the way.

5. FEEL THE FORCE

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, kids had just a stick of chalk and a pavement to play with. Not any more. Sure to get Star Wars super-fans going, the Droid Inventor Kit by LittleBits lets teens and tots build a custom R2-D2 from scratch using electronic blocks and a useful app. It can even be moved with just the wave of a hand. Shame it can’t be programmed to clean the whole house…

£99.99, Amazon.

6. THE RIGHT NOTE

BleepBleeps’ Benjamin Brushes are designed to get kids a little more excited about caring for their teeth. Stay with us. Thanks to an inbuilt, waterproof speaker at the base, kids can clean away to their favourite song (just download from the BleepBleeps app). Ta-da – that once torturous two minutes is now over in a flash.

£59, Bleep Bleeps.

7. MINI TRAVELLER

The See-ya wheeled suitcase in Mint, Mustard (shown below), Pink and Rust, H40xW29xD16cm, £59, Olli Ella, is perfect for a weekend away – it even has two elastic bands around the front so your child’s favourite soft toy can come along, too.

Wheeled suitcase, £59, olliella.com

8. BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS

Know a kid with places to be and people to see? Honey & Toast is here to ensure magnates-in-the-making can get on the move with all their essentials in tow, creating leather bags for little’uns. This one is particularly cute.

9. FIN TASTIC

Disney films don’t have to be the stuff of pure fantasy. Promising hours of fun in the pool, these recycled rubber Merfins are hooked on to feet to turn young ones into agile mermaids and mermen.

Not wanting to miss out, we deem them acceptable for adult use too.

We’ll be enquiring if they come in adult size…