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Our 2017 Christmas gift guide your kids will love!

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While preparing for the family to arrive, stocking up on groceries and occupying your kids who have just started the holidays, Christmas shopping can seem like a mountain to climb. Trust me, we know the struggle.

So to ease things just a bit and get you excited about the festive season, we’ve compiled a gift guide for the kids. Check out these awesome presents for your little ones.

Important notice: Ballpark prices are provided as an overview only. These were correct at the time we went live but some stores may have specials and promotions, while others may charge more.  

For your babies and toddlers

Bright Beats BeatBo

With this award-winning toy, your little one can enjoy the music and sounds of their new favourite friend by touching his tummy or any of the buttons on its feet, while also learning new letters, colours and counting. Moms can also record phrases and words for their tot to hear and even learn to repeat!

Beatbo also has a friend, BeatBelle, and they come in buggie form too. Bright Beats Buggies are free-wheeling cars, perfect for kids to zip and zoom around as they enjoy the music and sounds and learn their ABCs.


Bright Beats BeatBo and BeatBelle go for R199 each while the Buggies sell for R249,99 each. They can be purchased from Toy KingdomToys R Us and Takealot.

The Sunny Sounds 2-in-1 Play Gym

Your babies will love rolling around and staring up at all the soft toys dangling above them when they're lying under their new favourite playgym. It's also great to encourage tummy time. 

The brightly-coloured playgym is R499 and can be purchased from Toys R Us.

Mega Bloks First Builders Building Bags

These big colourful blocks are perfect to get your little ones’ imaginations going as they build tall towers and their first ever castles and cities. Coming apart easily for hours of play, these blocks are also a great way to develop your child’s fine motor skills. 

The Mega Bloks First Builders Building Bags range from R199 to R799. They can be purchased from Toy Kingdom and Takealot.

Learn With Me Zebra Walker

The Learn With Me Zebra Walker is a wonderful way to get your babies walking and babbling as they hold onto the easy-grasp handle of the four-wheel sturdy. They can also press the light-up buttons to learn their ABCs and 123s through song.

The Learn With Me Zebra Walker goes for around R799 and can be purchased from Toy Kingdom and Takealot.

Elephant Hugs Activity Pillow

The Elephant Hugs Activity Pillow is the perfect gift for any baby. While the U-shaped pillow encourages your baby to enjoy tummy-time and the soft padding supports her, she can also play with the detachable rings, reflective mirror and teething toy.

The Elephant Hugs Activity Pillow is around R230 and available from Toys R Us.

Pollywiggles Sensi-Ball

Your littlest ones will be completely amazed by the Pollywiggles Sensi-Ball! The sensory activity toy will help them explore their senses as they grasp it, shake it, crinkle it, squeak it and hear it ring!

The Sensi-Ball is around R190 and available from Toy Kingdom.

The Leap Frog range

From cuddly Tag Along Toys to introductory reading aids, Leap Frog educational toys are perfect to stimulate the minds of your little ones and give them a new little Violet or Scout puppy to hold onto.

The Leap Frog Tag Along Toys go for around R340 while the Read With Me range starts from around R600. These puppy pals are available from Toy KingdomToys R Us and Takealot.

Paw Patrol toys

Our kids love all things Paw Patrol! These plush toys are perfect for your toddlers because while they are soft and cuddling, they can still pretty much kick some butt and save the day! (Oh and it teaches them about team work too.)

The Paw Patrol plush toys are available from R199 and up, and can be purchased at Toy KingdomToys R Us and Takealot.

The Jeronimo Roadster

The Jeronimo roadster can be driven either by your little tots or remote controlled by you. Which kid wouldn't love driving around in their fancy little car? Beware the price tag though, but if you have cash to burn, let them burn some rubber. 

The car is recommended for kids 2 years and older and goes for R2 449 from Takealot.

For your kids

Barbie

Which little kid doesn't love dressing up and playing with their favourite Barbie doll? But did you know that you also get Barbie Dolphin Magic dolls, complete with diving shorts, snorkeling accessories and all? The dolls range between R250 and R660.

And have you seen the holiday doll collectable: 2017 Holiday Barbie? She comes dressed in festive red, with a gleaming star to remember a year full of memories. The doll is in store for R900.

These Barbie doll sets, as well as the wonderful Barbie and her Dream Horse set, the magnificent Barbie Dream House Estate and many more can be purchased from Toy KingdomToys R Us and Takealot.

Hot Wheels Super Ultimate Garage Playset

Although the Hot Wheels Super Ultimate Garage Playset comes with 4 cars and 1 jet plane, don’t let that fool you. This garage set, which is the biggest playset ever, has the capacity to store at least 140 cars, has a motorised elevator to transport 23 cars at a time, has a drive-up diner, lock-away police station, interactive tune-up shop and car wash, and still has multiple connection point to join onto other Hot Wheels sets!

The Hot Wheels Super Ultimate Garage Playset goes for R4 000, but the smaller sets such as the Hot Wheels assorted tracks and on-the-go sets start at R180. They can all be purchased from Toy KingdomToys R Us and Takealot.

Thomas & Friends Adventures Engine Assortment

This is the perfect gift for all Thomas and Friends fans. Coming in both small and large engines, these die-cast trains can be connected to other train engines and tenders for hours of fun on the tracks. Thomas and Friends tracks and playsets are sold separately.

Inspired by Thomas & Friends, you can also purchase The TrackMaster Thomas & Percy’s Railway Race Set, which includes a uniquely designed racing Percy engine and steamlined racing Thomas.


The Thomas and Friends Adventures Small Engines go from R80 and Large Engines start at R110. The TrackMaster Thomas & Percy’s Railway Race Set is R1 000. They can all be purchased from Toy KingdomToys R Us and Takealot.

The Nintendo Switch Console

The Nintendo Switch seems to be every kid's favourite gaming console. They can play with the console from the comfort of your home, connected to your HD TV, or they can use it as a portable gaming system on the go. With two joy-con controllers and any game you can imagine, girls and boys will love their new Nintendo Switch.

The Console goes for around R5 299 and is available from both Toys R Us and Takealot

Super Mario Odyssey

If your kids love gaming and they’ve already got a Nintendo Switch, we’ve got good news for you: Super Mario Odyssey has been released just in time for your Christmas shopping! Players will help their favourite character travel the world in his Odyssey to save Princess Peach with this new game. 

Super Mario Odyssey is R749 and can be purchased at Loot.co.za.

Hatchimals

If your kids haven’t already been swept up by the Hatchimal trend, this might just be the gift you’re looking for to make their holiday. Hatchimals are adorable little creatures inside a toy egg that you need to nurture until it hatches, and then continue to raise this newborn furry friend.

There is a range of Hatchimal products like puzzles, which start at R99, to the actual hatchimal creatures ranging from R150 to R1 000.

Hatchimals can be purchased from Toy Kingdom, Toys R Us and Takealot.

Toilet Trouble

For some reason our kids absolutely love joking around about all things disgusting, especially poop! Which is why they'll absolutely love new game Toilet Trouble.

Each player gets a turn to flush the play toilet, unsure of when the next splash will occur, drenching them in, you guessed it, splashback.

The game goes for around R450 and is available from Toy Kingdom and Takealot.

For your teen

Vouchers

Let's be honest, it's not always easy to shop for our teens as they're either moving away from their tween selves or steadily approaching adulthood. So we'd suggest either buying them an iTunes voucher to download their favourite songs, a voucher for their favourite clothing store, or even a voucher to the malls they frequent. These can be purchased online or from the actual stores and malls.

The kids will love the independence and you'll avoid all the hassle and fuss of wondering whether or not they'll love their gift.

Funky earphones

Our teens absolutely love listening to music and plugging their earphones in to drown out the noise (we don't want to listen to their music all day anyway!). So these earphones are the perfect quirky gift we’re sure any teen will love.

These funky earphones go for R200 and can be purchased from Pylones.

Game for Humanity

Our children spend hours on social media platforms ruled by internet trolls, and we’re really not even fazed by those vicious bullying video clips anymore. But encouraging compassionate behaviour is very important, which is exactly what new card game Game for Humanity is trying to do. 

The Game for Humanity deck contains 30 cards each labelled with a specific task – from learning to say hello in another language to teaching a fellow student a new skill – each card designed to teach your child the value of responsibility, learning, and respect. 

The idea is simple: have your child draw a different card each day, walk them through the task and encourage them to pass it along to a friend, ultimately inspiring random acts of kindness one card at a time. 

Game for humanity is R99 and available from Toy Kingdom.

Bright cartoon magnetic photo holders

These photo holders in vibrant colours are wonderful for your teen that loves capturing anything from a day out with their friends to their Christmas dinner with their family.

They also only go for R130 each and can be purchased from Pylones.

Instax Cameras

An easy way to fill those picture frames is with the Instax Mini camera.

In recent years we've seen a resurgence of all things vintage and subsequently, cool. But the Instax Mini is a modern, easy-to-use polaroid-esque camera that the kids can capture their favourite moments with, as they happen. 

The Instax cameras range from R1 089 to R3 995, while a pack of film starts at around R149 for 10. The cameras and film are availble from Takealot and Orms Direct.

Speak out

There are lots of board games such as Monopoly and the always entertaining 30 Seconds that you can buy your teens this Christmas. But you can also gift them with the awesome Speak Out – a game that becomes loads of fun for them to play with the family and their friends, when they hilariously try to pronouce different phrases while wearing a mouthpiece. It's tons of fun to watch the kids try and get their teammates to figure out exactly what they're trying to say.

Speak Out is available from R500 at Toy KingdomToys R Us and Takealot.

Shox Raptor Drones and the Quadcopter

If your kids love all things remote control, flying and spying, there are lots of drones like the Shox Raptor drones, starting at R599.

Or the bigger X5HC Quadcopter 2.4G, with camera, at R1 799. 

These drones are available from Toy Kingdom and Toys R Us.

Hoverboard

We're pretty sure we don't need to explain the thrill that comes with having a hoverboard – the kids have told you all about it. From bicycles to skateboards, our children love getting around the house with anything but their actual feet, and since its inception, the hoverboard has become the latest and greatest means to do so.

Hoverboards go from R5 000 at Toy Kingdom while the Zingo Move is available from R6 000 at Toys R Us.

What are your kids hoping for this Christmas? Tell us about your kids' Christmas wish lists by commenting below or emailing chatback@parent24.com and we may publish your comments and stories.

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