By Emilia Orviss

(Updated for 2023)

Christmas is just around the corner and the shops have already started to bring in the Christmas produce and decorations to buy.

With under two months to go until the main event, you may be starting to get yourself geared up to start the purchasing of presents for your loved ones.

Here at the Good Play Guide, we have an array of wonderful gift ideas, perfect for the smaller members of your family.

Offering developmental benefits and endless amounts of fun, our tried and tested toys are sure to be a hit with both children and parents.

So sit back, pour yourself a glass of mulled wine and let us do the hard work for you.

Dress Me Paddington Soft Toy – £29.99

Which outfit will Paddington wear today? Will it be his iconic blue coat, or will he be a doctor, a magician, a baker?

The four in one toy inspires imaginative play and makes the perfect companion for Paddington Bear fans. The reversible outfits make it easier for little hands to remove and replace with minimal adult assistance and help children to develop strength and dexterity in their hands.

Children will be sure to include Paddington in their roleplay adventures and cuddle up with him during quieter times.

Paddington Tea Set – £22.99

With this fabulous tea set, you’ll find everything you need for a tea party, including a very special guest – Paddington himself! The teapot, cups, sugar pot etc are the perfect size for little hands and great for encouraging imaginative role play and social interaction, inspiring conversations and turn taking. It also includes stickers for personalising the reusable suitcase the tea set comes in and making it extra special.

CubeFun – £19.99

This game that encourages children to be active and imaginative. The soft and lightweight cubes are rolled like a dice, and players follow the instructions on each side.

The Christmas themed cube gives instructions such as ‘prance like a reindeer’,’ twinkle like a star’, ‘float like a snowflake’, to name but a few. The game not only encourages children to get moving but also helps to extend their vocabulary at the same time.

Keeping children active indoors is often a challenge and these soft cubes are great for a rainy-day activity.

Quickbuild London Bus – £29.99

This striking Airfix model kit is a wonderful introduction to the world of model building and is a lovely activity to do with your child over the Christmas break.

The models are built brick by brick promoting logical thinking and encouraging children to carefully follow the visual instructions provided.

Building sets like this are great for helping to strengthen children’s hand muscles, for developing manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and will give a real sense of pride when the life-like model is complete.

Quickbuild London Taxi – £18.99

The London black cab is instantly recognisable, and this model kit is a great introduction to the world of Airfix model making, minus the glue.

Piecing together the parts brick by brick requires concentration, a systematic approach, and perseverance – great for keeping children occupied over the Christmas break. The small muscles in the hands and wrists will get a workout, great for helping to develop fine motor skills and manual dexterity.

Children will enjoy adding the finishing touches to their vehicle which come in the form of stickers for the headlights, number plates etc. And once the model is complete the fun won’t be over, as children can incorporate it into their play.

Micro Scalextric James Bond 007 Race Set – £69.99

James Bond fans will love racing the mini–Aston Martins around this micro sized Scalextric track. The set is battery powered, so can be played with anywhere and doesn’t take up as much room as the standard Scalextric sets.

Children can make up the track however they like, but there are examples included in the box for inspiration. The counter/booby trap setting is a fun feature that will send the ‘losing’ car flying off the track, and the speed settings on the controllers can be adjusted depending on the age and ability of the players.

This set it great of encouraging children to challenge themselves and promotes healthy competition and will give the family hours of fun.

All the items above will make the perfect gift for the smaller members of the family. With a focus on fun and educational benefits in abundance, we have just what you need to make Christmas 2023, the best one yet.