Christmas 2016: Holiday Gift Guide for Babies and Kids

Looking for some holiday shopping inspo? Our gift guide for babies and kids has got you covered, mama!

Whether you dread heading to the toy store during the holiday season, or you’re looking for something a bit more unique, we’ve put together a gift guide for babies and kiddos that’ll make Santa a star in your household this Christmas. From safe magic markers, to unique and stylish toddler clothing, to handpicked picture books throughout the year, there are lots of cool gifts to be found in Singapore (most of which you can order from the comfort of your own couch — score!). Look out for our other Gift Guides for Dads and for Mamas and Friends, too!

We dare you to find something more fun than getting messy with Dabber Dot markers that come in eight bold colours (though not too messy – the quick-dry ink won’t stain clothes, and is completely non-toxic). Designed with an easy-to-grip body for little hands, these special markers and companion activity colouring book help kiddos learn the alphabet, count numbers, and colour fun pictures. A great gift for children age 3 and up.

Fiddle and Doodle, www.fiddleanddoodle.com

This is a wonderful way to show children that it truly is better to give than to receive: Gift-It-Forward helps you create a holiday gift fun with a charitable twist. Instead of everyone buying individual gifts, family and friends (whether in Singapore or overseas) can contribute to your gift and charity fund, allowing you to choose your own holiday gift and a charity to support. This allows you to decide on a gift that the whole family can enjoy, like movie passes, board games or even a camera. Choose from nine worthy charities in Singapore including Make-A-Wish Foundation, HOME, and the SPCA!

Gift-It-Forward, [email protected], www.gift-it-forward.com

Got a kiddo who loves to groove? Gifts of Love makes personalised music gifts that’ll have your tots busting a move, mama! Choose from a wide range of products including music CDs, digital books, clocks and plushies, pick a song from their list and simply note down your child’s name to have it featured in the song. How cool is that?! Visit their website to place your order.

The Gifts of Love, www.facebook.com/likethegiftsoflove, www.thegiftsoflove.co

This Singapore-based online toy store is all about encouraging child-directed, open-ended play, curating the best expert-recommended books and toys to support early learning and discovery for children aged 0-7. Not only do they carry some of our fave brands like Little JellyCat and Manhattan Toy Company, they’re also the exclusive Singapore distributor of MOLUK, the award-winning toy renowned for its endless possibilities to encourage imaginative play. Definitely check out their special holiday bundles and beautiful seasonal gift packaging too, mama!

Little Llama, [email protected], www.littlellama.sg

Started by a couple who wanted to find cute, stylish, unique clothes for their little baby boy, Love, Raphael has now expanded to carrying adorable tots apparel for boys and girls 0-4 and super cute accessories for mamas (is this a cool diaper bag or what?!). Each and every purchase comes beautifully gift-wrapped, and they’re even offering free shipping on purchases over $60. Plus, join their mailing list to get a bonus 10% off, or like them on Facebook for your chance to win a specially curated mystery gift!

Love, Raphael, www.loveraphael.com

The perfect first toy for decades of babies, Sophie stimulates all five senses as it’s made from natural rubber and decorated with food-quality paint (what bub doesn’t love gnawing on Sophie?!). This classic toy and comfort object is made in France, and be ordered online and conveniently delivered straight to your doorstep here in Singapore.

Sophie La Girafe, www.sophie.sg

This is the perfect gift for kids who want to showcase their artistic flair. The Coco Color Stylus is a colouring pen that allows your young ones to create their own imaginative designs on tech devices (think iPad). You can press buttons on the pen to choose whatever colour you desire… how cool is that? Once you download the Coco Color app for a canvas, your kiddos can start drawing away… mess free!

Available online at www.cococolor.com

If you love reading to your little one, we LOVE this subscription-based service that sends children two handpicked, age-appropriate books per month in a specially-wrapped gift package. Kiddos will be delighted to discover that reading is the gift that keeps on giving the whole year through!

Flying Books, www.flyingbooks.com.sg

Gifts that are affordable and support a truly worthy cause? Yes, please! In support of its global Let’s Play for Change initiative, IKEA will donate €1 ($1.50) to fund global projects by non-profit organisations like UNICEF and Save The Children for EVERY baby or children’s toy, book, game, art and craft, play furniture sold at its stores from now til 24 December. They’ll also continue to run the Gift Twice campaign, doubling customers’ contributions when you donate your newly purchased baby or children’s toy book, game, art & craft at either Singapore store location (Alexandra or Tampines). Look for the donation boxes by the register, mama!

IKEA, www.ikea.com

Find the perfect accompainiment for your littlest’s feet and check out Freshly Picked. With a huge celebrity following, this brand sells quality leather moccasins for babies — our toddler LIVED in these her first year of walking. Choose from a huge variety of styles and colours on their online store. We’re big fans of this blush and gold design for girls and weathered brown booties for boys!

Available online at www.freshlypicked.com

This super lightweight balance bike is amazing, not just because it earns raves for its design and high-quality aluminum components that come with a lifetime guarantee, but because it can grow with your child: once your tyke has managed to get their balance down, you can add pedals so it becomes a fully-functioning bicycle, no training wheels necessary! Available for $250 from KinderBike Singapore.

KinderBike, www.kinderbike.sg

Got a little builder on your hands? Mega Bloks are great first building blocks for your tiny tot. This cute little block-scooping wagon is one of our faves. What’s great about this set is that it comes with an adorable wagon that not only stores the blocks but also picks them up as you roll over the blocks. It’s fun, practical and you can say goodbye to stubbing your toes on strewn blocks.

Available online at www.megabloks.com/en-us

As much as little girls tend to love just about anything pink and sparkly, we mamas love Melissa shoes, too, for their super-easy-to-clean, eco-friendly plastic composition that’s perfectly suited to our humid, sometimes muddy climate. And they’ve got lots of Mommy & Me matching styles, too! Right now we’ve got our eye on the Melissa Jean + Jason Wu collaboration for mamas and kids. Mini Melissa ‘Ultra Girl VIII’ is $95; available at MDreams Boutique.

Mini Melissa, MDreams, One Raffles Place, #01-11/12, Singapore 048616, Tel: (+65) 6535 7546, www.shopmelissa.com/mini

We just love these adorable bespoke drawings and illustrations by the team at PeepnPress, which are perfect for decorating a nursery or child’s room (and what kid doesn’t love looking at pictures of themselves?). Just show the team a photograph and they can create a beautiful framed illustration; they can also make invitations, holiday cards and even stickers!

PEEPnPress, www.facebook.com/peepnpress

Twoodie specialises in making organic toys out of Japanese wood. Babies can use them as building blocks to make their own little creations, making this a great playtime and educational gift! The beautifully crafted jewel shaped pieces are not only great for little hands, they make for gorgeous display pieces around the home too! They’re safety-tested so you don’t have to worry about health hazards for your littlest. They ship for free globally… yippie!

Available online at [email protected], www.twoodie.com