If you have a child between the ages of about 6 and 14 you will know the challenge of not only getting them gifts but also making sure those gifts are in line with the current trends…or even better, slightly ahead of them. It’s not as though there are a million gift ideas but that actually makes things harder. It isn’t even about cost or the amount you feel you should spend, sometimes a small present that is bang on trend is worth so much more than an expensive one that isn’t hot property in the playground!
So here are a few ideas of what’s hot and what may well be hot very soon. These are essential gifts for girls but are just as suitable for either gender if they like this sort of stuff. The idea of gifts just for one gender or another already seems a bit out of date so let’s leave it up to our lovely kids to show us what they like.
Sloths
Yep, that slow, oddly cute jungle animal has become hot property. This one isn’t exactly new but as a trend, it is still going strong. You can get sloths on pretty much anything and in pretty much any shape and size from cuddly toys to stationary. These gloriously dopey and cuddly characters seem to find their way into the heart of a large proportion of the playground population.
Sausage Dogs
This one is so new it really hasn’t been launched yet. There are no official products on the market yet but trust me, the Sausage Dogs are coming! These cute little animals will be literally part sausage and part dog and will be taking the playground by storm as Christmas 2019 comes around. Keep an eye on https://www.yesiwantit.com as they are set to release them.
Unicorns and Kittycorns
Unicorns have been around a while in the toy market but they are still going strong. Unicorn jumpers and tops are still mega popular along with cuddly toys and pretty much anything you can print on or make into a unicorn shape. However, there is a new ‘corn on the block and that is the Kittycorn or Caticorn depending on what you are reading and looking at. If you want to stay ahead of the curve then the feline version of the unicorn is probably your best bet.
Slime, Putty and Poop!
OK, so this is a big group of gifts based around a theme. Slime was huge and still is but it is a bit messy, it gets stuck on clothes, carpets and curtains etc. Make your own slime was massive for a while too. But then putty stepped in, it lasts longer, it’s easier and cleaner to play with and it’s far more portable. Glitter putty, colour changing putty and more all make for a low price and simple gifts. But then along came Poopsie Slime Surprise! This is an oddly complex toy where you mix and create your own slime/putty that is marketed as Unicorn poo, yes…unicorn poo. Kids can customise the poo and they even get a handy key chain to keep it fresh in and take to other people’s houses (and perhaps some may hope they leave them there).
Floss Pong
Yes, that’s right, first flossing now a game based on flossing. If you don’t know what flossing is then your children will but if you are too afraid to ask then this should help https://metro.co.uk/2018/04/18/floss-dance-created-everyone-7476359/ . The game is built around boxes you wear on your arms that have ping pong balls in them. The idea is to floss and keep the balls in the boxes, or catch them once they fly out…this is very new and not totally clear yet. However, floss pong is coming so keep an eye out and jump on it when it does, and your respective little person will be very happy indeed!
There are, of course, a million a one other ideas out there but a lot of them cost big money and are a bit of a gamble. So often it seems that kids would rather something small they can carry with them, take to school or to friends houses or even swap than something huge and static. Are we seeing the end of enormous toys like dolls houses and the like in favour of trendy smaller items, maybe? If we are then most parents will be very happy because we can all make our kids very happy without feeling pressured to spend more on toys than we do on food for a month.