Continuing our 2025 Christmas gift round-up, here’s the perfect selection for magical play, plush companions, cosy lounging, and family game chaos. These picks are guaranteed to delight kids who love fantasy, soft snuggles, or a competitive challenge after Christmas dinner.
Magic Fantasy & Wizarding Wonder – For the child who believes the school nativity should include spells, magic and belting out the end of Defying Gravity
Glinda’s Bubble Crown
What Is It: A sparkling role-play crown inspired by Wicked, this officially licensed Bubble Crown from The Noble Collection is made to make any little fan feel like the Good Witch herself. It features silver plating, shimmering European crystals and a collector-style box.
What We Thought: You can’t have an Elphaba without a Glinda, so our kids love dressing up as each of them and spent an afternoon sweeping through rooms on an imaginary bubble. It looks far fancier than your average costume accessory (seriously, those crystals catch the light).
Where to Buy It: £21.50 available online.
Glinda’s Bubble Wand
What Is It: The magical wand companion to the crown, also by The Noble Collection. With film-accurate detail and a length of around 22”, it’s designed for dramatic wand-waving, flirt-of-the-fox-fire moments and dressing up with serious sparkle.
What We Thought: You can’t have a crown without a wand, and this one is ideal for any little Glinda impersonator who demands “bubble spells now!” and honestly? If you’re buying one, buy both for the full effect.
Where to Buy It: £21.50 available online.
Elphaba’s Hat
What Is It: The pointy, green hat worn by the other iconic witch from Wicked — this replica is made with textured fabric, ruffled tiers and designed to collapse flat for storage. Official film-accurate style.
What We Thought: We now have the perfect Elphaba hat to go with our perfect Glinda. The fabric felt more premium than typical dress-up gear, and it looks like the real deal. Ideal for little Elphabas in training.
Where To Buy It: £23 available online.
Spell Seekers Magical Quest (Interactive Spellbook)
What Is It: A talking, interactive spellbook and wand set where kids follow quests in a magical kingdom, cast spells and uncover hidden secrets. More than 30 activities, a responsive wand, and trick-filled pages.
What We Thought: This was the standout “quiet play” magic item. The girls sat side by side, engrossed, whispering, “shh, listen to the spell cue”. It has just enough challenge and plenty of theatricality. One small caveat: you might find yourself joining in the wand-waving. Totally fine by us.
Where To Buy It: £29.99 available online.
Tom Riddle’s Diary (Notebook with Pen & UV Torch)
What Is It: A diary inspired by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, complete with a pen and a hidden-message UV torch so kids can write secret notes, spells or plans that only they can read.
What We Thought: This was the sneaky, bedtime treat. The girls used it as “secret wizard logs” post lights-out, and it became surprisingly meaningful. The UV torch added real charm (and a small surge of parental nostalgia). Great for little fans who want their own magical journal.
Where to Buy It: £14.99 available online.
Plushies, Besties & Soft Sidekicks – Friends that get dragged around the house by one ear
Wicked Plush Collection
What Is It: A high-quality plush toy from The Noble Collection’s Wicked range, featuring Dr Dillamond, Chister, Duclibear and the Cowardly Lion Cub from the movie of the season. Soft, detailed and delightful for fans of the film.
What We Thought: Our Dr Dillamond plushie was instantly put in teacher mode as the girls dressed up as Elphaba and Glinda, and they all practised the bit where he goes ‘baaaaa’. A lovely option for a drama-lover or wicked-obsessed mini.
Where to Buy It: £18 available online.
Scruff-A-Luvs
What Is It: A lovable surprise plush pet that arrives messy and “in need of a home”, ready for a rescue, clean-up, styling session and adoption.
What We Thought: The mystery-reveal is half the fun — the girls loved unwrapping their new friend, cleaning it up and giving it a name (too long to repeat here). It’s interactive, tactile and gives that “worth every second of wait” feeling.
Where to Buy It: £19.99 available online.
Rainbowcorns Mama Corn Surprise
What Is It: A giant plush “Mama” character with surprise Mini-Rainbowcorns inside. Think huggable plush meets hidden collectable treasure.
What We Thought: This one won hearts fast. The egg smash-surprise element gave enough build-up to make the moment magical, and the plush itself is massive in kid terms. A brilliant gift if you want something big and joyful.
Where to Buy It: £19.99 available online.
Pomsies
What Is It: Wearable plush pets that wrap around your wrist, show different sounds and reactions, and can “talk” to each other if you get more than one. 2018’s No.1 cuddle toy is back and better.
What We Thought: The wearable element makes this one a winner. We had sibling fights over wrist-space within seconds — which means it’s doing its job. The multiple reactions and “talking” mode are genuinely clever, and the fluffy tail loop? Genius for on-the-go snuggles.
Where To Buy It: £19.99 available online.
My First Stars of Hogwarts – Plush Dobby
What Is It: A soft-to-cuddle Dobby toy with large expressive eyes, velvety ears and the classic pillow-case outfit, designed especially for younger Harry Potter fans.
What We Thought: Dobby stole the spotlight at bedtime, and it became a regular guest under the duvet because he is so cute!
Where To Buy It: £16.99 available online.
Cosy Moments, Pamper & Play – Spa vibes, squishy joy, and soft lounging energy
Go Goosey Onesie
What Is It: The original quick-drying onesie for kids. A supersoft, ridiculously snuggly, premium kids’ onesie designed for serious lounging. Founded by Karen Burke, this small business was born out of a need to make post-swimming drying a little less hellish.
What We Thought: This is peak cosy vibes. Thick but not sweaty, soft but not fluff-shedding. Our girls love swimming, but are freezing after and don’t dry properly. This solved the problem and was stylish at the same time. It was hard to get them to take the onesie off once they got home, and I was totally surprised by how quickly it dried. This is a gift for them, because they love being warm and cosy and for us because it makes that after swimming hell a breeze.
Where To Buy: £44.99 online.
So Bomb DIY Hand Spa & Nail Salon
What Is It: A mini spa setup for hands, complete with fizzing bath bombs, soak bowl and kid-friendly nail station. Basically: “Dad, we’re doing salon now.”
What We Thought: This was very popular. They took it incredibly seriously — warm water poured, music on, towels folded like a spa, ‘Alexa play spa music’ shouted. Expect wet floors, extremely moisturised fingers, and the proud announcement: “Your appointment is ready.” Great bonding activity and perfect for children who love an experience.
Where To Buy: £20 from online.
Puffy Pouches Coffee Shop Squishy Fun
What Is It: A kit to make your own scented, squishy, puffy charms in the theme of very cute mini coffee shop treats.
What We Thought: This hit that magic intersection of sensory play + crafting + “it smells nice”. The process is simple enough to avoid adult supervision beyond “don’t get glue in your hair… again”, and the end result is something they actually use as bag charms, pencil case buddies, or school show-and-tell triumphs.
Where To Buy: £20 from online.
Gui Gui
What Is It: A deluxe slime kit that feels less “school fair” and more “spa day went wildly glittery”. The pack includes two iridescent slimes, a pearl-bead booster and exclusive “glow-up” sachets so kids can customise their slime with extra shine and shimmer.
What We Thought: This was quickly declared “the best slime ever” within minutes of opening it. The textures were squishier and shinier than your average gloopy mess. The branding makes this a much classier option than a lot of slime kits, ‘ohhhh fancy slime’ to quote my 8-year-old.
Where To Buy: £19.99 from online.
Animakii Face Change Doll
What Is It: A customisable doll with interchangeable outfits, hairstyles, and swappable face plates to change the expression and style — 32 possible looks in one doll, and even more if you collect the range.
What We Thought: This one encouraged so much imaginative play. They treated it like their own character to design, re-dress and storyline. The face-swap element was surprisingly fun (and slightly dramatic — “today she is ANGRY”). We loved that they got off playing avatar-style games on their devices and did it IRL with this.
Where To Buy: £17.99 from online.
Games, Family Chaos and Post Dinner Funtimes – Competitive, silly, occasionally loud and always brilliant
Logo: The Board Game – Disney Edition
What Is It: A Disney twist on the bestselling Logo game, this edition swaps household brands for beloved Disney and Pixar favourites. Players answer trivia about films, characters, and theme park icons in a race to reach the finish line, perfect for kids and Disney Adults alike.
What We Thought: We are BIG Disney Fans, so this one went down as an absolute treat with all of us. It’s got that perfect balance of “I know this one!” energy and just enough challenge to make it fun for us Disney Adults, too. The girls loved spotting familiar faces, from Stitch to Elsa, and it turned out to be a great leveller for the whole family. A guaranteed winner for Boxing Day.
Where to Buy It: £26.99 available online.
Exploding Kittens: The Board Game
What Is It: A wild reimagining of the iconic card game, now with a 3D board that literally flips between calm and chaos. Players dodge exploding kittens while trying to outwit rivals using sneaky cards and ridiculous tactics.
What We Thought: Utterly chaotic in the best possible way. The 3D board adds a new layer of madness that had everyone shrieking with laughter. It’s silly, fast, and brilliantly unpredictable, the kind of game that gets louder as it goes on and eventually makes the grandparents move to another room. Definitely not one for quiet evenings, but perfect for family mayhem.
Where To Buy It: £24.99 available online.
Giants Moving Tiny Furniture
What Is It: From the Exploding Kittens designers, this one lets players become clumsy giants trying to move miniature furniture using only their pinkies. A frantic, physical challenge where balance, teamwork, and laughter are guaranteed in equal measure.
What We Thought: Completely ridiculous, and that’s why it’s brilliant. Within minutes, we were howling as miniature chairs went flying across the room. It’s quick to set up, wildly silly, and surprisingly competitive. The sort of game that brings everyone to the floor (literally) in fits of laughter and makes us parents go, well, it’s good for their fine motor skills!
Where To Buy It: £19.99 available online.
Fuzzballs: Pizza Thief
What Is It: A fast-paced card game where players race to grab pizza slices before the sneaky thief gets them all. Packed with adorable Fuzzballs art, punny cards, and a heap of chaotic fun.
What We Thought: Another winner for us, easy to learn, quick to play, and full of cheeky humour. It’s got that perfect “one more round” energy, and the cute pizza theme makes it an instant hit with kids (and hungry adults). A fun, affordable addition to the family game stack and the sort of game you can stick in your bag to play on a day out.
Where To Buy It: £12.99 available online.
Articulate (Family / Junior)
What Is It: The classic description game that gets everyone talking, literally. Players race against the timer to describe as many words as possible without saying what they are. This edition includes both family and junior cards, so everyone can join in.
What We Thought: I remember loving this as a kid, and it was a delight to play it with my own kids. Fast, frantic, and guaranteed to cause giggles (and the occasional argument). The junior cards are brilliant for the kids, and it’s one of those rare games where grandparents, parents, and children can all genuinely play together.
Where To Buy It: £18 available online.
