Five Christmas toy ideas for kids

There is no greater joy than putting a smile on your child’s face, and these gifts will do just that this festive season.

From hatching animal toys to kid friendly laptops, there is bound to be something for your little ones.

Here are five toy ideas for children:

Hatchimals

One of the must-have toys this festive season is a hatchimal. They are flying off the shelves around the world! The hatching toy is sure to make your child scream with delight.  The hi-tech interactive egg needs your child’s help to hatch, and when it does, they can say can say hello to a chirpy new fury friend.  But be warned, the gift is likely to set you back around between R1,000 to R1,500. They are available at Toys R’ Us and online. 

Yakkity Yaks

These fury friends repeat everything you say, and will definitely provide hours of fun for your children. The best part? They are under R200. 

LeapFrog Epic

If you are thinking of getting one of your younger children a laptop, try the LeapFrog Epic. The Android-based tablet is not just fun entertainment to keep them out of your hair, it is also packed with educational games and the best part is it is built especially for kids and comes with parental control to suit different ages. It will cost you about R1,999. 

Book-turned-movie

Countless books have been made into movies, but how many of the books have your children actually read. Get your kids into reading more, and watching TV less by buying them the books some of their favourite moves are based on. Tim Burton’s 2016 hit movie ‘Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children’ is based on Ranson Riggs’ book of the same name. Lauren Kate, the Canadian author behind the popular ‘Fallen’ series, saw her book become a major feature film this year. JK Rowling’s 2001 book ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’, which was written under the fictional name Newt Scamander, also hit cinemas in 2016. 

Lights & Sound Stacker

It can get a bit tricky buying gifts for children in the one to three age group. While two-year-old and three-year-old children are already showing interest in certain toys likes cars or dolls, getting something for a 12-month-old is not that easy. Your best bet is an activity toy that comes with many different sounds, lights, and shapes. Try the ‘Lt Lights & Sound Stacker’ which is a stackable ring toy that helps with fine motor skills. It costs around R359. Check it out here.