Bambino Goodies Christmas Gift Guide Preview 2012

Christmas gift guide preview

Edited by Natalie Lue, Lucy Davies, Claire Archbold, and Saria (age 5).

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BRILLIANT BABIES ________________________________

Ella & Otto owl rattle, £12, Mollie Bee

Ej Sikke Lej velour owl dungarees, £34, Love It Love It Love It

It's easy to dismiss the under-ones as being 'too young to appreciate Christmas', but there are lots of gifts they will enjoy. Sensory play helps build concentration, creativity, imagination, language and numeracy, while graspers and shakers that will fit into tiny hands boost motor skills.

Anne-Claire Petit crochet music box, £40, The Kid Who

Sew Heart Felt fox slippers, €30, Shak-Shuka Littlephant pram necklace, £27.95, Little Baby Company Sensory Bambini flower, £15, Amazon

babies Naef Baby Balls, £35, Bebe Moda

shake it!

Deuz Mini Maracas, €28, Der Kleine Salon

P'Kolino puzzle stacker, £19.50, Lula Sapphire Petit Collage bamboo mobile, £35, Piccolo Bambino

Sensory stacking hoops, £40, Play to Z

Kid O tugboat bath toy, £13.99, Toyella

Manhattan Toy wooden car, £15, Hop Toy Shop www.bambinogoodies.co.uk

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EARLY EXPLORERS ________________________________ A key stage when babies turn into toddlers, learning to walk and talk. Toys to push, pull, press and pile up are particularly popular with this age group.

Walkers are the multitaskers of the toy world - not only do they aid mobility, but also double as dolls' prams (and emergency storage when you're in need of a quick tidy fix).

Teenytini knitted turtle, £54, Olive Loves Alfie

Glodos ‘Flap’ wooden baby walker, £85, Dorothy & Theodore

Kid O Go Car, £16.90, VUP Baby

stacks of fun

Plastic pull-along horse, £13, MollyMeg Uncle Goose wooden ABC blocks, £24.99, Daisy Daisy. Rubbablox Just Triangles set, €28.95, Shak-Shuka. Set of 10 vintage style alphabet blocks, £12.95, Little Baby Company

1-2

Djeco wooden pull-along elephant, £25, AlexandAlexa

Janod wooden car transporter, £25, Lula Sapphire Liandlo green lion t-shirt, £16, Kyna Boutique

Mini Micro 3in1 special edition scooter with seat and O-bar, £74.95, Micro Scooters

nostalgic buy Fisher Price Change A Tune piano, £24.95, Hop Toy Shop Djeco wood and felt Happy Farm puzzle, £13.45, Tickety-Boo

sort it out Kid O plastic sorting house, £22, and DwellStudio wooden zoo shape sorter, £25, both Huggle

www.bambinogoodies.co.uk

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PLAYERS

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Learning to play with others is an essential life skill - this is the time to encourage social interaction with simple, engaging board games. Plus, you'll also find a case for your little one to store their treasures is useful for mess control.

Djeco Little Cooperation Game, £18, Couverture and the Garbstore

123 Suitcase, £8, ByGraziela

Bock CPH mini owl cushion, £31.99, Nordic Kids

Janod wooden DIY truck, £25, Lula Sapphire

2-3 Cotton top, €9.95, Lindex

Grimms Four Elements wooden puzzle, £80, Little Acorns to Mighty Oaks

Kiko Kuruma wooden car, €19, Mes Habits Cheris

Amazing Child Montessori Fastenings Cube, £17.15, Amazon

John Crane Tidlo 14-piece wooden musical instrument set, £31.95, The Wooden Toy Shop Crocodile Creek Safari ball, £7, Little Citizens Boutique

Wooden woodland animal set, £25.22, Mielasiela

Bristle Blocks Stackadoos, £26, Jojo Maman Bébé

www.bambinogoodies.co.uk

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PRETENDERS ________________________________

P’kolino Little One’s art easel, £60, Nubie

Pre-school children thrive on imaginative play, so vehicles and role-playing toys will always be a hit.

Musical instruments (especially super-cool foodstyled ones) will help to increase confidence.

Kiko Kids hamburger and chips music set, £20, AlexandAlexa

Find My Piglet! animal memory game, £12.95, Design Museum Shop The chips are maracas and the hamburger is a castanet!

Kid O magnatabs, from £19.99, Toyella. Uppercase, numbers and freestyle also available

Janod cash register and scales with money and fruit, £36, Lula Sapphire

3-4 Big chevron hoodie, £26, Boys & Girls

Sprig Toys eco-friendly dino adventure rig and dolphin explorer boat (opposite page), from €26.50, Shak-Shuka

Kovap classic tin plate Mercedes MB355 fire engine, £35, Rume

Mini Micro scooter, £59.95, Micro Scooters

Miller Goodman Facemaker wooden blocks, £31.99, Peanut & Pip Ingela P Arrhenius set of six animal nesting dolls, £18.95, Little Baby Company

Kid O wooden forest play set, £36.98, Toyella

Pintoy wooden doll buggy, £37.95, Wooden Toy Shop www.bambinogoodies.co.uk

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Hardwood Fort Standard balancing blocks, £65, Theo Theo

CREATORS ________________________________

Craft and construction kits are key for improving your child's drawing and writing proficiency and motor skills as they prepare for or start school. Make believe will still feature strongly in their play, so now's the time to invest in a dolls' house (or space station).

Donna Wilson Make Something With Me kit, £8, Little Scout

Card London Flick Golf, £6.99, Clockwork Soldier

Oak and plywood Miniko dolls house and furniture set, £219, Miniio Vilac pirate puzzle, £16.99, Eeny Meeny Kids Gonge River stepping stones, £44.58, Rapid

Taro Gomi animal doodle placemats, £8.99, White Stuff

Hape wooden spaceship and rocket, £104.99, Amazon

4-5 Crazy Stuff fully moulded eagle safety helmet, £35, Bird Kids

Lego alternative Wooden castle marble run, £25, Cox & Cox

Early Rider Belter bike, £230 Toyella

Plus-Plus mini blocks, £19.98 for 600, Toyella Jaquard knit Christmas jumpers available in various designs, £33 each, Tootsa MacGinty

Bibu elephant cushion, £30, Hunky Dory Home

Janod wooden dominoes, £38.48, Amazon

Funktionalley Leka wooden horse, £99, Mydeco

www.bambinogoodies.co.uk

Paper Cochae origami Russian dolls, £12, The Kid Who

Spirithood fake fur wolf hat, scarf and mittens, £75, I Dream Elephants Maileg King Mouse and tower, £27.50, Sisters Guild

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DISCOVERERS

________________________________ Once your child starts school, peer pressure kicks in, and with it the requests for more commercial toys.

We asked Saria, the five-year-old 'bambino', to help us find creative, challenging and imaginative gifts for children finding their way in the world.

Turn ‘rubbish’ into new objects.

Mushroom Princess Sparkles cotton and tulle tutu, $149, Tutu de Monde Makedo 165 piece freeplay kit, £18.98, Toyella

Beinnn 20+ small aluminium bike, £299, Islabikes

Vilac wooden bow and three arrows, £15.99, Kidsen

5 Mon Chalet en Bois wooden construction kit, £25, The Garbstore

P'kolino Playful Art set, £20, Huggle

Yellow Owl Workshop Cityscape Stamp set, £22.99, Little Scout

Djeco Pinocchio puzzle, £12.95, Fenwick

Mouse House craft kit, £11, Buttonbag

Dress-up Dolly in a matchbox, £14.95, Rockett St George

Seedling The Great Adventure Kit, £39.99, Kind Toys

Pucket elasticated table game, £40, Pucket

www.bambinogoodies.co.uk