With Christmas fast approaching, it’s time to start ticking off the gift list. If you’re stuck for ideas of what to buy for the children in your life, we have eight brilliant ideas to inspire you and delight them.
From dinosaurs to be hatched and trained, fun jewellery to get creative with and the chicken and hot dog game that will make for some competitive festivities, even the trickiest to buy for will have a smile on their face when opening these top present picks …
For mini scientists
Discovery Mindblown Bionic Hand Toy DIY Build Set
Whether your child is really into science and constructing things, or they just love the idea of being a real-life Iron Man, this kit from Discovery walks them through building their own bionic hand.
Consisting of 87 pieces, the kit is for children aged eight and over, and helps teach them about engineering, hydraulics and mechanics, while developing their fine motor skills and cognitive abilities.
The kit can be configured for the left or right hand, and the targeting laser light makes for hours of fun shooting their siblings … in a safe way.
Dh199, Hamleys, Dubai Mall, Dubai
For retro fans
My Arcade Pac-Man Portable Retro Arcade Joystick Player
Children these days with their streamers and PS5s and Amazon Prime have no idea what it was like for mum and dad growing up. But with this gift, you can show them exactly what old school entertainment used to look like. This gift is full of retro fun. Children can experience the thrill of the arcade with this joystick-driven game as they guide Pac-Man around the maze to chomp on Pac-Dots while avoiding the Ghost Gang.
The game comes with a high-resolution 3.5-inch full-colour display, featuring classic mode and speed up mode, and can be powered by battery or USB charger (not included).
Dh275, Geekay
For bath time fun
Bubble T Kids Potion Lab Gift
A gift that will suit all ages from toddlers to teenagers, this potion set makes bath time fun as children mix and match an array of colours, scents and textures.
Mini Hermione Grangers will love to pour together an array of different potions to create new scents and colours using the likes of Cosmic Cordial, Berry Broth and Wicked Water. The vials contain a mix of bath salts, powders and liquids which fizz and bubble. Teenagers will enjoy pouring them into a relaxing bath for self-care rituals, while younger children will love the feeling of creating their own magical bath time potions.
Dh118, Virgin Megastore
For the whole family
Tapple
When family and friends are gathered around the table for games, Tapple is guaranteed to keep everyone on their toes. Once the category card is drawn, the 10-second timer is started and the player must give their answer starting with the letters that remain on the wheel.
Each player takes a turn until there are no letters left or no more answers to be found (try to think of a pizza topping beginning with X). The first player to collect three cards wins and players are eliminated when they can’t come up with an answer in time.
Prepare for your mind to go completely blank when faced with the simplest of questions.
From Dh44.87, Amazon
For curious minds
Dissect-It Rattlesnake Super Lab
Encased in a rubbery, jelly-like outer-shell, the inner-workings of a snake’s body are laid bare for children to explore. Putting biology and science front and centre, younger children will love using the blunted scalpel to dig into the snake and discover its anatomy, many bones and organs.
It also comes with a rattle tail and a surprise skeleton hidden in the snake’s stomach, so mini scientists can try to figure out its last meal.
The kit comes with four dissection tools, a clear table on which to carry out the dissection, two refills so siblings can have a try too, as well as a detailed guide. The Dissect-It range also features a piranha, frog and salamander.
Dh130, Mumzworld
For hard-to-buy-for teenagers
Chicken vs Hotdog
The premise is simple and the equipment required simpler still: all you need is a table or flat work surface. Players or teams select the chicken or hot dog, then they choose a card.
There are 30 challenges to try, each featuring a different type of flip your chicken or hot dog must perform, ending with it sticking upright to the table. Toss your hot dog in the air for a triple flip, and if it ends up upright, you’ve nailed the challenge.
A word of warning: if both teams or players draw the same card it triggers the “flip-o-rama” whereby the first to stick a landing wins. Things will get frantic.
Dh173, Desert Cart
For little creatives
Cool Maker Stack'D Heishi Bracelet Studio
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour may be over, but the trend for creating your own bracelets a la TayTay lives on.
This mini bracelet-maker makes it easy for youngsters to get creative and thread together an array of different Heishi bracelets.
First, young creatives use the pen to press the tip on to the beads they wish to use, seeing the colours through the transparent tube. Then, the pen is inserted into the studio to release the beads, along with the elastic band and clasp.
Put your hand through the loop, press the button and watch as your bracelet is formed and delivered straight to your wrist. The kit contains 1,220 Heishi beads, 17 bands and 16 two-piece clasps with refills available.
From Dh135, Amazon
For dinosaur fans
Primal Hatch
With Jurassic World Rebirth one of the biggest films of 2025, it makes sense that a dinosaur toy should also be among the most popular Christmas gifts of the year too.
One of the festive season’s must-haves is the Primal Hatch, a dinosaur that hatches out and which children can then play with and train. The hatching will thrill younger children, as the eggs cracks and the baby dino emerges from a goopy primeval soup of child-favourite slime.
Then, the training begins and it’s up to the children to decide if they want to use their clicker training tool to turn their baby T-Rex into a friendly dinosaur or a fierce predator.
From Dh208.94, Amazon
