Gifts for kids

The 200gsm paper has a slightly toothy surface that suits coloured pencil, and the hard covers keep drawings flat and safe in a school bag. Rest your drawing hand on a scrap of paper to stop soft pencil smudging across the page. The pages are A4 in portrait format, 100 of them in all.

What owners say: Owners call it a heavy-duty book with thick paper that doesn’t bleed through, perfect for sketching and coloured pencils, and good value with more pages than most.

There are 55 round cards, each with eight symbols, for two to eight players aged 6 and up, and any two cards share exactly one symbol. Start younger players on the simplest game, and stay with it until everyone has the hang of spotting matches before trying the other four.

What owners say: Owners say it’s hard to put down and quick to set up, that young and old can play together, and that a game lasts 10 to 15 minutes.

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Inside are 64 crayons, 40 felt tips and 20 short colouring pencils, with 15 large sheets of paper, and Crayola marks it for ages five and up. The paper goes quickly, so keep a pad or a stack of printer paper beside it. Putting each piece back in its gap turns tidying into a matching game, and the handle means the case can live on a shelf between sessions.

What owners say: Owners say children find it easy to pick out the colour they want from the trays, and that the case is sturdy enough to be carted from room to room.

The seams are ultrasonically welded and the corners rounded, and the set is for ages 3 and up. Start little ones on flat patterns on the floor, squares and triangles laid out like a puzzle, to see how the shapes fit together. Once towers go up, a wide base of squares keeps them standing longer, and the cars can drive in and out of whatever garage comes next.

What owners say: Owners praise the strong magnets and sturdy build, like the mix of colours, and find children come back to it for hours at a time.

The extra-wide deck is kinder to wobbly beginners than a narrow two-wheeler. Before the first trip to the park, show them how to lean to steer and how to step on the rear brake to stop. The two front wheels are big and the back one smaller, and it folds small enough to go in the car boot with the shopping.

What owners say: Owners say it’s well built and easy for three-year-olds to control, and like the foldable design, the adjustable height and handlebar, and the wheels that light up.

Use the 74dBA setting at home for younger children and save 85dBA for noisy trains and planes. With the cable plugged in they need no battery at all, though wired listening is capped at 85dBA rather than 74. They fold for a bag, weigh 158g and have a built-in mic.

What owners say: Owners find them great for children from about three upwards, easy to pair and a good fit on children’s heads, and like that they don’t get too loud.

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It magnifies up to 1000x on a 2in screen, lit by eight LEDs at three brightness levels, and its 2MP camera saves more than 200 photos. Start at the lowest zoom and bring it slowly closer, as most blurry pictures are just too close. Plugged into a laptop, the photos make a ready-made school project, and it keeps running on USB power when the battery runs down.

What owners say: Owners find the pictures clear and the zoom impressive, and say curious children find it easy to work and fun to explore with.

Thick 3.05mm leads give strong coverage, and the hexagonal barrels don’t roll off the desk. Give younger children a few colours at a time rather than the whole pack, which keeps them focused and the set complete, and counting the pencils back in at the end of each session saves hunting for lost colours later.

What owners say: Vibrant colours and smooth leads that glide on paper please owners, who find they sharpen well, are easy to use and suit children.

The fine end is 1mm, and the paint goes on wood, glass and fabric as well as stone, with the set in a presentation box. Wash and dry a stone before painting so the paint grips, and sketch the design lightly in pencil first. On a rock that’s going outside, finish with a coat of clear outdoor varnish once the paint is fully dry.

What owners say: Owners find the colours vivid and smudge-free, especially on stones, and like the even coverage, the quick drying and the way the paint doesn’t bleed through paper.

The sticks are non-toxic, 70mm long and 10mm thick, and the sleeves keep them from smearing each other in the box. Try sgraffito: lay down a thick layer of bright colours, cover it with a dark one, then scratch a picture through with a cocktail stick, the same idea as rainbow scratch-art paper.

What owners say: Owners find them richly pigmented and beautifully blendable, with a soft texture that’s neither too hard nor too soft, and think them fairly priced for beginners and students.