And just like that, it’s December. And with it comes the hustle and the lists and the schedules and, well, dare we say chaos? Allow us to help you in one area of your festive to-do list—sourcing the perfect gift.
With an eye to every budget and interest, we’ve rounded up the top-picked gifts that we think will make an exciting surprise for any recipient. Happy shopping, and happiest holiday wishes from all of us at ParentsCanada.
Psst! You have the chance to win most of the top-picked gifts in our holiday gift guide with our ParentsCanada Holly Jolly Holiday Giveaway. Check out instagram.com/parentscanada every day between December 7 and 24 to enter to win each item.
Kilne Everything Pot and Non-Stick Steamer
Why we love it: We've been a fan of the Kilne's knives for years, so we're pretty stoked that they've expanded their dinnerware collection. The foodies on your list will love love love this pick—this pot and steamer take the place of up to 12 additional pieces of cookware. Plus, it's super durable and can stand up to everyday cooking, which is good news for families. $165, kilne.com
Uno Quattro
Why we love it: If your fam loves a good game of Uno, you need this game ASAP. This version combines the challenge of getting four in a row with matching colours and numbers. If your kids get a kick out of playing a +4 against Mom and Dad, they're gonna love this levelled-up game. $30, amazon.ca
Thomas & Friends Talking Cranky Delivery Train Set
Why we love it: If you've got a tiny Thomas & Friends fan in your house, this is the perfect present this year. This set features three interactive characters from the legendary show, including Cranky the Crane, Thomas (of course) and Troublesome Truck. The set includes 14.5 feet of track, a hopper, cargo pieces and more. $70, toysrus.ca
Disney Princess Magical Adventures Castle
Why we love it: We love anything that promotes hours of pretend play, and this castle has that in spades! This dollhouse stands four feet tall, features 360-degree play across three levels and 10 play areas, sounds, lights and more. It also comes with 25+ accessories. $250, toysrus.ca
Angelcare Lumicolor Bear Night Light
Why we love it: Okay, this one is so cool. This sweet cub intuitively senses the colour of the object it's placed on and turns the same shade. That means it's perfect for both playtime and bedtime. The soft round body is easy for little hands to hold, and it comes with an auto-shutdown option that turns the bear off after 45 minutes. $45, check out angelcarebaby.com for more information
Smarts & Crafts Comic Book Studio
Why we love it: If you have a comic-lover in your household, snap this pick up, quick. This kit includes everything needed to create a comic book! It comes with a large blank book, a small blank book, alphabet sticker sheets, stencils and more. Plus, it also includes an instruction guide that offers an introduction to designing comics and sequence-based storytelling. $30, staples.ca
MEGA BLOCKS Big Building Bag
Why we love it: A giant bag of colourful blocks perfectly sized for little hands—what could be better? Mega Blocks are easy to grip and easy to stack, helping to develop fine motor skills, imagination, creativity and more. The reusable storage bag is a nice touch, too. $27, walmart.ca
Paris Jewellers Classic Round Locket
Why we love it: A beautiful, meaningful piece of jewellery is the perfect present. Lockets, especially, feel like they can easily become a family heirloom (think about how many novels feature a mysterious locket as a major plot point!). This 10-karat yellow gold pick is as timeless as it gets. $680, parisjewellers.com
LEGO DreamZzz Nightmare Shark Ship
Why we love it: This LEGO set is pure adventure. With two play modes (ship mode and tank mode), an opening jaw, a treasure chest and four mini-figs (including the Nightmare King!), you're looking at hours of playtime. We also love the story-led building instructions that tie in the DreamZzz TV show. $180, lego.com
Beast Lab Shark Beast Creator
Why we love it: For kids who love creatures (bonus points if they're into sharks), this is the best present ever. The Shark Beast Creator is equipped with 80+ lights and sounds, potion ingredients and more, combined to create either the Havoc Hammerhead or the Mayhem Megashark monsters. We especially love that you can reset this toy and recreate the shark beasts again and again. $110, toysrus.ca
Snap Circuits Junior 100-in-1 Kit
Why we love it: If you have little engineers-in-the-making, you might not see them for hours after they unwrap this gift. All of the pieces in this kit snap together onto the plastic grid to make dozens of cool gadgets. We're talking radios, burglar alarms, doorbells, flying saucers and more. $60, staples.ca
Super Mario Bros Wonder for Nintendo Switch
Why we love it: When there's a new Mario Bros game, you can pretty much guarantee it'll end up on our editor's picks list. In this latest instalment of the Mario franchise, Mario, Luigi and friends have been invited to visit the Flower Kingdom. But King Bowser (not him again!) has transformed into a trouble-causing flying castle, making things difficult for the classic characters we know and love. $80, walmart.ca
Champions, by News Media Canada
Why we love it: This limited-edition book tell the stories of 24 notable trailblazers in the Canadian news media industry to help inspire teens and tweens to consider a career in media. Canadian artist Rachel Joanis lends her illustrations to the book, making this both a motivational and beautiful read. Plus, all proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to education charity First Book Canada. $35, championsofthetruth.ca
Little Live Pets Mama Surprise Guinea Pigs
Why we love it: If you were born in the '80s or even the early '90s, this pick will give you nostalgic Pound Puppy vibes. This hutch is home to a soft, interactive mama guinea pig whose heart will start to glow when her baby is on the way! There are three adorable babies to meet, each with their own birth certificate, accessories and more. $80, mastermindtoys.com
VTech Storytime with Sunny
Why we love it: Sunny is a bright and entertaining friend for kiddos ages 3+! She tells stories with surprising plot twists to keep kids hanging on her every word. Sunny comes with four disks that include more than five hours of fairy tales, tongue twisters, games, songs and more. She also teaches healthy habits by encouraging things like good manners, positive sleep hygiene and mindfulness. $80, toysrus.ca
Miles the Label (Pretty Much Anything!)
Why we love this brand: Miles the Label was launched in 2017, inspired by the bright and vibrant communities of Montreal. The team at Miles wanted to create fun, comfortable clothing for kids to live and play in, and the resulting line is soft, nostalgic and celebrates every kid's uniqueness. From $24, milesthelabel.com
LeapFrog Magic Adventures Telescope
Why we love it: This option is out of this world! Young astronomers can focus on the moon at night or nature during the day. With a 110 x zoom, 100+ videos and images courtesy of NASA and the European Space Agency, the ability to capture and save pictures of what they see and more, this is the best gift for any space-crazed kiddo. $110, amazon.ca
Purdy's Chocolatier (Sweet Treats for Everyone!)
Why we love this brand: Um…do we even need to explain this one? Purdy's Chocolatier has been making incredible, delicious chocolate and chocolate-adjacent treats in Canada since 1907. We tried to pick our favourites but it's pretty much impossible. Go into the store or checking out purdys.com to see for yourself. Show us a more perfect stocking stuffer…go ahead, we'll wait.
Thinking Cup Games Story Time Chess
Why we love it: Believe it or not, kids as young as three can learn to play chess with this game. Using silly stories, vibrant illustrations, custom chess pieces and a two-sided chess board, this oft-celebrated game communicates the rules of chess in a fun, simple way that's easy to understand. $50, staples.ca
Diaper Genie Platinum Pail
Why we love it: Launching in Canada in January 2024, this new stainless steel design offers higher capacity, with 70% less plastic used in the disposal bags than in previous models. This sleek model is a must-have for a new baby’s room, and it’s better than ever for the environment. $100, check out diapergenie.com for more information
Angelcare Celeste Musical Mushroom Projector
Why we love it: You mean aside from the fact that it's adorable, right? This cute companion blends soothing projections with calming sounds to create an ideal sleep environment for little ones. It also has a cry sensor that will reactive the projector if you babe stirs and just needs a few minutes of music or light to settle down again. $40, amazon.ca
