Are you on the hunt for the perfect gift, but short on time? We have plenty of gift inspiration to help if you’re buying for a child or teen. Here are some last minute Christmas present ideas that will go down a treat!

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If you’re in serious need of some ideas for presents to buy your child or teen or a family relative or friend, then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together some ideas for presents by age – things that our kids and teens have liked, so you’re sure to be onto a winner with your gift.

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Last Minute Christmas Present Ideas

General Gifts

Here are some suggestions for general present ideas that are not age specific but can be enjoyed throughout the year or as a special treat:

An annual pass or membership for a nearby attraction, such as a sports club, local pet farm, activity centre, etc. What about a Zoo membership, Explorium or Westport House, depending on where the family is located.

A monthly subscription is a great gift that keeps coming all year – it could be a kids magazine subscription, beauty box, crafts, books, etc. For example, The Caterpillar is an Irish monthly magazine for kids with stories, poems and art.

Also a voucher for “time together”, not always obvious but time spent with you is a real treat. I take my niece on the bus to town and we go around the shops for an hour and then go for something to eat before heading home. It is just her and I, and she loves it.

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Last Minute Christmas Present Ideas For Younger Kids Aged 4-8

Coding Critters

One of the hot toys this year is Coding Critters, which are actually STEM toys as well as cute interactive pets. Kids code along with their new pets’ storybook adventure, so for example, can you code Ranger to play hide and seek, fetch a ball from the tennis ball launcher, or catch Zip after a ride down the slide? You can also use the pet playset to design your own code games and more.

Stationery

Stationery is always a hit with younger kids. The likes of Smiggle, Paperchase, Flying Tiger all have fun bits that you can pick up to make a fun stationery package – always a hit in our house. Notepads, pens, stickers, pencil toppers, paper clips, the brighter and more colourful the better.

LEGO

LEGO continues to stay super popular. The LEGO Friends and City ranges in particular are very popular.

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Lottie Dolls

If you haven’t heard of Lottie Dolls, these are from a company in Donegal, and they are based on the average proportions of a nine-year-old child rather than those of an adult woman.

Lottie Dolls are all about celebrating childhood, play and imagination – with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion to ensure all children are represented. They come in all sorts of versions from Fossil Hunter to Stargazer.

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Last Minute Christmas Present Ideas For Tweens Aged 8-12

Board Games

A good excuse to get the kids off-screen, and spend some fun time together. New games this year include Harry Potter Dobble, Stranger Things Monopoly, Pigcasso drawing game but I really like this idea which is called Invent your own board game!

It comes with 220+ pieces, game board, sand timer, spinner, die, markers, stencils and stickers so you can create your own family game night classic.

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LEGO

From Harry Potter, Frozen and Minecraft to Jurassic Park, Star Wars and plenty more, there is definitely something for everyone!

Jewellery

For tweens, jewellery can make a great gift. It makes them feel a bit special and a little more grown up. Charm bracelets are always popular with girls, with the added bonus of being able to buy more charms for future gifts. And leather bracelets are nice for boys.

Brands that are popular with teens include Pandora, Thomas Sabo and Alex & Ani.

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Last Minute Christmas Present Ideas For Teens Aged 13+

Smellies!

Particularly for the girls but not being gender specific either. My two teens adore Lush and I like the brand because it’s all about completely natural products with great packaging. They do online ordering if you find visiting their stores a bit overpowering!

Alternatively, a voucher towards a facial, a hot shave at the barbers or for a nearby beauty salon to get nails done would all be popular.

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Headphones or Speakers

Good headphones or wireless speakers are a must in every teen’s life. From listening to music to watching videos online and talking to their friends while they get on with life. AirPods are the new in thing, and there are equivalent Android wireless earbuds as well.

If they already have those, then a Bluetooth portable speaker is a handy gift. Long gone are the days of those big boomboxes! These new style speakers which connect with Bluetooth to most phones are so small they can tuck them into their backpacks.  It’s worth checking with their Mum and Dad what they do or don’t have and shopping around for these.

Vinyl and/or a Record Player

Vinyl has made a real comeback recently so either a record player to get them started or else gift an LP. Many vinyl records also come with the CD or downloadable version of the record as well, so you can get multiple formats in one buy which is handy. Urban Outfitters sell really cool retro style record players as well as vinyl storage.

Otherwise a subscription to a music streaming service such as Spotify, Apple Music or Google Play or iTunes credit. Or concert tickets are also a good present.

A Free Gift for a Teen

Finally if you’re looking for a free gift idea for a teen, something to inspire and easy to post. The Great Sportsmanship Programme have a beautiful graphic of a verse, on the topic of sportsmanship.

You can print it and gift it, or frame it as well. The image reads:

“For when the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name.
He writes – not that you won or lost – but how you played the game”.

Download the poem graphic for free

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Have your say! Do you have any other ideas for last minute Christmas present ideas for kids and/or teens? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!