Buying a toy for children can be difficult! There are so many choices and it’s hard to know where to start. This blog post will give you some tips on how to find the best toys that suit your needs. We’ll start with what you should consider before buying – then we’ll get into specific types of toys.
Key factors to consider when buying kids’ toys
Price – Some toys are more expensive than others. But be wary of spending money on toys that appear inexpensive but quickly break and become unusable. These are the most expensive toys of all and don’t help with the circular economy notion.
Safety concerns – Make sure anything you buy is safe for the intended age group.
Size – Some kids’ toys are very small and could be choking hazards or easily lost. Make sure to consider the size of any toy you buy for a child!
Durability – Toys that will stand up better to wear and tear may cost more but they tend to last longer and get passed on to other kids.
The 8 best Christmas presents for kids this year
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Mega Fossil Dig Kit
Age Group:
- Ages 8+
Why we chose it:
- National Geographic Mega Fossil Dig Kit lets you unearth 15 fossils including dinosaur bones and marine life.
- Perfect for budding paleontologists, this dig kit includes a chisel, brush, magnifying glass, and a guide to help identify the finds.
- This is a great STEM gift idea for kids!
What you should know:
- In our experience, kids as young as 5 years old enjoy this present.
Price:
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Mega Slime Kit & Putty Lab
Age Group:
- Ages 5-12
Why we chose it:
- The National Geographic Mega Slime Kit is a unique science kit that contains everything you need to make 8 different types of slime and putty.
- This fun and fascinating kit includes 4 different colors of non-toxic, safe, easy-to-use slime as well as 4 colorless putties.
- These reusable storage tins are great for storing your creations when not in use.
- This kit also includes 2 tweezers, 1 spoon, 1 measuring scoop, 1 activity guide with instructions on how to make each type of creation.
What you should know:
- Super popular for boys and girls this toy won product of the year award for “Creative child awards 2019”
Price:
THINKFUN Zingo! Bingo with a Zing
Age Group:
- Ages 4 and up
Why we chose it:
- The Zingo Bingo game is an award-winning preschool game that helps develop critical skills in pre-readers and early readers through fun, fast-paced play.
- The Zingo Bingo is a pair matching game; the goal of the game is to fill up your Zingo card (think bingo cards) with the Zinger tiles before all others.
- This set includes a Zinger device that players of all ages will enjoy.
What you should know:
- A great game for the whole family; all ages can enjoy this game
Price:
VTECH KidiZoom Camera Pix Plus
Age Group:
- 3-8 years
Why we chose it:
- With this camera, you can create a Talking Photo using your own photo, voice, and voice effects
- Experiment with 35+ camera effects like photo frames, stamps, kaleidoscope effects, collages, video themes, and more
- The creations can be saved to internal memory or a microSD card (sold separately)
What you should know:
- Kids love taking this camera to go exploring at the nearby park
- Needs four AA batteries; the batteries that are included are for demonstration purposes only
Price:
Hatchimals Glittering Garden
Age Group:
- 5-7 years
Why we chose it:
- This Hatchimal is an interactive, glittery penguala that loves to play games!
- Hatch this sparkling penguala toy from the glittering garden egg and nurture it through 3 stages (baby, toddler & kid) of development.
- The more you play with your Hatchimal, the more it will learn!
- Your new friend can’t wait to meet you — hatch yours today!
What you should know:
- Requires 2 AA batteries which are included.
Price:
LEGO Duplo My First Number Train
Age Group:
- 2-5 years
Why we chose it:
- The Lego Duplo My First Number Train set is a perfect way for your preschooler to learn how to count.
- With the help of this colorful, buildable train, your child can practice identifying numbers and counting from 1 to 10.
- This number train set includes a buildable locomotive and three wagons, bricks decorated with the numbers 0 through 9, two child figures, plus a cat figure.
What you should know:
- The pieces from this set can easily be used together with any other Lego Duplo sets.
Price:
Magnetic Building Tiles – 14 Pieces Colorful Set for Artistic, Creativity and Educational Toys STEM
Age Group:
- 3 years and up
Why we chose it:
- The magnetic building tiles set is designed to develop the creativity of children.
- This toy will help kids learn about shapes, colors, patterns, and sizes.
- The set comes with 14 colorful pieces that are made from high-quality plastic material.
- Each piece has a powerful magnet that helps build structures or simply make different shapes.
What you should know:
- Even adults love to play with this; it’s fun and addictive to see all the different shapes you can make.
Price:
MELISSA & DOUG Wooden Building Blocks Set
Age Group:
- From 3 to 8 years
Why we chose it:
- The Melissa & Doug wooden building blocks set includes 100 durable wooden blocks in 4 different colors and 9 shapes
- It’s a classic educational toy that provides hours of hands-on, screen-free play and learning.
- The set is designed for kids’ entertainment, but also introduces early math concepts, and helps kids develop strong motor skills and even resilience as they experiment with building, knocking blocks over, and building again.
- Made of solid wood with rounded edges, the colorful building blocks are lightweight.
What you should know:
Price:
5 Tips on how to avoid the worst toys for your child
Here are five tips on how to avoid getting bad purchases:
- Watch out for choking hazards; children can put small objects in their mouths and choke on them.
- Check whether the toy requires batteries; you don’t want to spoil Christmas by giving a gift that doesn’t contain the required batteries!
- Always check for safety standards; the best toys should have been tested by a governing body such as the ASTM.
- Read reviews from other buyers; if you’re going to buy online, check the reviews other buyers have left as you’ll get a much better understanding of the product.
- Make sure your toy is appropriate for your child’s age range and developmental level so they don’t get bored or frustrated.
Toys that are perfect for every age group
If you’ve read the tips and are still confused about what toy to buy a child, here is a list of toys suitable for every age group. These aren’t necessarily my top ten but they will keep any child happy!
Arts & craft kits – There is a wide range available in Hong Kong; kids of any age enjoy creating.
Board games – A great way to spend some family time together, children can learn new skills whilst playing board games.
Books – Perfect for bedtime reading or story time during the day; kids’ books are educational but also tons of fun!
Card games – A great way to spend some family time together, children can learn new skills whilst playing card games.
LEGO – Can be used by all children, from babies to teenagers; LEGO is a very popular toy for good reason!
Puzzles – Helps children to learn problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination; they come in all shapes, sizes, and difficulties.
Toys that will encourage imaginative play and learning skills
Research has shown that toys can be a great way for encouraging imaginative play, which is the key to developing problem-solving skills and learning new things.
Babies – There are so many different baby toys available but rattles and sensory toys are great for babies of all ages!
Toddlers – Building blocks encourage hand-eye coordination whilst also teaching children math and physics; balls and shape sorters are also great options.
Preschool children – Dress up clothes, play dough, art supplies, and learning toys such as puzzles and flashcards are perfect for preschoolers who love role-playing!
Elementary school children – LEGO is a wonderful STEM toy that can be used by all ages but magnetic tiles, science kits, and art activities are great options.
Teenagers – Teenagers love tech toys so any of the STEM or educational kids toys mentioned above will be enjoyed by older children! Also consider buying them gifts that are more age-appropriate, such as video games!
Amazon shipping costs to Hong Kong
How do I receive the Free Shipping promotion on my order?
International Free Shipping is available for orders that are or part of orders worth US$49 and more! Not all items will be eligible, but you will find “free shipping to Hong Kong” throughout your shopping journey.
Why didn’t my cart qualify for free shipping?
You might not be eligible for free shipping if your order doesn’t meet the minimum “Free shipping threshold” of US$49. Also, it’s possible that your cart contains non-eligible items; for certain items, you can expect to be charged a shipping fee.
Do I need to meet the free shipping threshold of US$49 by purchasing one eligible item?
No, you can achieve the minimum threshold of US$49 either if your purchase includes several items or a single product with an original cost above US$49.
Finally
Get your child the perfect gift with this guide to choosing toys that suit all ages.
No matter what age your child is, there will always be something perfect for them when it comes to buying Christmas presents; it’s all in knowing where to look and having an idea about what they like!
Hopefully, this guide has made it easier for you to decide on the perfect gift.
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- 21 Best Christmas Gift Ideas for Hong Kong 2021
- Where to Buy Christmas Trees 2021 – 7 Best HK Stores
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