- Trolls
No, not the all-singing, all-dancing, cute versions from the Justin Timberlake movie. We’re talking about the ugly ones that everyone seems to have forgotten about. Give your kids a shock by showing them where their favourite movie originated from!
- Tamagotchi
Before the days of games consoles and smartphones, we were satisfied to sit and look after our Tamagotchis. They say simple ideas are often the best ones, so why not strip back your technology and give your kids the task of keeping one of these pets alive. Guaranteed it will keep them busy for hours.
- Stretch Armstrong
There’s something undeniably stress-relieving about pulling Stretch Armstrong’s arms as far apart as possible. This year, help your loved ones channel their anger into something as silly as a little rubber man.
- Furby (Gizmo from Gremlins)
Let’s be real: Furbies were always a little creepy. Take the cuteness of a Furby, and none of the scary eye-movements, by purchasing this Gizmo plush. He was basically the original Furby anyway, right? Plus, he’s definitely a cute retro pop culture reference.
- Dance Mat
Remember when these were a thing? There is no modern invention that even comes close to a dance mat, so this one is a no-brainer really. Have fun stomping the night away.
- Buzz Wire
Did anyone ever have a steady enough hand to beat this? Such a simple concept, yet so difficult to pull off, buzz wire is something you can play (and most likely fail at) as a family.
- Rubik’s cube
The OG puzzle. Most of us have never had success with one of these, yet we still try year upon year, in hopes we’re smart enough. This year, we wish you a merry Christmas, and a solved Rubik’s Cube.
- Mr Potato Head
Did you know, Mr Potato Head was not invented by the creators of Toy Story? The original was sold in 1952, and is constantly being remodelled since, so it’s something that all generations can appreciate, young and old.
- 20Q
There’s hours of fun to be had letting this thing read your mind. Granted, the 20Q isn’t *that* old, but they seem to have gone out of fashion far too early. Their magical powers are still a mystery to me.
- Penguin Race
We’ve all been fascinated by this at one time or another, haven’t we? There’s something mesmerizing about watching these little guys walk up the stairs and slide all the way down, even as an adult. With Hawkins Bazaar gone from the high-street now, this could be your only chance to give your kids the daft experience of watching penguins race.
- Magic Tricks Set
Whatever happened to kids doing magic tricks? I, personally, would love to pretend to be baffled when a child knows what my card was, or pulls a coin out from behind my ear. Ok I lied, maybe I would be genuinely amazed, and probably unable to work out how they actually did it.
- Play Doh
Forget the slime, let’s go back to the good old days of play doh. Remember, that stuff that got ruined as soon as you mixed the colours together? Oh well, play doh has always been a winner for the elaborate shapes you can make with it.
- Table football
Gone are the days where you could only play this at youth clubs or pubs, now you can have your own miniature tabletop football set. Great for Christmas day tournaments.
- Scalextrics
Remember when scalextrics ruled the world? They were pretty cool, not gonna lie, and we’d be kidding if we said we weren’t tempted to buy this and have a go ourselves, all these years later.
- Etch-a-sketch
Channel your creativity in the most frustrating yet satisfying way with an Etch-a-sketch. Mastering the art of one of these things, and managing to draw or write something using only straight lines, is a genuine Christmas miracle.
- Diabolo
Did I ever manage a single trick with this thing? Nope. Do I now want another go at throwing it in the air and catching it, to see if I’ve somehow mastered it? Absolutely.
- Dominoes
Tired of explaining the rules to complex board games year after year? Solve the problem with a set of dominoes. Easy to play, and a game doesn’t last 4 hours like Monopoly. Everyone’s happy.
- Jacks
Another simple game that’ll solve Christmas boredom without too much stress or too many arguments. You know you want to whoop your kids at Jacks…but it’ll probably only be because they’ve never played before.
- Space Hopper
If you’ve never fallen off one of these, you’ve never lived. Every time you go down, you bounce right back up though, because that’s how fun these things are.
- Lump of coal
Just saying, if you were committed to traditional presents, you’d consider a lump of coal for any friends or family who’ve been naughty this year. I mean they must’ve been a little nice, as this coal doubles up as a bath bomb, but whatever.
If you fancy something more modern, check out our hottest Christmas toys of 2021.
