What were the unexpected small hits last Christmas with your kids?

[stopbeeping]

What surprised you and brought them some joy? Brazenly asking for my own kids!
They are 7 months 3 and six

I get a few bits second hand and then new bits but we don't go wild

Just looking for some ideas really thank you

It is softer and more easily malleable.

If you look on Etsy there are pretend sets of documents for almost any profession you can think of for about 5 pounds. Theyre downloadable. You can also get them on the ‘Twinkle’ Website and they’re Keystage appropriate. You can even get ones that come with x-rays 😀. I’m all excited about making her up a vet set and getting her scrubs made. And I’ve even found stuffed animals where she can open up the tummy and deliver the baby animals. Some of them can even be attached to the mummy for feeding. I know it probably sounds awful but they’re lovely.

Fantastic thanks. I have a very weird three year old currently obsessed with bones and cartilage, so this would completely delight him.

I am soo glad I made this thread
All of the worries that they need really expensive toys when a lot of what they want seems to be basically things grownups have and that makes so much sense
I know when I got a big bag of newborn nappies I was thrilled with them for my dolls

Going to get the boys some stuff to use that doesn't cost the earth, kill the earth so much and is exciting for them

Thank you everyone

Some of the most randon and memorable hits here have been:
A duster
A washing up brush
A silicone pastry brush
Blu tac
A mini keyring tape measure
A bag of fudge with Polish writing on it (can't remember where I got it but DS was delighted thinking Father Christmas had made a mistake and a child in Poland had woken up to find English fudge in his stocking)

I gave my niece a box of colourful vetwrap bandages. She wrapped all her soft toys up in them.

My almost six year old would dearly love his own office.

He cried when we got rid of the (twice used) shredder. I've got him some blu-tac all for himself.

He's been campaigning for his own printer for a while, Dh is unconvinced. Maybe next year 😂

My 10 year old still loves thing's like office stationery and staplers etc.

I nearly got rid of a huge tub of Lego and yet she's back into it creating thing's which I'm so so happy about!!

Posca pens where a huge hit this bday.

A little handbags with lipstick and waitress pad was another huge hit.

My DD who's 10 would love a sellotape snail apparently. I'm sure Father Christmas will manage it.

My DS when smaller loved those small note books in Tiger - he wrote food orders in them as he pretended to be a waiter

Also - those little racing cars that you rev back and forwards and race - £1 I think in Tiger - he spent ages one Christmas having races v his Uncle

Torch

The pencils that have the woodpecker on

Fake moustaches
The ice hockey desk top game

Bet my toddler would love it - do you have a link please?

Cup and ball game like this

A splat ball like this

Where 2 of the big hits, both the cheapest most 'tat' things for under £1 that they got in their stockings lol.

When DD was small I kept all the amazon boxes parcels had come in on the run up to Christmas for myself and my DParents and wrapped them up Pass the Parcel style with a chocolate coin in each box, in the smallest box was a load of arts and crafts bits and a roll of bubble wrap. She literally spent the entire week between Christmas and New Year playing in and decorating the boxes. None of the expensive toys got a look in.

Light up bath ducks! They don’t last long but they are much loved during their short lives 😂 Tiger normally do them, and pocket money shops.

I always put something that lights up in the stocking. This year DD (10) is getting some colour-changing LED tealights. In past years the ducks were the favourite!

DD also loves blu-tak — and post-it notes. There is nothing a 7 year old would like more than a pack of post-it notes IME!

A bag of pasta to play with in his kitchen

Magnifying glass (3.6 years)

For my three year old, an old shoe box decorated with Christmas wrapping paper, then layers of bubble wrap and tissue paper inside, with the gaudiest under £1 necklaces I could find in our local town charity shops (think ten in total). £6 total spend, the most played with present ever in our household. Absolute pure delight at wearing various necklace monstrosities at any occasion.

The year she asked for crutches.... 😂 Got a childs set, wasn't her main present but most played with and still uses them now.

Both when toddlers were only interested in the boxes and wrapping paper

DS' favourite presents have included a clipboard and a list of all of the children in his class so he could do the register and, a couple of years later, one of those whiteboard/clipboard things that sports coaches use to show players what the plans and plays are going to be. He was also genuinely excited by his litter picker and it is surprisingly useful around the house.
DD was really happy the year she got her own sellotape dispenser and was overwhelmed when her next present was double sided sticky tape. She loved the independence. I subsequently got her some glue dots and pritt stick pads.

Bath disco light. Suction sticks to the bottom of the bath and lights up underwater.

B&M/the range often have them. Loads of bath fun.

One of my favourite threads ever, love the necklace idea.

@GuyFawkesDay beat me to the disco bath light suggestion. DS got one when he was 7 & it was the best thing ever.
He's 13 now & present buying is a bit more difficult!

A lego batman torch keyring. Apparently my DIL (aged 26) laughed at it all morning !

Found an old gold button in my spare buttons and attached some red thread to it. Left it on my daughter’s floor near where the presents were left and she still talks about how Santa must’ve lost a button in her room

Definitely recommend cardboard boxes.
large ones they can fit in and drive like a car. Maybe some big chalk to decorate a bit.

Generally put your smaller or whatever gifts inside and wrap. I guarantee they will play inside the boxes all morning. Ignoring other stuff!

Also anything they can make a tent type structure with indoors and then sit in lounge inside it with all their stuff for ages Mine preferred old sheets and the dining room chairs .

lego or any age appropriate similar construction /blocks - probably get a lot of this at NCT nearly new sales or charity shops

jigsaws