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Our roundup of the best gifts to buy for older kids, teens and adults
I think I’m shopping for myself now – I’d be happy with pretty much every item on this list! Life can be too serious – you’re never too old to stop playing and every year we see more great new games, puzzles and toys aimed at the older market.
Gifts Under £10
Smart Games IQ Puzzler Pro £9.99
IQ Puzzler Pro has quickly become one of our best-sellers with no end of positive feedback from customers. A great little travel-sized puzzle with 120 challenges of varying difficulty to suit players from age 6 right up to adult.
One of the most commented on things in the whole shop! “What is this?!” we often hear when someone tries Mad Mattr for the first time. Sort of similar to Kinetic Sand but, in my opinion, way better. Just great for fiddling with – really therapeutic. Would make a great desk toy.
Marvin’s Magic 25 Incredible Card Tricks £9.99
Budding magician? Look no further than this great little set from Marvin’s Magic. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Inside 3 Awful Novice Puzzle £9.99
Work your way through the labyrinth using only the map on the outside to guide you. Much trickier than it looks! This is the most difficult puzzle in the Novice series where there are 5 trays to navigate inside the cube.
For crafty kids (or even adults!) I can’t recommend these Djeco sets highly enough! The one shown above is illustrated by a Bristol-based artist, Martyna Zoltaszek. Guided enough so that if you’re not particularly arty, like myself, you can still get a good result but with plenty of room to lend your own creativity to the project. I spent well over an hour completing one of the cards and you get four in the pack and am planning on framing them when finished as they’re so beautiful. Excellent value.
Other styles available.
Gifts £10 – 20
Klutz Lego Chain Reactions £12.99
A great book which helps budding engineers take their Lego creations to the next level. Includes instructions on how to build 10 Lego machines, as well as over 30 essential Lego elements to help with your constructions. Recommended for ages 8+
Critter was conceived in 1997 by designer Chico Bicalho. The first four thousand Critters were made by hand, using a vintage Japanese gearbox from the 1950’s found at a surplus store. Now you can have a go at assembling your very own wind-up toy to this classic design. *Not a toy – recommended for ages 14+
The perfect gift for older teens or adults who like building things (got my eye on this one myself!)
Make Your Own Music Box £19.99
A brilliant present for music lovers. Create your own melody by punching holes in the music paper strips provided. Includes instructions to help you get started.
We love Hive so much! A strategic game for two players which is not restricted by a board. Each type of insects has its own rules of movement. Try to stay one step ahead as you capture your opponent’s queen bee. Recommended for ages 9+
From the highly regarded series of Escape-Room games by Kosmos. After your car breaks down you seek shelter in an abandoned cabin but find yourself trapped. Follow the clues to help you escape…
Suitable for 1-6 players, recommended for ages 12 and up.
More games in the Exit series are available here.
Djeco Rainbow Tigers 1000 piece Jigsaw Puzzle £11.99
Another entry illustrated by Bristol-based Martyna Zoltaszek. For lovers of puzzles this is sure to be a hit! I’ve already got one of these stashed to do over the Christmas holidays.
Gifts £20+
Ugears Models are self-assembled without the use of glue. Create your mini theatre with popular characters including a Prince, King, Castle, Dragon, Witch, Jester, Princess. Another great gift for people who are into building and making! See the full range of Ugears models here.
Winner of the coveted Spiel des Jahres award in 2018, Azul is a stunning board game which sees players competing to build the best tiled floor (yes, really!). A wonderful abstract game which is a delight to play and would be an asset to any board gamer’s collection. Recommended for ages 8+
There are just too many great board games for me to cover in this post. Azul is one of the pricier ones but if you’re looking for a great game on a budget I can suggest Kokoro (£18.99) or Deep Sea Adventure (£17.99)
Our full range of games for older kids, teens and adults can be found here.
Another toy which gets a lot of “wow” reactions in store! Have overheard many kids putting this one on their Christmas list. GraviTrax is the all new STEM track system from Ravensburger. Use your imagination to build action-packed tracks and set your balls rolling.