Before you choose

Between £10 and £20 there is room for a proper present rather than a stocking filler: a pretend-play set, a big soft toy, a wooden jigsaw or a craft box with several projects. These ten ideas come from Mamas & Papas, Le Toy Van and Craft Buddy, and each card shows the price the maker's own site gave when we checked it. For gifts at £10 or less, see the under £10 list.

Start with the age marking

Mamas & Papas marks its cuddly crocodile and soft safari book from birth. Three ideas are marked 18 months+: the rainbow stacking tower, the dinosaur stacking set and the water painting kit. The telephone, pizza and pink car are marked 3+, and the two Craft Buddy ideas are marked 6+.

Use the marking to rule ideas out before you think about what the child would like. It reflects safety, such as small parts, not how hard a toy is.

For toddlers: things to do again and again

At 18 months and two, children like toys they can repeat: stacking the dinosaurs or the rainbow rings and knocking them down, painting a mat with water and watching it fade. The water painting kit uses only water, and each picture fades as it dries, ready to paint again.

For older children: a project to finish

From six, a gift that takes an afternoon can be more welcome than a toy that is finished in minutes. The Care Bears Crystal Art set has four projects in one box, and the unicorn jigsaw has 239 wooden pieces with novelty shapes and a coded map for help.

Crystal Art crystals are tiny. Craft Buddy marks its kits for ages 6 and over with an adult, so keep them away from younger children on Christmas Day.

For three-year-olds: a prop for a game they already play

The three ideas marked 3+ are each a prop for a game a child already plays. The vintage telephone has a spinning dial for pretend calls, the pizza comes apart into toppings in its own box, and the pink car carries luggage for dolls going on holiday. Each works alone, and each adds something new to a play kitchen or dolls house the child already has.

How these ideas were chosen and priced

Le Toy Van, Mamas & Papas and Craft Buddy each sell their own products through Awin, and every idea here comes from the TopTenToys catalogue the owner approved from those three. On 1 October 2026 we read each product's age marking, contents and price on the maker's own product page; the sources at the foot of the page link to them. The crocodile and the safari book were read again on 5 October, after Mamas & Papas raised its prices. The order goes from the youngest marking to the oldest and is not a TopTenToys ranking.

Every idea here was priced above ten pounds and no higher than twenty when we checked. A price can move after the date we checked it, so treat the date on the card as part of the price and confirm the current figure, stock and delivery cost with the retailer. Amazon products are left off both price lists, because Amazon only allows its prices to be shown from its own live data.

Manufacturer-checked facts

Product details

For each of the ten, priced from just over ten pounds to twenty when we checked: the contents, the maker's age marking and the price with its date.

Image supplied by Mamas & Papas through the Awin product feed.

Baby / soft activity toy

Mamas & Papas BabyPlay Activity Toy – Cody Crocodile

In the box: Large soft crocodile with eight activity features, including a squeaky fish, a chime, a rattle and fabric tags; about 32 x 24 x 24 cm

Age guidance
0 months+
Price when checked
£12.60
Brand
Mamas & Papas
Model / item
000176091BW01000
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Mamas & Papas through the Awin product feed.

Baby / soft book

Activity Book

In the box: Soft safari activity book with crinkly pages, peekaboo flaps, fabric tags and a C-ring teether; about 23 x 16 x 4.5 cm

Age guidance
0 months+
Price when checked
£12.80
Brand
Mamas & Papas
Model / item
75681BW00
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Le Toy Van through the Awin product feed.

Stacking / rainbow tower

Rainbow Stacking Tower

In the box: Wooden rainbow rings that stack on a wobbly base; about 11.5 x 11.5 x 18 cm

Age guidance
18 months+
Price when checked
£19.95
Brand
Le Toy Van
Model / item
PL011
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Le Toy Van through the Awin product feed.

Stacking / dinosaurs

Jurassic Stacking Dinosaurs & Bag

In the box: Nine wooden stacking pieces, dinosaurs on one side and fossils on the other, with a cotton storage bag

Age guidance
18 months+
Price when checked
£14.95
Brand
Le Toy Van
Model / item
PL145
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Craft Buddy Shop through the Awin product feed.

Craft / water painting

Craft Buddy Magic Water Painting Kit 2

In the box: Two brushes, eight A4 mats and eight A3 mats

Age guidance
18 months+
Price when checked
£13.79
Brand
Craft Buddy
Model / item
MGKIT2
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Le Toy Van through the Awin product feed.

Pretend play / telephone

Vintage Wooden Phone

In the box: Red wooden telephone with a spinning dial; about 10 x 12.7 x 9 cm

Age guidance
3+
Price when checked
£19.95
Brand
Le Toy Van
Model / item
TV323
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Le Toy Van through the Awin product feed.

Pretend play / play food

Pizza & Toppings with Slice Cutter

In the box: Wooden pizza with removable toppings and a pizza cutter, packed in a pizza box; about 20 cm across

Age guidance
3+
Price when checked
£14.95
Brand
Le Toy Van
Model / item
TV279
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Le Toy Van through the Awin product feed.

Dolls house / vehicle

Sophie's Dolls House Toy Car

In the box: Pink wooden car with an opening boot and a luggage bag; about 21.5 x 10.5 x 12.5 cm

Age guidance
3+
Price when checked
£19.95
Brand
Le Toy Van
Model / item
ME041
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Craft Buddy Shop through the Awin product feed.

Craft / Crystal Art

Ready Set Care Crystal Art Mega Activity Set Care Bears

In the box: A wooden phone stand, an art card with easel stand, a sheet of 10 stickers and a fridge magnet to decorate, with a pick-up pen, gem tray and wax

Craft Buddy marks it for ages 6 and over with an adult. The crystals are tiny, so keep them away from younger children.

Age guidance
6+
Price when checked
£12.99
Brand
Craft Buddy
Model / item
CAMEGA-32CBC002
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Craft Buddy Shop through the Awin product feed.

Puzzle / wooden jigsaw

"Unicorn" Wooden Puzzle A3

In the box: 239 laser-cut wooden pieces, including novelty shapes, and a coded A3 map; about 29.2 x 41.1 cm finished

Age guidance
6+
Price when checked
£15.59
Brand
Craft Buddy
Model / item
PUZZWD-09
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist

Questions

Common questions

What is a good Christmas present under £20 for a toddler?
Three ideas here are marked 18 months+: the Rainbow Stacking Tower, the Jurassic Stacking Dinosaurs and the Magic Water Painting Kit. For a younger baby, the crocodile and the safari book are marked from birth.
What is a good Christmas present under £20 for a 6-year-old?
The Care Bears Crystal Art set and the 239-piece unicorn jigsaw are marked 6+. The Crystal Art set is marked for use with an adult.
Are these prices current?
They were correct on the date on the card, which is when we read them on the maker's own site. Check the retailer's page for today's price, stock and delivery cost before you buy.
Why are there no gifts under £10 on this page?
So the two lists do not repeat each other. Gifts at £10 or less are on the under £10 list.

Research

Sources checked

We use official safety guidance and manufacturer sources for specific product claims. Retailer popularity can inform discovery but does not replace these checks.

Each pick's identity, age marking and contents were checked on its maker's own page: