Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street is a simply beautiful cookbook for children. In each apartment, someone is preparing a special dish to share with their neighbours. Also, there's Honest Pretzels and 65 Other Amazing Recipes for Kids Who Love to Cook.
Recommended by Briohny and Alex
Feuerhand 276 hurricane latern. Very cool. Provides pleasant light for up to 20 hours.
A creative kit for kids to make their own memory game. Designed in QLD by Poppy and Daisy Designs.
Recommended by Lisa L
Desktop toolbox. Kinda pricey, but very nice. Not sure if it can be found in Aus. At any rate, you could probably put together your own, if you found or made a nice old wooden box, and then filled it with smaller boxes and stationary.
A magazine! Maybe one of Stack's magazines of the year. Or, if those are all too fancypants, maybe just a regular everyday magazine about something they like.
Cardamom cocktail spice. There's also cumin and chipotle.
Temporary vegetable tattoos by artist Penelope Dullaghan. Fun little stocking filler.
Recommended by Briohny
A culinary blowtorch would be great for a baker.
Recommended by Briohny
Hammered carafe. Or maybe this nice drink dispenser, if they're a big family, or if they entertain over summer.
Sofia Valdez, Future Prez is the latest in the series by Andrea Beaty that includes "Ada Twist, Scientist", "Iggy Peck, Architect" and "Rosie Ravere, Engineer". All modern classics, and very fun to read.
Recommended by Briohny
Makey Makey invention kit. "Start out easy with a banana piano. Then make games controllers, musical instruments, and countless inventions. Advance to additional inputs and multi-key remapping up to 18 keys."
My five year old designed these shoes. You can buy them. This is shameless promotion.
Recommended by Posy
This very fancy Yeti stubby holder. Maybe throw-in a 4-pack of Balter.
Who is she? guessing game, or this "nevertheless she persisted" jigsaw puzzle.
Whoisshe recommended by Alex
Courant Catch is a nice minimal multi-device wireless charger.
Make your neighbour some of these Brunsli cookies. I've made them many times, and they're easy, delicious, and festive.
Australian Ballet Production Centre Tours.
Recommended by Clare
Soccer goals to step up the beach game a notch and avoid those arguments about whether the ball went "over" or "between" the shoes.
Platters and Boards. My big sis, who would know, says this book is very inspiring. Boards of cheese, fruit, etc. are my idea of a perfect lunch.
Recommended by Clare
Moon Picnic's "My Weather Station" is part puzzle, part interactive toy.
Recommended by Joy
Art by my brilliant sisters, Mondocherry. All handcut, meticulously crafted.
David Mitchell's books are always funny and interesting. This is his new book, Dishonesty is the Second-Best Policy.
Nanopresso lets you make espresso anywhere.
Numero 74 Fabric watches. For $7, one of these would make a nice stocking filler for the dress-up box.
Screen printing workshop in Melbourne by Print Safari.
Recommended by Briohny
Bill Bryson's "The Body: a Guide for Occupants".
Ryobi One+ impact driver. If they only have a drill, they also need a driver, even if their drill already drives. So much more power, and so satisfying.
Pretend wooden and fabric vegetables.
Recommended by Briohny
Hand crafted dancing girls carousel.
Recommended by Briohny
Something for their craft. Briohny recommended this metric seemstress gauge. She might be hinting as much as recommending.
Recommended by Briohny
Cherry and olive pitter. Legitimately a cool thing to own while it's cherry season.
Creative kits: weaving, embroidery or flower kit.
Recommended by Joy
Doers of London Cut Out The Fluff shaving cream, or Brickell smooth brushless shaving cream.
Akagera woven bowl.
Swiss+Tech keychain multitool. Says my buddy Tom: "I have one of these and so does my dad who is a freak for handyman junk. They're useful, very randomly."
Recommended by Tom
A voucher to have their house professionally cleaned. Maybe we're just old and tired, but B and I think this would be a nice present.
Recommended by Briohny, obviously
Byron Bay maplewood shortboard by Wheels n' Boards.
Unicorn snot lip gloss.
For the budding nerd, one of the best science books for kids, 2019!
For people who dote on their fur babies, this waterbottle for dogs. As they put it: "Thirsty Dog Bottle is an elegant, reusable drinking reservoir tailored for your pet. So you can hydrate any sized dog in style on demand anywhere on the go."
Last year my family's secret santa bought Briohny a one day workshop with the Shoe Camaraderie. Briohny made killer sandals. She says, "It was a fun day being creative and hanging out with lovely ladies. And it was seriously satisfying to have made my own pair of real shoes."
Pierre the Maze Detective is my kind of kids book. I might get this for Po.
A dwarf lime tree, or lemon, or a passionfruit vine, or whatever.
A good pen is worth a lot, and Clare says that this Muji gel ink ballpoint pen is loved by all of her (many) children.
Recommended by Clare
For the spice-lover and youtube-watcher hot sauces from the Hot Ones. If you don't know that is, here you go. (That episode may not be suitable for kids).
Alex has some of these, and they're tasty and hot
Yumbox is a useful and stylish lunchbox for kids who like variety. Po has one. It's good.
Recommended by Clare
You've got crabs is the newer game by the creators of Exploding Kittens. Despite the name, it's apparently child friendly and fun for all ages. I look forward to beating all the fam in a game on Boxing Day afternoon.
Recommended by Clare
Climbing shoes, kettlebell, pouch to store keys/phone in while running, ballet shoes, new shiny cricket ball, frisbee, etc.
Wipebook Scan is a cloud connected whiteboard notebook. Good for folks who think with a pen.
To be honest, these are way too expensive to be a stocking gimmick, but I like the concept, so I'm including these Titanium Survival Cards in the list anyway
I would very much like this cookbook, Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen. I would also love Canal House: Cook Something: Recipes to Rely On.
Set after return of the Jedi, Alphabet Squadron follows a unique team, each flying a different class of starfighter as they struggle to end their war once and for all.
These rad aprons for kids are made by a group of women who came to Australia as refugees, and now sell high quality crafts in Victoria.
These sour cherries are so delicious. I would snack on some, and then use them to make Sabrina Ghayour's lamb meatballs with sour cherry. Or Ottolenghi's sour cherry and postachio wafer's from Sweet.
Brother//Sister Co beard oil.
Recommended by Daniel
Djeco cubic house is a very cool little modern doll's house.
This praline beer by La Serene. Says Daniel: "It's expensive and unlike any other beer ive ever had. Its something truly special."
Recommended by Daniel
Nerf Dog Tennis Ball Blaster. Apparently it launches your dog’s favorite tennis ball up to 50 feet in the air.
The Spy's Guidebook and the Detective's Handbook are two of the best kids' books ever produced. Someone once rightly described them as "Le Carre for 10 year olds." I recently found my childhood copy of this one, and apart from the fact that every pronoun is masculine, which is really unfortunate, it otherwise holds up amazingly well. It teaches genuinely useful life skills that I swear shaped me as a sceptical curious person. Do a kid a favour.
Palestinan recipes by Yasmin Khan in Zaitoun. Please and thank you.
If you know a teenager in to making music, Ableton Intro would give them endless hours of creative fun for $139AU. You can download heaps of open source instrument libraries for free.
Osmo Mobile 3 is a 3-axis gimble for smart phones, that lets you take super smooth footage.
Wingspan is a competitive, medium-weight, card-driven, engine-building board game. You are bird enthusiasts—researchers, bird watchers, ornithologists, and collectors—seeking to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves..
This Hape Hide and Seek Periscope.