Christmas gift ideas: fun and games - £20 and under

This box is great value with a net, two bats and balls, all in a neat zipped bag. Just make sure the kids ask permission before clamping the net on to your best dining table.

Table tennis set, £9.95
Reader offer: buy at the special price of £7.95
Buy online at givethedogabone.co.uk Photograph: PR company handout

Unwrapping a harmonica is like uncorking pure Christmas cheer and the Hohner Silver Star is a great entry-level instrument.

Harmonica, £6.49 delivered
Buy online at eaglemusicshop.com, using the code Guardeagle by 31 December Photograph: PR

These sumo fellows are wooden and come in a neat bag. Comic and appealing and a good enough size for a tabletop or the floor.

Heavyweight skittles, £10
Reader offer: Buy for £10 instead of £12.99 with the code MUDISC21 at checkout
Buy online at mujionline.co.uk Photograph: PR

This sturdy chunk of metal will emboss the recipient’s book collection with ‘Library of …’ Or you can opt to emboss an address and let them personalise their stationary with class.

Embosser, £22.99
Reader offer: £18.99 delivered instead of £22.99 with the code GROFFER99
Buy online at citycoseals.co.uk Photograph: Sarah Lee/Guardian

Plenty of fake banknotes, a couple of inkpads and loads of stamps so the recipient can create their own currency. Great for the banker who has everything, or children (no harm in teaching them young about quantitative easing).

Money-printing set, £7.99
Reader offer: enter the code 'GUARDIAN6' (valid for seven days) at checkout to buy for £6 plus free delivery
Buy online at thepeasknees.co.uk Photograph: PR

See Pinocchio's nose shrink as you sharpen away. Warning: good at pencils, bad at lie detection.

Pinocchio pencil sharpener, £12
Buy online at vandashop.com Photograph: PR

An artists' brush wallet containing five brushes made from synthetic fibres, but with the performance characteristics of hog bristle.

Artisan brush wallet, £16.95
By Windsor & Newton
Buy online at artsupplies.co.uk Photograph: PR

This animal balloon modelling kit is a surefire way to become the most popular person at children's parties.

Balloon animals, £7.25
By Worldwide Co
Buy online from liberty.co.uk Photograph: PR

Sticky tape suddenly gets interesting with this bow-print tape that can be used in craft projects or to jazz up parcels.

Betty bow sticky tape, £6
By Heartzeena
Buy online from heartzeena.bigcartel.com Photograph: PR

This beautiful stamp set makes inner-city life seem altogether more attractive.

City stamp set, £20
By Yellow Owl Workshop
Buy online at littlescout.co.uk Photograph: PR

Go back to black and indulge an artist with these sets of charcoal, available in assorted grey and black.

Compressed charcoal, £4.34
By Loxley
Buy online from artsupplies.co.uk Photograph: PR

Knit up a storm with these fantastically bright balls of yarn, made from 100% extra-fine merino wool.

Yarn, £4.95
By Milla Mia
Buy online at millamia.com Photograph: PR

With its random trick cards, this makes playing Scrabble somewhat unpredictable. Warning: having a huge vocabulary will no longer necessarily mean you win.

Scrabble Trickster, £14.99
By Mattel
Buy online from amazon.co.uk Photograph: PR

The perfect present for a budding - or indeed, well-established - travel writer.

Sukie travel journal, £10
By Sukie
Buy online from caramel-shop.co.uk Photograph: PR

An out-of-this-world jigsaw, full of quirky details, that comes in its own handy travel case.

Space mission hat box puzzle, £19.99
By Janod
Buy online from toyella.com Photograph: PR

Learn about life in the 40s and 50s with this retro card game. Who says history lessons and fun don't go together?

Tricky Trades, £6
Buy online at designshopuk.com Photograph: PR

It does what it says on the cute, retro tin: keeps those pesky buttons in one place.

Button tin, £5.99
By Oxfam
Buy online at oxfam.org.uk/shop Photograph: PR

An affordable set of 12 colours for the budding artist.

Acrylic paints, £8
Buy online at nationalgallery.co.uk Photograph: PR

This bright and fun puzzle can also be used as a drawing stencil, while teaching kids a bit about the food chain. Also available in bear and crocodile.

Shark puzzle, £4.50
Buy online at muji.eu Photograph: PR

A kit containing a skipping rope that kids can paint themselves.

Ladybird let’s skip, £9.99
Buy online at gretnagreen.com

Note: this product was previously on sale at £6.99. This special offer has now ended. Photograph: PR

Chosen by Jess Cartner-Morley, the Guardian's fashion editor: 'Snazzy stationery is the new scented candle: the chic fallback of the gift world. This is what to buy everyone in your bookclub for Christmas.'

Bookmark pad, £5.95
Buy online at liberty.co.uk Photograph: PR