Unique Christmas gift ideas: Babies and toddlers

Once they are walking, it's not long before they want to start moving faster. This lovely balance bike will see them through from roughly two to their first 'proper' bike. We absolutely love the cool flame detailing and sturdy construction - this bike is robust enough to be passed down to many a future sibling/cousin/friend.

Early Rider Classic kids bike, £99.99
By Evans
Buy online at evanscycles.com Photograph: PR

Whether you need to stock the play kitchen you've just ordered or are buying a smaller gift for a keen would-be cook, there is much joy to be had finding pretend breakfast trays, vegetable baskets and eggs. Kidstoyworld is a particularly good source of wooden sets - and indeed every other type of toy.

Dairy set (top left), £13, and saucepan set (bottom right), £15
By Early Learning Centre
Buy online at elc.co.uk

Breakfast tray, £20
By Plan Toys
Buy online at kidstoryworld.co.uk

Vegetable basket, £5.99
By Ikea
Buy in store

Photograph: PR

You'll probably regret starting them on a lifetime fashion habit, but this lovely shearling-style gilet is rather fashionable right now ... More to the point, it's a brilliantly practical yet indulgent gift - it will keep them warm, go with any outfit and will last at least a couple of winters, at which point it can be handed down to younger siblings

Gilet, £44.99
By Babies in Sheeps Clothing
Buy online at babiesinsheepsclothing.com Photograph: Alicia Canter/Guardian

Just because it's Christmas, there's no need to suffocate the kids in chunky knits and reindeer jumpers. It gets hot when you are running around on a feral sugar rush, you know. This sweet hoodie from Green Baby is made of organic cotton and is perfect for layering. Hoods are also great for stubborn toddlers who won't wear hats.

Hooded top, £11.20
By Green Baby
Buy online at greenbaby.com Photograph: PR

This is definitely a present for the parents, not the child, but hey, they're the ones who are serving you the wine and mince pies, right? Belle & Boo is an utterly charming label creating prints, books, homeware and more, all in their sweet - but not twee - style of illustration.

I like your hat picture, £20
By Mandy Sutcliffe
Buy online at belleandboo.com Photograph: PR

It won't be long before they are embarassed by everything you do anyway, so you might as well given them something to be really embarassed about when they browse the old Christmas photos ...

Christmas outfits, £18
By Mamas and Papas
Buy online at mamasandpapas.com Photograph: PR

One for older toddlers due to the small(ish) parts, this sweet pirate ship will have them demanding you walk the plank within minutes.

Wooden pirate ship, £39
By Plan Toys
Buy online at kidstoyworld.co.uk Photograph: PR

This is a brilliant idea: a flat-pack rocking horse. You can hide it under the bed until Christmas looms near, then get it all assembled to see those faces light up on Christmas morning. If you are of artistic bent, you could customise it yourself, or if you are brave, let them help you do it with the aid of poster paint, smocks and a mild day in the garden ...

Reggie Eco Rocking Horse, £95
By Eco Rocker
Buy online at ecorocker.co.uk Photograph: PR

If you are going to go the dollhouse route, then why not make it an eco-friendly, wind-turbined, solar-panelled house? It may not actually power the toy television, but this set is sweet, nice and chunky for for small fingers, and sustainably and sturdily constructed by the superb Plan Toys

Eco home, £42.50
By Plan Toys
Buy online at designmuseumshop.com Photograph: Krause, Johansen/PR

Olive & Moss make absolutely lovely clothes adorned with sweet characters - we can personally testify that they go down a storm at nursery parties. Now they've bought the characters to life (well, sort of) with these sweet toys, each containing a rattle. As well as Colette the cow and Margo the mouse (pictured), there's Louis the lion and Michael the monkey. A great opportunity to practice your best animal noises ...

Margot and Colette soft toys, £15 each
By Olive and Moss
Buy online at oliveandmoss.com Photograph: PA

Moving parts and music: sure to fascinate young babies and delight toddlers once they figure out how to use it themselves (just keep an eye on them while they try ...)

Penguin music box, £17.95
By Trousselier
Buy online at poppetandme.co.uk Photograph: PR

Toddlers like taking things out of boxes and putting them back in again. Toddlers like copying what their parents do. Here, then, is a win-win gift.

Fill and Spill Toolbox, £14.99 £28.99
By Melissa and Doug
Buy online at giftedoriginals.co.uk Photograph: PR

This adorable hoody is reversible, so after they've driven you dotty, you can turn around and see stripes. Makes a great gift for a parent who really hates laundry ... It comes in newborn to two-year-old sizes, and is made from organic cotton

Dotty hoody, £25
By Frugi
Buy online at welovefrugi.com Photograph: PR

Remember Space Hoppers with nostalgia? Then pass on the joy with these sweet modern versions: the reindeer is a particularly festive choice. Hours of simple, bouncy fun at a really good price. Of course it'll all end in tears, but what decent Christmas present doesn't?

Raindeer and cow hopper, £21.99 each
By Happy Hopperz
Buy online at happyhopperz.co.uk Photograph: PA

Buying for babies can be tricky: what size clothes should you get, what books do they already have ...? Why not get something sweet for their nursery/corner of the bedroom instead, which their parents will appreciate now and they will love later.

Posey panda cushion, €29.95 (approx £25)
By Darling Clementine
Buy online at fermliving.com Photograph: PR

Silver bangles are traditionally a christening gift, but that was in an age when babies were all christened ... So why not buy a beautiful silver bangle as a heirloom gift - something they will treasure in later years, though we admit that right now all they will want to do is shove it in their mouth and chew on it.

Hinged baby bangle, £95
By Dower and Hall
Buy online at dowerandhall.com Photograph: PR

If you are really determined to indulge someone small with fashionable attire, shun the obvious designer labels and go for this - made in Britain and adorned with utterly gorgeous illustrations. Poppy dresses come with a lovely little picture book. This dress would also make a wonderful and unusual bridesmaid/flower girl dress

Dress, from £56.95
From ages one to six
By Poppy & Sam
Buy online at poppychildren.co.uk Photograph: Alicia Canter/Guardian

A cunning strategy to try to save yourself hours of picking glitter, glue and paint out of wool jumpers this winter - give them a painting smock as a gift. Sneaky, but the sweet Matilda-themed design should distract them ...

Painting Smock, £7.95
By Royal Shakespeare Company
Buy online at rsc.org.uk Photograph: PR

Piccalilly make lovely organic cotton clothes appealing to babies, toddlers and their parents - and if you can't get away with pink and red leggings when you are one, when can you?

Hat, £7 and leggings, £13
By Piccalilly
Buy online at piccalilly.co.uk Photograph: PR