Shopping for a present for a child to-day can be like stepping into a mine field, there is a huge range of toys out there to choose from. 

When choosing a toy as a gift, you may be guided by the recommended age on the manufacturers packaging or by asking the childs parents if they have any idea of what the child would appreciate.

To help you with the task of selecting a gift, we have put together a list of toys you may find as a good starting point. There are many categories of toys here are a few:

• Action Toys
• Dolls
• Soft Toys
• Games and Cards
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Toy Vehicles
• Blocks
• Electronic Hand Held Games
• Outdoor Water Games
• Sports equipment
• Children's accessories
• Arts and Crafts

Be Aware of Top Sellers

From time to time fads develop through marketing of the latest movie productions or collectable toys or cards. Hot sellers change constantly and are frequently advertised.  Some toys are desirable due to their special features such as moving and speaking dolls, t alking and singing toys or w eird and wacky toys. Following is a more comprehensive list of toys categorised by age which you may find helpful.

Gift Ideas for Girls/ Boys to 3 years

Birth to 3 months

• Soft toys 
• Rattles 

3 months and over

• Soft coloured balls
• Activity balls
• Activity centre
• Books - hard, soft, thick, thin

6 months and over

• Tap time piano
• Scooter bug 
• Nesting / stacking games
• Bath Toys
• Rolling mirror 
• Baby bowling skittles 
• Shape sorters 
• Jingle bare roller 
• Building blocks 
• Shape sorter – colourful shapes used for sorting and stacking 
• Dolls, soft, hard
• Balls

12 months and over

• Duplo 
• Cars, Trucks, Trains, boats 
• Stacking cups
• Xylophone
• Sandpit toys

18 months and over

• Puzzles 
• Thick crayons / textures /chalk/ coloured pencils
• Pounding bench – including hammer 
• Garage play set matching colour of keys to the colours of the car
• Strollers/prams
• Trikes/cars 
• Garden Tools
• Wheel barrows
• Paint easel paints and brushes

2 years and over

• Threading shapes / cotton reels 
• Nuts and bolts 
• Scissors
• Play dough 
• Sorting box – logical thinking and classification game 
• Golf sets 

Gift Ideas for Girls and Boys 3-5 years

• Tea set
• Magic play board
• Torch
• Electronic Turbo dashboard
• Tree house
• Construction team [building a bridge with construction workers trucks and road signs] 
• Mini Megaphone 
• Thomas the Tank Engine
• Cast and Count Fishing Set
• Farmyard Set 
• Dress up clothes [Snow White, Spiderman etc] 
• Hats and Masks, bags and shoes
• Animals, Farm, Reptiles, Sea Life, Zoo Animals, Wildlife
• Play dough, rolling pins, dough cutters, dough stamps, dough, scissors 
• Games, Lotto set, card games, sorting and classifying 
• Puzzles 
• Construction sets [workmen, dump trucks, signs, signals]
• Shopping aids, Cash register, bakery treats, shopping trolley, play fruit and vegetables, money
• Grand Prix racing sets, cars, bikes, drivers, TV camera, pit stop 
• Ironing board – iron
• Dump trucks, Loaders, Diggers 
• Lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, garden tools, watering cans
• Cars which children can sit in 
• Petrol pump 
• Activity gym centre 
• Sand boxes with lid 
• Sand toys, buckets, spades, water wheels, scoops, sieves, and moulds
• Puzzle clocks / clocks which help teach children the time
• School readiness kits, reading kits, sounds poster
• Mix n' match alphabet games 
• Mix n' match word and sentences games 
• Lego building blocks