The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide:

The countdown to Christmas is officially on and it’s time to start thinking about Christmas gift ideas. Christmas shopping can be one of the most stressful times of the year, so to make this year’s shopping as easy as possible,  we have compiled the ultimate Christmas gift guide that will cover the entire family.  

From bath time play for bubs and Australiana-themed games for preschoolers to science kits for teens and murder mystery party kits for the adults, there’s a gift idea for everyone.  

For Bubs 

World-leading educational toy brand, Hape, offers the ultimate play experience while developing early childhood skills and young minds. Babies enjoy sounds and music as they develop their senses. The Hape Musical Cloud Light (RRP $39.95) helps little ones drift peacefully off to sleep. Featuring three hanging raindrops which let you change the lighting settings. Select between 10 audio tracks eight gentle melodies and soothing heartbeat and rain sounds, the nursery mobile includes a sleep timer and a sensor that will activate the cloud if your baby wakes up crying, it easily attaches to a cot, crib or stroller. 

Introducing Hape’s new bath toys to turn every bath time into a mini-adventure that helps stimulate a child’s sense  of creativity and wonder through play. Make bath time  magical with this wonderful Hape Musical Whale Fountain (RRP $59.95). Easily attached to the bottom of the bath with a suction cup, choose between watching the fountains dance to music or play each whale like the keys of a piano. 

Ideal for bubs and bath fun is the Hape Tubing Pull-Back  Boat (RRP $24.95), a speedboat complete with a tubing bear. Let them pull back on the string and the boat will actually move through the water, pulling the bear behind on a tube until it reaches the boat safely. 

The Hape sleep and bath time toys are suitable for children aged 0-18 months+. Hape toys are available at Myer, Mr Toys, Target, The Iconic and all good toy retailers. 

For Preschoolers 

Roo Games™ are a leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning quality board games, and card and strategy games for kids aged three and over. Wooden and beautifully designed with an Australiana theme, the games support early developmental skills. The Roo Games Koala Walla Bing Bang (RRP $34.99) is ideal for young children as it helps build three preschool essentials; fine motor skills, gross  

motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Children have to play in a group to help Wally the Koala climb the tree to reach his favourite eucalyptus leaves and help catch him when he starts sliding down by using the playing cards. For every sale of  Koala Walla Bing Bang, Roo Games will donate 5% of sales to the Australian Koala Foundation. Selected Roo Games products are available at Myer, The Iconic, Mr Toys, Kidstuff, Big W and all good toy retailers. 

Do you have a musical prodigy on your hands? Then this musical piano is the perfect gift. Preschoolers can learn to play the piano by following the light-up keys with the Hape Learn With Lights Piano (RRP $199.95). Great for encouraging creativity and the perfect preparation for advanced musical learning, the piano includes fifteen demo tunes that children can select from. Follow the light-up keys to learn how to play the piano, then when you’re more confident you can select your own instrument and play along to one of the six stylised accompanying tunes and eight drum beats with adjustable tempos. Available at Myer, Mr Toys, Target, The Iconic and all good toy retailers. 

For Tweens 

Tweens are notoriously hard to buy for. They still enjoy playing with toys, but are also starting to look towards more ‘grown-up’ teen activities. Known for advocating all things nature, culture and aligning with STEM subjects, Australian Geographic’s kits are a great gift for preteens. Australian Geographic Amazing and Bizarre Lizards of the World Kit (RRP $29.95) is one of the series of collectible animal science and craft kits for creative young hands and minds, suitable for children aged 6+. Tweens can make, custom paint, and varnish theirown life-size gecko and her hatching eggs. Enjoy assembling a detailed 3D model of a frilled-neck lizard, and build and decorate a museum-quality diorama. Other themed kits like Extreme Sharks of the World are also available.  

Selected Australian Geographic kits are available at Myer, The Iconic, Mr Toys, Kidstuff, Big W and all good toy  retailers. 

For Teens and Adults  

Move over Monopoly, there’s a new economic game in town. Raccoon Tycoon is the  highly acclaimed new strategy game from Forbidden Games. Raccoon Tycoon (RRP  $54.95) is a fast, fun game of commodity speculation and town development. In the  game, players try to produce the most valuable commodities in an ever-changing  marketplace. They then use those commodities to build towns, or sell them at the best  price to secure great profits that can be used to win auctions for the all-important  railroads. The profits may also be used to buy powerful buildings that give the players power-ups or bonuses in production. Owning the best towns and railroads determines victory. Raccoon Tycoon is available at EB Games, JB Hi-Fi and all good games stores. Perfect for groups and families, 3D Paper Model Kits are the gateway product into the  ‘kidult’ world. Fans of the popular Star Wars franchise can now create a large model of  R2D2 in this superbly detailed 192-piece 3D puzzle, the Star Wars ™ R2D2 - 192pcs(RRP $59.95). Fans of the film, 10 years and over can assemble this paper model, with no need for tools or scissors. The  high-quality cardboard paper can be easily joined and folded together to create an eye-catching replica. Other 3D  paper model kits include Harry Potter Hedwig (112pcs), Marvel Thor Hammer (84pcs) and Disney Frozen Ice Palace  Castle (73pcs), among others.  

Selected 3D Paper Model kits are available at Myer, JB Hi Fi, Mr Toys, Kidstuff, The Iconic, Big W and all good toy  retailers. 

If you have a family member or friend that’s a crime junkie and loves to solve a good  mystery, then the University Games' Murder Mystery Party seriesis the perfect gift for  them. The series includes lots of different themes to play. Try a case file like Murder  Mystery Party: Case Files, Death by Chef’s Knife (RRP $29.95). Played solo or as a  group, game participants can immerse themselves in a mystery, determining the  motive, means and opportunity to solve the case - who murdered famed chef Lorenzo  Ritelli in his own New York restaurant. Or try the Murder Mystery Party Kit: Death by  Chocolate (RRP $29.95), a mystery set in 1900s Paris where everyone playing is a  suspect. The kit includes everything needed to serve up mystery, murder and fun – including a party planner, invitations, recipes and a tasty murder to solve.  

Selected Murder Mystery Party kits can be found at Mr Toys, Kmart, Myer and all good toy retailers.