Christmas is just four weeks away. Wowee! We say it every year, but we can hardly believe how quickly time flys. As a small business ourselves, we are passionate about supporting other small local business’s. You don’t need to scroll through an Argos catalogue to find fun gifts for the kids when you have an array of beautiful companies just waiting for your order to come in. To give you a helping hand this Christmas we have compiled a list of our Ten favourite small business’s

 DEN KIT CO

Kay & Jo live and work in rural South Shropshire, regularly visited by their grown-up children (7 between them) and friends who seek to escape city life. Passionate advocates of outdoor and creative play, they are both Forest School practitioners. 

 The Den Kit co kits are designed to encourage children outside, whether that be in a tiny back yard, on top of a hill, in a meadow, forest, beach or balcony! The kits offer a handcrafted space in which to set up a temporary retreat. No plastic, no batteries, no complicated instructions – this is inclusive, simple, unadulterated fun.

 For more information, click here. 

 LETTERBOXLAB

Letterbox Lab is the kids’ science kit reinvented to be more fun, more colourful, more convenient and more educational than ever before. Developed by two passionate science fans who have dedicated a decade to engaging the public with science, their science kits inspire children to play with scientific ideas and make hundreds of discoveries in their living rooms.

Each kit includes everything you need to perform incredible experiments with your children. For more information, click here. 

 TIME TOKENS

We absolutely LOVE the concept of time tokens! Set up by fellow mum Amanda Bucknall, time tokens help give control back to your child. Once your child receives their time tokens pack (which includes loads of goodies), you can get to work “setting a contract” together. Whenever they want some screentime, they hand over TimeTokens from their wallet, let’s say the one for 30 minutes, and start their timer. When the timer beeps, that’s the end of their 30 minutes. When all the TimeTokens in their wallet are used up, no more screentime until next week when their wallet is filled up again… so lots of time for other stuff!

For more information on time tokens, click here.

 TRUNKAROO

Founded by Harvard Business School alum and former start-up executive, Sahar Meghani, Trunkaroo designs delightful and enriching hands-on projects for 3-8-year-olds and delivers them through a monthly subscription. By providing all of the necessary materials, instructions and ideas in a “trunk”, Trunkaroo makes the process of creating, discovering and experimenting magical for kids as well as super convenient for grown-ups. Each trunk encourages art and science exploration, explores “STEM” topics, is gender-neutral, tested by real kids and approved by developmental experts. By sparking creativity and curiosity in kids everywhere, Trunkaroo aims to transform children into mini makers, scientists, alchemists, chefs, explorers and inventors.

For more information, click here. 

KIDS MUD KITCHENS

You know how much we love mud! Kids Mud kitchens offer safe, sturdy mud kitchens that your kids can enjoy all year round come rain or shine. They have loads of different colours and themes to choose from. 

For more information, click here. 

GO FIND IT GAME 

Gofindit is the orginal scavenger hunt card game that invites you to use all your sense. It is an instant natural treasure hunt and a simple sensory card game that can be played anywhere.

It can be played by children and adults alike, and no two games will be the same. The game consists of 32 uniquely designed cards in a small drawstring bag which represent different sensations and sensory characteristics you can find outdoors in nature. You can even get a gofindit duffle bag to keep all your natural treasures in! 

For more information, click here. 

 CRAFT & CRUMB

Award-winning biscuit and cake kits! Craft and Crumb offer the perfect kits for the mini bakers in the family. Craft and Crumb offer lots of lovely baking kits that the kids will love to get stuck into over the school holidays. And don’t forget that they offer adult baking kits too! If you want to make a brilliant cake for a special occasion, then look no further. 

For more information, click here. 

 TECH WILL SAVE US 

Tech will save us offer make-it-yourself kits and digital tools help kids (and the adults that love them) to make, play, code and invent using technology. Their kits are both inspiring and stimulating and offer kids a positive way to use technology. We absolutely love them, and so will you! For more information, click here. 

 MAMA.CODES

Mama.codes offer kids’ code clubs and holiday workshops. Their mission is to start all young children on their coding journey and give every young child the confidence and ability to code.Coding is the new literacy. It is on the school curriculum in the UK from age 5 because every child must be digitally literate to thrive and succeed in an increasingly digital world.

Mama.codes workshops are a great way to encourage positive screentime and to fill in the gaps in the school holidays! 

For more information, click here. 

GEO JOURNEY ADVENTURES

Geo Journey is a subscription box for children to teach them about the world in a fun way! Start with an explorer kit then receive fun monthly packages through the post from their travelling characters Geo and Atlas. Learn about a new country every month. They’ll send letters, photos, and cool souvenirs like a boomerang from Australia or mini wooden Clogs from Holland.

For more information, click here. 

We hope that these wonderful small businesses have given you some inspiration for your kids christmas gifts. Do you have a small business that you love? Share the love in the comments below or via our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. 

My Gator Watch is a wearable mobile phone designed especially for 5-12-year-olds. It uses GPS, two-way calling, works across multiple networks and has an SOS feature for peace of mind. It does not have a messaging feature, and you, the parent; determine all numbers that are pre-set within the phone.

 For more information and prices, please click here.