Having a child christened is an extremely personal choice and I know from my own experience, you can have them christened at any age which is great but it can make choosing a gift a little more challenging when a lot of the gifts are designed for much younger children or babies. Although it is still lovely to look at the range of Christening dresses from Just Christening for the little ones.
I was relieved that when I went to some of my favourite gift sites, there were some suitable for older children, both boys and girls. If you are stuck for inspiration for a christening gift, here are a few of my favourite ideas from some of my favourite brands.
My first idea was a personalised book and the Lost My Name books are perfect. Aimed at ages 2 – 6, you simply choose whether it’s for a boy or a girl, choose from three characters for the story, add in the name and within seconds, a magical personalised story will be created. It is amazing.
Once ordered, your book arrives in a few days and it really is a wonderful gift for any child. The book starts with a little boy or girl who has lost their name and the story takes them on a magical, colourful adventure where they meet wonderful creatures on a quest to find their lost names.
The book is beautifully and brightly illustrated with images of characters and backgrounds that immediately appeal to children.
Accompanying the gorgeous illustrations is the story told in a simple way but with rhyming text, it makes the story even more enjoyable.
The first time this book is read to its new owner is the very best bit. You read the story about the child who has lost their name and the child is totally captivated by the story, taking in the illustrations and then at the end, it is their name. The reaction I had from my daughter was priceless and this is one of her favourite books in the world. It is like a hug in book form. Magical.
Prices start at £19.99 for a softcover version or you can have a boxed softcover keepsake for £24.99 or the deluxe hardcover for £34.99. This makes such a lovely, thoughtful gift that any child, boy or girl would love. Find out more at the Lostmy.name website.
1. Personalised Pink Church Crystal Block For Girls £13.99 from Born Gifted
2. Medium Christening Paperweight With Free Spaceform Gift Bag £24.99 from Born Gifted
3. East of India Heart Christening Photo Album £11.99 from Born Gifted
4. Letter Shaped Books £17.95 from The Letteroom
The Letteroom has a wonderful range of unusual and unique gifts for all occasions and I found lots of ideas for Christening gifts. One of my favourite gift ideas was a Letter Shaped Book, which is something I have never seen before and I love the idea. These blank journals come in all letters of the alphabet and the & sign and are quality bound and finished with a gold foil embellished buckram spine.
Whether you use this as a diary, journal or a general notebook, this is the perfect present for an older child who will love the idea of having a book of their initial. Alternatively, you could even create names or words with a combination of books which would be great fun.
5. China Letter Cup And Saucer Set £19.95 from The Letteroom
6. LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum £99.99 from LeapFrog Store
If you are looking to buy a present that the child can enjoy, why not invest in a LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum. This is at the higher end of the price range but the Leap Pad will give the child a present that will give them endless hours of fun and entertainment.
Aimed at children aged 3 – 9, the latest LeapPad is the next generation 7″ hi-res Wi-Fi learning tablet with a fast, powerful processor and sleek design. We have had LeapPads in the past and loved them but this is by far the best one and my daughter loves it already.
It has been designed to withstand the roughest children with a shatter-safe screen and wrap-around bumper. It features 8GB memory, front and back cameras and video recorders, a music player, enhanced parent controls, kid-safe web browser and more. When you buy the LeapPad Platinum, it includes bonus games and apps and as you would expect with a LeapFrog learning product, you can access their learning library, with over one thousand LeapFrog educator-approved games, books, videos, music and more.
The screen is bigger and the graphics are much better than any previous versions and this really helps to make the Leap Pad more user-friendly. The parental controls are a great new feature as this gives you control over what your child is playing and seeing and how long they are using the LeapPad for but also peace of mind which in this digital age, is a really important factor. I also like the fact that the stylus is attached by a short cord which will stop the endless hunting for the lost stylus.
The camera is easy and fun to use and takes good quality photos which can be decorated and played around with. It is also an integral part of the Imagicards which are cards that you can use with the device to bring characters to life, unlock special content in games or even take selfies with the characters. We liked the Imagicards and they are a really nice addition to the device.
The web browser is super child-friendly and allows children to access content that is only suitable for children, which LeapFrog has curated especially. For younger children, the safety aspect of the LeapPad is really good, you really do have complete control and I like that.
Overall, the LeapPad Platinum is a really great investment. It is a little bit slow at times but there is plenty to do on there without having to invest in any more games. If you do want to buy more, you can buy the cartridges (older cartridges are compatible) or you can directly access LeapFrog to invest in games which range in price. It is a great tool for encouraging educational games and very useful for those times when you need to keep them occupied, such as long car journeys.
Find out more about the LeapPad Platinum on the LeapFrog website. It is available in purple and green.
7. Personalised Vintage Nursery Sign £29.99 from I Just Love It
This sign from I Just Love it is designed to be a nursery sign, but with a weathered effect and the simple message emblazoned across it, I think this would make a perfect gift for an older child too. Made from reclaimed wood with a rusted wire hanger, this has a shabby chic feel to it and would look perfect on a child’s bedroom door or wall. It comes in three colours; duck egg blue, vintage pink or faded cream. Made in the UK, with quick delivery, the sign can be personalised with up to 8 letter.
8. Personalised Whimsical Church China Plate £17.99 from Born Gifted
9. Personalised Bookmark clip £29 from Merci Maman
10. Personalised Christening Trinket Box £28.99 from Born Gifted
11. Personalised Keepsake Boxes £27.99 from I Just Love It
12. ‘Christening’ Hanging Tile Keepsake For Boys And Girls by Marli Designs £18 from notonthehighstreet.com
13. Crayola Letter Art £59.95 from The Letteroom
14. Guardian Angel Hanging Christening Decoration £13.99 from I Just Love It
15. Personalised Christening or Communion Keepsake £49 from Merci Maman
16. Personalised Dice Bracelet for Kids £29 from Merci Maman
17. Personalised Heart Bracelet for Kids £29 from Merci Maman
18. Personalised Christening Art Print by Milly’s Cottage £19.95 notonthehighstreet.com
19. Framed Holy Communion Christening Baptism Gift by Ant Design Gifts £52 from notonthehighstreet.com
20. Personalised Christening Gift Print On Wood by Delightful Living £28 from notonthehighstreet.com
21. Alphabet Illuminated Canvas from £54.95 from The Letteroom
22. Personalised Angel Bracelet £29 from Merci Maman
23. Personalised Christening or Communion Chain Necklace £49 from Merci Maman
Something for the parents …
While you are thinking about Christening presents for the children, it might be nice to treat the parents too and why not treat them to a bottle of something lovely from one of my favourites; i heart wines.
They have a wonderful selection of wines of different types, I particularly like the i heart Sparkling Zinfandel Rosé and of course the i heart Prosecco which are both really light and refreshing, perfect for a summer evening. I heart Sparkling would also make the perfect present for a celebration or anniversary.
Available in many supermarkets, the i heart collection is easily recognisable from the labels and they are always really good value. Find out all about the range on the website.
We were sent some of the products listed for the purpose of this post. All opinions are our own.
So many great gifts on your list. I like the letter diary and wondering if I can find one as letter K and A for my girls. Of course for when they are older.
So many fab gifts, but for me a Christening gift is something to treasure again and again. The best ones my boys got were a set of silver christmas tree decorations. We love hanging them on the tree each year and when they are older they can have them for their tree’s
Some lovely ideas, I particularly like the letter books, they’re brilliant.
Some lovely ideas on your list – the book that lost its name is my fave though
What lovely ideas. I was christened at the age of 9 and I remember receiving a watch from my grandparents – I’ve still got it somewhere I think!
Some really lovely ideas, I think keepsakes are perfect for a Christening and those bracelets and just lovely x
Sonia recently posted…My Weekend at #BML16
Gorgeous round up of gifts. We have the Little boy who lost his name and my little guy LOVES it!
I find christening gifts quite difficult so it’s good to see some different ideas.
Erica Price recently posted…Getting Children Into Brass Instruments With pBuzz
I had my daughter christened when she was five and she got some lovely, imaginitive gifts. I think it was nice that people could be a bit more inventive than you can with babies!