That delightful age, somewhere between nursery and school, is an age where little ones certainly know wha they want (and don't want)!

So, when it comes to cool kids presents, where to turn for inspiration?
 
Whether you’re buying for your child or someone else’s, it’s always hard to know what the best gifts for a preschooler are. The loveable age is loosely 2 ½ to five year’s old.

What to look out for
It might be a birthday present, Christmas gift or just a little treat to keep them occupied on a rainy day.
 
Key toys to consider for this age group are those that are problem solving, refine motor skills, pretend play, help kids get ‘school ready’, promote develop speech or vocabulary, and invite them to explore the world around them. And of course, you can never go wrong with toys that bring fun and play together.
 
Favourite Characters
If you’re looking for toys or merchandise that appeal to young children, then it’s best to ask their parents what they are in to first. Every child has its own unique taste which can often change overnight! Some of the favourite though include; Paw Patrol, Minions, Peppa Pig Miss Rabbit, PJ Masks, Disney Cars, Thomas and Friends, Disney Frozen, Dora the Explorer and many others.
 
Lots of the main supermarkets have a great selection of affordable children’s clothes branded with their favourite characters, while Amazon is a great one-stop-shop for everything from toys to Amazon kids plates.
 
The Importance of Play
Imaginative play is important for child development.
 
To help with the all-important coordination, look out for toys that use shapes, patterns and building to inspire imaginations. These will also help with problem solving, so look out for age appropriate gifts by Lego, wooden blocks and magnaformers to fuel this interest.
 
Our kids plates are also a convienient and fun way  to rev up mealtimes, inspiring imaginative play. There’s three to choose from, including a car, train and picnic theme plate compatible with most leading small toys.
 
Play Doh continues to bring great entertainment for children ages two upward, and is also great for parent-child bonding! Cranky the Octopus is one of the favorites, encouraging children to use kid-safe scissors and other utensils to improve fine motor skills.
 
School Ready
With a growing digital savvy generation, it’s great to give kids a head-start. There’s a couple of toys out there that can help with this, including Primo Toys Cubetto Coding Toy. Not cheap at £195 (available from Amazon), it provides an early introduction to the basics of coding, but in a playful way.
 
They may take you back to the days of teaching your little one to talk, but flashcards are also a great way to invite a child to develop language, recognition and skills.
 
You can never go wrong with a good book. The Book Trust recommends; Dress up Jo Jo (Xavier Deneux) and A Fun ABC (Sade Fadipe) for this age group.
 
Well this list is by no means exhaustive, but there’s just a few ideas for inspiration.

For all kinds of inspiration, check out Munchy Play on Instagram