
It’s that time of year again. Time to spoil our nearest and dearest with thoughtful presents that make everybody smile. The Babes About Town Great Big Gift Guide 2025 has gift ideas for a variety of ages and tastes: gifts for kids, gifts for teens, gifts for grown ups, gifts for the home, gifts for readers, gifts for writers (hello!), last minute gifts, and gifts that give back.
As well as some ‘top toys 2025’ style additions, most of my selection supports small and independent shops, woman-owned and Black-owned businesses. Also I’ve kept my gift picks at £100 or less to suit all wallets in these costly times. Happy gifting!
Great Big Gift Guide: 48 Cool & Classic Gifts for £100 or Less!

Gifts for Kids

- Cards Against Humanity Family Edition. Cheeky fun for all ages. (£20 at BM)
- LEGO Super Mario Kart – Donkey Kong Kart & DK Jumbo. Two classics collide. (£20.99 at Nintendo Store)
- Paddington the Musical tickets. Theatrical fun with the Peruvian Bear, for ages 6+. (from £30pp at Savoy Theatre)
- Wicked Singing Elphaba Fashion Doll. A gravity-defying voice. (£30 at Argos)
- Dreamworks How to Train Your Dragon Toothless Puppetronic interactive toy. 50+ action and sound effects! (£39.99 at Smyths Toys)
- La Basketry Crochet Doll Collection. Three dolls inspired by founder’s daughter, Senna. (£59 at La Basketry)
GIVE THE GIFT OF STEM WITH MEL SCIENCE KITS


MEL Science Kits offer a fantastic subscription service providing 100+ unique and hands-on educational and digital experiences. From just £25.90 a month, kids can explore a variety of science projects and apps for different ages, all approved by experts and perfect for parents to get stuck in too.
This holiday season you can lock in prices from £20.50 and new annual subscribers can get a 60% discount with promo code HAPPY25! Find out more at https://melscience.com/GB-en/
Gifts for Teens

- 1.5Kg Weighted Sloth for Anxiety. A soothing and calming snuggle buddy. (£24.99 at Love Hugs)
- The Hunger Games: On Stage. See Katniss live in London. (from £30pp at Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre)
- Pop Yourself! Custom Funko Pop figure. Build their mini-me. (£40 at Funko Pop)
- Iya Stamp Graphic t-shirt. Coolness signed, sealed, and delivered. (£40 at Dorcas Creates)
- Personalised Nail Varnish. For nails that pop. (£14.95 at Not On The High Street)
- Loop Experience 2 Plus concert ear plugs. They’ll thank you when they’re older. (£39.95 at Loop Earplugs)
Gifts for Grown Ups

- Create a Custom Mixtape. For all the Gen X feels. (£9.99 at Etsy)
- Football Team Shirt. Pick their club or country and let the games begin. (from £19.99 at Classic Football Shirts)
- Hafza Studio Shamsa Scarf. Inspired by Somalia, made in Britain. (£38.99 at Migration Museum)
- Camp Snap Screen Free Digital Camera. More clicks, less scrolling. (£54 at Camp Snap)
- Merippa Slippers Reversible Tartan Check (unisex). A treat for their feet. (£58 at Japan House)
- Poon’s London Heritage Gift Hamper. Transform their home cooking. (£70 at Poon’s London)
Gifts for the Home

- The Cornrow placemats. Table styling at its most stylish. (£24 from The Cornrow)
- Personalised Stainless Steel Chopsticks. Everybody say ‘ramen’. (£14.99 from Not On The High Street)
- The Tribal Plant Pot. Plant something beautiful. (£15 from Repot)
- Omalicha scented candle. Smells like beautiful in Igbo – my Nigerian mother tongue. (£28 at Nwanne Home)
- Booty Vase. Simply bootylicious. (£34.99 at Not On The High Street)
- Bicycle Clock. Wheels on walls. (£40 from Zazzle)
Gifts for Readers

- Afrori Books Gift Card. A gift that gives and gives. (from £10 at Afrori Books)
- Pride & Prejudice Book Lover Necklace. Mr Darcy would approve. (£15 at Literary Emporium)
- 50 Books of the World 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. A globe-trotting adventure. (£18 at The Literary Gift Company)
- Feminist Literary Quote Notebooks Collection of 3. For her reading notes. (£12.50 from GiftSmith)
- Enter Queene t-shirt. A cue from Shakespeare. (£17.95 at The Literary Gift Company)
- Dracula Fang Enamel Pin Badge and Dracula Umbrella. Unleash their inner goth. (£8.50 at Etsy and £22 at The Literary Gift Company)
Gifts for Writers

- Toni Morrison Quote Art Print. For daily inspiration. (from £8.49 at Etsy)
- We Need Your Art book/manifesto by Amie McNee. A call to action. (£20.90 at Bookishly)
- Read Black Authors Afropop x Bookishly t-shirt. Your 2026 resolution. (£25 at Bookishly)
- Personalised notebook. Start that draft. (£14.99 at The Literary Gift Company)
- Loungefly Wednesday typewriter bag. Vintage meets modern. (£59.99 at Infinity Collectibles)
- Write with UJU mentoring. Give the gift of 1-1 creative writing support. (from £75 with discount code BABESXMAS at Write with UJU)
Last Minute Gifts

- V&A Museum Membership. The gift of culture. (at £6.83 a month)
- Libro.FM audiobooks subscription. Support indie bookshops too. (from £7.99 a month)
- Theatre Tokens. Sponsor a theatre trip. (from £10)
- Babbel Gift Card. Unlock a new language. (from £45 for 3 months)
- Weekday Pool and Sauna Spa Day Pass. For a luxury escape and reset. (£70 at Park Hyatt London River Thames)
- Everyman Cinema Membership. Join the swanky movie club. (from £95 annual)
Gifts that Give Back

- Recycled Wine Bottle Plate. Leave a review and they’ll plant a tree! (£12.99 from Protect the Planet)
- Neneh Cherry Virgin X Choose Love t-shirt. Every gift helps save lives. (£35 from Choose Love)
- BookBanks support. Providing books to read for families in need. (from £0)
- Watermelon Pictures subscription. Help keep Palestinian stories alive through film. (from £5.91 a month)
- National Literacy Trust donation. Support the National Year of Reading. (from £7 a month)
- Hope For The Young Mentorship programme. Become a mentor for a young refugee. (Priceless)
Want More? Take a Look at A Couple of Previous Gift Guides:
Babes About Town 2023 Gift Guide
Babes About Town 2024 Gift Guide
A friendly reminder that books make excellent gifts, and if you BUY MY BOOKS (written by me or recommended by me) at Bookshop.org you will be supporting independent bookstores too!
Merry Christmas and may you receive all you wish for this season!
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