Australian Christmas Gifts for Kids: 12 Ideas for a Hot Aussie Christmas
The best Australian Christmas gifts for kids are the ones that suit the day we actually get: thirty-something degrees, a backyard full of cousins, prawns on the table and a sprinkler going by 3 pm. Snow globes and woolly jumpers can stay in the Northern Hemisphere.
We make kids tees and hats in a small workshop in the Hunter Valley, so we spend a lot of December watching what gets worn, what gets lost under the couch and what’s still loved in February. This guide is what we’ve learned. Some ideas are ours, plenty aren’t, and every one of them works in an Aussie summer.
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What makes a good Australian Christmas gift for kids?
Before the list, here’s the simple test we use. A good gift for an Aussie kid ticks at least two of these four boxes:
- It suits summer. Christmas kicks off the long school holidays. Anything they can use outside, at the beach or at the pool gets used for weeks.
- It has a bit of Australia in it. Magpies, echidnas, kookaburras and ibis are the animals kids actually see on the walk to school. That makes them far more fun than a reindeer.
- It shows who they are. Kids love things that say something about them, whether that’s a joke, a favourite animal or a character who is a little bit like them.
- It still matters after Boxing Day. The present that’s still around in Term 1 is the one that was worth buying.
Australian Christmas gifts for kids under $10
1. A Christmas sticker pack $6
Stickers are the most reliable small present we know. Kids decorate drink bottles, school books and bedroom doors with them, and swap them with friends. Each of our Flipsy sticker packs has six die-cut stickers, about 7.5 cm each, and every character has a Christmas edition: Swoop the magpie on a sled, Spike the echidna in a Christmas jumper, Chuckles the kookaburra in reindeer antlers.
Postage on stickers is $4.50 however many packs you order, and free on three or more. So one pack each for three kids lands at $18, posted.
2. A pair of swim goggles and a pool noodle
This is cheap, practical and a guaranteed hit in a house with a pool or a beach nearby. If you have a reluctant swimmer, pair it with Gulpy, our goldfish who’s scared of water (more on him below).
3. Fun-coloured zinc
Pink, blue or green zinc turns sunscreen from a fight into a game. It’s a stocking-sized gift that gets used every single day of the holidays. For more small ideas, see our list of stocking fillers for kids under $10.
Australian Christmas gifts for kids under $40
4. An Aussie Christmas t-shirt $35
A Christmas tee is the Australian answer to the Christmas jumper. It gets worn on Christmas morning, to the family lunch and again at the cricket on Boxing Day. Our Aussie Christmas t-shirts for kids star four of the gang:
- Spike: Deck the Halls: an echidna who’s realised spines make a great Christmas tree.
- Swoop: Swooping Season’s Greetings: our nervous magpie, festive at last.
- Binny: Christmas Lunch: an ibis dressed up for the best meal of the year.
- Chuckles: Cracker Joke: a kookaburra who’s laughing at the joke, even if he isn’t quite sure why.
They’re printed on soft, garment-dyed cotton in sizes 2 to 14, in colours that look right next to a pavlova.
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Spike: Deck the Halls
Price range: $35.00 through $39.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Swoop: Swooping Season’s Greetings
Price range: $35.00 through $39.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Binny: Christmas Lunch
Price range: $35.00 through $39.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Chuckles: Cracker Joke
Price range: $35.00 through $39.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
5. A character tee they’ll wear all year $35
Not every gift needs a Santa hat. A tee with a character they love gets worn long after the decorations come down. Every Flipsy character has one small worry, which is exactly why kids connect with them. There’s a monster who’s scared of the dark, an echidna who just wants a hug and a goldfish who’s scared of water. Browse the whole Flipsy gang tees or meet the characters first.
6. A UPF 50+ bucket hat $35
A bucket hat is the most Australian present on this list. A good kids’ hat needs a proper brim, a chin cord so it survives the beach and a sun rating you can trust. Our kids bucket hats are cotton twill with a UPF 50+ rating, a 6.5 cm brim and a toggle chin cord, and they fit 51 to 54 cm heads (roughly ages 4 to 10).
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Swoop Bucket Hat
$35.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Spike Bucket Hat
$35.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Chuckles Bucket Hat
$35.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Gulpy Bucket Hat
$35.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
7. A beach kit in a bucket
Fill a real bucket with a spade, a sand mould, a frisbee and a water pistol. It’s easy to wrap and it’s used on day one of the holidays.
8. A field guide to Australian animals
A kids’ guide to backyard birds or Aussie wildlife turns every walk into a spotting game. Put a pair of cheap binoculars with it and you’ve got a summer project. If they get hooked, our post on funny Australian animals kids love has the facts kids actually remember.
Christmas gifts that aren’t more stuff
9. A wildlife park or zoo visit
A voucher for a day out to meet koalas, echidnas and kookaburras is a gift for the whole family. It also gives you a plan for that long, flat week between Christmas and New Year.
10. Swimming lessons
Summer is when most Aussie kids get their water confidence. A block of lessons is genuinely useful, and if there are nerves, our free read-along story Gulpy and the Deep End is about a goldfish who’s scared of the deep end.
11. A Christmas Eve story
Our free bedtime stories let kids create their own hero, then read along with the Flipsy gang. They cost nothing, and they’re a lovely way to settle overexcited kids on Christmas Eve.
12. A colouring session for Christmas morning
Print a few pages from our free colouring pages and roll them up with a new pack of pencils. It keeps little ones busy while the adults deal with the ham.
How to build a Christmas bundle (and get free shipping)
Shipping is free on orders over $80. A tee ($35) plus a matching bucket hat ($35) plus two sticker packs ($12) comes to $82, so the postage is on us. Matching sets work well too: Spike’s Christmas tee, Spike’s hat and Spike’s Christmas stickers make a gift that looks planned, even if you bought it at 11 pm.
Order early for Christmas. We print and post within 1 to 2 business days. After that, Australia Post sets the pace, so check their Christmas sending dates and give yourself a buffer. Not sure on size? Use the kids t-shirt size guide. Size exchanges are free, so if in doubt go one size up.
Australian Christmas gifts for kids: FAQs
What is a good Australian Christmas gift for kids?
Look for something that suits summer and has a bit of Australia in it. Aussie animal t-shirts, a UPF 50+ bucket hat, beach gear, swimming lessons or a wildlife park visit all get used straight away in the school holidays.
What can I buy a kid for Christmas for under $10?
Sticker packs, fun-coloured zinc, swim goggles, bubbles and chalk are all under $10 and get used. Flipsy Christmas sticker packs are $6 for six die-cut stickers, with free postage on three or more packs.
What size t-shirt should I buy as a Christmas present?
Check the child’s height against a size guide rather than going by age. If they’re between sizes, go one size up so it lasts the summer. Flipsy offers free size exchanges.
When should I order Christmas gifts online in Australia?
As early as you can. Flipsy prints and posts within 1 to 2 business days, then delivery depends on Australia Post, which publishes its Christmas sending dates each year.
Is a bucket hat a good Christmas gift in Australia?
Yes. Christmas starts the summer holidays, and a broad-brim hat with a UPF 50+ rating and a chin cord will be worn every day at the beach, the pool and the park.