SALT LAKE CITY — Shopping for Christmas gifts kicked off early this year after retailers worried that a late Thanksgiving could spell trouble for robust sales. So chances are you have some idea of what to gift the people you love.
But Santa always needs help as he checks his list over and over to make sure no one’s left out. And rumor has it the Jolly Old Elf likes to get last-minute ideas from our gift guide.
As always, we scouted out ideas online and in brick-and-mortar stores, with a special nod to the whimsical, the beautiful, the ultrapractical and even the goofy. They all appeal. But which is which is in the eye of the beholder.
Prices may vary depending on sales and where you find them.
Merry Christmas!
For kids
• Scratch & Scribble scratch art kits by Ooly (MSRP $8.99) include cards that reveal bright illustrations when the surface is scratched off. Eight full-size styles and six mini styles available.
• Sloth Journal is a whimsical 96-page repository for thoughts, sketches, lists or poems. $7.99.
• Diamond Art kits provide crafty kids with a beautiful outlet for creativity as they “diamond paint” using color-coded rhinestones to create shimmery art on a soft canvas, suitable for framing. Prices vary. This “Snow Queen” is $59.99.
• Bobbi-Toads paintable shoes welcome any nail polish and can be painted and repainted, like fingernails. Just use polish remover and go again. Prices start at $29.95 and go to around $50.
• Baby Banana safety toothbrush for kids 3-24 months. Made of silicone and in different delightful shapes, it’s easy for baby to hold and use, so it’s a great introduction to oral hygiene. $9.95.
• Go Fun Face animal masks are creative and original, from monkeys, lions and tigers to elephants, dragons and dinosaurs. The littles will love them! The lion is $22.
• Botzees, a robotics kit for kids 4+. Build, program and code six pre-designed robots or make your own. Then train them to move, drum, dance and more. $69.99.
• Wild Republic’s Ecokins are plush animals made using 100% recycled fill and fabric. Everything from the biodegradable polybag packing down to the soy ink printed hangtag is sustainable. Choose from 14 animals in 12 inch or 8 inch versions: black bear, polar bear, dolphin, African elephant, hippo, koala, snow leopard, panda, penguin, raccoon, red panda, sea turtle, wolf, and tiger. One 12-inch critter uses 16 plastic bottles. $8 or $5.
• Busy Baby Mat, $24.99, is a silicon mat that suctions in place and goes where you go to keep little guys entertained and their toys in place.
• Retainer Buddy will keep that kid’s retainer safe when it’s not in use. $13.99 at Lullubee.com
• My Robotic Pet - Tumbling Hedgehog lets kids 7+ build a robot hedgehog with 172 pieces. Built-in sounds and programmed to react. It will tumble, roll, spin, bristle and more. A STEM toy that lets kids explore gears, motors, sensors and LEDs. $39.95
• Creative Beast Studio has something for any dinosaur-loving child, from the Build-a-Raptor sets that let kids (and dino-enthusiast adults) create and paint their own creatures to figures with articulation points. The Eastern 2-pack, for example, includes a pair of 6-inch figures, background display, trading car, two bases and more. $29.99 and up.
• Bee Simulator for the Xbox 1, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. Rated E. Epic Games has created a game that’s as educational as it is challenging. See the world through the eyes of nature’s favorite pollinator. If you’ve wondered what normal-size structures look like to a bee — or what it feels like to battle with spiders and other insects, this is definitely awesome. And beautifully rendered visually. Price varies.
• Match the Buddies Puzzle by Banana Panda provides the littlest puzzlers, starting around 15 months, with a simple matching task, using 12 two-piece puzzles that enhance concentration, logic and motor skills. About $17.
• Budsies and Petsies span ages, but are sure to delight kids, with their custom designs that turn a child’s artwork into a stuffed toy, a familiar face into a beloved doll or that replicates a much-loved pet. You provide the photo and the company goes to work. Prices start at $89 for one-of-a-kind creations that are all about the beings that you love.
Older teens and adults
• Lots of adults leave their rings at home because the metal and their work or other activities don’t combine safely. Silicone Enso rings can go anywhere without posing a risk. $11.99-$39.99.
• Give a foodie new skills with a yearlong membership to Rouxbe, an online culinary school where you can pick your interest and learn at your own pace. $99.
• Frankie Cameron Braid Bag is a handcrafted, genuine leather purse that’s lined to and doubles as a diaper bag. Various styles, materials and prices. This one’s $395.
• Good Stuff Botanicals Gypsy Cream, $29.95, combines organic hemp seed oil (not CBD), Montana hot springs mineral water, aloe vera and shea butter.
• The Renogy Portable Solar Charger, MSRP $39.99, keeps important electronics going when you’re off the grid. Water-resistant exterior and built-in flashlight, too.
• Arctic Zone’s 30-can self-inflating cooler ($49.99) keeps ice for 2.5 days, floats if it’s immersed and deflates and rolls flat for storage.
• Tossits car garbage bags are a super size, sealable bag that keeps the car clean on even long family road trips. Pack of 10 for $8 and they fit around headrests easily. Great stocking stuffer for car-proud folks.
• Galanz Retro Mini Refrigerator in blue, red or black has 3.1 cubic feet capacity, nice features for that “extra” fridge in the office or den. MSRP $239.
•Life Forever Bracelet for men from Stephen David Leonard combines the octagon (rebirth) and the circle (eternity) for a stylish statement. $69.99.
• The Lip + Cheek Tints collection of beauty balms from EcoLips provide a three-color set: red, nude and pink for $26.97. Vegan.
• Posie Turner socks include good thoughts, with inspirational short phrases. Various styles, for everyone. $16.50 a pair. They are made of Peruvian Pima cotton which is very comfy.
Games
• Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? from Authentic Agility Games, political and religion version. Have some thoughtful conversations about controversial topics: Just roll the dice, draw a card and ask one of the 500 dialog-starting questions. $24.99.
• Blunderful is a game for older teens and adults that uses awkward situations to create some hilarity among friends. A player reads a card with a situation and the other players bet on how the reader would respond. $24.99.
• Runes and Regulations, 2-4 players, ages 14+. Collect five mythical creatures on your lawn and you win! $30.
Pets
• Doggie leggings from Walkee Paws protect your canine pal’s feet from the elements. $26.99-$34.99.