Every year someone asks, “What do the kids want for Christmas?” and every year my brain does that Windows-error noise. Because honestly? Kids want everything and nothing. One minute it’s a specific brand of water bottle they saw on TikTok, the next it’s “I don’t knowww.”
So this year I’m trying something different. I’m not keen on adding to the pile of stuff that gets obsessed over for five days, then quietly migrates to the back of a cupboard. I want to give my kids things that actually do something: help them feel loved, stretched, connected, and a bit more alive.
And yes — I have teenagers now. Which means the needs of “kids” in our house range from still wants a cuddle and a sticker book to pretend they don’t need me but mysteriously appear when food is involved.
Here’s what I think kids (little and big) really need this Christmas:
1. More outdoors, less indoors-by-default
Weekdays are a vortex. School, homework, screens, dinner, rinse, repeat. Even the sporty ones end up inside more than we realise.
So my dream gift? Anything that pulls us outside together. A cargo bike. A family bike set. A new helmet and a promise of regular rides.
For little kids, riding is an adventure. For teenagers, riding is freedom. Either way, bikes are a sneaky miracle: they get everyone outside without it feeling like a lecture about “fresh air.”
Let’s ride to a park. Let’s go find a new bakery. Let’s take the long way home just because the light is golden and we can. Outdoors fixes more than we give it credit for — moods, stress, that weird restless energy kids carry around.
2. Time that feels like real time
Kids don’t actually want “quality time” in the way adults say it (usually while checking emails). They want belonging time.
Ride to the ice-cream shop. Wander a trail and let someone complain dramatically halfway through. Snuggle on a chilly afternoon. Cook something messy. Watch their favourite movie even if you’ve seen it 78 times.
It’s not about the activity being impressive. It’s about them feeling like you’re with them. Even teenagers — especially teenagers — soak that up more than they let on.
3. Feeling close to far-away family
Most of our family is in the Netherlands, and I really want my kids to feel connected to their cousins, nana, and all the extended crew. Distance is weird like that: if you don’t feed the connection, it fades quietly.
So here’s a beautiful Christmas gift: actively stay in their world.
Send a fun email asking about their lives. Record a short video reading a story or just saying hi. Send them a clip of your dog doing something ridiculous. Book a video call.
Tech is everywhere — it might as well help our kids grow up knowing they’re part of something bigger than our postcode.
4. The magic of actual mail
Snail mail is basically wizardry to kids. An envelope with their name on it? Electric.
Postcards from your travels. A letter. A couple of printed photos they can stick on their wall. Stickers. A doodle. Anything.
They will read it. They will keep it. And they’ll probably write back faster than I do to my own friends.
5. Stories, not just scrolling
Our house is full of books… and yet sometimes reading loses to YouTube and TikTok and whatever game is currently “the only thing that matters.”
We’ve even set up a summer reading competition where they earn $ per book (max $$ per family). Yes, it is basically bribery. No, I don’t care. It works.
So books are still a great gift — especially the kind that meet kids where they are: graphic novels, funny stuff, sports stories, biking mags, anything that makes reading feel like their world, not a school task.
6. People who do what they say
This one is underrated.
When the kids are little, they believe every promise like it’s a signed contract. Teenagers act cooler, but they notice everything.
If you say “we’ll go for a ride soon,” mean it.
If you promise a visit, follow through.
If you say “let’s catch up,” actually pick a day.
They need to learn that words matter because people matter. And honestly… so do I.
So what do the kids want for Christmas?
Sure, they’ll want the usual fun stuff. And they should get some of it, because joy is a need too.
But underneath all that? They want movement, connection, attention, stories, and people who show up. They want a life that feels bigger than their bedroom.
And if some of that comes wrapped up in a bike ride — well, that sounds like a pretty good Christmas to me.
Emmy xx
