There is no single right Christmas present. But there is a difference between toys that get played with for two weeks and toys that are still in use next Christmas. This guide is sorted by price, so you can find something whether you need an Advent calendar present or the big gift under the tree.
Everything in the guide is made from wood fibre, comes unpainted and is coloured by the child. It's designed in Odense and produced in Danish sheltered workshops.
Christmas gifts under DKK 100
For the Advent calendar, the class Christmas party, or as the little extra next to the big present. These work on their own but also fit into the bigger worlds.
Bus Adventures
The classic town bus. A good first piece from Crateit Town, and it runs happily on its own before roads and houses join it.
DKK 49
View product
Raptor
A pocket-sized raptor. Small enough to come along in a bag, and it needs colouring before it becomes the child's own.
DKK 49
View product
Traffic & Road Signs Pack
Road signs and traffic details. The kind of small parts that suddenly turn a game into a whole town.
DKK 49
View productChristmas gifts between DKK 100 and 250
This is where the sets start to become something you can build on. The markers belong here too, because the toys come unpainted.
Crateit Forest Markers - 1mm - 6 pcs.
Six acrylic markers in forest colours. They cover untreated wood and dry quickly, so you can colour layer upon layer.
DKK 99
View product
Jurassic Journeys
A dinosaur world to build and colour. There's no right answer, so it looks different from child to child.
DKK 99
View product
Candy Land
A sweet land to colour yourself. One of the sets where the choice of colours really changes what it becomes.
DKK 199
View productChristmas gifts between DKK 250 and 400
The size of gift most people land on. Big enough to be the present of the day, and they can be expanded year after year.
Crossroad Cottage
A house by the traffic lights. Clicks together with the rest of Crateit Town without glue, so the town can be rebuilt again and again.
DKK 249
View product
City Gas Station
A petrol station for the town. The cars need fuel after all, and it's exactly the kind of detail children make up their own stories about.
DKK 329
View product
Dreamland Castle
A castle from the Stella world, built room by room and coloured the way the child wants it.
DKK 329
View productThe big present
If there is only going to be one present under the tree. These sets have enough in them to keep the play going long after New Year.
Fire Station
The town's fire station. One of the biggest sets in Crateit Town, and it often becomes the centre of the whole town.
DKK 499
View product
Police Station
The police station. A counterpart to the fire station, and together they suddenly make the town a place where things happen.
DKK 499
View product
The Cloud Office
A room for the dolls' house, with furniture included in the set. It can stand alone or be built together with the other Roomies rooms.
DKK 399
View productWhat suits which age
The age ranges are a starting point, not a rule. Many three-year-olds build more advanced things than you'd think, and many nine-year-olds still play with what they got when they were five.
| Age | What tends to work | Suggestions |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 years | Large parts, simple shapes, something that can roll | Bus Adventures, Crossroad Cottage |
| 5-6 years | Sets that can be combined and coloured with care | City Gas Station, markers |
| 7-9 years | Bigger builds, details, something to collect | Fire Station, Police Station |
More ideas by age: gifts for a 5-year-old, gifts for a 6-year-old og gifts for grandchildren.
Three things that make a gift last
It should be able to do more than one thing. A toy with a fixed answer is fun until it's solved. A set with no right way to play keeps feeling new, because the child comes up with something different next time.
It should be something to build on. A gift that fits with something the child already has gets taken out more often than one that stands on its own.
It should stand up to being used. The parts click together without glue, so they can be taken apart and put back together without the set wearing out.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Christmas present for a 3-year-old?
A set that can be used in several ways lasts longer than one that only does one thing. Crateit Town is recommended from age 3, and a starter set such as Bus Adventures at DKK 49 plus Crossroad Cottage at DKK 249 gives both a vehicle and a house to drive to.
How much should you spend on a Christmas present for a child?
There's no right amount. At Crateit, prices range from DKK 49 for a single figure to DKK 599 for a whole dolls' house room. Many families choose one bigger set and let grandparents add the small ones.
What are Crateit toys made of?
Wood fibre, specifically MDF. The toys come unpainted, so the child decides the colours and can recolour them later. They are designed in Odense and produced in Danish sheltered workshops, and they are tested to EN 71.
Can you buy more and expand later?
Yes, and that's the whole idea. The parts click together without glue, and sets from the same world fit together. A gift this year can be built on next year.
When should I order to get it in time for Christmas?
Order in good time. Delivery takes 1-3 working days with GLS, and shipping is free over DKK 499. December is busy for every carrier, so the last weeks before Christmas are not the time to take chances.
