Christmas gift guide for sports mad children

*Includes some gifted items and affiliate links

With N’s tennis I’m always on the look out for some cool tennis themed gifts. Football gifts are easy wins for our nephew (although how many footballs does one boy really need). I was sent some items for my gift guide, others are items I’ve spotted or we have, that would work as great gifts for sports mad children.

For swimmers

Aqua Sphere Kayenne Junior goggles – these junior goggles look like they mean business. Aqua Sphere goggles are known for having a bigger eye area (wider panoramic view) and keep really flat to the face, and with anti-fog properties. You can just tighten them up to keep water out for longer. N likes the colour – they look grown up, more so than many children’s goggles, although aren’t as easy to tighten the strap as his existing goggles are. They can be bought from Aqua Sphere, and are suitable from age 6 upwards.

Ordance Survey trek towels – if you’re sending children off swimming regularly, you want fast drying towels. And if they’re swimming without you in changing rooms, you want to make sure they can find their towel easily. This Ordnance Survey range does the job and creates a talking point. We chose the London based one, but you can also get the great outdoors on towels too with choices including Snowdon, Brecon Beacons and Scafell Pike. It’s also huge, so plenty big enough for adults as well as kids.

Gifts for tennis players

We love Net World Sports for anything tennis equipment related, and they’ve got some great gift ideas for tennis lovers

Net targets – just clip these to a tennis net, and practise hitting balls through the hole. A good top up gift.

Tennis and badminton net – mini nets are great, but buying the cheap ones that just dig into the ground are never very stable. We think this combined tennis and badminton net is great for the garden.

Rebounder – if you’ve not got a wall for children to hit against, then this would be great for children who want to practise but don’t have anyone to play against. Versatile as it can be used on grass for volleys as well as on tarmac or concrete. Also handy for football, and it comes in a couple of different sizes.

For football fans

Football fans have no shortage of gift ideas. Obviously buying them the latest kit is a favourite gift, but maybe you don’t want to spend so much.

Personalised team mug – my 8 year old loves mugs and would happily collect them. On The Gift Experience, you can choose from various football teams, choose your number and add your surname, and the mug will arrive with your shirt added to the dressing room pegs. The picture is good quality, and the price isn’t bad. You can also get a giant football piggy bank – be warned, it’s nearly the size of a football, and be really clear on the wording you want.

Boot buddy – easy washing of football boots, making it more fun for children to clean their own boots.

Tickets to a stadium tour or the National Football Museum in Manchester. Wembley book months out, but check smaller stadiums if they do tours.

Other sports and general sports fans

World of Sports Top Trumps quiz – this card quiz game is perfect for children wanting to increase their sporting knowledge, be able to come out with facts about mainstream or less popular sports. The World of Sports Quiz has questions on every sport you can think of. The 2 sided box is great for taking on holiday or in the car, and with 500 questions, you’ll be asking questions for ages.

Race at your Pace – get your children active and set them a holiday challenge with Race at your Pace. Promise them a medal every month for them achieving set distances in swimming, running, walking or cycling.

Dart board and darts – hours of fun (and a good way to make them improve their maths). Just make sure you’ve a soft board or wall behind it so you don’t end up with holes in your wall. We used to have a board in the garage.

Cricket set – we ordered one from Owzat Cricket for the nephew. You can order different sizes of bat so make sure you check the size you need (usually by age for children). Look out for sets with a carry bag, bail, stumps, ball and bat, and you can go cheap or as expensive as you want. For kids over 5, definitely look for a wooden bat rather than plastic.

Subscription to their favourite sports magazine – online or print.

Inflatable paddle board – if you’re by water, try booking them in for a couple of lessons, then they can take to the water (and why not buy for the whole family).

Archery set – we’ve loved trying out archery this year, and an archery set is top of N’s Christmas list. Just make sure you’ve got the space, and if buying a proper set, that there are rules in place over use only with an adult supervising. We’ve seen ones we like in Decathlon.

Tickets to their favourite sporting events – if they’re being introduced to a new sport, try shorter format matches like the new 100 ball cricket format, or exhibition tennis matches which tend to have shorter 3 hour sessions.

Sports ground tours – for a behind the scenes look at their favourite clubs.

What gifts make your sports mad child’s list?

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