Toys that never go out of fashion
Traditional gift ideas for children
Gifts worth giving (or keeping) for those nostalgic memories, or making new ones. Junior takes a look at the most traditional of British Christmas toys that are still as stylish today as they ever were. From dolls houses to train sets and teddy bears.
The Collectable Teddy
Extending a legacy that dates back to 1906, when Harrods first started selling teddy bears, the annual Christmas Bear has become a much-coveted collectable for families around the world. For 2025, meet Alfie who has arrived in a red knitted logo jumper teamed with a festive bobble hat and scarf creating a charming, cosy bear to wow children, parents (and collectors) alike.
The Electric Train Set
An all time classic and a staple of bedrooms and loft rooms for years, the Hornby train set is another British great. Although considered a classic toy brand, Hornby as a company hasn’t stood still and have brought out new, contemporary train sets including Virgin’s Pendolino and the Eurostar. So, whether it’s quintessential Victorian countryside for Grandad, or a high-speed futuristic cityscape for the kids, the Hornby set more than deserves its place on our list of classics. And, for any generation, the most famous train set in the world is that of the striking apple green liveried class A1 – ‘Flying Scotsman’.
The Giant Dolls House
The look on a child’s face when they see their first dolls house is priceless. As their little minds compute the perfectly presented miniature world, you can already see their imagination firing up. Whether it’s a family heirloom, a simple dolls house or something in between, there is something captivating about entering a tiny world. A Victorian, or Georgian style house is the ultimate in timeless style and for something really special this one fits the bill!
The Traditional Paddington Bear
Paddington is part and parcel of childhood. He’s been so ingrained in our British notion of childhood for over 65 years that no-one truly knows whether or not he was real anymore! He’s a timeless fellow, famous for turning up in London train stations long before Harry Potter took hold of Kings Cross! You may not be able to get hold of the limited edition Paddington Bear Collectors Piece from Steiff teddy bears range – unless you scour auction sites. A close second for any collector would be this nostalgic tribute to the very first Paddington soft toy by Merrythought.
The Silver Cross Doll Pram
Silver Cross is an icon – in the true sense of the word. Loved the world over it was brought back into style thanks to the Duchess of Cambridge and her superb ability to team classic with contemporary when she stepped out with her balmoral pram with each new heir. The doll’s pram is – as with all Silver Cross prams – beautifully traditional, elegant and luxurious (and still hand-crafted and with its C-Spring suspension). It comes in a high gloss white finish with beautiful hand-painted fine line detail, chrome spoked wheels and a fully adjustable hood.
The Wooden Train Set
The forerunner to the full loft room electric train set, the humble wooden push-along is another to stand the test of time; Brio actually has its origins in the late 1800s. Today, it’s crafted using FSC sourced European beech wood and high-quality plastics. There are plenty of styles, types and sets to choose from, but our favourite has to be the whole Brio city. Start as you mean to go on, we say!
The Winnie-The-Pooh Story Collection
We’ll go so far here as to say that any child who hasn’t had the pleasure of at least one Winnie the Pooh, or Christopher Robin story in their lifetime has been robbed of an amazingly funny and loveable experience. When returning to the books as an adult with your own children, you forget how funny and full of wise life advice Winnie and his friends are. The full collection is still, in the tech-enabled world we live in, the ultimate book collection for kids – we love this exquisite illustrated edition.
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, Illustrated by E. H. Shepard, £65, The Folio Society
The Victorian Rocking Horse
British nursery rooms of a certain style were never without a traditional rocking horse at the turn of the century. Generations later, the rocking horse is still a classic toy for a child’s nursery, or playroom. While antique rocking horses from manufacturers F.H. Ayres or Lines are of a high monetary value, they’re not ideal for playing on. We’d choose a replica such as the Rivelin Rocking Horse by Ringinglow , which is a more user friendly, fun horse styled on the traditional Victorian style. They also supply them to Hamleys, John Lewis and Harrods.
Rivelin No. 2 Premium Rocking Horse, £1,995, Ringinglow Rocking Horse Company
The Classic Wooden ABC Blocks
ABC blocks are found in every nursery as babies and children learn to stack, sort, spell, and learn the alphabet. But, did you know? In 1867. Samuel Hill applied for and received a patent for blocks with letters on them and became the first American to mass produce toy wooden alphabet blocks in the US. There are many versions but we adore these Basswood craved ones by Uncle Goose.
Uncle Goose Classic Wooden ABC Toy Blocks – with Canvas Bag, £49.95, Babipur
