Best Christmas gifts for children by age in 2026 | Sticker books, Pop-up books and Wind-Up Santa's Sleigh

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a child? Whether you're shopping for baby's first Christmas, a curious preschooler, or a creative kid who loves making things, a festive book can bring a little extra magic to the holidays.

The best Christmas books for kids are the ones that match their age, interests, and sense of adventure. Babies can discover exciting textures and cheerful songs, preschoolers can send Santa flying across the rooftops, and older kids can create colorful Christmas decorations or uncover hidden surprises.

To make your holiday shopping a little easier, we've rounded up some of the best Usborne Christmas books and gifts for kids in 2026, organized by age. From Christmas stocking stuffers to special presents under the tree, there's something to delight every little reader.

Best Christmas books for babies: Ages 0–12 months

A baby's first Christmas is a wonderful time for discovering new sights, sounds, and textures. Interactive books with colorful illustrations, touch-and-feel patches, and musical surprises make thoughtful gifts for little ones.

That's not my santa…

Age: 3+ months | Best for: Baby's first Christmas

Is that Santa? Not quite!

That's not my santa… brings festive fun to Usborne's much-loved touch-and-feel series.

Little hands can explore Santa's fuzzy gloves, sparkly sleigh, and other exciting textures, while grown-ups enjoy sharing the simple, repetitive words.

There's also a little white mouse to spot on every page. Can you find him hiding among the Christmas surprises?

With its bright illustrations and tactile patches, this is a lovely first Christmas book to enjoy together and bring out again each holiday season.

Sing-along Christmas Songs

Age: 6+ months | Best for: Little music lovers

Ready to sing your favorite Christmas songs?

Sing-along Christmas Songs turns festive storytime into a cheerful singalong. Press the buttons to hear five well-loved Christmas songs, with the words printed on the pages so everyone can join in.

From Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls to Silent Night and We Wish You a Merry Christmas, there's plenty of holiday music to discover.

Whether you're enjoying a cozy afternoon at home or singing together before bedtime, this interactive sound book makes a delightful gift for a baby's first holiday season.

Best Christmas books and gifts for kids ages 3–5

For preschoolers, Christmas is an invitation to imagine, explore, and join in.

From magical pop-up stories to playful hands-on adventures, these Christmas books bring stories to life in unexpected ways.

Pop-up Nutcracker

Age: 3+ | Best for: A special Christmas storybook gift

Step into a magical world of toy soldiers, dancing sweets, and a very extraordinary Christmas adventure.

Pop-up Nutcracker brings the classic holiday tale to life with beautifully illustrated pop-ups and flaps.

Children can follow Clara and the Nutcracker Prince as they battle the Mouse King and journey to the Land of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy awaits.

With intricate details to explore on every page, there's always something new to discover. A QR code also links to Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, bringing an extra touch of music to the story.

A wonderful choice for a Christmas Eve read-aloud or a special gift to treasure year after year.

Wind-Up Santa's Sleigh

Age: 3+ | Best for: Kids who love toys and interactive books

Santa has a very important job to do. But can he deliver all those presents before Christmas morning?

Wind-Up Santa's Sleigh combines the excitement of a toy with the magic of a Christmas story.

This interactive board book includes a wind-up Santa's sleigh and four built-in tracks. Children can wind up the sleigh and watch Santa zoom across snowy landscapes as he prepares for his busiest night of the year.

With festive scenes, presents, reindeer, and plenty of details to spot, there's lots to explore as Santa makes his Christmas Eve journey.

Part book, part toy, it's a fantastic gift for curious preschoolers who love making stories come to life.

Wipe-Clean Wintertime Activities

Age: 3+ | Best for: Kids who love puzzles and activities

Looking for a Christmas activity book that children can enjoy again and again?

Wipe-Clean Wintertime Activities is filled with winter-themed puzzles and playful challenges.

Children can connect the dots, solve mazes, spot differences, and trace dotted lines using the special pen provided.

The best part? When they're finished, they can wipe the pages clean and start all over again.

With plenty of opportunities to practice tracing and discover new details, it's a great choice for quiet afternoons, winter breaks, and family downtime during the holidays.

Best Christmas gifts for kids ages 5–7

For children who love drawing, decorating, and making things, Christmas activity books can be just as exciting as toys.

These creative gifts invite kids to experiment, explore new ideas, and add their own imaginative touches to the festive season.

Cute Christmas Window Art

Age: 5+ | Best for: Creative kids who love Christmas decorations

Why buy all your Christmas decorations when you can make some yourself?

Cute Christmas Window Art invites children to create their own colorful window displays.

Inside are 14 festive pictures printed on translucent paper. Kids can color the designs with felt-tip pens, remove the sheets, and tape them to a window to let the light shine through.

There are also fun puzzles and drawing activities to enjoy.

It's a lovely way to spend a winter afternoon getting creative, with the added excitement of displaying a homemade decoration for everyone to see.

Usborne Scratch Activities Christmas

Age: 6+ | Best for: Kids who love crafts and hidden surprises

There's something wonderfully satisfying about revealing a hidden picture.

Usborne Scratch Activities Christmas takes Christmas creativity in a different direction, combining magical festive scenes with scratch-art surprises.

Using the wooden tool provided, children can scratch away special patches to reveal hidden details or create their own lines and patterns.

Some of the scratch-art sections even feature holographic foil for extra sparkle.

Each scratch-art page also has a matching page of Christmas coloring and puzzles, offering even more ways to get creative.

A fun alternative to a traditional coloring book, this is a thoughtful gift for artistic kids who enjoy discovering something unexpected.

Best Christmas countdown gift: An Advent calendar full of books

The Usborne Advent Calendar Book Collection

Age: 3+ | Best for: A Christmas countdown tradition

Why wait until Christmas morning to unwrap a new story?

The Usborne Advent Calendar Book Collection turns the countdown to Christmas into 24 days of stories.

Behind every window is a beautifully illustrated miniature storybook, ready to discover and share.

The collection includes fairy tales, animal stories, and festive favorites, with everything from Sleeping Beauty and The Snow Queen to Jingle Bells and A Christmas Carol.

There's even a QR code accompanying Jingle Bells, so families can sing along together.

By Christmas Day, children will have a collection of 24 little books to keep, revisit, and enjoy long after the holiday season ends.

It's a wonderful gift for families who love the idea of adding a new story to their daily December routine.

How to choose the best Christmas book for a child

Not sure which book to put under the tree? The simplest place to start is with what makes the child curious.

For babies: Choose books with touch-and-feel textures, colorful pictures, and musical surprises. That's not my santa… and Sing-along Christmas Songs are lovely options for sharing a baby's first Christmas.

For kids ages 3–5: Look for books that invite children to join in. Pop-up stories, wind-up toys, and reusable activity books turn Christmas reading into a hands-on adventure.

For kids ages 5–7: Creative activity books are a great choice. Scratch art and window decorations give children the chance to experiment and make something of their own.

For family traditions: An Advent calendar filled with stories or a beautiful Christmas pop-up book can make reading part of your holiday celebrations.

Every child is different, of course. Age recommendations are a helpful starting point, but the best gift is often the one that makes a child smile, wonder, and ask, "Can we do that again?"

Christmas book gift ideas for every holiday occasion

Christmas books aren't just for Christmas morning. Here are a few ways to make them part of the celebrations.

Christmas Eve ideas

A beautiful storybook such as Pop-up Nutcracker makes a lovely addition to a Christmas Eve box, especially for families who enjoy reading together before bedtime.

Christmas stocking stuffers

For children who love creative activities, Usborne Scratch Activities Christmas or Wipe-Clean Wintertime Activities offers plenty of entertainment beyond Christmas morning.

Baby's first Christmas gifts

That's not my santa… and Sing-along Christmas Songs make sweet first Christmas presents, giving babies something to touch, hear, and discover with their families.

Special gifts under the tree

For a present that combines a book and a toy, Wind-Up Santa's Sleigh adds an extra element of excitement to Christmas morning.

Gifts for the whole month of December

The Usborne Advent Calendar Book Collection makes every day of the Christmas countdown an opportunity to enjoy a new story together.

Make Christmas 2026 a season of stories

The wonderful thing about giving a child a book for Christmas? The adventure doesn't have to end when the decorations come down.

A favorite sound book can be played again, a pop-up story can become a family tradition, and an afternoon of Christmas crafts can inspire a whole new creation.

Whether you're celebrating baby's first Christmas, discovering the magic of Santa's sleigh, or watching a child's imagination take flight, there's a book waiting to spark their curiosity.

This Christmas, give them something to explore, something to discover, and a story they'll want to return to again and again.

Explore Usborne's Christmas books and gifts for kids and find a little holiday magic to share.