The ADHD and autism friendly Christmas gift guide
Spoiler alert - this gift guide is suitable for anyone! But has some great ideas for those with special interests or if you are looking for a neurodivergent friendly gift!
I LOVE Christmas shopping and often start early! But it can be difficult if you have tricky to buy for people or those you don’t see very often. So here is my Christmas gift guide - with a range of prices and budgets to suit most pockets.
But remember Christmas isn’t all about buying gifts. If things are tight, why not create a voucher book for a free hug, a movie afternoon at home or a trip to the park? It’s the thought that counts!
If you want to buy a gift but don’t know where to start, I am here to help!
Please note some of these items I have been sent to try myself. I haven’t included the ones I don’t genuinely love or would buy myself.
The fashion and beauty one
Form Norfolk – Knot necklaces, headbands and earrings – from £10
Form Norfolk have the comfiest headbands you’ll ever wear and amazing twist knot necklaces. So many amazing colours to choose from, whether you know a dopamine dresser or someone who prefers more neutral colours. They also have an array of necklaces which even come with magnetic fixing so there are no fiddly clasps to worry about.
Manta - Healthy Hairbrush - £25
Ultra-gentle for minimum hair breakage and maximum shine. Manta Healthy Hairbrush is suitable for all hair types including fine, fragile, thick, curls, coils, children, men, and hair extension wearers. It even comes in a lovely bag, perfect for popping in your bag.
REN - Clean Skincare Gift Sets – from £30
REN is discovered in nature, packaged for the planet and joyous for skin and senses. I am a big fan! This 4-step best of REN routine features a soothing Cleansing Gel, exfoliating AHA Tonic, de-puffing and brightening Eye Cream, and future-proofing Day Cream from their bestselling Evercalm™ and Radiance collections. For healthy-looking skin that’s calm, fresh and glowing all day long.
Born Anxious – Hester ADHD t-shirt and sweatshirt from £17.99
Sustainable and inclusive brand Born Anxious has such a huge array of sweatshirts, t-shirts and more, it’s hard to choose a design. But obviously my favourite is the ‘Hester’ named after me. Each item is printed individually and all items are made from organic cotton. It is available as a sweatshirt and t-shirt and any profits go to Anna Kennedy’s Autism charity.
One Of A Kind Club – Earrings - £15
One of a Kind Club is a contemporary jewellery brand aiming to inspire and celebrating individuality through fun statement pieces that make an impact. Each piece is handcrafted so they are special and one of a kind, bringing colour to people's lives with contemporary gorgeous earrings.
The foodie one
Thermos - Matthew Williamson Drink Flask - £30
Looking for a stylish cup that will keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold? The super light direct drink flask has 470ml capacity. It keeps hot drinks hot for 10 hours and cold drinks cold for 24 hours. Perfect if like me, you often forget to drink water until the end of the day!
Viners – 5 piece cheese serving set - £30.50
Did you know cheese gives you a dopamine hit? Perfect for anyone with ADHD! This Cheese Serving Set is perfect for entertaining guests, offering style and sophistication. The premium stone board is hard wearing and ideal for keeping cheese cool. Each utensil is made from high quality stainless steel and looks lovely amongst a Christmas spread!
Resident Pheasant – Build Your Own Chocolate Box - £13
Wave goodbye to the unwanted stocking fillers. It’s time to Build Your Own box of Christmas goodies. Containing exceptional, ethical chocolate that will have your mouth watering. Lots of gorgeous flavours to choose from!
Thermos - The Revival flask - £30
The Revival is a replica of one of the original Thermos flask designs from my childhood! This stunning 500ml retro flask is ideal for everyday use for people on the go. Created with the Thermos® quality and performance you can rely on and with a 5 year guarantee, this retro flask is festival ready. Perfect for keeping hot drinks or soups hot and cold drinks cold.
The special interests one
Playmobil Magnum P.I’s Ferrari - £69.99
Calling all 80’s TV fans! Do you remember the iconic Ferrari 308 GTS from Magnum, P.I? Thomas Magnum and his moustache would solve criminal cases across Hawaii! This car is the perfect homage to the show and super cool for people of all ages!
Great Bean Bags - Gamer bean bag £112
Looking for a gift for the gamer that you know? How about a Velvet gamer bean bag that has been designed specifically for long haul gaming session? Maintaining comfort with a supportive back, it ensures comfort during the edge of the seat moments. Spoiler alert - you don’t need to be a gamer to use it. It is super comfy, comes in lots of lovely colours and looks very stylish too.
Fuzzballs – £14.99
For the first time you can now own your own FUZZBALLS! The social media sensation having been downloaded over 1 Billion times! They are so cute, suitable from birth and lovely and soft!
Hello Kitty Cappucino squishy - £4.99
Yes I may be 46, but I still LOVE Hello Kitty! So had to include these super cute Hello Kitty Cappucinos in my list! I love that it isn’t just a Hello Kitty squishy in a box. All you need to do is simply take the Hello Kitty Cappuccino cup and pour a little water on it. As if by magic you will be rewarded with an appearance of a collectable Hello Kitty Squishy! There are eight to collect. Super cute and fun too!
The hard to buy for one
Hello Day – Original 2024 planner - from £46
These stunning Spiral Daily Planners is the ideal gift for getting sorted for 2024. It’s not only for staying organised, but keeping track of your wellbeing, mental health, goals and more. Each planner can even be personalised, for that extra special gift. They really make for a lovely gift.
Mini Magic 8 ball - £10.99
Are you ready for the world’s smallest Magic 8 ball? If you know someone who is indecisive – give them the gift of a Mini Magic 8 Ball. Just shake, ask it a question and it will tell you the answer! It is super cute and makes for a great fiddle too.
Young Driver – Driving lessons from £39
Tricky to buy for teens can get behind the wheel of a real dual controlled car with a fully qualified instructor at any of Young Driver’s 70+ UK venues. Youngsters can learn to brake, steer, change gear, tackle roundabouts and even parallel park! Gift vouchers are valid for nine months. Our daughter tried this recently and LOVED it. She is 14 and can now reverse park! There are options for younger ones too - so something for everyone!
The calming one
Loop ear plugs – from £19.99
Loop Quiet are earplugs that reduce noise by 27 decibels. Perfect for those with sensory processing disorder or for when the world is feeling a bit too much and you want some peace and quiet. They are made of soft silicone, so comfy to wear. There are other models and different colours to choose from, depending on your needs.
iDoodle - drawing board - £20
This was one of the most fun thing I tested! It is mess free, magical drawing for endless creative fun anywhere. I found it SUPER relaxing too. It includes an attached stylus then you can use the stampers and stencil to add detail. To start a new doodle, simply push the button which erases the screen like magic. The impressive 26cm x 18cm iDoodle drawing pad makes a great gift for budding artists and creative doodlers. Even though it looks like it is for younger people, we really enjoyed testing this! My autistic/ADHDer 11 year old wouldn’t put it down!
Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty - from £3.99 for a mini tin
These tins are super fun and would make a great stocking filler or under the tree gift. The putty was really fun to play with and also perfect for building strength in hands for people who are dyspraxic. The tins come with lots of different fillings inside and also different smells too.