Figuring out gifts for the kids for Christmas is always a tough one. There’s stuff to get from their own, very specific list for Santa. My own daughter’s list for Santa includes a bell for her bicycle and an electric bass. An electric bass?? She’s five. Does she play the bass? Since when? Does she even know what one is? Not that any of this matters. Every parent knows that conveniently ignoring the object that makes no sense always blows up in your face. There are those things you want to gift them—i.e., you will look like a Ralph Lauren ad at Christmas while you’re living under my roof. I always look for a very special dress and pair of shoes on sale. And then there’s the impossible-to-find toy. This year it’s the Hatchimal. Throughout it all, you’re trying to strike the right balance between getting and giving, naturally.

To make your life just a little bit easier, here are some gifts that are sure to delight toddlers to pre-teens.

A note about the photoshoot with my daughter: As previously stated, she is five-years-old, which means I can still dress her up in Santa-hat headbands (look at the props mommy bought!) and plaster it all over our Christmas cards (this gives me such joy!!). The headbands, top, shoes and jacket are all from H&M. The hat and skirt are from Zara.