HABA My Very First Games: First Orchard
2–4 years
A first board game from the My Very First Games series.
St Nicholas Day
St Nicholas Day gifts for kids: ideas for the boot
On the morning of 6 December, a filled boot waits by the door. Here are St Nicholas Day gifts for kids that stay small and still bring joy.
The links lead to Amazon. We receive no payment for them.
Games
noris Fang die Maus (catch-the-mouse reaction game)
4–8 years
A small reaction game for ages 4 and up, suitable as a small gift or a visit present.
Schmidt Spiele Kniffel Kids in a metal tin
5–9 years
Kniffel for children in a metal tin: a take-along game and a small gift.
Drei Magier Mogel Motte (card game)
from 7 years
A card game with a cheating theme, a fun little gift.
KOSMOS WAS IST WAS Trumpf: Animal Records (German card game)
from 8 years
A top-trumps style card game about animal records. The cards are in German, so good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Books
Hör mal rein: Lieblingstiere (German sound book)
1–2 years
A German-language sound and touch book about favourite animals. Good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Wenn kleine Tiere müde sind (German bedtime story)
1–2 years
A first bedtime story in German for ages 1 and up. Good for bilingual families or learners of German, and easy to read aloud as a calm evening routine.
Wo bist du, kleine Eule? (German lift-the-flap book)
1–2 years
A German-language lift-the-flap book with big touch flaps. Good for bilingual families or learners of German; a small gift for reading together.
tiptoi: Kennst du diese Tiergeräusche? (German)
3–5 years
A German-language tiptoi book about animal sounds. It needs a tiptoi pen, which is not included. Good for bilingual families with a pen already.
Leserabe: Dinoabenteuer (German early reader)
6–7 years
A German-language early reader for the first year of primary school, with dinosaur stories. Good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Die schlimmste Klasse der Welt 1 (German novel)
from 8 years
The first book in a German children’s series about a school class. A German-language book, good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Die Schule der magischen Tiere 1 (German novel)
from 8 years
The first book of a German children’s series about a class where each child gets a magical animal. A German-language book, good for bilingual families or learners.
Outdoors & movement
HABA Terra Kids LED torch
from 6 years
A torch for den builders and explorers. A small gift for Nikolaus (St Nicholas Day, 6 December) or any time.
The custom: a boot in the evening, a surprise in the morning
In Germany and some neighbouring countries, children put a cleaned boot or shoe outside the door on the evening of 5 December. On the morning of 6 December, St Nicholas Day, it is filled with small treats. St Nicholas is seen as a kind giver of gifts, and the custom is much smaller in scale than Christmas: the idea is little surprises, not one big present.
What fits in the boot
A boot has little room, and that is an advantage. It forces you to choose. Two or three well-chosen things work better than many little items that are quickly forgotten. Typical fillings are:
- a thin picture book or a small puzzle booklet
- coloured pencils, wax crayons or a drawing pad
- a card game or a small dice game
- stickers, modelling clay or a small craft set
- tangerines and something sweet, as the custom goes
St Nicholas gifts by age
For children under three, safety comes first. Toys with small parts that could be swallowed are not suitable for children under 36 months, which is usually printed on the packaging. Whole nuts do not belong in the boot of a child under three, and it is worth checking for allergies with anything edible. Board picture books, soft balls or small grasping toys suit the youngest. Pre-schoolers often enjoy art supplies and card games, and school-age children like puzzle books, stickers and little collectables of their own.
Keeping St Nicholas and Christmas apart
If large gifts already appear on 6 December, the excitement for Christmas fades. Many families deliberately keep St Nicholas small and save the special things for later. It also helps siblings, who might otherwise compare who got more. Give each child roughly the same amount, but matched to their age and interests.
Practical tips
Buy the small items a few days in advance so the surprise works. The boot does not need to be new: a clean winter boot is just as good. And if the child already knows the story behind the custom, they can help fill the boots for their siblings.
The boot as a shared ritual
Some families let the children make or paint their own boot in advance. It builds anticipation and turns the custom into a small project. A short letter to St Nicholas is part of the tradition in some homes too.
The links go to amazon.de, the German Amazon shop, which delivers to many countries.
Frequently asked questions
- When do children get their St Nicholas gifts?
- Children usually put their boot outside the door on the evening of 5 December. On the morning of 6 December it is filled.
- What is a good St Nicholas gift for kids?
- Small things that fit in a boot, such as pencils, a mini book, a card game or stickers. Tangerines and a few sweets often go in too; whole nuts are not suitable for children under three.
- How much should I give for St Nicholas Day?
- Keep it small: it is a little gesture, not a second Christmas. Two or three well-chosen things are usually enough.
- What can I give a child under 3 for St Nicholas Day?
- A board picture book or a soft ball, for example. Toys with small parts that could be swallowed are not suitable for children under 36 months.
On wimolino you will also find colouring pages and learning games for this age. Go to the learning games · Go to the coloring pages