Christmas Wish List Ideas by Age: What to Ask For

Who wrote this. The wishdo.io team, so the examples use wishdo. It is free: it handles no payments and takes no commission. Every button and setting we name was checked against wishdo on 8 November 2026. The ideas are types of gifts, not products we are paid to recommend.

The short version

Write 10–15 wishes: a few small, most of them mid-priced, one or two big.
Make each one easy to buy: a link, plus size, colour or model.
Mark what matters most, so people know where to start.
Add one or two open ideas: an experience, a book by a favourite author, a gift card.
Send one link and let people reserve what they will give.

Create a wishlist

Add products from any shop or write an idea without a link.

Make your Christmas wishlist

What is a wishlist?

A wishlist is a list of gifts you would like to receive, which you share with the people who give you gifts. On paper it is a letter to Santa or a note on the fridge. An online wishlist is one link with products from any shop, where friends and family can see what you want and mark what they are buying, so two people do not bring the same thing.

How to write a wishlist people can actually use

Most lists fail for one of three reasons: they are too short, too vague, or all in one price range. Five habits fix that.

Enough wishes. Count the people who will give you something and add half again. For a family Christmas with eight givers, that is about 12 wishes.
Different prices. Grandparents, a godparent and a classmate do not spend the same. Include a few small things, mostly mid-priced ones, and one or two big ones that several people could share.
No guessing. A link to the exact product, plus size, colour, model or edition. "Headphones" is a hint; "these headphones in black" is a wish.
A clear top. On wishdo every wish has a Wish priority: Idea, Like, Want or Dream. Givers start with the ones marked Dream.
Something open. One or two wishes without a fixed product, such as "a book by this author" or "a cinema trip", for people who like to choose themselves.

Wishlist ideas by age

"Small", "mid-size" and "big" are relative: they mean the cheaper, the typical and the bigger gifts in your family. Up to about 12, parents write the list or write it with the child; teenagers choose for themselves. On wishdo, accounts start at 16, so a younger person's list lives on a parent's account.

First birthday (1 year)

Parents write this one. Babies grow fast, so useful things and a size up are welcome.

Small	Mid-size	Big
Board books with flaps	Shape sorter or stacking tower	Ride-on toy or push-along trolley
Bath toys	Soft play tunnel	Wooden activity cube
Clothes in the next size	First shoes (write the size)	Car seat or buggy for the next stage

Toddlers (2–3 years)

Small	Mid-size	Big
Chunky crayons and a big colouring book	Wooden train set for toddlers	Balance bike and helmet
Puzzles with large pieces	Toy doctor's kit or tool bench with big parts	Play kitchen
Large toy animals	Large building blocks	Indoor climbing triangle

Pre-school (4–6 years)

Small	Mid-size	Big
Sticker and activity books	Construction set for this age	First bike and helmet
Mouldable sand or modelling clay	Dressing-up costume	Doll's house or garage
First board game	Scooter with a helmet	Children's camera

More ideas: gifts for a girl's birthday and gifts for a boy's birthday.

7–9 years

Small	Mid-size	Big
Next books in a series they love	Building set with a theme	Bike in the next size
Card games	Roller skates with pads and a helmet	Telescope or microscope
Craft or slime kit	Walkie-talkies	Lessons: swimming, music, a club

10–12 years

This is the age when children start asking, "What should I ask for?" Write the list together: they choose, you add the sizes and links.

Small	Mid-size	Big
500-piece puzzle or a puzzle book	Headphones	Games console or tablet
Art set: markers, sketchbook	Skateboard or football boots	Instant camera
Room décor: fairy lights, posters	Escape-room board game	A course or a camp

For the season: Christmas gifts for children and New Year gifts for children.

13–15 years

Teenagers usually know exactly what they want. The job is to make it findable: a link, the size and the colour.

Small	Mid-size	Big
Phone case or charger	Wireless earbuds	Phone or games console
Books, manga or comics	Hoodie or trainers (write the size)	Concert or match tickets
Gift card for games or music	Desk lamp or speaker	E-reader

16–18 years

Small	Mid-size	Big
Skincare or a fragrance they use	Backpack for school or travel	Driving lessons
Notebook and good pens	Bluetooth speaker	Laptop for studies
Streaming or app subscription	Sports kit for their sport	Festival ticket or a trip

Adults

Adults find wishlists hardest, because they buy what they need themselves. Three kinds of wishes work best:

Upgrades: a better version of something you use every day and have put off replacing: a pan, a pillow, headphones, a bag.
Hobby supplies: what you run out of or would not buy yourself: paints, yarn, a lens, climbing shoes, garden tools.
Experiences: a concert, a cooking class, a spa day, a weekend away. Several people can give one together.

Ideas from our editors: birthday gifts for women, birthday gifts for men, New Year gifts for women and New Year gifts for men.

Create a wishlist

Start with a few wishes at different prices. You can add or change them at any time.

Make your birthday wishlist

How to collect the list with links

Create a list and name it after the occasion: "Christmas 2026", "Mia's 12th birthday".
Add wishes from any shop: paste the product link in Link or wish name. The name, picture and price fill in when the shop allows it.
Write ideas without a link the same way: type a name, such as "Cinema tickets for two".
Save while you browse: with the Chrome extension, the iPhone and Android app, or by sending a link to the Telegram bot.
Set the priority on the wishes that matter most, and write the size or colour in Description.

A list as a friend sees it: photo, price and shop on every wish.

How to send it so no gift is bought twice

A list in a family chat goes wrong the moment two people buy the same thing. A shared link avoids that:

Reservations. A friend presses Reserve on the gift they will give, and everyone else sees it is taken. You see that a gift is reserved but not by whom, until you mark it as Fulfilled.
Surprise mode. If you would rather not know what has been reserved until the day, turn on Surprise mode in the list's More settings: reservations are hidden from you, so the gifts stay a surprise.
Several of the same. For things you would like more than one of, such as books or tickets, turn on Several people can reserve it in the wish's More settings and choose Any number or At most with a number. Each giver reserves their own.
Who can see it. For the list choose Everyone, By link, Friends, Chosen people or Only me. A single wish can be Everyone, By link or Only me.

A list visible to Everyone or By link opens for anyone with the link. To reserve, people sign in. With By link, anyone with the link can reserve without following you, so it is the easiest choice for family; with Everyone, people first follow you and you accept. For relatives without an account, such as grandparents, set Reservations without registration to Allowed in the list's More settings.

One link opens the whole list.

Words to send with the link

Copy, change the names and send.

To grandparents: "Hi Gran! Here is my Christmas list. Press ‘Reserve’ on what you'd like to give, so Mum and Dad don't buy the same thing. Love you!"
To the family chat: "Lots of you asked what I'd like this year, so here's one list with links. Reserve a gift and the others will see it's taken."
To parents in a class chat: "So glad you can come to Mia's party on Saturday! If you're wondering what to bring, here's her list. Small things are just as welcome."
From a teenager: "Made a wishlist so nobody has to guess 😅 Sizes are in the descriptions."

Frequently asked questions

About one and a half times the number of people who will give you something: 10–15 for a birthday or Christmas, 8–12 for a young child. With fewer, the last givers have nothing left to choose from.

Yes, if you say what it is for: "towards a bike" or "for driving lessons". wishdo does not collect money; people give it to you directly, and you can add the goal as a wish without a link.

Experiences, things you use up (coffee, tea, art supplies), time together, or a donation to a cause you care about. A short list is better than none: people will buy something anyway.

Yes. A list visible By link opens for anyone with the link, and one visible to Everyone too, unless you have turned on Private account. Reserving needs an account, unless you set Reservations without registration to Allowed.

wishdo is for people aged 16 and over, so for a child or younger teenager a parent keeps the list on their own account and chooses together with them. In the list's More settings, set Who the gifts are for to For someone else and write the child's name: everyone who opens the list sees whom the gifts are for. From 16 they can make their own.

Mention one specific thing in conversation, or share a single wish instead of the whole list. Most people are glad to get a clear idea.