Christmas gifts for kids that aren’t toys: UAE brands
Ten UAE brands for children who have enough toys: personalised backpacks, storybooks, grow kits, craft boxes and soft pyjamas.
Christmas gifts for kids that aren’t toys tend to be the ones still in use in February: a backpack with their name on it, a book where they are the hero, a pot of basil they grew themselves.
This list brings together ten brands founded in or based in the UAE, from high-end childrenswear to small home-grown makers, with two pyjama labels among them. Some pieces can be personalised, some are activities and some are simply good clothes. None of them needs batteries, and most will not end up at the bottom of the toy box by New Year.
Use it the way you would use a shortlist from a friend. Start with the child: what they do after school, what they ask for when nobody is buying, and what they already have too much of. Then pick one or two ideas and read the brand’s own page for sizes, ages and personalisation options before you order. We have left out prices, because they change, and where a brand’s page told us something about a product, we have said so plainly.
Before you choose
Ask what they would actually use. A child who draws every evening will use good pencils for months. A child who lives outdoors may prefer a grow kit. The gift that suits the routine they already have usually does better than the gift that suits the routine you hope they will start.
Check the spelling of the name. Personalised pieces are made exactly as you type them. Confirm the spelling with a parent if the child is not yours, decide between a full name and a nickname, and check the character limit before you fall for a design. Some brands offer Arabic as well as English, so ask the family which they would prefer.
Order personalised pieces early. Anything with a name on it is made after you order, and personalised items usually cannot be returned. Our guide on when to order Christmas gifts in Dubai covers the timing, and why personalised gifts need a head start explains the rest.
Get sizes from the brand’s chart. Clothes and pyjamas run differently from label to label. Ask a parent for the child’s height or current size, compare it with the brand’s own chart, and only allow room to grow where the brand’s advice suggests it.
Think about who sets it up. Activity boxes and grow kits need an adult for the first session at least. If the gift is for someone else’s child, choose one the parents will be glad to help with on a quiet afternoon.
Write a short note. A line about why you chose it, "for your drawings" or "for your first garden", gives a practical gift a little warmth on Christmas morning.
Gift 01 · High-end
Shatha Essa: a silk dress coat for the Christmas photograph
Shatha Essa is an Emirati label from Dubai, known for its womenswear, with a kidswear line that takes the same care over fabric. The Scallop Collar Dress Coat is made in a light gold jacquard silk with a foliage pattern, finished with a scalloped collar in off-white silk organza and mother-of-pearl buttons. It is cut for children from two to fifteen years.
For a child who prefers shorts, the Tailored Shorts are in a brown-gold silk organza with a single pleat at the front and back, designed to go with an oversized embroidered shirt. These are pieces for a family lunch, a party or a portrait, and they suit a child who enjoys dressing up. Check the size guide carefully, as silk does not forgive a guess.
Gift 02 · High-end
Little IA: a personalised backpack for school and weekends
Little IA is a Dubai label for babies and children, and its backpacks come with free name personalisation. The Fairyland Kids Backpack is made from coated cotton canvas with a poly lining, in a mini and a medium size, and it wipes clean inside and out, which matters more than it sounds after a term of lunchboxes.
You choose the name, up to nine characters, along with the font and its colour, and the brand’s FAQ says backpacks can be personalised in Arabic as well as English. There are padded adjustable straps, zip compartments, a stretch pocket for a water bottle and a carry handle on top. It suits a child starting nursery or school in the new year, or one who carries half their bedroom to every playdate.
Gift 03 · High-end
BABICLO: soft children’s pyjamas in TENCEL
BABICLO is a Dubai company whose founders design in the UAE and manufacture in Portugal. Its Children Pyjamas made with TENCEL Micro Modal use the brand’s own BabiCloud fabric, mostly TENCEL Micro Modal with a little elastane for stretch, in a relaxed fit made for growing bodies.
There are two looks: a beige print with abstract patterns, and a plain sage green. Sizes run from four to twelve years. Pyjamas are an easy gift to get right for a child who sleeps warm, and a plain, soft set will be worn long after the festive ones go back in the drawer. They are machine washable, and the brand says the colour holds through many washes. For a family photograph, the sage and beige sit well beside soft, neutral clothes.
Gift 04 · Small, home-grown
Little Majlis: colouring pencils with Arabic colour names
Little Majlis designs its gifts in the UAE and works with Emirati graphic designers and artists. Its Coloured Pencil set of 12 with Arabic colour names holds twelve pre-sharpened wooden pencils, each printed with its colour name in English and Arabic, in a reusable kraft tube.
The tube is illustrated with Arabian wildlife by the Emirati artist Amna Al Saleh, so the packaging is worth keeping. It is a small, thoughtful gift for a child who draws, and an easy way to bring a few Arabic words into colouring time without turning it into a lesson. It also travels well, which makes it a good choice for cousins or grandchildren abroad who would enjoy something from the family’s life in the UAE. Add a plain sketchbook and the present is complete.
Gift 05 · Small, home-grown
Coco & Shy: a backpack with their name in patches
Coco & Shy is a Dubai label for personalised accessories, established in 2021. Its nylon Backpack can be customised with letter patches: up to six letters fit, or seven if the name includes an I, and longer names can use the smaller Micro patches. Patch styles on the site include Varsity, Varsity Glitter, Pearl and Bling.
It has front and inside zip pockets, a bottle holder on each side and adjustable straps, so it works for school, swimming or weekends with grandparents. For younger children, the smaller Teddy Backpack comes in soft shades such as creme, caramel and powder blue, and the brand describes it as made for nursery, the park and playdates. A name on the bag makes it feel like theirs, which is often what a child of that age wants most.
Gift 06 · Small, home-grown
Jesse + Boo: a personalised T-shirt or a festive craft workshop
Jesse + Boo is a children’s design studio in Dubai whose pieces are designed and handcrafted in the UAE. Its kids’ T-shirts include custom designs with a name or age, sibling tees for a big brother or little sister, and local favourites such as Yalla Yalla and Dubai Days. A tee with their own name on it is the kind of clothing gift a child reaches for on a Saturday.
For a gift of time rather than a thing, the studio also runs festive packages that come to your home, garden or venue. Twinkle & Shine is an hour of Christmas crafts for up to ten children, including a personalised mini Santa sack and a hanging decoration. Magic & Sparkle is a ninety-minute version with a visit from the Christmas Fairy. It suits a family hosting cousins or a few friends in December.
Gift 07 · Small, home-grown
Storically: a personalised storybook with your child in it
Storically makes personalised picture books in which the child becomes a character in the story. Its Christmas reindeer book follows Cinnamon, a quirky reindeer, on a journey to three countries to see how each one celebrates Christmas, with clues to solve along the way. It runs to thirty pages and is written for ages one to ten. You choose a boy or girl character from a set of illustrations and add your own dedication.
Heroes of the UAE turns the reader into a superhero who travels around the country with two friends, Noora and Hamdan, and goes back in time to see how the UAE used to be. Here you can also choose the character’s hair, skin and eye tone. A book like this suits a child who loves being read to, and the dedication makes it worth keeping.
Gift 08 · Small, home-grown
Kids Garden: a grow-your-own set for a small gardener
Kids Garden is a Dubai business that makes grow kits for children. The Little Gardener Set pairs the Kids Garden House, with three grow kits for mimosa, cherry radish and basil, with a set of tools in a carry bag: a shovel, a rake, gloves and a watering can. Each kit has seeds, a peat-free coir growing disc and a reusable bamboo pot.
If you would rather keep it simple, the Kids Garden House on its own holds the three kits in a gift box with space on the door for a message. Both are for ages three and up, with an adult nearby. Radishes show progress quickly enough to hold a young child’s attention, and the basil ends up in the kitchen, which gives the gift a second life at dinner.
Gift 09 · Small, home-grown
The Happy Box: an art and craft box for a quiet afternoon
The Happy Box is a Dubai company, founded in 2014, that makes themed activity boxes for children. The Happy Mini Artist Box holds nine art activities with all the materials needed to make them, and the instructions are in Arabic and English.
The Happy UAE Desert Box has eight crafts built around the UAE’s history and traditions and its desert plants and animals, from cacti to camels and falcons. It suits a child who likes making things with their hands, and a family that wants something to do together over the winter break. The desert box is also a thoughtful gift for a child visiting from abroad, or one about to move away, as a way of keeping a little of the UAE with them.
Gift 10 · Small, home-grown
Nohm Store: bamboo pyjamas with a matching set for mum
Nohm Store is a Dubai shop for bamboo pyjamas with an Arab-heritage feel, alongside Arabic books and bedding. The Amira Short Sleeve Pyjama is a short-sleeved top and trousers in bamboo fabric, printed with flowers and castles, and its name draws on the Arabic phrase for "princess of princesses".
It comes in children’s sizes from eighteen months to thirteen years and in adult sizes, so a mother and daughter can match. Short sleeves make sense for most of the Dubai winter indoors. It suits a child who would rather wear a gift than play with one, and a family that likes the idea of matching without a Christmas print. For more sets from UAE brands, see our list of matching Christmas pyjamas in Dubai.
A gift that ends up in the picture
Some of these gifts find their way into the family album without anyone planning it: the backpack on the first day of term, the radishes held up proudly, the new pyjamas on Christmas morning. If you would like a photograph of the season itself, our Christmas Morning room is a dreamy children’s room made for play and cuddles, and the Christmas Mini is a fifteen-minute session there for children only. Our guide to Christmas mini photoshoots in Dubai explains how it works. A framed print from that morning is one more gift that is not a toy, and an easy one to send to grandparents.
Let’s sum up
Christmas gifts for kids that aren’t toys work well when they fit something the child already does: drawing, carrying their things around, reading at bedtime, digging in the garden or making a mess with glue. From this list of UAE brands, that might be a personalised backpack from Little IA or Coco & Shy, a storybook from Storically, a grow kit from Kids Garden, a craft box from The Happy Box, or soft pyjamas from BABICLO or Nohm Store. Check names and sizes twice, order personalised pieces early and add a short note.
Questions about Christmas gifts for kids that aren’t toys
Think about what they already do. Art supplies, a grow kit, a craft box, a personalised book, clothes or a backpack with their name on it all get used well beyond Christmas Day. Experiences work too: a festive craft workshop at home with friends gives them something to make and a morning to talk about, without adding to the toy box.
A backpack with their name in patches or print, a T-shirt with their name or age, and a storybook where they are the hero are all good starting points. Check the spelling, the character limit and whether Arabic is offered, and order early, as personalised pieces are made to order and usually cannot be returned.
They can be, if the child likes them and they fit. Ask a parent for the current size and compare it with the brand’s own chart. Pyjamas are an easy choice, since the fit is relaxed and they get worn every week. A special piece, such as a silk dress coat, suits a family lunch or a Christmas photograph.
Ask the parents what the child is into at the moment and what they already have plenty of. Activity gifts the whole family can enjoy, such as a craft box or a grow kit, rarely go wrong. A short note explaining why you chose it makes even a simple gift feel considered.
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The Setup Collective builds three Christmas rooms in Dubai each season, the Christmas Room, the Christmas Kitchen and Christmas Morning, then photographs families in them. Candidly: nobody gets told to tuck their chin in. Who we are
