Top Ten Best Christmas Gifts For Techy Kids

Teach your children well, or so the song goes. But why leave that to school alone? You can school them over Christmas too with a range of gifts to subtly develop their smarts.

Magic is great, so says J K Rowling in the Harry Potter Books. But do your kids know there's plenty of magic in the real world? Richard Dawkins (who else?) has an app for that, and it is quite, erm, magical.

Gadgets and movement are great - keeps their bones strong and all that. Xbox Kinect keeps them moving over the cold months with plenty of dance and activity-based games. Plus you can use it to watch movies and TV when they're exhausted from playing Kinectimals.

Someone has to make all those gadgets and devices we're used to, and the UK electronics industry is an ideal place for your child to make the millions that will keep you warm in early retirement. A soldering kit is a great way for kids to understand how electronics work. They're available for a range of levels of ability, and they're cheaper than losing your iPad to a little scientist.

Lego is a timeless gift for the mechanically minded, and Lego now make brilliant big yellow Lego heads to store mess in. Tidiness and nostalgia in one.