Holiday Gift Guide 2025

Holiday G

The Breck Foundation’s Holiday Gift Guide is here to help families navigate the most requested tech and digital gifts young people are asking for this season. From gaming consoles and VR headsets to smartphones and accessories, we break down what each item is, the online safety features to look out for, and the key conversations to have before wrapping them up. We aim to support parents and carers in making informed choices, so every gift brings joy, confidence, and safer online experiences for the year ahead.

In-game currency like V-Bucks (Fortnite) and Robux (Roblox) is at the top of many young people’s wish lists, and for good reason. These digital coins let players customise their avatars, unlock new levels, buy accessories, and take part in special events that make their gaming experience more fun and social.

For many children, these items help them feel included and express themselves creatively within their favourite games. It’s important for families to understand how in-game purchases work, set spending boundaries, and discuss safe, responsible use, especially as online pressure and scams involving digital currency are increasingly common. Giving in-game currency can be a great gift, as long as it comes with a conversation about staying safe while they play 🎮   💳

Virtual reality (VR) headsets are becoming one of the most exciting and most requested tech gifts for young people. They offer immersive worlds where users can play games, learn new skills, explore creative spaces, and connect with friends in ways that feel incredibly real. It’s no surprise they’re high on many holiday wish lists. But because VR feels so lifelike, it also comes with unique safety considerations.

Children can interact with strangers through voice chat, encounter inappropriate content, or feel pressured in virtual spaces that mimic real-world proximity. Many headsets have age recommendations (often 12+), built-in safety settings, and parental controls that families should set up from day one. Given the right boundaries and supervision, VR can be an amazing and educational gift, just make sure you pair it with conversations about staying safe, setting time limits, and knowing what to do if something feels uncomfortable in these virtual worlds. 🥽🌐✨

The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to be one of the most in-demand gifts of the season, and yes, children may want it even if they already own the original Switch. Why? The new model promises better graphics, smoother gameplay, faster loading times, and upgraded features that make their favourite games feel brand new again. Many young people are excited about the chance to play future titles that may only be available or run best on the new system.

It’s totally normal for children to want the “latest version” of a console, especially when their friends might be upgrading too. If you’re considering it, remember that Switch consoles encourage multiplayer gaming, creativity, and problem-solving, but they also come with online features that can connect users with strangers.

Whether you’re upgrading or sticking with the original, it’s a great moment to review online settings, set spending limits, and chat about staying safe during online play.

Content Creator Gear, more young people than ever are asking for ring lights, microphones, tripods, webcams, and “creator kits” so they can make content for TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, or Instagram. Creativity is wonderful, filming, editing, and storytelling are great skills, but publishing content publicly comes with real risks that parents and carers need to be aware of.

Creator gear often signals that a young person wants to post more frequently, build an audience, or grow a following. This can open the door to:

• Contact from strangers, including adults posing as teens

• Pressure to post more revealing, risky, or “viral” content

• Comments that affect self-esteem and mental wellbeing

• Oversharing personal details — locations, school uniform, routine

• Unwanted attention, harassment or grooming attempts

• The long-term impact of having content online forever

Before giving a young person creator equipment, it’s important to have a clear, calm conversation about:

• Privacy settings — who can see their content?

• Boundaries — what is never okay to post?

• Personal information — keeping names, locations, and routines private

• Stranger contact — no DMs, no private chats

• Pressure — they never need to chase likes or followers

• Wellbeing — taking breaks, handling negative comments

Reassure them that they can always come to you if something online makes them feel uncomfortable, with the right supervision, privacy settings, and open communication, young people can enjoy being creative, safely.

Smart speakers use Artificial Intelligence (AI), to interpret human speech, understand the command, and then generate an appropriate, human-like verbal response by accessing online information. For parents, the primary safety measure is to never put the device in a child's bedroom as it is always listening, posing a significant privacy and data collection risk; instead, keep it in a communal family space. Additionally, parents must immediately disable voice-activated purchasing, activate explicit content filters, and have open conversations with their children to ensure they know the device is not a human and to tell an adult if they hear anything worrying, inappropriate, or untrue.

A mobile phone is often at the top of many young people’s wish lists—and while it can be a fantastic tool for communication, learning, and independence, it also opens the door to the entire online world. Before gifting a phone, it’s essential for parents and carers to pause and ask the biggest question of all: Is my child ready for this level of access?

A phone isn’t just a device, it’s a gateway to social media, gaming, messaging apps, AI tools, and online communities where risks like grooming, bullying, peer pressure, and misinformation can appear quickly and quietly. That’s why the most important gift you can give alongside a phone is a big, honest conversation about online safety, privacy, boundaries, and what to do if something feels wrong.

There’s no “right age” for a first phone. Every child is different, and it’s up to parents and carers to judge maturity, resilience, and readiness. With the right supervision, settings, and ongoing conversations, a phone can be a positive step—but it should never be handed over without guidance. 📱💬✨

Xbox, PlayStation, and PC gaming are at the top of many wish lists—and with good reason. These platforms offer stunning graphics, immersive worlds, creative building games, fast-paced multiplayer matches, and endless opportunities to learn, connect, and have fun.

But it’s important for parents and carers to remember that modern gaming—whether on console or PC—is almost always online. The moment these devices connect to the internet, young people can chat, play, and interact with players from across the globe. This can be positive and social… but it also introduces risks such as toxic behaviour, cyberbullying, pressure to share personal information, exposure to inappropriate content, or contact from strangers with harmful intentions.

PC gaming in particular offers even more freedom, mods, downloadable content, external chat platforms, and a wider range of online communities, making safety settings and supervision especially important.

Before gifting any gaming device, take time to set up strong parental controls, enable age-appropriate privacy settings, and have open conversations about healthy gaming habits and what to do if something feels wrong. With the right support in place, console and PC gaming can be fantastic—but online safety should always be player one.