Christmas can get expensive very quickly. Even if you hang the same decorations year after year and manage not to go crazy on buying food and drink there will still be lots of presents to buy. There are a few special people that I want to treat with large presents, but then there are the other family members, friends, teachers etc who I want to give something to as well. And let’s not forget helping Father Christmas out with the stocking fillers because I’ve heard there have been a shortage of elves this year. I can’t afford to spend lots so I look for presents which are fantastic value. Most importantly I want items which look like they cost more than they did. Britmums and Sports Direct challenged me to buy gifts from SportsDirect.com costing £5 or less. Would I be able to find anything for a Happy Christmas? 

I have visited Sports Direct stores quite a few times because they are big and often have good parking. In the past I’ve bought everything from trainers and running clothes to a hula hoop, all discounted from their normal retail price, but I have never considered going in there to do my Christmas shopping and I have never shopped on their website (I feel like this is turning into a game of “I have never”). I was surprised as I browsed their gifts section that as well as the expected sports related items (including a calculator, teddies and bubble bath with football team branding) they had toys, toiletries and sweets. New products are being added all the time and the selection looks quite different now from when I was on the site just a week ago. I am really impressed with the range and prices.

What did I buy?

For My Friends Baby

I bought a set of 6 textured balls costing £4. Suitable from 6 months these soft balls are all different colours and textures. I think they will be great for sensory activities and they can be continued to be played with as the baby gets older because balls are always fun.

For Big Sister’s Stocking

We like to help Father Christmas out with a few stocking fillers and the My Little Pony Sequin art should be a good way to keep Big Sister entertained on a wet day. At £1.50 it’s a great price too.

For My Nephew

A new take on a classic game Dinosaur Operation should appeal to a 3 year old and be a great way to help develop his focus and fine dexterity skills. At £5 it is a gift which will entertain the whole family or he can play it on his own.

For The Cousins

Boules can be a fun game for all ages and with up to 4 players at a time (or teams) it’s a great game for everyone to get involved in. At only £3 it means I can get them something else too and still come within our maximum present allowance. I just need to make sure I see them to hand the presents over as the postage price might cost more than the boules!

For The School Friend

Fortunately we don’t need to buy presents for most school friends for Christmas, but when it’s one of their birthdays over the holidays too and the present only costs £4.95 it’s a great excuse to make them smile. At 6 years old Disney Princesses are still popular so this Disney Princess Pop Up Game will make a great present.

In total (and including postage) these presents came to less than £24. I think that’s a great price for 5 presents which will provide a lot of entertainment.

One of the products I ordered (a flashing ball costing £1.50) was faulty, dented and only flashed on one side. They no longer have it for sale on the site so I guess they would have to refund rather than exchange it. You have to pay normally to return items and registered delivery is recommended. If they confirm a product is faulty and you keep proof of postage they will reimburse "standard return postage". Due to the cost of the item I am writing it off as it seems like it will not be worth the hassle to return it.

The postage cost is £4.99 and it was delivered within 2 working days (I ordered it on Thursday and it arrived on the Monday). I have been complaining about the excess cardboard boxes I have at the moment so it was nice Sports Direct didn’t add to it, delivering my items in a large plastic bag. The weight of the Boules had bashed a few of the boxes, but generally they were in good condition. Each item had a large price label on (some in Euro’s, some Pounds) and all but one of these peeled off without a problem. If your gift packaging needs to be in pristine condition to impress someone you might not want to order online from Sports Direct, but for kids and people who care more about the contents than the packaging the value of the products is a winner.

***Disclosure: This post is an entry for BritMums #sdfiverchallenge Christmas Challenge, sponsored by Sportsdirect.com. I received a voucher to enable me to choose and order some gifts from Sports Direct and write this post. I actually ordered more than the voucher amount because there were some other items I wanted at great value. You can find all the Christmas gifts under £5 here.***