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Presents for Godchildren: Meaningful Gifts That Get Used

Chaz Bagri, Founder2 October 20268 min read

A rolled purple Yogi-Me yoga mat stands upright with its black carry strap looped around it and pose cues engraved on it

Eight presents for godchildren aged 3 to 8 that get used, not shelved: gifts only a godparent gives, ideas by occasion, and money put away for later.

The best presents for godchildren are the ones that clearly come from you and still get used: a book you inscribe every year, a day out that becomes your tradition, a skill you share, or money put away for later. Here are eight ideas for godchildren aged 3 to 8, for christenings, birthdays and Christmas.

If you're buying for the whole family this Christmas, our guide to screen-free Christmas gifts for kids is the place to start.

What does a godparent give as a gift?

A godparent is someone the parents choose to take a lifelong interest in their child, and who, at a Church of England christening, makes promises to encourage them as they grow in faith. As a gift, a godparent usually gives something personal and lasting: a keepsake at the christening, then birthday and Christmas presents that keep the connection going.

The Church of England's guide to the role of a godparent calls it "a life-long commitment" and says a godparent stays special "for a child's life, even when they are grown-up themselves". Its ideas for after the christening include remembering birthdays and christening anniversaries with a card and a personal message. If you were asked at a naming ceremony rather than a christening, every idea below works just as well.

How do you choose a meaningful gift for a godchild?

A meaningful gift for a godchild is one that could only have come from you and still gets used after the day. Before you buy, run through this checklist:

From you: your handwriting, your hobby, your favourite book or place.
Repeatable: it can become a tradition, the same kind of present each year.
Used, not displayed: it gets read, played with or worn out, rather than kept on a shelf.
Cleared with the parents: ask about space, house rules and what's already on the list.
Agreed with the other godparents: the Church of England says every child should have at least three godparents, and three or four is usual, so a quick message saves three of the same present.

Eight presents for godchildren that get used

The eight presents for godchildren below are an inscribed book, a dated tree decoration, a letter to open later, a full-length yoga mat, a starter kit for your hobby, a godparent day out, a scrapbook and money for later. Each works for children aged 3 to 8, goddaughters and godsons alike.

1. A book with an inscription, every year

Choose a book you loved at their age, or one that suits them now, and write a short note inside the cover with the date. Do it every birthday or Christmas. By the time they're eight, there's a shelf of books that all came from you, each one signed.

2. A tree decoration with the year on it

One Christmas decoration a year, with the year written or painted on the back. It costs little and takes up almost no space. When they leave home, they'll have a box of decorations for their own tree, one from every Christmas you've been their godparent.

3. A letter to open later

Write a letter at the christening or on their first Christmas with you, about the day, the world and what you hope for them. Seal it and ask the parents to keep it until an age you choose, such as 18.

4. A full-length yoga mat to bring to yours

A mat that rolls up and travels gives you something to do together when they visit, or when you visit them. We make this one. Our Sun Salutation mat is 183 x 61 cm, long enough for a grown-up too, and comes with a carry strap. Its 15 standing poses are numbered and laser-engraved into the surface, so a five-year-old can start at 1, work through to 15 on their own, then teach you. On a Boxing Day visit, it gives you both something to do once the presents are open. If you've never done yoga yourself, a beginner's guide to yoga for kids covers the first few sessions.

5. A starter kit for something you love

Give them the beginner's version of your own hobby: a sketchbook and proper pencils, a bird book and child-sized binoculars, a set of juggling scarves. Then show them how on your next visit. The Church of England's list of things godparents and godchildren can do together includes teaching each other a new skill.

6. A godparent day out

A voucher for one day out a year, just the two of you, or with a parent for the youngest. A farm, a museum, a windy beach, then the same café afterwards. Put the date in the diary before you hand it over, so it actually happens.

7. A scrapbook of the two of you

A scrapbook or small photo album with the first few pages already filled: the christening, a birthday, a day out. Leave the rest blank and add a page each time you see them. Bring it out on visits, so you make it together.

8. Money for later

If you'd like to give money, ask the parents whether your godchild has a Junior ISA. GOV.UK says anyone can pay in, up to £9,000 in total for the child in the 2026 to 2027 tax year. NS&I also lets anyone aged 16 or over buy Premium Bonds for a child, from £25, though the parent or guardian named on the application looks after them until the child turns 16, so agree it with them first.

Which present suits which occasion?

A christening suits a keepsake, a birthday suits something they'll use that week, and Christmas suits a present that joins the family's own traditions. Here's how the eight ideas in this guide map across a godchild's year.

Christening or naming day: the letter to open later, the first inscribed book, or a first payment towards money for later.
Birthdays: a starter kit, the next book on the shelf, or this year's godparent day out.
Christmas: the best Christmas gifts for godchildren pair the year's decoration with something to do over the holidays.
Christening anniversary: a card with a personal message.
When they're older: the letters, the scrapbook and any money put away come into their own.

Buying for grandchildren too? Our guide to gifts for grandchildren is built on the same idea of time together.

What is a good present for a goddaughter or godson?

A good gift for a goddaughter or a godson is whatever fits what they're into right now. Whether they love dinosaurs, drawing, football or baking matters far more than whether they're a girl or a boy, so start from their interests, not a pink or blue aisle.

If you're not sure what that is this year, ask the parents what got played with most last month. For a six-year-old, our guide to Christmas gifts for 6 year olds has ideas sorted by what children can do on their own at that age.

What if you don't see your godchild very often?

If you don't see your godchild often, choose presents that work without you in the room and give them a reason to get in touch: a book with a note inside, a scrapbook page to fill in and send back, or a letter that asks them a question. Small and regular beats big and rare.

Don't worry if a present gets a polite thank-you and nothing more. The Church of England's guide says that just knowing you're there to talk may be one of the best gifts a godparent can give.

Frequently asked questions

Do you buy presents for godparents?

You don't have to, and there's no rule that says you should. Some parents send a card or a small thank-you after the christening, and a drawing from the child at Christmas is a lovely way to say thank you. It's a kindness, not an obligation.

How much should a godparent spend on a present?

There's no set amount, and the ideas that mean the most here cost little: an inscribed book, a decoration with the year on it, a letter. If you have several godchildren, it's simplest to keep the spend similar for each so nobody compares. Keeping it up every year matters more than the price.

Until what age do you buy presents for godchildren?

There's no fixed age. Some godparents carry on well into adulthood, and others move to a card and a phone call as the child gets older. If you're planning a change, a word with the parents helps, and the letters or savings you've kept can make a natural handover at 18.

Can a godparent pay into a child's Junior ISA?

Yes. GOV.UK says anyone can pay money into a Junior ISA, though for a child under 16 only a parent or guardian with parental responsibility can open one. The total paid in can't go over £9,000 in the 2026 to 2027 tax year, and the money normally can't be taken out until the child turns 18.

A present that travels between your house and theirs

If the yoga mat at number 4 is on your list, here's what you'd be giving. A Yogi-Me mat is a children's yoga mat with 15 numbered poses laser-engraved into the surface, so there's nothing to set up and no screen to follow. It's designed for ages 3 to 8. Three- and four-year-olds copy the poses with a little help; older children lead their own sessions. Under three, we'd wait, so for a baby godchild it makes a better third birthday present than a christening one.

At 183 x 61 cm it's full length on purpose: room to stretch out at three and still at eight, and room for you too. It weighs 800 g, rolls up and has a carry strap, so it can come to yours on a visit. The trade-off is that if a three-year-old will be carrying it on their own every day, a shorter mat is easier for them.

Will it just sit gathering dust once Christmas is over? Because the poses are numbered, it's as easy to roll out on a wet Saturday in January as on Boxing Day.

If the parents ask what it's made of, it's non-toxic, PVC-free TPE, according to our supplier's specification, with 6 mm of cushioning. It wipes clean with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, then air-dries flat.

Sun Salutation is a standing sequence, for children who want to move. Freedom Flow stays on the floor, for children who need to settle. Both are the same size, material and price, in seven colours each, and which mat suits which child sets out the difference.

More than one godchild? Two or more mats are 10 per cent off. As Becks, a yoga teacher, put it in her review: "I just made the mistake of buying one, instead of two."

Each mat is £34.99 with free UK delivery and 30-day returns, and anything bought from 1 November can be returned up to 31 January, so a present opened on Christmas Day is still inside the window. Ask the parents which colour they'd like, then pick your godchild's mat from our kids' yoga mats.

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