Choosing Christmas gifts by design is a simple way to pick presents your child will actually use and love. When the print on their backpack, lunch bag or stationery matches their personality, kids are more likely to feel confident, organised and excited for the year ahead.
Why design-led Christmas gifts hit the mark
Kids connect emotionally with colours, patterns and characters long before they even start school. Tapping into their interests and what they love – whether it’s dinosaurs, unicorns, trucks or tropical vibes – turns everyday school gear into something that feels special, personal and “theirs” – something to treasure for years.
By nature, kids also tend to love matching items and collecting sets of things that spark their passion. Choosing a design theme first, and then creating a matching gift bundle – a backpack, lunch bag, drink bottle, pencil case and book covers – around that look creates a gift that feels bigger and more thoughtful than one-off items. It’s also a great way to start small and build up – they might get one or two items now in a particular design, and then look forward to slowly adding matching goodies throughout the year.
Personality by design
Each child’s unique personality is expressed through particular design themes and motifs. If you nail the ideal design for your child, they’re sure to love your gift, whether it’s a school essential, everyday essential, creative play or adventure play gift.
We’ve created groupings of some designs by personality to give you some inspiration. Each image block below contains selected Spencil designs, and the name of each design is listed in the paragraph below the image (corresponding to each image from top left to right). When you see a design you think your kid will love, click the corresponding name to go straight through to all of the products available in each design. Then simply pick the perfect personality-led, Christmas gifts for your kids!
For the mini animal lover
If your child adores pets, wildlife or anything with paws, claws or tails, look for designs packed with creatures like Habitat – Threatened Aussies, Crazy Cats, Koala Haven, Sea Critters, Safari Puzzle, ExtraT-REXtrial, Flamingo Splash or Wild Horses. These prints suit nurturing, playful kids who are always talking about animals, collecting facts or pretending to be their favourite creature.
Gift ideas:
- Little Kids Backpacks or Big Kids Backpack in their favourite animal design as the “hero” Christmas present under the tree.
- Matching lunch bag and drink bottle for a coordinated lunch kit that goes straight into use at holiday outings and back to school.
- School book covers and pencil case in the same design so their desk area feels like a mini animal world.
For the young dreamer and magic maker
Some kids live with one foot in a world of make-believe, a world of mystical unicorns, wishing on stars and telling fantastical tales. They gravitate to designs like Cat-a-cosmic, Moonlit Unicorn, Unicorn Magic, Space Adventure, Over the MOOOn, Rainbow Unicorn, Aurora and Tie Dye Splash.
Gift ideas:
- Big Kids Backpack or Little Kids Backpack in a unicorn or space design as a show-stopping main gift that instantly encapsulates their personality.
- Lunch and chill style pack: lunch bag, lunch box and drink bottle in the same magical theme for everyday sparkle.
- Creative play add-ons like art smocks, sketchbooks and fun stationery so they can draw, write and imagine all of their fantasies into the real world.
For the budding artist or style lover
If your child takes particular notice of colours and designs, loves arranging things “just so” or is edging into tween territory, they may prefer stylish prints over characters. Designs such as Blooming Beauty, Secret Garden, Flower Fun, Pastel Plaid, Liquid Marble, Ocean Marble, Paradise Palms and Neon Party lean into colour, pattern and a more “grown-up” aesthetic.
Gift ideas:
- Big Kids Backpack or a laptop-friendly style in a chic pattern for older primary and high-schoolers.
- Matching pencil case, book covers and book labels to create an aesthetic study set they’ll be proud to lay out in class.
- Go all out with the Creative Play Toolkit or pick and choose other art-related goodies. Bonus items like a bucket hat or art smock in a matching or complementary design for creative kids who live at the craft table.
For the high-energy car-crazy or sporty kid
Some personalities are all about speed, wheels and action – they’re the kids racing toy cars, building ramps or bouncing off to every sport imaginable. Designs like Mega Wheels, Meteor Trucks, Moto Camo Trax, Camo Biker, Virtual Camo, Tiny Town, Jet Planes and Robo Shark are perfect for this group.
Gift ideas:
- Big Kids Backpack and in a truck, bike or camo design to carry everything from schoolbooks to sports gear.
- A camo or bike-themed Tech Carry Case for when the wheelies stop and the laptop comes out for school.
- Tough lunch bag and drink bottle combo that can handle being thrown into the car, onto the field or into a locker.
For the chilling in nature child
These kids are drawn to the beach, bushwalks, sunsets and anything that feels calm and outdoorsy. They’ll love relaxed prints like Coral Garden, Wani-Wani Watina, Koala Daydream, Beach Blooms, Habitat – Threatened Aussies, Born to be Wild, Turtle of Life and Tropicana.
Gift ideas:
- Backpack in a coastal or leafy print that brings holiday vibes to school days. Or go for Christmas gold with the Habitat – Threated Aussies backpack, which comes with its own little booklet featuring endangered animals, is made from recycled plastic and supports the Australian Wildlife Conservancy with each purchase!
- Lunch bag, lunch box, insulated food jar and drink bottle in ocean blue, reef or palm designs for eco- and nature-loving kids – or get the entire Habitat – Threatened Aussies range to really wow.
- Stationery and book covers in soothing, nature-inspired colours to create a calm study space.
For the bold, confident trend-setter
Some kids know exactly what they like and want something unique, edgy and full of attitude. They’ll gravitate towards bold, graphic designs like Street Art, Urban Scrawl, Shockwaves, Ignite, Neon Life, Colour Drip, Hearts and Crosses and High Voltage.
Gift ideas:
- Statement Big Kids Backpack that becomes their everyday “signature” piece.
- Graphic pencil case, book covers and notebooks to give their whole set-up a strong, street-style look.
- Bold print cooler lunch bag and chill pack, because attitude doesn’t end when the sandwiches come out!
Picking Christmas gifts by the designs that spark happiness in your kids means the backpack under the tree or the new lunch bag in their stocking won’t just be boring old “school stuff”. Give them a gift that feels like a true reflection of who they really are right now – that’s the kind of present kids remember forever!
P.S. Don’t forget, our 20% Off Lunch Box Range Flash Sale is now on! The sale runs until midnight this Sunday, 14 December 2025. So, this is the perfect time to pick a fun and functional All-in Lunch Box, Snack Attack Box and Hot Stuff Insulated Food Jar that will make your kid smile every lunchtime! 🤩