Solihull families planning Christmas presents have a practical reminder on their doorstep: children can explore new interests without every discovery requiring a new purchase.

Kidora, a UK parent-to-parent marketplace for preloved baby and children's items, says that approach can help parents make more thoughtful choices about gifts.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council's children's library services offer more than shelves of books.

Families can borrow micro:bits — small programmable computers — from local libraries, giving children a chance to experiment with coding and simple creations before deciding whether that interest will last.

The Core Library also runs a Code Club for children aged nine to 13, where participants can learn to make games and animations.

Families should check the library's event details or contact staff about joining, rather than assume spaces are always available.

For younger children, The Core's Friday Meet and Play session provides toys for families with children aged up to two.

It takes place from 10.15am to 11.15am, is led by families and does not require booking, according to the council.

These are different activities for different age groups, but they raise the same question as Christmas shopping begins: is a child fascinated by a particular kind of play, or simply excited by something new?

A toddler who returns to the same shape-sorter, a preschooler who asks for the same story and an older child who enjoys building things are all giving adults useful clues.

Paying attention to those preferences can mean fewer impulse purchases and gifts likely to be enjoyed beyond Boxing Day.

Parents who know what they are looking for can consider second-hand versions of suitable books, puzzles, clothes and toys.

Solihull's British Heart Foundation shop on Poplar Way, for example, lists preloved books and toys among its stock.

What is available will change with donations, so no particular item is guaranteed.

Kidora offers a separate route for UK families looking to buy and sell preloved children's belongings.

Sellers pay no seller fees, while buyers can choose local collection or nationwide delivery according to the options available.

The platform also includes a Parent Hub with family advice and a Family Places directory covering more than 6,500 UK locations.

The platform was founded by Karolina Gudes, a mother of two based in North Wales.

Kidora is not affiliated with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Solihull Libraries or the British Heart Foundation; their activities simply illustrate different ways families can explore, share and reuse.

Buying used still calls for sensible checks.

Look carefully at photographs and descriptions, ask about missing parts, check age suitability and look for product recalls or safety warnings.

Some baby safety products may be unsuitable for second-hand purchase.

Between a library session and a well-chosen preloved present, the idea is not to spend nothing on Christmas.

It is to spend where it matters: on things that suit the child rather than whatever happens to be brand new.

https://kidora.uk