Holiday shopping is awful enough for us normals — but for celebrity parents trying to find gifts for their kids, who by nature of their parents’ celebitude have everything? Please. It’s got to be crazy-making. That’s why plenty of stars simply skip gifts altogether (a practice of which I definitely approve). But for those celebs who do want to get their kids something this season, where do they turn? Well, usually they turn to… their kids and straight-up ask them what they want. Of course, this can lead to a few strange responses.
We caught up with seven celebs by chasing them down the street — JK it was over phone and email — and asked them just what they’re planning to gift their little ones this year. And from science kits to sewing machines to scooters to Hoola-Hoops to a sad George Clooney costume (wait, did I get that right?), it sounds like the next-gen A-team is shaping up to be quite an industrious and active bunch of celeb-minis.
Read on for what actors and Olympians alike are giving their kids this year.
Padma Lakshmi: Sewing machine, Hula-Hoops
“She doesn’t need a damn thing, I’ll tell you that,” says author, actor, model and producer Padma Lakshmi of her 7-year-old daughter, Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell. “She doesn’t need anything, but I have to get her a little something, so I thought I would get her a little sewing machine — because she’s been interested in designing clothes… but she doesn’t need anything. She needs new Hoola-Hoops. That’s literally all I can think of.”
Lauren Conrad: Baby clothes
One thing’s for sure: Lauren Conrad is not getting her kid anything that looks tasty. “He’s 5 months, so I think he wants to put anything in his mouth,” says the designer and TV personality of her son, Liam James Tell. “That’s all he’s got. We’ll probably just get him some cute little outfits. Next year, he’ll probably be more into it.” Will Conrad be shopping for her fancy tot alongside these folks, perhaps?
Jenna Dewan Tatum: Everything ‘Descendants’
Actor and kick-ass dancer Jenna Dewan Tatum was going to get her 4-year-old daughter, Everly Tatum, a trampoline. But “then that kind of changed,” Dewan Tatum explains. “I let her watch The Descendants, the Disney movie. Which… was kind of bad. It made her a little sassy for half a day, so we had to talk about that,” she laughs. “But [now] she’s Descendants-obsessed. She wants, you know, the dolls and she wants the outfits to dress up in. So when I ask her what she’s putting on her Christmas list, she’s like, ‘Everything Descendants.’ That’s where we’re at. So Dove Cameron, you rule our Tatum household right now.” (If you too just had to google this movie because you couldn’t figure out why a 4-year-old would want to dress up as grieving George Clooney on a beach, you’re not alone.)
Michael Phelps: ???
Olympic dad Michael Phelps has already admitted that his son Boomer is turning into a crackerjack hacker. So what do you get a 1-year-old burgeoning tech nerd for Christmas? Phelps, for one, is stumped.
“He has a plastic Fisher-Price golf club he loves and a little Mini Cooper he likes to drive around,” Phelps offers. “He has so many toys that every day I go into the living room, there’s a different pile of toys than the night before. He has every toy known to mankind. I have to figure out what else he’s into.” This sounds like no small task. But Phelps is confident: “Whatever we get, he’ll love it and go crazy.”
Malin Åkerman: Science & magic kits
Actor Malin Åkerman’s 4-year-old son Sebastian Zincone doesn’t mince words in his holiday requests. “I asked what my son wanted and he said, ‘Everything that’s fun.’ So your guess is as good as mine,” laughs Åkerman. “He’s into a lot of science stuff. You know those science kit[s] where you build volcanos? We ordered a cup of caterpillars that turned into chrysalises that turn into butterflies, and we got to release the butterflies. That kind of stuff he’s really interested in, so there’ll be a few science kits and magic tricks kits as well. That’ll be the bulk of it.”
Tiffani Thiessen: Trucks, trains, tools, bike & roller shoes
“Holt is still too young to understand the concept of a Christmas list and knowing what he wants,” explains actor and host Tiffani Thiessen of her 2-year-old, Holt Fisher Smith. “But he’s definitely into the trucks, trains and tools. As for Harper, she wants a new bike as well as roller shoes,” she adds of 7-year-old Harper Renn Smith. “Go figure — she’s a girl on the move. Literally.” (Side note: Thiessen has an upcoming Netflix series, Alexa & Katie, which will premiere in March.)
Joey Lawrence: Fitbit, headphones, pogo stick & scooters
And speaking of former teen heartthrobs, Joey Lawrence — who recently released a new single and music video for the holidays — has his kid-shopping plans down. What’s he getting his daughters, Charli and Liberty Grace? “A Fitbit, pair of Sony noise-canceling headphones, a pogo stick, new scooters,” Lawrence rattles off. Sold and sold. (Although, a 7-year-old with a Fitbit? Is she going to be using it for, like, a trampolining contest or what?)
Alison Sweeney: Unicorn stuff, a break from schoolwork
It seems like Alison Sweeney, soap superstar and executive producer of Hallmark Channel’s Christmas at Holly Lodge, has a couple of chill kids on her hands. “Megan is into anything unicorn-related,” Sweeney says of her 8-year-old daughter. Well, that’s a pretty easy obsession to shop for these days. As for Sweeney’s 12-year-old son, Ben? Sweeney says, “Ben is probably just going to be relieved to have a break from schoolwork!” What a guy.
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