How soon do I get the digital book?

Usually within 15 minutes of payment. You'll find it in your account and can open it on a tablet, computer or phone.

When will the gift voucher arrive?

If you pay by card, by e-mail right after payment, along with a printable voucher. With a bank transfer, only once the money arrives.

Can I give the voucher to someone who lives far away?

Yes. The voucher comes by e-mail, so you can forward it straight to the recipient, or print it and send it by mail.

Can I get a printed book by tomorrow?

No. Production takes 5 business days, plus shipping. At the last minute, give the digital book or a voucher and order the print afterward.

How long is the voucher valid?

The voucher is valid for 3 years from purchase, so the recipient can put the book together without any rush.

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Last-Minute Gifts for Kids: What You Can Still Get Today

3/11/2026

A day left and still no gift for the child? What you can still get today, how to make an e-mailed gift feel real, and when not to rely on a printed book.

Last-Minute Gifts for Kids: What You Can Still Get Today

Quick answer

Last-minute gifts that work are the ones you can still buy online or in a store today: tickets to the movies, the zoo or the pool, an experience voucher sent by e-mail, a homemade coupon for a day out together, or a book or game from the bookstore. If you want a gift that's really about the child and lasts, you can still get a digital personalized book today, usually ready within 15 minutes, or a gift voucher for one, which lands in your inbox right after payment. A printed book needs 5 business days to produce, plus shipping, so you can't promise it at the last minute.

What you can still pull off today

Tickets bought online
Movies, theater, the zoo, the pool or a trampoline park. Buy the tickets online tonight, print them, or show them to the child on your phone. Pick a date when you really have time to go together, because the day you spend together is half the gift.
An experience voucher by e-mail
A class, horseback riding, a climbing wall or a workshop. Experience shops usually e-mail the voucher right after payment. Before you buy, check the age limit and how far the child would have to travel.
A homemade coupon for a day together
It costs nothing and the child will remember it for a long time. All you need is paper, crayons and one sentence, like "Coupon for a whole day with Dad. You choose where we go." Then make sure you actually redeem it.
A bookstore or toy store
Today you can still buy a book from a favorite series, a board book for the little ones, a board game or a building set. Choose by age and by what the child is into right now; our guide to Christmas gifts for kids by age will help.
A personalized book starring the child
The digital version is usually ready the same evening, and a voucher for the book arrives by e-mail right after payment. We cover both below.

A last-minute personalized book: what you can get and for how much

	Digital book	Gift voucher	Printed book
When you have it	usually within 15 minutes of payment	by e-mail right after payment	5 business days to produce, then shipping
What you need	a photo of the child, their name and age	just choose what the voucher covers	the same as for the digital book, plus an address
Who creates the book	you	the recipient	you
Price	NZ$14.99	depends on what it covers	NZ$69.99 plus NZ$12.99 shipping
What the child unwraps	a book on a tablet or computer	a voucher in an envelope	a book to hold

A digital book by tonight

For a digital book you need a sharp photo of the child's face, their name, their age and a few minutes to choose a story. The finished book usually shows up in your account within 15 minutes. The child is the main hero across 12 illustrated spreads, with their name woven naturally into the story.

You can open the book on a tablet, computer or phone. Read it with the child tonight, while Grandma has it at the same moment on the other side of the country. Add the audiobook for NZ$5.99 and the child can play it on their own too.

You review and edit the text before finishing, and 3 new versions of the illustrations are free. If you only have one evening, leave yourself a few quiet minutes and read through the whole story before you show it to the child.

A gift voucher for the book, today

1
Choose what the voucher covers
A digital book, a printed book, or open credit the recipient can spend on whatever they like. For a printed book you can pay for shipping up front too, so the recipient pays nothing extra.
2
Write a message
A few sentences are enough. You'll find ideas below.
3
Pay by card
The code and a printable voucher arrive by e-mail right after payment. With a bank transfer it only comes once the money arrives, which may be too late at the last minute.
4
Print it or forward the e-mail
Print the voucher on A4 or A5, ideally on heavier paper. If the child or their parents live far away, forward them the e-mail with the voucher.
5
Let the recipient choose
The voucher is valid for 3 years. The family can take their time choosing the photo, the story and the illustration style, and the child can help create the book.

How to turn an e-mailed gift into one you can unwrap

An envelope with a little extra
Tuck a small item that goes with the gift in with the ticket or voucher. A bag of popcorn with movie tickets, a stuffed animal with zoo tickets, a flashlight for nighttime adventures with a book voucher.
The gift as a treasure map
Hide the ticket or voucher somewhere at home and let the child search using picture clues. The hunt is an experience in itself, and the gift at the end makes it all click.
An evening together to choose
If the gift still has to be chosen, give it as a promise. Promise the child an evening together to pick the movie, the trip or what the book will be about, and keep that promise. For a preschooler, choosing is often just as exciting as a finished gift.
A photo as part of the gift
With a ticket, snap a photo of the child holding it, as a keepsake of the day they got it. With a personalized book, take a few photos with the child and let them pick the one for the book, knowing they're about to become the hero. Research on personalized books, such as the work of Natalia Kucirkova and a report by the UK's National Literacy Trust, describes how children engage more with a book they appear in, and parents talk with them more about it.

When not to count on a printed book

A printed book starts out as a digital one and goes to print only after you've checked and approved it. Production takes 5 business days, plus shipping, weekends and holidays. Before Christmas and other big holidays, carriers run slower.

So count backward from the day the book needs to be in hand, and leave some margin. If it's going to be tight, it's safer to give the digital book or a voucher right away and order the printed copy afterward. The book then arrives as a second gift, and nobody is left empty-handed under the tree. You'll find a detailed breakdown of timelines in our article on how long a personalized book takes.

Voucher messages you can copy

"Dear Annie, this book doesn't have a single word in it yet. We'll write it together, and you'll be its heroine. Love, Aunt Kate"

"For Max on his birthday. Choose where you'll go in the book and bring along anyone you like. Love, Grandma and Grandpa"

"Tommy, your adventure starts here. You pick the photo, the world and your friends. Merry Christmas!"

What the gift can't do without

Whether the gift is a ticket, an experience voucher or a digital book, a child loves having something to unwrap. A printed message in a nice envelope, a card with a picture or an envelope tied with a ribbon turns an e-mail into a real gift.

For what to write in the message or dedication so it doesn't sound generic, see our article on book dedications.