Our Christmas Gift Guide
- 5th Dec 2024
- Author: Cariad Wooster - Media and PR Officer
Our gift shop is always a great place to stop at the end of every visit. What better way to round off your day than by picking up a special keepsake. Whether it be a pen, a sweet treat or some memorabilia of your favourite Science Fiction series, a pocket money toy or a piece of clothing, there really is something for everyone.
If you’re looking to pick up a gift for someone special, we’ve got a selection of items on offer which are perfect to wrap and tuck into a stocking or underneath a tree. So if you’re looking for something for a space lover or someone who’s a little more down to earth, here's our guide to Christmas.
Jurassic Jewellery
If you’re looking for something both one of a kind and out of this world, then our selection of meteorite jewellery is for you. Handmade in the UK by Jurassic Jewellery, each piece contains a piece of Campo del Cielo meteorite surrounded by silver.
Because of this, no two pieces of Jurassic Jewellery look the same, and our collection at the National Space Centre aren’t available anywhere else. If you want to gift something truly unique, then a pair of Double Silver Star Meteorite Earrings is both stylish and special.
NASA Christmas Jumpers
For someone who’s more of a space fan, our NASA Christmas jumpers will keep them both cozy and chic during the festive season. The jumper comes in a range of sizes and features the NASA logo, an Earth and Moon pattern and plenty of space shuttles and snowflakes. The jumper is also sourced from a local distributor, keeping carbon emissions down.
There is a range of other clothing items on offer in the shop as well, whether you fancy a t-shirt or a fun pair of socks. However, in terms of festive cheer, the Christmas jumper can’t be beat!
St Martin’s Coffee Gift Set
If you want to treat someone who enjoys a hot drink, or who cares about the environment, you can pick up a gift set in our shop containing a National Space Centre portable coffee cup and a bag of St Martin’s Coffee Intrepid coffee beans.
Located only 11 miles from the National Space Centre, St Martin’s are an independent who champion ethical buying policies, buying their beans directly from growers ensuring that they can charge a fair price for their product and they can ensure that all of their beans are from sustainable and eco-friendly sources.
Their Intrepid blend is described as “a coffee that can be enjoyed by all,” and has been a hit with casual drinkers and coffee connoisseurs, especially at the National Space Centre. If you want to treat someone to a delicious drink with the knowledge that you’re supporting local businesses and farmers, this is definitely a great option.
Books
Of course, no gift shop would be complete without an incredible set of books. However, not only do we have plenty of books on offer, from astronaut autobiographies to science adventure stories, we also have the wonderful opportunity to stock books that have been written by our staff. With an incredible team of educators and writers on our team, there’s a great selection to choose from!
How about Amazing Space by Sophie Allan, Head of Teaching and Learning at the National Space Academy and Josh Barker, Education and Outreach Officer at Space Park? A fascinating exploration of the weird and wonderful objects in space, this book answers any questions a budding young astronaut might have about space, from why planets have rings to how humans are able to survive in space.
Of course, if you want something a little closer to home, The Solar System, also by Sophie Allan, focuses on our nearest neighbours through the eyes of the spacecraft that have visited them and the scientists that studied them. Combining Dawn Cooper’s eye-catching artwork with scientific diagrams, it is a perfect gift for anyone who wants to learn more about space - and really, what child doesn’t? You can even read our interview with Sophie about The Solar System here.
National Space Centre Artwork
If nothing else has caught your fancy so far, how about something you can’t buy anywhere else in the world?
Why not pick up an art print designed by the National Space Centre’s talented design team? Designed and produced to help support our charity through Covid recovery, each design was conceived, planned and created in-house and now decorates the National Space Centre, the gift shop, and potentially your giftees home! Themed around Soyuz, Apollo and the Space Race, these prints are sure to shine no matter where you display them, especially if you’re looking for something for a fan of the National Space Centre!
If you want more unique designs, you can take a look at our newly launched online shop where we work in collaboration with Teemill to produce sustainable t-shirts featuring our own designs.
All of these items will be available from the National Space Centre’s gift shop up until we close for Christmas. So, if you want something memorable, sustainable and special, make sure you give us a visit!
