In most households the person who pays for the holiday gift is not the person who chooses it. The child's list does. Here is what the published surveys show, what they do not show, and how to use it when you are buying for a kid who loves blocky, pixel-art games.
What the data says
- The child's list is the top source of ideas. In a YouGov poll of 1,028 UK parents (19 to 21 November 2024), 54% said they rely on their child's Christmas list for gift ideas. That ranked ahead of toy shops (39%), word of mouth from other parents (31%), social media (29%), and TV shows and films (20%). Ads (19%) and influencers (15%) came last. Source: YouGov.
- Gamers are the audience, not a niche. A Morning Consult survey of 1,000 Americans aged 13 to 25 (November 2022) found that 71% of Gen Z called themselves Minecraft fans, against 32% of the general adult population. Source: Morning Consult.
- Parents want the day to feel special, and others chip in. An Interac and Burson survey of 1,500 Canadians, 377 of them parents (19 to 24 November 2025), found that 76% of parents say a magical holiday for their children is a top priority, and 33% say grandparents spend more on the kids' gifts than they do themselves. Source: Interac.
What we could not find: a Canadian or US survey that measures the share of gifts chosen from a child's list, or one that links Minecraft-style products to holiday requests. The 54% figure is from the UK and from 2024, so treat it as an indication, not a Canadian number.
What this means if you are the one buying
- Ask for the list early. A kid who has been drawing the same creature in their notebook for a month has already told you what they want. Ask them, or ask a sibling or friend.
- Look at the room, not only the list. Kids ask for things they can name, such as a game, a controller or a hoodie. They rarely ask for wall art, even though a poster above the bed is what they will look at every day. A canvas of something from their game is a gift they did not know to ask for.
- Coordinate with grandparents and relatives. If a third of parents say grandparents outspend them, the easy win is one shared list. A big piece such as a canvas can be a group gift, while stickers and mugs fill the stockings.
- Match the gift to how they play. Builders and decorators like pixel scenes, makers with a 3D printer like print files, and everyday carry-it-around kids like stickers for the laptop and water bottle.
Gift ideas, from small to big
- Stocking size: a pixel-art sticker sheet for a laptop, bottle or notebook.
- Under the tree: a pixel-art mug for hot chocolate, or the tees and hoodies.
- The room upgrade: a dragon-over-snowy-peaks canvas above the bed, or the Loot Trio (sword, pickaxe, potion) as a row of three above the desk. See how to hang it.
- For the maker: an instant-download tic-tac-toe or other STL file, if they already have a 3D printer or are about to get one.
Square canvases start at CA$76.99 for 10 x 10 inches. More ideas are on our gift guide, and the gamer bedroom gift guide goes deeper on rooms.
Ordering in time
Canvases, mugs, stickers and apparel are printed to order, so allow 5 to 7 days for production before shipping. For Christmas 2026, order by December 4 for the US and December 1 for Canada. Details are on the shipping page.
Fan-made designs inspired by blocky, voxel-style games. Quali3D is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Mojang, Microsoft or any game publisher.
