Here are some of my top gift ideas for kids this holiday season… or any time of year! The age group I’ve had in mind when accumulating these gifts is around ages 3-5. This is the current age group of my own two kids, and these are things they either already have and love, or I know they would love if they did have them. These are all also mom-approved by this mom who doesn’t like to have too much “stuff” around. 😉
Gift Ideas for Kids
1. Gift Cards for Experiences
Some ideas for gifting experiences include a gift card to an aquarium, museum, trampoline park, amusement park, bowling alley, or mini golf. You could also give a gift card to enroll the child in a local class, like swim lessons or an art or cooking class. I love getting and gifting experiences, so this one tops my list without much thought. As a parent, I have so much appreciation for these.
2. Children’s Books | Search & Find Books
My kids love when we read books, but often, it’s the same ones over and over. They love getting new books, and I love knowing their imaginations grow with each new read. They especially love search and find books. Here are some of our favorite books for general ideas: Giraffes Can’t Dance, Where’s Bluey?: A Search-and-Find Book, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, The Good Egg, The Day The Crayons Quit…
3. Children’s Magazine Subscription
Kids love getting mail, and gifting a kids magazine subscription ensures they’ll receive their own piece of fun mail each month over the course of the subscription period. Think Highlights Magazine or National Geographic Kids.
4. Card Matching | Memory Games
I loved card matching [Memory] games as a kid, and my kids adore them now. It’s gratifying to know that these games are improving their visual recognition skills, while providing a lot of fun in the process. Check out Disney Classic Characters Matching Game, Disney Princess Matching Game, and Eric Carle Animals Matching Game.
5. Magnet Building Tiles
These have been a huge hit in our house over the last few years. It’s the kind of thing that you can always use more of, because adding to the collection allows them to build more and bigger things. We have these PicassoTiles Magnet Building Tiles.
6. Wooden Building Blocks
Who knew basic wooden blocks could be so fun? These are my son’s favorite, and I have a lot of fun building with him. Ours are similar to these Melissa & Doug Wooden Building Blocks Set.
7. Dress-Up Clothes
Disney princesses, superheroes, construction workers, astronauts… whatever the child is most into, there are lots of costumes to play pretend. Check out pretend play kids costumes here.
8. Tee-Pee Tent
Santa brought our daughter this Tiny Land Teepee Tent on her second Christmas, and it is still very much loved by her now, four years later.
9. Kids Family Games
I love the classics like Chutes and Ladders (and this Disney Princess version!), Candy Land, Hi Ho! Cherry-O, and Hungry Hungry Hippos. We also really enjoy this Zingo game.
10. Cozy Pajamas
VAENAIT and AVAUMA are two kids pajama brands that we’ve gotten off Amazon, and they are so soft, comfy, and cute. We love these jammies. We love Burt’s Bees too.
11. Kids Wheelbarrow
My son loves to follow his dad around the yard with his Jr. wheelbarrow to pick up sticks, leaves, etc. around the yard. His was purchased at Tractor Supply and is similar to this one on Amazon.
12. Jewelry Box
A really cute and useful gift idea for little girls. This Memory Building Company Music Box – Ballerina Jewelry Box is a top seller on Amazon.
13. Apron
For any kid that loves to be in the kitchen, an apron is a great gift idea.
14. Binoculars
A thoughtful gift for little explorers. Our kids have these binoculars and pull them out often when they see animals in the yard.
15. Kids Microscope
For pre-schoolers, this GeoSafari Jr. Talking Kids Microscope is a great introductory microscope to encourage learning and discovery.
16. Telescope
Encourage kid’s curiosity of space and the universe by gifting a telescope like the NASA Lunar Telescope for Kids.
17. Toniebox & Tonies Characters
The Toniebox is an audio player for kids, with cute figurines, called Tonies, that sit on top of the box and play their favorite stories and songs. It’s a great screen-free listening experience that fosters kids’ imaginations. I love that kids can collect and trade their favorite character figurines.
18. Indoor Swing
This Kids Pod Swing Seat looks like a lot of fun for kids, and provides a cozy nook for them to play, relax, or read.
19. Gymnastics Bar
For the little gymnast. Kids will love learning new skills on a gymnast bar like this one, which is excellent for bone and muscle development, coordination, and building confidence.
20. Balance Stepping Stones
These are a lot of fun for kids. They encourage imagination and active playtime. Check out the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Stepping Stones for Kids – 10 Durable Stones.
21. Piggy Paint Non-Toxic Nail Polish
I had always dreamed of the day I got to paint my daughters nails, but I wasn’t going to use any sort of toxic nail polish like I had when growing up. I was thrilled to find Piggy Paint because it’s free of harsh chemicals, eco-friendly, and completely odorless. This is a really cute gift idea that almost any little girl would love. We love Piggy Paint nail polish.
22. Water Bottle
You can’t go wrong gifting a cute stainless steel water bottle. My kids take theirs everywhere, all day long.
23. Popsicle Molds
We have these popsicle molds, and absolutely love them. We make smoothies into popsicles, which is a healthy win-win for everybody.
24. Ice Cream Maker
Another favorite in our house. My mom got the kids this ice cream maker for Christmas a few years ago, and honestly, I wasn’t sure how much we’d use it. Turns out, we’ve used it a lot. We make “healthy” ice creams practically weekly, like this homemade chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream.
25. Lunch Box
Whether for use at school, at home, or an outing, a durable portions sized lunch box like the Bentgo kids lunchbox can come in very useful, and they’ll likely have it for a long time.
26. Land of Dough Natural Pay Dough
27. Camera
My kids have so much fun with this camera.
28. Doodle Board
This TEKFUN LCD Writing Tablet Doodle Board is a favorite of ours, especially for car rides!
29. Puzzles
Classic gift that provides concentration and achievement.
30. Tea Party Set
A perfect gift for a little girl. My daughter loves her tea set, and this Jewelkeeper Toy Tin Tea Set is so sweet.
31. Kids Dart Board
A fun game for the whole family and a great way to enhance a child’s hand-eye coordination and develop math skills. This dart board for kids uses sticky balls with velcro for easy use.
32. Stars Projector Night Light
33. Rocket Launcher
This toy rocket launcher provides hours of outdoor fun and shoots up to 100 feet.
34. Scavenger Hunt Game
This indoor Scavenger Hunt Game looks like a lot of fun. The whole family can get involved, and it helps the child with observation skills and learning.
35. ZivaKids Meditation
Introducing kids to mediation at an early age can help them cope with so much throughout their entire lives. It truly is invaluable. Check out Ziva here, and click on ZivaKIDS under the LEARN tab.
What are some of your top gift ideas for kids? Please feel free to share in the comments below!
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