You know the gifts your kids insist they want are probably going to be discarded ten minutes after you finish wrestling with the plastic zip ties locking its’ parts into cardboard. The ones they will play with – anything open-ended like games or outdoor toys – are the ones not on the list, but the ones they will love the most.
CRITERIA for the BEST KIDS GIFTS
- Encourages creativity
- Engages them again and again, for a long time
- Gets them moving outside
- Is something that they can play with someone else
Outdoor toys, games, arts + crafts kits, books, and building toys are all the gifts for kids that will encourage creativity and activity.
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Kiwi Crate
Kiwi Crates are the best! Each kit has cool STEM projects for kids to build. Choose your child’s age (from 0 – 14!) to select individual projects. Kiwi Crate has several subscription options for toddlers to STEM-themed for older kids, which is an awesome gift from grandparents and family members who ask for gift ideas.
Both of our kids (7 and 12) LOVE these projects.
Here are some cool kits to buy for your kids:
- Build a rainbow ball run (1+)
- Build a Pinball Machine (5+)
- Science of Cooking: make ice cream (5+)
- Build a domino machine (9+)
- Make a jumping robot (9+)
- Make a glow lab (12+)
Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids
All toys our kids have loved over the years
Best Kids Book
Even my 10 year old loves this book! Books always make the best gifts, and here’s a foolproof one to add to your go-to gift list: High Five. The book is brilliantly entertaining for kids and adults. You can see the pages are wrinkled from practice high-five smacks. available on Amazonor at Target
Cool Kids Toys
Outdoor Toys: Anything that will get your kids playing outside is worth the investment. Driveway toys like a Razor Scooter or Ezyroller will be endless entertainment for your kids (and their friends!) A basketball hoop will get so much use for the whole family, plus you can always get new basketballs (like a light-up basketball) as gifts later.
Craft Kits: We love anything from Kids Made Modern, which you can buy from Target or the Kids Made Modern website. The kits contain everything a kids needs for cool craft projects. We also love our Let’s Make Art kids subscription.
Building Toys: Anything that requires concentration like a building toy also requires time. Building toys keep your kids engaged and entertained. Of course, with complicated lego sets, you’re going to have to help. Magnatiles are fun for adults and kids, there really is no age limit.
A play kitchen
Our Play Kitchen was fun for both kids (still have it for our 6 year old!)
Read the list: 20 of the Prettiest Wooden Play Kitchens from $79 to $799 (kids will play with this for years!)
A s’more’s fishing pole is a fun gift for the family!
Family Games
Games bring the whole family together!
- Some of our favorite games: Clue, Tenzi, Uno, Qwirkle, Ribbon Ninja
- Read the full list: the best family game night games
KIDS TOYS: OUR FAVORITES
We have an 12 year old boy and a 7 year old girl. Here are the toys we’ve purchased and the ones they’ve actually loved.
More Christmas gift ideas for kids:
- The best Pokémon gifts for kids (according to my Pokemon-loving son)
- Outdoor play mud kitchens look like fun!
- Ribbon Ninja is hilarious and fun for all ages
- Magnatiles: the best toy that everyone loves, regardless of age
- Legos: both of our kids were into Duplo sets, our son got into constructing the pretty complicated Lego sets as he got older, and our daughter likes the smaller Lego sets
- Driveway toys: Razor Scooters (all kids love these!) and E-z rollers (honestly fun for adults, too)
- Crafts: and anything from Kids Made Modern which you can buy on KidsMadeModern.com or Target
- American Girl Doll (my mom made her dresses! Our daughter loves to dress them up.)
- Pokemon cards + other stuff (ugh, sorry but it’s true)
- Puzzles!
