Gift ideas · Christmas
Christmas gifts for kids that last past New Year's
By December 27th most of the pile is under the couch. The gifts that make it to spring are the ones a kid can do something new with every day. Here are the ones that have lasted in our house, by age.
Skip: The hot toy of the year that does one trick. It's the most exciting gift on Christmas morning and the first one forgotten.
Remind me beforeor
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Toddlers, 1 to 3
- 1A wooden train setOur pick: BRIO Little Forest Train SetTrack to rearrange every day, and it grows with add-on pieces. Find it
- 2A ride-on toyOur pick: Little Tikes Cozy CoupeChristmas morning laps around the kitchen. Find it
- 3A play kitchenOur pick: KidKraft Uptown Espresso Play KitchenThe one big gift that gets used every single day. Find it
- 4A set of chunky board booksOur pick: Boynton's Greatest Hits: The Big Blue BoxSomething new to read before the nap. Find it
- 5Stacking cupsOur pick: Green Toys Stacking CupsCheap, and they get used for years: stacking, nesting, the bath, the sandbox. Find it
- 6A shape sorterOur pick: Fisher-Price Baby's First BlocksIn and out is the whole game at this age. Find it
- 7Wooden knob puzzlesOur pick: Melissa & Doug First Shapes knob puzzleThree to five pieces, and the knobs make it doable. Find it
- 8A doctor kitOur pick: Green Toys Doctor's KitEveryone in the house is getting a checkup. Find it
Ages 4 to 6
- 1Magnetic tiles, a bigger set than you thinkOur pick: Magna-Tiles Clear Colors, 100 piecesMore pieces means bigger builds, and they come out every day. Find it
- 2A balance bike or a first pedal bikeOur pick: Strider 12 SportThe classic under-the-tree gift, and it gets them outside in January. Find it
- 3A kids' audio player, like YotoOur pick: Yoto Player (4th gen)Stories and songs they start themselves, with no screen. Find it
- 4A first real board game, like OutfoxedOur pick: Outfoxed! (Gamewright)Everyone plays together, so there's no meltdown over losing. Find it
- 5A dress-up binCapes, hats and old clothes of yours. Mixed, not matching. Find one
- 6A kids' scooterOur pick: Micro Kickboard MaxiFreedom on the sidewalk, and it wears them out. Find it
- 7An art easel with a paper rollOur pick: Melissa & Doug Double-Sided Tabletop EaselA place to paint that isn't the kitchen table. Find it
- 8A first chapter book box setOur pick: Magic Tree House, books 1 to 4Short chapters and pictures, so they can finish one themselves. Find it
One we made ourselves
Their own Pipsqueaks deckOur card battling game for a grown-up and a 4 to 7 year old, printed at home with the buddy they pick on the box and their name on every card back. Every card is a picture, so nobody has to read. See it free, print it for $4.Make their deck →
Ages 7 to 9
- 1A big mixed bin of LEGOOur pick: LEGO Classic Large Creative Brick Box (10698)It gets built a hundred ways instead of once. Find it
- 2Snap CircuitsOur pick: Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100Real circuits that click together, and they'll do it on their own. Find it
- 3A family game night game, like Ticket to Ride: First JourneyOur pick: Ticket to Ride: First JourneySomething to play together Christmas afternoon. Find it
- 4A graphic novel box setOur pick: Magic Tree House Graphic Novel Starter SetWinter break reading they'll actually finish. Find it
- 5A set of walkie-talkiesOur pick: Midland T10 two-way radios, pairSiblings and neighbor kids will run a whole mission on these. Find it
- 6A rock tumblerOur pick: Thames & Kosmos Rock TumblerIt takes weeks, which is the point. They keep checking on it. Find it
- 7A sketchbook and good colored pencilsOur pick: Faber-Castell Do Art Color Pencil setReal supplies read as a real gift. Find it
- 8A fort-building kitOur pick: Fisher-Price Create Your Way Fort BuilderClips and poles that turn blankets into a base. Find it
Ages 10 to 12
- 1LEGO TechnicOur pick: LEGO Technic Lunar Outpost Moon Rover (42211)A long build for the slow days between Christmas and school. Find it
- 2An instant cameraOur pick: Fujifilm Instax Mini 13Photos from the holidays for their wall. Find it
- 3CatanOur pick: Catan, 6th editionThe game the whole family ends up playing all break. Find it
- 4A beginner guitar or ukuleleOur pick: Córdoba Protégé C1M, 3/4 sizeWinter break is enough time to learn a real song. Find it
- 5An escape room game in a boxOur pick: EXIT: The Haunted Roller CoasterA family night that feels like a mission. Find it
- 6A digital microscopeOur pick: Plugable 250x USB Digital MicroscopeThe kind that connects to a tablet, for leaves, bugs and hair. Find it
- 7A 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzleOur pick: Ravensburger The Fantasy Toy Shop, 1,000 piecesA slow project for the kitchen table that the whole family ends up helping with. Find it
- 8CodenamesOur pick: Codenames (Czech Games Edition)The party game grown-ups play, and kids this age are good at it. Find it
What makes these work
- One big thing, a couple of small things and something to read. More than that and nothing gets played with.
- Hold one gift back and bring it out the first slow week of January.
- Give one thing you'll do together on Christmas afternoon, like a puzzle or a new game.
Find gifts that match how they play
The gifts that get used match how a kid already likes to play. The quiz takes two minutes. No account needed, and adding a name is optional.
More gift ideas
Stocking stuffers for kids that actually get usedHolidaysGifts for toddlers that aren't more noiseToddlersScreen-free gifts that can compete with a tabletNo screensBirthday party gifts for a kid you barely knowBirthday partiesGifts for kids who have everythingHard to buy forAll gift ideasBy age and by how they play
Print it before the partyHalloween Party Games for Kids: picture bingo, a monster hunt and pin the face on the pumpkin. 11 pages, $5.Get the printable →
