Gift ideas · for a Builder
Gifts for kids who love to build
Kids who love to build want to make something that wasn't there before. The best gifts for them are open-ended, with lots of pieces and no single right answer.
Skip: Big licensed sets that build one thing. They look great on the box, get built once and end up on a shelf.
Not sure they're a Builder? Take the quiz.
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Halloween for a BuilderA robot costume they build out of a box, and a candy chute for the porch.See the costumeAges 4 to 6
- 1Magnetic tilesOur pick: Magna-Tiles Clear Colors, 100 piecesGet a bigger set than you think. Sixty pieces or more, because they run out of pieces fast. Find it
- 2Wooden unit blocksOur pick: Melissa & Doug Standard Unit Blocks, 60 piecesThey last for years and work with every other toy in the house. Find it
- 3A big bin of DuploOur pick: LEGO DUPLO Deluxe Brick Box (10914)Easier on small hands than regular LEGO, and it all fits together. Find it
- 4A marble run they can rebuildOur pick: Hape Quadrilla Vertigo marble runThe fun is changing the track, not watching the marble. Find it
One we made ourselves
Ages 7 to 9
- 1A big mixed bin of LEGO, not a single setOur pick: LEGO Classic Large Creative Brick Box (10698)A set gets built once. A bin gets built a hundred different ways. Find it
- 2A kid-sized real tool kitOur pick: Stanley Jr. 5-Piece Tool SetA real hammer, screwdriver and tape measure, used with a grown-up. Find it
- 3A gear or K'NEX building setOur pick: K'NEX Classics Motorized CreationsMoving parts give a builder a new kind of problem to solve. Find it
- 4Cardboard building connectors, like MakedoOur pick: Makedo Explore kitEvery delivery box becomes a building project. Find it
Ages 10 to 12
- 1An Arduino starter kitOur pick: Arduino Starter Kit R4Real code that makes lights blink and motors turn. Find it
- 2A beginner woodworking kitOur pick: Stanley Jr. Build Your Own BirdhouseA birdhouse or a box they cut, sand and nail themselves, with some help. Find it
- 3LEGO TechnicOur pick: LEGO Technic Lunar Outpost Moon Rover (42211)Gears and motion, for kids who have outgrown regular sets. Find it
- 4A low-temperature glue gun and a craft binOur pick: Surebonder Mini Low Temp Glue GunCardboard, sticks and glue will keep a builder busy all winter. Find it
- 5A beginner robotics kitOur pick: Makeblock mBot2Building first, then a little coding to make it move. Find it
Things to do near you
Gifts are one way in. Camps, leagues, classes and weekend events that fit a Builder are another. Tell us where you are and we'll email when there's a good one close by. About once a month.
Not sure this is your kid?
This list is for a Builder: makes things, and wants to see them exist. Most kids are a mix of two Play Types, so the quiz is the quickest way to know which lists to use.
Gift ideas for the other Play Types
Gifts by what they love
Holiday gift lists
Buying for the grown-ups too? Gifts they'll still own, scored on warranty and repair: for dad, for mom, under $100.
