Gift ideas · for a Storyteller

Gifts for kids who love pretend play

Storytellers turn everything into a story, with characters, voices and a plot. The best gifts for them are props, not scripts.

Skip: Costumes of one specific character. A plain cape can be twenty different characters.

Not sure they're a Storyteller? Take the quiz.

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Halloween for a StorytellerA cape and a character they make up, and a ghost story where everyone adds a line.See the costume

Ages 4 to 6

  • 1A dress-up binCapes, hats, scarves and old clothes of yours. Mixed, not matching. Find one
  • 2Hand puppetsOur pick: Melissa & Doug Zoo Friends Hand PuppetsAdd a cardboard box and it's a puppet theater. Find it
  • 3A play kitchen or play shopOur pick: KidKraft Uptown Espresso Play KitchenSomething they can run, with you as the customer. Find it
  • 4A set of small animal figuresOur pick: Schleich Farm World Assorted AnimalsFor acting out stories on the floor. Find it

One we made ourselves

A printed Pipsqueaks deck made for a kid named Leo
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

  • 1Blank comic booksOur pick: Lulu Jr. My Comic Book kitThey write the story and draw it. Find it
  • 2A fort-building kitOur pick: Fisher-Price Create Your Way Fort BuilderClips and poles that turn blankets into a castle. Find it
  • 3Rory's Story CubesOur pick: Rory's Story Cubes, OriginalRoll the dice and tell a story with the pictures. Find it
  • 4A kids' cameraOur pick: VTech KidiZoom Creator Cam UltraFor making their own movies and photo stories. Find it

Ages 10 to 12

  • 1A role-playing game starter setOur pick: D&D Starter Set: Heroes of the BorderlandsStarter sets are made to teach a new group of friends. Find it
  • 2A stop-motion animation kitOur pick: HUE Animation StudioA phone stand and some clay figures go a long way. Find it
  • 3A good journal and a nice penOur pick: Leuchtturm1917 A5 hardcover notebookFor the stories they don't want to show you yet. Find it
  • 4A book series to get lost inOur pick: Harry Potter paperback box set, books 1 to 7Something with a world they can keep going back to.

Things to do near you

Gifts are one way in. Camps, leagues, classes and weekend events that fit a Storyteller are another. Tell us where you are and we'll email when there's a good one close by. About once a month.

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Not sure this is your kid?

This list is for a Storyteller: every toy has a name and a backstory. Most kids are a mix of two Play Types, so the quiz is the quickest way to know which lists to use.

Take the 2-minute quizMore ideas for a Storyteller

Gift ideas for the other Play Types

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Gifts by what they love

Gifts for kids who love art and drawingAges 4 to 12Gifts for kids who love to cook and bakeAges 4 to 12Gifts for kids who love to readAges 4 to 12

Holiday gift lists

Christmas gifts for kids that last past New Year'sChristmasStocking stuffers for kids that actually get usedHolidays

Buying for the grown-ups too? Gifts they'll still own, scored on warranty and repair: for dad, for mom, under $100.

Printable pages from the pack
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 →

Made by a dad of three. Ideas and picks are chosen by hand, and nobody pays to be on this site. Game ratings come from the ESRB and the App Store, so check anything yourself before saying yes.

Also made by the same person