Gift ideas · Reading

Gifts for kids who love to read

Kids who love to read will read the cereal box if that's all there is. Good gifts keep the next book ready and give them a light to read by.

Skip: Reading apps with points and prizes. Kids who already love books don't need a reward. They need the next book.

Not sure how they play? Take the quiz.

Remind me beforeor

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Ages 4 to 6

1A first chapter book box setOur pick: Magic Tree House, books 1 to 4Short chapters they can read with you now, and on their own soon. Find it
2The whole Elephant & Piggie setOur pick: Elephant & Piggie: The Complete Collection (Mo Willems)Funny enough that they'll want to read them to you. The set comes with bookends. Find it
3A kids' audio player, like YotoOur pick: Yoto Player (4th gen)Audiobooks they start themselves, for the stories they can't read yet. Find it
4Their own flashlightOur pick: Ledlenser Kidbeam4For reading under the covers. Everyone should get to do that. 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

1A graphic novel box setOur pick: Magic Tree House Graphic Novel Starter SetGraphic novels count as reading, and they finish them fast. Find it
2A chapter book box setOur pick: Roald Dahl Magical Gift Set, 4 booksGet the whole set, so the next one is already on the shelf. Find it
3The Wild RobotOur pick: The Wild Robot (Peter Brown)A robot wakes up alone on an island full of animals. There are two more books after it. Find it
4A neck reading lightOur pick: Glocusent LED neck reading lightHands free and bright enough for one more chapter. Find it

Ages 10 to 12

1The Percy Jackson box setOur pick: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, 5-book paperback box setFive fast, funny books, and a lot more after those if they're hooked. Find it
2A Kindle KidsOur pick: Amazon Kindle Kids (2024)Books and nothing else, no games. Most US libraries lend ebooks to it for free. Find it
3The Harry Potter paperback box setOur pick: Harry Potter paperback box set, books 1 to 7Seven books is a whole winter. Find it
4A good journal and a nice penOur pick: Leuchtturm1917 A5 hardcover notebookKids who read this much often start writing their own stories. Find it

How kids who love reading tend to play

A lot of kids who love reading are Storytellers, and some are Collectors. 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 quiz Gifts for a Storyteller

Gifts for other things kids love

Gifts for kids who love art and drawingAges 4 to 12 Gifts for kids who love scienceAges 4 to 12 Gifts for kids who love animalsAges 4 to 12 Gifts for kids who love dinosaursAges 4 to 12 Gifts for kids who love spaceAges 4 to 12 Gifts for kids who love cars and trucksAges 2 to 12 Gifts for kids who love to cook and bakeAges 4 to 12

Gift ideas by Play Type

Gifts for kids who love to buildBuilder Gifts for kids who love exploring outsideExplorer Gifts for competitive kidsCompetitor Gifts for kids who love pretend playStoryteller Gifts for kids who love to collect thingsCollector Gifts for kids who love to sing, dance and performPerformer Gifts for kids who love puzzles and figuring things outPuzzler

Holiday gift lists

Christmas gifts for kids that last past New Year'sChristmas Stocking 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.

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.