Gift ideas · Holidays
Stocking stuffers for kids that actually get used
Most stocking stuffers are gone by lunch. The ones that last are small versions of what a kid already loves to do. Pick the kind of play that sounds like your kid and grab two or three.
Skip: Bags of tiny plastic toys that break the same morning. Three things they use beat ten they don't.
Not sure how your kid plays? Take the quiz.
Remind me beforeor
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For a Builder
- 1A small box of LEGO bricks, not a kitOur pick: LEGO Classic Creative Food Friends (11039)Loose bricks join the bin and get built into everything. Find it
- 2A roll of painter's tapeOur pick: ScotchBlue Original Painter's Tape, 1.88 inRoads on the floor, tape forts, a city marked out on the rug. It peels off clean. Find it
- 3Wikki StixOur pick: Wikki Stix Primary Colors, 48 packBendy wax sticks that turn into anything and never dry out. Find it
For an Explorer
For a Competitor
- 1A pocket card game, like Sushi GoOur pick: Sushi Go! (Gamewright)Short rounds, easy rules, and it fits in a coat pocket. Find it
- 2A stopwatchOur pick: Casio HS-3V stopwatchNow brushing teeth is a race. Find it
- 3A deck of cards and a book of card gamesOur pick: The Ultimate Book of Family Card GamesOne deck, a hundred games, and the grown-ups can play too. 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 →
For a Storyteller
- 1Finger puppetsOur pick: Folkmanis Woodland Animals finger puppetsA whole cast of characters in a stocking. Find it
- 2Rory's Story CubesOur pick: Rory's Story Cubes, OriginalRoll the dice and make up a story from the pictures. Find it
- 3A small notebook of their ownOur pick: Field Notes Original Kraft, 3 packFor the stories and maps they aren't ready to show you. Find it
For a Collector
- 1A geode to crack openSomething to find, then something to keep. Find one
- 2A reusable sticker bookOur pick: Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Pad, HabitatsA place to sort and re-sort, over and over. Find it
- 3A small clear organizer boxOur pick: Plano StowAway 3700 clear boxCollectors like a spot for every piece. Find it
For a Performer
- 1A harmonicaOur pick: Hohner Special 20, key of CEasy to make a sound on the first try, and it goes everywhere. Find it
- 2Face paint crayonsOur pick: Snazaroo Face Paint Sticks, 6 packInstant character, and it washes off. Find it
- 3A trick deck of cardsOur pick: Fantasma Miracle DeckOne good magic trick means a show for everyone who visits. Find it
For a Puzzler
- 1A Rubik's cubeOur pick: Rubik's Cube, the original 3x3Some kids will solve it by New Year's. Some will spend a year on it. Both is fine. Find it
- 2A wooden brain teaserOur pick: Professor Puzzle E=MC2 Puzzle CubesQuiet, small and harder than it looks. Find it
- 3A travel logic game from SmartGamesOur pick: SmartGames IQ Puzzler ProSingle player, with levels that get harder. Great for the car. Find it
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
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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 →
