As a parent of two children aged 8 and 10 (WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE ??!!!It wasn’t until recently that I figured out what to get my 8- and 10-year olds. Listen, they’re all You can also find out more about the following: want is endless YouTube time (no chance), crop tops (not yet, ma’am), video game ANYTHING, and any sort of tech that they definitely don’t need….yet. I’m feeling increasingly old-fashioned, wanting them to engage in activities without screens or go outside. I’m so glad I didn’t publish this post a few weeks ago as planned because I’ve done so much more research/shopping and found stuff I’m really excited to get them – let’s just see/hope if they agree. I’m also just going to pepper in photos of my kids when they were toddlers, when I felt more ok to put them on the internet (because they didn’t look like who they were going to become yet). Y’all, they might be the cutest kids on the planet.
But first, for this year’s kids’ gift guide, I’ve asked our kids their favorite toys from every age that they can remember (I filled in ages 1-3), and then at the end I’m telling you what we are giving them. I shopped long and hard to find some new things this year that I really hope they’ll like. On Christmas day, they may act like monsters.!
Listen, these are the waters that we swim in – the Christmas consumer conundrum. So if we are doing this let’s just have them be great hits and things they’ll love and play with for a long time, shall we?
Ages 0-1
The year 0-1 will be the best to purchase toys and clothes you enjoy because it gives you 100% control. I feel far away from the baby years (but would have another if I could snap my fingers – read about Brian’s vasectomy here) so there are likely other blogs that will do this better, but the classics and the goods are always classic and good.
Loveys For Babies
Both of our kids were obsessed with these blankies with faces – the face was soft but gave them a sense of a buddy, but the blankie part was extremely soft. You can expect them to be obsessed with him and unable to sleep without it.
Activity Gyms + Quiet Books plus Busy Boards
Triangle Activity Center | Triangle Activity Center | Busy Board
Both our kids loved activity gyms or blocks (for multiple years) and I didn’t discover the quiet book til I had Elliot (amazing for restaurants, flights, anywhere they need something to do with their hands). Also good for toddlers. Also, busy boards are great.
6 Piece Water Block Building & Color Mixing Learning Toy
Both are beautiful and fun to play with. After all, I enjoyed building with them.
Rocking pony
Rocking What are you waiting for? – you’ll worry about them falling off, but the moments between terror and joy will be worth it.
Ages 2-4
Grocery Store + Doctor Set| Doctor Set
When they were little, my favorite thing to do with them was play with imaginary toys. It was much more enjoyable to play with this grocery store, despite it being large and not my favourite aesthetically. This is because the kids felt they had an adult job. The kids played with it until they were five and seven. The belt is real and the items beep when you scan them. Our kids rarely played with the toy kitchen but played “store” for hours and hours.
Faux Wood Blocks | Colorful Foam Blocks
We had the larger version of these faux wood blocks and they were a huge hit for YEARS – they could go so high without fear of tumbling on them when they were little. These colorful ones are a classic.
Interlocking Felt Blocks
Enjoy hours and hours of tactile enjoyment.
Magnatiles
Make a huge inventory! Our kids both loved legos (a lot), but this is more fun, cleaner, and strangely rewarding.
Colorful Bath bombs
You can’t get them in the tub every night. It would be like fraternity hazing. Sure, some nights it’s fun but for others, you need some extra tools. The bath bombs were colorful and always worked.
Playset for Princess Dress-up | Medieval Shield and Helmet Playset
Costume party for Birdie: She loved a Princess dress up set with tiaras. For Charlie, anything with shields and swords was his favorite.
Squishmallow| Squishmallow
Anything Jellycat and Sqishmallow – whatever secret magical formula these companies have created makes the kids go nuts. It’s like cat nip for kids. Be careful.
Nightfall Blue Foam Kids Arc Playset| Nightfall Blue Foam Kids Arc Playset
Huge wood play-on blocks – We had a version of these til we moved here (kids loved them until 6 years old or so), but these are much cuter (but not sure if they can stack as well).
Nail Polish with Water Base
You can give them a nail-pedi without damaging their clothes or carpet.
Ages four and up
Jewerly Box
Jewelry Boxes. (Or any secret box with key). Elliot owns the Pottery Barn trinket boxes (and when I vintage shop with her, I let Elliot buy them). Most children like a secret box that they are the only ones who can open.
ATM Piggy Bank
I’d like to introduce you to one of the presents that looks like garbage but they continue to LOVE so it makes the gift guide every year. She ain’t pretty or cool, but they can’t wait to manage their money inside. (Just make sure they write down the pin, it’s annoying to reset). It expires at around 9 years old, FYI. We are still using it with our little ones.
Robot/Comfort cat
This will not be your best friend if cats are already a source of anxiety for you. It’s weird and expensive (so try to snag it on sale next weekend). It’s a comfort animal for seniors, but our children LOVE THESE SO MUCH. It’s animatronic, and meows, purrs, and cleans its own paws, rolls over to pet tummy, etc. WHY OWN An Actual Cat ???? Do some people think it’s creepy? SURE! It was the second most popular toy of last year, behind the 3D printer (which they still use). It’s so fun TBH. Maybe this was more me.
Star Flex STEM building toys | Star Flex STEM Building Toys | Magnetic Marble Run
These take some adult help at times, and are the types of toys that they resist playing with, calling them boring or “educational” but then once they start hours go by and you can check that stem box.
Warming Stuffy
Elliot loved this when my mom gave it to him a couple years ago. Just throw it in the microwave and it’s so awesome.
The Secret Door| The Secret Door
We feel better playing these games than watching TV.
Wood Building Planks Kit
These wood blocks may look boring but aren’t. These blocks were loved by the children.
Straw Kit for Sculpture
The kids played with it for several hours. (Started at the age of 4).
Ages 6 + And What I’m Giving Them This Year
Rainbowcorns Epic Golden Unicorns Surprise
Birdie, her friends (6-8 years old) and I do not understand. Emoji of a shrug. 🙂
Drum Set
Three years ago, this was the main present they received during lockdown. You can hook it up to music and play along with songs which is fun, and yes use headphones so it’s much quieter. We kept it in storage after we moved and I was afraid it would not interest them any longer. But we brought it out again six months later and it’s still a big hit. Charlie plays the drums almost every night. This is a specific item for your child, but it’s a hit with our kids (and their friends).
Toybox 3D Printing
It was a big hit last year, and they still spend hours making it. It requires an app to create on (or just select an option), but they mastered it very quickly (within minutes) and even yesterday when we had eight kids over during the teacher’s strike they all took turns, for hours, making different little objects with no adult supervision (just how I like it). It’s a splurge and does require some adult setup/learning curve at first, but it has been a huge hit for a full year (and it’s super easy, Brian set it up and we haven’t had to troubleshoot since we got it last year).
Watercolor Pencils
Our kids both take classes in watercolor painting at school. They love it. These pencils that you dip into a cup of paint and water, and then boom! In my cart. I haven’t tried them yet but they have good reviews (and seem so much easier, and less messy than paints).
Music and podcast MP3 Player
The kids are no longer begging me for a phone. I hope that with their Gabb watches, which they wear daily and that we as parents love, and these MP3 Players, they will be happy without hating us, like I used to do my parents when they didn’t have Keds jeans or Guess shoes. These MP3 players have no internet/social media and lots of parental controls (and they can’t add any apps). Spotify and Amazon Music are already installed, so all we have to do is add them to our account. I haven’t bought this yet (although I’ve done a lot of research) so if anyone has it let us know! Imagine Dragons and Olivia Rodrigo will be on repeat, I’m sure as well as a lot of kid podcasts.
Fun Room Cinema Letterboard
I know that Birdie would love this for her room, so here’s to hoping it lasts and isn’t too janky.
Disco Ball Lightbulbs| Disco Ball Lightbulbs
Here’s to hoping that these gloves don’t become landfill material, but I KNOW my kids will love them so much (they love any “lights off” toys, like the disco ball. We’re getting our kids these disco lightbulbs this year. They can use them as lamps.
Create your own video game set
For Charlie (video game obsessed and a constant battle over here), this DIY Video 8-Bit game will (I’m hoping) scratch an itch. The reviews for this game are great and will teach him some stems and coding.
Kits for Making Rubberband Bracelets | Fuse Beads Kit
Both our kids love these rubberband bracelet-making kits and y’all, Fuse beads are still a HUGE time grabber over here. Again, during this teacher’s strike, so many kids have been over here fusing all day (just make sure to get extra templates or shapes to form cool stuff).
Bitzees Pets
They just received these from the Switch witch (we trade all Halloween candy with a toy). These toys are a huge hit with them.
From Elliot: I like it because it’s like a little computer, it can open up. It’s fun and you can get 15 different pets and you can level them up by caring for them. it’s like a pet but in your pocket.”
Do I get it? NOPE. The little boxes do tick the boxes of satisfaction and time.
I know the last thing any of us want is to get gifts for our kids that they aren’t going to enjoy so hopefully, this list will minimize that as much as possible! You guys are in for a treat!
Opening Image Credit: Photo By From:| From: We Had Portraits Drawn Of Our Pups By A Professional Artist – You Have To See Them!!