36 Best Gifts for Kids At Every Age for 2022
Updated: May 15, 2023Our list of the best gifts for kids includes everything from learning gadgets and creativity-inspiring tools to the hottest toys of the year.
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There is no one-size-fits-all strategy when shopping for gifts for kids. As a matter of fact, sometimes it can feel like they’re impossible to shop for! Every little human has unique interests and tastes, and the biggest toy fads change rapidly from year to year. This is why Reader’s Digest researched trends and poured over the best toy roundups to bring you a curated list of gift ideas for kids.
There’s something for every age group and interest, including one-of-a-kind Etsy gifts, STEAM-approved kits teaching about food science, coding and art; and even the hottest Christmas toys sure to sell out.
And since these gift ideas range from small toys and cheap Christmas gifts to showstopper presents that’ll leave their jaws on the floor, you’ll find options to fit every budget. If you’re looking for the best gifts for teens, gifts for tween boys, gifts for toddlers or gifts for boys, we’ve got lists for those, too!
For kids who can’t sit still: Bouncy Pals
These inflatable pals fill up with air in just seconds and offer a fun spot for toddlers to sit or bounce—and work their core muscles and fine motor skills at the same time. With free over-night delivery, file this under terrific last-minute Christmas gifts for kids.
For babies six months and up: Stacking Rings Toy
Who says gifts for kids can’t be stylish? We love this sophisticated take on a classic baby toy. The Danish-made stacking rings are made from 100% BPA-, PVC- and phthalate-free plastic, and come in two aesthetically-pleasing color palettes that fit seamlessly into baby’s nursery. Slim and sleek, these stacking rings are just the right size to slide into your toddler’s stocking.
For kids under one: Baby Walker Toy
Rather than clutter a playroom with multiple toys, this 3-in-1 walker grows with your baby. For infants still on tummy time, it works as a stimulating activity table. When they’re ready to take their first steps, it transforms into a walker with an easy-grasp handle and fun music that encourages baby to keep going. Once you’ve got a confident walker, it turns into a table with a magnetic drawing board where they can scribble to their heart’s content. It’s also an Amazon Prime gift with free next-day shipping, so you can be sure it’ll arrive in time for the holidays!
For future photographers: Digital Camera and Printer
Chosen as one of the top toys of the season, this fun first camera enables kids as young as 4 to click, preview and print photos right away. It comes with enough paper for 80 images, and kids can add stickers, filters and borders to any pic. They can also turn their snapshots into drawings to color themselves. Buying for someone a bit older? These gifts for photographers are picture-perfect.
For 1-year-olds: Fisher Price Linkimals Light Up & Learn Owl
This friendly interactive owl comes loaded with over 90 songs, sounds and phrases that help your little one learn the alphabet, counting, weather, days of the week, months of the year and emotions. His side to side dance moves and light-up eyes kids engaged, but the fun doesn’t stop there. This owl also interacts with other Linkimals! Collect them all to make playtime a real hoot.
For picky kids: Custom Gift Box
The best gifts for kids cater to their personality. HoneyBug’s custom boxes let you select from hundreds of best-selling items and rising stars for babies, toddlers and kids. Choose a cute outfit, add something creative plus something fun to play with to create a personalized gift. Add as many treasures as you like from each category (clothing, gear and toys), making it easy to stay within budget.
For baby’s first Christmas: Organic Cotton Knit Throw
If you don’t want to overwhelm your new baby with a pile of toys, this chunky knit throw blanket is a gorgeous (and practical!) high-quality alternative. It’s made of a soft, breathable, hypoallergenic organic cotton yarn that’s tightly woven for warmth and durability. It’s a Christmas gift for kids that keeps them cozy for years to come.
For kids who always want one more bedtime story: Story Telling Audio Player
Have a preschooler who demands that you read the same book over and over? Toniebox allows them to control what they listen to and when. Choose a pre-loaded story or song, or create up to 90 minutes of customized content. That means even from far away, Grandma can read a different bedtime story each night! Speaking of grandparents, here are some gift ideas for Grandma she’ll love.
For future conductors: Train Riding Toy
All aboard! Toddlers will love having their very own ride-on train to conduct. It comes with a rechargeable six-volt battery that allows your tot to chug along at 1.5-miles per hour. It also includes 12 curved track pieces in a variety of shapes that work on both hard and carpeted floors.
For kids who need their own space: Wooden Playhouse with Tent and Pillow
Toddlers, preschoolers and even bigger kids can create a cozy space that’s all their own with this sturdy Cassaro Kids wooden playhouse. The tent is made from 100% sustainable birch wood, natural cotton and organic paint, making it an eco-friendly gift you can feel good about. It measures 84-inches long, 44-inches wide and 73-inches tall, which means there’s enough space for everyone!
For budding artists: Art Sketcher Kit
Looking for gifts for kids who love art? Little Picasso’s from ages 5 to 105 can sketch like a pro with this one-of-a-kind STEAM learning toy. The projector comes with two activity cartridges containing 110+ step-by-step activities. Download a free app for more projects, or use any photos or graphics from a smartphone or tablet. The possibilities are endless with this versatile gift for artists.
For young masterminds: Minion Robot Play Set
Minion lovers will get a kick out of this action-packed play set. The features include a punching arm, banana projectile launcher, spinning battle sticks and a lever to open and close the Minion’s eye. The bot’s chest and foot also open for additional play spaces or to store the included Stuart figure, projectile disks and accessories. This toy is suitable for ages 3 through 8, but don’t be surprised if your tween boy insists on using it to achieve world domination!
For hands-on learning: KiwiCo Subscription Box
Instead of buying gifts for kids that’ll get tossed aside after Christmas morning, get a monthly subscription box tailored to their age and interests. Each KiwiCo crate focuses on STEM or STEAM and contains interactive enrichment activities for kids up to 14-years-old. Choose one, three, six or 12 month options to best suit your budget, or opt for an individual crate instead.
For budding bakers: Cake Decorating Kit
Fire up kids’ interest and skills in the kitchen with this Sweetology cake decorating kit. It includes a ready-to-decorate fresh-baked cake, pre-filled icing pipping bags, stainless steel tools and step-by-step instructions. Looking for gifts for dog lovers? Choose the pup cake. There’s also Santa and Reindeer versions perfect for the holidays.
For kids who want to keep in touch: Chat Smart Device
Since you might not be ready to buy your child their first phone, the latest KidiBuzz smart device will hold them over for a while. The smartphone-looking tech gift allows them to message parent-approved contacts, snap and share photos and play games with access to Learning Lodge and LeapFrog Academy.
For sidewalk chalk artists: Handmade Sidewalk Chalk
TweeMade sidewalk chalk is perfect for your resident artist. Providing a variety of shapes to choose from—including these adorable succulents—this Philadelphia-based small business seriously caters to every type of kid. You’ll also want to favorite this shop as these cute chalks make a great addition to Easter baskets for kids.
For preschoolers: Cat Dollhouse Play Set
Fans of the hit Netflix show can play just like Gabby with this cat-inspired dollhouse. It offers four floors of fun including accessories, furniture, two figures and even a working Cat-a-Vator. More to love: It plays music, sounds and phrases from the show. Speaking of feline friends, check out these purr-fect gifts for cat lovers.
For anxious children: Calming Pup Toy
This adorable emotional support learning toy helps children calm down by guiding them through deep breathing exercises prompted by light. Kids inhale as Pawz illuminates, then exhale as the light fades. The calming companion also has a night light function with various color choices, and a timer that can be set at five, 15 or 30 minutes. Buy a few of these affordable pets for stocking stuffers for kids.
For young techies: Coding Toys
Techies as young as 4 can learn to code with this vehicle-based 46-piece interactive play set, which uses screen-free coding activities to introduce preschoolers to early STEM concepts. Kids embark on challenge-solving rescue missions using a programmable robot that transforms into a police car, fire truck and construction vehicle to help save the day!
For dino super fans: Fisher-Price Jurassic World Dinosaur
Young dinosaur fanatics will enjoy endless hours of fun with this fierce rumbling dino. They’ll love rolling this dinosaur forward and watching him break out of his chains with light-up eyes. Its head-thrashing, stomping action and Earth-shattering roar will send Owen Grady running for the hills.
For wizards in training: Magic Crystal Ball
This award-winning Magic Mixies toy enables kids to create an enchanting mist, which after a little hocus pocus reveals a “Mixie.” Your mini wizard can cast spells with their new furry fortune-telling pet and interactive cauldron. As an added bonus, the crystal ball doubles as a magical night-light at bedtime.
For pet lovers: Interactive Guinea Pig
Need gifts for kids who are constantly begging you for a pet? This Mama Surprise Little Live Pets set gives them four furry friends (a mom and three babies), without any of the mess. Kids can nurture and take care of their guinea pig by patting her, feeding her and brushing her hair while awaiting the arrival of her three little ones.
For Harry Potter Fans: Wizarding World Play Set
Wizards and muggles alike will enjoy recreating their favorite Diagon Alley scenes in three Harry Potter hot spots: Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, Eeylops Owl Emporium and Florian Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour. This miniature play set includes posable three-inch Hermione Granger and Fred Weasley dolls, 21 accessories, furniture, owls and light-up Pygmy Puffs that clip on each figurine.
For movers and shakers: Inflatable Bounce House
Bouncy houses aren’t just for kids birthday parties. This Bounceland inflatable house is made from a durable, puncture-proof material. It can be used indoors or outside and inflates in under a minute thanks to the included blower. Once they’ve tired themselves out (which is a gift for you), just turn off the blower, roll it up and store it in the included travel bag.
For unicorn lovers: Interactive Unicorn
This magical Hatchimals robot unicorn is full of fun surprises, including two eggs with twin babies, more than 60 lights and sounds, and flapping glittery wings for hours of imaginative play. This sparkly gift for girls is bound to be an all-time favorite.
For Minecraft fans: Mattel Dragon Set
Minecraft fanatics will enjoy endless hours of play with this color-changing and sound-making set based around the mighty Ender Dragon, Minecraft’s ultimate boss. Buttons on the oversized figure activate light-up eyes, realistic sounds and the dragon’s misty breath.
For Barbie collectors: Barbie DreamCamper
The Barbie three-in-one DreamCamper, a van with a swimming pool that transforms into a truck and a boat, is a sure-to-please gift idea for kids. Children love all the surprises and many functions it performs, and of course, bringing Barbie and her friends on a camping adventure.
For problem solvers: Brain Teaser Puzzle Game
The award-winning Kanoodle puzzle series just got more colorful with an illuminated game board and translucent stacking pieces designed to challenge kids’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The light-up, color-blending game offers hours of endless fun as players challenge themselves to solve 50+ brain-bending puzzles. With various levels of difficulty, this portable gifts for kids keeps them entertained just about anywhere.
For arts & crafts enthusiasts: DIY Crafting Bundle
Whether they’re into scrapbooking, paper crafts or working on a school project, this crafting bundle cuts just about anything but little fingers. The kit includes a retractable precision cutter, small ceramic scissors and a safety cutter for all of their crafting needs.
For stuffed animal collectors: Squishmallows Mystery Box
Whether you’re shopping for a toddler, a teen or someone in between, you can’t go wrong with Squishmallows when it comes to gifts for kids. This mystery box comes with three eight-inch Squishmallows to grow their squad. There’s no telling which three you’ll get, but you can be sure they’ll be soft, squishy and absolutely adorable!
For memory masters: Electronic Memory Game
Fans of the classic Memory game will love this updated electronic version. Memorize the light sequence for as long as possible without missing a beat. There are five different modes, randomized patterns and 21 light-up tiles to play solo or with a friend. And since this game is designed for kids ages 7 to 107, it makes a fun Secret Santa gift.
For Pokemon enthusiasts: Pokemon Building Set
You’re never too old for Pokemon! This mechanized building set, which is designed for Pokemon fans ages 12 and up, contains a whopping 1,092-pieces! Once they’ve finished building, kids will delight in turning the hand-activated crank to make Pikachu’s legs, feet and tail move.
For snow bunnies: Inflatable Snowmobile Sled
Nothing beats a winter day filled with hot cocoa, snowball fights, and, of course, sledding. Your tweens and teens will love zooming down hills on this inflatable snowmobile. It’s made from a super durable material and has a reinforced rubber base with directional grooves to keep kids secure. But it’s also lightweight and portable, making it easy to transport to their favorite sledding spot. Bonus: use it as a pool float during the summer! Some of the best gifts for kids get them outside!
For kids who love to cuddle: Frog Plush Toy
Snugglebugs of all ages will hop for joy when they see this adorable stuffed animal under the tree. Smoko’s Frankie Frog is a cuddly, overstuffed plush made of soft velour who will become your child’s best snuggle buddy. In fact, he’s so cute and so soft that even your tween girls will be excited to find him on Christmas morning.
For aspiring chefs: Cooking Club
The best gifts for kids are the ones they can eat, right? Raddish Kids is a unique subscription service that makes learning to cook a fun, immersive, exciting and educational experience. Designed by chefs and educators, each kit has a new theme and includes recipe guides, cooking tools, activities, games, crafts, an apron patch and online access to other interactive extras. Bon appetit!
For natural nurturers: American Girl Bitty Baby Doll
Introduce your little caregiver to the world of American Girl with this Bitty Baby care and play set. Children ages 18 months and up have everything they need to take care of this classic baby doll, from morning diaper changes to nighttime feedings. There are six different styles to choose from, so your little one can have a doll that looks just like them.
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