The holidays are one of my favorite times of year, and I’m excited to share some of my favorite gift ideas for kids this season! When I’m looking for gifts, I love finding products that are not only fun and entertaining but also encourage creativity, problem-solving, imagination, movement, or hands-on play. The best gifts are the ones kids are excited to unwrap and then actually want to keep playing with long after the holidays are over.
This year’s gift guide has something for a wide range of ages and interests, from screen-free games and imaginative playsets to collectibles, sensory toys, sports training and fun family games. Whether you’re shopping for toddlers, preschoolers, school-age kids, tweens, teens, or the hard-to-buy-for fan or collector, these are some fun products to put on your holiday shopping list!
Let's start with holiday clothing!
Gymboree
Some clothing brands bring back the sweetest childhood memories, and Gymboree is one of those brands for me! I have two boys with a pretty large age gap, and some of my favorite childhood photos of my oldest son feature Gymboree's whimsical clothing. From playful graphic shirts to their incredibly comfortable pants and shorts, he had his favorite go-to pieces. I always appreciated the quality, too, and those memories have made me a longtime fan of Gymboree. Now, I love finding special pieces for my youngest son, including a few favorites from this year's holiday collection: the Boys Corduroy Roll Cuff Pull On Pants, Boys Button Up Shirt, and Boys Corduroy Sherpa-Lined Hooded Puffer Jacket.
What I love about these pieces is that they combine style, quality, and comfort in a way that kids actually enjoy wearing. I initially picked out the corduroy pants and button-up shirt because I wanted my son to have something nice for church and holiday gatherings. However, my son isn't a fan of dressing up. He often finds dressier fabrics uncomfortable or restrictive and isn't always a fan of the styles. Gymboree got it right with these pieces! The fabric is soft, the designs allow plenty of room to move, and he actually loves how they look. It's a fashion, sensory, and comfort win!
The Corduroy Sherpa-Lined Hooded Puffer Jacket is another favorite. Here in Texas, we have a running joke about boys who wear shorts all winter and refuse to put on a jacket. The joke goes, "Don't wear a jacket because then people will know you own one! How embarrassing!" While I tease, it really does take a special jacket to convince some boys to bundle up. Gymboree delivered with this adorable, cozy jacket! The sherpa lining makes it warm and comfortable, while the soft fabric and kid-friendly design allow plenty of room to move. Their designers deserve an award for creating a jacket that checks all the boxes and, most importantly, one my son actually wants to wear! Visit Gymboree for clothing this holiday season!
Stanley Jr. 3 PC Power Tool Set (MSRP: $65.99 | Ages: 3+ | Available at: Walmart)
The Stanley Jr. 3 PC Power Tool Set is a fun pretend-play set for young builders ages 3 and up. It includes a toy drill, jigsaw, and circular saw, with lights, sounds, and moving parts that make imaginative DIY projects feel more realistic. With an MSRP of $65.99, it gives little builders three different tools to explore as they pretend to take on their own building projects.
In my personal experience, I love toys that let kids imitate the grown-ups in their lives, and this set is such a fun way to encourage imaginative play. Using the different tools can help little ones practice coordination and motor skills while they pretend to build, fix, and create, and I love that it gives kids an opportunity to use their imagination in a hands-on way.
Stanley Jr. Painter Set (MSRP: $32.99 | Ages: 3+ | Available at: Walmart)
The Stanley Jr. Painter Set lets kids ages 3 and up pretend to be professional painters and designers. The set includes a paint roller, brush, tray, color fun deck, and realistic paint bucket, all sized for little hands. With an MSRP of $32.99, it gives young children everything they need to imagine painting walls, furniture, or creating their own colorful masterpieces.
In my personal experience, I love this set because it encourages creativity while giving little ones an opportunity to practice using real-world tools in pretend play. Gripping the brush and roller can help develop fine motor skills and coordination, while choosing colors and deciding what to “paint” encourages imagination, creativity, and independent play.
Turbo Trivia (Ages 6+ | MSRP $29.99)
Turbo Trivia is a fast-paced electronic trivia game for ages 6 and up that challenges players to answer more than 1,500 questions in just two seconds each. An electronic Game Master keeps the game moving, while adjustable response times and increasingly difficult rounds make it possible to customize the challenge. It can be played solo or with a group and has an MSRP of $29.99.
What I love about Turbo Trivia is that kids can have fun while exercising their memory and knowledge. The quick-response format also encourages focus, listening, recall, and thinking on their feet, while the different difficulty levels make it a game kids can continue enjoying as their skills grow.
Gummy Grab (Vango Toys | Ages 6+ | MSRP $14.99 | Target & Amazon)
Gummy Grab from Vango Toys is a fast-paced color- and number-matching game for ages 6 and up. Players race to find matches, get rid of their cards, and grab a gummy worm, making it an easy-to-learn game that can be enjoyed by the whole family. With an MSRP of $14.99, it also makes a fun and affordable stocking stuffer or family game-night gift.
What I love about Gummy Grab is that it gets kids interacting, thinking quickly, and playing together rather than sitting in front of a screen. Games that involve matching, recognizing numbers and colors, and reacting quickly can help children practice attention, visual recognition, and quick thinking while having fun with family and friends.
Tip Toe Dino (Smart Toys and Games | Ages 4-7 | MSRP $24.99)
Tip Toe Dino from Smart Toys and Games is a single-player logic game for ages 4-7 featuring 48 brain-teasing dinosaur puzzles. Each challenge has one solution, with answers included, making it a great screen-free activity for home or travel. With an MSRP of $24.99, it is a fun choice for young dinosaur fans who enjoy figuring things out on their own.
What I love about Tip Toe Dino is that it gives younger kids an opportunity to work independently and experience the satisfaction of solving a challenge themselves. Logic puzzles are a wonderful way to encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, concentration, and persistence.
KitchenAid Kids Pretend Play 3-in-1 Chef-In-Training Set (Ages 3+ | MSRP $42.99)
The KitchenAid Kids Pretend Play 3-in-1 Chef-In-Training Set from Red Toolbox brings the kitchen into imaginative play with realistic replicas of a blender, stand mixer, and toaster. Interactive lights, sounds, moving parts, and play food accessories allow kids to mix, blend, toast, and serve as they create their own kitchen adventures. Designed for ages 3 and up, it has an MSRP of $42.99.
What I love about pretend play is that kids can use their imagination while practicing real-world skills. This set encourages creativity, fine motor skills, communication, and social skills as children pretend to prepare food, serve others, and create their own stories.
The PLAYMOBIL x Barbie Waterpark lets kids send Barbie, Nikki, and Daisy racing down two water slides, make a splash with a working springboard and water-filled pool, and create stories using detailed accessories and interchangeable outfits. Designed for ages 4-10, this $99.99 set is made for imaginative play and storytelling.
What I love about this set is how many different ways kids can play with it. There isn't just one way to use the waterpark, so children can create their own stories, change outfits, move the characters around, and invent new scenarios, encouraging imagination, creativity, and storytelling skills.
PLAYMOBIL Large Lion Knights’ Castle (Ages 4+ | MSRP $129.99 | Playmobil.com & Amazon)
The PLAYMOBIL Large Lion Knights’ Castle is an impressive medieval playset for kids ages 4 and up who love knights, dragons, castles, and imaginative adventures. With an MSRP of $129.99, this castle is packed with interactive features, including a working drawbridge, a lockable gate, two movable catapults, and a breakaway wall for exciting castle sieges. Kids can protect hidden treasure in the lockable tower rooms, raise the staircase to keep intruders out, or send unsuspecting visitors through a secret trapdoor into the dungeon! With Lion Knights, banners, and plenty of opportunities for imaginative battles, there are so many ways to create exciting medieval stories.
In my personal experience, we love toys that give kids the freedom to create their own stories, and this castle offers so many opportunities for imaginative play! My son can spend hours creating different scenarios with the knights, defending the castle, launching the catapults, and dreaming up new adventures involving dragons and hidden treasure. I love that there isn't just one way to play. Building stories and acting them out encourages creativity, imagination, language development, and storytelling skills. Moving the knights, operating the drawbridge, positioning the catapults, and exploring all the castle's hidden features also helps develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving. It's a fantastic screen-free gift that combines so much fun with opportunities for creative learning!
Stickerbox (Ages 6+ | MSRP $129.99 | Amazon & Stickerbox.com + coming to Nordstrom and FAO in November)
Stickerbox from Hapiko is a voice-activated, AI-powered creative tool for ages 6 and up that turns kids' ideas into real stickers. Kids simply press the white button and say whatever comes to mind, and Stickerbox transforms the idea into a unique sticker that appears on-screen and is thermal-printed as a black-and-white sticker that can be colored, shared, collected, or used wherever inspiration strikes. The MSRP is $129.99.
What I love about Stickerbox is that it encourages kids to turn their own ideas into something tangible. It combines technology with creativity instead of simply consuming content, giving kids an opportunity to imagine, create, color, and personalize their own stickers.
Jelly Cakes (MSRP $5.00 | Available at Target)
Jelly Cakes, made in collaboration with YouTube's “Queen of Slime,” Chillin' with Rachel, combines slime and clay into a cake-shaped sensory experience for ages 5 and up. Kids mix three layers together to create a smooth, stretchy, taffy-like compound that is satisfying and non-sticky. Each unboxing includes themed clay mix-ins, vibrant color combinations, and a collectible ring, with an MSRP of $5.
What I love about Jelly Cakes is the hands-on sensory experience. Kids get to mix, stretch, squish, and create while exploring different textures and colors, making it a fun activity for creativity, sensory play, and fine motor skills.
Minecraft Sticki Rolls Collector's Book (Ages 5+ | MSRP $16.99 | Amazon)
The Minecraft Sticki Rolls Collector's Book is designed for Minecraft fans ages 5 and up and includes 20 page cards and transparent sleeves to help keep collected stickers in mint condition. The design is inspired by three Minecraft pillars: Survival, Crafting, and Exploration. The MSRP is $16.99.
What I love about this gift is that it takes the fun of collecting and gives kids a special place to organize and preserve their stickers. Sorting, organizing, placing, and displaying stickers can encourage fine motor skills, attention to detail, decision-making, and creativity while giving Minecraft fans something they can proudly build over time.
Minecraft Sticki Rolls Collector's Capsules (Ages 5+ | MSRP: $5.99 | Walmart)
Minecraft Sticki Rolls Collector's Capsules are blind collectible capsules for ages 5 and up, with 18 different wristband designs spanning four rarity levels: Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Epic. The wristbands feature Minecraft-inspired resource block beads and have an MSRP of $5.99.
What I love about collectible capsules is the excitement of discovering which design is inside. Kids can have fun building a collection, sorting their favorites by rarity, and sharing or trading with friends, adding a social element to the collecting experience.
Minecraft Backpack Clip and Wristband Set (Ages 5+ | MSRP: $14.99 | Amazon)
The Minecraft Backpack Clip and Wristband Set is designed for ages 5 and up and includes a Sticki Rolls dispenser backpack clip, a wristband, and a collector book page. Inspired by fan-favorite Minecraft characters including Creeper, Enderman, and Wolf, it has an MSRP of $14.99 and gives kids a fun way to collect and display their Minecraft favorites.
What I love about this set is that kids can take their collection with them and make it part of their own style. Handling the stickers and accessories can encourage fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, while choosing how to customize and display their collection gives kids a creative outlet and a sense of ownership.
B-Ball Bounce (Ages 6+ | MSRP $99.99 | Available Fall 2026 on Amazon)
B-Ball Bounce from Golden Bear Toys transforms indoor basketball practice into an interactive game with light-guided drills, three game modes, and a built-in LCD scoreboard. Three training targets and multiple setup possibilities help players work on ball handling and reaction time. Designed for ages 6 and up, it has an MSRP of $99.99.
What I love about B-Ball Bounce is that it gives kids a way to stay active while making practice feel like a game. It encourages movement, coordination, reaction time, and ball-handling skills, while the different game modes can help keep kids motivated to keep practicing.
Speed Ball (Ages 6+ | MSRP $44.99 | Available Fall 2026 on Amazon and Walmart.com)
Speed Ball from Golden Bear Toys brings technology into soccer practice by using smart pressure sensors to measure kick speed and displaying results instantly on an LCD score tracker. Designed to help improve shooting power and accuracy, it turns practice into an engaging challenge where kids can track their progress. It is designed for ages 6 and up and has an MSRP of $44.99.
What I love about Speed Ball is that it makes practice measurable and motivating. Kids can work on their soccer skills while seeing their results, which can encourage goal-setting, confidence, coordination, and a desire to keep improving.
Kotomi - WowStuff (Ages 14+ | MSRP $16.99 | Available at Costco, Walmart and Target)
Kotomi from WowStuff is a collectible designed for fans ages 14 and up that transforms beloved entertainment characters into premium cosplay-inspired bears. The collection combines blind-box collecting with storytelling and hidden design details, including signature glass eyes featuring miniature scenes from each licensed property. With an MSRP of $16.99, Kotomi offers collectors a unique experience that goes beyond the traditional mystery-box reveal.
What I love about collectibles like Kotomi is the combination of surprise, storytelling, and display. For older kids, teens, and collectors, discovering the details hidden within each character can make the experience feel more personal and give them something they will enjoy displaying long after the initial unboxing.
Whether you are shopping for a curious preschooler, a creative elementary schooler, a sports-loving kid, a Minecraft fan, a thoughtful reader, a collector, or the whole family, I hope this gift guide gives you some new ideas for the holidays. I especially love finding gifts that offer more than a few minutes of entertainment — gifts that encourage kids to create, think, move, imagine, learn, and connect with the people around them.
TableTopics Gratitude Prompted™ Journal
The Gratitude Prompted Journal from TableTopics is a refreshing take on the traditional gratitude journal. Designed to help writers recognize and explore the many things they have to be grateful for, it includes thought-provoking TableTopics questions, inspiring and motivating quotes, and 29 focused activities. The prompts encourage reflection on everything from meaningful relationships and everyday moments to personal qualities and special memories. With a satin ribbon bookmark to keep your place, it's a thoughtful gift for anyone looking to make gratitude and self-reflection part of their daily routine.
In my personal experience, I love gifts that encourage kids and families to slow down, think, and appreciate the little things in life. This journal is a wonderful way to encourage reflection, positive thinking, and self-awareness. Taking time to answer questions and explore personal experiences can help develop writing skills, emotional awareness, and the ability to recognize positive moments, even on ordinary days. TableTopics also has some great products for bringing people together, including their Holiday Conversation Pack! Designed for ages 6 and up, it features 120 conversation-starting questions across Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. It's a fun way to get everyone talking, sharing stories, and making memories during holiday gatherings. I love that TableTopics offers gifts that encourage meaningful connections and conversations!
I Think I Saw Santa Claus by Adam Wallace is a fun, festive read for younger children! In my personal experience, this is a book little ones will love, especially when they're excited about Santa's arrival. Written by Adam Wallace, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, it's a delightful addition to your family's holiday book collection.
Favorite Books for Older Kids & Teens
If you have older kids or teens on your holiday shopping list, books make wonderful gifts! In my personal experience, my son couldn't put these books down, and that's always a win in my book (pun intended!). From thrilling adventures and imaginative storytelling to captivating characters and page-turning plots, these books are great choices for young readers who love getting lost in a good story. My top picks include:
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins,
- The Adventures of H-Man and Porter: Skeletor Ate My Homework,
- The Law of Solitude: Children of the Black Glass, Book 3 by Anthony Peckham, and
- The Endless Game by J.D. Amato
The Grinch 2: Saving Christmas (Available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC)
The Grinch is back, and this time he's on a mission to spread Christmas cheer! Join the Grinch and his loyal companion Max as they explore colorful 3D worlds, including the Grinch's Cave, Mt. Crumpit, and the streets of Who-ville. Players will collect dazzling ornaments, discover hidden paths, and tackle fun platforming challenges as they work to create the most spectacular Christmas tree Who-ville has ever seen.
In my personal experience, video games make fantastic holiday gifts, especially when they feature characters kids already know and love! I love this gift idea because it combines a beloved Christmas character with festive gameplay and plenty of opportunities for fun. It's a great gift to unwrap during the holidays and enjoy throughout Christmas break!
Sesame Street: Friends & Fun (Available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC)
Get ready for some neighborhood fun with Elmo, Grover, Bert, Ernie, and more! In this interactive game, players become the newest resident of Sesame Street and customize their own character while helping their neighbors prepare for a big community celebration. With interactive storytelling, playful surprises, and familiar friends, it's a fun way for younger gamers to explore the world of Sesame Street.
In my personal experience, I love finding games that younger kids can enjoy while encouraging creativity and imaginative play. Sesame Street has been a childhood favorite for generations, making this such a sweet gift idea! I especially love that kids get to create their own character and interact with familiar friends. It's a wonderful addition to a holiday gift list for little gamers!
Things are about to get wonderfully WILD! Inspired by the beloved Dr. Seuss characters, this game turns an ordinary household into a playground filled with unpredictable antics. Players can step into the shoes of characters including Sally, Johnny, Thing 1, Thing 2, and Little Cat A, while the mischievous Cat in the Hat and the cautious Fish guide the fun. Even better, the game supports solo play or local multiplayer for up to four players!
In my personal experience, I love gifts that encourage family fun, and this one looks like a perfect choice for kids who enjoy a little silliness and adventure! The four-player option makes it especially exciting because siblings and parents can join in on the fun together. It's a great way to bring some laughter to family game nights during the holidays!
Maui Nui Venison Sticks (12-Pack | $79.00 | Four Flavors: Original, Pepper, Pepper10, and Spicy)
Maui Nui Venison Sticks are a great stocking stuffer. These unique meat sticks are made from wild Axis deer sourced on Maui. Maui Nui's mission is to help balance deer populations for the benefit of the environment, local communities, and food systems. Each stick delivers 9–10 grams of protein with just 55–60 calories. They're made without fillers or unnecessary junk and come in four delicious flavors: Original, Pepper, Pepper10, and Spicy.
In my personal experience, I love including unique food finds in my holiday gift guide, especially for the people who seem to have everything! Maui Nui Venison Sticks are a fun alternative to traditional snack gifts, and I love that they offer a protein-packed option with an interesting story behind the product. They're perfect for stocking stuffers, care packages, or gifting to the snack lover in your family!
Happy holiday shopping!
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