Gift Guide: The Best Gift Ideas for Kids and Teens

If you’re looking for great gift ideas for kids, you’ve found them! From elementary aged boys and girls to pre-teens and beyond, we have clever ideas that will make you the most popular gift-giver on the planet. Plus, download a free printable printable wish list for kids to write about what they’d like from Santa this year!

Need more Christmas gift ideas? Check out our other popular gift guides, including the Best Gift Ideas for Women and The Best Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List!

If you’ve ever struggled with what to get kids for Christmas, I’ve got your back with the best gift ideas for all the kids on your list. I’ve focused on elementary and pre-teen aged kids because that’s the stage we’re in right now, but some of these ideas swing younger and older so you can find something for just about everyone.

Free Printable Wish List for Kids

To make it easy we have a free printable Christmas Wish List for you to print and give your kids! This will make holiday shopping easy for Santa and all the aunts, uncles, and grandparents who’ve been asking for gift ideas. Just click the image below to get your Christmas Wish List delivered right to your email inbox!

Click the image below to download the free printable wish list!

printable My Christmas Wish List for kids

How to Use This Gift Guide

As you scroll, simply click the yellow text for a shoppable affiliate link! Most are linked to Amazon for ease of shopping. You can also shop the ‘Boutique’ at the end of the post for everything in one place.

Great Gifts for Elementary Kids

These gift ideas encourage creativity and outdoor play, as well as being active and exercising (even if kids don’t know it, ha!)

Ring Fit Adventure– the whole family loves this set! It’s an interactive game that makes you part of the adventure while exercising. This set comes with the game, a Ring, and a leg strap to use with your Nintendo Switch. Kids won’t know they’re getting exercise while running through the course, and you can customize it to your own needs (it even takes your heart rate!)

Kid’s Edition Kindle– We’re officially a Kindle family now because of the ease of getting books. You can synch it with your library card on the Libby app and get free library books, too! It really makes reading a breeze.

Radio Flyer Go Kart– this looks like a blast, and a fun way to play outside.

Magna-Tiles– every year since the beginning of my blog, Magnatiles have made the list. Why? Because my kids STILL play with them (right now they’re making ‘elf houses’ using Magnatiles, I love that they’re still relevant even at this age!) This is a fun add-on set to the original Magnatiles that includes elements for making a house.

Nintendo Switch Lite– We got the regular Switch last year and the entire family plays with it. Due to the pandemic, they’ve been hard to find so the Switch Lite is a good alternative. We love the Switch because some of the games are interactive and fun for the entire family.

Cloud cool mist humidifier– A beautiful way to add humidity to rooms during the dry winter months. Humidity has health benefits during this season so it’s important to use one right now. If you have a child on your list who loves to decorate their room, they will love this.

Nerf gun– We’ve been trying to find creative ways to play with friends outside and Nerf guns are a huge hit. Right now we’re doing everything we can to encourage outdoor play with friends, and these fit the bill 100%.

Slackers Zip Line: Speaking of outdoor fun, the zip line has been one of the most popular gifts we gave our kids last year. It definitely makes our yard the hit of the neighborhood!

Lite Brite– The Lite Brite is such a classic! It’s fun for all ages and a nice and quiet indoor, creative activity for ages 4+.

Play Doh variety kit– Slime mania is real, and for kids that need sensory input it’s been great (even if it makes most parents squeamish, haha!) There’s so many kits out there, this Play Doh kit is perfect for younger kiddos.

DIY slime kit– This is a creative slime kit for older kids because it allows you to DIY your own slime combinations. Perfect for rainy or snowy days!

Super Mario Lego kit– Wish your kids would get off screens and play creatively? LEGO Mario is the solution! You need the Starter Course first, then there’s lots of other sets to add on from there. Mario has eyes that light up and there’s sound effects too. It’s a fun, interactive set that kids will continue to use even after putting it together!

Mini eraser making kit– My daughter got this as a gift and it provided hours of quiet, hands-on fun.

Bluetooth karaoke mic– who doesn’t love a microphone? And this one has all the bells and whistles to make karaoke happen in one compact piece.

Earth science kit– Here’s another gift perfect for rainy days. Kids can learn about earth science while conducting experiments and hands-on activities.

Snap Circuits Arcade– We love Snap Circuits, and there’s so many sets you can buy! This is a fun set for kids who love arcades– they can build their own mini-arcade and see how the electronics of arcade games work.

Harry Potter Legos– Any Potter fans in the house? My kids still love Harry Potter LEGO sets, especially ones around favorite books and movies (I mean, have you see the baby Yoda one yet?!)

Extreme Dot to Dot– My mom bought these for my daughter (and my nephew) and they are OBSESSED. It’s great for improving focus, practicing numbers up to (and over!) 1,000. M daughter spends hours working through these books, they’re a fantastic screen-free activity.

Great Gifts for Preteens and Teens

This can be a tough age group for which to buy gifts, but these are sure to be hits with most because they are fun and on-trend, with a focus on ways to enjoy being home during the current circumstances.

Polaroid pocket camera– this is high on my pre-teen daughter’s wish list!

Canon instant camera and printer (and don’t forget the photo paper!)- as is this one! It has sticker paper for the photos which makes it extra fun and useful.

Razor hoverboard with LED lights– my kids got this last year, and it’s a BIG hit. At first they were scared to stand on it so they used it sitting down, but now they’re zipping around like pros. Great for practicing balance.

Table tennis set– get the family involved in a table tennis tournament! I love that this set is small and portable, so you can take it anywhere and it doesn’t take up much space.

Popcorn popper bowl– who doesn’t love popcorn? And this popper bowl makes it easy to make in the microwave without using all the chemicals found in most microwave popcorn bags.