2023 Gift Guide: The Best Gift Ideas for Kids

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.

Popular Gift Suggestions for Kids

Hover over each item to shop.

LEGO Disney and Pixar ‘Up’ house
A perfect gift for young fans of Disney, Pixar, and LEGO who want to bring adventure right into their own homes during the holiday season.
Barbie dollhouse set with 3 dolls and furniture, pool, and accessories
This set includes dolls and accessories, which provide and encourage hours of imaginative play.
Meta Quest 2 — advanced all-in-one virtual reality headset
Offer an immersive and interactive experience that sparks creativity, curiosity, and learning in a fun and engaging way.
Stanley Cup set of 2 20oz Flowstate Quencher tumblers
These durable, spill-proof tumblers keep their favorite beverages hot or cold for longer periods of time – perfect for school, activities, and travel.
Oversized blanket hoodie
Cozy, practical, and perfect for snuggling up during the cold winter months, these hoodies are available in several different size options and adorable prints.
The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Recipes that You’ll Love to Cook and Eat
Introduce children to the joy of cooking, but also empower them with easy-to-follow recipes that they can create themselves.
Instant print camera
Capture and instantly print out their favorite moments, which promotes creativity and provides a tangible memento of their experiences.
Mermaid tail blanket
Let them feel like they are “part of that world” sparking their imagination and providing cozy warmth.
Nike kids’ dunks sneaker
Stylish, comfortable, and durable sneakers that kids can wear for both casual outings and sports activities.
Stuffed Christmas tree toy
Bring the joy and excitement of the festive season into their hands, allowing them to have their own little tree to play with.
Rainbow magic scratch paper
Unleash their creativity and imagination while creating beautiful, colorful designs that magically appear with every scratch.
Jewelry bracelet-making kit
This kit combines creativity and craftsmanship, allowing children to express their individuality while also developing fine motor skills.
Noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones
Help children to focus, enjoy their favorite music or movies without distractions, and create a peaceful environment for studying or relaxing.
Bluey: The Videogame – PlayStation 5
This interactive and entertaining experience allows children to engage with their favorite characters from the popular animated series while having fun and developing valuable skills.
Hoverboard
An exciting and fun way for kids to explore, improve their balance skills, and have outdoor adventures.
Amazon Fire 7″ Kids 16GB tablet
This tablet offers a wide range of age-appropriate content, parental controls for safe browsing, and interactive features that make learning fun.
Ugg’s classic mini-platform boot
They are not only stylish and cozy, but also provide warmth and comfort during the winter season.
Learning letters animal alphabet board
Combine fun and educational play and help children develop their literacy skills while having a blast.
LEGO Speed Champions 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R
This LEGO set combines the excitement of building with LEGO bricks and the thrill of racing, allowing kids to engage in imaginative play while recreating scenes from their favorite movies.
PAW Patrol Liberty & Poms Toy Vehicle Playset
An excellent choice for a kid’s holiday gift because it incorporates the beloved characters from the show with a fun and interactive play experience.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza game
A fun and interactive game that can be enjoyed by the whole family, promoting laughter, excitement, and friendly competition.
Crayola Air Dry Clay (5lb Bucket)
Children can explore their creativity, develop fine motor skills, and create personalized keepsakes that they can be proud of.
LEGO Star Wars 2023 Advent Calendar
Count down to Christmas with the excitement of building and playing with their favorite Star Wars characters.
Pokemon TCG Scarlet & Violet 3.5 Pokemon 151 Elite Trainer
This exciting and engaging card game experience with a wide variety of Pokémon characters, allows kids to have fun while also improving their strategic thinking skills.
Elmer’s Confetti Slime Kit
All the fun of slime-making with the excitement of colorful confetti offers hours of creative entertainment during the festive season.

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.

Hydroflask- my kids (and husband) LOVE their Hydroflasks, and they come in so many colors. They keep water super cold and encourages hydration.

Darling Draped Bow Scrunchie- I’ll admit I have one of these myself, they’re fabulous for dressing up simple outfits!

Pom beanie– This cozy and stylish Pom Beanie is lined with fleece and is perfect for using while social distancing outdoors this winter.

Faux fur slides– all the rage this year, everyone loves a fuzzy slipper!

Bed Head Deep Waver– if your daughter is into hair styling, they’ll love this Deep Waver for creating cascading waves in one simple styling too.

Kids Gift Ideas by Interest & Personality

Prefer to shop for your kiddos by interest and their unique hobbies and personalites instead? We’ve got you covered with categories ranging from outdoor gift ideas to creative gifts and more!

Outdoor Gifts for Kids

Encourage outdoor play and activities away from screens with these hot gifts. From games you can play as a family to larger playhouses perfect for young kids, you’ll find something amazing in this list for the child in your life. Plus, outdoor play encourages fresh air and exercise which is key in a screen-filled world.

Fun Toys That Encourage Creative Play

Toys always make the perfect Christmas gifts for kids. But how do you possibly narrow it down when there are so many out there?

This list is made of a wide variety of different ideas that encourage creative play. Click through to each to see details, and you’ll find something that reminds you of the kiddos in your life.

When in doubt, Squishmallows are always a great gift that kids love and the Axolotyl is an adorable choice. Or let them get creative with Art and Craft kits like this one.

From popular characters to imaginative play, these are the best gifts for kids of all ages.

Educational Gifts for Kids

Educational gifts don’t have to be boring. The gift ideas in this list are so much fun that kids won’t even know they are learning.

In fact, one of the best ways for kids to learn is to engage in imaginative play. Spark their curiosity and imagination with these fun learning gifts.

Techy Gifts for Kids

Just like adults, kids love technology. Let’s be honest: the younger generations might even love techy gifts more than us adults. If you have a kiddo that enjoys electronics, then these gifts should be on your radar.