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It’s basically a child’s full-time job to play with toys, which is what makes buying gifts for kids so fun and fulfilling. Here, we’ve compiled a design-forward gift guide that features gifts for your favorite young ones, including babies and toddlers to elementary schoolers and tweens. From puzzles and educational toys to pretend play sets and arts and crafts kits, all your holiday shopping inspiration is right here (and in true form, we even found the mini version of one of our favorite reading chairs).
These squishy gummy bear lights cast an irresistibly sweet glow with a simple squeeze of the belly. Cute and cleverly designed, each comes equipped with a built-in LED light, a one-hour timer, and a handy charging cord to keep the glimmer going indefinitely.
This deep green play tent—which features flap doors, a cut-out window, and a removable decorative garland—is just right for kids who are craving a cozy space to call their own. Plus, its wood frame is collapsible for easy, space-saving storage.
Know a distractible preteen or tot? Keep them busy (no video game or fidget toy necessary) with this dazzling puzzle. It comes in a convenient carrying pouch, meaning they’ll be able to take it on the go.
Building toys or breathtaking sculptures? These round wood stackers offer a sophisticated spin on a toy-box staple and come in gentle, earthy tones sure to spark the interest of children and adults alike.
There’s no denying the joy of all things Crayola. But this set of crayon “rocks”—in tantalizing shades like egg yolk yellow and strawberry cream—may be even more enchanting. In addition to their playful shape, their soy wax construction is eco-friendly and nontoxic, and their pebble-like contours are easy for young artists to hold.
Inspire the world’s most epic card game—and endless laughter—with this oversized deck of playing cards (each is over half a foot tall!).
Add a little sweetness to a teen or tween’s morning scrub with this doughnut-shaped—and shower-safe!—Bluetooth speaker. (While we’re partial to its cheerful splash of bubblegum pink, those with fewer sugary cravings might prefer this rosy-cheeked frog.)
Nurture a budding green thumb with a smiling plush orchid—a welcome addition to any stuffed animal pile that’s overrun with, well, animals. Added perks: It’s appropriate for children of all ages (from babies to preschoolers to plant-loving teens), and there’s no watering required.
Made of wood and designed to be reusable year after year, this minimal advent calendar features 25 round canisters ready to be filled with treats of a family’s choosing. Its interactive nature provides added amusement: When each canister is pulled from the tree, the rest roll down its slidelike “branches.”
Classic building toys hit the big time, literally. Wrapped in water-resistant vegan leather, this three-piece foam play set offers a surefire way to get the wiggles out when winter weather forces you in.
Mom-founded brand Majo Ideas turns out colorful, kid-friendly art packs filled with stickers, activities, and information designed to spark curiosity and creativity. Each is inspired by a different duo of artists; this one, focused on flowers, spotlights Georgia O’Keeffe and Louise Jones.
Offer your favorite teenage whiz a satisfying, screen-free challenge with this five-piece set of brainteasers, each inspired by an ancient global civilization (Roman keys, a Greek water mill, Chinese tea). Their petite size makes them perfect stocking stuffers too.
You’re never too young to start building an art collection. These bird buddies (or these brightly colored fish, or this very happy leopard) strike an elusive kids-art balance: cute enough to capture a preschooler’s attention and sophisticated enough to please their parents.
Piecework Puzzles is known for their artsy, kitschy-in-a-good-way 500- and 1000-piece puzzles for adults. Their kids collection—including this Jurassic Park–like scene with a disco ball, naturally—delivers the same fun imagery in a more manageable 100-piece set.
Not all wooden block sets have to be plain. This set, with eight maple blocks, has a pastel acrylic gem inset on one side of each piece.
We’re moderately obsessed with Sixpenny’s child-size Neva chair (and the brand’s adult-size pieces too!). It has everything we love about a cozy armchair that’s perfect for reading, and best of all, comes with two slipcovers—one in the super-durable cotton linen and one in recycled faux fur, which will feel just like their favorite stuffed animal (read our review of the full-size Neva chair here).
This popsicle-shaped sidewalk chalk comes in bright and pastel colors (and if you’re into the food theme, the brand makes donut-shaped chalk too).
Teach kids the importance of saving money with a Jeff Koons–inspired balloon animal piggy bank. This keepsake is made of resin and has a rubber stopper at the bottom for when they’re ready to take out their hard-earned cash.
Partake’s soft-baked cookies are free of top allergens—peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, and milk—which makes them a great back-to-school gift to share with the whole class (or a sweet Christmas gift to Santa). We love the cookie butter flavor that’s made with gluten-free flour, oats, and cane sugar, and a wintry cinnamon spice mix.
This DIY jewelry kit is a great arts and crafts gift for making friendship bracelets, name necklaces, or any beaded accessory. It comes with more than 1,000 accent beads and 30 alphabet beads, plus elastic cords.
Designed by Panisa Khunprasert for MoMa Design Store, this wooden combo chess and checkers is a great gift for kids of all ages. It has bold colors and comes in a compact case (the dual-sided board serves as the cover of the box).
Any play kitchen that has a farmhouse sink is going to be the best in our book. Made of fiberboard and wood, this one has a two-burner stove and a refrigerator with a top and bottom shelf, meaning lots of storage for play kitchen tools under the sink as well.
Complement their play kitchen with a pretend coffee maker set made of beautifully painted wood pieces and make-believe coffee orders like a cappuccino, mocha, and latte.
Kids accessories brand Super Smalls is all about recreating sparkly and extravagant dress-up looks, like these plastic play shoes featuring an oversized flower jewel, black tulle bow, and gems in the heel that jingle when you walk.
Level up the pretend play station of the construction-head in your life with this work bench. It comes replete with 12 accessories, including a saw, hammer, screwdriver, nails, and bolts. And don’t worry—they’re all made of wood.
This Montessori-style board game features wool felt balls for kids to practice their numbers, but you can easily swap the balls for beans, nuts, or candy to make it even more fun.
A rattan-doll crib might be the trendiest piece of doll furniture we’ve seen. It comes with a 100% piped cotton mattress and fits dolls up that are up to 15 inches in size.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a 4-year-old who doesn’t love a scooter. This one from Banwood Bikes has a retro feel and comes with a basket.
Follies makes open-ended play sets for kids to build structures that fuel their imagination. The Casa Azul set comes with 25 nontoxic plastic pieces with silk screen prints inspired by Frida Kahlo’s iconic house.
Fuel your child’s interest in music with this minimalist pretend drum set. The wooden set comes with a snare, bass drum, pedal, cymbal, and a pair of rubber drum sticks.
This indoor play gym (its dimensions are a manageable 47.25"W x 45.25"D x 44.25"H) is a great toddler toy for little ones to get their energy out. It features a slide that reverses into a climbing wall, a swing, rope climber, monkey bars, ladder, and a basketball hoop.
When we think of great gifts for kids, Legos always come to mind. The brand’s Dots line of buildable tiles are great for kids who like to build but want to express themselves a little more creatively. The Creative Party Kit features eight cupcakes as a canvas, plus more than 600 pieces to “frost” them.
Part playhouse, part tent, this white canvas structure from Tiny Land is easy to put together and comes with a nonslip mat and string lights.
Kick off the holiday festivities with this midcentury-modern-style gingerbread house kit. It comes with everything you need—prebaked gingerbread, icing, peppermint sticks, and pastel gumdrops.
Deck out the nursery with this alpaca rocker that has a solid wood rocking base and a lush polyester ride-on exterior.
For 4-, 5-, or 6-year-olds that have graduated from their scooter (or any kid just looking for a second set of wheels), you can do no wrong with this 16" bike that comes with training wheels and a basket.
A bestseller, Magna-Tiles continually ranks as one of the top-rated STEM toys for kids. The translucent magnetic tiles offer a blank space for kids to let their creativity shine, and will entertain them for hours.
The traditional dominoes set gets a modern-art twist in this painted version with geometric designs.
The Yoto Player is a connected speaker that plays audiobooks, music, and podcasts, all designed for kids. It’s a trending kids gift that lets them escape into stories, without adding to their daily screen time.
This elegant red-oak wobble board is a simple toy for kids to explore their imagination and practice their gross motor skills.
For a unique gift and stocking stuffer, look no further than these matryoshka nesting dolls that depict furry critters, Disney princesses, and these Marvel all-stars like Captain America, Hulk, and Iron Man.
Think of this magnetic drawing board as a next-level Etch-a-Sketch (one of the best toys in our opinion!). It comes with three shapes and magnetic colored balls to give color to your designs.
Who says inflatables are just for bath time? Dubbed the “sleepover beds,” these Funboy mattresses are designed to resemble retro cars and sleek jets, plus they include a flocked sleeping pad for extra comfort.
Here’s a great gift for creative kids with an eye for detail. This advanced clay modeling kit comes with 18 cans of high-quality clay and a follow-along app that guides kids to building their own models of pigs, horses, cows, dogs, sheeps, and rabbits.
Nineties-favorite Jenga is the inspiration for this jumbling tower set. The difference? This one comes with water-based markers meant for drawing on the wooden blocks.
A stacking toy like this artsy wooden bunny is one of the best baby gifts you can give for encouraging hand-eye coordination.
Another great baby gift? This dinosaur-shaped musical toy that has a xylophone and a detachable maraca, as well as double-sided rotating panels with numbers and objects.
This dinosaur skeleton model puzzle set from Amazon is a great gift for 8-, 9-, and 10-year-olds. It comes with six different dinosaurs to build and detailed instructions for each.
Made of nontoxic silicone, this baby-friendly night-light has remote-control-adjustable settings that shuts off after 30 to 90 minutes—making it a great stocking stuffer for the little one that has trouble going to bed.
If you’re looking for personalized gift ideas, consider this one from Liberty of London. You can choose up to from up to 12 Liberty of London prints for the lettering, but note that there’s a maximum of four letters.
Anyone from toddlers to tweens love to build a fort, making this set a great gift for kids of all ages. It comes with 54 plastic sticks and connector balls to build the foundation—all you’ll need it to add your own blanket!
This imaginary succulent garden is a perfect pretend play gift for toddlers, or a plush toy for babies. It comes with plush fabric plants, rocks, and a garden snake, all finished with non-toxic paint.
For a baby gift that is both modern and totally timeless, turn to Oakland-based Candid Art, founded by Candice Cox. The pieces are instant heirlooms that can be used daily or treasured as a hanging textile.
