It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is in full swing and Christmas is only a few short weeks away! If you are still shopping for gifts for kids and need some fresh ideas, I have some kid and pre-tween-approved recommendations for you. There are so many gift guides for kids this time of year, so these ideas are geared specifically around the ages of my girls (six and nine).
All items I’m sharing in this post are things we either already own and love or things on our girls’ wish lists. Therefore, feel free to reach out via DM or email if you have any questions!
Gifts for Little Ones
My youngest (Catherine, age 6) still loves to play dress up and pretend with her baby dolls and Maileg Mice. I love that these items encourage hours of creative play and are high-quality toys. She got the Cookeez bakery last Christmas, and it was such a hit! The girls love mixing the dough and baking a fun surprise, which comes out as a scented warm plushie. Honestly, this has been so fun for our entire family!
Gifts for Pre-Tweens
Pre-tweens can sometimes be tricky to shop for, as they aren’t quite teenagers, but also are no longer little girls. My oldest, Margaret, is nine years old, and while some of the gifts on her wish list still work for little girls, others are more geared towards tweens! With girls, you really can’t go wrong with nail polish, crafts, or fun fashion bags for this age group.
Creative Gifts for Kids
One of my absolute favorite gifts for little ones and pre-tweens are arts and crafts kits. These are always so fun and encourage endless creativity. We are big fans of the rock painting kit, the mini gardens, and the paint-your-own dog treat jar.
Gifts on My Kids’ Wish Lists
My girls are really into Lego Creators this year, and they have several styles on their wish list. Nail polish and bead kits for making friendship bracelets are also high up on their lists! And let this be a reminder that a bike is always a great “big ticket gift”, as it is something that your child will use all the time (at least mine do!).
Reading Subscriptions as Gifts for Kids
Margaret and Catherine are well loved and thoroughly spoiled. Though, as I told a friend of mine, I think spoiled is a state of mind! But however you view it, my girls are the only grandchildren and will be for a while, so they get lots of gifts from loving family and friends. If your kids fall into this category, and you just need a few extra ideas, a reading subscription makes for a perfect gift. This is something my girls look forward to every month, and I appreciate that the magazines can easily be thrown in the car for long car rides or going out to eat!
Some of our favorites include:
Highlights High Five Magazine: For ages 2-6
Original Highlights Magazine: Ages 6-12
Highlights Hello Magazine: For ages 0-2
Ranger Rick Magazine or National Geographic Kids are perfect for the nature enthusiasts! Margaret has been getting these for the past few years and loves learning about new creatures!
ChopChop Family – A quarterly family cooking magazines for families who like to get in the kitchen together and for kiddos who have a culinary interest!
Subscription Boxes as Gifts for Kids
A subscription box is another one of our favorite gifts! It’s so fun to receive a box of goodies in the mail every month. And nowadays, there are so many different ones to choose from – Science, arts and crafts, sensory play, and educational boxes! Below are a few of my favorite subscriptions.
KiwiCo – Monthly STEM boxes and other science + crafting based discovery kits!
Little Passports – Monthly boxes on selected subjects like travel and geography as well as science. Or gift an individual kit based on the little one’s favorite kind of activity!
LovEvery – Boxes for a baby starting at day one that meet them and challenge them where they are developmentally.
KidMadeModern – Monthly crafting kits starting at 3 or 6 month options.
Young, Wild + Friedman – Either a kit by itself or a subscription will be appreciated! Started by a mom looking to create more sensory play opportunities for her daughter who was experiencing a speech delay, these kits have an enthusiastic following for good reason!
Memberships as Gifts for Kids
I fully believe that one of the best gifts you can give a child is an experience. It’s something that they will love and remember for years to come. We love to gift a membership to a kids museum, art museum, science center, zoo, botanical gardens, water park, etc.
2024 Gift Ideas for Kids
I hope these gift ideas help with last minute shopping and hopefully make your holiday gifting a little easier and more enjoyable! If you’re looking for additional ideas, you might want to browse my gift guide for ages 5-8, gift guide for ages 1-3, gift ideas for the kid who has everything, and a favorite gift for kids of all ages. And be sure to follow along on my Instagram stories where I will keep sharing gift ideas throughout the season!
Happy Holidays!
