Random Gift Ideas for Kids

This year I’m doing something I’ve never done before: a Christmas gift guide! For more on this series and to find all the gift guides as they are published, click here.

Got kids on your Christmas list?  Here are some of the gifts that my kids have enjoyed and gotten lots of playtime out of:

Note: obviously, not all of these are officially toys for children.  You should use common sense and know if your child knows how to appropriately play with any of them.

1. Train Set

A couple of years ago, we pooled resources with grandparents and purchased our kids two of these Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Railway Sets. They have gotten hours and hours of playtime and we’ve been very happy with the quality of the set.  A couple of pieces have broken, and Jeremy reinforced the bridges to make them a little sturdier to build with, but overall, it’s been a great set for us.

Why two sets?  Well, half of the fun is in building the tracks, and we wantedlots of tracks.  Plus, with several kids playing with it, it’s always nice to have a second roundhouse and extra trains.  You can also purchase additional off-brand track sets that are supposed to go with it, but we haven’t tested any out.

We got the above linked set for $75, and that’s about as low as I’ve seen it.  I’ll let you know if I see that price again!

2. Stenciling Books

Someone gave my kids some books like this Dinosaur Stenciling Book and they have been surprisingly popular with my kiddos! I think they enjoy them because it gives them the ability to draw a picture that theyknow looks like the real thing.  My kids do the main stencil and then sometimes draw on their own around it.  I’m not sure of the best place to purchase these, but there are some available used from Amazon sellers in the link above.

3. Doll Shoes and Other Accessories

Last year, one of my girls received a couple of pairs of doll shoes, like these pink suede doll boots and they were a huge hit. My girls really enjoy getting new clothes and hats for their dolls!

Doll clothes can get kind of expensive (“What?!  I could buy real clothes for that price!“), so depending on the size doll you’re buying for, you might want to consider looking at preemie or newborn (real) baby clothing. We have a few newborn sleepers that went from real baby to baby doll and fit quite well.

4. Tape

You won’t find masking tape or scotch tape on most kids’ wish lists, but do you know how much fun it is to a kid to have their very own roll of tape?  Masking tape is great for making racetracks on the floor, and scotch tape is perfect for those kids who love to hang stuff up on their walls (it’s generally strong enough to hold a piece of paper but not strong enough to rip paint off).

5. “Caution” or “Danger” Tape

I know, this is really random but last year we saw Caution and Danger tape at Lowe’s and couldn’t help but think that a lot of young boys would think it extremely awesome to be able to mark off their pretend construction sites with real tape.

6. Pretend Hats

Buying an entire dress-up outfit can be expensive, but give kids a hat and they’ll figure out the rest on their own!  How about a cowboy hat, a knight’s helmet, a bonnet, or a crown?

What are your best Christmas gift ideas for kids?

Be sure to check out the gift ideas for Lego lovers!  For more on this series and to find all the gift guides as they are published, click here.  For more on this series and to find all the gift guides as they are published, click here.