Before you dash out to the nearest toy store and buy your kids presents that will languish in the closet taking up valuable real estate, stop and think about your child’s personality. Not all kids like the same things, or even the hottest toy in the stores.
“A lot of it is going to depend on the children themselves,” said Dr. James Korb, a pediatrician and medical director of general pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Try to find things that might lure them away from screens, because many pediatricians and educators say children spend too much time on electronics and lack physical activity.
“I’m a big believer in trying to get kids off video games,” said Korb, who encourages parents to look elsewhere for gift ideas this holiday season.
With that in mind, we gathered a list of presents for a variety of personalities: the doodlers and dreamers, the active kids, the builders. And none of these darling gifts needs to be plugged in.
For kids who love to write and doodle
A journal is a great gift for a child who likes reading and reflecting on the day, said Dr. Grace Mucci, a pediatric neuropsychologist and coordinator of the neuropsychology program at CHOC. “It’s a time they can write and not be judged,” she said.
Sketchbook set
Price: $20.51
Age range: 8 and older
Where to buy it: courtneyarcherart.etsy.com
A set of five mini notebooks, each featuring adorably ghoulish creatures with a cheeky or uplifting message. Our favorite: “Hello, gorgeous.”
WAFF Secret Combo Toy
Price: $20.99-$27.99
Age range: 8 and older
Where to buy it: amazon.com
The soft, silicon cover of the WAFF notebook is designed to be tricked out with an assortment of colorful, reusable cubes (included). Kids can create cool patterns, spell out messages or map out their next secret football play – then take it apart and start again. Inside the notebook are 160 lined pages for writing, journaling or doodling. The Secret Combo Toy even has a lock and key to keep out snooping eyes.
Ring Crayons
Price: $34.99
Age range: 5-11
Where to buy it: art2theextreme.etsy.com
Recycled crayons get new life as rainbow-colored, wearable Ring Crayons. Slip the rings on and doodle away! These sturdy crayons come in sets of 30, and you can choose from two ring shapes and three color assortments. You can also get a single Ring Crayon (stocking stuffer?) for $3.
Budsies
Price: $79-$89; Size up from 16 inches to 30 inches for an extra $29
Age range: 2-11
Where to buy it: budsies.com
Budsies are made-to-order plush toys with a fantastic concept – they’re made from your own photos or drawings. Send in a photo (beloved grandparent? Favorite pet?) or a child’s favorite drawing, and a professional designer will turn it into one-of-a-kind stuffed animal. And don’t worry, say the toymakers, it doesn’t matter if the artwork is a bit abstract.
For kids who are active
Outdoor and unstructured play encourages problem-solving skills and promotes creativity, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports.
Pie Face!
Price: $19.99
Age range: 5-10
Where to buy it: Toy stores or toysrus.com
Object of the game? Who cares! Someone’s going to get whipped cream (or water) in the face. It goes something like this: Splat! Hahaha! Repeat 900 times. Suspenseful, silly and excellently messy.
Backyard Box
Price: $17.99
Age range: 3-10
Where to buy it: theideaboxkids.etsy.com
This little container includes 60 suggestions for outdoor activities on 30 wooden coins to inspire not-so-clean fun like drawing pictures in the dirt, looking for animal habitats and finding cool rocks.
For kids who like making and building things
Legos and puzzles are great gifts for kids who like to build. Here are some other ideas for kids who enjoy creating.
Girl Scout Cookie Oven
Price: $59.99 with one mix; $6.99 for additional mixes
Age range: 8 and older
Where to buy it: girlscoutshop.com
Bake real Girl Scout cookies, or a close approximation thereof, at home in the Girl Scout Cookie Oven. Comes with one pack of mix (Thin Mint), but you may as well pick up some trefoils, peanut butter sandwich and chocolate peanut butter too.
Deep Sea Dive Building Set
Price: $34.99
Age range: 7 and older
Where to buy it: knex.com
This new line was created with the goal of empowering young girls. We love that each set is story-driven to engage builders, and that it encourages an appreciation of STEM skills.
For kids who like to imagine
Play is so invaluable to child development that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights named it a right of every child. Here are some pretend play gifts to spark the imagination.
WonderTail Dino Tail
Price: $28.10
Age range: 3-6
Where to buy it: mrtail.etsy.com
We love it when kids show up at the grocery store wearing a princess costume or full-on superhero gear. This soft colorful dino tail is a great addition to those what’s-appropriate-to-wear-on-errands wardrobes. Also comes in dragon and Godzilla varieties, as well as an adult size, if you’re willing to be a really involved parent.
Shadow Puppet Theater
Price: $42.50
Age range: 4-10
Where to buy it: imaginechildhood.com
A painted cotton drape serves as the staging area for this charming shadow puppet theater. It comes with a smattering of cutout old-timey-looking paper puppets and scenes for instant inspiration.
Sorfenfresser Worry Eater Dolls
Price: $16.95 to $28.95
Age range: 3 and older
Where to buy it: amazon.com
Kids may have not seen “Sorgenfresser,” the German TV show that inspired these dolls, but they’ll get the idea. Write down a fear or stress, pop it safely into the Worry Eater’s zippered mouth, and the Worry Eater will eat that darn worry up so it won’t bother anyone. (Younger kiddos can draw a picture of a worry or just whisper it in the Worry Eater’s ear). Also good for keeping bad dreams away.
Play Fort in a Bag
Price: $49.99
Age range: 4 and older
Where to buy it: stellastreehouse.etsy.com
Introduce a child to the time-honored activity of fort building. The kit comes with repurposed fabric, clips and clothespins for rigging, plus glow bracelets, a flashlight with batteries and a classic novel for the very finest in fort living.
Fun stocking stuffers
A clear improvement over a lump of coal, these affordable little gifts encourage creative play.
‘This Is Not a Book’ and ‘Wreck This Journal’
Price: $12.95 each
Age range: 8 and older
Where to buy it: imaginechildhood.com
“This Is Not a Book” and “Wreck This Journal” reinvent what a book can do and be. Author Keri Smith incites reader/doers with suggestions like ripping out pages to leave secret notes, figuring out how many sounds a book can make and defacing pages with stickers found on fruit. Delightfully subversive.
Bug in a Jar Tic-Tac-Toe
Price: $10
Age range: 3 and older
Where to buy it: allaboutkraft.etsy.com
This charming entomologically focused Tic-Tac-Toe game uses felt bugs as the markers and a “jar” board. Best of all, they tuck away in a purse or beach bag for whenever a little diversion is necessary. It also comes in other themes, including waffle and strawberries, and sleepy owl and building blocks. The creator also takes customs orders.
DIY Apple Blossom Flower Crown Kit
Price: $16.95
Age range: 6 and older
Where to buy it: imaginechildhood.com
What better way to while away an afternoon than hanging out in the backyard and stringing flowers into a crown? These sweet little kits make it easy with instructions, plant-dyed rayon, felt pieces, embroidery floss and ribbon.
Yomega Kendama Pro
Price: $19.95
Age range: 8-15
Where to buy it: yomega.com
Think of the Japanese game Kendama as the current generation’s yo-yo (or, for the old-schoolers, cup and ball.) Like those games of yore, its construction is simple – just a wooden handle, a ball and a string connecting the two. Get the ball into one of the three cups, flip it around or catch it on the handle. Repeat until you look cool doing it.
