Every year I struggle with what to get my kids for the holidays!
I live in an interfaith home, so my children celebrate Hannukah and Christmas. But how many gifts do our kids really need? Sometimes, it’s just TOO much. Each October, I make my children go through their rooms and give away all the toys they haven’t played with since their Spring birthdays. We then make room for new items, and I have a rule that each grandmother/family member can only give each child 2 gifts. If I don’t limit the amount, I end up with a house full of clutter and the kids are overwhelmed and don’t play! Then, I make lists for the grandparents. These are items I would encourage you to put on your list as well. It’s broken down by age/stage.
Xo,
Lizzie
What’s in this list?
Jump straight to your age/product for my review and where to buy these fabulous finds!
Gifts for toddlers
Cocomelon Family House Playset
My youngest, Magnolia LOVES Cocomelon. How fun this will be for her to take the characters out of the show and learn to use her imagination and play “house.” This playset comes with JJ and his mom and 4 rooms in their house. They can play in the bath, the kitchen, the bedroom or the living room. Best part? This whole thing can be wiped down easily and washed when tiny fingers get it dirty. This is one of our favorite Black Friday deals.
In case you want to add more family members or characters to the mix, we recommend buying this Cocomelon family pack.
Toddler Busy Board
This busy board is great for travel. Teach your toddler how to zip, button, buckle and tie a shoe. This is a fantastic toy for travel. It’s ideal for airplanes or car seats. This is a great supplemental gift that will actually teach them life skills!
Sesame Street Zingo
Zingo is like Bingo, but so much more fun! We love this Sesame Street version. Cookie Monster holds the tiles and children learn to match the picture or character with their board! The first one to fill their board, wins! This is a great introduction to games. My kids LOVE Zingo! We suggest between 2-6 players for this game.
Huffy 16-inch Bike with Training Wheels
What better time to get a kid a bike with training wheels? We like the huffy brand bikes which are great starter bikes for kids. This one comes with its own “racing number so when your child gets the hang of it, they can race! We like the durable nature of the bike and the price point, too!
Razor Junior Scooter
My kids loved their Razor Junior. The handlebars are adjustable, which allows the scooter to grow with your child. We found that this allowed them to stay balanced better than other scooter brands they tried. They are also incredibly durable. My son loved the back break, which was easy to use with a simple press of the foot. He would race up and down the sidewalk and then quickly brake and see how fast he could stop. We also like that they are affordable! Just, don’t forget the helmet.
Pets Alive Paw Paw Puppy
This is the perfect gift for kids who want a pet but can’t quite handle the responsibility of a pet. Paw Paw is a barking, walking pet. She even comes with a leash. You can even brush her hair, but you don’t have to take her out in the middle of the night or feed her. This is a great starter “pet” for your animal lover.
Gifts for kids ages 5-9
Vtech Marble Rush Marble Building Set
This STEM toy is fantastic for young builders. My son, Charlie absolutely loves playing with marbles and reconfiguring the design for an experiment. We love this set because it comes with a Ferris wheel and a spinning light-up section, which makes marbles even more fun! Just make sure to keep marbles away from smaller brothers and sisters.
Hot Wheels Mega Garage Car Playset
This playset is amazing because it holds the cars AND it functions as a racetrack. Watch as you race 2 cars from the top of the tower to the bottom. You can use the swinging carousels to bring the cars to the top. This garage holds up to 35 cars. It’s bound to make any car lover smile this holiday season!
Goo Jit Zu All Stars Action Set
These are my son’s favorite things right now. Half squishy, half toy, they are fantastic for kids. Each of these characters has a different goo inside that feels different! My son loves stretching them as far as he can, and they are surprisingly durable. They are also great for imaginative play.
Best Choice Products Electronic Piano Keyboard
This is an amazing toy for your music-loving child. They can explore the sounds of the piano and other instruments, with 8 styles of sound. It also plays animal sounds. The drums, however, may be their favorite part. Let them mix and match sounds and play with their friends. The coolest part? They can even record their own songs and play them back.
Nintendo Switch Console with Blue and Red
The Nintendo Switch continues to be our favorite video game for younger kids, who can’t quite appreciate the 4k Ultra HD that some other gaming systems deliver with a higher price tag. The switch can be docked by a TV or taken on the go, which makes this a bonus for this age group. They can even play with up to 8 other people when with their friends, making it all the more exciting.
Barbie Dream House
Girls will enjoy hours of play with the Barbie Dream House. This was my daughter, Lola’s favorite toy for at least 2 years. Slide Barbie and friends down the slide and into a pool. Your Barbies can even use an elevator to go between floors. Best of all? This house comes with a ton of accessories, including bunk beds, chairs, a kitchen table, and a toilet. This is a great investment!
Razor Scooter
These scooters are a fantastic way to get kids outside! For those that don’t have room for a bike, or those who prefer to scoot, these are the perfect gift. The handlebars are adjustable and they turn with a quick lean in one direction.
These adorably snuggly stuffed animals are all the rage. This is our personal favorite, Lola the unicorn! She is new for the 2022 Christmas season. There are so many colors and so many characters to choose from. Collect as many as you want!
American Girl Holiday Doll
Saphhire Splendor is the 2022 Holiday Collector Doll
Vibrant with turquoise and purple and blue, this gorgeous doll is an 18-inch beauty. Her design was inspired by a peacock. The doll has more than 100 Swarovski crystals on her dress and accessories. Like all AG dolls, she has a soft cotton body and a head that moves. She can wear all of the other American Girl doll accessories and your children can buy clothes to match too!
Gifts for preteens (ages 10-13)
FujiFilm Instax Mini 11 Camera
This age is all about taking pictures. Allow them to do it the old-fashioned way with this awesome FujiFilm Instax Camera. This is the “polaroid” camera of our childhood. It comes in fun colors and allows them to take and print photos on the fly. This is such a nice alternative to the digital photos we all have on our iPhones!
Jetson Rave Hoverboard
Go for a spin and perform tricks with this awesome Hoverboard. Not only does this hoverboard light up, but it also connects to your device with Bluetooth connection so you can listen to music while you go! It has internal sensors to keep kids stable. It also comes with an app that can track your distance, change the light color and change your music!
Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kit
Kylie’s Lip Blush Kit is a favorite in the cosmetics industry right now. Kylie’s lip kits have been popular for years, selling out consistently. We like this lighter version compared with the matte lip kit. It stays on even after eating and drinking, and the colors are fantastic!
Cra-Z-Art Be Inspired ABC Fashion Bead Bracelet
Make your own bracelet kits have so much potential. Let them make bracelets for friends and family. This set comes with 800 beads and a lot of letters so they can spell out whatever they want.
TickTalk 4 Unlocked 4G LTE Kids Smartwatch Phone
The TickTalk 4 smartwatch has won numerous awards for being the best smartwatch on the market for kids. This watch allows parents to talk, text, or video chat with their child. It also has a selfie and snapshot camera as well as streaming music capability. It also has GPS Location Tracking, Emergency SOS mode, and 20+ Parental Controls.
This gift is so cool! It’s like having your own personal movie theater in your room. You can use your phone or ipad to project videos and movies on your wall. This is small enough to fit in your pocket, but you can use a microSD card, a USB cable, HDMI cable, or Airplay or Miracast to connect other devices to this projector.
This speaker is the newest Echo Dot on the market. The LED light-up display shows the time, and you can play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from this device. With the help of Alexa, you can also connect to your smart home, ask for the weather forecast or set timers and reminders for yourself. My favorite part? This works as an alarm clock, too, so kids can’t oversleep and be late for school!
Get a new kindle fire, with wireless charging. Enjoy your tablet for 13 hours without charging! You can watch videos, play games, stream music, read a book, and make video calls. This is a great upgrade option for those who have an older Fire.
