The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Gifts for Little Kids
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This post has been updated for the 2023 holidays.
Since I’m right in the midst of parenting a toddler that is nearing the preschooler stage, these gift ideas are my whole world! These gifts were selected for toddlers and preschoolers from the ages of 1 to 5 years old. I hope this list gives you some great ideas for your little ones this year!
Gift Ideas for Little Kids
I’ve rounded up over 100+ gift ideas for toddlers with a variety of types of accessories, books, games, arts & crafts, clothing, and more!
Click to jump to any of the following categories or scroll on through to see all 80+ gift ideas for toddlers!
Accessories / Active / Arts & Crafts / Books / Clothing / Furniture / Games / Toys / Experiences
Accessories & Gadgets
Yoto Mini Player + Starter Pack
I just ordered this Yoto Mini starter bundle for my almost-4-year-old for Christmas this year! I’m so excited for him to be able to listen to books and music on his own terms - it’s a great screen-free alternative and no little characters to keep track of - everything is on little cards that you insert into the player.
Amazon Fire Tablet for Kids
We love our Fire Tablet for Kids for our son. Allows him to have some screen time with books, games, or some shows when we are traveling or around the house when he needs some activities that aren’t on the big tv. There are some great deals on older models. We have the Fire Kids 7.
Backpack
We got a backpack for my son around his 2nd birthday and it has been so great to use as an alternative to a diaper bag. These character bags are so cute and there are lots of options to choose from!
Camera for Kids
We got this camera for Oliver for his 3rd birthday and he is in love with it! He was playing with an old camera that we found at a thrift store that we just used for decoration, so we knew this gift would be a big hit! It is nice and small which is perfect for his little hands and can hold a good amount of photos. And you can easily pop the memory card out and insert it into the included USB drive to add the photos to your computer or scroll through them on your smart tv. We got the dinosaur for our son, but there are lots of styles on Amazon!
Fidget Poppers
These fidget poppers are great to have on hand for car rides or to pull out of your bag to keep toddlers entertained when they also have to stay quiet.
Hatch Rest+ Sound Machine
Now that our son is in the toddler stage and has transitioned to a toddler bed, we use our favorite sound machine as a “red light, green light” system for quiet time and nap times. When the light is green, he knows he can get up or that we will come get him from his room.
Hearing Protection Ear Muffs
I have a set of smaller ear muffs from when my son was a baby but would love to make sure we have a bigger size for when we go to events with loud sounds (fireworks, monster truck shows, concerts, etc.)
Personalized Letter Coin Bank
I want to get our son a money bank at some point, and think these personalized coin banks are both nice to look at and also convenient for kids to see how much money they have saved.
Sandwich Cutters
Make lunchtime more fun with this set of sandwich cutters!
Water Bottle
I know that metal water bottles are popular, but I still prefer plastic bottles for my toddler since it gets dropped so often and I don’t want to hear that heavy metal banging around - these contigo water bottles are easy to take apart and keep clean! Lots of cute patterns and colors.
Active
Balance Bike
I’m a big fan of these balance bikes for kids to start to learn balancing and the concept of riding a bike. This bike has lots of styles and colors available.
Ball Pit
You can’t go wrong with a ball pit - hours of fun and entertainment, which is especially great in the winter or on rainy days.
Balance Board Rocker
This balance board is great for younger kids, easier for balancing, but still able to do full wobbles with the same arc as bigger, more expensive boards.
Balance Beams & Stepping Stones
This obstacle course set would be so fun for littles and easy to set up in different rooms of the house or for outside. A great way to keep your toddlers and preschoolers busy!
Basketball Hoop
This adjustable basketball hoop set is great for indoors or outdoors.
Foldable Slide
We have had this slide for almost a year now and get lots of use out of it! It folds up so it is easy to store and is small enough to enjoy indoors and outdoors.
Magneto Kids' Skateboard
My husband would love to see our toddler starting to learn how to ride a skateboard and he picked this one out for our son’s wishlist so that it can grow with him for several years.
Mini Soccer Goal Set
We have this mini soccer goal set for our small backyard - the best part is that the frame folds up nice and small for storage. It also comes with a pump for the mini soccer ball. Perfect for toddlers.
Mini Trampoline
Another fun gift for indoors or outdoors - and especially in the cold winter months, this would help to get lots of energy out for your toddlers when you’re stuck indoors.
Playhouse
This is always a great option for a “big gift” - especially if you have several kids around the same age that can all enjoy this together! This adorable cottage with the blue roof is a great price under $150, but there are tons of styles to choose from.
Toddler Helmet & Knee Pads
Because I’m a mom and want to make sure my sweet toddler is protected - this helmet and knee pads set is a necessity if my son is getting any bikes, skateboards, or scooters.
Arts & Crafts
Animal Crafts Set
I’m not a super-crafty or creative mom, so a set like this with all supplies that I need for craft time is ideal!
Cardboard Playhouse
I love the fact that these cardboard playhouses are basically a luxury cardboard box, that are ready for your toddler to color and decorate however they please!
Crayola Bathtub Finger Paint Soap
This is one of my son’s absolute favorite things about bath time - it’s just colored soap that we call paint and is always the highlight of bath time. This would make a great stocking stuffer for your toddler!
Crayola Color Wonder
We LOVE these Color Wonder “mess-free” coloring sets!
Dino Egg Bath Bombs
Thanks to some episodes of Blippi, my son is always asking to look for dinosaur eggs - I think this set of dinosaur bath bombs would be a very fun stocking stuffer this year!
Disney Coloring Books Bundle
For those toddlers who love arts & crafts and opportunities to color, a bundle of coloring books of their favorite characters would be a great gift idea!
Little Learners Busy Box Subscription
Educator-developed play activities to keep your 2-4 year old busy and learning! Preschool in a box! There are two box options to choose from, each containing activity kits that can be mixed and matched to create even more learning opportunities.
Magnetic Doodle Board
Our church has these magnetic doodle boards sitting on a table outside of the auditorium for kids to use if they have to sit in the service with their parents and my toddler is always excited to use this - I love this for toddlers because it’s quiet and there is NO MESS!
Natural Crayons
We love these crayons! They are all-natural and made out of soy and beeswax with food-grade safe colors that are oh-so vibrant! The first grasp set is perfect for ages 2+ as they are just learning to hold things and the natural crayons are geared towards ages 4+ as they learn to develop their pencil grip and draw and write. These natural crayons are found exclusively at Walmart.
Play-Doh
We’re just starting to get into the play-doh world with our toddler, but would be fun to have a set around for some creative play.
Play-Doh Tools Set
An important “add-on” for your play-doh set!
Scribble Scrubbie Pets
These little scrubbie pets are fun for ages 3+ and your toddlers and scribble all over these pets and then wash them off and start all over!
Sensory Activity Kit
Sensory Activity Kids are a fun way to help your toddler learn and experience new things while also having fun through play.
Wiggle Worms Craft Subscription Box
Wiggle Worms Kits are the perfect gift for curious and creative preschoolers! Each month, their green and yellow boxes are filled with fun and playful activities that your children will love. Plus, we strive to make our Kits sustainable - most activities can be used again and again. All materials are included - even glue! Encourages fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and creativity in preschool children ages 3-6.
Books
Birthday Memories Journal
The Birthday Memories Journal by Promptly Journals has annual prompts to capture birthday memories and milestones for 20 years with spots for pictures and mementos. This is a fun birthday tradition for kids and adults and is the perfect present for any age!
Get 15% off at PromptlyJournals.com with code JEN15
Book Subscription Boxes from Cratejoy
There are so many different book subscriptions to choose from and this is a great way to introduce your little ones to lots of new books and nurture a love for reading!
Christmas Memories Journal
This could be more of a family gift, but still fun for your little ones to help answer and look back on every year! The Christmas Memories Journal is a beautiful 10x10-inch coffee table book to bring out with your decorations every year and has 16 prompts for you to fill out with your family each year about what made your holiday season memorable.
Get 15% off at PromptlyJournals.com with code JEN15
God's Very Good Idea
God’s very good idea is to have lots of different people enjoying loving him and loving each other. This stunningly illustrated journey from the garden of Eden to God’s heavenly throne room shows how despite our sinfulness, everyone can be a part of God’s very good idea through the saving work of Christ.
How Many Ways Can You Say Hello?
This book is all about ways to say hello in different languages found around South Africa. Since that is where my husband grew up, it would be a fun book to have around for my husband to read to our kids.
Jesus and the Very Big Surprise
This book teaches children that Jesus will return and when he does there will be an amazing party where ... SURPRISE! ... he will serve his faithful servants! Jesus didn’t tell us when that party will be, but we can make sure that we’re ready for it by loving him and loving his people while we wait.
Leapfrog 100 Animals Electronic Book
We love this book in our house - it’s easy for our toddler to use by touching the animals on the pages and it allows him to learn the words and names of animals. It even has an option to switch from English to Spanish!
My First Learning Library Set
The My First Learning Library of 20 board books will introduce your toddler to a wide range of learning topics and to develop basic concepts for little scholars. These books include well-researched pictures and accurate word labels to encourages faster development of your child’s vocabulary.
The Classic BabyLit Box Set
BabyLit® is the fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature, while learning numbers, sounds, animals, colors, and more! This box set includes the following titles: Alice in Wonderland (A BabyLit® Colors Primer), Moby-Dick (A BabyLit® Ocean Primer), Romeo & Juliet (A BabyLit® Counting Primer), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (A BabyLit® Colors Primer), Sherlock Holmes in the Hound of the Baskervilles (A BabyLit® Sounds Primer), Pride & Prejudice (A BabyLit® Counting Primer), Jane Eyre (A BabyLit® Counting Primer), The Jungle Book (A BabyLit® Animals Primer)
The Skin You Live In
With the ease and simplicity of a nursery rhyme, this lively story delivers an important message of social acceptance to young readers. Themes associated with child development and social harmony, such as friendship, acceptance, self-esteem, and diversity are promoted in simple and straightforward prose. This delightful picture book offers a wonderful venue through which parents and teachers can discuss important social concepts with their children.
The Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible
With the most beautifully diverse and whimsical illustrations, The Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible introduces children to important ideas and unique characters of the Bible, while clearly showing how everything fits together to tell one big story—the story of God’s love for his children.
When God Made You
Through playful, charming rhyme and vivid, fantastical illustrations, When God Made You inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God’s divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves.
Clothing
Rent-a-Romper Clothing Subscription
I have been using this clothing subscription for both of my kids and LOVE it! It is simple easy to use, and they give great instructions for caring for the clothes (and even best practices for cleaning, although there is no stain penalty) and you can swap out the clothes whenever you want! They go up to size 5T.
Use code SIMPLEMODESTMOM to get 10% off your first 3 subscription orders!
Bath Robe
Wrap your little one in pure softness after a bath, the pool or beach time with this hooded bath robe and cover-up.
Puffy Coats
If your little one needs a new coat this season, there are some great options to find on Amazon! Lots of colors and styles for all sizes. Bonus: some brands and styles on Amazon will offer the Prime Try Before You Buy option, which is a great feature to try out and make sure you got the correct size for your kiddos!
Crewneck Sweatshirt
These are some of my favorite sweatshirts and they have so many cute messages.
Winter Boots
You can’t go wrong with some new boots for the snow!
Rain Boots
Every toddler I know loves throwing on a pair of rain boots and stomping around in puddles - the holidays are a great time to upgrade their current pair or introduce them to their first pair of rainboots!
Slippers
A good pair of slippers for your child to wear around the house during the cold winter months - make them extra fun with characters to try and get your kids to actually keep them on their feet!
Toddler Moccasins
These moccasin slippers are great house shoes for your toddler in the winter time!
Furniture
Animal Reading Chair
These animal character reading chairs are the perfect size for your toddler and provide a great spot for them to enjoy their favorite books! The chairs have removable and washable covers and also have pockets on the sides to hold a few books.
Bean Bag Chair
A bean bag chair is another fun seating option for reading your favorite books, watching movies - or just jumping into it off the couch, ‘cuz - toddlers.
Kids’ Table & Chairs Set
this kid’s sized table and chairs would be great for craft times or meals for kids and is a great price!
Play Couch
These play couches can be super versatile and create lots of imaginative play for little kids! They can also be stacked and stored in corners when not in use. You can even get multiple sets to create even more imaginative play. Lots of styles and colors and price points out there.
Portable Blanket Fort
This Tote-a-Fort set includes 3 light-weight blankets with several ways to attach them together and to other objects in your home. Each set also includes 3 bean bags to act as counter weights to hold the blankets over the couch or wherever you use them and also includes a cinch sack for easy clean up, storage, and transportation.
Soft Play Climbing Set
With this soft play climbing set, infants and toddlers can safely learn to climb, crawl and slide on this beginner playtime corner climber; rearrange and build different configurations to stimulate imaginative playtime.
Play Tent
Play tents are always fun to have on hand in playrooms or to set up on rainy days for some imaginative play!
Toddler Air Mattress
This toddler air mattress includes everything you need for your little one's next sleepover. The toddler air mattress with bumpers comes with an electric air pump, pillow, travel bag, and a repair kit.
Games
Animal Memory Game
This zoo animals memory and matching game is a fun way to introduce animals to your kids and each card includes information about each of the animals on the back!
Bean Bag Toss
This bean bag toss set would be super easy to setup indoors or outdoors and helps to promote hand-eye coordination for your toddlers as they attempt to get the bean bags into the holes.
Find & Seek Scavenger Hunt Card Game
This Find and Seek Scavenger Hunt card game would be a fun activity game for the whole family to play both indoors and outdoors. This set includes 35 Find and Seek cards, 2 instruction cards, and 1 drawstring bag making this game perfect for road trips and travel. Take along to the park, the beach, camping, or the backyard.
First Orchard
If the players harvest all the fruit before the raven reaches the orchard, they win together! If the raven gets there first, they lose together. Repetitive play helps teach winning and losing and nurtures little gamers. This classic toddler game has been enjoyed by families for over 30 years. The perfect first board game for 1-4 players ages 2 years and up.
Mr. Bucket Game
This nostalgic game is sure to bring lots of laughter and fun for your toddler as they try to gather and return all of the balls to the bucket, while Mr. Bucket tries to block them and spit the balls back out!
Puzzle Flash Cards
Match the alphabet letters or numbers with the animal picture base on the clue of shape and color. Each alphabet and number flash card has different animal. These letter game can help children to develop eye-hand coordination, color recognition, fine motor skills, visual perception skills, problem-solving skills.
The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game
Perfect for spending quality, unplugged time together as a family, The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game also builds key early learning skills and develops social emotional skills including taking turns, sharing, and winning and losing gracefully. Game for Preschoolers & Toddlers, Gift for Boys & Girls, Ages 3+
Toddler Scavenger Hunt at Home
Another fun scavenger hunt game for toddlers - These easy-to-use cards give toddlers the tools to discover everyday objects in their home and provides you and your child with an exciting at-home activity—no matter the weather.
Wooden Puzzle Set
Designed with the toddler in mind, this wooden puzzle toy is made of high-quality natural wood. This set of wooden puzzles comes with 8 different animals, including a yellow duck, frog, dog, monkey, lion, giraffe, cow, and turtle.
Toys
Baby Doll
We got my son a baby doll like this shortly before his little sister was born and he has loved playing with it! Baby dolls are great for boys and girls and can provide lots of imaginative play.
Camping Set with Tent
This fun pop-up camping tent play set comes with 24 necessary camping accessories including binoculars, oil lamp, gas stove, watch, magnifier, water bottle, cooking pan with pretend foods, 4-in-1 emergency whistle with functions of flashlights, compass, thermometer and pretend camping utensils.
Construction Vehicle Set
Like the real Cat construction machines, this Cat Dump and Loader Combo Pack of toddler toys is built Cat construction tough with sturdy plastic construction so it is an ideal outside toy that your toddler will enjoy for hours on end!
Drill and Learn Toolbox Play Set
This toddler-friendly toolbox includes an electronic fix-it tray, working toy drill, hammer, wrench, nails and screws.
Driving Dashboard
Our son loves this driving dashboard - pretending to drive somewhere with the steering wheel, turning the key in the ignition and pushing all of the various buttons!
Duplo Blocks
These duplo blocks are a great starter to Legos - my son got the excavator and dump truck set for his 3rd birthday and we are planning to add in some other blocks for Christmas this year!
Dyson Vacuum Toy
Another favorite in our house, my son loves to help me “clean” the house with his Dyson vacuum toy!
Flower Garden Building Set
This build-a-bouquet craft kits allow young children to build, match and sort multiple different flowers for their own garden. They can mix and match pieces to create different flowers however they would like.
Forest Animals Stacking Tower
A sweet set of forest animal wooden blocks that toddlers can use to try and stack and see how tall they can build a completely unique tower.
Home Office Play Set
Any toddler will love to pretend to work at home just like mom and dad with this pretend laptop, coffee cup, headset microphone and touchscreen mobile phone.
Jumbo Dinosaur Toy Set
For any dinosaur-loving toddlers, these jumbo dinosaurs would be a BIG hit!
Kids Gardening Set
This wood and metal toy gardening set includes 10 pieces of gardening tools and accessories — there's a hand spade, hand shovel, hand rake, watering can and several stakes with veggie and herb names on them. There's also a canvas bag with handles and pockets included with this set, making it easy for them to tote their tools around the yard while they garden with you.
Kitchen Set
This fun kitchen toy set features a stovetop complete with burners and a sink, while an oven drawer beneath and a microwave lets your youngsters cook up whatever creations they can imagine. It comes fitted with plenty of knobs, handles and buttons for interactive play, and it sports clean lines and a sleek profile that will blend well with other decor in your home.
Kitchen Play Food
Little People
These Little People play sets are the perfect size for toddlers to grip and move around for endless play! I linked some of my favorite Little People play sets below.
Little People Play House
With two floors, multiple rooms, and 360 degrees of interactive play, the Little People Big Helpers Home is loaded with hands-on fun for your little person to explore. While kids move Emma and Jack around the house, multiple Discovery Buttons can bring the action to life with exciting sounds, actions, phrases and songs about helping out around the house, caring for your family, and daily routines!
Magnetic Tiles
These magnetic tiles are great for toddlers with their bright colors and endless opportunities for building!
Magnetic Dinosaurs
These are a bit of a splurge, but would be a fun addition to any magnetic tile set! Especially if you can find them on sale.
Matchbox Cars
My son loves driving his cars (of all sizes) all around the house these days! Matchbox Cars or Hot Wheels would be a great stocking stuffer option for toddlers!
Matchbox Garage Set
This 4-level garage would be lots of fun for all of the new cars and trucks to race around.
Mega Blocks
Mega Blocks are the perfect size for toddler hands and are easy to put together and pull apart for hours of creative building and play.
Mini Monster Trucks
Monster Trucks are another favorite toy for my son these days and this set of colorful monster trucks would be another great stocking stuffer option.
Picture Sorting Box
Playful recognition of colors and shapes is the focus of this simply designed sorting box with colorful fruit and animal motifs. The small tiles are sorted into the box at the right places.
Play Sink
We love this play sink in our house! My toddler enjoys the running water and pretending to wash all of the dishes (and then the floor after all of the water gets all over the kitchen - bonus for mom!)
Pretend Cleaning Set
This colorful, kid-sized set looks just like the real thing and includes a wooden pretend play broom, mop, duster, brush, and organizing stand. The red dustpan conveniently clips into all handles.
Race Car Ramp Tower
Tea Party Set
A complete tea set makes a perfect gift to keep your little ones entertained for hours!
Toy Parachute
This parachute showcases a colorful triangle pattern for a fun look, and helps develop perceptual, cognitive and motor skills for your kids as they play. Once the fun wraps up, simply store it in its carry bag until the next time you're ready to take your kids' outdoor fun to the next level.
Wooden Dollhouse with Furniture
This old-fashioned wooden dollhouse brings a touch of nostalgia to your child's toys! This dollhouse also includes several pieces of furniture that your toddler can use to start decorating the home however they would like.
Wooden Stacking Rocks
Unlike the traditional building blocks, every block is a polyhedron, each different in size, color and weight, making stacking game more challenging so that kids can complete the building process in a whole new way.
Experiences
A trip to the Zoo or Aquarium
Tickets or Memberships to local children’s activities and museums
Children’s Activities and Museums in Lancaster, PA:
Season Passes to local amusement parks
Amusement Parks near Lancaster, PA:
