The 25 best gifts that kids actually want
If you’re ready to get your Holiday shopping underway, but you’re not sure what to buy for all the kids on your list, we’ve got you covered. From the hottest new toys out this year to old favorites from years past, we tested everything to ensure that every item on our list is something kids will actually want, from toddlers to pre-teens.
Whether you’ve got a baby still in diapers or just a teenager who acts like a baby, you’ll find something for everyone on this list. These are the best gifts for kids of 2019, according to Reviewed:
1. For ages 0-10: A monthly book subscription
Gifts for Kids 2019: Bookroo (Photo: Bookroo)
Encourage your child’s love of reading with a book club subscription from Bookroo. Recommended for kids ages 0 to 10, Bookroo delivers hand-picked books right to your door every month. Choose the appropriate club for your particular kid—board books, picture books, or chapter books—and get ready to explore a whole new world of children’s literature.
2. For a 6-month-old: A talking cookie jar
Gifts for kids 2019: Count and Learn Cookie Jar (Photo: Learning Journey)
Want to raise a math whiz? Start your baby on the path to counting with the Learning Journey Counting Cookie Jar. The adorable red cookie jar comes with 10 chocolate chip “cookies” and two different modes of play that introduce counting and numbers (plus it has a really funny little voice). A great choice for babies as young as six months, this cookie jar will keep them laughing—and learning—until about age 2.
3. For a 9-month-old: Cars that zoom
Gifts for Kids 2019: Melissa & Doug Pull-Back Vehicles (Photo: Melissa & Doug)
Many of the toys marketed to babies are really boring, but not so this set of Melissa & Doug Pull-back Vehicles. What makes these soft cars and trucks so fun is that you can rev-up the wheels and race them around the house. The set includes a school bus, car, fire truck, and police car, and our Executive Editor, Core Content, TJ Donegan, is a fan because they go fast, don’t make a lot of noise, and don’t damage walls or furniture.
4. For a 12-month-old: A big bag of giant blocks
Gifts for Kids 2019: Mega Blocks (Photo: Mega Brands)
Building blocks are a great way to encourage small motor coordination, but classic wooden blocks can be heavy for little hands. Mega Blocks are made from colorful, lightweight plastic, and can be clicked together to build tall towers and other structures. This set includes 80 blocks—some with curved shapes—as well as a zippered bag for easy clean-up and storage.
5. For an 18-month-old: A zoo play set
Gifts for Kids 2019: PlayMobil Zoo (Photo: PlayMobil)
Little ones who love nothing more than a trip to the zoo will be thrilled with PlayMobil’s new Zoo Set. Sized just right for toddlers, the brightly-colored set features monkeys who swing from trees, a penguin slide, and enclosures to keep the wild animals away from the human visitors. Expand the fun and purchase the Lion Enclosure, which can be connected to the zoo set for more wild-animal playtime.
6. For a 2-year-old: Their very own ball pit
Gifts for Kids 2019: Kiddzery Play Tent Pop-up Ball Pit (Photo: Kiddzery)
If you’ve spent any time at indoor playgrounds you know that the ball pit is the hot spot for the toddler set, but it’s also a cess pool of germs. You can create your very own— less germy—version at home with a Play Tent and Pop-up ball pit. Toddlers and pre-walkers will love exploring the two tunnels, and it comes with a carrying case so you can fold it up and store it when not in use. One thing worth noting: The balls have to be purchased separately and come in batches of 200.
7. For a 2-year-old: An indoor bowling set
Gifts for Kids 2019: Crate and Kids Bowling Set (Photo: Crate and Kids)
The long winter months can be torture for kids who prefer life on the sports field. Keep your tiny sports fan entertained during snow days with an Indoor Bowling Set. The pins and ball are made out of rubber, so you won’t have to suffer through the cacophony of crashing bowling pins, and it comes with a pin set-up template as well as a see-through plastic backpack so the game can easily be transported out to the lawn once the weather turns.
8. For a 3-year-old: Alphabet robots
Gifts for Kids 2019: Alphabots (Photo: Lakeshore)
Learning to read and spell can be fun—especially if your child has a set of Alpha-Bots. With just a few twists and turns, the large plastic upper-case letters easily transform into action-figure robots. Ideal for children ages 3 to 5, the Alpha-Bots are a great way for kids to learn while they play.
9. For a 4-year-old: An ice cream play set
Gifts for kids 2019: Melissa & Doug Scoop Shop (Photo: Melissa & Doug)
Take their imaginative play to a delicious new level with the Melissa & Doug Wooden Scoop & Serve Ice Cream Counter. The self-contained set has everything your children need to run their very own scoop shop, including eight different flavors of ice cream, six toppings, two cones, a cup, ice cream scooper, tongs, wooden spoon, and even six pretend $1 bills. We’ve had this set for years and it still engages my 7-year-old for long periods of play.
10. For a 4-year-old: A giant Hatchimal
Gifts for Kids 2019: Hatchimals Wow (Photo: Hatchimals)
Hatchimals have been all the rage for a few years now, but the new Wow version is sure to impress even the most jaded toy connoisseur. The new Hatchimal Wow can be hatched over and over and over again, and the giant furry “llacorn” grows to 32 inches tall. With over 250 interactive sounds and reactions, the Hatchimal Wow has become the star of our family dance parties.
11. For a 5-year-old: A Rainbocorn
Gifts for Kids 2019: Rainbocorns (Photo: Rainbocorns)
Surprise toys may be all the rage this season, but If you want something that’s more than a one-trick wonder, opt for a Rainbocorn Sequin Surprise. The adorable stuffed animals arrive in a giant plastic egg, and once they “hatch” you’ll discover loads of surprises inside. The one my daughter got came with a cute unicorn headband, two ribbon hair clips, a charm bracelet, glitter, stickers, and three smaller eggs filled with mini unicorns. Plus the detachable heart can be clipped on to a backpack and has flippable sequins.
12. For a 5-year-old: A toy that goes anywhere
Gifts for Kids 2019: Pixie Belles (Photo: Reviewed / Lisa Lawrence)
Pixie Belles are the ultimate take-along toy thanks to the magnetic power pods that enable kids to wear them on their clothing. Sure to be the in-demand tween accessory this Holiday season, Pixie Belles come with interchangeable wearable tails so that kids can use them as bracelets, hair bands, or keychains. The interactive creatures spin around, light-up, and even have a Pixie power dance mode so kids can break out their best moves anywhere they go.
13. For a 6-year-old: Smarter screen time
Gifts for Kids 2019: Osmo Genius Starter Kit (Photo: Osmo)
Osmo blends digital games with a physical component for a very cool, interactive experience. The Osmo Genius Starter Kit comes with a everything your child needs in order to play five different mind-bending games, including Tangram, Masterpiece, and Newton. My kids love playing Tangrams, and I appreciate that it’s not just mindless screen time.
14. For a 6-year-old: Collectible bracelets to share with friends
Gifts for Kids 2019: Lucky Fortune Bracelets (Photo: WowWe)
“Blind bag” toys have been all the rage for the last few years, and Lucky Fortune blind collectible bracelets are the newest entry into the marketplace. Kids will love cracking open the plastic fortune cookie, inside of which they’ll discover a fortune and a collectible charm bracelet. There are 100 charms to collect in all, including a rare gold-dipped four leaf clover.
15. For a 7-year-old: A toy with endless possibilities
Gifts for kids 2019: ZOOB (Photo: ZOOB)
Kids who love to build and create will love the ZOOB Mind-Building Modeling System. What sets ZOOBs apart from other building toys is that the pieces include gears, axels and joints that snap together, thereby enabling kids to move and rotate whatever it is that they build. ZOOBs have been a favorite toy in our house for years, and we’re planning to add to our collection this holiday season with a Creepy Glow Creatures add-on set.
16. For a 7-year-old: A rollercoaster they can build
Gifts for Kids 2019: K’nex Dragon Revenge Thrill Coaster (Photo: K’nex)
K’nex has always been a great choice for kids who love to build, but the new Dragon’s Revenge Thrill Coaster is another level of engineering fun. Little engineers can build their very own working roller coaster that features a drawbridge entrance, a light-up coaster car, and a ferocious dragon that flaps its wings. Best for ages 9 and up, this K’nex creation will provide thrills—and entertainment—for hours on end.
17. For an 8-year-old: A gravity-powered marble run
Gifts for Kids 2019: Gravitrax (Photo: Reviewed / Lisa Lawrence)
Science-minded kids ages 8 and up will go gaga over GraviTrax, a super cool kit that enables them to design and build their own marble runs. There are no electronics here, just plain old science in the form of gravity, magnetism, and kinetics. Kids will spend hours designing different track systems to discover which is the fastest. The starter kit includes over 100 pieces and 18 different construction elements, including junctions and a magnetic cannon. Additional add-on sets can be purchased to create even longer marble runs, and make great gifts for future birthdays and holidays.
18. For an 8-year-old: An old school instant camera
Gifts for Kids 2019: Fujifilm Instax Mini Cam (Photo: Abesons)
If your child is rocking the ’90’s fashion VSCO girl outfit, complete their look with the OG iPhone camera, a Fujifilm Instax. This kit comes with everything your budding photog needs to create old school instant photos, including film, a special selfie filter, and cute sticker borders. Tweens and teens will love layering on the jelly bracelets, putting scrunchies in their hair, and documenting all of their antics on their new old-school instant camera.
19. For a 9-year-old: Digital Hot Wheels
Gifts for Kids 2019: Hot Wheels id (Photo: Hot Wheels id)
Even Hot Wheels has gone digital this year, with their new “id” line. Kids can scan their cars—and race them—using the Hot Wheels id digital app. The app tracks car performance and enables kids to adjust their track design accordingly. This set includes everything they need to get started, plus two exclusive Hot Wheels id cars.
20. For a 9-year-old: The best kids headphones
Gifts for Kids 2019: Puro Sound Labs Headphones (Photo: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar)
Between the long battery life and comfortable over the ear fit, the Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet headphones have a lot to offer. After testing all the top options, we named Puro’s noise cancelling headphones the best headphones for kids for those features as well as their consistent ability to play only at safe levels for developing ears.
But you should note that while they should fit elementary-aged kids just fine, they’re a little big for toddler-sized ears. They’re also a little pricier than most kid headphones. If you’re on a tight budget, the Sakar Hello Kitty Headphones are our top choice for best value kids headphones, as they’re still safe for little ears but typically cost under $20 and have fun, popular designs.
21. For a 10-year-old: A top-rated nerf gun
Gifts for Kids 2019: Zombie Strike Hammershot (Photo: Nerf)
Give your kid the competitive advantage with one of our favorite Nerf guns, the Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot. Whether they like to shoot targets or battle it out with their friends, the Hammershot will give them the winning advantage—and it’s tons of fun. Both of my kids gave this one high marks, and the adults on our staff loved it too.
22. For tweens: A kid-friendly Amazon Fire tablet
Gifts for kids 2019: Kindle Fire 8 for kids (Photo: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar)
The Amazon Fire 8 Kids edition is our favorite tablet for kids, thanks to how easy it is to set-up and use. It also comes with plenty of pre-installed apps and videos so that you won’t be forced to spend your entire Holiday break downloading—and purchasing—a boat load of games for your kid.The Fire 8 Kids Edition also comes with Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which provides access to more than 13,000 age-appropriate games, apps, videos and books.
23. For teens: A portable speaker
Gifts for Kids 2019: Anker Soundcore2 (Photo: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser)
The teens on your shopping list will appreciate the gift of a great portable speaker so that they can take their tunes with them anywhere. The Anker Soundcore2 offers outstanding sound quality, it comes in a variety of colors, and it’s even partially waterproof so it can likely survive whatever shenanigans your teen gets themselves into.
24. For kids of all ages: Kiwi Crate
Gifts for Kids 2019: Kiwi Crate (Photo: Kiwi Co)
A subscription to Kiwi Crate is the gift that keeps on giving long after the excitement of the Holidays has waned. Whether you have a toddler or a teenager, Kiwi has a box that’s designed just for them. While pre-readers will need some adult assistance to follow the directions, the projects included in each box are fun, creative, and educational. My kids loved their recent human body-themed Kiwi crate, and Editor in Chief David Kender’s son is also a fan.
25. For family game night: A fun new board game
Gifts for kids 2019: Bugs in the Kitchen (Photo: Reviewed / Lisa Lawrence)
Looking for a new contender for your favorite board game? Bugs in the Kitchen is loads of fun for all ages. Guide the battery operated bug into your “trap” by strategically adjusting the utensil maze. The fast-moving game is entertaining for children ages 5 and up, and once it’s set-up doesn’t require any reading so that kids can even play it by themselves.
