2021 Holiday Gift Guide: Great Gifts for School-Aged Kids
Looking for gift ideas for your grade-school kids? This holiday gift guide features great gifts for school-aged kids.
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Gifts for School-Aged Kids
In this holiday gift guide for school-aged kids, you’ll find something for everyone.
With a mix of STEM toys, arts and crafts finds, sensory picks, and more, there’s no question your little one will have a magical Christmas morning!
FIND UNIQUE GIFT IDEAS BELOW TOO!
Here are our recommendations for the best gifts for school-age children:
Bikes & More
One of this year’s hottest mobile toys is the Flybar Bumper Car. Built with fun and safety in mind, this kid car performs 360 degree turns, includes exciting flashing LED Lights, and reaches a maximum speed of 1 MPH.
Other favorites include:
- RoyalBaby Kid’s Freestyle Bicycle
- Razor A Kick Scooter for Kids
- Jetson Jupiter Kick Scooter for Kids
- Razor E100 Electric Scooter
STAY SAFE! Protect your child’s noggin with this OutdoorMaster Multi-Sport Helmet.
Dolls
Look for B-kind Dolls to be a gift guide favorite this year!
Other favorites include:
- LOL Surprise Present Surprise Series 2
- Barbie Doll and Animal Rescue Center
- Baby Alive Magical Mixer Baby Doll
- Journey Girls 18″ Doll – Kyla – Amazon Exclusive, by Just Play
- 15″ Realistic Soft Body Baby Doll with Open/Close Eyes
- Barbie Made to Move Doll
- LOL Surprise OMG Bon Bon Family with 45+ Surprises
- Melissa & Doug Mine to Love Jenna 12″ Soft Body Baby Doll With Romper
Building Toys
If there’s one toy that kids never seem to get bored of, it’s a few good sets of building toys. You can never go wrong with the LEGO Classic Medium Creative Brick Box.
Other favorites include:
- Magna-Tiles 100-Piece Clear Colors Set
- Adidas Original Superstar Set by LEGO
- Bristle Blocks
- Straw Constructor STEM Building Toys
Outdoor Climbers & Toys
Encourage plenty of outdoor fun with toys in this adventurous category! One of the most wanted? This Lifetime Geometric Dome Climber Play Center!
Other favorites include:
- Toy Rocket Launcher for kids
- Large Kid’s Castle Play Tent with Star Lights
- The Original AirFort
- Flybar My First Foam Pogo Jumper for Kids
- Crazy Forts
- Bean Bag Toss Game for Kids
- Step-a-Trail 6-Piece Obstacle Course for Kids
- Nerf Command Base Battle Fort by KidKraft
Play Kitchen
We always had a play kitchen for our kids, and it’s now one of our granddaughter’s favorite toys!
There are so many different play kitchens to choose from and plenty of deals to be had during the holiday season. A popular one this year is the KidKraft Ultimate Corner Wooden Play Kitchen with Lights & Sounds. I can definitely see why!
Other favorites include:
- KidKraft Wooden Farm to Table Play Kitchen
- Step2 Fun with Friends Kitchen with Realistic Lights & Sounds
- On a smaller scale, the CUTE STONE Color Changing Kitchen has a real faucet and is even great for outdoor play!
- Or this CUTE STONE Pretend Play Kitchen Toy with Cookware Steam Pressure Pot and Electronic Induction Cooktop
Also, JaxoJoy Complete Kids Cooking and Baking Set is a definite crowd-favorite at our house for playing with pretend food.
Play food and accessories:
- Melissa & Doug Wooden Scoop and Serve Ice Cream Counter
- Learning Resources Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set
- Tovla Jr. Kids Cooking and Baking Gift Set with Storage Case
- iLearn Cutting & Cooking Toy
- Melissa & Doug Food Groups – 21 Hand-Painted Wooden Pieces and 4 Crates
- JaxoJoy 122-Piece Deluxe Pretend Play Food Set Beautiful Toy Food Assortment
- Melissa & Doug Slice and Bake Wooden Cookie Play Food Set
GOLD STANDARD IN CHILDHOOD PLAY
You really can’t go wrong with Melissa & Doug. They have created beautifully designed imagination- and creativity-sparking products that NBC news called “the gold standard in early childhood play.”
GOLD STANDARD IN CHILDHOOD PLAY
You really can’t go wrong with Melissa & Doug. They have created beautifully designed imagination- and creativity-sparking products that NBC news called “the gold standard in early childhood play.”
Role Play
Letting kids role-play is a great way to let them enjoy open-ended play. Using their imagination, and a few props, to develop creative and abstract thought processes.
This cute Click N’ Play 8-Piece Girls Pretend Play Purse is loaded with accessories to encourage imagination! Magic Mixies Magic Cauldron by Moose Toys is also a hot toy this season!
Other favorites include:
- Blue’s Clues & You! Check Up Time Blue
- Learning Resources Pretend & Play Calculator Cash Register
- Click N’ Play Magician Pretend Play Dress Up Set with Accessories
- Melissa & Doug Examine and Treat Pet Vet Play Set
- Kids Camping Set with Tent
- Click n’ Play Doll Salon Chair and Accessories
- Litti City Doctor Kit for Kids
- Disney Princess Enchanting Messages Musical Vanity
Games
Games help children learn several critical thinking and communication skills.
For example, they learn to take turns, how to win, how to lose, and methods of sequencing, as well as how important it is to follow rules.
You can start with the classics, such as Connect 4, UNO, and Jenga.
Other favorites include:
- ThinkFun Gravity Maze Marble Run Brain Game
- Funko Disney It’s a Small World Game
- Hide ‘N Cheek Game
- Noodle Knockout Fine Motor Game
- PokÉmon Surprise Attack Game
- Funkoverse Marvel Strategy Game by Funko
- PokÉmon Trading Card Game: Celebrations Elite Trainer Box
- Stack The Scoops
- Skillmatics Card Game : Guess in 10 Animal Planet
- Bluey – Shadowlands Board Game
TOP FAMILY GAME: Exploding Kittens is a simple card game perfect for all occasions, including a family game night! (ages 7+)
STEM
“STEM-based education teaches children more than science and mathematics concepts. The focus on hands-on learning with real-world applications helps develop a variety of skill sets, including creativity and 21st-century skills.” (invent.org)
STEM favorites include:
- Pixicade Transform Creative Drawings to Animated Playable Kids Games
- Osmo Math Wizard and The Enchanted World Games (for iPad & Fire Tablet)
- NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Break Open 10 Premium Geodes
- Crayola Paper Butterflies Science Kit
- Sillbird STEM 12-in-1 Education Solar Robot Toys
- Creativity for Kids Crystal Space Terrarium Kit
- E-Blox Build Your Own Burp/Fart Machine
- Elenco Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit
- Insect Lore – Butterfly Growing Kit
- LEGO Chain Reactions
- Learning Resources STEM Explorers Magnet Movers
MANY MORE
This category is so important and there are many brands that represent STEM well. You can find many more ideas at NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, Creativity for Kids, KLUTZ, and Learning Resources, to name a few.
MANY MORE
This category is so important and there are many brands that represent STEM well. You can find many more ideas at NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, Creativity for Kids, KLUTZ, and Learning Resources, to name a few.
Arts & Crafts
Arts and crafts help children improve their coordination and fine motor skills, express themselves creatively, inspire critical-thinking skills, and build confidence. Show your child the excitement and nostalgia of the Basic Fun Lite-Brite!
Other favorites include:
- Butter Slime Activity Sets by WeCool
- smART Sketcher Projector
- Creativity for Kids Glow In The Dark Rock Painting Kit
- Nickelodeon Slime Metallic Mixer Studio by Cra-Z-Art
- LCD Writing Tablet 10 Inch Doodle Board
- Play-Doh Modeling Compound 36 Pack Case of Colors
- The Original Spirograph Animator by PlayMonster
- Kinetic Sand The Original Moldable Sensory Play Sand
- Pop-Bead Art and Craft Kits
- Made By Me Create Your Own Window Art
- Rainbow Loom The Original
- Jasonwell Aqua Magic Doodle Mat
- Lulu Jr. Illustory Book Making Kit
HURRY ON THIS ONE! Grab the The Crazy Scientist Advent Calendar – 24 Cool Science Experiments to countdown to Christmas by opening a new door each day to discover a new arts & crafts activity!
Education and Learning Toys
The best way for children to learn sometimes is through play. Having a tangible item to engage with or repetitive teaching to memorize, tech and learning toys are great for preschoolers. Coding Critters Magicoders is the hottest tech toy this year!
Other favorites include:
- Just Smarty Interactive ABCs and 123s Learning Poster
- Wooden Stacking Dinosaur Block Toys
- Learning Resources Pretend & Play, Play Money for Kids
- SmartLab Toys Squishy Human Body
- Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot
- Learning Resources MathLink Cubes
- Jumbo Dino Egg
- AmScope 120X-1200X 52-pcs Kids Beginner Microscope
Tech Toys
Moji the Lovable Labradoodle by Skyrocket is already a hit for kids in this age group! Don’t miss out on grabbing this one soon!
Other favorites include:
- Kidizoom Print Cam by VTech
- Little Tikes Tobi 2 Interactive Karaoke Machine
- Toniebox Audio Player Starter Set with Nap Time
- Pizza Co Game from Osmo (for iPad and Fire Tablet)
- Kidizoom Smartwatch Dx3
- Educational Insights Artie 3000 The Coding Robot: Drawing Robot
Just for Fun
Sometimes toys are just for fun! Some toys, such as the crazy popular Globbles, fit in this category best of all.
Other favorites include:
- Pop It! XL The Jumbo Never-Ending Bubble Popping Fidget and Sensory Game
- Got2Glow Fairy Finder by WowWee
- 5 Surprise Toy Mini Brands by Zuru
- My Squishy Little Dumplings by WowWee
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles VS. Cobra Kai Action Figures by Playmates Toys
- Rainbocorns Talkin’ Jelly Shake Surprise by Zuru
- Squishville Minis and Fifi’s Cottage by Jazwares
Books
As an avid reader, I always think books make great gifts for kids. They don’t take up space, are educational and there are so many fun titles to enjoy.
Here are some of our favorites books for school-age kids:
Time for School, Little Blue Truck || Magic Tree House Boxed Set || Junie B. Jones’s First Boxed Set Ever! || Where the Sidewalk Ends Special Edition || Inside Out and Back Again || A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story || Our Class is a Family || A Little SPOT of Emotion 8 Book Box Set || What Should Danny Do? School Day || The Invisible String || The Book With No Pictures
HOLIDAY BOOKS: For holiday-specific book recommendations for kids, click here.
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