Almost two years ago our family moved across the country from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest. Due to the dramatic change in cost of living from one to the other, we knew we would need to cut our home size in half. (Yikes!) With five kids, it was a bit painful. Yet, also beautiful, because we made a conscious decision to live with less.
Since then we have been sorting and prioritizing our possessions. Through this process we determined what we really need. With the holidays approaching we wanted to share some of our favorite toys—the ones that have been lugged from one place to another and that always seem to get pulled out.
Kids love toys and it’s always fun to unwrap something special, but we also want to emphasize that some of our favorite gifts have been experiences. One Christmas the kids received one gift and Santa filled their stockings and we took a special trip instead. This was one of our best Christmases because we had so much time to focus on one another.
Whatever you gifts you give, remember that kids really just want a mom or dad that isn’t stressed out and who can spend time with them. (I have to tell myself this every year!) I hope this list helps you stress less and find some gifts that will stand the test of time.
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Our Favorite Games
Telestrations
Like the game of telephone, but you draw instead of talk. We have laughed SO hard playing this game. We have the 8-person party pack.
Codenames
This one is great for older kids. We also have the Harry Potter version, which is also fun, but you have to really be into Harry Potter to enjoy it. It is a little more difficult than the regular version, but our older kids like it!
Sleeping Queens
Always a favorite for the whole family!
Catch Phrase
We’ve been playing this for years! Technically this game does have a screen, but it only displays a word. 🙂 This is an easy game to take when we travel and is a lot of fun to play in a group!
Mancala
The kids couldn’t believe I left this one off the list the first time around. This is a great one to pull out when two kids are bored. We have a different version than this that we bought at our local toy store, but this folding board looks great!
Family Initiation Gifts
Mighty Bright Rechargeable Book Light
These get used every night! We later upgraded to the rechargable ones so we don’t have to replace batteries every few weeks.
Water Bottle
A water bottle. CamelBak when they were little (they have the BEST designs!) and now the older kids all like their Hydro Flasks.
Mark-My-Time Digital Bookmark
It seemed our kids always need (or want) to keep track of reading time for either school or library reading programs. 🙂 We have used and loved this timer bookmark for YEARS!!!
Just for Fun & Unique Gifts
Wooden Secret Decoder
This Wooden Secret Decoder Disk on Etsy is now discontinued. 🙁 But you can grab something similar on Amazon here. If you were to sit by us during church services over the years, you might see Tyler creating secret codes for the kids to decipher. SO FUN.
4D Animal Puzzles
They no longer make the 4D animal sets we have (ours are from Mindware), but these ones are pretty close! They have all different animal sets and they’ve kept my kids occupied for looooong stretches! These are such a fun challenge for young brains and hands!
Outdoor Time
Trampoline
Our trampoline has been a backyard staple for our kids for years! we’ve It’s provided hours of entertainment and exercise. Sometimes it’s a fort, a waterpark, or a favorite place to stargaze.
We have a 14 ft. trampoline from JumpSport, which is no longer on Amazon, but this one is similar!
Saucer Tree Swing
If you are short on space or don’t want to invest in a full swing set, our kids have LOVED this swing. We often find two kids swinging in it together!
Plasma Car
If you live in place with a lot of sidewalk or an unfinished basement, our kids have all loved this PlasmaCar! We purchased ours in 2011 and has by far been one of the best kid purchases we ever made.
When You Have to Wait
MindWare Imagination Magnets
So well built and a hidden gem! Kids use the magnets and cards to build shapes. This case is a bit heavy, but easy to carry and worth it! We’ve had this set for years. I’ve taken it to Parent/Teacher Conferences, the doctor and parent meetings at the school to keep the kids occupied for long stretches. 🙂
Tangoes Jr. - Portable
Same idea as above, but more portable and with more basic shapes. (Better for little ones!) Our kids have loved this over the years!
Origami Paper
Oragami paper comes in fun colors and patters, and is cut into squares. This is a great pack.
Toddler and Preschool Age
Quick Sticks
Basically paint in a stick (like a glue stick). These are so fun for little hands! They’ve been a favorite for a few years.
Play-doh Starter Set
This looks a little different than when I bought it years ago, but it is very similar. It comes in a fun bag with some great tools. I know play-dough seems so obvious, but it really is the gift that keeps on giving. Just ignore the mess for awhile!
Tinkertoy
A classic and still just as great!
CD Player
A few of our kids have loved books on CD during quiet time in the afternoon. The CD player we have is no longer available, but it is similar to this one. It’s easy for preschoolers to use independently once you show them how.
Books on CD
Scholastic often sells bundles of books with CD’s and the Disney ones are always great options as well.
Doctor Kit
We have this exact one and it’s lasted through years and years of play. I’ve played along with the kids with this kit many times. 😉
Books on CD
A Stroller and a Baby
KID K'NEX
Quality Puppets
Elementary Age
Legos
I know it’s an obvious one, but it’s amazing the amount of miles you can get on a basic lego set.
Regular K'nex
Great for learning how to problem solve and put things together.
Digging Kit
Any kind of digging kit. Our kids have loved several of these!
Ravensburger Puzzles
These German-made puzzles are awesome! We have quite a few. I recommend searching Amazon for something your child is interested in along with “Ravensburger puzzle” and you may just find a great fit. The 100 piece puzzles are a good number of pieces for this age.
Zoob
Kind of strange looking, but kids can get really creative with these! The other day one of our kids made a purse out of them.
Containers for Slime
Get the kids the parts required to make slime. Our kids loved this family gift last year.
Glue for Slime
Making slime requires a lot of glue. Ours is almost gone!
Anything Playmobile
Magna-Tiles
Snap Circuits
Middle Schoolers
Ping Pong
Bop It
Thinking Putty
Mini Quadcopter Drone
Gator Skin Dodgeballs
Art supplies. Think hand-lettering books, journals, fancy pens, paintbrushes…these are some items our daughter likes. (You could find more manly versions for a young man!)
Brush Pens
These markers act almost like paint brushes, but without the mess.
Fine Tip Markers
These markers are for the detail work.
Gel Pens
These pens lay down a lovely thick line of brilliant color. Sometimes even with glitter!
Instruction Books
A bit of guidance can help a lot when learning to draw. This lettering book teaches you to write with style!
Books are a favorite for all ages, but I feel like this is an age when kids sometimes start to read less. Ask your teen what topics they are interested in and find some books to spark their interest in learning more!
Decor for his or her bedroom. Check out Etsy for unique ideas!
Experiences. Recently our teen wanted to take her friends to an escape room and they had a lot of fun! As kids get older they might prefer a gift certificate to go do something with friends or family.
Any suggestions on gifts for high-schoolers? We’ll be there next year! 🙂
I hope these suggestions help you with your gift-giving this year. Let us know what toys make your list!