I am not a parent, but as a full time aunt who buys gifts for 12 kiddos every holiday season, I know a thing or two about the toy aisle. Here’s a few of my personal winners.
Raddish Kids subscription
This fun subscription box includes monthly recipes and kitchen tools designed to build culinary skills in kids ages four to 14. Single kits and monthly memberships start at $24. You can add an apron to your cart—each kit comes with an iron-on patch—or you can pick up a personalized one from Etsy for only $13.
Custom pillows
Katie Brenn recently became a full-time creator, which is good news for all of us. Keep an eye on her Instagram for details on how to order. Her pillows start around $175, and she’ll work with you to create something completely unique.
Personalized crayons
During the bleak pandemic winter last year, I was thrilled to find these colorful, personalized crayons to spice up the many hours of indoor art time. Each letter is about 1.5-inch wide, which makes them easy to hold. The set starts at $16, and the price increases with each additional letter—sorry to all the Penelopes and Jonathans out there!
State rattles
Bannor Toys’ state rattles ($20) are such a cute way to add a bit of personalization for the youngest ones on your shopping list. You can customize the colors to their favorite colors or those of the state’s sports team—I ordered two Missouri rattles, one in the colors of the Missouri Tigers and one for the Kansas City Chiefs. The rattles are organic, made from solid hardwood cherry and a mix of flaxseed oil and locally grown beeswax. You can add laser engraving for an additional cost.
Hopper ball
Help those kids get rid of all that pent up energy with an emoji-designed hopper ball. It comes in four sizes, and all are under $30.
Roshambo shades
Is there anything cuter than a baby in sunglasses? I love Roshambo because they offer virtually unbreakable sunglasses for even the smallest of babes, and they come in a bunch of fun colors and polarization options. The shades start at $20.
Create your own comic book
Made Modern has a ton of great art bundles, but one of my favorites is their comic book kit ($20). Created for kids age six and up, the kit comes with blank books, washable markers, stencil templates, rubber stamps, foam ink pads, and a storage box.
Snack containers
If you’ve met a child, you know they want one thing: snacks. Whiskware has a line of themed snack containers ($14) with three compartments in one, and you can grab them in many fan-favorite designs like Harry Potter, Marvel, Star Wars, robots and animals, and solid colors.
Books
And last but not least: My nieces and nephew get a book with every single gift. A few of my favorites: the Alphabet Legends series ($25); An Anthology of Intriguing Animals ($13); Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave ($12); How To Be A Pirate ($16); Tacos!: An Interactive Recipe Book ($20); We Don’t Eat Our Classmates ($10); and Stir Crack Whisk Bake ($8).