We Answered Your Hyperspecific Kid-Gifting Questions (original) (raw)

By ,a senior writer at the Strategist covering kids’ toys and men’s style. She joined the Strategist in 2019. She is a former writer for GQ and an accomplished illustrator.

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers

In our semi-regular advice column “Ask the Strategist,” we answer your most burning shopping questions by surveying friends, calling up experts, and drawing on our extensive personal experience with shopping for very specific stuff. This time around, because buying holiday gifts for kids is often a lot harder than it sounds, we invited you to send in your most challenging and specific kid-gifting questions, and you did not disappoint.

Below, I’ve done my best to find the most delightful toys, books, tech, and more tailored to each of the children in question. But if you’re still looking for inspiration, we have gift guides for 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 11-year-olds, and 12-year-olds — plus the Strategist Toy Store, filled with all our greatest hits.

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I too have an almost-3-year-old, and my first thought after reading your question was the Hape Monster Math Scale that I have been thinking about buying for him as a birthday gift. It’s a variation on a classic toy that helps kids understand comparisons like bigger and smaller or heavier and lighter. It also challenges them to balance the scales by adding multiple small pieces on one side to equal one or two larger pieces on the other side. This one has the added fun of a one-eyed monster who looks in the direction of the heavier load.

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But since you mentioned not wanting plastic, there are also nice scales you can get that are made of wood. Some have two scales, and some have just one scale like you would see at the grocery store, which would make for a nice addition to any play kitchen.

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For this question, I went back in time to find other creepy-cute monsters that predate Labubu and likely inspired the artist who created Labubu, Kasing Lung. Tove Jansson’s Moomins are adorable and weird and currently having a moment thanks to social media and a show at the Brooklyn Public Library. There are lots of plush and even blind-box keychains, but I’d start with a picture book because that was Jansson’s medium of choice. This book introduces young readers to the cast of Moomin characters through brightly colored illustrations and clever cutouts.

You could also get her a puzzle with the characters from Where the Wild Things Are, featuring Max and two very Labubu-esque monsters. Or for a more modern pick, a cheerful pink axolotl stuffed animal — the weird animal of choice for many elementary-school kids. And if you think she’d like the sensory element of a weighted stuffie, you can heat up this yeti from Warmies in the microwave for extra comfort. (You didn’t mention whether she already has a Labubu, but if she does, some clothing or accessories for dressing it up will likely go over quite well.)

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Your daughter reminds me of me — I was very into playing with my American Girl Molly doll way past when I thought I should be. I also loved creating tiny rooms in my desk drawers using dollhouse accessories, colorful erasers, and whatever else I had around. I would have loved a set of Calico Critters back then; they’ve been around for decades, but the cute animal families, like this set of penguins, are much more popular these days, even with young adults — and therefore recognized as cool rather than babyish.

If your daughter is into building worlds like I was, she might like one of these Suite Spaces sets or Miniverse Make It Mini Spaces that let kids construct miniature rooms and shops with magic reveal wallpaper, furniture, stickers, and other bits and bobs. You could also get her a couple of blind-box toys like Miffy in different rooms or a Pusheen blind box with different adorable fruit plushies.

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Does she have a Kindle? If not, that would be a fantastic gift, especially if you add on a Kindle Unlimited subscription or an Audible subscription so she can listen to audiobooks too. Anyway magazine, which is aimed at tweens and teens from ages 9 to 15, would also be a good subscription gift. As far as wanting to look cool in front of peers, I’d suggest a Shark Watch and/or one of the hoodies from Strategist tween and teen correspondent Bella Druckman’s investigation into the sweatshirts that teen girls actually want.

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My son is a car and train guy, but sometimes I get tired of doing the voice of a pickup truck or pushing a locomotive around its wooden track over and over. So I am very curious about this toddler-size working traffic light that I keep seeing on Boy Mom Instagram. It basically takes the place of a parent yelling “red light, green light” and gives kids the satisfaction of hitting a big button to turn the light cycle on or off. But it’s also got lots of pretend-play potential and would look cute in a bedroom or playroom.

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Another idea: I have written about this windup train book before (there are also car, tractor, fire-engine, and digger variations), and I am pleased to report that it’s still a hit in my house. It’s a favorite at bedtime and more recently during quiet time in the absence of naps. My son doesn’t use the train anymore; he just traces the tracks with his finger, which has a visible calming effect on us both.

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I know you said he has all the LEGO stuff already. But if he doesn’t have this build-your-own mini-figure vending machine, you should definitely get it for him. I am not a LEGO person, and I want it for myself. Plus, vending machines are hot right now and it’s something that he could share with family and friends.

I also love LEGO room décor, like this brick nightlight, because a lot of it is surprisingly nice-looking and doesn’t read too “young.” For books, if he hasn’t already burned through Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, the box set would be a nice gift — it’s a contemporary story based on Greek mythology that appeals to many Harry Potter kids. Roshani Chokshi’s Aru Shah series, with a title character who happens to be 12 years old, is also in this vein, but it’s based on Hindu mythology (and it’s explicitly endorsed by Riordan, so it has his stamp of approval).

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Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with a nice pair of wireless headphones. They are great for podcasts and audiobooks or just to drown out parents. We’ve heard about this pair of Beats from multiple teen boys, and they are currently on sale.

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The Greeking Out podcast has come up a lot this year in the Strategist parents’ Slack conversations as a fourth- and fifth-grade favorite. But did you know there are also Greeking Out books with vibrant illustrations and stories told in the same tongue-in-cheek tone as the podcast? If your daughter is already a fan of both the podcast and the books, you could get her a Greek-mythology coloring book or a book that teaches kids how to draw ancient Greek stuff like winged horses and Medusa. Then all she needs is a new set of fancy Prismacolor colored pencils. I’d also look at D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths and check out DK Publishing’s extensive collection of gorgeous anthologies, which cover all sorts of subjects she might be interested in, from Norse and Egyptian myths to The Secret World of Plants and The Mysteries of the Universe.

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So much of the Sonic merch available online is low-quality and not very nice-looking. But H&M has a surprisingly stylish Sonic collection — I like this matching sweatshirt-and-sweatpants combo best, or there are socks, underwear, and costumes. You could also get him a coloring book and activity set from Crayola that comes with Pip-Squeak markers, stickers, and coloring pages featuring Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Shadow. For something more generally superhero-focused, you could get him one of the custom superhero capes from our guide to the best gifts for 4-year-olds.

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How about some age-appropriate books about tech? You could get him a book about awesome inventions like the X-ray and superglue that were actually born out of accidents. Or you could get him a graphic novel that tells the story of the inventor of the video game. If that seems boring, you could get him a Rubik’s gravity maze or a Perplexus, which are both puzzle balls with a metal marble inside that you have to guide through a series of obstacles. Or Strategist tech writer Jordan McMahon suggests this fun miniature TV that can actually play videos and full-length movies.

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Not sure why, but the phrase “sassy 7-year-old girl” made me think of Shrinky Dinks. There are lots of kits with pre-drawn designs for keychains or charms. But I like the idea of getting her blank sheets of Shrinky Dink paper and a set of paint markers so she can come up with her own creations.

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Whatever kids are into, no matter how niche the obsession, Playmobil makes a building set to match. So I knew it would have a zoo play set before I even typed the words into search. But it’s even better than I expected: The 215-piece set has a giraffe and a penguin exhibit as well as six human figures, a zoo shop with balloons and maps, a viewing walkway with a telescope, and tons of zookeeper accessories. Playmobil also makes small sets of animal families that would be perfect additions to the zoo. You might also consider a subscription to Ranger Rick or Zoobooks magazine.

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She probably already owns some sparkly Elsa, Ariel, Cinderella, Belle, Tiana, or Moana dresses. So this more subtle Disney princess dress from Hanna Andersson is a nice change. It has an almost 100 percent cotton bodice, which is rare for this kind of dress, and looks less like a costume. So it’s easier to wear casually, or to a holiday gathering, while still aligning with her royal tastes.

As far as rainbows go, there’s nothing better than a Sarah’s Silks mini streamer wand. It’s portable and gives a lovely flutter when waved side to side, making it ideal for dance parties and turning dolls into frogs. I’d also consider Battat’s rainbow balance beam for some active gross-motor practice. I love that it’s affordable, lightweight, and packable, so you don’t need a big playroom or yard to enjoy it. Lastly, this four-pack of Melissa & Doug reusable sticker pads — the included themes are fairies, castles, ballet, and playhouse — are a favorite among Strategist parents, especially for keeping kids busy while traveling.

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For tween- and teen-friendly skin care that isn’t too expensive, try the brands Bubble and Byoma, which both come in really colorful packaging and have a lot of fun gift sets out right now. Or choose something from Sincerely Yours, a buzzy new brand that just launched in September, or established favorite Sol de Janeiro. For nail stuff, the brand Olive & June has high-quality press-ons and fun stickers and gems. On the fashion front, Strategist writer Kitty Guo recently told me about Mildew magazine, which focuses on secondhand fashion. And for crafts, since they’re a little older, I’d recommend kits that require a bit more focus and skill — in addition to more advanced jewelry-making, I’d try this lanyard-making starter set from Klutz, one of the the Woobles’ beginner crochet kits, or, if they’re especially dextrous, Rolife’s intricate book nooks.

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The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

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