A Toy Reviewer’s Guide to the Best Holiday Gifts for 9-Year-Olds

Mad Libs give fourth-graders a safe outlet for their silliest and most disgusting gross-out humor while sneakily helping them practice grammar. And now you can find themed versions for just about any interest or obsession, fromWednesdaytoStranger ThingstoStar Wars.

I often feel like I never outgrew my own 9-year-old self — and she would have loved this shimmering mini watercolor set. It’s about the size of a small postcard, so it’s easy to stick in a backpack pocket and is great for travel.

A quality mixed-media pad is essential for kids who like to draw and paint with a variety of materials. This one has perforations at the edge so you can remove each sheet without tearing it.

Whether they’re drawing, journaling, or just color-coding their school assignments, this set of pastel dual-tip markers will add some flair to their work.One end has a fine point for precise detailing, and the other has a bold chisel tip for filling in large areas and creating thicker lines.

Books that teach realistic drawing techniques are a creative gold mine, especially if they concentrate on cute animals. This one from eeboo shows young artists the basics of animal anatomy with tips and tricks for sketching different species.

Senior editor Winnie Yang’s tween daughter has this book that teaches kids how to make lanyards, keychains, and bracelets using a variety of stitches. It comes with eight colors of cord, pony beads, metal clips, key rings, and charms so young crafters can get started right away.

While strolling the massive aisles at theNew York Toy Fair, I was particularly transfixed by this exaggerated but realistic remote-control fly that can climb walls and cling to ceilings thanks to a strong suction mechanism — though you can also switch it to floor mode and use it like a regular remote-control toy. It will definitely appeal 9-year-olds who are obsessed with “gross” stuff like bugs, disease, and bodily functions.

The House Ball has a soft fabric-like exterior and a shock-absorbing foam core that lets kids play indoors without scuffing walls or causing too much ruckus. (Note that it’s still fairly solid, though, so keep it away from breakables.)

Thames & Kosmos consistently delivers some of the best STEM toys for elementary-school kids, including this race car that’s powered by air. Kids build the vehicle themselves and then use the included air pump to make it drive as fast as 13 feet per second.

This doodad clips onto most doorways to let kids play a table-free version of of ping-pong. The length of the string can be adjusted, and it’s fun to play with alone or in pairs.

Kids this age have big emotions that can be tricky to regulate. Natalie Williams, director of education at the Miami Children’s Museum, says activities like painting can help relax and redirect their emotional energy. “Art, water, and paint bring a sense of relaxation and allow you to open up.” The meditative and virtually mess-free Buddha Board sets up in under a minute: all you have to do is fill the reservoir with water, dip in the bamboo paintbrush, and create whatever comes to mind on the painting board. After a few seconds, the picture gently fades away, so your young artist can start all over again.

Maya Smart, a mom and author ofReading for Our Lives,says this dice game combines rapid number recognition with “silly competitiveness” to make learning fun: “For 9-year-olds, numerous variations on the game can build in meaningful math practice without the boredom of worksheets.” To start the game, each player grabs a set of ten dice and everyone rolls their whole set at once. The objective is for all of your dice to eventually land on the same number. Kids will have to quickly identify the number they want to keep rolling and try to be the first player to get a matched set of ten.

Yang recommends this “levers, linkages, and structures” kit — as well as abridge-building kitfrom the same brand — that she bought as birthday gifts for her daughter’s friends. They are wonderful entry points to learning about physics and include the necessary parts and instructions for a seesaw, a catapult, a wheelbarrow, a parking gate, a crane, and a swing.

For young foodies with a sweet tooth, an ice-cream-maker is a phenomenal gift — even in the middle of winter. This one from Cuisinart was named ourbest (less expensive) ice-cream-makerbecause it’s a workhorse that is also user-friendly.

After completing this 1,092-piece building set, kids end up with a jumbo Pikachu figure that runs in place when they turn the crank. It’s designed for slightly older kids, but if your child is a diehardPokémonfan and an experienced brick builder, it would make an excellent family project and a lovely piece of room décor.

By age 9, many children are reading a lot more independently: “They have a better grasp of grammar, contain higher vocabulary, and can formulate longer sentences,” says Dr. George Sachs, a child psychologist and the founder of theSachs Centerin Manhattan. The Kids Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof and lets kids carry a whole library in their backpacks — even though what you’re giving them just feels like a fun toy. The kids’ version also has extra software like a parent dashboard that lets you track reading progress and add books to your child’s library. It comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which includes access to thousands of titles.

“This is such a great beginner’s guitar. It’s beautifully made, and if your kid is into music, it’s the real deal,” says Maria Dueñas Jacobs, founder of Super Smalls and a mom of three, including tween twins. Jacobs loves watching her daughters learn to play songs and, more recently, write their own.

But if your 9-year-old is more of a music appreciator than a music-maker, they will love this iPod-esque player that works with Spotify and Apple Music. The more basic, not-waterproof version,the Mighty 3, was recommended in our guide tothe gifts teachers are giving their kidsthis year, but it won’t arrive in time for Christmas. This one is on sale for the same price and is currently shipping in time from Amazon.