The Kids’ Birthday Gifts Our Editors Give Over and Over
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When you attend multiple kids’ birthday parties in a year, it helps to have a few go-to gifts that you know will always hit. Some people give the same board book to every1-year-oldthey’ve ever met. Others stock up onpicture booksand sticker books, interestingart supplies, travel-size card games, and craft kits so they never show up to a preschool or early-elementary soirée empty handed. If you’re organized about shopping in advance, you can build your own stash, so I talked to fellow Strategist parents about the gifts they give over and over to kids of all ages.
The consensus is that the best kids’ birthday gifts, especially for younger kids, pack a lot of play value without asking too much of the recipient’s parents — nothing that’s difficult to assemble, loud, or bigger than a backpack unless you are shopping for close friends or family. How much you spend will also depend on your relationship with the giftee, but for school or day-care friends, we all agree that the sweet spot is somewhere between $15 and $35.
A few of my favorite kids’ birthday gifts
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An ingenious color-changing book for the bath.
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This bug-viewing house has a grid for measuring grasshopper legs.
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A flexible 15-foot toy-car racetrack for toddlers.
Birthday gifts for 1-year-olds
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I am obsessed withPlayTab, the modular fidget toy from Fat Brain Toys that lets you mix and match more than a dozen fine-motor activity tiles for toddlers. The original version is a board that holds six tiles, but I also really love the travel version, which holds two tiles and comes with a ring to attach to a stroller or backpack so your kid can’t chuck it onto the street.
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“Anyone about to have a baby or their kid is turning 1, I give themChirri & Chirra,” says Strategist senior editorWinnie Yang, the parent of a 10-year-old and a 3-year-old. Yang gave me thesecond book in theChirri & Chirraseries(there arenine titles that feature all sorts of adventures) for my son’s first birthday. We read it often, and I am amazed at the detail in the illustrations; there’s always something new to discover.
Strategist lead editorLauren Levy, parent of three kids ages 6, 3, and 6 months, likes to gift silly rhyming board books by Sandra Boynton. “I’ll buy any of her books for any 1-year-old,” Levy says, “and then make the parents send me a video of them live-skattingPajama Time.”
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Since her elder daughter received a Green Toys dump truck on her first birthday — and quickly became obsessed — Strategist senior editorJen Troliohas given different versions of the toy to many other 1-year-olds over the years. It’s easy for kids to push, and the chunky tires handle incredibly well in a sandbox.
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This is the colorway Trolio's now-10-year-old had when she was 1.
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My son was gifted this ketchup-and-mustard colorway when he was almost a year old.
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Bath toys get a bit forgotten, but they make excellent birthday gifts for little kids who may not always want to get in the tub. I like giving one of Mudpuppy’s color-changing bath books to 1-year-olds, who are often amazed by the magic that happens when the pages get wet and love thumbing through the puffy books by themselves.
Though it’s a bigger-budget gift that also requires storage space, Trolio regularly returns to the Step2 Push Around Buggy as a first-birthday gift for close friends and family because it was such a fought-over playground toy when her daughters were toddlers. Very young kids love “driving” while being pushed by a parent, caregiver, or older sibling: The steering wheel turns, they can honk the soft squeaky horn, and there is even storage under the hood for a favorite stuffy.
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A baby gift Levy has found herself repeating is a custom overnight bag or canvas tote. She’s gotten this Pottery Barn duffel customized for a few babies and even received one in return. “It’s a really great size to pack for a weekend trip or even shove a bunch of things in for the day out,” she says. As for the tote, she’s team Lands’ End. “I like givingLands’ End over L.L.Beanfor this because I’ll order them in black or navy and then put the kid’s name in a really bright color. Then you don’t have to worry as much about the canvas looking dirty,” she says.
Birthday gifts for 2-year-olds
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For 2-year-olds, Levy recommends Blockaroo’s magnetic foam blocks that are softer than LEGO DUPLOs or Magna-Tiles and even float in the bath.
I have a habit of hiding LEGO DUPLO sets in my closet for times when I need a quick kids’ gift (or when I need to bribe my son). They’re made for kids under 3, with chunky bricks that are easy to hold and won’t pose a choking hazard, but many kids still love playing with them even for years after they “graduate” to regular-size LEGOs. Best of all, you can usually find a lot of them on sale duringPrime Day.
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Strategist senior writerLauren Robought this doll stroller for her younger son when he was turning 2 and has since bought the same one for several other kids. “Solomon still uses it and can even sit in it at age 4,” she says.
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Ro is also a serial Sarah’s Silks gifter. These mini-sets of play silks are wonderful for a second birthday because they work for any kind of pretend play, and kids will keep playing with them all the way through elementary school.
Birthday gifts for 3-year-olds
For 3-year-olds, Yang often opts for travel-friendly microMags from Magna-Tiles. They’re affordable and endlessly fun, and they come contained in a metal case that also acts as a baseplate.
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Yang also likes giving Wikki Stix at this age. The bendable, beeswax-coated pieces of yarn can be twisted into nearly anything from a cow to a princess to a garage for toy cars. They are especially handy for restaurants and waiting rooms.
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I often givesticker booksto toddlers because they are a gift kids love that also makes parents’ lives easier. Usborne sticker books are very high-quality with excellent illustrations and lots of stickers you can use on the “habitat” pages or on drawings and crafts. I usually give two of the books at a time, like this set of ocean animals and trucks, to make it seem like a big deal when actually they cost only $12 combined.
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Blu Track Classic 15-Foot Race Track Starter Set
Yang and I both gave our 3-year-old sons a Blu Track flexible racetrack for their birthdays this year; I bundled ours with a bunch of toy cars. The 15-foot bendable track has two lanes and works with any Hot Wheels or similar sized toy vehicle. The first time I got it out to play with my son, he was so engrossed by it he basically stopped talking for an hour and a half. It is also a perfect toy for indoor playdates, since it can be used by multiple kids at the same time and is easy to stick to a window with the included suction cup.
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Part of the fun of the track is testing out which cars perform best downhill and on loops.
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The race car from this set is the car that works best and most consistently with our Blu Track.
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This car has a similar low-profile shape that would probably make it just as fast.
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I recently gave this three-pack of Melissa & Doug coloring books to my son’s best friend along with a set of Ooly’s double-ended crayons. The coloring books are huge, and the twist-up crayons are extra smooth like paint sticks.
Birthday gifts for 4- and 5-year-olds
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“My brother bought this for my 4-year-old daughter as a Christmas present last year, and it’s so wonderful that I now gift it to other kids,” says Strategist senior editorAilbhe Malone, who says the best age range for it is between 3 and 6. “There’s a measuring grid that lets you marvel at how long a grasshopper’s legs are in proportion to its head, and the magnifying lens is genuinely good.”
Another go-to gift for Malone is travel-size versions of classic board games likeHungry Hungry HipposandConnect 4because they don’t take up as much space.
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Ro’s son recently received this popcorn popper for his fourth birthday, along with a bag of kernels. The charming gift is one she’s planning to buy for other kids too. Just be sure to wait until kids are at least 4 years old, as popcorn itself and the heat of the popper can be dangerous for younger children.
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Ro also told me that the kids in her son’s class are obsessed with superheroes, hence this adorable magnetic dress-up kit he got as a gift for his fourth. But the kit also comes inprincess,ballet, andspacedesigns for kids with different interests. The brand, Petit Collage, makes a variety of magnetic play setsthat are terrific for travel andkeeping kids off phones at restaurants.
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The Ultimate Book of Cities
After my husband bought this pop-up book about cities for our son, I gifted a copy to one of his classmates who recently turned 4. It has tons of flaps and lots of explanations of how things like the sewers and electricity work, as well as charming illustrations with funny details.
Birthday gifts for 6- and 7-year-olds
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“I recently bought this for three different girls turning 6,” says Levy, explaining that it hits her two most important criteria for a 6-year-old: under $20 (it’s under $15 — even better) and a crafty activity. “I watch my daughter use and forget so many little toys, so at least I know this is something that can keep a kid busy for a decent chunk of time while they DIY it,” Levy adds.
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“As a mom of two boys, I’ve noticed that they rarely receive art supplies from friends, even though both of them enjoy it,” saysNew Yorkfeatures editor Julia Edelstein, who recommends this light-up tracing tool that’s handy for drawing the athletes, animals, and skyscrapers her sons enjoy sketching. “It offers a very cool combination of tech, which most kids love, and tactile art-making. And the price is just right for a birthday party,” she adds.
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Ro gave this outdoorsy-looking Velcro wallet that comes with a carabiner, belt clip, and lanyard to her older son on his seventh birthday and says it was a huge hit.
In addition to the games she buys for younger kids, Malone told me that she keeps multiples of the gameSpot It!on hand. There are many different versions to choose from, including several licensed-character sets, depending on the tastes and hobbies of your giftee.
Birthday gifts for 8-year-olds and up
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According to Edelstein, this is what 8-year-old boys want. “Yes, you will be adding ‘junk’ to their house, but at least they’re super small and fun to display,” she says.
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Like Levy, Strategist beauty writerKrista Bennett DeMaiolikes gifting craft kits. This is a recent one she bought for her 8-year-old daughter to give to a friend.
Squishy toys of all varieties remain extremely popular.NeeDohsare in high demand if you can actually get your hands on one;mystery dumplings, anything from the brand Speks, and a huge variety of other textures and shapes should all go over well.
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A squishy ball that Bennett DeMaio's daughter gave to a friend, paired with the craft kit.
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A six-pack of squishies from my favorite stress-ball brand Speks.
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Beyblade X Soar Phoenix 9-60GF Deluxe String Launcher Set with Attack Type Right-Spinning Top Toy
“These were the toast of third grade last year,” says Edelstein.
Yang recently took her 10-year-old daughter shopping for birthday gifts at the Japanese bookstoreKinokuniyaand says it’s a great place to get stuff for tweens and teens. “I got a Sonny Angel blind box for one of my daughter’s friends (she picked out aSummer Fridays lip balmto complete that gift) and a Mofusand cat blind box for another friend as well as one of thoseLihit pencil cases,” Yang says.
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This Sonny Angel blind-box series imagines the angels as different wild animals.
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You don't know which cat dressed as an ocean animal you'll get.
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These fruit-themed Calico Critters are very popular and feel like a part of the same world.
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Instead of classwide birthday parties, many older kids like Edelstein’s sons, who are now 9 and 11 years old, will invite just a few friends to join them for a special activity. In those cases, she says it’s nice to spend a little more on a gift since there are likely to be fewer gifts total and the activity might be a bit expensive for the family who’s hosting. For this type of gift, she says you can’t go wrong with a jersey from one of their favorite sports teams. “I like to ask their parents in advance which player they like so I don’t buy something they already have. This year, I think almost anyKnicks jerseyorWorld Cup jerseywould be awesome as a gift,” she says.
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Uni-Posca Paint Marker Pens, Fine Point
“I pretty much only ever give books or art supplies,” says Strategist senior editor Michael Berk, who has a teenager. When shopping for older kids, he says, choosing a gift is all about the categories that cater to their actual interests. And for kids who are into art, he likes to give a nice set of paint markers.
Like most tweens and teens, Bennett DeMaio’s older daughters are very into skin care, so she stockpiles Sephora gift sets from tween-friendly brands to gift as birthday gifts. “I have bought Sephora gift sets on multiple occasions,” she says. “I’ve also gotten the Sol de Janiero one a few times.”
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