At some point, looking for unique gifts for kids can get a bit repetitive. Whether you’re shopping for a niece or nephew or your own child, you’ll probably run out of ideas sooner rather than later.
Luckily, innovative minds are always coming up with new, fun toys, books, and other miscellaneous items the kid in your life will love. The following list will save you from having to search far and wide every time a special occasion rolls around.
23 Unique Gifts for Kids Who Have It All
1. Tents or Forts
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Most kids love having some space to themselves, a room where they can act out their fantasies. Unfortunately, not all kids get to have a separate playroom. And even the ones that do tend to like having a tiny fort they can hide in. That’s what makes indoor tents such a great gift idea!
Nowadays, these kinds of forts come in a variety of shapes and sizes ranging from huge princess castles to more modest house-shaped tents. The larger products tend to have a more solid construction while smaller ones can usually be folded up and stored away more easily.
2. Play-Doh Sets
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While Play-Doh may not seem like a particularly unique gift on its own, the company has put out many interesting sets the kid in your life might appreciate. For example, the Kitchen Creations set would let them press Play-Doh into the shape of food and present them on a platter.
Similarly, Play-Doh also has a Magic Oven set that’s sure to spark a child’s imagination. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. So the next time you’re looking for an appropriate gift, make sure to look for new product launches from Play-Doh.
3. 3D Play Carpet
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Most of us are familiar with the basic play carpets that give kids an overhead view of a city. Your youngster might even get to play with that kind of mat at their preschool. You’d think it would be pretty difficult to innovate with that particular product — but somehow, the company behind 3D play carpets has done just that.
IVI offers several different designs to take home to your child. You can go for the company’s take on an old favorite and get the mini-city carpet. Alternatively, you could try the farming play carpet. Or, if you’re shopping for a kid who’d rather play with dolls than with cars or animals, you could get the carpet with an overhead view of a beach house.
4. Educational Sets
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The best thing a child can do while they’re learning about the world is getting their hands dirty. Curious kids love to see how everything works, so getting them an educational DIY kit is sure to make them happy. If you look around, you’ll find all sorts of interesting sets at your local toy store and online.
On the one hand, you could get a DIY slime or perfume set. Some sets even result in edible creations such as bubblegum or gummies. On the other hand, you could get something a bit more practical, such as a chemistry set or a gardening kit. National Geographic even makes at-home crystal growing kits for kids!
5. Coding Robot
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If you’re trying to spark an interest in STEM, get the kid in your life a coding robot. There are many different kinds out there. Some, like Coding Critters from Learning Resources, have more cutesy designs, while others look more futuristic. Either way, these kinds of products will show your child how to make robots execute simple tasks like drawing or playing fetch and hide and seek.
6. Dinosaur Fossil Dig Kit
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If the child in your life loves dinosaurs, you can’t go wrong with a fossil dig kit. These kits usually contain a solid sand brick and some digging tools kids can use to gently extract the plastic remains within. When all the bones are free, they can put them together into a complete skeleton.
There are different variations of this kind of toy — some of the bones can even glow in the dark. Either way, your kid will have fun learning about how scientists discovered the prehistoric reptiles they love so much.
7. Cleaning Supplies
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Children should understand that the messes they make are their responsibility. At the same time, you probably don’t want them touching your actual cleaning supplies. That’s where play cleaning supplies come in.
Melissa & Doug’s Dust! Sweep! Mop! set contains all the necessities. However, there are other, less realistic cleaning toys out there, if you care to look around. You’re sure to find one or two play vacuums for toddlers in pretty much any toy store you go to.
8. Kids Embroidery Kit
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This kids’ embroidery kit is one of the most interesting toys you’ll find on Etsy. Before you decide it’s too risky, check out that dull needle! The child you’re shopping for won’t hurt themselves while working on the various designs the kit comes with. In fact, they’ll probably learn some valuable motor skills and develop hand-eye coordination while stitching.
If your child has seen you work on a loom before, this gift is a must. However, if you’re more of a machine sewing pro, you can also find tiny sewing machines for kids online!
9. Manicure Set
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If your child is a little diva, they’ll be thrilled to receive a manicure set. Luckily, many companies make fantastic kid-friendly nail polishes and other various accessories. For example, you could get the GO Glam Nail Stomper or Science4You’s Manicure Factory. If your kid is generally into self-care, they may also appreciate the company’s My First Spa kit.
10. Hair Chalk
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Hair chalk is a great way to let kids have fun with their hair color. The product usually comes in pink, green, blue, or purple shades, which you can get together or in individual packaging. Then, you’d just wet a section of your child’s hair and slide the chalk along the strand.
Once the hair dries, the color will look vibrant and pretty convincing too! Best of all, it’ll wash out with water — so you don’t have to worry about it transferring to clothing either.
11. Tabletop or Card Games
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Growing up before computers and tablets were a thing meant playing a lot of tabletop games. So let’s go back to our roots. Nowadays, there are so many fun tabletop and card games you can play with your kids. For example, HedBanz Junior is a guessing game that comes with headbands that have a card slot so you don’t have to improvise that part of the game.
There are even a few Cards Against Humanity types of games that are sure to get your kids giggling. I’m Bored Out of My Mind and Grounded for Life are excellent examples. Of course, you can always just get Uno if your kiddos have never tried it.
12. Coloring Tablecloth
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If you’re struggling to keep your kid’s attention during mealtimes, getting a coloring tablecloth might help. These kinds of products usually come with special markers that can be washed away. So the only thing you need to decide is the design of the illustrations.
Some tablecloths have the world map printed in black lines, while others show animals or other subjects. If you don’t know which one you should pick, check which of your child’s coloring books is the most well-loved!
13. Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Coloring
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Being interested in drawing and coloring are the hallmarks of a creative child. Even so, having a mess-free alternative to give to your kid when you don’t feel like cleaning up after them is always a nice thing. Something like Crayola’s Mess-Free Coloring kit could save you from your child’s expressive use of their watercolors.
The kit comes with a drawing pad and a magic light brush that changes colors when you touch it to the palette it’s attached to. The pen automatically starts dispersing the selected color on the drawing pad.
14. Personalized Clothing or Accessories
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There are many different ways to personalize a child’s clothing. You could either print an original design or simply choose a pre-made item with your child’s name on it — if you find one.
Alternatively, you could go for clothing or accessories with inspirational messages on them. For example, wish bracelets have a secret compartment for storing rolled-up notes. That can give your child the boost they need if they ever feel lonely at school.
Other kinds of personalized clothing include things like drawing t-shirts. Like coloring tablecloths, these usually come with special markers that wash out easily. You could even get something like the Light Up Drawing Tees from UncommonGoods, which come with a light pen that only leaves marks for a little while.
Or you can go for something uncommon, like having a personalize socks that they can keep. Give a thing a message or what you wanted to convey to them. Choose a design that will represent them a lot, and order marketing socks that they will appreciate.
15. Educational and Empowering Books
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If there’s one thing a child can never have enough of, it’s educational books. After all, there are so many different kinds you could get. On the one hand, you could go for the basic riddle compilation and mystery books. Victor Escandell’s Sleuth & Solve is the perfect way to educate future detectives.
If you want to make it easy for the child you’re shopping for to identify with the characters they’re reading about, you could also get them a personalized book. The Find Me! Personalized Seek-and-Find Book is only one example of what that might look like. But nowadays, many companies can insert a child’s name into a book before it goes to print.
On the other hand, biographies are also a great way to educate and empower kids. But that’s not to say that fantastic books like Jamia Wilson’s Young, Gifted, and Black should only be read by black kids. Similarly, biographies of strong women should be read to boys as well as girls!
Signing your child up for a monthly book subscription like Bookroo can be a great way to broaden their reading tastes. Similarly, Little Global Citizens also ships books as well as crafts and other activities from around the world to your doorstep.
16. Fun Workbooks
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Since we’ve already mentioned personalized books, we might as well talk about workbooks too. Don’t worry — it’s more fun than it sounds. Namely, you could get the kid in your life books like:
• Create Your Own Secret Language by David J. Peterson
• Finish This Book by Keri Smith
• IlluStory — Create Your Own Book from Lulu Junior
• Super Powers! A Great Big Collection of Awesome Activities, Quirky Questions, and Wonderful Ways to See Just How Super You Already Are
Whether you opt for a self-esteem workbook like Super Powers! or a more creative make-your-own comic book kit, the child you’re shopping for is sure to love your gift!
17. Portable Mini Speaker
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Having done our duty in making you consider books, it’s time to get to the fun stuff — the tech gadgets! First up, if the kid in your life likes music, they might like having a portable mini speaker. MyAudioPet sells tiny Bluetooth speakers in the shape of various animals. They’re just about the size of a child’s hand and they can be hooked onto their backpack!
18. Screen-Free Story Box
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Like portable speakers, story boxes are audio devices. However, most of them don’t need another gadget to work. Take the Echo Dot for Kids as an example. The Alexa-enabled device can help kids learn by answering their questions and reading stories. And it doesn’t hurt that it looks like a cute tiger or panda.
Of course, if you don’t like the thought of having a listening device in your child’s bedroom, you could get the Yoto Player or the Toniebox. Both can read bedtime stories or educational lessons to your child. The Yoto Player even has an interesting interface, having a slot at the top where children can insert content cards to start the program.
19. Nintendo Switch Lite
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If your child likes video games and you’re tired of having to sacrifice your smartphone every time they want to play, get them a Nintendo Switch Lite. The smaller version of the device is perfect for small hands. And, if you have your own Nintendo Switch, you’d get to play multiplayer games with your kid.
20. Content Creator Toys
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The rising popularity of various social media platforms has made some kids consider getting into content creation. Obviously, that can be a bit worrying from a parent’s perspective. Still, some toys can let them safely explore that option.
VTech’s KidiZoom Creator Cam is an adorable camera that comes on a small tripod. However, it can also let kids edit their videos by adding different background effects. You could also get Science4You’s Studio Lab, which comes with various items you’ll need to record scientific experiments.
21. Unique Night Light
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If your kiddo is still a little hesitant about sleeping in complete darkness, a night light might make them more comfortable. These simple devices come in all shapes and colors — some of them even have timer and alarm options. Moon lamps have been pretty popular of late and you could even complete the night’s sky with starry projection lights.
22. Quirky Bedding Set
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Make bedtime more interesting by getting your child some quirky bedding. Examples include:
• A set of sheets and pillowcases that complete the image of a shark with its jaws open (so when your kid lies down, they’ll look like they’re already inside the shark!)
• A baseball bedding set with an image that extends to the pillow so your child’s face will fit onto the body of the batter
• Washable doodle bedding!
23. Color-In Pajamas
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If you’re going to let your child doodle on their bedsheets, you might as well get them some coloring pajamas to go with the bedding. UncommonGoods makes unique Color-In Unicorn Pajamas that come with special markers. But in that case, the color will set after you iron the pajamas or cure them with UV light. After that point, you wouldn’t be able to wash away your child’s artistic expression.
