Gifts for Kids Ages 4 to 7

Preschool and early school years

Between four and seven, kids go from needing help with everything to wanting to do it themselves, badly and with great conviction. The best gifts give them something real to build, make, or win at, with rules simple enough that they do not need an adult to referee. Board games start working at this age, and so do the first proper building sets.

Under $25 9 ideas

  1. Kinetic Sand Folding Sand Box

    Moldable sand that sticks to itself instead of the carpet, in a case that unfolds into a play tray. Indoor sandbox, contained.

    Kinetic SandStocking stuffer

    See it on Amazon

  2. Play-Doh Modeling Compound 10-Pack Case of Colors

    Ten tubs in the standard colors. Play-Doh dries out and gets mixed into brown, so a fresh supply is always welcome.

    Play-DohStocking stufferGets used up

    See it on Amazon

  3. ThinkFun Zingo Bingo Game

    Bingo with a slide-out tile dispenser that kids can work themselves. Pre-readers can play with pictures, and it is quick enough to play twice before bed.

    ThinkFun

    See it on Amazon

  4. Peaceable Kingdom Hoot Owl Hoot! Cooperative Game

    Everyone works together to get the owls home before sunrise, so nobody loses. A good first board game for kids who take losing hard, and it uses colors instead of reading.

    Peaceable Kingdom

    See it on Amazon

  5. Hot Wheels 20-Car Pack

    Twenty die-cast cars in one box. Cheaper per car than singles, and kids at this age want quantity: rows of them, races, lending one to a friend.

    Hot Wheels

    See it on Amazon

  6. Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Kidnoculars

    Sturdy binoculars sized for small faces, with low magnification that young kids can actually aim and focus. Good for bird-watching and backyard expeditions.

    Educational InsightsStocking stuffer

    See it on Amazon

  7. Melissa & Doug Magnetic Responsibility Chart

    A wooden chore and routine chart with magnetic tokens. A gift as much for the parents, but kids this age love moving a magnet when they have brushed their teeth.

    Melissa & Doug

    See it on Amazon

  8. The Day the Crayons Quit

    Duncan's crayons go on strike with a stack of complaint letters. Funny for the adult reading it aloud, which matters when you will read it a hundred times.

    Drew Daywalt and Oliver JeffersBook

    See it on Amazon

  9. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why

    Short, photo-heavy answers to the questions kids this age ask constantly: why the sky is blue, why cats purr. Saves parents a lot of improvising.

    National Geographic KidsBook

    See it on Amazon

Under $50 5 ideas

  1. Crayola Inspiration Art Case

    Crayons, markers, colored pencils, and paper in one fold-out case. More than any kid needs, which is the point, and the case keeps it from spreading over the house.

    Crayola

    See it on Amazon

  2. Crayola Light-Up Tracing Pad

    A lit drawing surface with picture sheets to trace. Kids who say they cannot draw get results they are proud of, and it builds the hand control to draw without it.

    Crayola

    See it on Amazon

  3. VTech KidiZoom Camera Pix Plus

    A rugged kids' camera that takes real photos and video, with silly filters they love. Lets a kid stop asking for your phone, and it survives being dropped.

    VTech

    See it on Amazon

  4. Calico Critters Cozy Cottage Starter Home

    A small furnished house with a flocked rabbit figure. Calico Critters is a long-running line, so there are years of families and furniture to add, which makes birthdays easy.

    Calico Critters

    See it on Amazon

  5. Learning Resources Primary Science Lab Set

    Chunky beakers, test tubes, a funnel, and goggles, plus activity cards for simple experiments. Kitchen water and food coloring become a lab session.

    Learning ResourcesAn experience

    See it on Amazon

Under $100 2 ideas

  1. LEGO Classic Large Creative Brick Box 10698

    Nearly 800 loose bricks, wheels, windows, and a baseplate, with no single model to finish and abandon. Its long run on shelves says something about how well open building holds a kid's attention.

    LEGO

    See it on Amazon

  2. Learning Resources Botley 2.0 The Coding Robot

    Kids program Botley with a remote of arrow buttons, no screen needed. It teaches the idea of sequencing through play, and the obstacle course pieces make a game of it.

    Learning Resources

    See it on Amazon

$100 and up 3 ideas

  1. Magna-Tiles Clear Colors 100-Piece Set

    The big set, enough for a kid to build a house they can sit inside of. Magnetic tiles let younger kids build tall without bricks falling apart, and older siblings join in.

    Magna-Tiles

    See it on Amazon

  2. Yoto Player (3rd Generation)

    A card-based audio player for stories, music, and podcasts with no screen and no ads. Kids pick what to play by inserting a card, and it handles bedtime as a nightlight and clock.

    Yoto

    See it on Amazon

  3. Micro Maxi Deluxe Scooter

    The bigger sibling of the toddler scooter, with lean-to-steer and an adjustable bar that fits kids up to about twelve. Very stable for a five-year-old who wants to go fast.

    Micro KickboardAn experience

    See it on Amazon