Gift Guide for School-Aged Kids

Good morning and Welcome to the Gift Guide for School-Aged Kids! I asked for some input from my 7 & 10 year olds, but then I ended up going rogue and making the final list while they were at school. Nonetheless, this Gift Guide was made with their ages in mind.

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Tech Gifts

If our kids had their way, all of the gifts on the list would fall into this category. We rarely buy them technology items throughout the year, so I think they figure this is their big opportunity with Santa to get something from their tech wish list. We will see… Santa will definitely be keeping his eye out for those Holiday Sales.

Hoverboard- My 7-year old dressed up like Marty McFly from Back to the Future for Halloween. It was a very proud moment for R! Naturally, a hoverboard is on his list.

Nintendo Switch Lite- Also on both of the kids’ lists is a Nintendo Switch. This lite version seems like all we need. We do, after all, still have the original Nintendo complete with the need to blow into the game a million times before actually playing.

Instax Mini Camera- We bought these for our kids a couple of years ago, and they are still a big hit. If there is an occasion like a trip or special event, we buy the film for them. In all other instances, it is up to them to buy and use the film judiciously.

Superhero Smartphone Movie Kit- Our kids were very busy this summer making all sorts of movie trailers. This kit seems like a fun next step and way to stay busy for at least half a day. They would have to borrow my phone, but how great to learn about storyboarding, animation, and directing.

Karaoke Microphone Speaker- I may already be regretting putting this on the list already, but it’s 2020 and we all need a little music and fun in our lives. This microphone speaker connects to your chosen karaoke app and is ready to go!

Indoor Creativity

Create Your Own Reel- Our kids love looking at their baby/toddler books. (I’m just a tad behind on the elementary ones.) In the description, this gift is suggested for adults, but I think our kids would love to help create the reels and I know they would have fun looking at them.

Fashion Designer Activity Art Set- One night, our daughter started sketching out outfits on a pad of paper she had in her room. She then pinned them up to her bulletin board. I may be biased, but the drawings were really good! This art set seems like it would be something she would really enjoy.

Create Your Own Comic Book- Our son also loves to draw! He gets a kick out of being creative and funny. This Comic Book creation set is something that could encourage both of those qualities.

Illuminated Doodle Pillowcase- Both of our kids love to draw at night. In their beds. And we have plenty of pen stains to prove it. I love the idea of this pillowcase! The kids draw with the light pen (or any light source- like a flashlight) and their doodles glow for about 5 minutes.

Global Holiday Dessert Kit- There are so many bonuses to this dessert set including learning about different desserts from across the globe, following the instructions, completing puzzle and activity sheets, and, of course, eating the desserts!

Indoor Activities

Ultimo Strategy Game- We have been playing a lot of games as a family lately. In fact, I devoted an entire post to our favorites here. This game looks fun, quick, and easy! And, when we travel again, it will be perfect to bring to the grandparents’ houses, on a plane, or by the pool. The goal is to get the gold dice, but… it has to be the last dice left.

Sleuth and Solve- These logic puzzles are intriguing to me. There are 20 mini-mysteries from the Middle Ages to more modern times. This game not only allows for creative and problem solving skills, but we all learn some facts too!

On a Scale of One to T-Rex– The main thing that drew my attention to this game is that it claims it is for people who are bad at charades. (That’s me!) The rest of our family loves charades but I am notoriously terrible at it. On a Scale of One to T-Rex cards assign a task and an intensity level. Then everyone performs their task at the assigned level at the same time with the goal of figuring out who is performing at the same intensity level as you. Points are awarded for guessing correctly.

Dino Fossil Dig Kit- Fossil dig kits have been hugely popular in our house for years now. It does get a bit messy, but the time spent and enjoyment had make it worth the clean up.

Hobby Tumbler- We just brought home our jar of rocks from the Beach Cabin collection this summer (complete with a Petoskey Stone!). Rock collecting is something that we return to every summer. I love that we can keep our summer memories alive by using this rock tumbler. The tumbler comes with a pound of rocks, polishing grit, and even jewelry fasteners.

Dog Lover’s Puzzle- Admittedly, no one in our house ever suggests that we do a puzzle. However, when there is a puzzle out on the table, each and every one of us can be found in the dining room putting a few pieces together throughout the day. I’m thinking that this one would definitely draw in this dog-loving family!

MLB Chicago Cubs Puzzle– Remember when stadiums used to look like this? Crazy times! I’m so glad that we were able to take our kids to a game. This puzzle will help us look forward to when we can go again! This puzzle is great because not only do you need to complete the puzzle but then your task is to find Joe Journeyman. A portion of profits support Joe’s kids and children’s hospitals across America.

Outdoor Activities

Throw Throw Burrito Game:  Extreme Outdoor Edition– Oh how our kids love Throw Throw Burrito. I think they mostly like it because they get to throw things at us- haha! The logical next step seems to be the Extreme Outdoor Edition. But maybe we can convince the neighbor kids to come over and play with them instead of R and me?!?!? Fingers crossed.

Snowman Family Kit- I feel like our snowman building game could be taken up a notch. This set would definitely help our snowman look more professional!

Nerf Bullseye Target- Okay, this could be an indoor game. But, maybe if we start out by saying this is only an outdoor game…? It seems that it could be beneficial to have a game that digitally keeps score to lessen the arguments about what was/wasn’t a hit. I also love that they are aiming at something other than each other.

Snowball Maker & Foam Saucer Battle Kit- It’s always nice to think that the kids aren’t going to throw snowballs at each other. I think it’s just too tempting for them. The saucer in this kit can be used to sled away quickly or as a shield. The snowball maker is a bonus for creating snowballs not only for battle but also for more peaceful games like building an igloo.

Hydro Flask– Our kids have hydro flasks and love them! They haven’t even lost them yet, which has happened with almost all of our other water bottles. Sending the kids out with some water makes the trips inside-outside-inside-outside a little less frequent. Now, if there was something to decrease Crew’s constant revolving door routine.

Whew! These posts just keep getting longer and longer. Hope this was helpful- Next up will be the Toddler Gift Guide!!!