Kids are the MOST fun to shop for, but honing it in on what they really want–that they’ll really love for longer than Christmas morning–can be overwhelming. There are so many things targeted to them. With their ever-changing interests and attention spans, what do kids even like these days? Enter our guide on gift ideas for kids. This isn’t just any list—it’s been thoughtfully curated by two young experts, a six-year-old daughter, Polly, and a nine-year-old daughter, Faye. They gave me the rundown on exactly what kids like and (equally important) what they don’t like (I was humbled). So, if you’re hunting for child-approved gift ideas for kids, you’ve come to the right place.
Odds are, you know a space-loving kid who would absolutely flip out when they open this play pretend astronaut helmet on Christmas day. It plays countdown and blast-off sounds at the push of a button, and they’ll be make-believing they’re a real-life astronaut in actual space. Adorable.
Have you heard about this audio player that plays music, educational games, and bedtime stories? It was a top kids’ gift last year and now that the word is out, it’s even more sought after! It’s soft and can handle some rough play, plus the controls are intuitive to kids. I’ll hop on any chance to get my kids away from screens!
Faye insisted on this kitten plushy, making it on the guide. This Jellycat brand is famously known for making the cuddliest, cutest, quality stuffies around.
After seeing these roller skates on the list, Polly has put them at the very top of her Christmas list. Luckily, she’s been really good this year 😉.
I love getting the kids something to make their room feel a bit more cozy and special, like this darling chair that’s just their size! They will open the rest of their gifts plopped right here, guaranteed.
It’s practically tradition to unwrap a new snowsuit on Christmas day, especially if you live somewhere with snow! This plaid coverall is too darling.
If your kids love arts and crafts as much as mine do, then they’ll stay occupied for hours on end with this magic clay! It’s easy to use and just as easy to clean up, which is something that can’t be said about slime. I also love that it’s meant to harden as it air-dries so they can preserve their best sculptures.
Gift your kids this digital camera, let them go wild and capture whatever their creative little minds take them, and then flip through their images while they’re asleep for your personal entertainment.
I don’t care who you are; some toys never go out of style. The Lite Brite is one of them, and for the low low price of $12, passing by this gift idea would be a missed opportunity for sure!
Kids love zipping around on whatever scooter or bike they can get their hands on — basically, anything with wheels! This 5-in-1 scooter can be used in so many different ways and will grow with your kids, lasting them and your wallet years.
We gifted this to Polly for her 6th birthday, and it’s still her favorite thing to turn on before bed. I can’t blame her! It’s adorable and fully operable from a remote, which means I don’t have to pull out my phone and open an app.
Never have I ever seen a cuter play tent! Just think of the memories that will be made in here, plus it’s cute enough to leave up in the playroom year-round.
Just a cute digital watch without all the extra nonsense features. It tells the time and date and can be used as a stopwatch and alarm, which is everything a kid watch should do! My girls both have one and never take it off (yes! it’s waterproof, too!)
We gifted these to the girls for Christmas a few years back, and year after year, it’s still a favorite of theirs! They can zoom around on the driveway for hours.
This is the Tamagotchi of today’s generation. It’s an interactive digipet that reacts to your swipes, tilts, shakes, and touch. Feed it, play with it, and help it grow from a baby to an adult!
Years ago, we gifted the girls each their own personalized search-and-find book with their own name, adventure, and character, and they get to spot themselves out in the crowd rather than Waldo. Highly recommend!
Our wood grain Shaker cabinet fronts were designed for busy, high-traffic homes like ours. Clad with durable textured thermofoils, this line is compatible with Sektion, Akurum, Godmorgon, and Besta cabinets from IKEA. It's the perfect, practical way to add the warmth of wood to all the rooms of your home.
We have teamed up with Loloi to create a line of rugs that are as affordable as they are beautiful. This collection houses a great mix of traditional and modern rugs, in cottage-y colorways, as well as vintage-inspired beauties that you’ll want to roll out in every room.
We partnered with Stuga on a line of hardwood floors — The Ingrid is really livable, and the color is very neutral. It doesn’t lean warm or cool, it’s that just right in-between. We have really loved putting it everywhere in our house. It’s the best jumping-off point for design, no matter your interior style. In addition to being beautiful, Ingrid is really durable — we have three kids, and we always have a home construction project going on. Ingrid stands up to it all.
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Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop.
Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
A reader recently asked me if I’m starting to fully embrace traditional style and whether we still consider our house to be a “modern Colonial” and why. It was a really great question and so timely — I had really just been thinking about my approach to this home and how my style has changed […]
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Get Around
Make yourself right at home
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Lifestyle
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All Posts
Shop
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