In these gift guides for kids - one for younger kids and one for teens - you'll find our favorite, affordable tried-and-true toys, books, and more for the younger crowd on your shopping list (ages 6 to 18).
Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Gifts for kids and teens, whether they're your kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews are sometimes the hardest to find and keep on budget.
So I polled the kids I know (elementary to high school) and asked them to tell me their favorite toys, books, games, and things they'd like to receive.
The result is the two following gift guides that I hope will help you get some things checked off your list!
(If you need more favorite things gift ideas, check out this gift guide for men and this gift guide for women, also updated regularly with both my and Brian's favorite things.)
TIP: If one of the links is an Amazon link and you're not a Prime member, you can sign up for a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial and get the gifts delivered to your door. If you don't want to keep Prime, simply cancel after the trial (make sure to put a reminder on your calendar!).
Up first is the gift guide for kids, ages about 6 to 12. Keep scrolling for the gift guide for teens (which will work for young adults, too).
Affordable Gift Guides for Kids
Note: The first three on this list are really games for the whole family, but they are ones that work well for elementary aged kids.
Gravity Maze game. My nephew loved this when he was elementary age.
Forbidden Island game. My sisters families are big board game people and this was one of their favorites.
Ticket to Ride game. This is another classic favorite game the whole family can enjoy.
Make 'n' Break game. My niece voted for this game - she loves it!
Card games everyone loves: Classic Pit and the new classic, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.
Rubik's Cube. This classic doesn't go out of style and in fact kids will play with it all the way to their teens!
Amazon Kindle (with Kids Subscription) - This has good parental controls according to my elementary media-library specialist sister.
Legos! Can a kid ever have too many? According to my kids, no. This is a good basic box to start them on.
Hot Wheel tracks with a set of Hot Wheels Cars. Another classic that hasn't gone out of style - the look on my nephew's face when he opened his gift was the same as I remember my brother's back in the 70s.
Art supplies. A kit with lots of art options thrilled my daughter all the way through middle school.
How to Draw Cartoons Complete Kit. This was super popular with my son and his friends in elementary school.
Origami Kit. My daughter would sit and do this for hours, creating all kinds of fun little animals and objects.
Sports balls. Always a safe bet for kids interested in sports - this is a set of four types of balls with a pump, which is nice for testing out different sports.
Klutz Activity Books. Both our kids, nieces, and nephews LOVED all kinds of Klutz books. Here are 4 of their favs:
- Cat's Cradle String Games
- Friendship Bracelets
- Star Wars Folded Flyers (upgraded paper planes)
- LEGO Chain Reactions Science Kit
Classic Books & Series. These are what were mentioned when polling the kids in our family:
- The Genius Files by Dan Gutman
- Ivy & Bean books by Annie Barrows
- A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Anne Of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery
- Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne
- Redwall series by Brian Jacques
- Julie of the Wolves, Jean Craighead George
- My Side of The Mountain, Jean Craighead George
Affordable Gift Ideas for Teens
"Real" Art Supplies (vs. a kids kit) like the colored pencil set shown here. Other good options include:
- Charcoal & Graphite Pencil Drawing Set.
- Oil Pastels.
- Wire Bound Sketch Pad.
- Worlds of Wonder Coloring Book (to use with the colored pencils)
Heart Dangles Leather Earrings from Empowered Goods. I love the mission behind this shop and they have many other styles of leather earrings, as well.
Real Leather Notebook with personalized engraving of your choice.
Faux Fur Throw. This will go with them from their bedroom, to their dorm, to their first apartment.
Small Portable Charger for iPhones and Airpods. Seems like every teen I know runs low on their phone battery.
Instax Retro Instant Print Camera. Fun, artistic, and immediate satisfaction.
Colorful Owl Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle. This is a less expensive version of the wooden, intricate, Liberty puzzles.
JBL Clip 3 - Waterproof, Durable & Portable Bluetooth Speaker. Rugged, yet cute speaker with amazing reviews under $50.
JBL Vibe 200TWS True Wireless Earbuds. Way less than Apple's version with good reviews and JBL's record for good sound, all under $50 - and sometimes on sale for half that!
Hydro Flask Insulated Water Bottle. Both my daughter and I have one - they are amazing and can keep ice in your bottle for hours.
Kindle Paperwhite. The ultimate in easy reading - can take it anywhere, even outside to read.
Designer Wood Phone Cases. For both iPhone and Samsung models and in multiple designs - very cool.
One Line a Day 5-Year Journal. It's so easy for anyone to record a line or two a day. Great way to help kids get into the habit of journaling.
Vintage Style Canvas Cotton Messenger Bag. Both my daughter and son loved this style (and still do - as well as me, too!)
Christmas at our house wouldn't be the same without a pair of pajama pants under the tree:
Converse Chuck Taylor Tennis Shoes. A classic that never goes out of style.
- Women's Chuck Taylors - white
- Men's Chuck Taylors - black
Have any favorite gift ideas from the kids in your life to add to these lists?
WANT MORE IDEAS?
Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn't change your price. Click here to read my full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.
Jennifer says
Great ideas! Thank you! My kids are similar ages to yours. Any ideas for early 20s? Many of the teen ideas work, and even some of the kids ideas, like puzzles. Are there any games your family plays?
Jami says
My whole extended family likes to play games when we get together, Jennifer - we like to play our favorite card games (the kind you play with regular cards), Cribbage (though it's only 2-3 players), and games like Guesstures, Settlers of Catan, Balderdash, Apples to Apples, UNO, Mexican Train dominos, and one more that I can't think of the name (you roll a die and then have to either act something out, draw, come up with a like phrase, etc.).
My kids put a few of the things they've loved on last year's list, so that's current (they're still using/wearing them). Also the men & women gift guides work for them (I'm probably getting my son an Echo Dot for his gift, too!). Hope that helps some. 🙂