Trying to avoid falling into the junk / novelty gift trap this Christmas? Me too! Here are my favorite gifts for kids which cost $10 or less, and are sure to inspire creative play.
This post contains affiliate links. Some of the products were kindly gifted to us (Glo Pals, Plus Plus, Ooly watercolors, Kwik Stix, Play Dirt, Safari Ltd. Good Luck Minis and Playfoam). All opinions and images are genuine and our own.
Still on the lookout for one or two more gifts or stocking stuffers? Here are 15 great gifts which will cost you $10 or less. I would like to stress that these are all products which I have personally purchased either for my own children or as gifts for others. I am lucky enough to team up with some of the companies and receive gifted items from time to time, but I am also a regular customer on many occasions (too many occasions if you ask my husband!).
The $10 price point can be a tricky one with kids. Often you feel like it's hard to get anything too meaningful or substantial. These products have proven to really stand the test of time with my 2 year old and 6 year old as they encourage creativity and open-ended play.
Sensory Gifts
I love receiving gifts which inspire sensory play with my kids. Here are my top picks:
Glo Pals - we use these all the time and they never fail to impress both my kids. They are $10 for a pack of four and come in five different colors. Put the cubes in liquid and they start to glow! They have a glow life of about 8 hours, perfect for sensory bins and bath time! Save 15% with 'LITTLEMIND15'.
Learning Resources Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set - this is one of my go-to gifts for toddlers. The tools are very durable and work wonders for little hand muscles. We use them in sensory bins and for sorting activities. An absolute steal at $9 on Amazon!
Play Foam Pals - if you want to encourage your kids to be more hands on with sensory materials then Play Foam is a great choice. It has such a fun squishy texture and also encourages engineering and imaginative play. My kids love that each one comes with a surprise character inside. Currently selling for approx. $6 for a 2-pack.
Play Dirt - another great one to encourage hands on sensory exploration. We often use this with insects or cars in a small world set up. There are two sets available, the Bugs in a Jar and Construction Zone ones usually both come in at around $8.
Mini Play Dough Cutters - my toddler LOVES play dough so I was really excited to find these adorable shape cutters from Biddle and Bop. They cost $7.95 and are available in a few different themes. I can't wait to enjoy some play dough creating with baby sis!
Open-Ended Toy Gifts
All kids love getting toys and mine are no different. But having said that, I do try and think carefully about the types of toys I gift to them. Choosing an open-ended product which will encourage creative play and imagination is a priority for me.
Candylab Candycars - I know big bro is going to love opening his police car one of these on Christmas morning. They are a little bigger than Hot Wheels cars and are wooden. Perfect for vehicle adventures at home and when out and about. There are lots of designs to choose from and they cost $9.50 each from Biddle and Bop.
Good Luck Minis by Safari Ltd. - if you follow us on Instagram you'll know that we are huge fans of Safari Ltd. Toobs. These even smaller mini animals are adorable and I'm sure will be loved by baby sis in her stocking. There are several different animals to choose from and they cost $6.99 each. Use code 'findthelittlemind' to save 20%.
Plus Plus Mini Maker Tube - I still remember just how excited big bro was when he purchased his first ever set of Plus Plus. He chose the superhero tube and loved it. They are great because kids can follow the instructions to make the build, but after they also have a set of open-ended manipulatives to use. We always take these out to restaurants and coffee shops to keep the kids occupied. Each tube is $7.99.
Art Supplies
It might seem like an obvious gift or one which children already have, but there is no such thing as too many art supplies! Here a few few different types of supplies which have the fun factor as well as creative appeal.
Wonder Stix - these chalk-based sticks pretty much work on everything which is why I think they are so cool. We use them on paper, canvases, wood, baking sheets, windows, magnetic tiles... the list goes on! Added bonus is that they are washable. A 12-pack costs $7.99, use code 'LITTLEMIND10' for 10% off your order.
Kwik Stix - these are the answer to all your prayers about making painting with kids less messy and chaotic! Kwik Stix are tempera paint sticks which dry in less than 90 seconds. My 2 year old loves using these so much because they always leave nice bold markings and don't smudge everywhere. Great for all craft and process art projects, and only cost $5.99 for a 6-pack.
Watercolors - another super useful painting material when working with kids of different ages is a set of watercolors. They are much more forgiving than acrylic paints, and kids also like the process of dipping their brush in the water and paint. Our go-to brand is Ooly, and we particularly love their Neon and Pearlescent sets which usually come in around $10 each.
Books and Games
These might seem like a bit of a 'let down' gift in comparison to a toy, but books and games make for great long-term gifts.
Elephant and Piggie Books - my kids have always loved these, and if I'm honest, I really enjoy them too! They are fun, silly, engaging, well-written and brilliantly illustrated. The perfect little book for siblings, usually costing $5-$9 each.
Melissa and Doug Water Wow Activity Book - these are one of the most popular travel entertainment items for parents and I totally understand why. Lots of fun themes available and very reasonably priced at $5 each.
Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Coloring - I cannot tell you how many times this little box of coloring magic has saved my bacon. These markers are totally mess free, the color only comes when they are added to the special coloring sheets. Baby sis used this Paw Patrol one for hours on our flight to Europe last summer. An absolute steal at $4.99!
Top Trumps Card Game - have you heard of this game before? It's such a great one for promoting literacy and numeracy skills, and younger kids can also just enjoy the pictures. Each set is themed - we have sports cars, dinosaurs, Harry Potter and Trains to name a few. Each card has a different type of train, for example, and then lots of scores for things like top speed and year built. You both pick a card and challenge your opponent on a category to try and achieve the higher score. 6 year old big bro loves it! Each set usually costs around $8-$10.
I hope you've found this helpful. It can be pretty overwhelming at this time of year to know which products are worth investing in and which are novelty gifts that will soon be forgotten about. Any item that is open-ended and will inspire creativity is a winner in my book!
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