15 screen-free gift ideas for kids
Gifts that get kids making, building, moving and playing with the people around them. Grouped by the kind of play they lead to, with an age for each.
We make one of these, and it is marked “From us”. The other links go to the makers’ own sites, and we earn nothing from them.
Make something
- 1
A real box of art supplies
Ages 3+Crayons, washable markers, a sketchbook with thick paper. A tidy box of their own makes drawing feel like their thing, not something borrowed from the kitchen drawer.
For example: Crayola
- 2
Modeling clay or dough
Ages 3+Squishing, rolling and building is calm, hands-on play. Air-dry clay lets older kids keep what they make.
- 3
A coloring book of the family's own photos
Ages 3+From usEvery page is drawn from one of your photos, so coloring it together turns into telling the story behind each one. A 20-page printed book from $25, with free US shipping.
- 4
A beginner craft kit
Ages 6+Weaving, beading or simple sewing. Kits with one clear project at the end are easier to finish than open-ended ones.
For example: Melissa & Doug
Build and figure things out
- 5
Building blocks or magnetic tiles
Ages 2+Towers, houses, ramps: the same set grows with them for years, from stacking to whole cities.
For example: Magna-Tiles
- 6
A jigsaw puzzle at the right size
Ages 3+Around 24 big pieces for preschoolers, a few hundred for older kids. A puzzle of something they love helps them finish it.
For example: Ravensburger
- 7
A simple science kit
Ages 6+Growing crystals, a baking-soda volcano, a magnifying glass for the backyard. The best ones work on the first try.
For example: KiwiCo
Get moving
- 8
A balance bike or scooter
Ages 2–6Outdoor time they ask for. Add a helmet in their favorite color.
For example: Strider
- 9
Sidewalk chalk and a jump rope
Ages 3+Cheap, simple and endlessly reused: hopscotch, drawings across the driveway, games with the neighbors.
- 10
A kite
Ages 5+An afternoon outside with a grown-up, and a small win when it finally lifts off.
Read and pretend
- 11
A book series to grow into
All agesThe first two or three books of a series, so a story they like keeps going. Picture books for little ones, early chapter books for new readers.
- 12
A dress-up box
Ages 3+Hats, capes, an old jacket, a toy stethoscope. Pretend play needs props more than it needs a theme.
- 13
A play kitchen or pretend shop
Ages 2+Cooking, serving and selling to whoever walks past. It is the toy grown-ups get pulled into most.
For example: KidKraft
Do it together
- 14
A family board game
Ages 4+Cooperative games, where everyone wins or loses together, suit younger kids who are still learning to lose.
For example: Peaceable Kingdom
- 15
An experience instead of a thing
All agesA zoo or museum membership, a class, a day out with a grandparent. Nothing to store, and something to remember.
Before you buy
What makes a good screen-free gift?
One they can come back to more than once, that fits their age now rather than next year, and that ideally a grown-up can join in with. The gifts that get used are the ones that are easy to start.
What should I check for very young children?
The age on the box. Toys with small parts are not for children under 3, and art supplies for little ones should be labelled non-toxic and washable.
How early should I order a personalized gift?
Earlier than you think. A printed ColorMyAlbum book arrives in two to three weeks, and other made-to-order gifts take time too, so order a few weeks before a birthday or the holidays.
Why our book is on this list
We make ColorMyAlbum, so we included the one gift on this list we know inside out. Each page is drawn from one of your own photos and checked by a person before it prints. Here is one, before and after:
Try one page free →See more examples →Making one for grandparents? →Send one as a gift →