Who doesn't love giving and receiving gifts? Getting a little (or big) package, wrapped in bright paper brings out our inner child and we get all excited to know what's in it! Now if as adults we can get this excited, we can imagine how it is for our kids! To make sure you get it right, we've put together a guide for creative gift ideas for kids of all ages - just in time for Diwali!
When we give a child a gift, we want it to help them develop in some way, while also being interesting to them. This list features products like that - they're not too expensive and encourage either creativity or physical activity. So go ahead and take your pick from our age wise gift guide!
Gift Ideas for 3-6 years
This is the perfect age to start letting out a child's creativity! By three, kids have more or less stopped putting things into their mouths and can now handle different kinds of art materials beyond crayons. This art kit from Alex toys comes in a handy carry case making it perfect to carry around when travelling or visiting Grandma's house! Tip: for younger kids, get smaller sets so they don't feel overwhelmed.
Building blocks are a classic open-ended way for kids to spend their time, and one of the leading brands of blocks is Lego. The Lego Juniors range is ideal for the 4+ age group, since the builds are simple and the themes are more relate-able. This beach trip set, for instance, features a fun vehicle, sandcastle and other common accessories you'd take to the beach!
You've probably seen your little one belt out her favorite tunes in full star style, now let her feel like a super star too! Musical instruments are a great pick for this age group, although your poor ears might not agree! This stand up mike will make your kids feel all professional as they prepare to sing and sway this Diwali!
Probably every child in the world grows up playing with some version of play dough! While babies and toddlers exercise their fine and gross motor skills with homemade play dough, they can now progress to slightly more complex sets, like this fun breakfast set that helps them make simple objects like fried eggs and toast in many colors.
If your little one enjoyed playing with wooden spoons and things when he was little, give your master chef a kitchen that more closely resembles the real thing! Pretend play is a good way for kids to develop their imagination and maybe even get them interested in what goes on in a real kitchen!
Most kids these days have a huge assortment of little die cast cars, and you're probably going nuts with them lying all over the place! Give all those vehicles a place to live with a fun car garage that offers little pathways to go up and down as well as a car cleaning station!
Puzzles are a good way to keep your jumpy preschooler occupied for some time! Frank has several puzzles that are ideal for this age group, and they're quite inexpensive too. Our favorites are the Disney themed ones like this Micky Mouse clubhouse set, which includes four puzzles of different piece counts each.
Gift Ideas for 6-10 years
If your little girl likes dressing up in colorful bracelets, give her a chance to make her own jewelry! This set from Alex contains a number of ready to use pieces like metal, cord and stickers to make all kinds of bracelets and necklaces. The best part is that she can make little trinkets to gift her friends and cousins too this festive season!
Once kids start school, they can usually sit still and start playing board games. As you can imagine, there's a huge world of board games out there and it can be hard to choose! Our pick is this fun game from Mad Rat called Gatory. You can help kids make new words based on a story and see how does it faster!
Kids these days hardly spend any time playing outdoors, so you can gift them something to bring the outdoors in. This bowling set from Moov N Go is perfect - it's made of foam so no one gets hurt during play. The whole set also comes in a convenient plastic bag that is easy to tote around. Now you have one more fun Diwali game to play!
It's Diwali, so you need a Rangoli. This DIY Rangoli kit from Toy Kraft is perfect for kids to try out! With 7 pre-printed templates they can make a different one every day! Toy Kraft has many other craft kits like candles and terracotta pots, so you can give each kid a different set and let them handle the festive decor!
Every kid needs a lunchbox, so why not gift her something in her favorite theme? This Hello Kitty combo of lunch box, water bottle and coin bank is simply adorable, all the more because it comes in a cute little carry case! If your little one isn't fond of Hello Kitty, no problem, there's a Ninja Turtle version too!
By this age, kids have probably started to learn how to tell time, and it's a good idea to encourage the practice by getting them a fun watch, like this Marvel Comics Micky watch. The watch is perfect for beginners, since it also has an outer dial showing the minutes.
Kids this age still love their teddies, all the more so when they've painted it themselves! This cat from Planet of Toys can be colored in, washed and reused. It's like having a different toy every time! And it's okay if your child doesn't like cats that much; there's an assortment of animals to choose from!
Gift Ideas for 10+ years
Your kid is now past the pretend play stage and can now do some real work in the kitchen! Keep things safe while making him feel all grown up with his very own knife set like this one, including a knife, peeler and vegetable scrubber. The nylon blade is sharp enough to cut but safe enough for kids to use.
If you have a kid who loves looking at the stars and identifying constellations, you can't find him a better gift than a telescope! Other options for kids in this category are microscopes which they can use to look at regular things like onion skin in detail or binoculars for some bird watching!
Here's a great way to keep those kids off their phones - 3D puzzles! This puzzle set from Cubic Fun features mini models of 8 world monuments, which look pretty impressive when built! The models need some dexterity to assemble, so it'll also help build patience!
By this age, kids have mostly got into reading chapter books and have pretty strong interests! Get them a box set in their area of interest and watch them glow with happiness as they open it! With voracious readers, just make sure that it isn't a series that they've already read their way through!
If the kids are too bored to simply walk outside, they can whizz around on roller skates! These skates from Kamachi are made of aluminium and have wheels inline. Be sure to get a full safety kit with the skates, including a helmet and elbow and knee guards.
If you have a kid who loves to write and has a great imagination to boot, give her some encouragement with Rory's story cubes. The cubes area available in different themes, so take your pick and let those words flow out freely!
If you have a little engineer at home, she's sure to love this 14 in 1 solar robot kit. The structures are rather complex and will be a good challenge for kids in this age group. It also provides a good understanding on how solar power works and it'll be a delight to actually see it happen!
We're pretty sure you'll find something here for every child among your friends and family this Diwali. Do let us know your favorite!
