• Home
  • ABOUT
    • About the Authors
    • Top Posts for Working Moms
    • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
    • Product Reviews
  • Shop
    • Maternity Basics for Work
      • Maternity Stores
    • Registry
    • Sales
    • Recent Recs
      • Everyone
      • Machine-Washable Work Clothes
      • Maternity
      • Nursing
      • Pump-friendly
    • Kids’ Shopping
  • Lifestyle
    • Pregnant
    • Postpartum
    • Money
    • Parenting
    • Gear
    • Household
  • Career
    • Childcare
    • Family Planning
    • Work-Life Balance
    • Maternity Leave
    • Working Mom
  • New Working Mom? Start Here
  • Corporette

CorporetteMoms

12/03/2020 5 Comments · by Kat

Open Thread for Gift Ideas for Kids by Age

Recent Recs

What are your best gift ideas by age group for kiddos? Let’s discuss — if you’ve got a child who just aged out of a certain age group we’d love to hear what they loved while they were in it!

Pictured above, clockwise: play kitchen / spelling puzzles / Magnatiles / balance bike / beginner chess / blank coupon book

This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

A few thoughts from me on the toys my kids actually played with during the different age ranges…

Ages 0-2 – I think some of the best gifts you can get are experiences for the family! Anything that makes it easier to bring your child along with you — stroller attachments, baby carriers, etc, etc. 

Ages 2-4 – Magnatiles! Play kitchens and other pretend play sets. Quality blocks. Anything Melissa & Doug. All the playdoh stuff. My youngest was super into puzzles at this point, also (we loved this one from Melissa & Doug), as well as tangram-type games like these awesome “imagination patterns” from Mindware. A balance bike, Big Wheel, scooter (or all 3) plus a good helmet are good ideas around now. Anything involving water play was also a big hit around this age, including those big water towers for summertime.

Ages 4-6 – My kids still both enjoyed Magnatiles at this age; I’d also say this was a big age for a ton of art projects — having paints, brushes, good paper, and other materials is a big help. Board games also start to be a more reliable gift — there’s a huge line of “junior” games from Parker Brothers.

Ages 6-8 – My eldest started to get into Nerf guns and Xbox/Steam/Nintendo games around here. No-Stress Chess is excellent. I think both boys got their own iPad around this point in time also. I’ve tried to get them into more educational games and apps like Tynker and Osmo but I don’t think either of them consider it “gifts.” Depending on what their bedroom looks like, now is also a good time to get rid of baby decor and upgrade to “little kid” decor.

Ages 8-10 – My eldest is here now and it’s a hard age to buy for — all he wants is Fortnite money and so forth. But he’s also at the very beginning stages of the pre-teen years, where Mom and Dad become less cool — I’m hoping in 2021 we’ll definitely get more family experiences. I’m also (shhh) thinking of getting him a virtual cooking class to do from afar with his beloved grandma, who he hasn’t seen in person for months and months now. I actually just got him a blank coupon book from Amazon that I plan to fill out with things like “breakfast with mom,” “day off school,” “weeknight movie,” etc. 

How about you, readers — what are the gifts that actually got played with by age? What gifts are you most excited to get your kids this year — and what are they (or will they be) excited about this year?

This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Sales of Note…

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

  • Nordstrom – The Half-Yearly Sale has started! See our thoughts here.
  • Ann Taylor – $50 off $150; $100 off $250+; extra 30% off all sale styles
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 25% off purchase
  • Eloquii – 60% off all tops
  • J.Crew – Up to 50% off “dressed up” styles (lots of cute dresses!); extra 50% off select sale
  • J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything; 60% off 100s of summer faves; extra 60% off clearance
  • Loft – 40% off tops; 30% off full-price styles
  • Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
  • Talbots – 25-40% off select styles
  • Zappos – 28,000+ sale items (for women)! Check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.

Kid/Family Sales

  • J.Crew – Up to 50% off kids’ camp styles; extra 50% off select sale
  • Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
  • Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off summer pajamas; up to 50% off all baby styles (semi-annual baby event!)
  • Carter’s – Summer deals from $5; up to 60% off swim
  • Old Navy – 30% off your order; kid/toddler/baby tees $4
  • Target – Kids’ swim from $8; summer accessories from $10

See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:

  • What Maternity Brands Should People Stalk on Resale Sites?
  • Tips to Plan Weekly Adventures for Your Family
  • Open Thread: What Did You Do For Mother’s Day?
  • Open Thread: Kid & Baby Names
  • Gift Ideas for Mothers’ Day

Click here to see our top posts!

And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!

  • If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
  • Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
  • Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
  • Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
  • My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
  • ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
  • I think I suffer from mom rage…
  • My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
  • I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
  • If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
  • Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
FacebookTweetPinLinkedInPrintEmail
« Make My Life Easier Thursday: 3-in-1 Egg Holder
Family Friday: Hanna Andersson Kids’ Pajamas »

Comments

  1. AnotherAnon says

    12/03/2020 at 3:46 pm

    Can confirm that the most popular gift with a 2.5-3.5 y/o boy are: balance bike (the one linked) and magnatiles (think we have the picasso tiles version).

    • katy says

      12/06/2020 at 9:19 am

      If you have a 2 – 3 year old and don’t have a balance bike, do yourself a favour and get one! Especially handy in COVID times. We used it everyday (once the deep snow was gone) in quarantine, until at age 3 he learned to ride a pedal bike with no training wheels.
      We have a hand-me-down Strider brand bike that I originally bought for my nephew 7 years ago (his 2nd birthday). It has gone through 3 boys with TONS of use. The adjustable height seat (and handle bars) is key. I can easily carry the bike in one hand. Highly, highly recommend that brand.
      [After a couple early spills we also purchased the Strider brand elbow and knee pads and they were great – mostly for mom’s piece of mind. Obviously you need a helmet too.]

  2. Anon says

    12/03/2020 at 4:01 pm

    I do Legos paired with a book. Duplos from ages 1-4, classic open-ended Lego sets for 5-7, and then bigger Lego sets for 8+. Around tween age, I start doing gift cards for a favorite store or website paired with something smaller yet “cool-ish” like themed scrunchies or socks or water bottle stickers.

  3. P says

    12/05/2020 at 2:46 pm

    For a second birthday I suggest a doll with stroller (the play stroller is a big hit with both girls and boys), a wheelbarrow, a puzzle with 30-48 piece, gardening tools.

    For a third birthday, a hiking backpack and a stickers crafts book were favorites.
    3.5 is a good age for a first real bicycle.

  4. B says

    12/05/2020 at 8:02 pm

    Duplos, play doh and anything Melissa and Doug for 1-4 and Legos and kinetic sand sets 5+. Oldest is 6 now :). My kids also love board games so we always get a couple new ones at start upping age ranges. I actually ordered Tubelox this year so hoping they are a hit (especially considering cost!) since they love building with blocks I think they will get lots of use. For older nieces and nephews we get the teen board/card games with funny questions (similar to Apples to Apples) and they were a hit.

« Make My Life Easier Thursday: 3-in-1 Egg Holder
Family Friday: Hanna Andersson Kids’ Pajamas »
New to our Blog for Working Moms? Start Here!
Machine-Washable Workwear
Week in the Life of a Working Mom
Maternity Workwear
What to Put On Your Registry

Connect With Us!

Never miss an update — sign up for the CorporetteMoms newsletter!

Recent Threadjacks of Interest

  • I WFH and feel like a pseudo SAHM — how can I offload some of the parental things?
  • Here are 6 food-related life-with-children hacks…
  • I’m putting together my baby registry – what are your baby or toddler must-haves?
  • How often do you travel with your spouse without kids?
  • Does anyone have any tricks for how to deal with morning sickness? (I’m already on the meds.)

Check out more working mom questions!

RSS recent posts on corporette…

  • In-House vs. Law Firm: Elizabeth’s Story
  • The Most Affordable Office Clothes for Women: Our List
  • Which Are the Best Sneakers for Work Outfits?
  • How to Design a Preppy-Inspired Office
  • How to Plan for Weekly Adventures

ABOUT

  • About
  • Contact Kat

WORK WITH US

  • Advertise
  • Product Review Policy

Serious Stuff

  • Copyright 2014-2023 Katfry LLC.
  • Corporette® is a Registered mark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2014–2023

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!