Our round-up of brilliant Christmas gifts for kids are guaranteed to bring joy to the most important little people in your life this festive season.
While shopping for Christmas gift for parents can mean practical gifts or even things they may have asked for, getting the perfect Christmas gifts for kids is all about adding a touch of fun and magic to their day.
Just like with Christmas gifts for teenagers where you may buy different presents for older kids than you would for younger tweens, Christmas gifts for kids can span a number of age ranges—so we've divided our guide into four different age categories so that you can shop efficiently.
Top 10 best Christmas gifts for kids 2021
When it comes to choosing Christmas gifts for kids, there's an endless number of toys out there, so it can be difficult to whittle down the very best ones. So we headed to F.A.O Schwarz, the New York City toy retailer that is known as the most famous in the world (and was actually the inspiration for the Home Alone Christmas in New York toy store).
These are their top picks for Christmas 2021 based on their top 10 bestsellers...
- Barbie® Advent Calendar: at Amazon
- Barbie @Barbiestyle Fashion Series 2 Doll: at FAO Schwarz
- Hape Light-Up Circus Activity Cube: at Amazon
- Sharper Image Remote Control Chevrolet Corvette Sports Car: at Amazon
- FAO Schwarz LED Glow Mess-Free Drawing Palette: at FAO Schwarz
- FAO Schwarz Meowmaid Plush Stuffed Animal Toy with LED Lights and Sound 12.5": at FAO Schwarz
- Ryan's World RYAN’S LAB Build & Play DIY Candy Gummy Factory Kit: at Target
- Best Ride On Cars Lamborghini Centanario Orange: at Best Ride On Cars
- FAO Schwarz Dinosaur Advent Calendar: at FAO Schwarz
- FAO Schwarz Kid's Art Tabletop 3-in-1 LED Easel Set: at FAO Schwarz
Best Christmas gifts for kids under 2
With 65 sounds and melodies, bright lights and color circuits, as well as removable legs for different modes of play, this table is great for helping to spark creativity.
Wipe clean and easy to put away too, this is a Christmas gift for kids that will keep giving after the big day.
Who doesn't love a ball pit? Treat any baby you know to a whole load of fun from their very first moment with this 4-in-1 activity gym and ball pit. And with 40 soft play balls included, they can jump in as soon as it's set up on Christmas Day.
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A gorgeous gift that will keep little ones warm in the winter while getting the whole family in the festive spirit. They'll look adorable in this and the designer name behind it will impress the parents too.
A stationary car that encourages babies to crawl, sit up, pull up and stand with a number of games that introduces them to letters, numbers, colors, first words, greetings and more.
If you can bear to listen to it one more time, treat baby to this swimming toy Baby Shark that paddles around the bath while singing the famous tune.
One of those cheap Christmas gifts that will provide hours and hours of bath time fun for an affordable price.
Get little one into music from a young age with this electric wooden guitar that uses magic touch technology to responds to baby's strumming patterns and can switch between acoustic and banjo sounds.
A trike will always come in handy for when you're out and about with the little ones and this four-stage model will really let you get your money's worth. You can take them for a stroll from nine months, encourage them to pedal at 18 months, let them steer (but parent still pushes) at two years and from two and a half years you can remove the push bar completely to let them ride.
A sustainable Christmas gift thanks to the fact that it can be passed down to younger generations.
UK alternative: View Little Tikes 4-in-1 My First Trike at Amazon
Best Christmas gifts for kids under 4
Every kid will get to the point where they want a basketball hoop in the house and this adjustable set can be used from 18 months all the way up to five years. With three balls included this is one toy that can be cracked out on Boxing Day—although if you opt to weigh down with sand, then that will have to be purchased separately. Most kids will be thrilled with this, although we can see it being a hit Christmas gift for dads too...
Another one that could probably end up being a Christmas gift for husbands as much as the kids, dads will love getting their little ones on this and taking them for a ride around the neighbourhood—especially with the adjustable seat that boasts five lock positions, making it ideal for growing legs (i.e. dads who want to jump on and have a go).
A great way to get little ones to learn the alphabet while also having fun, this wooden puzzle can keep them entertained for hours on end as they love to break it all up and redo it again and again!
An affordable gift that is also good quality, we love that this present is made of durable wood instead of plastic.
A play kitchen is a must-have for any little one so we're sure parents and children alike will appreciate this beautiful set. This wooden play set comes with all the kitchen essentials little ones need to play pretend with preparing food, cooking meals, washing up - and it even has a utensils cupboard and washing machine. Plus the chic design will look good in the house too.
The perfect gift to encourage kids' creativity that they can use over and over and keep reshaping into anything that they want. And with the range of colors available it gives the opportunity for hundreds of creations.
LEGO is one of those failsafe Christmas gifts for kids that is guaranteed to create smiles when it's unwrapped on Christmas Day. A classic toy with educational credentials, LEGO is great for teaching kids the first steps of STEM skills.
For any of those little ones who scout out the diggers and dumper trucks on the roads before you've even driven past them, this set will allow them to join in with their passion first hand with a tower crane and lots of other construction bits.
UK alternative: View 30 Piece Jurassic Dinosaur Realistic Figures Play Set with Volcano at Amazon
Most kids will go through a phase where they love dinosaurs and volcanos, so this is sure to get them excited. With a inner container that you can fill with water, this toy mimics a real volcano with a fine mist that emits from the top—and the toy dinosaurs are a bonus!
UK alternative: View Tacobear 7 Pcs Kids Doctor Kit at Amazon
Dressing up is a great way for kids to express their personality as they grow older and this set allows them to choose from a few different roles so they can imagine and play all day. It also comes in different designs with lots of different characters available.
And, if your child has pals who like to embrace the fancy dress, it could even make a good Christmas gift for friends of your kid too—the making of some imaginative, adventure-filled play dates for sure.
Best Christmas gifts for kids under 7
eReaders are a must for grown-ups, but why not let kids join in the fun in their own way with Amazon's Fire tablet for kids? Up there with the best Kindles they offer, this tablet allows for a range of entertainment and gaming apps so that kids can learn and keep themselves entertained on busy days. You could even connect it to the nursery monitor to save you spending money on another parent station.
Every household needs a classic LEGO kit and this set features a whole range of shapes and colors so that kids can get creative. It's also a good gift idea for if you're looking for presents for kids of slightly different ages.
A classic railway set that any kids can have fun building and driving trains around on is a classic Christmas gift. With a bridge and construction site to boot, this set is brilliant for inspiring imaginative play and the wooden track is durable and hard wearing for years of play.
For any kids who want to get in on the firefighting action, this fire engine with rescue ladder unit will let their imaginations run wild.
Our favourite part? The firetruck has real working lights and sounds! So not a toy to open very early on Christmas morning perhaps...
Inspire their creativity and discover their artistic flair with this double-sided art easel. One side features a black board while the opposite has a white board with a paper roll. There's also a shelf and three cup holders to store art supplies.
Dobble is one of the best family games to keep everyone entertained, so this kids' version is perfect for any children in a game-loving household. And if you're struggling for Christmas gifts for coworkers, the adult version of this could make for a fun Secret Santa gift. Whip out on Boxing Day to add a competitive edge to your Christmas celebrations.
Whizzing around on a micro kickboard is what most children would rather be doing at any time. This features an adjustable T-bar handle that you can change as the child grows and a lean-to-steer design that offers a stable ride to support kids. This particular model is designed for children aged five to 12, but there are versions available for younger and older kids too.
Uk alternative: View Sixome Kids Dress Up Cool Superhero Capes and Mask Toy Costumes at Amazon
Dress up time is always more fun when there's a superhero cape involved, so if your little one idolizes Spider-Man and wants to run as fast as Flash then this set will keep them entertained on the weekends.
Best Christmas gifts for kids under 10
Gifts that are both fun and educational are always a good idea, so why not go for an Atlas of Adventures? With bright and exciting scenes that feature snippets of knowledge for children to learn, the series is a must for any kid. This particular version is perfect for any kids who love water and oceanic life.
A classic that many of us can probably remember using when we were young, Crayola is always reliable for quality art supplies. This set comes with a huge 140 pieces so the kids in your life can unleash their inner creativity.
We all love a thrilling game of Jenga and this is the age when they'll appreciate that thrill the most. You could even add this to your list of Christmas gifts for grandparents so that the whole family can play together whenever you go to visit.
For any kids who spend their weekends watching the Marvel movies in order, what better gift than a LEGO set resembling the epic final battle of the saga. With a massive 699 pieces, including some of their favorite Avengers characters, an offroader car and a toy helicopter, this is one gift they'll be thanking you for all the way up until next Christmas.
For any future geologists out there, this set will help broaden their minds while also making them feel like they've discovered some sort of extraordinary treasure.
One for kids to use whilst supervised by adults (but if you're like us, the adults will probably enjoy this kit as much as the kids).
UK version: View LED Constellation Globe at Amazon
If you want to teach them about geography or are hoping that they'll grow up to be a globetrotter, then this globe can make learning about the world both educational and thrillingly magical with its illuminating light-up surface.
Uk alternative: View Harry Potter Children's Collection: The Complete Collection at Amazon
Harry Potter has long been one of the best fiction books for kids, so if you're hoping to turn your child (or niece or nephew) into a Potterhead, then this is the perfect age to get them into the iconic story. This set features all seven books, which are designed in enchanting covers to get them exciting about the wonderful world they're about to enter.
UK alternative: View Yemetey Kids Pod Swing Seat at Amazon
Any kid would love swinging around in the garden in this cosy hammock that comes in a range of different colors. Double check the instructions for hanging it to make sure the pod is secure before the kids start swinging in it.
If you're still unsure on what to buy the little ones in your life, why not give them an Amazon gift card for Christmas, so that they can shop for anything that's already on their wish list. And even for young kids who can't shop for themselves yet, this can still be a useful present as their parents can always snap up something that the little ones need.