Gifts by age, from toddlers to teens

The right gift for any age matches what the child can do right now and what they are just starting to love. Pick an age from 1 to 17, or type a birthday, to open gift ideas for that age in three budgets. Each guide starts from what most children that age are learning.

Updated by the Frugal Santa elves

Pick an age, from 1 to 17

Every age opens a guide of gift ideas in three budgets, sorted by what children that age like to do. Ages 1 and 2 share the toddler guide, and 13 to 17 share the teen guide.

Gift guides for every age

One guide per age from 3 to 12, one for toddlers and one for teens. For ideas that suit any child, see Christmas gifts for kids.

How do you pick a good gift for any age?

Start with the child, then check the box. Write down what they did this month without being asked: built a tower, read under the covers with a flashlight, begged to go to the skate park, sang the same song for a week. Those are the interests a gift can feed. Next, match the gift to what they can do now, not what you hope they will do soon. A 4-year-old who loves trains wants a track to build alone, not a model kit that needs a grown-up at every step.

Then read the age on the box. It tells you who the maker designed the toy for, and a toy with small parts made for ages 3 to 6 must carry a choking warning. Last, set a budget before you shop. Every guide here sorts ideas into under $25, $25 to $75, and $75 and up, so you compare gifts at the same price.

Five children in matching Christmas pajamas stand in a row from shortest to tallest in front of a candlelit tree, each holding a wrapped gift, while a golden dog in a plaid scarf sits beside the smallest
Five ages, five heights, five different gifts.

What toys suit each age?

Toys that match the skills a child is building right now. The CDC's milestone checklists describe what most children, 75% or more, can do at each age, and they make a handy shopping guide. By their first birthday, most children pull up to stand and drop a block into a cup, so stacking cups and push toys fit. By 2, most run, kick a ball and serve toy food on a toy plate. By 3, most join other children to play, and by 4, most pretend to be a teacher, a superhero or a dog.

After 5, the CDC's tips shift from skills to friends. From 6 to 8, friendships and teamwork matter more, so games for a group go over well. From 9 to 11, children grow more independent from the family, and from 12 to 14, friends have more say in their choices. Gifts for those ages work best when they feed a hobby the child picked.

  • 1 and 2Toddlers

    Usually into
    Filling and dumping, first steps, running and first pretend games
    Gifts that fit
    Stacking cups, push toys, board books, a doll and play food
    Check
    No small parts at all: the rule covers every toy made for under-3s

  • 3 to 5Little kids

    Usually into
    Playing with other children, pretending to be someone else, games with turns
    Gifts that fit
    Dress-up, a play kitchen, a train set, a first board game
    Check
    A small-parts warning means the toy must stay away from younger siblings

  • 6 to 8Big kids

    Usually into
    Friends, teamwork and being liked
    Gifts that fit
    A bike and helmet, a marble run, a science kit, games for a group
    Check
    A helmet with every scooter, bike or riding toy

  • 9 to 12Tweens

    Usually into
    Closer friendships, more independence, their own choices
    Gifts that fit
    A telescope, a remote-control car, sketching or skating gear, an instant camera
    Check
    Strong magnets and button batteries out of reach of little brothers and sisters

  • 13 to 17Teens

    Usually into
    Whatever they have chosen this year: ask them, or listen
    Gifts that fit
    Gear for a hobby, a booked experience, a gift card
    Check
    Gift card money can't expire for at least five years

How do you find out what a child wants for Christmas?

Ask in a way that fits their age. With a toddler, watch which toy they carry from room to room. A preschooler can circle pictures in a toy catalog. School-age kids can draw or write their own Christmas wish list. Ask the older ones to add the exact name of the model they mean.

Then let every child tell Santa. On a live video call with Santa on your own account, the children take turns at your phone, tablet or computer while you sit with them, from the toddler who waves to the 12-year-old with a list. Santa keeps to child-safety rules: kind words for every age, no digging for personal details and no promise about what lands under the tree. When the call ends, each wish comes back to you with store prices, lowest first, and the choice is yours. See how calling Santa works first, and ask the grown-ups on your list too.

  1. Toddlers: watchThe toy they carry from room to room is the clue.
  2. Kids: circle and drawA toy catalog, a marker and a printed wish list.
  3. Everyone: tell SantaTurns on your call, with you beside them.
  4. You: chooseEvery wish with store prices, lowest first.
A grandmother, a small boy, his mother and his bearded father in Christmas sweaters smile at a laptop on a sofa by a crackling brick fireplace, with stockings, a decorated tree, two mugs of cocoa and a sleeping white cat on the rug
Toddler to tween, one call and a turn each.

What are age-appropriate toys?

Toys designed for what children of a given age can do and enjoy. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) uses age guidelines that match a toy's features to the skills, play behaviors and interests of children. To judge whether a toy is meant for children under 3, it weighs what the maker intended, how the toy is marketed and whether people commonly see it that way.

Some rules are firm. Toys made for children under 3 can't have small parts, and balls 1.75 inches across or smaller are banned for them. Latex balloons carry a choking warning for every child under 8. The CPSC's holiday tips tell shoppers to "always read and heed the label."

An age grade isn't a test of how clever a child is. A bright 2-year-old can still choke on a small part, and a 6-year-old may be bored by a toy marked 3 and up. So use the label as the floor and the child's interests as the guide.

Read the box

  1. "CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts."Not for children under 3
  2. "This toy is a small ball."Not for children under 3
  3. "Uninflated or broken balloons"A choking warning for children under 8
  4. Button or coin batteriesKeep them away from young children

What is a good gift for kids of different ages?

One gift the whole family can share, chosen with the youngest child in mind. A zoo or museum membership, a sled, a big outdoor game or a board game with simpler rules for little players works for a 4-year-old and a 12-year-old at once. The CPSC asks shoppers to consider the ages of all the children in the household, since toys with small parts can harm younger siblings. So if a 9-year-old unwraps a bead kit or a building set full of tiny pieces, agree before Christmas morning where it gets used and where it is put away.

For grandparents, aunts and uncles shopping for a whole family, gift minutes with Santa are one more option, at $1 a minute. Add a note, then print the gift card with its code, save it as a picture or send it as a link. The family redeems it on the redeem page with an email. Minutes don't expire, so the children can take turns whenever the family calls.

Grandparents in warm sweaters open the door of a snowy cabin to greet a family arriving with a pie and a wreath, while two children run up the path holding a handmade card and a wrapped gift
One visit, gifts for every age.

How can you pay less for kids' gifts?

Set one budget per child and shop inside it. Every guide on this page sorts ideas into the same three bands, so it is easy to compare. If the gift a child wants costs more than one person planned, split it: one relative buys the bike and another buys the helmet.

Santa's wish list does the comparing for you. When a video call with Santa ends, every wish shows up with prices from several stores, lowest first, and a link to each. Keep receipts. Target takes price-match requests on its own lower price for 14 days after purchase. Buying gift cards early is fine too: federal rules keep the money from expiring for at least five years after purchase or the last reload.

Buying used saves the most on toys children outgrow fast. Check CPSC.gov first to make sure a toy has not been recalled. Last, each age guide keeps a shortlist you can star and share, so two people don't buy the same thing.

Spend less on every child

  1. One budget per childUnder $25, $25 to $75, or $75 and up
  2. Split the big oneOne buys the bike, one buys the helmet
  3. Compare storesSanta's wish list shows prices, lowest first
  4. Check recalls on used toysSearch CPSC.gov before you pay
  5. Star one shared shortlistSo nobody buys the same toy twice

Gifts by age: questions

What is a good gift for a 1-year-old?

Simple toys to stack, fill, push and pull, plus board books. See our gifts for 1- and 2-year-olds, with the under-3 safety rules.

What should I get a 10-year-old?

Gear for a hobby they chose, from a remote-control car to a sketchbook. Compare 9, 10 and 11, since interests overlap.

What does 3+ on a toy box mean?

The toy is made for children 3 and older. If it also carries a small-parts warning, keep it away from younger brothers and sisters.

What do you give a teenager?

Ask them, or give something for a hobby they already have. Our Christmas gifts for teens covers 13 to 17.

How old will my child be on Christmas Day?

Type their birthday into the picker at the top of this page. It does the sum in your browser and never saves or sends the date.

Does the picker remember my choice?

It keeps the last age you picked in this browser, so it opens there next time. Nothing is sent to us.

Can kids make their own wish list?

Yes. Print our Christmas wish list, or let them tell Santa their wishes on your call.

Where are gift ideas for grown-ups?

See our Christmas gift ideas, sorted by person and budget, or gifts for grandkids if you are shopping as a grandparent.

Santa in his red suit on a gold throne, holding a wrapped giftLive video

Let them tell Santa what they want.

A live video call with Santa for kids of every age, with a grown-up beside them. You get the list back with store prices, from lowest to highest. $1 a minute.

Call Santa

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