Gifts for Preschoolers
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My middle son currently falls in the preschooler age group. To be clear, I consider preschooler age to be 3+. At this age, there is a lot of intention in the way that children play. There is also an added sense of responsibility and ownership, so kids are more likely to take better care of their things at this age. In addition, they are also more easily able to play with gifts with a lot of pieces and not eat them or lose them immediately. All that being said, I do not love toys with a bunch of pieces, so I kept those to a minimum.
A quick note - my older kids are both boys so the gifts skew more “boy gift”. However, I don’t subscribe to the thought that toys are gender specific, but if you were looking for an review on the LOL dolls, etc., I got nothing.
This post was originally written in 2020. I have kept that gift guide at the bottom of this post if you’re interested in those gifts. If anything was unavailable, I’ve updated the link with something similiar whenever possible. If you see gifts appear on both guides, they are that good so don’t wait to grab them for your preschooler!
Now drumroll please… the 2021 gifts for preschoolers!
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Sneaky Squirrel Game - This game is great for color recognition, fine motor skills, strategy, and just fun for the family!
Stepping Stones for balance - We have had these for a few years and they are great indoors and outdoors.
Marble Run - All of my kids love to build things. The trial and error that they go through to build a successful run is a great life skill to develop.
Pikler Triangle - This is a great option for open ended play
All the Ways to Be Happy Book - teach diversity and inclusion with this rhythmic story
Flexible Roads - these roads can be used inside and out to encourage imaginative play
Here We Are Book - This book teaches kids about planet Earth. This is one of our favorite books to discuss. There are pages with all different animals and people to discuss.
Letter Magnets - As your kids start to recognize letters and spell words these are great to have on the fridge.
Tonies - this will be the gift of the year. Kids can pick and choose stories to listen to without screen exposure.
Tinker Robots - create your own robots with mix and match pieces
Soft Bowling Set - my kids just rediscovered their bowling set and LOVE it. However at this age they are pretty strong, so opt for this softer set to avoid any injuries.
2020 Gift Guide
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2020 Gift Guide
One
Drones for kids. What could go wrong? I can see my kids chasing these around the backyard for a long time.
Two
Playing make believe with my kids is one of my favorite things. And they know that coffee is one of my favorite things.
Three
Like I said, kids this age have a better sense of ownership. Having their own bag to put their things is a practical option for a safe place for their goodies. And if they go to school, this gift can pull double duty!
Four
I take picture of my kids relentlessly. Since they are little sponges, they want to do everything that I do. It is also so fun to see pictures from their perspective.
Five
This gift is for all ages really, but by preschool age most kids have the hand eye coordination to really chase and pop bubbles with a fervor.
Six
This breaks my “many pieces rule”, but we have this and the kids really like it. I use it for homeschool to do color sorting relays, and it is a great way to start introducing different fruits and vegetables.
Seven
The title says it all. In addition, it is so important to me as a White mother to show my boys people who look different from them doing kick ass things.
Eight
This little Nerf blaster is a great size for little hands. My older son got it for his 4th birthday, and he carried it around for days. Pro tip: buy the extra darts too.
Nine
This is the Amazon version of the hat that you see all over Instagram. The quality is great. And it fits my 3 and 4 yo perfectly - one of whom has a pretty sizable head.
Ten
All three of my kids have these blankets. They have an option for personalization as well. They are a Toddler to Teen version, so your kid will get a lot of use from them. Also, they are so soft!
Eleven
Dress up is a favorite in our house. Seeing the kids pretend to have different jobs is always fun because you get to see how they interpret certain jobs. For example, whenever we play doctor, my kids ALWAYS give me a shot. I guess that is all doctors do to them (thankfully)!
Twelve
Kid water bottles are a real pain point. They are either recalled or always dirty or spilling. These are the most durable and stylish option there is. They are a bit heavy as they are made of the insulated Yeti material. However, spills are a minimum so I am happy.
Thirteen
On your mark, get set, BAKE! I have one sous chef who got this set last year. He loves it. Plus, it comes with kids size tongs that are perfect for fine motor activities and kid knives perfect for teaching how to cut.
Fourteen
We just discovered My Little Pony on Netflix. I was a fan as a kid, so it gives me nice nostaligia vibes. These little figurines might need to make an appearance to diversify all the excavators and muscle cars that we have.
Fifteen
As my kids transition from baby rooms to toddler rooms, I always try to add some sort of tent/play place for them. It is a safe place to hang and a fun place to play when they want to welcome others into their space. Read more about transitioning to a preschooler room.
Sixteen
Devices are just a reality of life for kids. Protect yours with this case. It has kid size handles, a kickstand, and comes in a bunch of colors. I feel so much better when they carry their iPad with this case on.
Seventeen
This book is so fun. It has directions like ‘tap here’, but it also encourages kids to make it a new adventure each time that they read it. Really cool.
Eighteen
Prepare to hear “Roger that” and “Over” on repeat all day. My kids love these. They have decent range too!
Nineteen
For your artistic kid who isn’t interested in getting messy all the time.
Twenty
We have the robot version of these tinker toys, and they are great. You can put the pieces together in an endless number of ways to create new spaceships all the time. Then blast off on another imaginary journey!
Twenty-one
Water beads are a fun science experiment and then a modern water balloon fight. Just being realistic here. These are also biodegradable so you don’t have to worry as much about clean up!
Twenty-two
This might be a bit advanced for preschooler, so keep it in a safer place. We like to read a few pages before bed. My kids have seen the first Harry Potter movie, so they identify with it. And I love that they get to experience the magic and I get a pretty book out of it!
Twenty-three
Classic Hot Wheels. You have them. Kids love them. That’s all.
Twenty-four
This might be a bit advanced for preschool aged kids, but I love this book so much that I added it anyway! Hold it for your daughter until she gets older. Every millennial girl had this book that showed you how your boobs would grow, how to put in a tampon, and all about pimples. It is THE BEST book for growing girls.
Again, if you find yourself in a bind, I would recommend books. Here are some that my preschooler loves:
Nat Geo’s Little Kids First Big Book of Why
Little People Big Dreams series ( MLK Jr. book linked)