By Ellen Lee and Wirecutter Staff
When kids turn 10, they reach a double-digit milestone, with their teen years just around the corner. Children in this age group are continuing to learn about themselves and refine their interests. So when you give a 10-year-old a gift, it can be an opportunity to deepen those passions while also encouraging exploration.
Friendships also mean more to most 10-year-olds, so look for gifts they can enjoy with their peers, like collaborative art projects. Now that they’re learning abstract thinking and reasoning skills, kids this age are also ready for board games that are more sophisticated in tone and subject matter, as well as in style (games that involve strategic decisions and longer playing sessions). Many 10-year-olds can also tackle complicated projects independently. Plus, there’s still plenty of room for imaginative play. Toys, games, and kits that encourage daydreaming, creativity, role-playing, and fantasy allow space for imagination to thrive.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTWe relied on advice from experts—as well as on the collective experience of parents and other caregivers on our staff—to identify gifts that are likely to challenge, engage, and spark the imagination of 10-year-olds. We also offer more gift ideas for kids here.
Felting friends
Making an adorable felt animal is both a meditative and gratifying project.
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When my daughter and her friend first tried their hand at needle felting, they complained about accidentally poking themselves a few times. The craft, popularized in Japan, involves gathering and jabbing small tufts of wool (or even cat or dog hair) with a needle to transform it into soft, fluffy objects. The kids were proud of the results of their efforts—a soft, adorable owl—and also a little proud of their sore fingers. Each Woolbuddy Needle Felting Animal Kit comes with materials, needles, and instructions to make a different cutesy animal (you can choose from giraffes, dogs, and cows, among others). And now that my daughter knows how to needle felt and has a set of needles, she can buy additional wool and use her imagination to make whatever she wants. (I’m pretty sure some family members are receiving felt animals as holiday gifts this year.)
—Ellen Lee
An at-home escape room
Up to four players work together to solve riddles and puzzles to “escape” from a mysterious historic castle.
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Exit: The Game—The Cursed Labyrinth is part of a series of hands-on, escape-room-style games that can be played at home. It’s a fun way for older kids to work together to solve a mystery, said Brian Mayer, a gaming, learning, and library specialist in New York. In this particular one, players are “locked” in a garden labyrinth and must figure out a series of riddles and puzzles so they can “escape.” There are more than two-dozen games in the series, with varying levels of difficulty. (The Cursed Labyrinth falls into novice, which we still found challenging. Mayer also recommends The House of Riddles version as a good option for most 10-year-olds.) Because the games in this series require players to draw on and cut up game pieces, you can play them only once. Taking anywhere from one to two hours to complete (with clues to help things along if necessary), these games can provide an entertaining activity for a sleepover or a stormy afternoon.
—Ellen Lee
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTJewelry for all moods
This simple and elegant ring changes color to reflect your mood.
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We’ve found Pura Vida’s jewelry to be preppy and pretty, as well as a step up from, say, the costume jewelry you find in a younger child’s dress up box (you can also opt to purchase a gift box for an extra $7). This take on the classic mood ring features a sturdy silver band encasing a color-changing crystal. The single round stone does indeed change color, from black to a light iridescence, which may or may not reflect the wearer’s mood. (Pura Vida suggests that blue means you’re feeling “fine and on cloud nine” while black means you’re feeling “powerful and mysterious.”) The tricky part is figuring out the right size ring for your recipient; Pura Vida provides a size chart and will exchange the ring if you send it back with the original packaging. You can also opt for a mood bracelet.
—Ellen Lee
Picture this
In this funny, honest graphic novel, seventh-grader Jordan navigates life as one of the few Black kids at his new school.
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This graphic memoir recounts the incarceration of Japanese Americans—including the family of actor George Takei—during World War 2.
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Graphic novels have exploded in popularity in recent years, and they’ve proved to be an effective way to win over reluctant readers, since many kids benefit from the additional support that illustrations bring to the text (plus, they’re just plain fun). Among my family’s favorites is Jerry Craft’s New Kid, which tells the story of a seventh-grader who’s one of the few kids of color at his new school. It won the Newbery Medal in 2020—the first graphic novel to do so. Its sequel, Class Act, follows another student at the same school as they move on to the eighth grade. (You can purchase both novels in a boxed set). Several popular existing series have also been transformed into graphic novels, including The Baby-Sitters Club (which inspired my daughter to pick up the rest of the series in book form) and the cat-themed franchise Warriors. And graphic novels can offer a powerful platform for teaching nonfiction stories. They Called Us Enemy, by actor George Takei (aka Star Trek’s Sulu), is about the incarceration of Japanese Americans—including Takei and his family—during World War 2. For more suggestions, The New York Times offers a slew of graphic novel reviews, including these picks and a list of graphic novels for early and middle-grade readers.
—Ellen Lee
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTVibrant poetry
Kids string together vividly colored paint chips—each printed with evocative words and phrases—to create one-of-a-kind poems.
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A colorful twist on magnetic poetry, the Paint Chip Poetry game is fun both for kids and for adults with a love for words, said Hilary Conklin, professor at DePaul University’s College of Education. The set has 400 paint-chip cards featuring a word or a phrase, such as “out of the blue,” “first kiss,” and “the golden hour.” Given one of 40 prompts (such as “when I was little” and “worth waiting for”), players string together their paint chips to compose a poem. There’s no path to winning—this game simply provides kids the chance to be creative, express themselves, and appreciate the blend of words and colors. If kids have a case of writer’s block, the game can also get their creative juices flowing—and maybe even spark their next masterpiece.
—Ellen Lee
A classic shapes doodler
This set comes with 15 shapes, eight markers, and a design booklet to get kids rotating and tracing mind-bending designs.
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Inspired by the original Spirograph, which debuted in 1965, the Fun Shapes Set incorporates new shapes (diamond, heart, ellipse, and more) into the mix, but it’s just as creatively soothing as the original. It can be used with other Spirograph sets, and if your kid really wants to maximize their technique, this video is a good place to start.
—Caira Blackwell
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTA well-drawn game
In this laugh-out-loud party game, players sketch, pass, interpret, and re-create each other’s illustrations.
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I can draw only basic stick figures and landscapes, but that’s part of the fun of Telestrations, a board game that combines the childhood game of Telephone with pictures. Each player starts with a dry-erase marker, a small sketchbook, and a card with a list of objects. Draw one of the objects (like a shipwreck, a rhinoceros, or a typewriter), and then pass the sketchbook on to the next player, who must guess the object and draw their interpretation of it. By the end of the round, what started out as, say, “basketball hoop” might turn into “submarine,” as it did during a round with my family. Telestrations can be a hilarious game—especially if you have a big group. And it’s great for many kids ages 10 and up, said New York–based gaming, learning, and library specialist Brian Mayer.
—Ellen Lee
A hammock for daydreaming
This breathable, quick-drying nylon hammock is small enough to take anywhere and durable enough to last for years.
A portable, packable hammock is always a winner for camping trips or vacations, but it can also create a comfy, private spot for a kid to hang out in their own backyard while reading or daydreaming. We tested 10 low-profile hammocks, and we liked the ENO SingleNest Hammock best. It packs down compactly and weighs only a pound, yet when it’s strung between two trees (or other supports), it turns into a comfortable, snug sling for rest and relaxation. The ENO holds up to 400 pounds, so it can easily fit two kids at a time, providing a fun hangout spot. (Note that you’ll need to buy suspension straps separately.) For hiding out indoors, we also love this Harkla sensory swing—featured in our guide to toys for kids with disabilities—which feels like being inside a soothing, color-washed cocoon.
—Courtney Schley
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTFriendship bracelets 4ever
This set of alphabet letters comes conveniently pre-sorted in a plastic tray.
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If your kid has been inspired by Taylor Swift to make friendship bracelets, you’ll need a collection of letter beads (how else to spell out T-O-R-T-U-R-E-D P-O-E-T-S). This Amaney Letter Beads A-Z set comes with 1,400 standard white acrylic letter beads, which we recommend over fancier ones since they’re easier to replace when you run out of a particular letter. It’s also presorted to save you the headache of digging through a jumble of letters. To complete the package, you may also want to pick up stretchy, sturdy string and rainbow pony beads.
—Annemarie Conte
Tools for doodling and journaling
This inexpensive hardcover notebook is filled with high-quality paper, and it includes a back pocket to tuck small, paper treasures.
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These double-tipped pens write smoothly, and they add color and shading without bleeding through the paper.
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A collection of tools for doodling and jotting down thoughts is a great gift. My daughter treasures her set of rainbow-colored gel pens, which she received as a birthday gift and regularly uses for drawing and writing little notes. We offer several suggestions in our guide to the best pens, including the Pentel EnerGel RTX, which is available in an assortment of colors. Pilot’s FriXion Clicker Erasable Retractable gel pens, another colorful favorite, erase pretty cleanly: the ink disappears like magic when you rub it with the firm plastic nub at the end of the pen; the heat from the friction causes the ink to become transparent. (A fun tip for sending secret messages: The ink reappears when you place the paper in the freezer.) Your 10-year-old may also like the bright, cheery colors and versatility of the double-tipped Zebra Mildliners, which we recommend in our guide to kids birthday party favors. For doodling, journaling, and daydreaming, pair the pens with a blank notebook, such as the Paperage Lined Notebook or the Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover Notebook Classic (A5). Both are picks in our guide to the best notebooks and notepads, and they come in a range of lovely colors.
—Ellen Lee
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTA Lego metropolis
This challenging and immensely satisfying build shows off five of the city’s most iconic structures.
This detailed set captures London’s famous destinations, from the London Eye to Big Ben.
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Most of the intricate sets in Lego’s Architecture series are recommended for kids ages 12 and up. But my kid—admittedly a Lego fanatic from toddlerhood—was able to complete the New York City set at a younger age, with just a tiny bit of adult help. Yes, there were some moments of intense frustration over the couple of days it took him to build the nearly 600-piece project. But those were surpassed by his immense satisfaction with the final result, which we now proudly display on our mantle. The Lego Architecture series includes other famous sites, such as the White House and the Taj Mahal. What makes these builds so incredibly cool is that your child gets to replicate something from the real world and, in the process, develops a deep knowledge of its features. In the months after my son built this Lego set, we happened to be in New York. Walking down Fifth Avenue for the first time, he identified the Flatiron Building on his own, recognizing it from his hours of concentrated construction. My son has also built the Eiffel Tower set (now retired); hopefully he’s not holding his breath for a trip to Paris.
—Kalee Thompson
A workbook for the imagination
This activity book offers creative inspiration, such as writing prompts, and it can be paired with the Story Seeds Podcast.
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For the budding young writer and avid reader, Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity is an activity book containing writing prompts and other activities to inspire curiosity, inventiveness, and storytelling. It pairs with the Story Seeds Podcast, which features collaborations among kids and children’s book creators including Jason Reynolds, author of Ghost, and Veera Hiranandani, author of The Night Diary. Each chapter in the book corresponds with an episode of the podcast, though both stand alone as well.
—Ellen Lee
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A groovy lamp
Watching the undulating colors in a retro lava lamp is as spellbinding as ever.
There’s something mesmerizing and calming about gazing at the moving blobs of brightly colored wax in a lava lamp. Sometimes my kids and I stare at ours and try to guess the shapes that the blobs are forming, such as a tree or a cat or … a blobfish. It takes a little time for the lamp to warm up and for the wax to start moving, but once it gets going, it brightens the mood in any room. Choose one in your 10-year-old’s favorite colors to complement their taste (the lamps from Lava Lamp come in an array of shades and styles). These lamps do get hot, so they’re probably not a good choice for very young kids. Remember to turn them off at night and let them cool down between uses to preserve the grooviness of the wax.
—Ellen Lee
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTA stargazer’s friend
This augmented-reality viewer and star-gazing app brings the planetarium to you.
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The Personal Planetarium combines a star-gazing app with the fun of augmented reality. After downloading the free app, simply slip your phone inside the handheld viewer and point the contraption at the sky. Different modes reveal a variety of details above. With Deep Sky mode, my son and I take a peek at the galaxies via images from real telescopes. The Personal Planetarium recognizes constellations in the sky and explains them via audio. This has been a fun learning experience for my preschooler, too; we also like to put the Mythology mode to use at bedtime. To work the Personal Planetarium, you need a phone with a screen that’s at least 3½ inches; most newer smartphones should do the trick.
—Kelly Glass
Slumber party survival kit
This versatile toiletry bag has plenty of pockets to hold overnight essentials.
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This classic tote is made with durable fabric and can carry heavy loads.
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Whenever possible, my daughter and her friends beg to sleep over at each other’s homes, where they whisper, giggle, and stay up until all hours of the night. If you’re looking to prepare your child for their next (or first) epic slumber party, consider assembling a themed collection of sleepover essentials that could last them for years to come:
- Include a pair of cute and cozy pajamas. Primary’s tops and bottoms are among our favorite pajamas for kids.
- Look for a lightweight yet warm sleeping bag, such as the REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 20 Sleeping Bag, from our guide to the best sleeping bags for adults. (Once a kid is about 10, it makes sense, size-wise, to purchase an adult bag so they can use it for the long haul.)
- Add a toiletry kit, like the State Bags Bensen Toiletry Kit from our best toiletry bags guide. Or, for a less expensive option, get the Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Quick Trip.
- Get a roomy canvas bag to hold everything, like this monogrammable L.L.Bean Boat and Tote or the Baggu Duck Bag, from our guide to the best tote bags.
—Ellen Lee
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTDIY toys
This monthly subscription box delivers a STEM-inspired toy or gadget for your child to build from scratch.
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If you’ve heard of Mark Rober, it’s probably because a pre-tween told you all about him. This former NASA and Apple engineer now racks up millions of views as a professional YouTuber. He dishes out irreverent and cheeky (but still wholesome and kid-friendly) science lessons, like how to build a squirrel obstacle course in your backyard. In 2022, Rober extended his STEM-pire to include the CrunchLabs Build Box, a monthly subscription that lets little engineers build cool toys and gadgets at home. Each box comes with all the materials and tools you need (so you won’t have to scrounge for, say, a pen or an Allen wrench). It also includes a QR code to access a video in which Rober talks you through the build while breaking down what he likes to call the “juicy physics” behind each one. His infectious enthusiasm and eye for detail make the videos and builds fun to do and watch, whether my daughter follows along on her own or we make them together. And though we’ve experienced a couple of minor technical issues with the kooky contraptions we’ve built, they do all function as promised. My kid received the subscription for her 10th birthday, and for nearly two years, she has eagerly completed every build, from stomp rockets to a drawing machine.
—Rose Maura Lorre
A beginner’s skateboard
Cruiser skateboards deliver a smooth, stable ride and are ideal for getting around.
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These standard skateboards are superior for learning tricks.
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If your kid is interested in trying skateboarding, age 10 might be a great time to start. Your best bet is to take a budding skateboarder to a local skate shop, where they can build and customize a board on the spot or find a refurbished one at a discount. Barring that, Zumiez is a reliable retailer that carries a range of boards for beginners, said Rob Ferguson, founder of Rob Skate Academy in San Leandro, California, and a trainer for one of the members of the USA Olympic Skateboarding Team. For getting around, a cruiser board from Zumiez is a good choice, Ferguson said. Is your kid interested in learning tricks? Check out a standard skateboard from Zumiez. And don’t forget the safety gear—like a helmet, wrist guards, and knee and elbow pads—for protection during those inevitable wipeouts.
—Ellen Lee
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTShoes to show off
Kids can customize eight parts of these classic sneakers, from the heel to the toe.
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For many kids this age, putting a personal spin on their stuff is a dream. Customizing a pair of Vans Classic Slip-On is a fun way to do that. The virtual customizer on the company’s website is interactive and fun, so your kid can add, say, a pattern to the vamp or a lightning bolt to the sidewall, or an accent color to the gore. (It’s as much an exercise in shoe anatomy as it is in DIY design.) Design elements include solid colors and various materials (maybe magenta suede or perforated white leather). The pattern options (over 70) range from variations on the classic Vans checkerboard motif to florals to skulls. Prices vary depending on the elements picked; uploading a personal photo, for instance, costs $20 more. If the Slip-On isn’t your tween’s style, other Vans—like the lace-up Old Skool and high-top SK8-Hi—can also be customized. Depending on your tween’s shoe size, choose from adult or kids ranges.
—Ingrid Skjong
Workout gear
This handy fitness tracker is lightweight and has a long battery life.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 is our top pick for the best fitness tracker, and it can be a convenient tool whether your kid is a budding athlete or could just use an alarm clock affixed on the wrist. It’s comfortable to wear and easy to use, and the battery lasts for days on one charge. Some kids this age may find it helpful to set the watch to vibrate as a reminder to switch tasks. And while the typical 10-year-old may not need all of these features, the watch also measures steps, heart rate, exercise, and sleep.
—Ellen Lee
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTMystery by Snail Mail
This clever challenge is made up of a series of letters and hidden clues, to suck kids into a personalized mystery they’re tasked with helping to solve.
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My family has tried out a number of kids subscription boxes and projects over the years, but Mail Order Mystery is in a class of its own. The series of letters, packages, and puzzles that make up each mystery are personalized for a specific kid, who must study correspondence and solve ciphers or riddles to crack the case. (My 8-year-old required some parental assistance with his pirate-themed quest, but my 12-year-old was able to solve his spy mystery mostly on his own.) I was impressed by the surprising, intricate storytelling, and by how deeply invested my kids became in their given missions. You can choose to receive all the materials in one box and secretly slip them into your own mail pile one by one, or you can have them delivered piecemeal. I did the doling out myself, providing several weeks’ worth of anticipation, concentration, and—ultimately—a satisfying solution to each case.
—Kalee Thompson
A tablet for digital doodling
This compact drawing tablet is aimed at beginners, and it’s easy to set up and use.
If your kid already loves to draw on paper and is interested in experimenting with digital art, an entry-level drawing tablet may open new doors of creativity. The Wacom Intuos, one of our favorite drawing tablets for beginners, connects to any computer and lets you use a stylus to draw digital images with an impressive degree of precision. For a creative kid who wants to try their hand at digital comics, sketching, animation, photo retouching, or even just doodling or note-taking, it can be a fun and useful tool. We like that it’s precise and customizable, has a pen that’s comfortable enough to hold for long drawing sessions, and comes with more software than other models.
—Melanie Pinola
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTSnap pictures with friends
Fun and simple to use, this instant camera takes good-looking, wallet-size photos.
To get the best price, buy this film in two-packs.
A 10-year-old has never known a world without iPhone selfies. But kids can still experience the infectious joy of snapping an instant photo and watching it develop into a real-world object. With its minimal settings—just on, off, and selfy—the FujiFilm Mini 12 is one of our favorite instant cameras. It can take dozens of beautiful snaps on a single set of batteries, and it’s ultra-portable thanks to the light and small body. If you prefer a slightly larger, square picture, the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ40, our top pick instant camera, is similarly easy to use.
—Arriana Vasquez
An act of generosity
A donation to a near-and-dear charitable cause (prices vary)
A donation to a worthy organization is a gift to your child as well. This type of gift can teach them about empathy and generosity, and it can show them how satisfying it feels to help others. You can search for ways to make an impact locally, such as through a nearby food bank or animal shelter. DonorsChoose also lets you search by zip code for teachers and schools that need support. If you’re not sure which nonprofit to pick, services such as GuideStar, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and Charity Navigator can help you choose one wisely. And some even offer a physical thank-you gift in return: When a friend made a donation to the World Wildlife Fund for my kids, we received a delightfully soft, plush stuffed animal in the mail.
—Ellen Lee
Additional reporting by Julie Kim. This article was edited by Kalee Thompson.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTMeet your guides
Ellen Lee is a senior staff writer covering baby and kid gear for Wirecutter. Her work has also appeared in The Atlantic, BBC, and Real Simple, and she was previously a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. She is also the author of the (ADJECTIVE) Lunar New Year Mad Libs book. (We’re hoping you filled in the blank with “hilarious.”)
Wirecutter Staff
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- When you have a child with disabilities, the toy bin can become a toolbox filled with items to help them grow—and bring them joy.These First Toys for Kids With Disabilities Have Universal Appeal
- Friendship bracelets are everywhere. Our tips will save you time and money if you’re trying to make a bunch.We Are in Our Friendship Bracelet Era. Here’s How to Make the Perfect One.
- The Uni-ball Jetstream RT is the best pen for most people. It’s affordable and quick to dry. And it writes smoothly and won’t skip or bleed.The Best Pen
- We looked high and low for fun birthday party favors—including good-quality trinkets and special standalone items—that aren’t bound straight for the trash.31 Kids Birthday Party Favors That Aren’t Junk
- These notebook and notepad picks offer a satisfying writing experience with different types of pens and pencils.The Best Notebooks and Notepads
Further reading
The 27 Best Gifts for 9-Year-Olds
Many 9-year-olds can take on grown-up activities—like baking and sewing—and use grown-up tools.
The 31 Best Gifts for 1-Year-Olds
Some of the best gifts for 1-year-olds are those that engage kids’ rapidly developing motor skills, sensory exploration, and boundless curiosity.
The 33 Best Gifts for 4-Year-Olds
Toys that encourage building, puzzling, role-playing, and creating will engage curious 4-year-olds.
The 38 Best Gifts for 3-Year-Olds
Open-ended toys that inspire role-playing and beginner board games that encourage cooperation make great gifts for 3-year-olds.
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