What are some gift ideas for kids you don't know super well?
If you have any go-to gifts for kids - especially for friends you might not know very well - please share them here with fellow parents!
Are there certain gifts you find yourself coming back to whenever your kids are invited to birthday parties or other celebrations for friends? I'd love gift ideas for a variety of ages, but especially for those elementary school years when the birthday party invitations are really rolling in!
Check these lists for more parent-submitted gift ideas: open-ended toys | gifts for kids who have everything | building toys | board games for kids | best books by age
8 answers
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10/27/2025Legos. I love that these work well for a wide range of ages and interests, from chunky Duplo bricks to intricate sets in a variety of pieces and difficulty levels. Plus, the many themed sets allows you to personalize for the birthday kids special interests. Minecraft legos, Star Wars legos, Harry Potter legos, Lego Friends...so many possibilities, you can really never go wrong!
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10/27/2025
Puzzles are fun gifts for kids of all ages. From Rubix cubes (or specialty speed cubes for the more experienced cubers!) to jigsaw puzzles, they are fun gifts that are likely to get a lot of use over time, and which can be customized by age/difficulty level. We've liked Ravensburger puzzles for years, but have also recently discovered the fun puzzles from the Magic Puzzle Company, which are great for more experienced jigsaw puzzlers ready for lots of pieces!
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10/27/2025 •
We really like the Magic Puzzle Company, too! The artwork is great, and the "surprise" element is cool for a kid who's never done one before.
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10/27/2025
Arts and crafts supplies like crayons, markers, drawing pads, coloring books and craft kits.
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10/27/2025
Stick with a theme! For example, if the kid loves Super Mario Bros, consider a Mario Bros lunch box, t shirt, and action figure, mixing in a practical gift or two along with a toy. My 5-year-old once got a Sonic lunch box (filled with snacks!), Sonic blanket and Sonic stuffie, and it was such a fun gift for him to open, and one he has gotten a lot of use out of since.
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10/27/2025
Board games are great gifts for kids, especially if you can share one that your family loves to play. Depending on the age, I've often gifted Connect 4, HeadBanz, Spot It, Apples to Apples, Clue and Catan.
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10/27/2025
A favorite book or two. I love books, and think it's so important to share that love of reading with kids. I like to gift books that my own kids loved at that age, and will sometimes add a gift card to Target (or other small item) so the birthday kid can get themselves a toy as well.
