The 25 Best Gifts for Kids Under $25

Old Navy’s critter beanie is our pick for growing noggins—stretchy, soft and downright adorable.

A family game night favorite that doubles as a solo activity for kids of all ages. After all, it’s just a bucket of building blocks that happen to be perfectly sized for small hands.

Plush pets that can be colored on again and again (and again). A trip to the fully functioning mini tub washes away the artwork and reveals a clean coat for another round of fun.

Buy it ($20)

This book is brimming with ideas for indoor activities. Kids (and parents) will be happy to have a little extra inspiration over the winter months.

Fine motor skills get a workout with this toy that encourages creative play. The reusable colorful beads can be snapped together to make hundreds of different wearable designs.

This party game just got a high-tech twist: The illustrator can draw designs in the air while teammates watch the images appear on a smartphone screen. Let the guesswork begin!

Aspiring archaeologists can have some hands-on fun with this treasure-hunt activity, which involves using a chisel and brush to excavate real gemstones from a big ole brick.

Irresistibly fun and festive, these plush and snuggly socks will help the kid in your life fill out those snow boots.

All winter long, the window seems to scream “Press your nose up against me and pout!”—unless you have window crayons, in which case it’s an easy-to-clean canvas for kids.

Young artists can blend new shades and try fresh techniques with this kit that includes 75 fizzy watercolor paints and a whole host of other tools.

This modeling substance looks a lot like snow and, magically, it is mess-free! Indoor snowball fight, anyone?

A microphone that functions well, boasts a goofy voice-changing feature and comes programmed with five catchy songs? Karaoke night just got cuter.

Minds will be blown by this critically-acclaimed, award-winning STEM toy that teaches kids (and possibly parents?) the basics of computer science.

Story time gets silly with this New York Times best-selling children’s book. No pictures, as promised, but the words will have everyone in stitches.

A charmingly simple shadow puppet set constructed from black cardstock. Don’t be fooled by the lack of frills, though. Kids of all ages will have fun performing their favorite fairy-tale scenes.

One toy (made from recycled plastic), four vehicles to vroom! The automobile obsessed will love loading up this sturdy carrier with colorful mini cars and taking it for a spin.

A wintertime staple, these gloves come in an array of playful colors and are just the right fit for keeping big-kid hands cozy.

These colorful magnetic tiles are great for developing STEM skills. Best of all, they don’t have the bulkiness of other blocks, so they are a perfect bring-anywhere building toy.

Lava lamps (and beaded curtains) are basically a preteen rite of passage. Gift this groovy night light to a young person you know—you can’t go wrong.

Pretty much every preschooler loves Paw Patrol and will be thrilled to re-create rescue missions with this fire truck and action-figure combo.

This Montessori toy teaches color recognition and fine motor skills to toddlers, and preschoolers can use the peg board to practice counting and simple arithmetic.

The 36 jumbo pieces in this jigsaw provide just enough of a challenge. The finished product, a sprawling oceanscape, will make any preschooler swell with pride.

A fun rainy-day activity with all the materials needed to assemble and decorate a one-of-a-kind wind chime. Scoop up two (still under $25!) and you have a perfect playdate project.

This spongy, lightweight modeling clay is less mess than Play-Doh and dries overnight, making it possible to preserve a kid’s more sophisticated creations.

Buy it ($12)

Children can see their art spring to life when they trace patterns on this three-dimensional LED canvas.

Buy it ($15)