Five Christmas Gifts Ideas For Kids

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With Christmas coming up, you get both the fun and the headache of searching for the perfect presents for your kid(s). Sometimes it seems impossible to find a present that is both fun and affordable.

Don't worry- I've saved you some time by finding a few gifts that are fun, affordable (Every item listed here is $25 or less), long-lasting, and will teach your kids something. Clicking on the images and links below will allow you to take a closer look at each item at Amazon. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

A great gift for science-minded kids is “365 Simple Science Experiments with Everyday Materials”. I bought this book for my kids a couple years ago, mostly to give us something to do together in the summer. My daughter especially loved the experiments. She would often ask, “Can we do a science experiment today?”

The 365 experiments are grouped together in categories like dirt, leaves, sound, soap, water, heat, or some other common natural element. My kids were only three and five years old when I got the book. I bet it would hold the interest of kids up to ages ten or eleven or so. The experiments are interesting, easy, and fun for most kids.

A great book for your budding scientist.

Another unusual, yet fun gift for kids is a carnivorous plant. The most famous and popular carnivorous plant is the Venus flytrap. Since I love indoor plants, this was actually a gift given to me on my last birthday. But guess who is just as fascinated by carnivorous plants? My kids, of course.

My six-year-old son has become a master bug-catcher, and will periodically run into the house with a bug squashed between his fingers, but still alive. “I got another one, dad!” And it’s off to the Venus flytraps we go. PredatoryPlants.com currently has two different kinds of Venus flytraps for sale under $20. It also has two sundew plants for sale just under $17.

A gift that combines bugs, science, and nature? Your kids will love it.

If you’ve got a dinosaur-loving kid, get him or her a National Geographic Dino Fossil Dig Kit. It includes several digging tools, a T. rex replica tooth, and a “dig brick”. The replica tooth is entombed somewhere in the dig brick, and the child has to use the tools to carefully dig into the brick to unearth the fossil.

It took my son awhile to fully excavate the tooth, as he was very methodical with his digging technique. His sister was his assistant- she carefully swept away bits of the dig brick with the brush that is included.

And lucky for us, our kit also included a “genuine dino poop specimen”. Fun! If there's anything a young boy needs on display in his bedroom, it's dinosaur poop. Don't worry- it stopped smelling bad about 45 million years ago.

Not every dino dig kit has the same items though. Some have real fossils, like a Mosasaur tooth, while others have a replica bone or tooth. Just read the info on the box carefully.

If your kid isn’t interested in dinosaurs, but you think he might like something like this, National Geographic has a very similar product where you dig for bugs or gemstones instead of dinosaur fossils.

The cost depends on the size of the dig kit you purchase.

This last gift is very simple, but clever. It is called a “Color Your Own Map Pillowcase”. Kids can color a map of the earth printed on a cotton pillowcase. Ten washable fabric markers are included. When they finish, or if they make a mistake, just wash it and they can color it again.

The map is well-designed and kid-friendly. Along with the seven continents and dozens of countries we’re used to seeing on every world map, various animals such as alligators, elephants, whales, and sharks show up where appropriate. Sailboats, ships, and landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and the Great Wall of China can be seen as well.

If you don’t think your child would be excited about coloring a world map, there are several other designs to choose, like a butterfly, doll house, or space explorer pattern.

As always, try to find these products locally before ordering online.

Hopefully this list helped you in your quest for a fun and affordable gift for your kids, and allowed you to check off at least one child on your Christmas shopping list.