Looking for a birthday gift for your kids can be tricky, especially when they already own everything they could possibly want.
But it’s even tougher when you’re shopping for someone else’s child!
You could make your life easier and ask the little ones what they want, but they’ll most likely come up with an endless list of gifts that are unrealistic or cost a fortune.
But the good news is, we’ve rounded up a list of creative birthday gift ideas on the market for kids ages 3 and 9. So whether your favorite kiddo has a passion for science, crystals, or puzzles, you’re guaranteed to find something they actually want.
Also, if you need even more ideas, be sure to check out all of our unique kids gifts!
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Here’s a gift the whole family will get excited for! This epic construction set comes with plastic balls and reinforced sticks, giving the little builder in your life the opportunity to make forts that look like castles, caves, or an igloo. Just connect the sticks and balls together and cover with your own blankets, and voila!
With this heat-free pen, the magic of 3D drawing is literally at their fingertips. Just put their fingers on the button, press hard, and watch their creations come to life. The doodler pen includes plastic filament for drawing, 48 strands of plastic colors, stencils, a Micro-USB Charger, and a kid-friendly app that gives clear step-by-step instructions.
Looking for a card game that will get the kiddos off the screens for a few hours? With the Throw Burrito Throw game, friends and family can take turns throwing burritos at each other in this dodgeball-style game. Put away valuable trinkets in the living room because the battle is on! The goal is to collect cards faster than your opponents, all while throwing and dodging squishy flying burritos. We guarantee you’ve never played a game like this!
Learning to code has never been more fun with the Artie 3000 coding robot! Kids can explore the basics of programming by dragging and dropping blocks of code to tell the robot what they want to draw. Set the robot on a sheet of paper and watch how Artie draws what the kids programmed. It’s the perfect balance between entertaining and educational.
Keep the little ones excited to do their homework with this set of HB number two pencils that smell like a candy store. They’re made from 100% recycled newspaper and come in five different scents, like blue slushie, pineapple swirl, strawberry cheesecake, jelly donut, and rainbow sherbet. Best of all? The aroma can last up to two years.
There are many puzzles out there, but the CubicFun 3D Puzzle from National Geographic takes it to the next level. Create a 3D masterpiece by interlocking different pieces and components to build architectural marvels like the Taj Mahal. Kids will develop problem-solving skills while learning about the power of strategy and choice at the same time.
Giant coloring posters are the perfect gift for the little ones who like to draw on walls and doors. Simply roll the poster on the floor and let them create cute and colorful art with pencils, crayons, markers, or different paints.
- Here’s a giant dinosaur coloring poster from Etsy.
- A huge elephant poster full of intricate details, also from Etsy.
- And a giant wall-sized poster of the world. It’s filled with landscapes, animals, and humans from Amazon.
Budding scientists can perform 7 experiments in this crystal growing set from 4M. The kit comes with everything they need to grow their own colorful crystals. Once the crystals are fully grown, your little scientist can admire their collection thanks to the 7 unique domes that come in the kit. It’s perfect for a kid who’s curious about the world around them.
The Orboot Earth globe takes the kids on a virtual trip around the world, and it’s super easy to use. The globe is linked to an app, so when the little ones scan their tablet or smartphone over an area, they’ll get over 1,000 facts about the world, lots of fun stories, and quizzes for all ages. Along the way, they’ll learn about animals, cultures, monuments, the ecosystem, and so much more!
Kids who are obsessed with all things slime will have hours of fun with this DIY Slime Factory kit. Best of all? The kids will be able to make their own slime using a method that’s virtually mess-free – no glue required! They just need to add water to the mix, blend in some confetti or crazy colors to customize their creation, and they’re all set. How fun is that?
Which gift idea is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
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Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.