1. Hidden pictures book, $5: Our kids tore through these on road trips and during quiet time. We gave them each a matching pair so they could help each other or have contests, depending upon the mood. Pair with some cool colored pencils. 

2. Mini karaoke with two mics, $29: Is there any kid (or grown up) who doesn’t love music and singing? This portable bluetooth device turns your living room into an instant party. Choose their personal favorite from tons of color options.

3. How to Draw Anything, $11: I remember feeling exhilarated as a kid when I finally learned a few tricks to execute drawings that looked legit. This book gives step-by-step instructions for drawing 300+ cute subjects like kittens and cupcakes. The whole series can be found here.

4. Football, $20: Never underestimate the power of a fresh football (or basketball) to get kids up and moving and interacting. Footballs—with no extra equipment required—are especially versatile for the yard, pool, beach, even road trips breaks. This one is junior sized for younger hands, but you could also choose the larger official size.

5. Pasta shapes teether, $6: Here’s some adorable early training in God’s greatest gift to tastebuds. 

6. Gumball machine, $32: My grandfather kept one of these on his bar and it was always our first stop when we visited. A personal gumball machine is pure nostalgic fun. You can fill this well-made steel version (die cast metal and glass; no flimsy plastic!) with classic gumballs or other small candy like M&Ms. It can also function as a piggy bank or reward “purchase” if you set it to accept all small coins.

7. Starbucks $10 gift card (4 pack), $40: Kids LOVE having their own money for grown up outings. You could split this apart for four individual gifts or blow one kid’s mind. Bonus: The real gift is the relationship building that happens when you chauffeur them to enjoy a strawberry frapp.

8. Jelly bean game, $10: When we received this game, I could never have guessed how utterly hilarious it would be. The game pairs two jelly beans that look exactly alike, but have radically different flavors—one good and one evil twin. You don’t know which you’re getting—tutti frutti or dead fish? top banana or wet dog? It’s shocking how accurate (and awful) the bad flavors are. We died laughing at each other’s faces when someone got a bad flavor. This simple game is a slam-dunk for belly laughs and making memories. 

9. Heatable/ chillable stuffy, $20: You can microwave this sweet, soft friend to add comforting warmth to bedtime and naptime. Or, in the summer, pop him into the fridge to cool off sweaty carseats. 

10. Magic Milk flavor straws (16 pieces in four flavors), $8: The best kids' gifts are consumable—total delight and zero lasting clutter. For years, we have been gifting these straws for birthdays with great success. The flavor beads inside each straw magically transform any glass of milk into something fun and delicious. You can choose larger variety packs or different flavors here.

11. Tiny Saints charms, $8: Add some adorable heavenly friends to their backpacks or lunch bags. These sweet little charms come in every saint imaginable, so you can gift a collection that’s personalized for your kiddo’s namesakes, patrons, and interests. (Pictured is tiny St Michael the Archangel). 

12. Flying Turtle sit skate, $105: It’s no small feat getting device-saturated kids outside and moving. We love this ride-on toy that is 100 percent manual with not a charger or battery in sight. Using the rider’s own weight and zig-zag motion instead of pedals, the Flying Turtle is wildly entertaining. Get a set so they can race or set up obstacle courses. 

13. Received by Jesus and Renewed by Jesus, $15 each: We wrote these two books to help kids enter more deeply into Mass and Confession. As always, I learned so much myself while writing and had many, many moments of being brought to tears at the wonder of God's love and mercy. Both books have won multiple awards and feature beautiful artwork, prayers, and an excellent examination of conscience.

14. Marquee letter, $14: There’s just something fun about personalization. This lighted marquee letter has been a recent hit for birthdays and other gift occasions. Be extra awesome and throw in a pack of batteries.

15. Slingshot, $9 and soft pellets (24 pieces), $8: Here’s a fantastic way to motivate kids to get outside and revel in their bodies. Kids love handling grown-up tools, and this slingshot is sized for them. They’ll gain hand-eye coordination, but more importantly will have a blast aiming at soda cans, blocks, or other homemade targets. The set comes with wooden pellets; add a package of the soft wool version so they can play inside, too. 

A note about Amazon

These links connect mostly to products sold on Amazon. This is not the only place you can buy most of these items, but I set it up this way because of Amazon's ubiquity (everyone I know already has a Prime account). You can also try finding the items you like at other retailers, local shops, or even use these ideas as a springboard to create gifts.

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Contact me. I am a Catholic author, artist, speaker, pilgrimage leader, and travel concierge.

I'd love to collaborate with you on your next retreat, day of reflection, pilgrimage, trip, or event.

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