Birthday Gift Hits & Misses
Kids between 5 and 12 are brutally honest. Give them the wrong gift, and you'll see it immediately in their face (or hear it in a half-hearted "Oh…cool"). Some presents will have them jumping for joy, while others will earn a polite nod before being mysteriously forgotten under the couch. Want to be the gift-giving legend? Then, let's start by looking at ten gifts that will actually make them jump with joy and brag about it for days.
1. Kinetic Sand Kits
Kinetic sand is scientifically engineered to stick to itself, making cleanup a breeze. With themed sets like Dinosaur Dig and Underwater Adventure, kids can build entire worlds while strengthening their fine motor skills. The Construction Zone kit, for example, comes with tiny excavators and molds.
Kinetic Sand Swirl N’ Surprise / E176 by HappyKids Play
2. Electric Scooters with Safety Features
Electric scooters remain a top gift, but safety matters. Models designed for kids now include speed limiters, wider decks for balance, and built-in LED lights for visibility. The Razor Power Core E90 features a stable frame and a push-button throttle, making it beginner-friendly. Some even have parental controls via apps so parents can set speed caps. A helmet and knee pads complete the perfect gift package.
3. LEGO "Star Wars" Razor Crest Building Kit
The Star Wars Razor Crest LEGO set is an engineering feat for young builders. The exclusive mini-figures, including a Beskar-armored Din Djarin and Grogu, make it a collectible. Hidden compartments and a detachable escape pod make it more fun.
LEGO Star Wars UCS Razor Crest REVIEW | Set 75331 by Solid Brix Studios
4. Mini Drone Camera
A mini drone lets kids take aerial shots while learning basic piloting skills. With features like auto-hover, obstacle avoidance, and easy smartphone controls, even beginners can pull off cool tricks. The Holy Stone HS430 is a popular option, offering one-button takeoff, altitude hold, and a camera for capturing footage.
Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash
5. ZipString Floating String Toy
Physics meets fun with the ZipString. It's a revolutionary toy that makes a string float and loop midair using a motorized airflow system. Unlike traditional yo-yos or fidget spinners, ZipString allows for endless trick variations, from hypnotic spirals to complex aerial moves. The ZipString Starter Pack even comes with glow-in-the-dark strings for a magical nighttime experience.
Shark Tank's Zip String: Is It Really Fun? | 11-Year-Old Reviews! 🦈by Jack's Kool Stuff
6. Outdoor Adventure Kits
Explore, discover, and play! You can explore options like the National Geographic Outdoor Explorer Kit and the Backyard Safari Critter Shack. Such gifts equip kids with binoculars, magnifying glasses, and bug-catching tools, turning any backyard into an exciting expedition.
7. Mini Projector
A mini projector is an exciting present for kids who love cartoons. Instead of hunching over a small tablet with blue light exposure, they can enjoy their favorite shows on a big screen, creating a safe cinema experience right in their bedroom. The Anker Nebula Capsule is among the top picks.
8. Friendship Bracelet DIY Kits
The resurgence of handmade accessories like Knot Now! stems from '90s nostalgia and viral social media trends. They include colorful threads, letter beads, and charms for endless customization. New glow-in-the-dark and personalized charm options ensure kids keep swapping heartfelt creations with their best friends.
Friendship bracelet making kits?! Yes, please! by Choose Friendship
9. Interactive, AR Storybooks
Reading takes a futuristic leap with AR-enabled storybooks like The Little Mermaid. By scanning pages with a phone or tablet, kids can bring illustrations to life. The Reign of the Dinosaurs AR book, for instance, lets kids watch prehistoric creatures roar and move in 3D.
10. Coding Robots for Kids
STEM education has never been more exciting, thanks to coding robots that introduce programming through hands-on play. For tech-savvy kids, these interactive bots are an amazing gift. The Botley 2.0 Coding Robot is a beginner-friendly option that responds to simple coding commands, allowing kids to control movements, lights, and even voice interactions without needing a screen.
Now, let's look at ten gift items for kids that might be collecting dust in the "thanks, but no thanks" pile.
1. Furby Toys
Released in 1998, Furby dominated the toy market with its robotic speech and blinking eyes. Initially a must-have, it soon lost appeal due to repetitive phrases and limited interactivity. Kids today prefer AI-driven toys with enhanced speech recognition and learning capabilities.
2. Tamagotchi Digital Pets
These pocket-sized virtual pets taught responsibility but required constant attention. By the 2010s, smartphone games like "Pou" and "My Talking Tom" had become obsolete. While modern versions exist, kids today want immersive experiences rather than pixelated creatures demanding digital food at 2 AM.
3. Beanie Babies
The 1990s Beanie Baby craze turned stuffed animals into investments. Limited editions once sold for thousands. These days, most of them collect dust in storage bins. Modern kids prefer plushies based on trending franchises like Pokémon or Squishmallows, which offer more appeal than outdated speculative markets.
4. Pogs
These cardboard discs sparked an early '90s playground frenzy. Schools banned them, parents questioned their value, and eventually, interest faded. Unlike Pokémon cards, which retain strategic gameplay, Pogs relied purely on luck.
5. Etch A Sketch
Twist the knobs, make a masterpiece—then mess up and start over. The struggle was real. While this toy was famous in the '60s, we have iPads now, with endless colors and creative features. They have rendered Etch A Sketch a nostalgic but impractical relic. So, don't make a child struggle to create art.
6. Bop It!
"Twist it! Pull it! Bop it!" This is fun for about five minutes before sheer frustration kicks in. This '90s reflex game had a moment of glory when voice-controlled games were not a thing. Children want games that don't scream at them like a demanding coach.
Nv8200p at English Wikipedia on Wikimedia
7. Hit Clips
Imagine getting a tiny plastic cartridge that plays 60 seconds of a song but on a loop. Sounds nightmarish, right? In 1999, it was advanced. However, these overpriced one-song wonders became obsolete faster than you could say "skip track."
Jason Curtis / Museum of Obsolete Media on Wikimedia
8. Easy-Bake Oven
It was a 20-minute wait for a mini cupcake that tasted like warm cardboard. But baking with a lightbulb in today's world? No child wants that. Those interested prefer real kitchen gadgets or cooking games that don't involve a burnt brownie the size of a quarter.
9. View-Master
Once upon a time, there was a View-Master, a toy that let you squint at 3D images of the Grand Canyon. Cool? Yes. Outdated? Absolutely. Augmented Reality and VR headsets replaced View-Master long ago. Kids have no reason to click through cardboard reels when they can literally step into another world.
10. Board Games
Classic board games can be fun, but if a game takes 30 minutes just to explain, most 10-year-olds will lose interest fast. There are numerous outdoor and indoor games that are much more fun than the old-school board games. So, don't give them complex rulebooks that feel more like homework than playtime.
