It is now 2026 and we have a few decades of gift buying behind us. Have you ever really gone back after the holiday and looked at what toys the kids actually played with? Or how about asking your kids over a decade later, what gifts were their favorites? Or maybe as a parent what you saw them play with and thought were great gifts, after a full year of watching them. This would make for a great holiday gift guide so in 2026, we decided to do just that. Where we can we will also make any current suggestions for toys that are no longer made or do not have an updated version, we did include the year when these gifts were bought. Also, what we did was group the two boys (who are two years apart) together and our daughter was addressed separately. That does not mean that these gifts are distinct for boys or girls feel free to use the age guide to determine what works best for your kids. These are gifts you just can’t go wrong with.
Christmas Gift Guide Overall
2009 – 4 Year Old 6 Year Old Boys
Feed The Kitty by Gamewright – This was one of our favorite family games for a very long time. It is an easy game to play but very fun and things can change quickly. The best thing about our version of the game is one of our mice was a little bit bigger than the other ones and we would call him chunky. You always wanted to have chunky as he was good luck, or so we thought. The mice were made out of wood and you got to pull them out of a supper dish. The good news is that you can still buy this game from GameWright over at the Ceaco site. The not so good news is that it is an updated version that is a tad different, but only from the look and feel not from a gameplay standpoint. They went from mice to sardines and a bowl to a tin. Well worth it as you will get many years of fun out of this game and it is a great age range, as the kids even played it as they got older.
KITTY IS HUNGRY! Roll the dice and either feed the kitty, pass the sardines to your left, or take a sardine from the tin. If you run out of sardines, you’re out of the game!
Ideal Spiral Ball – This one was a mix of tabletop Skee-ball and pinball and it was so much fun, so the closest things these days if you did not want to go the vintage route are probably desktop Skee-ball or desktop pinball, but the original is still the best. There is something enjoyable about that tactile feel of a game like this.
Crayola Crayon Maker – So while it looks like Crayola does not make this anymore there are other products and molds out there to do the same thing. Kids love coloring and when they can make their own crayons it was a very exciting thing for them. They made all sorts of wacky colors out of those used up crayon pieces.
2010 – 5 Year Old and 7 Year Old Boys
LEGO Minotaurus Game – This was always a fun game but it looks like it is not available anymore. One wonders if there is a way to recreate it by looking at the pieces of the game, but we digress. Something that may be similar that is still for sale is LEGO Ninjago Destiny’s Bounty Adventures, but Minotaurus was a great game and we are happy we still have it.
Thumler’s Tumbler Model T Kit Rock Tumbler – We were surprised that both kids really loved this. They could do rocks they found in the driveway or on walks or fancy rocks they either bought or found elsewhere. It is great because it teaches all about following the correct steps in the correct order as well as having patience. You can find this model and others over at Thumler’s site, just make sure you pick up all the grits you need to make it happen.
Mattel Games Loopz Game – It was a touch free game that featured four semi-circular rings arranged in a four-square pattern, each equipped with infrared motion sensors. Players would wave their hands through the loops to mimic flashing light and music sequences, similar to an active version of Simon. While this game does not exist in this form anymore, there are great touch-free memory games out there. Always fun and allows for some memory competition with the family.
2011 – 8 and 6 year old boys
Dance Central 2 – Another game that has been retired now. For current versions, you can check out Just Dance 2026 Edition, but there is nothing like the OG Dance Central series. There was just something special as the camera was tracking your movement and you didn’t have to hold controllers or use a headset. We all had a blast playing this and got in some great workouts, parents and kids alike.
Selk’bag – An insulated wearable sleeping bag with arms and legs, the company is still thriving today with all new versions. There is just something fun about having a sleepover in a tent in the backyard wearing these, the kids really enjoyed that and even wore them when they would “camp” out in a cardboard box in the living room.
2011 – 2 Year Old Girl
RoomMates Disney Princess Peel & Stick Wall Decals – WallPops still makes these and the licenses include Disney, Pixar, Nickelodeon, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Video Games and more. You should be able to find what your kid is into and then put it on the wall. Not to worry they are wall-safe and peel off in one piece with no damage.
Step2 Up & Down Roller Coaster – This one was set up on the grandparents’ front lawn and got a lot of use, with her older brothers even getting in on it. It is still made today and they even have new Extreme Coasters, Extreme Thrill Coasters and expansion packs. Not only that, there are different types of ride vehicles now.
2012 – 3 Year Old Girl
No Place Like Playhome Cottage – Land of Nod – The Land of Nod officially rebranded and integrated into Crate & Barrel Kids and they currently do not have anything similar, but do have some good looking Canvas Play Tents. If you want something like a cottage you can check out west elm as well as Wayfair etc. Our daughter really loved this cottage and would play in it all the time, and the quality is what held up really well.
Foam Balance Beam Dott Products – This is a fun safe way for the kids to get started learning about balance and maybe even getting ready for gymnastics. It is low to the ground and easy to store and many different companies make these.
Piggy Paint Natural Children’s Nail Polish – Ribbons, Bows and Toes Gift Set – Formaldehyde Free, Non-Toxic – When we went over this list, my daughter said this was her favorite present of all time. We found the Piggy Paint products at a Toy Fair one year and they have a much bigger product line now that includes Glitter Gel, Face & Body Crayons and much more. A great way to get your kids into nail polish, but also feeling good as a parent in what is in the product.
Piggy Paint is a non-toxic, virtually odorless nail polish. It’s safe for all ages and a great alternative to solvent-based nail polishes!
2013 – 4 Year Old Girl
Flutterbye Flying Fairy by Spin Master – While these are retired Spin Master has created a modern successor with the Hatchimals Pixies Crystal Flyers. There are also other versions of this product from other companies now as well it seems. We really loved launching this in the house and it really makes the fairy feel real to the younger kids.
Doc McStuffins Get Better Check Up Table By Just Play – This was such a classic playset for such a well loved show. You may be able to find something similar for the Bluey show.
2014 – 5 Year Old Girl
Doc McStuffins Get Better Talking Mobile by Just Play – This toy was pulled around for a very long time by our daughter in the house. Again another great set for a show that was a huge hit during its time.
Kinetic Sand by Spin Master – Kinetic sand is still going strong and the texture is something special. Made for an easy clean up and a great way to play with sand indoors.
2015 – 6 Year Old Girl
Girl Scouts Cookie Oven by Wicked Cool Toys – You could bake Girl Scout Cookies that might not have looked like the originals, but sure tasted like them. We had a fun time baking and it may have been the thing that set her up to really enjoy baking. You can still get the Easy Bake Oven and they come in all sorts of new bundles for something similar.
Floating Kinetic Sand by Spin Master – All the great fun of the original Kinetic Sand, but it floats!
2016 – 7 Year Old Girl
Sleeping Queens by Gamewright – Sleeping Queens is a fast-paced, award-winning card game that we feel works well at this age. The fact that it is still played in our house today says something about how good it is. You can still purchase this game.
LEGO Friends Heartlake Riding Club – This was a great year for our daughter to start with LEGO Friends and the Heartlake Riding Club made a big splash on Christmas morning. The nice thing is there are many new LEGO Friends products to choose from even if this one is retired.
2017 – 8 Year Old Girl
LEGO Friends Stephanie’s House – Same as the other LEGO Friends product, while this one is retired there are many new LEGO Friends sets to pick from.
Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson – This is such a fun series and Dana puts out two books a year so there is always something new for the holidays. This is a series that our daughter enjoyed year after year.
Stay tuned as we will be doing another version of the Holiday Gift Guide – What The Kids Actually Played With for the older kids. This is really a great list for items that the kids enjoyed getting for the holiday season, but more importantly they actually enjoyed throughout the next year.