Whether or not you have the programming to be a mother, it can be a struggle to find gifts for your kids that they (1) enjoy, (2) play with beyond Christmas morning, and, crucially, (3) won’t drive you crazy with by Boxing Day. Let us do the work for you: Here are the gifts we’re buying our kids (and the kids in our lives) this year, from toddlers to tweens.
Studio Ghibli Lucky Bag
My Ghibli-obsessed 7-year-old loves any kind of related merch, but whenever I look for it, I end up in a deep, decisionless hole trying to pick and choose among all the stuffies, books, jewelry, key chains, and various other items with No Face and Totoro on them. This year, she’s getting a Lucky Bag of Ghibli stuff. What’s in it? I do not know! I’m free! My older daughter is less specifically focused on Ghibli, but Sugoi Mart has lots of options, including Sanrio, Kirby, and Pokémon. —Kathryn VanArendonk
‘Hey Kids, Watch This!’
There are lots of guides to things you can watch with your kids (we’ve got a bunch right here on Vulture), but none is quite as exhaustive — or adorable — as this new book from A24. It’s organized by age group with a flagging system for elements like scary moments and mentions of sex and recommendations for further viewing in the same vein. It’s even got some activities for kids to do, and a log to track your family’s viewing. —Emily Palmer Heller
‘Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice’
As David Zaslav continues to chip away at the Warner Bros. catalogue, physical media is more important than ever. Preserve the classic Looney Tunes cartoons with this boxed set. The children need to know about Peter Lorre impressions, and this is how they should be taught! —Bethy Squires
‘Clue: The Muppets’
Is Kermit a murderer? In this Muppet-ified version of Clue, he very well could be. The styling of the game is similar to a Muppets movie — Kermit, friends, and lover (Miss Piggy) star as the original Clue characters in The Muppets Mystery Show. Its a fun way to introduce the classic board game, as well as the Muppets, to any kid’s life, plus there are plenty of Muppet episodes to have on in the background as you’re playing. —Alejandra Gularte
The ‘Wild Robot’ Plush
Sadly, this one is not voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, but it’s still cute. —EPH
Spider-Man LEGO Duplo
I got this for my son and plan on giving it to him for his upcoming second birthday. He has never watched Spidey and His Amazing Friends but knows Spider-Man is cool from seeing bigger kids at the playground or on the street wearing Spidey T-shirts or carrying Spidey backpacks or whatever. He’s also very into vehicles, and I know he’ll be impressed by the motorcycle in this set. I like that it comes with a wrench and that the motorcycle stands up on its own, which is not the case for a Hot Wheels Ducati he owns and loves. —Liza Corsillo
Welcome to Emerald City LEGO Set
If Wicked fever has taken over your household, this LEGO replica of the Emerald City, complete with flying Elphaba, will be a hit — even if it is stolen valor. —EPH
‘Fraggle Rock’ Collection Story Dream Machine
We still aren’t doing any regular screen time with our son, but I do rely heavily on the Little Tikes Story Dream Machine projector — a slide-projector-like toy for toddlers. You can get tons of storybooks for it, from Eric Carle to Sesame Street to Kung Fu Panda. Our current favorite is a set of three Fraggle Rock stories with incredible illustrations that look great projected on a wall. —LC
Movie Theater Concession Stand Playset
I was planning to get my toddler, who has started wanting to help out in the kitchen, a more traditional kitchen play set. But when I saw this wooden movie-theater concession stand, I immediately bought it instead. I can’t wait for her to serve us fake popcorn and hot dogs at every movie night and only dread a little bit picking up all the pieces after she goes to bed. —EPH
Pokémon Battle Figure Advent Calendar
There are soooo many brands putting out cute Advent calendars these days — American Girl, Lush, Bonne Maman — but if you’ve got a Pokémon-crazed kid, this is the one. —EPH
Yoto Player
Yes, every single year I feel like the holiday season rolls around and I’m still yelling about Yoto boxes. But I wouldn’t be doing it if my kids weren’t still hardcore Yoto users years after our original purchase. I still give them lots of podcasts to listen to by uploading mp3s to the Yoto Make Your Own cards, but they’ve also gotten more and more use out of the Yoto library cards, especially Wings of Fire, Harry Potter, and some of the classics like Anne of Green Gables and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. I know the Tonie vs. Yoto wars continue to rage, especially as Tonie has introduced figurines like this season’s Snoop and can get into the kids’ audio-player market earlier by being more accessible for the toddler cohort. But I continue to believe Yoto has a better, more flexible interface; the Mini is more portable for travel; and the whole experience works much further into the elementary-school years. —KVA
