Vox’s gift guide for curious kids
We've gathered together gifts for curious children of all ages — presents that stimulate exploration and wonder and are still downright fun. (Many of our picks are awesome for adults, too.) —Susannah Locke, Allison McHenry, Jen Trolio, Kim Stiens
Sophie the Giraffe
This massively popular French toy is still the No. 1–selling teether on Amazon. Amazon/$21.24
Magna-Tiles starter set
These tiles are great for the burgeoning builder. Their magnets make them fancier than plain old blocks and more user-friendly than Legos. For ages 3 and up. Amazon/$49.99
Press Here
This book, which the New York Times rightly described as "elegantly conceived," has a clever take on interactivity that requires no batteries or weird patches of fake fur. Ages 4 to 8. Amazon/$9.09
Ozobot
These mini programmable robots double as educational toys by helping kids learn to code. And there's a new Marvel/Avengers tie-in line, too. For ages 5 to 18. Ozobot/from $59
Opinel Le Petit Chef set
Get kids in the kitchen early with this knife and peeler set from the French knifemaker Opinel that features guides for correct finger placement and a guard for preventing cuts. Amazon/$38.99
The Pocket Scavenger
This book encourages kids (and adults) to find a series of ordinary objects and modify them in surprising ways. Amazon/$10
Laser Maze
Use a series of lasers plus transparent and reflective surfaces to solve a series of increasingly challenging puzzles. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Marbles/$19.99
Project Runway Fashion Design Challenge set
Includes fabric, beads, thread, sequins, markers, a dress model — everything a fashion designer needs. Amazon/$99.92
Student microscope
Comes with 10 premounted slides and 50 blank slides for the budding biologist, plus a book for sparking kids' own ideas. Well-made, with five magnification settings up to 1,000x, this isn't a toy that will break or be forgotten next week. AmScope/$84.50
BubbleSort Zines
These zines accessibly and inclusively illustrate computer science concepts. Though they were written with teens in mind, they seem great for smart middle schoolers and curious adults too. Available in digital and physical formats. BubbleSort Zines/From $8 each
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