It’s that time of year when you might look at your house and wonder, “Do my kids really need more stuff?” Christmas is coming, and while experience gifts are wonderful, many of us (myself included!) still want our children to have something special to unwrap on Christmas morning.

This year, let’s skip the clutter and focus on gifts that truly matter. I’ve compiled eight lists of my absolute favorite, screen-free gift ideas. These aren’t just toys; they are tools designed to speak directly to your child’s personality, encourage new habits, and inspire them to pursue things they love. Whether you have a crafter, a mover, a dreamer, an innovator, a naturalist, a gamer, a thinker, or a musician, you’ll find a meaningful gift perfect for them. Every item is linked to my Amazon storefront, making it easy to find all my top picks in one convenient place.

In this blog post:

• Gifts for the crafty child
• Gifts for the mover
• Gifts for the dreamer
• Gifts for the innovator
• Gifts for the naturalist
• Gifts for the gamer
• Gifts for the thinker
• Gifts for the musician
• Intentional Christmas activities from Treehouse Schoolhouse

Gifts for the crafty child

These are some of my favorite items for creative kids who love to craft and create. With these, your children can start a new project, advance their skills, or stock up on new craft supplies.

1. Art books, like The Art Book for Children or The Arts: A Visual Encyclopedia.
2. Art supplies, like watercolor paper, paper for acrylic paint, and alcohol ink markers.
3. Butcher paper and dispenser for endless creating.
4. Cardboard house for creating the perfect, custom playhouse.
5. Friendship bracelet kit for making new and beloved jewelry.
6. Modeling beeswax for bringing new ideas to life.
7. Sewing machine and sewing book with simple projects for children ages 5 and up.
8. LatchKit to create a colorful, miniature rug.
9. Wooden weaving loom to make custom, woven designs from yarn.
10. Polymer clay for creating jewelry and all sorts of objects.
11. Origami set to learn how to create simple crafts from paper.
12. Sketching set with graphite drawing pencils, sharpeners, and erasers.
13. How to Draw book for children to hone on their drawing abilities.
14. Rainbow loom for making fun, stretchy bracelets.
15. Beeswax crayons are always great for little artists.
16. Tracing paper to copy and trace their favorite designs.
17. Felt sewing kit for crafting birds and more.
18. Watercolor brush pens with the most vivid colors.
19. Embroidery kit with kid-friendly patterns.
20. Knitting loom set for making hats and cozy socks.
21. Beeswax candle kits are fun for children of all ages to create.
22. Wooden DIY model kits for creating fighter planes and helicopters.
23. Paint by Number kits to create incredible works of art.
24. Charm bracelet kits for making meaningful, personalized jewelry. We also love these chunky, plastic letter beads.
25. Gem painting kits for sparkly works of art.

Gifts for the mover

These are my favorite things for active kids who thrive when they are moving and at play.

1. Stepping stones for balance, coordination, and exercise.
2. Scooter board for endless fun rolling and scooting around
3. Climbing triangles are a must for toddlers and small kids.
4. Wiggle car for kids who love to cruise around.
5. Play tunnel that can be out of sight in no time.
6. Tree swurfer swing so kids can get the wiggles out whenever they need
7. Rock climbing holds that attach to a tree. 
8. Climbing tower for children to wander up and down.
9. Mini trampoline to foster muscle control and coordination.
10. Balance bike for kids to catch the feeling of bicycling.
11. Hopper ball for letting out extra energy.
12. Walking stilts to get a new view.
13. Play couch for lounging and building forts.
14. Rollerblades for rolling through the neighborhood.
15. Foam ball pit for sensory play for little kids.
16. Ankle skip ball to develop coordination and balance.
17. Sit & spin toy that is perfect for indoor play.
18. Swing scooter for getting around the neighborhood in style.
19. Gymnastics training bars so kids can achieve their Olympic dreams.
20. Gymnastics mat and tumble track for learning forward rolls, cartwheels, and flips.
21. Portable soccer net for training and practicing game-winning goals.
22. Pickleball paddles for kids or for the whole family.
23. Basketball, football, and soccer ball for competitive kids
24. Hover soccer light-up ball for indoor play.
25. Ollyball indoor play ball that won’t break anything inside.

Gifts for the dreamer

These are items for imaginative children of all ages who spend hours at play.

1. Simple rolling cars and trucks for hours of play.
2. Princess tent for setting the scene.
3. Play scarves with endless potential.
4. Stick horse because every hero needs a trusty sidekick.
5. Wooden doll family to pair with a doll house.
6. Cleaning set that kids will love for playing house or family.
7. Magic set for learning tricks and special performances.
8. Animal figures that every child will love.
9. Baby doll to care for and nurture.
10. Play kitchen and play food for playing house and putting meals together.
11. Road track tape that can make a car track in any part of your home.
12. Play cash register for handling play money.
13. Tea set for tea time with friends, stuffed animals, and imaginary friends.
14. Hand puppets for acting anything out
15. Doctor dress up to try out new professions.
16. Calico Critters for doll houses or any type of fun.
17. Baby doll carrier for toting baby around town.
18. Baby doll bike seat so baby can come on family bike rides.
19. Princess dresses that are comfortable and washable.
20. Doll stroller for carting around dolls and baby dolls.
21. American Girl Doll, just like the one you used to have.
22. Paper doll kit that will inspire play for hours.
23. Wooden horse barn for imaginative play.
24. Rainbow streamer for elite performances.
25. Magnetic animals are a fun and silly surprise for kids.

Gifts for the innovator

This list is for the innovators in your life – the ones who build, create and re-create.

1. AirToobz Air-Powered Building Kit that sends foam balls flying through tunnels.
2. Trick shot system for open-ended stunt building.
3. Russian blocks puzzle to inspire critical thinking.
4. Walkie talkies for enhancing communication during big projects.
5. Marble run for constructing custom zig-zag tracks for marbles.
6. Lincoln logs are a classic building toy for kids.
7. LEGO Chain Reactions are perfect for designing and building amazing machines.
8. Bristle Blocks are fun, interlocking blocks and tiles.
9. Engineering building set complete with an electric drill and screwdriver set.
10. LEGO kits are classic, beloved interlocking bricks. (Plus, a LEGO play mat for easy clean up and for your own well-being.)
11. STEM building kit for creating innovative toys.
12. Magnetic building tiles for creating castles, structures, and more.
13. Castle construction set for building model castles.
14. Interlocking disc set for tinkering and building all sorts of things.
15. Wooden blocks are a fun way for littles to practice building and coordination.
16. Fort building kit for building life-size play spaces and structures.
17. Straw constructor toys are interlocking toys for construction.
18. Plus Plus are mini blocks that inspire creativity and work the left-brain.
19. Woodworking kit for learning and perfecting a new skill.
20. Dinosaur construction set includes tools to build your own dinosaur.
21. Squigz are silly toys that suction onto almost any surface.
22. Duplos are beginner LEGO for little kids.
23. Snap Circuits explore electrical engineering.
24. Robot building kit that creates solar-powered robots.
25. Montessori sensory table to set up and store all the ongoing projects.

Gifts for the naturalist

These are gifts for nature kids who love the outdoors.

1. National Parks books to research your summer adventure.
2. Compass for your hikes together.
3. Paracord bracelet with LED light and more.
4. Knot instructions to learn and practice typing all kinds of knots.
5. Treehouse accessories for outfitting your wooden playhouse or fort.
6. Rocks and fossil kit with loads of geodes, rocks, and crystals.
7. Sunprint paper kit for recording all the cool things you find in nature.
8. Bug catching tool and magnifier for catching lizards, insects, and butterflies.
9. Magnifying glass for getting an up-close look at things in nature.
10. Kid’s hammock for casually lounging around in the backyard or on a campsite.
11. Flower press kit to preserve the beautiful flora you find outdoors.
12. Tree Bingo with facts about 64 kinds of trees.
13. The Julia Rothman Collection, the ultimate nature reference guide.
14. Bird Watcher’s Book for identifying the birds in your backyard.
15. Kid’s hydration backpack for staying hydrated on walks in the woods and enduring long hikes.
16. Outdoor scavenger hunt game with illustrated cards to encourage kids to explore nature.
17. Garden tool set for growing a special garden this spring.
18. Mini lantern for evenings and campsites.
19. Binoculars for looking around nature.
20. Nature guide to help children locate and identify what’s in their outdoor surroundings.
21. Butterfly set to grow and release butterflies.
22. Critter habitat for observing the reptiles your children love to chase and catch.
23. Rock tumbler to turn rocks into beautifully polished gemstones.
24. Telescope for finding constellations and studying moon phases.
25. Pocket microscope for learning on the go.

Gifts for the gamer

These are some of my favorite items for kids who love to play games!

1. Codenames is an award-winning social deduction game.
2. Sushi Go!, a pick and pass card game.
3. Exploding Kittens, where players draw cards and try to avoid the dreaded Exploding Kitten!
4. Power Hungry Pets is a simple yet strategic card game that is fun for groups.
5. Sleeping Queens and Sleeping Queens 2, both simple card games for kids.
6. Grandpa Beck’s Card Games, like 3-2-1 Countdown and Whoa There Cowboy.
7. Storytime Chess teaches chess strategy for kids as little as age 3.
8. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is a simple and hilarious, fast-paced game.
9. Spot It hones observational skills and fast reflexes.
10. Corn Hole is always fun to play at group gatherings.
11. Giant Tumble Tower to build huge towers together.
12. Yahtzee, the classic dice game.
13. VolleyShot is a fun, wooden tabletop game.
14. Mancala is a simple counting game for kids.
15. Tea Party Spinner Game for kids who love having tea parties.
16. Memory Match Game to practice memory on any scale.
17. Ladybug Garden Memory Game uses adorable wooden pieces as you play memory.
18. Wooden puzzles that are fun, tactile brain teasers.
19. Speed Cube is a 4×4 cube brain teaser.
20. Kubb Game Set is an exciting, wooden tossing game.
21. Tops Trumps Card Game packed with fun, educational facts about animals.
22. Wooden Stacking Game for testing balance and fine motor skills.
23. Ice Cool 2, where players flick penguins around to catch fish.
24. Chicken vs. Hot Dog, where players turn over a challenge card to start bidding.
25. Bop It! Extreme focuses on an action-reaction challenge.

Gifts for the thinker

This is a list of ideas for the introspective, expressive thinker, reader, or writer in your home.

1. Yoto is a screen-free story player for kids ages 3-12.
2. J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book boxed set to build your child’s library.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia boxed set to read the the complete tales of Narnia.
4. Anne of Green Gables boxed set to read all of Anne’s adventures.
5. Winnie the Pooh books are special books for children of any age.
6. Beautiful editions of classic books, like Little Women and Heidi.
7. Graphic novel set of classic literature, including Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, and Heidi.
8. An illustrated edition of The Hobbit.
9. The World of Peter Rabbit complete collection.
10. Gel pens for writing lists of important ideas.
11. Moleskine notebook for journaling and compiling thoughts.
12. Book bag for carrying all of the essentials.
13. A Word A Day vocabulary book to build your child’s use of words.
14. Reading log for kids to record what they read.
15. Mad Libs puzzles for creative word play.
16. Talking Point conversation cards to get the conversation flowing.
17. Oxford Children’s Rhyming Dictionary full of rhyming words, illustrations, and poems.
18. Personal Library Kit for children to stamp and label all of their books.
19. Bookmarks for all of their important reading.
20. Blank Comic Book for writing and illustrating their own action stories.
21. Illustory Book Making Kit with templates for kids to create their own books.
22. Wool Blanket for reading.
23. Book light for reading in bed.
24. Stationery set for writing letters to family and friends.
25. Anne of Green Gables Cookbook for cooking from your favorite stories.
26. Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Famous Writers for inspiration.

Gifts for the musician

Gifts to introduce children to musical sounds and creating their own music while filling your home with beautiful melodies.

1. Children’s musical instrument set, for music class or play.
2. Musical chimes for fine motor skills and music play.
3. The Story Orchestra books, for children to learn all of the classics like The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Vivaldi.
4. Piano dance mat for music and movement for little kids.
5. Hand drum for learning simple rhythms.
6. Child drum set with all of the percussion instruments (even cymbals).
7. Floor tom drum for making noise and beats.
8. A ukulele is the perfect introduction to stringed instruments and guitars.
9. Kids guitar for learning simple chords and rhythms.
10. Loog Piano is a portable piano that comes with teaching tools.
11. Steel drums make soothing sounds as kids play.
12. Drumming pad and sticks to perfect rhythm without making tons of noise.
13. Harmonica for simple melodies.
14. Wireless karaoke microphone to encourage kids to belt out their favorite songs.
15. Music composition notebook for writing songs.
16. Mini karaoke machine for everyone to join in.
17. Popular piano sheet music to learn new songs.
18. Recorder for learning simple flute melodies.
19. Stylophone, a classic pocket synthesizer.
20. Lap harp creates simple, soft sounds.
21. Be a Broadway Star, a game for kids who love musical theatre.
22. Playbill picture frame, to remember special Broadway productions you experience together.

Intentional Christmas activities from Treehouse Schoolhouse

A Connected Christmas

A Connected Christmas is our original, three-week advent study designed for the whole family. Gather your family and celebrate beauty and delight through festive carols, stories, poetry, art, baking, and handcrafts. It’s about family, it’s about Him. It’s about connecting hearts to the heart of Christmas–to the truth of Jesus coming to earth to seek and save the lost.

A Connected Christmas, Volume 2

A Connected Christmas, Volume Two continues the same holiday tradition of carols, stories, poetry, art, baking, and handcrafts, designed to bring your family together during this holiday season. Share in the love of Christ by revisiting the Nativity story along with new stories and heartwarming activities to enjoy this season together.

is an invitation to gather your family and celebrate beauty and delight through festive carols, stories, poetry, art, baking, and handcrafts. It’s about family, it’s about Him. It’s about connecting hearts to the heart of Christmas–to the truth of Jesus coming to earth to seek and save the lost.

A Connected Christmas: Around the World

Travel around the world this holiday season and connect hearts to the truth of Jesus while experiencing how Christmas is celebrated across the globe through A Connected Christmas: Around the World. This study has a special focus on geography and cultural traditions as you learn how Christmas is celebrated worldwide during this special time of year.

Happy holidays from all of us here at Treehouse Schoolhouse. I hope this gift guide gets your wheels turning for your children this season! For a full list of gifts, check out my Amazon storefront. If you have any favorites from these lists, or something you’d add, I’d love to hear. Let me know in the comments below.