Christmas Activity Book for Kids (paperback)
112 holiday puzzles for ages 5 to 8, from easy mazes to kid-sized sudoku; a good stocking stuffer.
Price on AmazonSix to eight-year-olds want real things to do: build, experiment, read on their own and beat a grown-up at a card game. Each pick says why it works at this age. Everything on this page typically costs under $25, the usual limit for a class gift, a gift exchange or a "just because".
Some links on this page are affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
112 holiday puzzles for ages 5 to 8, from easy mazes to kid-sized sudoku; a good stocking stuffer.
Price on Amazon
Mazes that grow from easy to tricky; print a few for the car or a rainy afternoon.
$3.99 · instant PDF
Curriculum-aligned learning games for first graders: a small extra to set up on the family iPad, next to a book or a toy.
$0.99In cooperative games everyone wins or loses together, so little kids learn to take turns without tears.
Typically $15 to $25Turns any afternoon in the yard into a party; no dipping wands, no spills.
Typically $15 to $25
Starts with 4x4 grids and works up to 9x9, so kids learn the logic step by step.
$3.99 · instant PDFMoldable play sand holds its shape and stays in the tray, so sandbox play works indoors.
Typically $15 to $25For car rides and tablets. Look for an 85 dB volume limit, which is the usual guideline for kids.
Typically $15 to $25Dinosaurs are a favorite for a reason; a bucket of them goes everywhere.
Typically under $15Real chemistry with a sparkly result after a few days of waiting and checking.
Typically $15 to $25A short series with pictures on most pages is the bridge from picture books to reading on their own.
Typically $15 to $25
Holiday mazes, sudoku and word searches to print for the long days before Christmas.
$4.99 · instant PDFShort enough for a school night, and kids can beat adults fair and square.
Typically under $15Colored pencils, crayons, markers and paints in one case that closes up neatly.
Typically $15 to $25Backyard missions, sleepovers and camping trips all get better with a radio.
Typically $15 to $25A net, a magnifier and a little habitat turn the yard into a science trip.
Typically under $15Paper and step-by-step folds; quiet, cheap and surprisingly absorbing.
Typically under $15
A small kind act for each day to Christmas; a calendar the whole family does together.
$3.49 · instant PDFThread and a simple loom; they'll make one for everyone they know.
Typically under $15A starry ceiling makes bedtime a little less scary and a lot more fun.
Typically under $15Six-year-olds love telling jokes. A book gives them new material (and you, new groans).
Typically under $15Mixing their own colors and textures is the whole appeal. Plan on the kitchen table.
Typically $15 to $25Seeds, small pots and soil: they get to watch something they planted come up.
Typically $15 to $25
Car bingo for a family trip: print the cards and the backseat questions slow down.
$2.99 · instant PDFBudgets for gift ideas are what that kind of gift usually costs, not prices; the store has the current price.