1 week Ago
1. A book of 642 tiny things to draw sure to inspire them to get out there and practice doodling. It's the small stuff, right? The book has blank spaces to draw and prompts like a gum wrapper, button on a TV remote, and nail art design.
Promising review: "I am not an artist but this is fun! I keep it on my nightstand along with some sketch pencils and draw when winding down for the night. Yes, some of the prompts are a bit odd but I just go with it. Sort of tests the imagination! My 10-year-old granddaughter loves it too.
" — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $9.95 . 2.
A Christmas light charging cable for the most festive way to get some power. Promising review: "Very cute to add to the Christmas decorations. I plug it into my laptop while I’m working.
It makes my desk a little more festive." — Jennifer Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in three styles and a double pack).
3. An unreasonable number of velvet scrunchies so you can shower your loved one with fun, fuzzy hair accessories — or break 'em up and put in many different stockings! Promising review: "I’ve been meaning to buy velvet scrunchies, so I decided to buy this pack. All of the colors are so beautiful! I can switch up the colors to match with any outfit.
They are very soft and durable, which I was surprised by. I have medium-thick hair, but I have a lot of it, and it’s been heartbreaking for scrunchies not to hold it up. But not anymore! I’m a college student so this will definitely add a little spice to my hair when I’m too lazy to put makeup on or something, lol.
" — Andrea Get a pack from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in a pack of 45 or 55). 4.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza — a card game delivering a heavy dose of high-energy, adorably illustrated fun right when they need it. This has been a long-time bestseller because people of all ages absolutely love it! Here's how to play: You deal all the cards out to your two to four players, and everyone keeps their mini-deck face down. Everyone takes a turn putting a card down in the middle of the table, saying one of the words "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza," in that order.
If the picture on your card matches the word that's said, everyone slaps their hand on the card in a pile as quickly as possible. The last person on the pile has to take the stack and add them to their cards, and whoever runs out of cards first wins! If you want something more seasonal, check out this Christmas version . Promising review: "Ridiculous in a good way! I was skeptical about how much I may enjoy this game being in my mid-30s.
But it's a lot of fun! Easy to learn, easy to play, my 8-year-old has lots of fun with it. Its a great family game with the potential to be a late-night more adult-oriented event if you’re picking up what I'm throwing down. Cheers!" — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $9.
84 . 5. " Liquipens " — a cross between a pen and a lava lamp.
These are fun to play with and likely mesmerizing enough to keep them entertained while taking notes in class. Promising review: "I broke up the three-pack and gave one pen as a gift for a class gift exchange and put the other two in a stocking for Christmas. Good quality and approved by both the 8-year-old and 49-year-old husband, who is a kid at heart! Definitely recommend.
" — Kindle Customer Get a set of three from Amazon for $19.99 . 6.
A tin of shimmery putty sure to capture the attention of anyone, any age. It's made of nontoxic silicone so it won't dry out, even if they forget to put it away. Crazy Aaron's is a small business that sells putty made in the USA.
Promising review: "Beautiful, stretchy, and satisfying to play with. The color reminds me of labradorite. Helps with fidgeting.
" — Rachel Get it from Amazon for $14.95 . 7.
A set of LED lightsaber chopsticks to make fights over the last dumpling extra dramatic. They can change colors (red, blue, yellow, purple, and multicolor) so they can either make them match or change to red and blue to recreate The Duel on Cloud City. Promising review: "The chopsticks are very durable, and the glow is bright.
They're a bit bigger that I expected — but very pleased nonetheless with the product because it serves the purpose and is entertaining for kids, right up to adult Star Wars nerds. It also made the perfect gift for my fellow Star Wars nerds. I've been too busy playing with them rather than using them to eat food — but hopefully that will eventually happen before the batteries need changing.
" — Anthony Get it from Amazon for $10.97 (available in two styles). 8.
A lil' kit that'll let them pretend to be a master candy sushi chef. It comes with everything they need to make two pieces of tamago and tuna nigiri, plus one ikura sushi. The salmon roe aspect looks tricky to pull off, but reviewers say they were pleasantly surprised by the painless process.
Promising review: "I’ve bought these years ago and decided to buy them again for me and my son. He really enjoyed making the candy/gummies. He was proud of his candy sushi once they were assembled, and of course, he loved eating them.
He said they were very yummy. The flavor for all the different little things wasn’t bad but my favorite was the 'seaweed,' it tastes just like grape Hi-Chew (my favorite flavor). I recommend buying these at least once for the kids.
It’s fun and a tasty treat. We will look into the other kinds in the near future." — Blythe Get it from Amazon for $4.
99 (also available in a three-pack). 9. A mini Jenga kit for quick games on the go.
And if you want to really sell the effect, pair it with a giant Jenga game so you can compare the size differences. The box comes with 18 mini Jenga blocks. Promising review: "This mini Jenga is so much fun! I gifted it to my friend and she loves it.
It's also super durable for the price." — amazon user Get it from Amazon for $9.78 .
10. A creative bookmark that looks like the Wicked Witch of the East got smushed in between some pages, because everyone needs some motivation to read. Promising review: "Absolutely darling! Well-made, and packaging is so cute too.
I gave it to my 14-year-old niece for her birthday and she loved it!" — Kate M. Get it from Amazon for $17.99 (also available in nine other characters).
11. Or lil' sprout bookmarks to help with their growing reading list. Since the silicone sprouts are flexible, they can even pop them in the middle of their book to save their spot mid-page.
Promising review: "I absolutely love these bookmarks! Even though they are pretty small, they stay in the book, either opened or closed. They are really soft and rubbery, so they won't crack or break very easily. I can foresee these lasting for a long time.
Since they come in a package of six, I can not only have one for my book for reading, but I can place these in the pertinent chapters that I am studying in my textbooks as well. They really come in handy for that! These cute, little sprouts were a great treat for the little that I spent on them!" — Aimée le Huitième Get a pack of six from Amazon for $7.57 .
12. A small sphere light they'll be over the moon for. The rechargeable lunar LED comes with a remote that lets them pick one of 16 colors and set a timer.
Promising review: "This little moon is amazing! My 4-year-old is obsessed with anything space so this was a no-brainer. She loves that it changes colors and that it comes with a remote. She loves that she can pick a new color every night and sometimes we just let it cycle through the colors on its own, which is so soothing.
Charging is very simple too and doesn't take very long to charge either." — szero4 Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in four sizes and two stand types).
13. A 16-ounce box of classic salt water taffy from Shriver's, the oldest business on the Ocean City boardwalk in New Jersey. Jam the whole package in their stocking or break it up and give a handful to each family member.
Promising review: "Shriver's has been my favorite taffy ever since I was a kid. I moved away from home and thought I couldn't taste it again! Not too long ago, I had a medical accident that affected my quality of life. Ever since then, I've been knocking things off my bucket list.
How happy am I that I got to achieve this goal! Thank you Shriver's for making this possible for me! You unlocked happy memories, and helped me make new memories for me and my children." — Cosmic Get it from Amazon for $16.99 .
14. A NeeDoh Nice Cube — what experts (me) are calling the greatest fidget toy of all time. The hefty squish starts out firm but softens as they play with it.
It also always reverts back to its cube shape, which is just satisfying to watch. My friend gave this cube to me for my birthday, and now I carry it around like a kid with a teddy bear. It has the *perfect* level of give and is oh-so-satisfying to shove your fingers into.
I like to shape it into a disc and then watch it reform into a cube. Unlike some other squishy toys, this one isn't sticky and doesn't gather as much dust. If you say, curl up with it under a fuzzy blanket and get some fibers on it, it's super easy to wash off with water (speaking from experience).
Promising review: "High quality and very durable! This cube is fantastic for any age and any need. The cube provides slight resistance when compressed, which is both stress-relieving and satisfying!!! Once squeezed, it quickly returns to its natural shape. A great choice!" — Joe stevenson Get it from Amazon for $12.
49 (the color is either blue, pink, or purple and gets selected for you at random!). 15. A set of bento box forks to make bringing lunch to school or work feel fun.
They'll open their food and be like "check meowt !" Promising review: "Adorable food picks that I used in my daughter's bento box. These picks are just the perfect size and are very durable, wash up well, and I have not experienced paint peeling/chipping/fading at all. The points are not overly sharp but work well in all foods.
Do note that these are very small in size and may pose as a choking hazard for very young children." — Kulani74 Get a set of seven from Amazon for $3.89 .
16. A miniature baking set with everything they need to make mouse-sized meals. Kids as young as 6 can have fun making up to 20 tiny treats, like dainty deep dish pizza, mini monkey bread pie, and baby bacon quiche.
The set comes with a storage tin, rolling pin, wee knife, pizza/dough cutter, mixing spoon, three wee spoons, mixing bowl, pizza/pie pan, pie server, sheet pan, silicone cake and cupcake molds, two silicone finger mitts, and 48-page recipe book. The recipe book comes with explanations on how the food chemistry works so it's great for newbie food scientists. Promising review: "I gave this to my sister for Christmas and she immediately used it to make mini treats with the kids.
They LOVE it! I just kept getting texts and pictures from them about how functional and FUN it is." — Leslie Palmer Get it from Amazon for $25.99 (also available in science and robot kits).
17. A screaming goat figurine to really help them express themselves. One press of the button releases a cathartic "AAAHHHHHHHH!" And it comes with a 32-page, illustrated booklet all about goats.
Promising review: "This little piece of screaming plastic has created an excellent outlet for resolving frustrations in our home. Every time a conflict or struggle arises we push the little goat, get a gratifying screech, chuckle, and move on throughout our day. No regrets on purchasing this.
When you get one, get four or five because you're going to want to share with family and friends." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $8.45 .
18. A pack of sheet masks with cute animal faces so their spa day can get a little wild. The hyaluronic acid will offer some hydration while they go beast mode (relaxed version).
Promising review: "Very cute and fun. Great for slumber parties! Gentle on the skin, used on 10-year-olds and they loved the fun designs. They smelled nice, too.
" — Dmp Get a pack of six from Amazon for $12.40+ (available in six sets). 19.
A set of macaron containers for a sweet way to hold tiny treasures. Pills, trinkets..
.their Grandma's secret recipe for the airiest macarons. Anything small and valuable! Promising review: "I frequently find random treasures (a rock, coin, or piece of something art-related) that can go in these.
I can use them for transporting my vitamins safely with me to take once I eat. Very beautiful and discreet to leave on a table, desk, etc. These are nice and sweet, and it makes me feel special to have such cute things.
" — Primary Get a set of six from Amazon for $6.99 . 20.
A teeny-tiny board game (like Operation, Connect 4, and Hungry Hungry Hippos) with working pieces for the competitive mouse in your life. Promising review for Monopoly : "This is, hands-down, the coolest Monopoly game ever made! It has every piece and detail that the full-size version has and the quality exceeds my expectations. 😊 Can't wait to play it!" — Andrea Promising review for Bananagrams : " This is adorable! I was worried the tiles would be too small to play with (and they are indeed tiny!) but I've actually had no trouble playing with them at all.
I'm using it to practice my Spanish vocabulary. It is amazingly portable (fits in my small purse without issue) and looks just like the larger version. Also, it doubles as a cat toy ! (at least according to my cat, who keeps trying to steal the zipper pouch).
" — Elise Get it from Amazon for $7.95+ (available in 15 games) or see even more tiny toys here . 21.
Cra-Z-Art Disney Crystal Surprise figures that take a page from '00s toys and change colors when wet! The blind box features one of 12 characters, plus slime or "Cra-Z-Sand." Your recipient will have fun trading with friends for their faves! Promising review: "My daughter LOVES her Disney Crystal Surprise. She says the characters are cute and loves the slime and sand that came with her surprises.
She loves playing with the accessories that came with each character. As a mom, I love this collectible toy. It’s something different and I see the value in it.
The slime and sand are great, easy to play with and to clean up — no mess. We both like that everything fits back into the ball when she’s finished. I will definitely be using this for birthday gifts from now on.
" — RD Get it from Amazon for $7.97 . 22.
A pack of tangle-proof parachute toys the whole family can have fun launching from the second floor. Everyone will be running up and down the stairs for hours, which might be the only exercise you all get that day if it's snowing out. Promising review: "Whoever thought of this design is genius.
My 5-year-old loves these and it's his favorite gift among all the other (much more expensive) ones we got for him . The no-tangle design is genius. I can't count how many of the standard string type ones we have gotten tangled before finding these.
" — hiker0811 Get a pack of four from Amazon for $9.99 . 23.
A set of cat-shaped sponges perfect for kids who want to help in the kitchen and adults who need some extra motivation. Look at this sponge cat's face and tell them you don't wanna do the dishes. Impossible.
Promising review: "I use these cute kitties to clean my dishes every day. They don't scratch my dishes and get them clean faster than a cloth. Love them.
" — Elizabeth M. Get a pack of three from Amazon for $6 . 24.
A deck of playing cards featuring a gorgeous rainbow gradient for playing anything from crazy eights to poker. They're a hue -ge step up from the usual gas station cards. Fredericks and Mae is a queer-owned business that's been making visually wonderful things since 2007.
Promising review: "These cards are absolutely gorgeous and the rainbow fan in our family was so excited when she saw them. They are almost too cool to play with but then once you start using them, you love them even more. Highly recommend for a fun deck of cards.
" — ItsLiz Get it from Amazon for $14.95 . 25.
A set of coloring pencils with little seed pods on the other side, so they can be planted once the graphite runs out. And hey, when their seeds grow, they can draw their new plants. The cycle continues! It comes with six coloring pencils and two graphite pencils.
They can grow coriander, thyme, forget-me-nots, chia, daisy, sage, basil, and carnation. Promising review: "They were a hit! I put them in their Christmas stockings and when they found out they could plant them, they were sold." — Sue Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $12.
79+ (available in two styles). 26. Charming novelty pens sure to turn some heads when they pull one out — likely to sign autographs as the person famous for having the best pens.
Look, you can be noteworthy for anything these days, so why not your cute stationery? Promising review: "The pens are super cute and have a nice fine-point pen. I ordered them for the girls at work and they loved them." — Jen Get a pack of 12 or 16 from Amazon for $8.
99+ (available in four styles). 27. A *super* tiny puzzle with just 48 pieces, perfect for impatient puzzlers.
Each puzzle is modeled after a city like New York, Paris, and Chicago. Just imagine how cute this would look framed! Promising review: "This is a really cute puzzle with good quality. My 3-year-old can do it on her own.
The pieces are smaller than her usual puzzles but it’s good training for her fine motor skill." — Sunny K. Get it from Amazon for $4.
99+ (available in five cities). 28. Jelly-filled fruit gummies that are soooo good.
Like sooOOOOoo good — they gotta try them. Trust me! They look like forbidden candy (Tide Pods) but they actually can eat them. 🥲 Note: Reviews looked mixed for this candy because the gummies tends to melt into a giant blob when shipped in the summer.
Promising review: "AHHHHH THESE ARE SO GOOD!!! I bought them from a candy store, but unfortunately it is about an hour away and I can't drive, so I had no way to get them until Amos had a really good discount on these!! Great candy and I love the makers of it." — KEVIN V. Get them from Amazon for $9.
99+ (available in six flavors and different pack sizes). 29. A burger bicycle bell for biking in the neighborhood or making late-night trips to McDonald's.
The ring is nice and loud so people will know not to get in between them and their Big Mac. Promising review: "No, I didn't buy this for a kid. I bought it for my old self.
And yes!! I absolutely love it! The housing is plastic but surprisingly sturdy. The bell sounds like a bike bell should, and hey, it's a burger — a favorite of mine after a long ride." — kim Get it from Amazon for $13.
90 . 30. A children's camera that beats taking pics on a phone: It's lightweight, adorable, has 15 photo frames, and boasts filters that put Instagram to shame.
Amazon didn't have good review pictures, so I beg you to watch the TikTok . It's charged with a USB port and comes with a memory card. Promising review: "Love it! Gonna document my summer on it, LOL! Got it because of a TikTok — video quality and pic quality look OK, but sound is awful, haha.
Still cute and fun. I'm gonna order one for my little sister too!" — Sarah Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in eight colors).
31. A wiggly sensory slug offering hours of comforting fun. With the help of 19 joints, the toy can rotate 360 degrees and makes a nice clacking sound when shaken.
Promising review: "The fidget slug is a winner! I am a therapist and I noticed that my clients tend to pick it up quite often amongst the other fidget toys. My niece and nephew, even my children, wanted one. It fills your hand really nicely and the clacking that it makes is soothing for many people.
I will buy more in the future." — Janet T. Get it from Amazon for $8.
09 (available in six colorways and multipacks). 32. Silly Poopy's Hide and Seek , a game that's pretty self-explanatory — take turns hiding this rainbow, light-up poop toy around the house.
It'll offer clues and eventually sing a victory song when it's found. Thank you, poop! Promising review: " My 6- and 3-year-olds are OBSESSED. They play for an hour at least! Played with daily since we got it.
When it’s my turn to hide, I make it tricky enough that I can actually be productive until it’s my turn again." — Cara Lentz Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (also available as an egg).
33. A miniature wacky waving inflatable tube man that'll really come in handy when they go to open their own used Hot Wheels car lot. It comes with a 32-page mini book, but no battery so pick one up here .
Promising review: "My daughter is obsessed with these wacky tube guys, who she refers to as silly carrots. I bought this and added it to her birthday presents and it may be her most favorite gift . In two days, she's blown through two batteries.
It was a total win!" — Jennifer Conicella Get it from Amazon for $8.58 . 34.
A pair of magnetic hand-holding socks for the sentimental friend or kiddo who likes to be glued at the hip (or ankle). Promising review: "My sister and I have had so much fun with these socks!!! They are super cute and the magnetic hold really well. The magnets are a bit big so you do notice them but overall super fun and cute.
" — addison fullmer Get them from Amazon for $7.98+ (available in four colors and in packs of four). 35.
A silly cat hat that'll turn their favorite lil' flower into an actual flower. Promising review: "I loved this hat! I’ve been dressing up my cat for years and only recently bought a few of these hats for my cat. The elastic band makes it so that it fits her head perfectly!" — Lisa Get it from Amazon for $6.
99 (you get one randomly selected color out of five). Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity..
