There are two very different reactions a child can have to an educational Christmas gift. The first is: “OH! THIS IS SO COOL!” The second is the facial expression of a child who has just realized someone wrapped homework. If you're shopping for educational Christmas gifts for kids, the goal isn't simply finding something adults consider educational. It's finding something the child will genuinely want to open, explore, read, build, create, or use. Fortunately, those two thing

Tablets, phones, video games, and streaming aren't going anywhere, and they don't need to. But that doesn't mean every Christmas present needs a charger. Screen-free Christmas gifts for kids can give children another way to spend their time: reading, building, drawing, exploring, pretending, creating, moving, or simply getting absorbed in something that isn't happening on a screen. The trick is choosing a screen-free gift because it's genuinely fun, not because an adult has d

Christmas morning is exciting. The wrapping paper is everywhere. Someone can't find the scissors even though they were just holding them. Batteries are suddenly the most valuable resource in the house. And then, surprisingly quickly, Christmas morning is over. That's one reason gifts that keep giving all year for kids can be so much fun. Instead of putting all of the excitement into one morning, these gifts give children something to look forward to, use, learn from, or enjoy

Some Christmas presents create one exciting moment. A child tears off the wrapping paper, plays with the gift, and eventually moves on to the next package under the tree. A kids book club Christmas gift works a little differently. Instead of putting the entire experience into Christmas morning, you are giving a child something they can continue looking forward to after the decorations come down. New books arrive, the child gets another package with their name on it, and their

Shopping for grandchildren should be fun. Then someone asks what they want for Christmas. Suddenly you're trying to remember which characters they still like, what toys they already own, what size they wear now, whether they're allowed to play that particular video game, and what on earth a nine-year-old considers cool this year. Finding Christmas gifts for grandkids can be especially challenging when you don't live nearby. You may know your grandchildren incredibly well whil

Buying Christmas gifts for kids can be surprisingly difficult when you are not the person who lives with them every day. Maybe you are a grandparent shopping for several grandchildren. Maybe you are an aunt or uncle who knows your niece is eight but has absolutely no idea what eight-year-olds are interested in right now. You might be shopping for a godchild, a friend's child, or a family member you only see a few times a year. Finding Christmas gifts for kids you don't know w