Picking out the best birthday gift for an upcoming birthday party can be stressful with ever-changing trends, of-the-moment characters and always-evolving technology. We love helping the Fun Stuff families who walk through our doors find the perfect birthday gifts (and did you know we wrap them for free, too?).
To give the same out of this world customer service to our fstoys.com families, in today's blog, we're breaking down our top recommendations for the best birthday gifts for every age! These tried-and-true suggestions will stand the test of time and earn rave reviews from the birthday boy or girl!
First Birthday (Wonder & Exploration)
It's astounding how many Fun Stuff families have been celebrating first birthdays lately! We've been recommending so many first birthday gifts, and we love starting off strong with gifts that promote wonder and exploration.
Cause and Effect Towers: These amazing spinning, ball bouncing towers delight toddlers who will return to them again and again, finding new ways to explore as they grow. Fat Brain's Spill Again, Spin Again and Roll Again Towers are fan favorites as well as Hape's Melody Mansion Ball Run which combines a cause and effect tower and our next recommendation...
Musical Toys: The positive cognitive impact of music has been well researched, so we love introducing these brain building toys as first birthday gifts. From Hape's Baby Drum and Pixel Piano to Fisher-Price's Laugh & Learn Light Up Learning Speaker and Silly Sounds Light Up Piano, there are so many ways to engage a one-year old in musical play.
Ride On Toys: One year-olds are building gross motor skills, so they love anything that gets them moving. We're loving Janod's Dinosaur Ride On and the Hape Grow with Me Rocking Horse.
Two to Three (Energy to Spare)
Two year-olds have energy to burn, so parents will love birthday gifts that help them to expend all of that energy in safe, constructive ways. Some of our favorite high-energy gifts include:
Micro Kickboard Mini Scooters: These 3-wheel Mini Scooters are as sturdy and stable as they come and perfect for the littlest kids learning to scoot. With LED light up wheels, these Mini scooters have adjustable handlebars and hold up to 110 lbs, enabling them to grow as kids grow providing endless play value.
D+L Company Stomp Rockets: An in-store favorite, kids of all ages love stomping on the launch stand and watching the rockets zoom into the air, then chasing them to repeat again and again. Available in the traditional Junior Glow, Dinosaur-lover Dino-soar and Rainbow Party 8 pack, Stomp Rockets are sure to be a toddler pleaser.
Hop & Squeak Pogo Jumper: Kidoozie's Hop & Squeak Pogo Jumper enables kids to jump (and squeak) indoors or out. Since it supports up to 250 lbs, even adults can join in on the fun! Available in standard and unicorn styles.
Three to Four (Let's Play Pretend!)
For Preschoolers, it's all about pretend play! Check out our favorite picks:
Food Playsets: There are food playsets for every palate! From the popular Melissa & Doug Wooden Scoop & Serve Ice Cream Counter and Make a Shake Playset to Hape's Healthy Fruit Playset and Tasty Proteins. Pretendables Burger & Fries and Backyard Pizza Oven Set are new favorites. And Melissa & Doug's popular Sort & Stack Vending Machine is on sale now on fstoys.com!
Dress Up: Preschoolers love to play dress up and we have costumes for so many professions and fantasy characters. Great Pretenders fuels imagination by enabling kids to dress up like Mermaids, Princesses and Wizards as well as real-life heroes like Doctors, Construction Workers and Firefighters. Melissa & Doug's pretend playsets also help kids pretend to be Dentists, Veterinarians and Barbers.
Magna-Tiles: These magnetic blocks have long been a preschool favorite, but recent additions have upped their pretend play game by adding figures and vehicles to enhance their builds. The new Puppy Park, Fire Rescue and Police Patrol playsets are perfect for preschool birthday gifts.
Five to Seven (Cuddles and Games)
Little kids are learning how to take turns and work together but still need love and comfort. These birthday gifts check all of those boxes:
Games: We love suggesting a great game as a birthday gift for little kids. There are games that promote quick thinking and dexterity like Clack, Spot It or Panda Panic. Or games that foster language development like My First Bananagrams, Scrabble Junior or Zingo. Or Throwback favorites that Mom & Dad loved like Classic Trouble, Chutes & Ladders or Twister. We're always finding new games so check back often (or follow us on Facebook or Instagram) for the latest options!
Dolls & Figures: From Corolle baby dolls to Barbies to Calico Critters, there's an option for every kid. With accessories, playsets, vehicles and houses, kids can build whole worlds around the dolls they love!
Stuffed Animals: Sometimes you just need a stuffed animal to cuddle. From classics like Douglas (they have every conceivable animal) and Gund (childhood favorites and popular characters) to on-trend options like WaWa and Squishable, you can't go wrong with a new stuffed friend.
Eight to Ten (Building & Sports)
For Big Kids, it's all about staying active, building creativity and continuing to find new ways to play. Some of our favorite big kid gifts include:
LEGO: With so many different themes (City, Friends, Ninjago, Super Mario, Star Wars - to name a few), you can find a set that will appeal to any kid turning 8 to 10.
Science Kits: Kits that teach scientific principles in a fun, hands-on way make great gifts. We love everything from Thames & Kosmos, Snap Circuits, and new arrival, Squishy Human Body.
Sports Fun: Getting big kids up and moving is a big win. Fan favorites are the Silent Basketball, Mindware's Glow Football Field Set and Two Bows Bros Bow & Arrow sets.
Tweens & Teens (Arts & Crafts & Sensory - oh my!)
Finally, we know Tweens & Teens can be hard to shop for, but we find arts & crafts kits and anything sensory will bring a smile to the toughest teen.
Craft Kits: Unique kits are sure to wow like the Air Color Airbrush Kit, Loop de Loom Weaving Loom, or Blinger (which can bling out anything). We also love beginning crochet kits like The Woobles.
Lifelines: Tweens & Teens love gifts that promote wellness and help them relax. Lifelines' FlowArt kits, Lava pens, Pen Diffusers and Sensory Journals make great gifts to help older kids relieve stress and stay grounded.
Slime & Putty: Slime & Putty are still big hits with Tweens & Teens. We love Dope Slimes and Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty, both of which come in a wide variety of scents, textures and mix-ins, with new varieties arriving every day!
We hope this guide has given you some great ideas for gifts for your next birthday party! And remember, with complimentary gift wrapping, fstoys.com is your one-stop shop for birthday party fun!