Holiday Gift Guide: Preschool Age

Posted on December 14, 2018

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas for Preschool Age Kids

By preschool age, most kids are pretty rock solid on what they actually want for Christmas which can make things easier and harder. My son definitely lets you know exactly what he wants…that list however gets longer every time he sees a new toy. Here are some of our 5-year-old’s top picks for Christmas this year (and a couple he got last year when he was 4).

Marble Run

We love this Hape Quadrilla Marble Run. The wood makes it much sturdier than plastic versions which in turn means more fun and less frustration for kiddos. Not to mention wooden toys tend to look nicer in shared spaces or smaller homes where you can’t hide all the kids’ things away in a basement or playroom.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Tank

The TMNT Turtle Tank is at the top of our son’s wish list. Even though he has never seen any TMNT shows or movies, he still thinks they are pretty awesome. Not to mention, it’s always fun when your kids start to enjoy toys that remind you of your own childhood. I loved teaching our son the TMNT theme song and hearing him sing about the turtles ‘cutting up no slacks’ and other adorable mis-interpretations of the lyrics.

Dig it Up Eggs

Little science lovers with have so much fun digging into these little eggs for “real” fossils. These Mindware Dig it Up Eggs come in a variety of themes from rocks and gems to fairies and dinosaurs. The dinosaurs even come with an excavation kit that teaches all about the 12 dinosaurs inside the eggs.

Magformers

These magnetic building blocks are great. We love building the recommended shapes as well as building our own creations. My kids play with these at least 3-4 times a week. I prefer the Magformers to their cousins Magnatiles (which are also great). I find the Magformers are easier for kids to work with on their own and lend themselves to more creative structure building.

Hatchimals

NOT the full-sized ones – those are creepy and obnoxious at best. We got the ‘twins’ a year ago and despite my best efforts to hide them, they always resurface to drive me insane until my kids can misbehave enough for me to take them away. The egg carton mini hatchimal collectibles are what I’m talking about. These little things (for reasons unbeknownst to me) are hugely popular. The kids share them, trade them, and play with them. my son loves to make little houses out of the magformers for his hatchimals or use them as animals that need rescuing when playing paw patrol.

Legos

When our son turned 4, we entered the wonderful world of ‘direction Legos’ aka the bane of every loosely organized mom’s existence. These little lego sets are magical yet beyond frustrating. They will keep you little one entertained for a good chunk of time, BUT if you don’t keep track of them, you will have a mess of ‘used to belong to something’ teeny tiny legos strewn about your house. Organizational nightmare aside, these are a great gift for older preschoolers and beyond. I love the new Arctic Transport line. Some are for much older kids, but the Arctic Air Transport is for 6+ which I find is manageable for our 5-year-old with some parental assistance.

Pogo Trick Board

Our skateboard loving son is going to have a blast trying out new tricks on this Flybar Pogo Trick Board. It can be used inside or out, and is a great way for kids to get some energy out in a focused way that improves balance, coordination and strength.

Pedal Bike

Preschool is the perfect age to up the ante to a full-blown pedal bike. We started our son on his balance bike at 2, and at 4 he went straight to his Woom pedal bike with no training wheels in between. You can read more about why we chose Woom for his first pedal bike in this post here.

Paw Patrol Ultimate Rescue Fire Truck

I have yet to meet a preschooler that isn’t at least mildly obsessed with Paw Patrol. My kids don’t even watch TV, and they are still obsessed. There’s just something about those little pups. The new Ultimate Rescue Fire Truck is bigger than expected, but pretty awesome. It is the perfect gift for any pup-loving kids in your life – especially if they also love fire trucks.