17 Holiday & Christmas Gifts for Kids: STEM Toys, Building Sets & Plush Picks (2026)

This is the book that disappears into a kid's backpack and turns up at the dinner table with facts nobody asked for, which is exactly the point. It's a National Geographic title, so the trivia is real and the photos are genuinely good rather than clip art. The honest caveat: it's themed around spooky season, so if you're buying for a kid who's skittish about ghosts and haunted houses, it might not be the right fit. For the reader who likes weird animal facts and gross science, it's a $11 win and one of the easiest holiday gifts for kids to slip into a stocking.

Silicone night lights have quietly become one of our favorite small gifts for kids because they're soft, they don't get hot, and they survive being dropped off a bunk bed. This one is a little pumpkin with a dimmable glow and a rechargeable battery, so you're not hunting for AAAs at bedtime. The tap-to-dim function is the real selling point. It's not a bright room light, so if you need something that actually illuminates a hallway, look elsewhere. For a kid who wants a soft glow and one more thing to squeeze at night, it lands well.

MAGNA-TILES are one of the few toys that genuinely grow with a kid, and the microMAGS size is the version we'd hand to a five or six year old because the pieces are smaller and the builds are more intricate. The set comes in a tin that survives a car ride, which is why it's our pick for the kid who fidgets at restaurants and on planes. Twenty-four pieces sounds small, and it is, so this is a supplement to a tile collection rather than a starter set. The animal shapes are a nice touch and the magnets hold well, which is more than we can say for some of the knockoffs.

A small seasonal build that doesn't overstay its welcome. The truck has a pumpkin in the bed, which is a fun little detail, and at this piece count it takes maybe 30 to 45 minutes, so it's a good after-school project rather than a whole weekend. We like it as a stocking stuffer or an early-December gift to build the holiday momentum. The catch is it's a display piece more than a play piece, so if your kid only wants trucks they can drive around and crash, this will end up on a shelf. For the LEGO kid who loves seasonal builds, it's a solid $15.

We've bought a lot of Pikachu plush over the years, and the official 8-inch version is the one that holds up best. The stitching is clean, the fabric is soft without being that weird slick stuff, and the face is actually recognizable instead of derpy. At eight inches it's the right size for carrying around, and it fits on a bed without taking over. This is a comfort object more than a toy, so it's for the Pokémon fan who sleeps with a stuffed animal, not the one who wants something to battle with. If you want more plush ideas, our plush and squishy gifts for kids guide has plenty more.

This one sits right at the $20 line, which makes it a great main gift without going into big-purchase territory. It's a SMART Play set, so the bricks have some interactive element that we honestly didn't expect at this price, and the Charmander figure is the star. Geodude is the less-loved pick here, so if the kid is deep in the Kanto dex they'll be happy, and if they're only here for Pikachu, maybe skip it. Build time is short, so plan on this being a same-day activity. For anyone with a Pokémon-obsessed kid, the Pokémon gift guide has more where this came from.

For the under-two set, most "toys" are really just things to chew on or knock over, and this one actually gives a kid something to do with their hands. The fishing game is a classic Montessori shape: a magnetic rod and chunky pieces a toddler can grab, which builds fine motor skills without looking like a therapy tool. The wood pieces are smooth and the paint has held up through a lot of mouthing. One caveat: the rod is a real choking hazard for kids who still put everything in their mouth, so this is more of a "supervised play" toy than something to leave in the crib. It's one of our favorite first birthday and holiday gifts for kids right at that age.

This is the rare STEM kit that a kid actually finishes. It's a book plus a bag of LEGO-compatible pieces, and the projects are motorized contraptions with gears and cams that genuinely move. The instructions are illustrated well enough that a motivated eight year old can do most of it alone. It's not a big pile of bricks, so if your kid is expecting a LEGO set with hundreds of pieces, they may be underwhelmed. But for the mechanically curious kid who likes to see how things work, this is the kit that turns into a whole afternoon and then a shelf of little machines. We'd call it one of the better STEM toys under $25.

We were skeptical of a 156-piece set at this price, and honestly the pieces are lighter plastic than a premium brand. But the value is real: a kid can build a whole flower garden with interchangeable stems, petals and bug pieces, and the variety keeps it interesting far longer than the piece count suggests. It's a good fit for the five to eight year old who likes making things but isn't ready for small LEGO. The pieces are a choking hazard for toddlers, so keep it up high if there's a younger sibling around. For a STEM building gift for kids at this budget, it's a lot of toy for $23.

Mystery packs are the collector's version of a gift, and this one gives you three 8-inch Squishmallows instead of one, which is a much better value than buying them individually. They're official Jazwares, so the fabric texture is the real deal, and the mystery element makes opening them part of the gift. The catch is you don't know which characters you're getting, so if your kid has a specific favorite, this could miss. For the kid who already has a Squishmallow pile and wants to grow it, this is a strong pick, and it's the kind of gift that keeps paying off as they trade duplicates with friends.

For a kid who's just learned to walk and wants to push everything, this is the toy that earns its floor space. The bulldozer pops balls out as it rolls, which turns walking practice into a game, and the chunky handle is the right height for a toddler. VTech's build quality is solid, and the balls stay contained so you're not chasing them under the couch every ten minutes. It's loud, and it does make noise, so if you're buying for a household that values quiet, this isn't it. For a one or two year old, though, the cause-and-effect is genuinely delightful and it's one of those toys they come back to for months.

Balance bikes are one of those gifts that pay for themselves because they skip the training-wheel phase entirely. This one is sized for a one year old, which means it's really a "sit and scoot" toy more than a real bike, so manage expectations accordingly. The wheels light up as they roll, and the seat is low enough that most toddlers can get on and off without help, which builds independence. The big caveat: it's not a pedal bike, so once a kid outgrows it in a year or so, it's done. But for a toddler's first ride-on, it's a better $30 than most plastic push toys.

If a kid in your life is obsessed with the Kpop Demon Hunters movie, this is the doll they're going to ask for by name. Rumi sings, the outfit has the gold detailing from the film, and the size is substantial enough to feel like a real gift rather than a cheap tie-in. Mattel has been hit or miss with movie merchandise lately, but this one looks right in person. The obvious caveat: this is a very-specific-interest gift, so if the kid hasn't seen the movie or is past the phase, it'll collect dust. For the fan, though, it's the item at the top of the list, and our Kpop Demon Hunters gift guide has more options if you want to go bigger.

An advent calendar that isn't just candy is a rare thing, and this one earns its $40 because every day delivers a real piece a kid can actually use. By the 24th, you've built a full microMAGS set, which is a much better return than a pile of empty wrappers. The daily-unboxing structure also makes the whole month feel like part of the gift, which is exactly what you want for the kid who counts down to Christmas. It's pricey for what it is, and if your kid isn't already into magnetic tiles, this isn't the set to start with. For tile lovers, it's the best December gift on the list.

Eevee is the Pokémon everyone loves, and this LEGO build does the character justice in a way a lot of licensed sets don't. The piece count is satisfying without being overwhelming, so it's a build a kid can finish in an afternoon and then display on a shelf. It's also big enough to feel like a real gift rather than an add-on. The caveat is the price, which is steeper than a standard LEGO set of this size because of the Pokémon license. For the Eevee fan or the kid who's been asking for a "real" build, it's worth the splurge, and it pairs well with the Charmander set above.

Technically this is the outlier on a list about kids' toys, but plenty of tweens and teenagers will fight you for it, and it's the kind of gift that gets photographed and shared. It's 24 mini jars of Bonne Maman jam in flavors you can't usually buy in stores, and the calendar itself is a nice keepsake box. The honest caveat: this is a $56 jam calendar, so it's for the food-obsessed tween or the family that already loves the brand. For a younger kid who just wants toys, skip it. For the kid who watches cooking videos and asks for weird flavors at the store, it lands perfectly.

This is the biggest-ticket pick on the list and the one we'd recommend for the kid who's ready for a real project. The 3-in-1 Creator line means the same bricks build three different things, so it's genuinely three builds, and the haunted mansion version is the coolest of the three. Build time is multiple sessions, which is the point: it becomes a winter break activity, not a five-minute thrill. The obvious caveats are the price and the complexity, so this isn't the gift for a four year old or a kid who wants to be done in 20 minutes. For the eight-and-up builder, it's the big box under the tree they'll remember.