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A good gift is open-ended, built to last, and right for their age. Here's where to start, with the maker's own age grading on every pick.
The portable Yoto, pocket-sized for car seats and plane rows with headphones. Our favorite airplane "screen" that isn't one.
What real parents say: A Wirecutter writer calls it her daughters' favorite gift ever: three years in, it runs bedtime and fills playdates. Sources
Honest drawback: Smaller speaker, and headphones for flights are sold separately.
The original magnetic tile, not a knockoff, which matters with magnets. Kids build walls, houses and rocket ships on day one and are still inventing at 9. Siblings can share it without a fight because there's always another tile.
What real parents say: Wirecutter's former baby-and-kid editor says Magna-Tiles are her one answer when asked for a "holy-grail" toy, because they have about the longest play life of anything besides Lego. Sources
Honest drawback: Pricey per piece, and 32 tiles runs out fast once kids get ambitious. Most families add a second set.
A digital camera with no screen: you click and you find out later, like film. Kids look at the world instead of the display. A hit with tweens.
What real parents say: Wirecutter found it simple and sturdy. Sources
Honest drawback: Photos need a computer to download, which is a parent job.
A cooperative whodunit: everyone wins or loses together. It's perfect for siblings who melt down when they lose.
Honest drawback: Requires a table and setup, so it's not a restaurant game.
An indoor climbing frame based on Dr. Emmi Pikler's approach: babies learn their own limits by climbing exactly as high as they're ready to. This is risky play, done carefully, in the living room.
What real parents say: A pediatric physical therapist, writing about Pikler triangles in general, says they're great for climbing, motor planning and confidence. Sources
Honest drawback: Takes floor space and a commitment to "spot, don't lift." Pricey.
A rounded-tip, locking-blade first knife from a French maker since 1890. It's the rite-of-passage gift for a kid who's ready to whittle with you.
What real parents say: An outdoor-gear reviewer calls it simple and well made, very sharp out of the box, with a rounded tip that prevents jabbing. Sources
Honest drawback: It's a real knife: start with a whittling lesson, a cut-resistant glove and a "blood circle" rule (arm's length all around).
A real easel with paper roll, chalkboard and dry-erase. The tall format gets kids standing and painting big, which is a different (and better) experience than coloring at a table.
Honest drawback: Bulky, and paint happens. Put a drop cloth under it.
Real build-it projects (a working pinball machine, a hydraulic claw). It's the antidote to "I'm bored" on a Saturday.
What real parents say: Wirecutter's pick for early elementary. Sources
Honest drawback: Quality of individual crates varies; some are one-and-done.
Cherry hardwood that darkens beautifully with age. It's the first-birthday gift that ends up on a shelf as a keepsake.
Honest drawback: It costs more than a plastic train, and it's supposed to.
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