The Cool Mom Picks 2026 Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

If we weren’t already obsessed with the Toniebox for its screen-free entertainment, we are now that they’ve added Ms. Rachel to their lineup.

From custom photo puzzles to one-of-a-kind plush toys to personalized pickleball gear, VistaPrint is the unexpected destination for gifts your kids will think are so cool because they have their own photo on them.

It’s a classic. Don’t overthink it.

Send your kid back to school in style after the holidays, with some fantastic deals from GapFactory. This 100% cotton sweater is under $20, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg on great deals.

We got a chance to try out Tappi and wow, our kids are hooked. This fun pencil reads stories out loud, sings songs, and even plays interactive comprehension games with you. This is a perfect screen-free gift for emerging readers.

From $42.85

If you have kids like ours who love to get creative in the kitchen, they’ll adore this monthly cooking kit subscription from I’m the Chef Too! Each month they’ll get a kit with beautifully printed instructions and all the ingredients they’ll need for a fun baking activity.

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This is how they’ll have a 90s childhood. Don’t forget to throw in a helmet too.

Yep, the kids are still into LEGO. They always will be. (And so will we.)

To be honest, we’d recommend anything from Magnetic Me—a brand built around accessibility in clothing design, but with styles and fabrics all of us would love—but who can resist some great Christmas or Hanukkah PJs. They have sizes to fit the whole family, and the fabrics are so unbelievably soft and durable, you’ll want to wear them every year.

OMG, how fun are these inflatable gingerbread house air mattresses for Christmas sleepovers? If you have the cousins coming in town or just pile the kids into one room for a night-before-Christmas PJ party, this is a perfect “Christmas Eve” gift for your kids to open before Santa comes.

Remember the excitement of a new bike on Christmas morning? Woom can outfit any kid in your life, from a wide-wheeled balance bike as young as 9 months old to mountain bikes for your trail riding 14-year-old.

We’ve been longtime fans of the educational content at ABCya.com for kids and families. A family membership is a great way to keep your kids learning all through winter break, on snow days, and over the weekends. But don’t think of this as a free pass to unlimited screen time. There are so many printable games, worksheets, and activities here too, for lots of off-screen fun.

Kate’s daughter has sat at the dining room table for countless hours playing with the Grownsy drawing robot they were so kind to send for her to try out. Each card programs the toy to draw a new pictures, with step-by-step instructions to draw it yourself on the back. This has been a huge hit in our house.

Dylan’s Candy Bar is an iconic destination for sweet treats, and what better time of year to load the kids up on sugar than the holidays! They have wonderful gift baskets for both Christmas and Hanukkah that will delight your kids.

We’re big believers in always getting our kids a new book for Christmas. Some of our top picks this year include This is a Door by Daniel Nayeri, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness Graphic Novel by Andrew Peterson and Alessia Trunfio, and Story Rug by Sophie Blackall and Phoebe Wahl.

For a little kid, their own bag to carry their toys and snacks in is a big deal, and we think this panda backpack at Deuter is perfect. They also have a fox, bunny, dragon and dog if those are more your kids’ jam.

Magnetic building tiles have been a trusty favorite of our kids’ for years, but these light-up tiles take it to a new level. They can add on to existing sets, so it’s a great gift for kids who already love these toys.

We are such big fans of the clever idea behind But Cute’s plush toys that each exemplify a different character trait, but they’re still cute. You can take home Grubble who is “Lazy, but cute” or Echo who is “Spacey, but cute” or my favorite, Luna who is “Anxious, but cute” featured here with Peeko who is “Chunky, but cute.” These little guys are so loveable.

The toy that started holiday shopping stampedes in 1996 is back as an 18-inch Elmo who giggles and wiggles when kids tickle him. It's on Target's, The Toy Insider's and GMA's hot toy lists this year, and it's made for kids 18 months and up.

A big box of ready-made slimes in different textures from slime creator Gui Gui, and one of the few toys on every major hot toy list this year. Ages 6 and up. Maybe open this one at the kitchen table.

Kids help a baby megalodon hatch out of a giant egg, and then it moves and makes sounds as they play with it. A fun one for shark and dinosaur fans ages 5 and up.

For How to Train Your Dragon fans, an interactive Toothless that moves and reacts as kids play. The Puppetronic line is one of the bigger splurges on this year's hot toy lists, best for kids 8 and up.

The hit card game in a box small enough for a stocking. Rounds are quick and silly, and grown-ups can play too. Ages 7 and up.