Gift guide for babies and kids: highest rated toys of 2020 by age

Calling all Santas, Mrs. Claus's, aunties, uncles, grandparents and parents! It's that time of year where you start scratching your head trying to figure out perfect presents for the wide variety of sweet kiddos in your life. It can be hard to find a perfectly age-appropriate gift! You want them to be able to open their gift, enjoy it right away, and hopefully not grow out of it for a good long while. That's where our BEST TOY gift guide by age comes in!

These might not be the very prettiest toys to give your kids (okay some of them are V cute!), but they're the highest rated. They're the ones that will actually get played with over and OVER. They're the ones your kids are hoping Santa will bring them, all broken down by age to give you an easy-as-pecan-pie time with your holiday planning.

Baby Gift Guide

1. Play Mat: Comfy, cozy and aesthetically pleasing, this play mat will get TONS of use!
2. Rattle & Teethers: This darling 10 piece set has different textures and sounds, perfect for any baby!
3. Xylophone: A favorite in any house, this xylophone also has “drums” for pounding on so your little musician can get out energy and make music at the same time.
4. First Words book: This is the most classic book to gift, and is universally loved by all kids!
5. Diapers: These are so cute, gender neutral, and holiday print! I like gifting size 3 or 4 because I feel like my kids typically wear those sizes the very longest.
6. Stacking cups: These are the CUTEST colors, and I love that there is a little pattern or print on them for more visual interest. Stacking cups are SO good for baby's brain development!
7. Rainbow stacker: I love wooden toys, and that these blocks can be stacked into so many different shapes! My kids have one similar (featured in our playroom reveal) and they ALL love it.
8. Stuffed Animal: Give me all the super soft stuffies! These come in several sizes as well so you can choose what's best for your babe.
9. Melissa & Doug Stacker: This helps babies learn shapes and colors plus start exercising their hand-eye coordination! Melissa & Doug toys are always SO well made and last forever.
10. Melissa & Doug Farm Animals: These animals pop together for imaginative play and silly combos for your little one!

YOUR baby gift ideas

• Moccasins
• Teethers
• Sleep sacks
• Saranoni blankets – use code MINTARROW for 15% off
• Activity center
• Puzzle
• Alphabet blocks
• Activity cube
• Foam blocks
• Tubby Todd – use code MINTARROW15 for 15%
• Feeding set
• Bath toys
• PipSquigz
• Tonka trucks
• Little People
• Pull and Sing puppy
• Pacifier
• Slide
• Pretend Dyson vacuum
• 3 wheeled scooter
• Pajamas
• Pretend cleaning supplies

2-4 Year Old Gift Guide

1. Blocks: These large blocks make for a great starter kit for your little builder! Also, anything with all 5 star ratings on Amazon has my vote too!
2. Kitchen Sink: Your little one will have HOURS of play with this kitchen sink! Home toys always spark my kids' imaginations.
3. Number Puzzle: Help your child learn their numbers AND tactile awareness with these chunky puzzle pieces!
4. Ball Pit: This is a crowd favorite, and something that will entertain all ages! I love that the outer cover is washable! This is on my list to gift to Millie this year for sure.
5. Ball Pit Balls: Fill your new ball pit with these crush-proof balls and you're sure to be the most beloved Santa ever!
6. Fold & Go Barn: This wooden barn is super realistic and comes with seven farm animals. Perfect for your animal lover!
7. Blocks & Boards: These are AMAZING for learning, and I love that it's screen-free time spent building your brain.
8. KidKraft Kitchen: My girls' kitchen honestly gets played with more than almost anything else we own! Play time for hours on end. MOM WIN.
9. MagnaTiles: Just the best of the best, these tiles are maybe one of my favorite purchases EVER for my kids!
10. Race Car Ramp: There's just something about the quality of wooden toys, and I can see littles everywhere loving the no-assembly-required ramp!

YOUR 2-4 year old gift ideas

• Peppa Pig play set
• Child Yoda
• Strider bike
• Dress ups
• Wooden ice cream station
• Litti Pretti Makeup set
• Water Wow coloring books
• Puzzles
• Cars
• Dinosaurs
• Baby doll
• Hot Wheels race track
• Doll house
• Elsa doll
• Color Reveal Barbies

5-7 Year Old Gift Guide

1. Arts & Craft Set: This crafting set isn't your typical cheap crayons and stickers! It has tons of interesting items that will spark imagination with your kids.
2. Scooter: This scooter has all 5 star reviews and is literally PERFECT for a first time scooter rider!
3. Mermaid Barbie: We love this Barbie for bath time or pool time or anytime in between! It's totally water safe and (bonus) the Barbie's hairs stays suuuuper soft. A FAVE in our house.
4. Toy Story LEGO Set: This is such a cute set for LEGO beginners, and any Toy Story lovers in your house!
5. Camera: I love a toy that is shock/fall-proof! This compact camera is perfect for your budding photographer.
6. My Little Pony Unicorn: My Little Pony, but make it UNICORN!!! Lyla is 5 and v obsessed with unicorns and MLP currently.
7. Clue Junior: My kids have been loving the junior version of board games that are a little above their head in the regular version, so the junior version is awesome!
8. Charades for Kids: No-reading-required game for young kids that the whole family can join in on!
9. Nerf Blaster: You can never have too many Nerf guns (say my boy-mom friends!) This one fires darts up to 90 feet.
10. Remote Control Car: This double sided RC car is going to be my go-to gift for all the little boys in my life this year!

YOUR 5-7 year old gift ideas

• Legos
• STEM kits
• American Girl Doll Wellie Wisher
• BFF Necklaces
• Trampoline
• Scribble Scrubbies
• Barbies
• Polly Pockets
• Skateboard
• Light Saber
• Nintendo Switch
• Board Games
• Ant Farm
• Bracelet making kit
• Kinetic Sand
• LOL Doll
• Kids Kindle
• Scooby Doo Playmobil

Happy shopping!

Hopefully there's something here in our gift guide for kids for every kiddo on your list! I know just how daunting it can be to shop for kids of all different ages, especially if you're sending gifts long-distance to kids you don't get to see very often.

And if you still need help gifting to someone else, we've got even MORE GUIDES coming for literally everyone you can think of, including tweens (8-12) + teens! Stay tuned!

2020 Gift Guides

-It’s NOT TOO LATE! Gifts you can still pick up in store
–The TOP gifts that still ship in time for Christmas
–The BEST stocking stuffers that still ship in time
–20 Christmas gift ideas UNDER $20 for women & men
–Gift guide for babies and kids: highest rated toys of 2020 by age
–Target gift guide: 15 best items to give this Christmas
–20 FIRE gift ideas for the men in your life
–Splurge or Save: Stocking stuffers for her & him!
–All the BEST gifts for teens and tweens this Christmas
–Send This To Your Spouse: Top Christmas gifts for her
–Amazon Gift Guide: 25 best items to give this Christmas