"As a mom, I have so much fun curating the perfect holiday gifts to set under the tree, and finding the perfect stocking stuffers makes me giddy for Christmas morning. But I would have to say—my favorite Christmas gifts are those for the whole family to enjoy.
Growing up, my favorite memories were when my siblings and I were gathered around the table with my parents playing board games late into the night. Other gifts, like a wooden play kitchen set or photo book, are nostalgic gifts that you can pass down and reminisce on as your kids get older and have a family of their own (excuse me, while I tear up at just the thought). While I know my kids will spend hours playing with what’s new and trendy, gifts geared for everyone to enjoy will stand the test of time. Whether it’s a swing set or an ice cream maker, you’ll be able to use them over and over again or pull them out year after year.
When you have young kids, you don’t have to overthink it to get the best family gift ideas. Finding gifts that encourage creativity, learning, and quality family time is the way to go. Luckily, just for you, I’ve hand-picked the perfect list of ideas that your kids will talk about for years to come.
Budget-Friendly Family Gifts
If you need to be budget-conscious this year, gifts like a s’mores maker or a puzzle set still have a lot of value because you will make family memories that won’t break the bank.
Get everyone involved when the whole family is screaming for ice cream. Make your own gelato, frozen yogurt, or sorbet, too. It’s a fun activity and snack for everyone to enjoy!
It’s the perfect campfire experience, whether you decide to take it indoors or outdoors for the night. This set comes with six skewers—enough to share with the whole family.
Test your skills and see who makes the stackable blocks tumble right before your eyes. You’ll want to play this game over and over again. It’s fun for every occasion!
All the classic board games in one set will have you ready for your family game night. The set includes chess, checkers, backgammon, ludo, dominoes, playing cards, and more.
Complete your family game night with proof who wins or loses. Record everyone’s score with a record journal, and let the competitiveness games begin.
Three classic games all in one tin. Number match with UNO, and challenge your family members with Phase 10 and ONO 99.
Divide up into teams and see who can guess as many words before the timer runs out. It’s hilarious, fun, and there are over 5,000 words and phrases for endless family entertainment.
See beautiful illustrations from your favorite Disney movies come to life piece by piece with these 500-piece puzzle sets.
The grilled cheese lover(s) in your family will truly appreciate this toaster. It’s easy to use, and the settings allow you to melt your sandwich to cheesy perfection.
Make breakfast fun and enjoyable for your little ones, and choose different shapes like a dinosaur, unicorn, and more to engrave into your breakfast waffles.
Personalized Gifts for Young Families
I’m a sucker for a good coffee table book, but it’s time to get one that you and your family will actually want to sift through. I’m definitely adding these keepsakes to the family Christmas list this year.
A fun way to display your kids’ artwork for everyone to see. Not only is it a beautiful coffee table book, but it’s a great keepsake, too. Add a quote from your little artist and their masterpiece to each page. Oh, the memories!
Why hide away all your memories in a box when you can have them in one place for everyone to awe over? With four styles to choose from and the ability to add up to 160 photos, it will be your new favorite way to keep the memories alive.
Gifts for Active Families with Young Kids
I’m always looking for family gift ideas for Christmas that are entertaining and will keep my family active. An indoor bounce house is perfect for any rainy day activity, and a swing set gives us a dose of fresh air when meltdowns ensue.
This sleek and stylish ottoman turns into the best play set for your little ones. They can jump, build, and use their imagination all with one toy.
Create a safe and cushiony space for your kids to play and explore. Let them use their imaginations to make their own obstacle courses. At the end of the day, turn it into a couch after they’ve exhausted all their energy—who knew cushions could be so versatile?
Going camping, heading to the beach, or planning a family staycation? Bring outdoor games like badminton, volleyball, flip toss, horseshoes, and flying disc wherever you go. This affordable set will keep the family active and entertained for hours.
Provide backyard fun with a 3-in-1 game set that includes bean bag toss, washer toss, and ladder toss. It’s easy to store and portable to take on the go.
Bounce the day away in a cute and aesthetically pleasing bounce house that you won’t mind taking indoors. It can double as a quiet area for your kids, too.
Join in on the pickleball craze. You won’t have to worry about packing up for the night with this oh-so-cool pickleball set because the net and paddles light up—play in the dark for endless fun!
This sturdy trampoline set is big enough to fit the whole family. Jump as high as you can, for as long as you can, and have fun with everyone all in the same space.
Get the treehouse vibes with this adorable swing set. It comes with a kid kitchenette, ladder, two slides, swings, acrobar, and a picnic table. It’s their own space right in your own backyard.
Educational and Learning-Based Family Gift Ideas
I love toys that are playful and will get their brains thinking. Learning can be fun, and that’s just what these gifts do. Make cool forts from huge magnet tiles like Bluey and Bingo did in the Bluey Cubby episode, or stargaze and become a mini astronomer.
Turn your fort making up a notch with this fun, easy-to-store magnet set the whole family can enjoy. Whether it’s a roomy fort or spaceship, their teamwork will be ‘blasting off’ with creativity.
You can’t have too many cooks in this kitchen. This no-assembly-required kitchen set will have your head chef and sous chefs getting straight to business.
Complete your play space with a pretty play mat from Lalo. With eight different patterns and six different sizes, you might just want to get one for every room!
Let your LOs explore with sand or water and all the fun toys that come with this adorable sensory table. Think about all the fun that’s to be had!
It’s the cutest play table, and the adjustable height gives you room to add chairs as your kids grow. Whether it’s crafts or playtime, this play table will serve your family for years to come.
Build anything that your heart desires. The opportunities are endless with this classic 100-piece magnet tile set.
Explore the sky and identify more than 1,500 stars with this small and portable handheld device. Not only will you be able to see the stars, but you’ll learn and discover the science behind the skies with 50 Things to See in the Sky.
Whether you’re camping or stargazing in your own backyard, take this travel telescope wherever you go. It’s the perfect gift for any new or seasoned astronomer.
Find yourself stashing all your boardgames away? These bookshelf-worthy boardgames will have you grabbing them off the shelf for all your family game nights. Choose from Clue, Monopoly, or Scrabble.
The perfect-sized craft table for all the little artists in the family. It’s everything you need for craft time all in one place—paint holders, supply bins, paper, and more.
Entertainment Gifts for the Family
Have a family movie night or share your own memories you had as a kid with a retro game console. I gifted my husband his own Air Popper because he grew up using one for every family movie night. No joke—he told me it was his favorite gift he’s ever received. It’s true—gifts that are tied to memories are the best!
Take movie night outdoors with an inflatable portable projector. It’s the cinema experience right at your convenience.
Oh, the nostalgia! Pop as much popcorn with this classic popcorn maker. There’s something about homemade popcorn that makes it taste so much better.
The ultimate blanket for the whole family to enjoy. Movie night or fort making just got a whole lot better.
Karaoke night, anyone? From oldies to Taylor Swift renditions, sing the night away with a retro karaoke machine.
Camp under the stars or decorate it for a family dinner—there’s versatility in this patio gazebo.
If pizza is a family favorite, why not make it a family affair with your own pizza oven at home?
If you’re needing a new way to get your kids active, this Nex Playground Game System is a video game console with fun, interactive, and educational games. Its subscription option gives you new games every month, so it will never get old.
Reminisce with your kids, and show them the best vintage games you grew up playing.
Experience-Based Family Gifts
Not every gift has to be tangible. Gifting your family an experience is just as memorable as gifting them a toy to play with. Experience gifts like a pottery class, a museum or zoo membership, a virtual scavenger hunt, or going to a local theme park is adventurous and exciting, too. Here are a few ideas to get you going!
Travel the world with tips and tricks from Jessica Gee. With this book’s beautiful illustrations and her 50 itineraries for family-friendly destinations, you’ll want to start packing your bags ASAP.
Have the family participate with surprise scratch-off challenges and document all the fun experiences you have together in this family edition-styled book.
Why You Can Count on Us
The Everygirl Media Group has brought valuable content to our readers for 12+ years. In 2018, The Everymom set out to ensure that all moms know they’re not alone. If you find yourself seeking advice on how to style the latest fashion trend or searching for the best kid-friendly coffee table, we have the answers. And if you’re wondering what’s actually worth it from a sale or looking for a review of the hottest new kids’ product, we’ve got that covered too. From our annual Registry Awards and beloved holiday gift guides to the shopping round-ups you find on our site every day, The Everymom commerce team is well-versed in sifting through thousands of products to curate a digestible list for you. We combine our own experience with in-depth research to bring you a selection that meets our high standards for both fashion and function.
Patty Schepel, Editorial Intern
As the editorial intern, Patty works with The Everymom’s team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, inputting freelance articles, and more. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her family, training for half marathons—she ran one 16 weeks pregnant—traveling, cooking, reading a rom-com, and keeping her sourdough starter, Rose, alive.