Pajamas with cities, cute dogs or favorite books. From $22.

Dim sum play dough kit, $39, with all sorts of dumplings and baos.

Temporary tattoos for every member of the family, matching their personalities/interests, like a funny bear, outer space, or a croissant. From $5.

A collaborative whodunit game, $24, where you work together to figure out which fox stole the pot pie. We’ve played this a hundred times, and it’s legitimately super fun.

Speaking of detectives, Anton and I recently discovered Sleuth & Solve, $14, a VERY engaging series of books where you figure out mini mysteries based on logic, facts, etc.

Spy glasses to see what’s behind you (!), $12 for three.

Cookbooks for mini chefs from Dynamite Kids Cooking School, $25, and The River Café, $30.

A magnetic world map, $58, to inspire wanderlust and since they’re already asking about big issues.

A Guess Who game, plus printable cards to make different versions — including Disney movies, Fuller House, and NBA players. $6.80.

Frozen playable theater with four backdrops and 12 characters. $26.

Cool Swedish candy, $14. How great is the packaging?

And a Coke (or whatever treat they’re not normally allowed to have) and permission to drink it. $2/priceless.

Finally, a few forever slam-dunks: a wooden school bus, galaxy projector, microphone, box of geodes, mood ring, Magna-Tiles set and slinky. What would you add?

P.S. The 2019 kids gift guide, the 2020 kids gift guide, and the 2021 kids gift guide.

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