I can't lose to Santa and Grandmas!

December 20, 2023 12:01 PM

Santa and Grandmas are going to blow my kid's mind. And getting organized for wrapping, I realized I don't have a great "main" gift for my 6 year old. I need a headliner gift. He's 6. In grade 1. Loves dinosaurs, baseball, soccer, camping, folk music, reading (but he's getting lots of books). Some less intense interest in space/planets, science. Also open to "stuff kids like" not related to his interests. Need it by Sunday. I want it to be wrapped up (i.e.don't lecture me about experiences).

If you have any idea just list it and if he has it then I won't get him that. But seriously he has just about evertyhing, so if you know The Perfect Thing and 5 almost-perfect things, please list them all because he might already have The Perfect Thing.

I would love something around the $50 range. I could go up to maybe $150 but given what Santa and I have already spent I don't want to go much higher than that.

posted by If only I had a penguin... to Grab Bag (27 answers total)

If he likes folk music, a suitcase record player? I sneaked a peek at amazon and I actually think you could get one for close to a $50 budget (with maybe a little more for a record or two so he can play with it right away)!! I don't know a kid who doesn't find records magic and going to the thrift store to choose records based on silly covers and stuff is FUN.
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 12:15 PM on December 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

He loves reading. Does he have an e-reader?

My 8yo has discovered my Kindle Paperwhite and is burning through library books on it, like one a day.

I'm considering getting her one of her own, and am deciding between the Kindle Kids which everyone says is the best, and a Kobo because I understand it can interface directly with Overdrive and we don't need to then use Libby on my phone to check out the library books.
posted by hovey at 12:19 PM on December 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Does he like Lego? They have some cool dinosaur kits at the $50 price point that imo have a ton of playability (i.e. not just build it once and look at it on your shelf).

Baby dino rescue
Trike + truck
Rex + chopper
posted by phunniemee at 12:23 PM on December 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

How about a tool bag with a couple of real tools in it? I've had good luck getting kids a small hammer, some screw drivers, a tape measure, etc. Then you could also get him a little kit to build something like a birdhouse. They have those at Home Depot and sometimes at Harbor Freight.
posted by dawkins_7 at 12:24 PM on December 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Camping helps

Opinel My First No.7 Stainless Steel Children’s Folding Pocket Knife with Safety Rounded Tip. with a book on whittling.

HIS OWN nice camp chair. Maybe one of the stargazer ones with a costellation book and a promise to go camping during the Perseid meteor showers in August.

An "adult" headlamp.

His own hammock/ screen tent. You can get one for like 30-40 bucks on Amazon right now.
posted by ReluctantViking at 12:25 PM on December 20, 2023 [4 favorites]

Does he have a Hotwheels track? Those things are awesome!
posted by dawkins_7 at 12:25 PM on December 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

A nice LED lantern will be put to constant use, while camping, inside blanket forts, in the backyard, etc etc.
posted by rockindata at 12:26 PM on December 20, 2023 [2 favorites]

My kid, 9, asked to get a Stylophone this year. I think he either saw one or played with one at school and that's where the idea came from.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:26 PM on December 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

A ukulele might appeal to their interest in folk music.
posted by munchingzombie at 12:27 PM on December 20, 2023 [4 favorites]

Things I am giving out were recent birthday successes for my 6yo with similar interests (although we're more into vehicles):
- coupon for a day out with Mom and Dad (separately) where he gets to pick the activity and food.
- snap circuits arcade (needs help to do it)
- seconding the Lego Jurassic Park sets
- the Ultimate Book of Airplanes and Airports was his favorite birthday present
posted by carolr at 12:36 PM on December 20, 2023

Entry-level binoculars? (but check to make sure his hands are big enough)
posted by praemunire at 12:53 PM on December 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

I think 6 is a good year to start the “joke” (but still amazing gift). Some ideas of what I mean:
- a very cool watch or compass packed inside a small box, inside a slightly larger box, inside a slightly larger box, etc.
- 50 $1 taped to toilet paper roll that is then rolled back up
- an awesome book inside a pizza box
- another awesome object of your choosing, wrapped in paper, and then covered in a ball of tape
posted by CMcG at 12:54 PM on December 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

My 6 year old circled the hot wheels dinosaur-shaped car transporter in a toy catalogue (along with a couple loop the loop tracks)
posted by Baethan at 12:55 PM on December 20, 2023

Used Casio keyboard was surprisingly popular with my daughter at that age. Ukulele, guitar, or one of those horrible karaoke mic things are other options.
posted by shock muppet at 1:07 PM on December 20, 2023

Our kids at that age loved a simple microphone that let you record and then play your own voice with two simple buttons. (And it was "Frozen themed, had a light up jewel on top and came with "Let it go" prerecorded).
So many shenanigans!
posted by Omnomnom at 1:41 PM on December 20, 2023 [2 favorites]

tape measure

puppy


Yes they are at the same level
posted by amtho at 1:43 PM on December 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

-seconding the idea of a tool bag with real tools , we did that and it gets a lot of use, and can be upgraded if/as child’s interest and skills grow.

-maple planks sets are a lot of fun

-camelbak mini mule for kids is great if they would like a gadgety/adult-ish water bottle, plus it has pockets for compass, maps, add caribiner clips etc.
posted by subwaytiles at 1:59 PM on December 20, 2023

Things I loved giving my kid when she was around that age:

Solar Puff light
Hex Bug dragon
Lumberjanes graphic novels
posted by Lawn Beaver at 2:04 PM on December 20, 2023

Oh! Oh! Disco ball lamp = Instant dance party!

Also glow sticks. And a UV lamp that lets your socks glow in the dark
posted by Omnomnom at 2:12 PM on December 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Never met a kid that age that doesn't love a remote control car.
posted by MadMadam at 2:25 PM on December 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

Calvin and Hobbes
posted by Jacen at 6:21 PM on December 20, 2023

Stomp rocket
posted by aetg at 6:57 PM on December 20, 2023

Dinosaur onesie
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:40 PM on December 20, 2023

New York Magazine has a gift guide for 6-year-olds that might give you some ideas.

(I can't vouch for this specific guide as there are no first graders in my life, but their gift guide for teenage girls led me to some items I bought for my nieces that they liked.)
posted by virago at 2:08 AM on December 21, 2023

Razor scooter. My kids rode theirs for years.
Point and shoot waterproof camera like this.
posted by gerygone at 3:57 AM on December 21, 2023

Kid size inflatable dinosaur costume?

I had an adult size version and it definitely sang to the 6 yo in me.

(Complete Calvin and Hobbes mentioned above is also an awesome idea. I think I was right around 6 when I started reading C&H, and I could identify.)
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 11:03 AM on December 21, 2023

Spirograph is the coolest toy EVER ! (Well, the coolest that didn't involve searing-hot surfaces, making plastic bugs and learning about second degree burns.)

Six years old is not too young for a Spirograph.
posted by wjm at 4:47 PM on December 21, 2023