2025 Gift Guide: Toys & Family Games
Need some gift ideas for your kids or the family this holiday season? Presenting the 2025 gift guide for toys and family games! I’m sharing all of our favorites that we use on repeat in our home.
It’s here – my favorite week of the year! I have the most fun rounding up and sharing tons of gift guides for you every year, and this year was no different. I’m kicking things off with arguably the most important gift guide (for the kids!), but I’ll be back every day this week with more guides for you, so be sure to keep checking back. Or, you can click here to find all of my gift guides all in one place.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?!
Favorite Family Board Games
3 Up 3 Down
This is a really quick-to-learn game that we can play for hours. My parents play a version of this called Plates with regular cards, but they loved this enough to grab it too!
Rack-O
Rack-O has been one of my favorites for years. I never get tired of it. You’re working to get your cards in numerical order before everyone else does – it requires some strategy but is simple enough everyone can play!
Splendor
Corey and I play this game a ton when we’re playing games together at home, and the kids really enjoy it too. It’s an engine-building style game where you’re collecting gems, and it’s been a favorite of ours for years.
Skyjo
This one is really similar to Golf and Play Nine, but it has a slight twist to it that makes it feel different enough to be unique! My kids have been really into this one lately – it only takes about 10 minutes to play and is so fun!
Skip Bo
I grew up playing this classic nonstop with my family, and my kids love it just as much as I did! This is great when we want something a little bit longer but not too long, and the whole family loves it.
Take Five
This game comes with two different games in one, and they’re both really fun! Take Five is our favorite – we can play it on repeat for forever. It’s super simple and will have everyone yelling and screaming, which is my favorite kind of game.
Five Crowns
Five Crowns is my current obsession. I could play it every single day. It’s a rummy-style game where you’re trying to play all of your cards before anyone else does and it’s so so fun.
Mexican Train Dominos
I’ve been playing this game since I was Jackson’s age and it’s still a favorite of mine! Our 7-year old loves this one and can play for hours. It’s one that is fun for the whole family, and we play it all the time when my parents are over to visit!
Flip 7
Corey played this game at a game night with some friends and immediately came home and tracked a copy down for our family. It’s a really fast-paced luck-based game, and we always have so much fun with it.
Yahtzee
Another classic that I played on repeat as a kid! I only introduced my kids to this one earlier this year and they fell in love with it right away. My favorite tip? Keep the score cards. We found a ton in my parents’ copy of the game from decades ago and it was so fun to look through them.
Monopoly Deal
If you like Monopoly in theory but don’t want to play for hours on end, this is the perfect game for you! It’s really fun and only takes about 15 minutes to play, which is a major win.
Play Nine
This is basically the card game Golf, with a few small twists. We go on kicks of playing this one almost every night as a family – it’s the perfect after-dinner game because it’s fast but so fun!
Pass the Pigs
The silliest game that my family used to play nonstop on camping trips, this one holds up! It’s very luck-based and to play you roll a pair of little pigs like dice. It’s hilarious and so fun!
Five Alive
A really fun and face-paced game where you’re trying to keep the running total of cards played under 21. If you have to take it over, you lose a life.
UNO
I debated even including this one because it feels so obvious, but if you don’t have a copy of UNO in your house, you need one! We have like four different versions of the game at this point, but our favorite is the original! It’s easily the most-played game we own.
Rummikub
Yet another game I played a ton as a kid! My youngest can’t play this one without a little bit of help, but it’s a really fun game for everyone and I love that it lends itself to some more complex strategy!
Azul
I absolutely love this board game where you’re collecting tiles to score points. It’s a really great introductory game for kids to more complex board games, and it’s so dang fun.
Sequence
This game is so simple to learn that it often surprises people how fun it is! You’re trying to get a sequence of spaces on a board (kind of like Tic Tac Toe) by playing cards from your hand. It can be played with a bigger crowd too, which is always fun!
See even more of our favorite family games right here!
Gift Ideas for the Kids
I like to keep my kid gift guide on the simple side. We don’t separate it out by genders or ages because I’m looking for things that appeal to a broad range. You already know about the hot new toy this season that your kids wants because they won’t stop talking about it. What you need help with is the stuff they might not think to ask for, but that you know they’ll play with ALL THE TIME.
Cat’s Cradle
I think I gave this to Jackson when he was 6 and I still find him playing with it pretty regularly. I think it’s been on every single kids’ gift guide for the last 5 years but that’s because it’s an absolute classic that never goes out of style!
Karaoke Machine
What kid doesn’t want a karaoke machine?! I love that this one is small and portable and isn’t a huge pain to set up. My kids have had a blast with it.
Play Claw Machine
This was one of the biggest hits from Grant’s 6th birthday and I’ve gifted one to tons of friends’ kids in the last year. It’s always such a fun surprise for kids and a really unique gift!
The Upside Down Challenge
This game is HILARIOUS and the kids will have a blast forcing everyone to play with them on Christmas morning. I think every household needs one of these – it’s ridiculous and a ton of fun.
Inflatable Play Tent
Corey grabbed this guy for the kids 5 or 6 years ago and they still love to pull it out and play with it on the regular! You’ll need a box fan to keep the tent inflated, but it’s good for hours of fun.
Mouse Trap
I’m including this here instead of the family games list because the adults pretty much hate when we’re forced to play this with the kids, but it brings Grant so much joy that I have to include it. This game is a HIT every single time in our house.
Bop It
We ALL played Bop It a ton as a kid, right?! My kids still love to play on my old version of the game when they’re at my parents’ house – it’s one of those classics that just holds up!
Paper Airplane Kit
I grabbed this kit for the kids a few years ago and I still notice them pulling it out on occasion! It teaches different ways to make paper airplanes and comes with some cool paper to make them with!
3D Pen
Jackson has one of these and it was a major hit the year we gifted it to him for Christmas! It’s really cool to see what he can create with it!
Cardboard Tool Kit
When I asked for ideas of what to get Grant for his 7th birthday, I lost count of how many people told me to get this for him. It’s the perfect gift for kids who are always stealing your Amazon boxes to build with!
Earth Sciences Kit
I’m always all about a kit that encourages learning and creativity, and this is a really great one. It includes tons of experiments and activities to keep them engaged!
Snap Circuits Kit
A friend gifted this to Jackson when he was about 7 and it was a huge hit in our house for years. It’s great for kids who love to tinker and build!
LCD Writing Tablet
I’ve given this as a gift to kids who love to draw before and it’s a major hit. It’s perfect to let them draw in bed before they fall asleep or to keep in the car so you don’t have to have paper on hand all the time!
Spirograph
Do you remember playing with these as a kid? Jackson went through a phase a few years ago where he was churning these little designs out like crazy!
Fort Building Kit
If your kids love forts but you hate building them, this will make everyone’s life a little bit easier. All you need is a blanket or sheet to toss over it when they’re done building!
Kids’ Fitness Tracker + Watch
My youngest became obsessed with the idea of having a watch this year and it took me a while to find a simple one that didn’t come with a ton of games or extras. This one fit the bill perfectly and he’s so proud to wear it.
Picasso Tile Marble Run Kit
I grabbed this for Grant for his birthday and he’s had so much fun with it. It also comes with a car track and the boys have had a blast building all sorts of complicated setups with it!
Lite Bright
This is a classic from our childhood that still holds up. I love a super simple toy that really encourages creativity, and it’s still just as much fun as it was when we were kids.
Air Dry Clay Kit
My kids cannot get enough air dry clay. It’s one of the few things that will keep them both busy for a long, long time, and I love to see their creations!
Bug Habitat
Because pretty much every kid on the planet loves to try and collect bugs, and this will save your mason jars from becoming bug houses.
I’ve got more than 100 ideas over on my Amazon storefront – you can view the full gift guide for kids there!