2026 Gift Guide: Games, Kids, & Stocking Stuffers
It’s that time, my friends! The 2026 gift guide is here. Today, I’m sharing gift ideas for kids, games for the family, and stocking stuffers your kids will love.
Gift guide season is my favorite. I love shopping for holiday gifts for the people I love, and I particularly enjoy looking for gifts that feel unique or special. I always have the best time putting these guides together, and I always end up with a bunch of ideas for my own gift shopping! Each year, I set a goal to get all of my shopping done before Thanksgiving so I can relax and actually enjoy the holiday season. It makes a huge difference for me, and it’s absolutely worth a little extra effort in November to make it happen!
I had a blast putting the gift guides together this year, and I hope they provide some inspiration for you as you do your own holiday shopping! Today, w’ere digging into all things kids and family. Below, you’ll find games that are perfect for gifting, the best gifts for kids of pretty much any age, and my favorite stocking stuffer ideas.
2026 Gift Guide: Card + Board Games
We’ll kick it off with one of my very favorite categories – games! These are great for family game night, nights with friends, and more. Many of these games are probably ones you’ve seen me recommend before. That’s because they’re frequent fliers on our dining room table! There are a few new ones that we discovered this year, though. Here are 18 games we’ve been loving that I think would make for a great gift.
Click on the title of the game to be taken directly to purchase! Or click here to see a mega list of all of our favorite games.
1. Tenzi
If you can roll a handful of dice, you can play Tenzi. It has a bunch of different ways to play, but the most basic is to race to see who can roll all 10 of their dice to be the same number first. It’s fun, it’s super quick, and it’s addictive. My oldest is really good at it and no one seems to be able to beat him!
2. Just One
We pull this game out all the time for dinner parties or larger groups. But, the kids love playing, too and it’s a great game to play after dinner! It’s a cooperative game (so you’re all working together to win), and each person takes turns being the guesser. Everyone knows the word except the guesser, and each person gives them a 1-word clue. The catch is, no one can write the same word as anyone else! If there’s more than 1 of any clue, both people have to erase it!
3. Sequence
This is another game that can be played as a family game or with a much larger group! You work as a team (or individuals with fewer people) to try to place your tokens in a row (or “sequence”) of 5 across the board. It’s really easy to learn and even more fun than it sounds.
5. Flip7
This game feels a bit like gambling and is reminiscent of Blackjack. It’s fully luck based, takes about 5 minutes to play, and your family will ask to play again and again and again. This is maybe my kids’ favorite game we own and I hear from lots of friends who say the same thing!
4. Rack-O
I never (ever) get tired of this simple game. Each person has a rack and 10 cards, and their job is to try to get their cards in numerical order by drawing and discarding. It’s a game that’s perfect for chatting while you play, and I can play it on repeat without ever getting bored.
6. Five Crowns
If I’m asked to name a favorite game these days, this is what I choose. Five Crowns is a rummy style game, where you start with 3 cards and play rounds with increasing numbers of cards until you play a round with 13. You’re making sets and runs to try to get rid of your cards and you have to match off your entire hand before you can lay down. It’s so fun, really easy to learn, and I will never turn down a game of this.
7. Mexican Train Dominos
I’ve been playing this game since I was a child and I still love it. We play all the time with my parents, and the kids really love playing a round or two (though, neither of them has the stamina to play all 13 rounds of the official game). It’s a “get rid of your dominos” game that requires a fair amount of strategy but is easy enough that both my kids have been playing for years!
8. Scorzo
Similar to 5 Crowns (read the description above!) but simpler and faster to play! We don’t reach for this one a ton but it’s one that we always have a blast when we play and wonder why we don’t grab it more often. It would make a really great stocking stuffer!
10. Splendor
If you want something that feels a little more substantial than a card game, this is a great option and it’s so much fun. It’s an engine-building game, meaning you collect cards over time to build up an ecosystem of cards that work together to make point earning easier. It’s simple enough that my kids can play but complex enough that my husband still hasn’t figured out how to score more points than me. 😉
9. Moose Match Mayhem
My kids absolutely adore this game and anytime they’re in charge of choosing this is one they can always agree on. You’re trying to collect groups of 3 animals to score before anyone else, and it requires being quick-thinking (and moving). It’s silly and easy to learn and only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.
11. The Upside Down Challenge
I reach for this game all the time when I’m shopping for birthday parties! It’s so much fun, and your kids are basically guaranteed to love it. You have to wear these glasses that turn everything upside down and complete simple challenges (like drawing a cat or pouring water from one glass to another). It’s hilarious and harder than you’d expect!
12. Azul
This is a step up from a lot of the super simple card games above, and it’s so fun to play. My parents hate learning complicated games and they enjoyed this one, though, so don’t stress about it! You’re collecting small tiles to earn points and there’s some strategy to make sure you earn more than everyone else. It’s low-stress, really fun, and one you’ll play again and again.
13. CLUE Home Alone
We don’t have this absolute gem but I just learned it existed as I was prepping this list, and it’s officially in my cart! This would make for such a great game to play all holiday season, and I’m going to make it one of our advent activities! Perfect for a White Elephant gift, or just something to unwrap Christmas morning and play immediately!
14. First to Worst
A super simple party game that you’ll love with your family or friends. Each person takes a turn secretly ranking a group of 5 items and the rest of the group has to guess what order they ranked them in. Fun for both people you know well and as a good way to get to know your friends better!
15. Grab the Mic
I played this at a girls’ weekend and we had the best time! One person draws a card and reads out a random word, and everyone has to race to grab the microphone and sing lyrics that start with that word. It’s harder than you’d expect and it was so fun to see what songs everyone came up with!
16. Farkle
This is a face-paced, push-your-luck dice rolling game. You’re trying to score the most points but if you roll poorly, you’ll lose them all. It’s fun to see how many risks my kids will take (spoiler: a lot) and we always end up laughing so much.
17. Play Nine
And finally, a spin on a card game classic (Golf!) that everyone loves. We reach for this one all the time when we want a quick game (it takes about 10 minutes) after dinner. You have 8 cards laid out in a grid and you’re trying to get the cards in the top row to match the cards below them so you score as few points as possible. I absolutely love this one!
2026 Gift Guide: For Kids of All Ages
Next up, we’ve got gift ideas for kids. I try to keep this list gender and age neutral – they should appeal to kids of most ages! They aren’t the hottest toys (we all have enough of those, don’t we?) but they’re fun things that your kids will love to play with, use, and learn from. That’s my favorite kind of gift to give!
1. Color Stack Challenge
If you’ve ever played a game on your phone, you’ve probably seen ads for games similar to this one. It’s a classic puzzle challenge game and it’s really addictive! I have this in my cart as an option for my kids because I know they’ll have a blast playing each other – and I’ll be eager to get in on the fun, too.
2. Mario Kart Live
This is the biggest splurge on the list, but it’s SO much fun, especially if your family enjoys video games. This takes Mario Kart and turns it into a real life game, where you can set up a course in your house and use the cameras attached to the cars to drive around. It’s an absolute blast and my kids always have the best time when they pull it out.
3. Digital Handheld Microscope
I love any gift that encourages my kids to get outside, get curious, or try new things, and this little digital microscope is such a fun way to do that! I’ve had my eye on it for a while now and it’ll be under the tree this year for my 8-year-old. I can’t wait to see what he discovers in the backyard with it!
4. LED Drawing Board
My kids love a light box or drawing board, and it’s always such a hit for gifting any kid. It’s a really fun way for them to display art, and you can use it to trace, too! It can function as a night light in their room, and they’ll have so much fun writing messages and doodling on it.
5. Gravity Maze Marble Game
If your kids are old enough to handle marbles, this is a really fun game! It’s a logic puzzle game with a ton of different puzzles. And, I don’t think there’s a kid on the planet who doesn’t love a marble run! Perfect for the kid who is always building but needs a challenge to be able to sit still for a while.
6. Laser Tag Set
I almost grabbed this last year as a family gift and my husband ended up getting something else (a Board, which he got as a Kickstarter and it is a blast!). So, maybe we’ll get it this year? My kids have discovered laser tag at our local bowling alley and they absolutely adore it. I think it would be fun to have some family laser tag battles in the backyard this winter!
7. Tabletop Hockey Game
We have this and it’s a really simple and fun game. It basically turns any table into a game of air hockey, and there are a few different ways you can play. My kids pull this out on occasion and I always hear tons of hooting and hollering (in a good way).
8. Spirograph
I’m a huge fan of gifting some of the classic toys and games that have been around for ages. After all, they’ve remained popular for a reason, right?! We had a Spirograph set when my oldest was little but it got lost somewhere in one of our moves. I’m thinking I might tuck this into one of their stockings this year, because I know it would be a huge hit.
9. Star Projector Night Light
I’ve yet to meet a kid that isn’t obsessed with the idea of a space projector in their room. Seriously. Just ask any kid, and I can almost guarantee they’ll say they want one. I LOVE that this one looks like a little astronaut, and it has great reviews. It might end up under our tree this year!
10. Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs
My boys are constantly asking to help cook or for me to find recipes for them. I keep thinking I need to get a cookbook specifically for them and I haven’t yet – this one looks like a great option. Perfect for the kid who wants a little independence and is ready to try learning something in the kitchen!
11. Loom Bracelet Kit
I have two boys and I can tell you with zero hesitation that our loom bracelet kits have been the most-used activity in our house over the last year or two. They LOVE them. They’re constantly making bracelets to wear, to give to their friends, or to give to me. These are a hit with basically every kid on the planet right now, and I love that it’s not just another junk toy!
12. Paint Your Own Lamp Kit
I am IN LOVE with these adorable paint your own lamp kits and am already debating which ones I want to get my kids. They have a bunch of different animals, and I’m definitely going to be grabbing two to tuck under the tree. I know both of my kids would absolutely love it.
13. Cardboard Construction Kit
I asked my Instagram audience what to get my youngest last year for his birthday and this was the overwhelming top response. Everyone raved about these cardboard tools. G pulls them out all the time when he’s playing around with Amazon boxes. They make a fantastic gift for any creative kiddo!
14. MagnaTiles Marble Run
This is another gift I grabbed my youngest for a birthday that is a huge hit in our house. It’s the classic Picasso tiles, but it’s a marble run and car track. It’s so much fun and combines with whatever tiles you already have to make the build even more complex! If you’re a magnetic tile family (who isn’t?!) then you’ll love this.
15. Minute of Fun Challenges
This is a really great go-to for gifts for any birthday party or kid gifting opportunity. It’s a giant box of minute-to-win-it challenges and it comes with everything you need to make it happen. Kids of ALL ages (honestly, and adults) love these things and it’s a gift I reach for all the time.
16. Fort Building Kit
Makes building forts super easy and quick, and who doesn’t want fort-making to be easier?! This is such a fun way to encourage creativity in your kids and give yourself the gift of not having to drag chairs all over your house to help them build a fort.
17. Paper Airplanes Book
I got this paper airplane book for my oldest a few years ago and every time I think they’ve forgotten about it, I start seeing paper airplanes fly around the house again. They were just playing with it a couple of days ago! It comes with instructions and patterned paper for making all sorts of paper airplanes.
18. Snap Circuits
Snap Circuits are a classic STEM toy for kids. My oldest son had some when he was younger (they got lost in a move) and I’m thinking we need to replenish our supply! They’re so fun for kids who like to get creative, build, and put things together, and it’s a great learning activity as well.
19. Drawing Robot
This guy is adorable and I think my kids would be obsessed. Comes with drawing cards for a ton of different doodles and your kids can follow along with the robot and learn to draw all sorts of things! I kind of want one for myself, honestly.
20. Indoor Basketball Hoop
A basketball hoop for the bedroom was peak cool kid when I was a kid, and I loved being able to grab one for my 8-year-old for his birthday this year. He loves it and has it hanging on the side of his bed so he can slam dunk easier. Great for kids of all ages, and eventeenagers would be into this!
21. Cat’s Cradle
And finally – I think this has been on every kid gift guide I’ve ever made because, as I said before, I’m a big believer in the classics! Cat’s Cradle is SO much fun, it’s a creative toy, and your kids will use it for years. I got this for J a long (long!) time ago and he still fidgets with it all the time. I can still do some of them from memory, too, which makes me feel like the coolest mom ever.
2026 Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers
We’ll wrap up today with stocking stuffer ideas for kids! The stocking stuffers are always my favorite gift guide to put together. I love the creativity it requires to find tiny gifts that aren’t crappy, and there’s something just so special about watching the kids do their stockings on Christmas morning. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Simon Game
A classic memory game that will let them fidget and entertain themselves without a screen. My kids love this thing!
2. Gigapet
Because who doesn’t want a virtual pet? I was obsessed with mine when I was a kid and I love that these silly little toys are still around! Honestly, I kinda just want one for myself.
3. Tattoo Pens
My kids are always drawing on themselves these days and I love that these pens are made for that. They’ll have a blast creating their own “tattoos”!
4. Light Up Gloves
I have some of these in my cart to grab for my youngest because I know he’d be obsessed. These glow gloves are so fun – they have a bunch of colors and different patterns for the lights and how they flicker.
5. Parachute Men Toys
I grabbed some of these for my kids a few years back and they had so much fun with them for such a long time. If you have a two-story house with any sort of overhang, they’ll have a blast dropping them off the edge.
6. Mini Flashlights
Every kid loves a flashlight, honestly. I feel like I grab a new one almost every year for my youngest because he cannot get enough (and he eventually loses them). These are always a good stocking stuffer idea!
7. Rainbow Scratch Note Pads
I’ve never met a kid who didn’t love these things. We’ve given these a few times as stocking stuffers and I find little notes and doodles on them for months afterwards!
8. Sensory Stones
I put these in my oldest son’s stocking last Christmas and they were such a hit. I still find the kids playing with them pretty often, and they’re a really great fidget toy.
9. Shower Steamers
If your kids are out of their bath era but they still like to make the bedtime routine feel special, shower steamers are a great idea. My kids are obsessed with making showers special and they love having these in the house.
10. Slinky
I think one of the best stocking stuffers is always a super simple, classic toy they can play with right away. The kind of toy that you played with as a kid and will still be around when they have kids. A slinky fits the bill perfectly.
11. 3D Printed Dragons
My younger son cannot get enough of these things lately. He collects them, carries them everywhere, and always wants more. He’ll definitely be finding some in his stocking this year!
12. Watercolor Art Pad
I almost always grab some sort of little art kit like this for the kids’ stockings and they bust them out randomly throughout the year. In fact, my younger son was just using his from last year the other day! I love that this one has all the paint attached to each page, so it’s super portable.
13. Lip Smackers
Just like Cat’s Cradle above, this is something that has been on pretty much every gift guide ever and will stay on every gift guide ever. It’s a CLASSIC and a MUST. I’ll take no arguments.
14. Worry Stones
We can’t get enough fidgets in my house (there are a few more below!) and I love these simple worry stones for kiddos with anxiety. Teach them to tuck one in their pocket on the way out the door and it’s the perfect thing to keep their hands busy all day long.
15. Magnetic Fidget Rings
I love a fidget ring (I wear one every day on my thumb!) and I think this magnetic set is fabulous. My almost-teenager would love this and I’ve got it in my cart for him already!
16. Posable Fidget Toy
We’ve got a bunch of these in our house and my kids (and my husband) are messing with them all the time. They’re a really great little fidget toy and once you get started playing with them you won’t be able to stop.
17. Animal Face Masks
Kids are always into anything that makes them feel a little more like a grown up and if they can have some face masks just like you, they’ll feel so fancy. Pair it with a shower steamer and some good music and they’ll have a super memorable spa night!
18. Glow in the Dark Ceiling Stars
So easy to create a little magic in your kids’ room with these! My kids both love them and have had them in their rooms before – they love the reveal when they turn off the light and they all start glowing.
19. Magic 8 Ball
Yup, another classic here! My youngest found one of these at a toy store recently and became completely obsessed. He thought it was so cool. Let them spend Christmas morning asking it all sorts of questions.
20. Sensory Board
I grabbed one of these to keep in my car for long drives or when we’re waiting to pick up a sibling from school, and it’s a really great little toy. I remember playing with similar things when I was a kid and I still find it so satisfying to play with. It’s good for tiny kids and my almost-13-year-old still plays with it too!
21. Character Band-Aids
Hear me out. Kids are constantly getting into the band-aid stash for all sorts of nonexistent ailments. Grab a couple of packs of their favorite characters or patterns and let them go to town.
See even more holiday gift ideas on my Amazon storefront!