Some gifts are fun. Some gifts teach something. The best gifts do both.

That's the idea behind this guide. We asked our community of OpenEd teachers and homeschool families what they're giving this year - what's worked, what their kids keep coming back to, what's earned its place in homes where space is shared between living and learning.

What we found: the gifts that last aren't the ones marketed as "educational." They're the ones that inspire genuine curiosity. The ones kids choose to play with on their own. The ones that reward exploration and self-directed learning without announcing it.

We organized everything into ten categories, each with an OpenEd Favorite and a handful of runner-ups.

1. Classic Building Toys
2. STEM & Robotics
3. Maker & Craft
4. Board Games
5. Nature & Science
6. Active & Outdoor
7. Books & Audio
8. Imaginative Play
9. Music & Instruments
10. Tech & Screen Time

Let's dive in!

1. Classic Building Toys

The toys that have worked for generations. Open-ended, endlessly reconfigurable, no batteries required.

OpenEd Favorite: Magna-Tiles / Picasso Tiles

Why we love it: Magnetic building tiles that let kids create structures, learn geometry, and develop spatial reasoning - all without instructions. They're the rare toy that works for toddlers and still interests ten-year-olds.

Runner-ups:

• Lego - Still the gold standard for building. Classic sets, themed sets, or just a big bin of bricks.
• K'NEX - Rods and connectors for larger structures. Great for kids who want to build big.
• Keva Planks - Simple wooden planks, infinite possibilities. Architecture and physics in one box.
• Marble Runs / Gravitrax - Building meets cause-and-effect. Gravitrax adds magnetic rails and launchers for older kids.

Stocking Stuffer: Plus Plus - tiny interlocking pieces that punch above their weight.

2. STEM & Robotics

For kids who want to know how things work - and maybe build something that moves.

OpenEd Favorite: EL10T Robot Kit

Why we love it: EL10T uses physical coding blocks combined with ScratchJr, so kids learn programming logic through hands-on play. Comes bundled with OpenEd's Early Robotics & Programming course, available in the OpenEd marketplace.

Runner-ups:

• Botley 2.0 - Screen-free coding for ages 4-8. OpenEd teacher Bailey Gittins recommends it for teaching coding "without any screens."
• Turing Tumble - A mechanical, marble-powered computer. No screens, no batteries - just logic puzzles and physics.
• Snap Circuits - Build working circuits without soldering. OpenEd teacher Jeanne Mather's family has used them for two generations.
• Sphero BOLT - A programmable robot ball. Durable, app-controlled, teaches coding through play.

3. Maker & Craft

Creative projects where kids make something real - not just follow instructions.

OpenEd Favorite: Wood Burning Kit

Why we love it: It's a real craft with real tools that produces keepsakes kids are proud of. OpenEd Community team member Heather Colburn's boys "have made some awesome scenes and projects with wood burning." For ages 12+.

Runner-ups:

• OpenEd Stop Motion Animation Course - Comes with a physical kit and teaches kids to create their own animated videos. Reimbursable through OpenEd.
• The Woobles - Beginner crochet kits with pre-started yarn and video tutorials. Kids finish projects instead of giving up. Hot item for 2025.
• KiwiCo /Crunch Labs - Subscription crates with engineering projects. Crunch Labs is Mark Rober's version. OpenEd teacher Jeanne Mather recommends the KiwiCo crates for their "amazing engineering project kits" (purchase directly from the OpenEd marketplace).
• Inventor Box - A bin of loose parts for open-ended creation. OpenEd teacher Michelle Zelaya describes it as an actual box with "paper, coloring materials, string, fabric, paper bags, ribbons, pom poms, old containers, egg cartons." Stuff you probably already have lying around. Zero cost, maximum creativity.
• Alcohol Markers (Ohuhu) - Professional-grade art supplies at a reasonable price. For kids who've outgrown Crayola.

Stocking Stuffer: Fuse beads or clay beads - small projects, satisfying results.

4. Board Games

"Gameschooling" - using strategy games as curriculum - is one of the biggest trends in homeschooling. These aren't dumbed-down educational games. They're real games that happen to teach.

OpenEd Favorite: Wingspan

Why we love it: The ornithology gateway game. Players collect birds, build habitats, and learn more about wingspan-to-body ratios than they ever expected to care about. It's won every board game award that exists.

Runner-ups:

For Math:

• Sleeping Queens 2 - Addition equations to rescue kings (ages 6-10)
• Prime Climb - Color-coded multiplication and prime factorization
• Cover Your Assets / Clumsy Thief - Mental math card games the whole family enjoys

For Science:

• Earth - Build ecosystems and learn taxonomy (ages 12+)
• Daybreak - Climate science and systems thinking (ages 10+)

For Logic:

• Rush Hour - Spatial reasoning through traffic jam puzzles
• Chess - The original strategy game
• Kanoodle - 3D puzzle game, portable

Stocking Stuffer: Sleeping Queens (card game version), Tenzi (dice game), or Proof! (math card game).

5. Nature & Science

For the kid who wants to observe, collect, and discover.

OpenEd Favorite: National Geographic Rock Tumbler

Why we love it: Transforms rough rocks into polished stones over several weeks. It's loud enough to live in the garage, but kids love watching the transformation happen.

Runner-ups:

• Birdfy Smart Bird Feeder - A bird feeder with a camera and AI that identifies species and sends notifications to your phone. Cassie Shepherd, an OpenEd mom who writes the blog Home-Centered Learning, got one last year: "It has been so fun watching different birds up close!"
• Insect Lore Butterfly Garden - Raise real butterflies from caterpillars.
• Carson MicroBrite Plus - Pocket microscope with LED lighting, 60-120x magnification. Under $15.
• Pyramid Dig Kit - Excavation archaeology for the kid studying ancient history.

Stocking Stuffer: Toobs - tubes of miniature animals, dinosaurs, or historical figures.

6. Active & Outdoor

Gifts that get bodies moving and kids outside.

OpenEd Favorite: Cosmo JrTrack 5 × 1000 Hours Outside

Why we love it: A kid-friendly smartwatch with GPS tracking, created in partnership with Ginny Yurich's 1000 Hours Outside movement. The idea behind 1000 Hours Outside: kids should spend at least as much time outdoors as they do on screens - roughly 1,000 hours per year. This watch is designed for families who want to give children more independence to explore, without sticking a phone in their pocket.

Runner-ups:

• Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course - Great for backyard play or camping trips.
• Strider Bikes - Balance bikes for ages 2-5. The foundation for riding without training wheels.
• Climbing Rope - Simple, open-ended, builds strength.

7. Books & Audio

For the reader - or the kid who isn't a reader yet but might become one.

OpenEd Favorite: Yoto Player

Why we love it: Uses cards instead of figurines (easier to store), and offers educational content beyond stories - podcasts, history, science. Cassie Shepherd's family has had theirs for years and still recommends it.

Runner-ups:

• Literati - Curated book subscription boxes for kids
• OwlCrate - Book subscription for teens who want the full bookish experience
• Audible Gift Card - Let them build their own audiobook library

Stocking Stuffer: Personalized book stamp ("From the Library of...") - turns every book into part of a collection.

8. Imaginative Play

Open-ended toys for pretending, storytelling, and world-building.

OpenEd Favorite: Schleich Figures

Why we love it: Highly detailed animal and fantasy figures. Durable enough to survive years of play, realistic enough to double as science tools. Build a farm, a savanna, a dinosaur era.

Runner-ups:

• Playmobil - Themed playsets with figures. More structured than Schleich, still open-ended.
• Calico Critters - Tiny animal families with furniture and houses. Beloved by the dollhouse crowd.
• Teepee / Play Tent - A space of their own. Reading nook, fort, imagination station.
• Magic Puzzles - Jigsaw puzzles with a twist - a secret envelope reveals something unexpected when you finish.
• Dress-Up Clothes - Capes, costumes, career outfits. Fuel for storytelling.

9. Music

For the kid who wants to make noise - ideally, musical noise.

OpenEd Favorite: Ukulele

Why we love it: Easier to learn than guitar, portable, and surprisingly versatile. A great first stringed instrument that kids can make real music on quickly.

Runner-ups:

• Keyboard Piano - A full-size or near-full-size keyboard opens up music theory, composition, and just messing around. Look for weighted keys for a more realistic feel.
• Recorder - Yes, really. It's the gateway instrument for a reason.
• Otamatone - A weird electronic instrument that makes weird sounds. Kids love it.
• Boomwhackers - Tuned percussion tubes. Hit things, learn music.

10. For Teens

Older kids want autonomy, creative tools, and things that feel grown-up.

OpenEd Favorite: Bambu Lab A1 3D Printer

Why we love it: Opens up a whole world of design, engineering, and making. The Bambu Lab A1 is beginner-friendly with auto-calibration and can do multi-color prints. Qualifies as a technology purchase through OpenEd.

Runner-ups:

• Sony ZV-1 II Vlogging Camera - For the teen who wants to create content. 4K video, flip screen, built-in mic.
• Lego SPIKE Prime - High-end robotics kit for ages 10-14. Combines Lego building with coding in Python or Scratch.

Stocking Stuffer: Filament for their 3D printer in new colors.

Bonus: For the Homeschool Parent

Three books worth giving - or asking for.

Open Education by Matt Bowman and Isaac Morehouse - The definitive guide to crafting an education that's as unique as your child. The Kindle version is free for a limited time; the paperback is currently half off.

Homeschooling: You're Doing It Right Just by Doing It by Ginny Yurich - From the founder of 1000 Hours Outside. Encouragement and practical guidance for homeschool parents.

Joyful Learning by Kerry McDonald - How to find freedom, happiness, and success beyond conventional schooling. A primer on self-directed education and the new wave of learning options.

Every gift on this list has been recommended by someone in our community - a teacher, a parent, a family who's used it. They're fun enough to be genuine gifts, useful enough to support learning, and built to last longer than the holiday season.

Happy holidays from the OpenEd team.

Looking for more ways to support your homeschool journey? Learn how OpenEd can help.