Believe it or not, the Holidays will soon be upon us, which means many parents will be looking for the top Christmas gift ideas for kids. According to the American Research Group, Americans spent just over $800 on Christmas gifts in 2013 and haven’t seen predictions for 2014. That is a bit much in my opinion but I’ll leave that debate for another day.
With three young kids we know how much our children get marketed to and how expensive toys can be. Thus, we’re stretching our Christmas budget as much as we can to get value for what we do spend. In light of that, I thought I’d go over some of the top Christmas gift ideas for kids under $25. That’s a bit of an arbitrary number really, but is a number we like to stay around or under so we can maximize our budget.
One thing I’ll also point out is that our oldest is seven so what we might consider as Christmas gifts for kids might be a bit old/young for you. I will also note that all of the Christmas gift ideas listed we’ve bought ourselves and our kids love them.
Princess Bedtime Stories Book 
If your daughter is anything like ours she wants to be a Disney princess and is usually in some sort of princess dress. We bought her the Disney Princess Bedtime Stories book several years ago at Costco and she still reads that thing (only now she reads it to herself). What makes this one of the top Christmas gift ideas for kids is that you can get it on Amazon for $15 or less. If princesses aren’t your thing, they also have the Pixar Storybook Collection, which is full of stories about Cars, Monsters, Inc. and the Toy Story movies. Our kids all love it. The quality on each of the books is great and has withstood our three kids beating on them.
Frozen Elsa Doll 
What best Christmas gift ideas for kids list would be complete without a Frozen item or two? I’m not a fan of Frozen by any means, but our kids love it. One of our daughter’s favorite toys is a Frozen Sparkle Princess Elsa doll. It is right at the $25 mark which makes it reasonable to buy. I will note it does have small parts so be aware of that. According to Amazon it’s one of the best Christmas gifts for girls and I know my daughter would agree.
Fashion Headbands 
The final girl gift on my top Christmas gift ideas for kids is Fashion Headbands. This is a good catch all gift for any girl that loves to dress up. What our daughter likes about this set is that it allows her to customize the kind of headband she can wear as they have a number of different accessories that go with it so she can make it what she wants it to be. I will add that like with the Frozen doll above it has small parts that you’d want to keep away from a toddler. But, at just under $15 this should be included in the best Christmas gift ideas for kids out there.
Cars Diecast Matchbox Cars 
If your son loves the Cars movies and likes matchbox cars then he’ll love this combo package Lightning McQueen/Mater matchbox car set. We actually got the set when we were at Disneyland in September and wish we would have waited because at $10-15, it is much cheaper on Amazon. In the short time they’ve had the cars they’ve spent hours reenacting scenes and having an overall great time with them. They are admittedly a little on the smallish side but with them being diecast, they are very sturdy which is what makes them one of the top Christmas gift ideas for kids out there for the price.
Jake’s Musical Pirate Ship Bucky 
Ok, so at $40 this isn’t a true fit on the top Christmas gift ideas for kids under $25 but we were able to get it on Amazon on Black Friday last year for $25 so technically it fits. 
If you’re child likes Jake and the Neverland Pirates, the Musical Pirate Ship Bucky will be a hit with them. It’s sturdy and has a number of different features that makes this one of the best Christmas gifts for boys – our sons played with this for hours last year when first getting it and still do today.
LEGO Creator Treehouse 
The final addition to the top Christmas gift ideas for kids is the LEGO Creator Treehouse. What kid doesn’t like legos? Right, none really and this is a great addition if you’re looking to add something to your Christmas shopping list. Amazon lists it as being suitable for kids aged 7-12. We’ve allowed our five year old to play with it, though I wouldn’t go below that due to the small pieces. Our kids really seem to like all the different building options the set gives and has provided hours of entertainment.
What to Keep in Mind with the Top Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids
As I mentioned in the beginning, it really should come down to the thought and not going out and spending money needlessly. That is especially the case if you’re looking for last minute Christmas gifts. You may be tempted to spend more to get the gift – don’t fall prey to that temptation. Amazon is a great resource to use, especially if you’re an Amazon Prime member as you can get the free two day shipping. As they’re constantly changing prices to reflect the market they can be a great way to save money on your last minute Christmas ideas. I will also add that if you don’t know what you’re spending this year, to start a budget now for next year so you’re not caught by surprise.
What would you add to the top Christmas gifts for kids list? How much do you budget for Christmas shopping per year, or do you set a budget?
Photo courtesy of: Ding Yuin Shan
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