Gifts by occasion
A fifth birthday and an Easter basket call for completely different gifts, and that’s half the fun of it. These are the same tested-at-home picks as our age guides, sorted by the moment you’re shopping for – what to put in the basket, the box or the party bag, and what they’ll still be reaching for a month later.
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Gifts by Age
Every year from newborn to eighteen, each with its own Amazon list.
Gifts by Age Group
Six bands, babies to teens – perfect when you know roughly how old they are.
Gifts by Interest
Dinosaurs, art, building, outdoors, sports – for the kid who is all in on one thing.
Gifts by Occasion
Baskets, boxes, stockings and party bags, in the order the year happens.
Right now – Thanksgiving and Christmas
The next few weeks are our favorite of the whole year. Here is what we are making, setting out and shopping for right now.
Thanksgiving kids’ table
One thing that covers the whole table, six free printable games, and the timeline that keeps dinner calm.
Christmas toys, books & games
86 picks for babies right up to teens, so you can start early and spread it out.
Winter – Christmas
Christmas is really four little moments, not one. The stocking and the Christmas Eve box are often the ones kids remember most.
Stocking stuffers
Small, budget-friendly and still in use come January – our favorite kind of challenge.
Advent calendars
78 of them for kids, teens and grown-ups – picked, checked and ready to order.
Teacher Christmas gifts
The gifts teachers tell us they love to get, straight from the source.
Christmas craft ideas
50+ things to make while you wait.
Gifts for dads
112 things dads actually asked for – tools, gadgets, coffee gear and the good socks.
February – Valentine’s
Class sets are about doing thirty of something well; family gifts are about one thoughtful thing. Two different lists, both covered.
Valentine’s class gifts
Thirty of them, non-candy, budget-friendly, and the kind that actually make it home in the backpack.
Valentine’s baskets for kids
The same five-thing formula as a boo basket, in red.
Valentine’s gifts for dads
From the kids themselves – things a four-year-old can hand over proudly.
Valentine’s gifts for moms
Same, for mom, including the ones that are made rather than bought.
Valentine’s craft ideas
What to make together in the week before.
Spring – Easter and the end of term
Easter is the second biggest basket of the year, and the one where a few non-chocolate fillers really shine.
Easter basket ideas
Fillers that outlast the chocolate – garden kits, bubbles, and the outdoor things that come out as soon as it warms up.
Mother’s Day from the kids
Made, bought, or a bit of both.
Teacher appreciation
End-of-year gifts teachers will genuinely use.
Father’s Day
112 things dads actually want, for when the kids want to give something more than a card.
Easter crafts
Everything to make in the run-up.
Summer and back to school
Two boxes do most of the heavy lifting here: one for long days at home and one for long journeys.
Summer boredom box
One box, opened on the first rainy day, and stretched happily across six weeks.
Travel and road trip gifts
Busy bags that work at 30,000 feet and in the back of a car.
Back to school gifts
A new lunchbox, a fresh start, and one little surprise tucked in the bag for day one.
Traveling with children
Our packing lists and on-the-go activities.
Fall – Halloween
It comes back around every October, and these two are worth bookmarking now.
Boo baskets for kids
What to put in one so it is still a favorite in November – sorted by the job each thing does, plus our candy-trade plan.
Halloween crafts & activities
84 things to make and do once the basket is open.
Any time of year
The moments that do not land on a calendar but come around just as often.
Birthday party bags
Five things worth putting in one that parents will actually thank you for.
New baby and big sibling gifts
The gift for the baby, and the one that matters just as much for the big brother or sister.
Sick day box
What to tuck in the cabinet now, so you are ready the first time someone wakes up under the weather.
Which guide do you need?
If you know the child’s age and not the occasion, start with the age guides – nineteen of them, newborn to eighteen, each with its own Amazon list. If you know the occasion, work down this page. Everything here is tested at home first; if it did not survive a month in our house it is not on a list.