Great Gift Ideas for 6-9 year olds

If you have your own kids, plus nieces and nephews, plus friends with children…no doubt you’ve been invited to a birthday party or two! Of course, that always brings the dilemma of what to bring for a gift! This list focuses on great gift ideas for 6-9 year olds, because that’s my range right now!

I love to collect my own list of parent-approved gifts each year. I hope the ideas I collect help to remove any gift-giving anxiety. The focus of these gift ideas is on making practical gifts FUN for kids to receive. I’ve selected quality brands and items that will last a child a year or more, so although they may be in the pricer end ($20-50), they are well worth the investment, I think!

A long-lasting pair of shoes

Giving shoes will forever and always land on my gift guide lists. Here’s why:

A) shoes are expensive, so help parents out by giving their kids something they will need.

B) shoes can match the child’s interests or needs. Got a kid who loves the outdoors? Give a pair of rainboots, hiking shoes, or water shoes. Kids that love to dress up, find a pair of sturdy and classic dress shoes that will last the school year.

Our family has relied on pediped shoes since our kids were infants. The boy’s pediped sneakers and dress shoes have stood the test of time and our kids’ tough play! I love the distinctive style and design of pediped shoes, because they blend classic styles with modern colors and motifs – parents and kids will love them!

For outdoor fun, try the pediped adventure line of shoes like the pediped Flex Renegade my son is wearing, which is a perfect crossover sneaker / water activity shoe. Because it’s close-toed, feet are protected as they climb and play outdoors. This water-safe shoe is designed with breathable lining and a flexible sole. The quick-dry footbed keeps them comfortable through little dunks and splashes, which are sure to happen! My son loves to wear them to water the garden!

Find out why pediped continues to win awards and earn the APMA Seal of Acceptance for promoting healthy foot development!

Visit www.pediped.com.

Room decor always fits!

Especially when it’s removable! Stuck on You has a nice selection of vinyl wall art that can be applied to walls and doors, but then easily removed when kids outgrow the motifs or want to change rooms with each other!

Our boys have a subtle dinosaur theme in their bedroom, and a dinosaur play area in one corner. So the Stuck on You chalkboard dinosaur wall art was a perfect gift for them. Choose from dinosaurs, bunnies, unicorns, and more. The chalkboard is easy to wipe clean and kids can decorate with their names, designs, and other messages.

The boys now enjoy their dinosaur play surrounded by mountains and a giant T-Rex in the background. They can use chalk to customize the scene as needed, then wipe clean and make new designs. It’s been the perfect addition to their dinosaur-themed bedroom!

Visit Stuck On You online for more personalized fun like address labels, cards, and gifts.

Rain, Rain… give a raincoat!

Raincoats are fun and practical too. Bright colors, exciting designs, and even an element of dress-up play are the kid-friendly features of these Carter’s raincoats available at JCPenney. Isn’t that dino raincoat adorable!? I love the puffy eyeballs tat stick up on top – and so does my new six-year old! My boys also thought this lightning bolt print was fun too with the bright orange lining peeping out from the hood:

I like how these raincoats have elastic cuffs so kids’ arms stay drier. Plus, they are lightweight, so the fabric flexes with the child’s body movements, making playing in the rain more fun! Two side pockets are perfect for stashing a light pair of gloves, snack, or tissues.

Find loads of birthday gift ideas and choices at your local JCPenney, or online at JCP.com!

Building fun with magnetic construction sets

You’ve probably heard of or seen Magformers. Magnetic construction sets that ‘click’ together to create endless objects and designs? Magformers intelligent playsets now come in a Mini Dino set (no I promise I was not even TRYING for a dino theme when I started getting together these gift ideas, but somehow that is what happened!). 40 pieces in ten different shapes can build at least 6 different dinos – like T Rex, Apotosaurus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus and more! Once kids are done creating the dinos in the instruction book, they can use these pieces as open-ended play to create their own dinosaurs! Mix and match with other Magformers sets to build even more creations.

Visit Magformers magnetic toys to see hundreds of different set options!

Give the world in a book (biographies to be exact)

Books are top of my list for gift ideas for children. You can literally give your child an education “around the world” with the Christian Heroes and Heroes of History biographies by YWAM (Youth With a Mission). From Christian Heroes like missionaries, pastors, and leaders, to intriguing men and women of American history, kids will learn about important people who have changed the world. These novels share timeless lessons of character and share positive role models with children. Written for ages 10+, YWAM also offers a Young Readers version for many of their popular titles. You can also find these stories on audiobook which is another perfect gift idea for kids.

The Heroes series offers a range of biographies told as engaging adventure-style stories. Written at an upper elementary-to-middle-school level, parents can easily read these aloud to younger children, or let their older kids read independently. The Young Readers versions are delightful picture books with graceful poetic verse stories that you’ll love reading aloud to your children.

We received a collection of their Mix-and-Match Specials – purchase five or more titles to receive a generous discount on each book. With dozens of biographies to choose from, we decided on George Muller, Thomas Edison, Nate Saint, Lillian Trasher, and Eric Liddell – to try to “cover the world” and the gamut of Christian and historical heroes YWAM has to pick from!

Visit YWAM to see their full collection of Heroes biographies and get in on their Mix-and-Match special!