Best holiday gift ideas for kids
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Buying gifts for kids these days is not easy. They want the coolest electronics, and adults want them to have appropriate electronics. We combined the best of both to help you find a child-friendly and adult-approved electronic gift for the child in your life.
Our suggestions are based on our testing as of mid-October. We'll update the recommendations as we test new products.
Remember to visit our Holiday Gift Ideas & Guide over the coming weeks. You'll find all of our gift recommendations and shopping advice, including tips on ways to save.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And don't forget to take a look at our gift picks for moms and dads.
Headphones: Panasonic RP-TCM12 ($10)
Given its $10 price and very good sound, a no-brainer, especially if your kid tends to lose more expensive earphones. Buy two and keep one as a spare. Or keep one in the car and one at home.
For more about headphones and earbuds, take a look at our headphone buying guide.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gaming console: Nintendo Wii U ($300)
With high-definition graphics and a tabletlike GamePad controller, Nintendo Wii U is certain to delight kids of all ages (and their parents). Lots of kid-centric, family-friendly games are available.
Get more information on video games, consoles, and tech toys.
Mobile game console: Sony PlayStation Vita ($200)
This great handheld gaming device has a responsive touch screen and an intuitive interface. It has sophisticated controls that provide real versatility in the way you can control the games. Plus, if you own the new PlayStation 4, the PlayStation Vita offers second-screen capabilities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Electronic toys: MaKey MaKey ($50)
A fun device that lets kids invent and imagine. The premise: Turn everyday objects into functioning electronic touchpads. For example, load a piano app on the MaKey MaKey and turn a bunch of bananas into sound-producing piano keys! Easy to get started and use.
Kids' tablet: Fuhu Nabi 2 Nickelodeon Special Edition ($200)
A tablet made just for kids! There are 25 pre-installed apps and games with favorite characters such as SpongeBob and iCarly. It includes the Fooz Kids University learning system and parental controls. Battery life is more than eight hours. Read about other tablets for kids.
For additional information on lots of great tablets, check out our buying guide and Ratings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Camera: Nikon Coolpix AW120 ($300)
This camera can take a beating. Your child dropped it? No problem. It can withstand a drop from 6.5 feet. Jumped into the pool with it? No problem again! It can get soaking wet. In fact, you can swim to a water depth of 59 feet and the camera will come out alive. Plus, its lens is among the wides-zooming in its class (24mm-120mm).
Take a look at our buying guide for digital cameras.
Cell phone: Prepaid plan
Q: When is the right time for your child to get a cell phone?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A: When it is convenient for the parents for the child to have a cell phone!
If you feel it's that time—you want to be able to contact your 9-year-old as she walks home from school or your 10-year-old as he bicycles to a buddy's house—why not make the phone a holiday gift? Go for a conventional phone (not a smart phone) and get a prepaid plan. Nowadays, some conventional phones have full browsers and apps, but you can block them to limit the phone to voice and text only.
Our cell phones and services buying guide tells you everything you need to know before buying.
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