Welcome to Metropolitan Mama’s Christmas Gift Guide for Kids (ages 8-12). Below you will find clothes, shoes, toys, gear, and games that elementary and early middle school kids are bound to love for Christmas 2024.
Of Note: You typically won't find very many toys on my gift guide lists. That's because I am in strong favor of useful and/or experiential gifts. I'm not a fan of gifting things that provide momentary interest, but then are quickly broken or stuffed in a corner. Instead, you'll find gifts with staying power that can be used for years and even passed down to younger siblings.
Get ready for family photos and Christmas brunch with Vineyard Vines! The mini-me styles are sized from 2T to 18 for everyone in your family.
Pictured (left to right): Boys' Corduroy 5-Pocket Pants, Boys' Lightweight Performance Breaker Pants, Boys' On-The-Go brrrº Stripe Shirt, Boys' Stretch Cotton Blackwatch Blazer, Girls' Puff-Sleeve Bow Top, Girls' Smocked Poplin Dress.
For a gift that will be both loved and used all year round, consider a stainless steel or silicone bento lunchbox for school! With a bento box, you can encourage healthy portion sizes and a variety of nutrients. Plus, bento boxes help you to cut back on (or eliminate the use of) ziploc bags, which saves you both time and money.
Some of our favorite items from LunchBots: medium duo, 2.5 oz dips, large build-a-bento, large cinco.
My 8-year-old and 12-year-old love "things to do" books and Highlights offers the best-of-the-best in this category. The Highlights Book of Things to Write and The Highlights Book of Things to Draw offer engaging prompts, drawing spaces, mazes, challenges, and word puzzles to entertain kids for hours.
Be sure to also consider The Highlights Book of Things to Do, which is the ultimate "things to do" book (the best one we have found, in fact!). It's filled to the brim with engaging, age-appropriate, boredom-busting activities!
Kids who have pen pals will be instantly drawn to this adorable miniature stationery set by Ooly. The box comes with 6 notecards, 6 envelopes, and 6 sticker sheets - all pawfectly themed for puppy lovers!
Ttake a look at the Switch Adjustable Roller Skates! Designed for growing kids, the Switch offers a unique 2-in-1 experience, transforming from a training mode to inline skates as your child’s confidence builds. It's easy to switch between the modes! Plus, this gift has staying power due to the adjustable sizing (the skates grow with them)! With a durable hard-shell boot for stability and a padded comfort liner, your child can skate both indoors and outdoors. As a bonus, the skates come with matching protective gear, including knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards, which will help keep your little one safe while they learn and play! You can choose sizes 9-12 or 13-3. These skates are an exciting gift, which offer hours of athleticism and a cool way to get from here to there in the neighborhood or the park.
Every boy needs a classic ball cap for days at the park, the baseball field, or the backyard. US Polo Assn has 2 different designs - both priced at under $10!
Your little guy will look like he's headed off to Harvard, Wall Street, or a swanky corner office in these sophisticated styles from Janie & Jack. From polos and cardigans to bow ties and dress slacks, you'll find handsome styles for your son to wear all about town. Although the prices may be a smidge higher than other children's clothing retailers, they are also notably better in terms of both workmanship and design.
Pictured (left to right): Argyle Polo Sweater, Velvet Party Blazer, Velvet Party Pant, Tartan Vest, Corduroy Jogger, The Poplin Shirt, Wool Suit Blazer.
The Eyelike Sticker book series by Workman Publishing is on-point. Each sticker book has 400 lifelike stickers on a particular topic. Reusable and collectible, these stickers can be placed on letters, lunch boxes, or notebooks.
Reading Eggs is an award-winning educational app for ages 2-13. Once you have a subscription, you have access to all of the associated programs: Fast Phonics (ages 5-10), Reading Eggs (ages 3-7), Reading Eggs Junior (ages 2-4), Reading Eggspress (ages 7-13), and Mathseeds (ages 3-9). Our 8-year-old genuinely loves Reading Eggs and we have been impressed by his growth in spelling, phonics, and fast facts as a result. This is not just another app full of games. It's sequential, systematic, and focused on mastery. we love it! A subscription is $13.99/month for up to four kids. Discounts are available if you choose an annual plan.
Young naturalists will be thrilled by this 5-book backpack explorer set by Storey, which includes 5 engaging titles: Bird Watch, Bug Hunt, Discovering Trees, On the Nature Trail, and Rock Hunt. Each book includes a real magnifying glass, field guide pages, scavenger hunts, a fold-out journal, and stickers.
Girls in this age range typically adore new clothes for Christmas. Start your shopping at Carter's/OshKosh, one of our top shopping spots for kids of all ages (newborn through size 14). You'll find a huge variety of styles and colors for all occasion - from on-trend holiday dresses and jackets to everyday separates like graphic tees and bike shorts.
Pictured: Crepe Chiffon Holiday Dress.
A soft turtleneck and coordinating chino pants is the perfect winter school outfit for a young boy. Layer on a jacket for stormy weather and he'll be all set.
Pictured (left to right): Turtleneck, Chino Pants (Similar: Slim Tapered Chino Pants), Ricky Casual Sneakers, Chunky Knit Button-Front Cardigan, Zip-Up Fleece Hoodie, Slip-On Faux Suede Shoes
I've said for years that my go-to gift for kids is a quality pair of new shoes! Super practical, but also sure to be appreciated. For holiday 2024, I'm in love with emerald green (if you hadn't noticed) so these sneakers by Skechers immediately caught my attention. They're also available in white, black, and light grey.
David Charles' premium special occasion dresses and accessories offer instant elegance, sophistication, and fun to any fanciful occasion. With sizes from 8-16, she'll feel like a princess at any upcoming holiday tea, wedding, ball, or Nutcracker performance.
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Some of the products in the list below were sent to us to try. Other products are ones that we purchased ourselves or were given by family members and friends. Know that I will always provide both the pros and cons of each featured product.