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 2025.
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! Kids' sizes are available from 2T to 18 with some matching items available in adult sizes as well. The pieces are polished, crisp, and professional while being comfortable enough to wear out and about for play as well.
Pictured (left to right): Girls' Bow Back Sweater, Girls' Sequin Tiered Skirt, Girls' Wide Leg Corduroy Pants (perfect for school too!), Boys' Performance St. Jean Stripe Sankaty Polo, Boys' Performance On-the-Go Pants, Boys' Solid Rugby Shirt.
We picked two adorable 18-inch dolls to feature for Christmas 2025. They are surprisingly affordable and on-sale now!
Hollie is one of four Limited Edition dolls for holiday 2025! Inspired by The Nutcracker, Hollie is so pretty with glossy blonde locks, hazel eyes with glittery eyeshadow, and a festive, gold-trimmed dress. She's pretty enough to display as holiday decor in between play sessions.
It's hard to find handsome boy dolls and we are smitten by Our Generation's Milo. He has olive-toned skin, amber eyes, and tousled curly brown hair. This guy is ready for adventure and comes with great accessories, including sunglasses, a suitcase, a passport and boarding pass, a smoothie, a video game console, and chewing gum.
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.
Keep those bento boxes safe and temperature-stable with Arctic Zone's high-performance lunchboxes. Our kids pack their bento boxes (see above!) and then put them inside these insulated boxes, which stay cold for 6-12 hours, even here in sunny Arizona.
Our 9-year-old loves "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!
Tired of having to carefully vet every single book that you pick up at your local library? Switch to the wholesome, gorgeous readers by The Good and The Beautiful. They live up to their name in that the books published by this company are both good (sweet, moral, clean) and beautiful (each book has lovely accompanying illustrations - many featuring stories from history).
Pictured (left to right): Heather and the Highland Pony*, Prince Percy and the Big Red Ruby, The Kingdom of Kind*, Timothy of the 10th Floor*. These are 2nd and 3rd grade readers, but they have many more for preschoolers all the way up through 12th grade.
Looking for a game that the whole family can play? Hedbanz is super easy to learn and perfect for parties with a gaggle of young children. Pick a headband, place a card in it, and ask questions to figure out what's shown on your card. Using yes/no questions, be the first to guess 3 cards correctly and you win!
Kinetic sand is the similar-but-better alternative to play-doh. It's made from real sand, is reusable, never dries out, and sticks together quickly for easy clean-up. Let their imagination run free with a big 2 lb bag of sand or pick up one of the thematic sets that allow you to make treats like waffles, ice cream, and soft serve!
Designed for growing kids, Roller Derby's Switch Adjustable Roller Skates offer 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): The Polo Sweater, The Classic Peacoat, The Striped Oxford Shirt, Baggy Jean in Kingsley Wash, The Tartan Blazer, The Tartan Vest.
Camping kids will appreciate the warmth and versatility of the Honcho Poncho by Therm-a-Rest! It's oh-so-cozy, water-resistant, and ultra-packable.
Janie and Jack always manages to be remarkably on-trend. These pieces for girls have that perfectly sophistiqué look that will transcend time without being even a second outdated. Browse around to shop for holiday dresses, trendy denim, and tops in neutral colors with details that pop.
Pictured (left to right): The Golden Moment Dress, The Corduroy Overall, Floral Puff Sleeve Dress, Ribbed Puff Sleeve Top, Embroidered Eyelet Trim Top, Pointelle Sweater Polo.
If your child needs a boost in mastering sight words, phonograms, or spelling rules, consider the multi-sensory kits by Child1st Publications. They're specially designed to help visual learners master the building blocks of the English language.
I discovered Only Little Once several years ago and have been continuously impressed by both the costumes and the special occasion pieces for children. They're beautifully designed with an exquisite attention to details that will result in people asking, "Is that handmade?" and "Where did you buy that?" and "That material seems so comfortable!" In other words, this is the ideal brand for people who wish they could sew to make one-of-a-kind pieces, but don't have the time, inclination, or skills to do so.
Start your Christmas 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 to everyday separates like graphic tees, wide leg jeans, and cropped pea coats. Carter's has really upped their game over the last few years when it comes to style. You won't be able to tell if the items are from Carter's or a high-end boutique in Hollywood. Shhh!
Pictured (Left to Right): Baggy Butterfly Embroidered Jeans, Ciao Bella Graphic Tee, Grey Fashion Jacket, Baggy Iconic Denim Carpenter Pants, Los Angeles Graphic Tee, Stripe Thermal Henley.
Your kids (and my kids!) have nutrition gaps. Grüns fills them. The kids version of these superfood green gummies are specially designed for ages 2-13 and have 20+ vitamins & minerals plus whole veggies, whole fruits, adaptogens, antioxidants, super mushrooms, and prebiotics. Bonus points for being completely sugar-free and adorably shaped as little bears.
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. Emerald green is one of my favorite colors so these sneakers by Skechers immediately caught my attention, but they're also available in white and black.
It may be cold outside, but Christmas is the ideal time to give goggles to a child or teen on your list. A quality pair of goggles makes swimming so much more fun! TYR offers goggles at a variety of price points and with a myriad of features. Whether you're looking for mirrored lenses, anti-fog coating, removable nosebridges, or goggles for a particular age group, you'll find what you are looking for at TYR.
Meet Pindaloo! Challenging and fun - this simple toy teaches juggling skills with toss-and-catch play based on a simple loop principle. Once you master the basics, you'll find endless throwing and catching tricks for cool interactive and educational play. Designed to stimulate brain, eye, and hand activities!
Ravenburger has been delighting families with puzzles and games since 1883 and they seem to have a puzzle to match almost every theme - including fairy tales and Disney favorites! Puzzles are a satisfying, tech-free gift that have numerous health benefits, including reducing stress, improving memory, and sparking imagination.
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Some of the listed products 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 only recommend products and brands that we actually use and love.