I’ve shared multiple gift idea posts in this past (including most recently this gift guide for Mexican dads!). But today I thought it would be fun to share with you all what I actually bought my kids for Christmas last year!

I know there are already lots of blog posts and YouTube videos out there sharing what people bought their kids for this coming Christmas, but I am definitely not that on top of it, so last years’ gifts it is! 🙂

When I first thought about sharing what I bought my kids for Christmas I felt a little hesitant. What you give your kids for Christmas – and how much you give them – feels sort of personal.

I know that for some people, what we gave our kids for Christmas will look like a lot. For others, it will look like very little.

I guess I just want to say that my purpose for sharing this blog post is really just for fun, and to give you some good gift ideas if you have kids you’re shopping for. But please don’t feel like you need to buy less or more for your kids because of what I got for mine.

Okay friends, with that being said, let’s talk about Christmas gifts!

How we do Christmas gifts in our family

In our family we do stockings on Christmas Eve and then presents on Christmas morning. I keep the stockings super simple with things like some Christmas chocolate, fuzzy socks, little flashlights, and snacks. Today’s post though is just about the presents on Christmas morning.

In the past I’ve considered using some sort of system for gifts, such as “something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.” However, I’ve realized that I like a little more freedom in my gift buying so I haven’t actually done something like that.

I do try to have the same amount of gifts for each child to open so that it feels fair. That may change a bit in the future when I have older kids who want more expensive things, but it works well for now.

I don’t always have a set budget for the kids’ Christmas gifts, but I aim to keep costs low as much as I can by shopping sales, scouring Facebook marketplace for deals, etc. Last year I didn’t spend more than $25 on any one gift and most were significantly less than that.

Everything I bought my nine year old for Christmas:

• Battleship Game – At nine years old Caleb was the perfect age to really enjoy this game.
• Klutz LEGO Gadgets – We love LEGOs in our house so this was a great gift that Caleb really enjoyed.
• Small LEGO set – I didn’t want to spend the entire Christmas gift budget on LEGOs so I opted for smaller sets this time around.
• Two books: Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Homer Price – Both books a great classics and fairly easy reads with multiple illustrations throughout. Caleb really enjoyed both.
• Paint by Sticker book – My kids all love these, and they make for a great quiet time activity.
• Handheld Microscope – This was a fun, unique gift that Caleb still enjoys almost a year later.

Everything I bought my seven year old for Christmas:

• Klutz Mini Bake Shop – This came recommended by another mom I follow on YouTube, and it was a big hit with Sofia. Definitely a win!
• Purse and Wallet – I thought this purse and wallet set were so cute! Sofi loves them and the purse has held up well even though she stuffs it to the max haha.
• Small LEGO set
• Highlights Sticker Hidden Picture Book – These books are so fun!
• American Girl Books
• Gel Pens

Everything I bought my five year old for Christmas:

• Brick Robots (LEGO idea book) – I bought this from Half-Price books but it looks like it’s also available used from Amazon.
• Small LEGO set
• Four Stretchable Robots – These were a huge hit and are super affordable at around 10 bucks for all four! They would also be great divided up and used as stocking stuffers.
• Piggie and Gerald Book – We love Piggie and Gerald around here so Lucas was very happy to get this collection of easy-read stories.
• Paint by Sticker book
• Play-Doh – I split this set between Lucas and Alex.

Everything I bought my two year old for Christmas:

• Play Doh
• Dot Markers – These were a big hit with Alex and still have plenty of use left almost a year later.
• Water Wow books – We love these books and I’ve gifted them to the kids multiple times over the years.
• Magnetic Tiles – I bought Alex this set to supplement the tiles we already had. These are our most played with toy after LEGOs.
• I Spy book – This is a fun, simpler version of the I Spy book for little kids.
• Small LEGO set

In case you’re confused thinking I thought you had five kids but you only showed presents for four -well, that’s because last year my youngest was only eight months old. If I remember right I got him some puffs for Christmas – and maybe a sippy cup – but that was it because honestly we didn’t need any more baby toys and he didn’t know he was missing anything.

But this year? This year he’ll definitely be enjoying some present opening with the rest of his siblings (and I can’t wait!!).