Retailers want you to believe that the toys under the Christmas tree should be large and expensive. But if you’ve ever seen a kid more excited about the box a gift came in than the toy itself, you know that sometimes the cheaper, smaller gifts are the favorites. Plus, a few less expensive gifts can be more fun to open than one big one!
Photo: Deposit Photos
Whether you’re on a gift-giving budget, have multiple nieces and nephews to shop for, or want to avoid all the commercial hype, here are 10 cool gifts you can buy kids for $10 or less. Remember that holiday sale discounts and regional price variances mean you might be able to find these items even cheaper.
Here’s what we found.
1. Glitter tattoos
Fake tattoos are just the thing for the preteen who wants to look cool but isn’t ready for the real deal. Here are some with hearts, butterflies and flowers, but there are plenty of other temporary tattoo choices.
2. Scratch Art paper
These Melissa & Doug scratch art mini notes and scratch art doodle pad are so cool that kids (and probably many adults) will love them. You can get a box for every child in the family. Or you can go for the deluxe combo set, which is just a few dollars over our price limit.
Related: Top 50 Amazon Best Sellers in Kids’ Drawing Kits
3. Board games
How about some board games? Tell the kids they are 3-D – you get to actually touch and move the pieces yourself! We found classic games like Operation, Yahtzee, Chutes and Ladders, checkers, chess and more, for $10 or less at Target and Walmart.
Related: Best Selling Kids’ Games at Amazon
4. Card games
And don’t forget card games. You can buy a pack of cards for less than $5 just about anywhere – including the corner convenience store. Teach kids to play some simple games, like “go fish” or simple solitaire, and they won’t be pestering mom the next time it’s a snow day or the power goes out. If the kids already have playing cards, check out some of the specialized card games, like UNO and Monopoly Deal.
5. Hula hoops
Hula hoops never go out of style, maybe because they’re sparkly and glow in the dark and are easy outdoor fun. Got a crowd of cousins? Get some hula hoops and watch them compete in hula hoop contests. Or show them how it’s done!
6. Snow toys
If you live somewhere that gets snow, you can never have too many snow toys. A quick look through the snow toys on Amazon yielded sleds, snowball makers (hands are free though!) Sno-Art kit, snow molds and much more.
7. Art supplies
Photo: Deposit Photos
Got a budding artist (or would like to have one) in the family? Check out the art supplies at discount stores for great prices on such retro media as finger paints and a giant tablet of paper. We’re not talking high-tech here, and they may be totally thrilled by getting their hands dirty.
8. Bird feeder
Kids love wildlife. How about a simple bird feeder to hang in the back yard so they can watch the birds, and maybe start a list of what they see? Get a basic feeder for less than $10 at places like Walmart or Kmart, but make it a creative endeavor and give them one that they can build or paint themselves.
9. Magnifying glass
Give a kid a magnifying glass, and she’ll spend hours examining everything from her own fingernails to the ants in the backyard. You can get a Learning Resources Magnifier & Tweezers Set at Amazon. Perfect for the budding scientist in the family. Or any curious kid.
10. Joke book
Kids love jokes. Give them a book of jokes to entertain the relatives over the holidays.
11. Walkie-talkies
Kids just love these retro gifts. We found Nerf brand Walky Talkies and a bunch more of all different styles and price ranges. Recommended for ages 7 and older.
12. Spirograph
The metal container of this Spirograph makes it ideal as a Christmas gift for kids, and it’s (surprisingly) one of the most affordable Spirograph options. The kit includes 9 shapes, 2 pens, 10-page booklet, 24-page design pad, and a bit of Spirograph putty.
Photo: Deposit Photos
13. Gifts that don’t come from the toy department
Finally, 
look for kids’ gifts in unexpected places, such as Home Depot or Ace Hardware, for example. They’ll get plenty of the hard plastic stuff – Barbies and Legos and such – from everyone else. But they’ll use and remember your gift, even if it didn’t cost a lot.
For more gift ideas:
- Gifts for organic gardeners
- Kitchen gifts under $25
- Practical gifts to give this season
- Thoughtful holiday gifts on a budget
- 11 easy mixes for drinks and sweets
- Recipes for homemade gifts
[…] Here Are 10 Cool Gifts for Kids — All Cost $10 or Less December 4, 2012When you have a bunch of kids to buy gifts for, it can break the holiday budget. But here are some ideas for gifts you can find for $10 or less. Shimmer Glitter Tattoos (that wash or wear off in a few days) at Bed Bath and Beyond for $9.99. Hello Kitty Walkie Talkies for $9.99 at Marshall’s. Go retro with board games for $10 or less at Target, Kmart of Walmart. Card games are even cheaper — take the time to teach them a few simple games and they’ll be entertained for hours. Hula hoops are back – and we found them for $5.99 at Target. Snow toys are great if we ever get any snow. A simple saucer-style sled was $5.99 at Target. Sno-Brick Makers, plastic molds you fill with snow to make bricks to build igloos and forts, were just $2.99. Check out the art supplies at discount stores for great prices on such retro media as fingerpaints and a giant tablet of paper ($4.99 each at Target, possibly cheaper elsewhere). How about a basic birdfeeder to hang in the back yard so they can watch the birds, and maybe start a list of what they see? We were particularly charmed by a wooden feeder you paint or stain yourself, available for $4.99 at Michael’s craft store. Give a kid a magnifying glass, and she’ll spend hours examining everything from her own fingernails to the ants in the backyard. You can get a pretty nice one for $5.99 at Walgreen’s (in the stationery department). An exercise ball is good for more than just to keep you in shape. Kids love them. They’ll sit and bounce on them, play a gentle game of giant dodge ball in the back yard, and even exercise on them (if you show them how). We found a Gold’s Gym ball for $8.77 at Walmart. For the full story on this topic, go to Living on the Cheap. […]