Gift Ideas for Preschoolers and Toddlers

Coming up with gift ideas for preschoolers  can seem daunting. Especially when you know it will most likely  be you picking up and re-organizing these items post play time. A lot of gifts for kids under five are cumbersome and create a lot of clutter. Books are a great way to minimize the mess. Books are always a great option for gifts for kids 3-5 years old, since they are learning to read and love to return to their favorite books over and over.  Reading with your child and exploring the worlds outside your own is one of the most important and life-enhancing experiences we can share with them. Simple books on colors such as My First Book of Color by Numbers and Ready, Set Color!, or books on shapes such as, My First Book of Dot Marker Coloring are wonderful 3 year old gift ideas.

We at Mango have paired this engaging book list with ideas for fun experiences. Use this as inspiration to create your own kid gift experiences. The memories you will make reading with your little one and experiencing the world together will be treasured always.

The Gift of Art

These activity gifts for kids under 5 are chock full of artistic excitement. Explore the world of transportation with Ready, Set, Color! Wrap up this fun engine-revving coloring book with a day pass to an auto museum. Or go on an adventure together to your local library and research colorful, cool cars. Your budding artist will love working through My First Book of Dot Marker Coloring and My First Book of Color by Numbers! Of course, a brand new set of do-a-dot markers is always exciting to receive. So are art classes! Experience the joy of kid gift experiences and enroll you and your youngster in a painting class and watch them beam with joy as their artistic confidence soars! 

The Gift of Imagination

Between the ages of 2 to 5, children’s imaginations are sky high! And what better way to ignite children’s imagination than through books? I Do Not Like Living with Brothers teaches young siblings to see the value and goodness in each other. After reading this beautiful story, take your family to share time with a cause or charity that is meaningful to all of you. Your family could participate in a beach clean up or walk for cancer research.This is a great gift for 4 year olds who are learning about sharing and caring. This kid gift experience will cultivate appreciation, generosity, and community mindedness – important lessons your child will carry for life. My First Book of Toddler Activities is packed with learning kids gift experiences. Turn this into a free family adventure on a hike together. Find colors, shapes, sounds and count things together to create a memory in nature that will be one asked for time and again. This is an amazing gift for 5 year olds who are learning to find patterns in nature. 

The Gift of Adventure

The best gifts for kids under 5 involve getting a little messy. Tie The Tasty Adventures of Rose Honey up with a brand new apron, and spend the morning with your toddler in the kitchen cooking together. Little foodie Rose Honey even shares her recipe in her books, so all you’ll need are ingredients, and a little extra patience, to make this one of the greatest experience gifts for kids and something your kid will be talking about for days! Toddlers are learning about their identities everyday, so great gifts for kids 3-5 have lessons on being true to oneself. Rhoda the Alligator teaches about the beauty of our differences and embracing our true colors. Combine this beautifully illustrated book with a trip to a national park to explore the unique wonders of a new environment.

“Our children’s books grant children the sacred opportunity to practice their creativity by imagining other worlds and characters who are different from them, and in turn, this practice fosters a love for curiosity, acceptance, and wonder.”

—Julianna Holshue, Editorial Assistant

If you’re shopping for children 6+, or trying to keep up with tween trends, consider these gifts for kids who have everything