Gift guide · 12 ideas
Party gifts for kids under $20
For the party invitation that came home in the backpack: presents that suit almost any kid, all under $20.
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Once a child starts school, a whole-class party can come around every few weekends, often for a kid you’ve met twice at pickup. What works is a present most children enjoy whatever they’re into, that can be opened and played with without a grown-up giving up the afternoon to it, and that still feels like a real present for under $20.
Most of these suit kids from about four to ten, so the age on the box is worth a glance: the magic set is for eight and up, the suncatchers for six and up. Each idea comes with our pick from one of our top lists, and every pick was under $20 when we checked. Prices move around, so it’s worth a quick look before you buy.
A marble run
Building the run is half the game and racing marbles down it is the other half, enough to fill the quiet Sunday after the party.
MaxTronic 110-Piece Marble Run
$10–$20
Fifty ABS track pieces and sixty marbles, with a manual to get the first run standing and no fixed shape after that. The pieces are solid and smooth-edged, with nothing sharp for small hands.
What owners say: Easy to put together and generous with marbles, owners say, and it keeps children building and rebuilding for hours. Some find it small, and a few report marbles sticking in the track.
A closer look: Fifty pieces is one good run at a time, so it suits one child, or a first set before a bigger one. Keep the marbles in a jar: sixty is plenty to lose, and the maker’s own warning about swallowing them applies to any younger brother or sister in the room.
- Ages 3 and up
- 50 track pieces, 60 marbles
- Smooth edges, nothing sharp
A car that turns into a robot
Some kids want a remote-control car and some want a robot, so this covers both. It’s the present the other guests crowd around when it’s unwrapped.
Britik Transforming Robot RC Car (yellow)
$10–$20
One press of a button and the car stands up into a robot, then folds back down to drive on. Drift wheels underneath let it spin 360° in place, and the 2.4GHz remote reaches about 164 ft.
What owners say: Children love how it looks and find it entertaining. Some say the wheels or the transformation stopped working within a few weeks, and a few had trouble with the remote’s connection.
A closer look: Drift wheels spin best on smooth, hard floors and paths, so a kitchen floor or a driveway suits it better than the lawn. Switching between car and robot takes a single button press, simple enough for younger children to manage by themselves, which makes it a toy to play with as much as a car to race.
- Turns into a robot
- Ages 4 to 8
- Spins 360° on drift wheels
Heads up: Britik’s listing doesn’t say which batteries the car and remote take, so check the box when it arrives and have them ready before the first drive.
View on Amazon See our top 4 remote control cars →A magic tricks set
For the eight-year-old who loves an audience. Expect a magic show for the whole family by dinnertime, and an explanation of how each trick works whether anyone asked or not.
National Geographic Magic Chemistry Set (10 tricks)
$10–$20
Ten experiments performed as magic tricks, from floating a coin to making snow appear, with a wand and white gloves so they can put on a real show. Everything needed is in the box, and the illustrated guide explains the science behind each trick.
What owners say: Children stay busy for hours, and parents like finding everything in the box with clear instructions; for one family it was a favorite. On value, opinions split.
A closer look: Ten tricks go quickly, so it suits a weekend more than a long run of experiments. The guide explains why each one works, so once the applause dies down, have them explain the science back to you; it sticks far better that way.
- 10 chemistry magic tricks
- Ages 8 to 12
- Wand and white gloves
A friendship bracelet kit
A birthday kid can make one for every friend who came to the party, with names spelled out in letter beads, and still have plenty left for themselves.
Redtwo Clay Bead Bracelet Kit (5,100 pieces)
Under $10
About 4,600 flat clay heishi beads in 18 colors and 500 charms, with letter and number beads, hearts, gold beads and spacers among them, all in one compartment box with stretchy string, scissors and tweezers. Enough for a big batch of friendship bracelets.
What owners say: Owners love the bright mix of beads and charms and the trendy flat preppy look, and children stay happily making for hours, with plenty in the box for lots of different styles.
A closer look: Finish each bracelet with a double knot pulled tight, add a dab of clear nail polish to hold it, and slide a bead over the knot to hide it. The tweezers help with single discs, and threading straight from the box’s compartments keeps the colors from getting mixed.
- About 4,600 clay beads
- 18 colors plus letter beads
- 500 charms included
A family card game
A fast, fair game that a sharp-eyed seven-year-old can win against the grown-ups, small enough for a pocket or a road trip. It’s the present that gets the whole family around the table.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Card Game
Under $10
Players lay cards in turn while chanting taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza, and when a card matches the word, everyone slaps the pile and the slowest hand takes it. Gorilla, Groundhog and Narwhal cards add moves of their own, and the first to run out of cards wins.
What owners say: Owners say it’s fast, funny and easy to learn, a family favorite that suits all ages and works for small and big groups alike. It’s small enough to carry in a pocket or a little bag, so it travels well.
A closer look: Take off rings before a round, as hands come down hard and fast on the pile. Younger players soon keep up, because it rewards quick eyes and a loud voice more than strategy, and at 10 to 15 minutes a round fits in before dinner or between longer games.
- 2 to 8 players
- Ages 7 and up
- Slap the pile on matches
A box of oil pastels
For the kid who ends up with more color on their fingers than on the paper: soft pastels smudge into sunsets, skies and striped cats with a fingertip.
Artecho Soft Oil Pastels (48 colors)
$10–$20
Forty-eight soft, bright pastels that blend easily with a fingertip, each in its own paper sleeve so they’re less likely to snap or smear each other in the box. A cheerful first set for a child, a student or a grown-up trying something new.
What owners say: Soft and crayon-like, with vivid pigment, they blend easily for beginners and practiced artists alike, and they’re cheap enough to share with kids.
A closer look: Try sgraffito: lay down a thick layer of bright colors, cover it with a dark one, then scratch a picture through with a toothpick, the same idea as rainbow scratch-art paper. Leave the sleeves on while drawing and peel them back only as each stick wears down.
- 48 colors
- Soft, bright pastels
- Paper sleeve on every stick
A star projector
Bedtime is an easier sell when there’s a light show waiting upstairs, and the remote lets them switch it off from under the covers once they’re sleepy.
HERHOTER Galaxy Star Projector with Remote
$10–$20
A palm-sized projector, about 3 in across, that washes the ceiling in slow-moving waves of red, green and blue under a scatter of stars. A sound mode makes the light pulse with music, and the timer runs from half an hour to four hours.
What owners say: Mixing the colors into different skies is half the fun, and parents find it calming at bedtime and bright enough for a child’s room; whether it covers a whole room and how well the remote works divide them.
A closer look: Two bases come in the box along with a USB cable, but no plug, so use a phone charger. In sleep mode it switches itself off after an hour with no buttons pressed, handy for a child who drifts off quickly.
- Color waves and stars
- Timer up to 4 hours
- Light pulses with music
A suncatcher painting kit
Twelve to paint means one for their own window, one for Grandma’s and plenty more to give away at school.
Made By Me Create Your Own Window Art (12 suncatchers)
$10–$20
Twelve ready-to-paint suncatcher frames, from butterflies and turtles to a lion, plus an acetate sheet for designing window clings, add up to 20 projects. Paint, leave to dry, then hang them in a sunny window, where the light shines through the color.
What owners say: Kids and grandkids alike have fun with it, and the finished suncatchers look beautiful. Sticking them up is the weak point, with some suction cups refusing to hold, and the paint stayed runny for a few.
A closer look: Lay the paint on thickly and leave each piece flat overnight, as thin or rushed paint stays runny. Wipe the window clean and dampen the suction cups slightly before pressing them on, so the suncatchers stay put.
- 12 suncatchers to paint
- Ages 6 and up
- Butterfly, turtle and lion frames
Paint pens
Rocks from the yard, a pumpkin in October, a plain wooden box: give a kid paint pens and anything that holds still gets decorated.
Betem Acrylic Paint Markers (24 colors, dual tip)
Under $10
A 1–5mm round nib for filling in and a 1mm fine nib for outlines, and the cotton nibs work straight out of the box with no pumping. Bring it out for a weekend of rock painting with the kids.
What owners say: Easier than paint and a brush, they cover rocks, wood and fabric well and handle both detail and bold strokes. How long the ink lasts varies, with some pens running dry quickly.
A closer look: Tighten the caps and store the pens lying flat when you’re done, as Betem advises, so both nibs stay wet. Let each layer dry before you paint over it, and give outdoor rocks a clear sealer once the paint has fully cured.
- 24 colors, dual tips
- Water-based acrylic paint
- No pumping needed
Twist-up colored pencils
For the youngest guests, at five or six, who want to color everything and can’t yet work a sharpener: fifty colors is a big present at that age.
Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils (50 colors)
$10–$20
Twist-up colored pencils in plastic barrels: when the tip wears down, a twist brings up more, so there’s no sharpening and no shavings, and twisting it back down protects the tip in a bag. Fifty colors, twenty of them new to Crayola, for ages 5 and up.
What owners say: Owners rate them above ordinary crayons, love not having to sharpen anything and say teenagers and adults enjoy them as much as young children. The colors aren’t labeled on the pencils, though, and opinions differ on how well they blend and how easily they break.
A closer look: Twist up only a little at a time, since a long tip snaps under a heavy hand, and twist it back down before the pencils go in a bag. With no sharpener or shavings to deal with, they’re handy for car trips and restaurant tables.
- 50 colors
- Twist up, no sharpening
- Ages 5 and up
An oven-bake clay set
Play dough gets squashed back into the tub, but tiny foods, animals and charms made from this clay bake hard and go on the shelf for good. The oven part needs a grown-up.
Ixiaoyoo Polymer Clay Set (60 colors)
$10–$20
Sixty colors in 0.7 oz blocks, which means less mixing to match a shade for an animal, a character or a little ornament. Fourteen sculpting tools, accessories and an instruction guide come with it.
What owners say: Easy to use, with bright colors that match the pictures, it’s a cheaper way to a farmyard of model animals than buying them ready-made.
A closer look: Ixiaoyoo’s oven setting is 266°F for 10 to 15 minutes, with a hair dryer for pieces of an inch or two and boiling for ones about a third of an inch across. It says ages 4 and up with an adult around, so it suits school-age children better than toddlers.
- 60 colors plus 14 tools
- Ages 4 and up
- Hair dryer sets small pieces
A squishy night light
For a preschool party: at three or four, a glowing lion to cuddle makes the dark less worrying, and it can go wherever they do.
Nawchedo Soft Silicone Lion Night Light
$10–$20
A soft, squeezable silicone lion that lights up with a tap: three levels of warm light for bedtime and seven colors for fun, from a 2000mAh battery that lasts more than 10 hours. However hard it’s squeezed, it springs back into shape, and it shrugs off drops and splashes.
What owners say: Owners say the light is soft but bright enough, and like having three levels and the colors to choose from; several mention how good it feels to hold. Battery life gets mixed reports, with a few charging ports giving out.
A closer look: With no cable once it’s charged, it can go from the bedside to the bathroom in the night or into a bag for a sleepover, and Nawchedo suggests it as a camping light or flashlight too. Charge it in the morning rather than overnight, so it’s full for bedtime and the port isn’t tugged in the dark.
- Over 10 hours a charge
- 7 light colors
- Squeezable silicone lion
Tips for kids’ party gifts
- Keep two or three in the closet for party season: it saves a run to the store on the morning of the party.
- Ask for a gift receipt and tuck it in the card. When the whole class is invited, the birthday kid can end up with two of the same.
- If a present needs batteries the box doesn’t include, tape a pack to the outside so it can be played with as soon as it’s unwrapped.
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