The Best Imaginative Gifts For Creative Kids

These holiday gifts will help the kiddos unleash their creativity — and keep them entertained for hours.
Marbling kit from Amazon and pasta playdough set from KiwiCo.
Amazon, KiwiCo
Marbling kit from Amazon and pasta playdough set from KiwiCo.

So you’ve got a little artist. They love color. They pick out their own clothes. And they love making projects to hang up around the house. If your baby Banksy already has every crayon and marker a kid could want, you may wonder what to get them during the holidays. Rest assured, we put on our creative hat to find you the most unique and engaging creative kids toys, kits and gadgets.

From playdough pasta makers to DIY neon signs, we’ve found activities for kiddos of all ages. You’ll find zero-mess items like magnet blocks and play scarfs, minimal-mess options like bead kits and pipe cleaner Christmas trees and involved, but highly rewarding, activities like splatter painting and marbling sets.

Bring some color into your home and some excitement into your little one’s life with these 21 best creative holiday presents for kids.

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Creative Toys For Toddlers

1
Picasso tiles
Clean, quiet and creative? PicassoTiles may be the best toy of all time. These magnetic, stackable shapes will keep little hands busy for hours building castles, buildings, shapes and more.
2
Pasta playdough set
Roll, stamp, cut and mash with this pasta play set. It comes with three shape cutters, a cutting wheel, two colors of playdough and three shape pattern cards.
3
Taco play food set
Bring the taco truck to your living room with this felt food set. Create different meals and enjoy the soft fabric and bright colors.
4
Crayola mess-free touch lights stage
Get your little one into drawing without using paper or markers. This light-up drawing board shines in 12 different colors and plays six songs.
5
Jumbo colorful eyedroppers
For STEM projects, art projects and learning about mixing colors, these jumbo eyedroppers are a must. Your kiddo will love pulling up different liquids and mixing them all together.
6
Fabric play scarves
It's a cape, it's a fort, it's lava on the floor — it's a machine-washable piece of colorful fabric that will keep your kiddo occupied for hours. This set comes with six play scarves and a storage bag.
7
Buddha Board water painting set
This one toes the line between no mess and little mess because while you do "paint," you're painting with water. It's a reusable board that dries quickly, letting artists of all ages express themselves with ease.
8
KiwiCo little tree set
Give your little one their own kid's-size tree that they get to make and decorate! With pipe cleaners, beads, bells and glitter, the little tree will make a big impression.
9
Wooden rainbow nesting stackers
Create endless shapes with this set of 12 rainbow wooden stacking blocks. The rounded shapes let your little one think outside of the box and the fun colors will keep playtime engaging.
10
Wooden sorting stacking rocks
Make your own version of Ugo Rondinone’s Las Vagas-based Seven Magic Mountains, with this wooden stacking rock kit. An elevated take on classic blocks, these wooden rocks come in different sizes and weights, with smooth sides that you can learn how to balance.

Creative Toys For Ages 4 and Up

1
Little Partners three-in-one art easel
Play with chalk, crayons, dry-erase or real markers with this versatile kid's easel. It comes with storage space, including two fabric bins for easy cleanup.
2
Creative Kids sand art set
Learn about colors and volume with this interactive sand art layering set. Your kiddo will love mixing and matching different sands and creating a vibrant keepsake they'll have for years to come.
3
Dowsabel bracelet-making kit
Beading also toes the line between messy and not messy, but it keeps little hands engaged and produces the cutest jewelry you could imagine.
4
Crayola Color Wonder mess-free coloring activity set
These art sets only show color on special Crayola Color Wonder paper. The set includes an ink stamp pad, five stamps, a stamp holder, a 24-page blank Color Wonder book, three sticker sheets and five Color Wonder markers.
5
Marvin's amazing magic pens
Write secret codes, erase your markers, change colors and make 3D-looking patterns with this set of magic pens.

Creative Toys For Ages 8 and Up

1
VTech KidiZoom creator cam and green screen
Get your little one into video editing and directing with this kid's digital camera. It comes with a green screen, over 20 animated backgrounds, and on-screen editing and creativity tools to make super exciting home videos.
2
Light-up wire art
Bring your kid's art to light with this custom neon sign kit using EL wire. It comes with five existing templates or you can create your own.
3
smART Sketcher 2.0 kit
Teach your little one to trace and color and digitalize your art with this smart projector sketcher tool that works with tablets and smartphones.
4
Miniature library model kit
If your little one likes to read and concentrate on multi-step projects, they'll love creating this miniature bookshop model full of intricate details.
5
Crayola spin and spiral art station
With a hand-push spin button, this spiral art set doesn't need batteries to run for hours. Create colorful, vibrant pieces and see how shapes interact.
6
Marbling paint craft kit
Get groovy with this kid's marbling craft kit. Learn about mixing colors and making shapes and marble Easter eggs, vases, textiles, paper, wood and more.

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