MenuThe LEGO gingerbread house adds a holiday build to Christmas week, while the Flybar pogo stick gives an active 10-year-old driveway bounces to count.
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Building setsAges 10+
A Christmas brick building set that assembles into a gingerbread house model, built step by step and then displayed as holiday decor.
498 pieces · set 40809
Why we like it
A Santa minifigure comes with LEGO's Festive Gingerbread House, ready to greet guests once the build is done.
It is holiday decor more than a year-round toy, so it may go back in its box come January.
Dolls and figures
A stuffed highland cow from the Squishmallows plush line, made to be hugged, carried around and lined up with a growing collection.
Why we like it
Borsa's spotted coat sets this Squishmallows highland cow apart from the rest of her plush shelf.
At ten she may be past cuddly toys, so it fits best if she still keeps a plush lineup.
Electronics
A smart speaker dressed in a Stitch design that listens for spoken requests and answers aloud, made to sit on a bedroom shelf or nightstand.
Why we like it
This Stitch speaker talks back when a girl calls out a question from her desk during a homework break.
She likes having things of her own, and a cartoon favorite answering her questions turns her desk into her spot.
Science and discovery
A STEM toy from CrunchLabs built around crunching everyday objects, letting someone watch simple mechanics at work while choosing what to squash next.
Why we like it
Mark Rober's CrunchLabs is behind The Crunchinator, a STEM toy built for squashing everyday objects and watching the mechanics at work.
She chooses what goes in next, a cracker, a crayon or a piece of dry pasta, then ranks them from toughest to softest.
Games and puzzles
A freestanding Eiffel Tower puzzle, fitted together section by section into a Paris landmark that shines softly in a darkened room.
Why we like it
Paris tops her travel wish list?
This Ravensburger 3D puzzle builds into a freestanding Eiffel Tower made for ages ten and up, and its photoluminescent finish glows after lights out.
It makes a souvenir from a trip she has not taken yet.
Arts and crafts
A hands-on modeling project for shaping miniature clay sweets and setting them out on a little candy cart display.
Why we like it
Klutz Mini Clay World puts a sweet shop on her desk, built treat by treat.
The pieces are fiddly, so she will want steady hands, good light and a little patience.
Electronics
Wireless earbuds that connect to a phone so music and podcasts play straight into the ears during workouts, runs and daily listening.
Why we like it
Skullcandy Push Play Active earbuds keep her playlist going through soccer practice and the walk home.
They pair with a phone, so check that she has one of her own before wrapping them.
Outdoor and sportsAges 9+
A pogo stick for bouncing on driveways and sidewalks, where the rider learns to balance, hop in place and build longer runs of jumps.
Why we like it
Cartwheels and jump-rope contests fill the free minutes of a restless girl, and this Flybar pogo stick hands her a new challenge.
Flybar rates it for ages 9 and up, squarely her range for the active play she seeks out.
The routine she works out by spring becomes a show for the neighbors on the front walk.
Dolls and figures
A toy truck and horse trailer set for hauling pretend horses between stable, trail and show.
Why we like it
Horse show day in her bedroom starts when this Schleich Horse Club truck backs up to the stable.
It takes up real floor space, so plan where it can stay parked between games.
Clothing and accessories
A house slipper from the UGG Tasman II line, worn for padding around indoors from room to room on slow weekend mornings at home.
Named on a list by Forbes Vetted (forbes.com)
Why we like it
UGG Tasman II slippers are a stocking stuffer for a style-aware girl watching what older girls wear.
She gets to wear the label she has been spotting in the school hallway. On weekend mornings, she shuffles down to breakfast in them.
Music
An electronic keyboard kit for learning to play piano at home, from simple melodies to favorite songs and daily scale practice.
Why we like it
Once homework is done, a girl humming a pop chorus can sit down and work out its tune by ear.
The songs she shares with friends matter now, and her own keyboard lets her chase each hook note by note.
The keys wait in her room for whatever chorus catches her ear next.
*Paid link
A building set for constructing marble courses: arrange supports and track pieces into a layout, then release marbles and watch them travel the route.
Why we like it
Any 10-year-old who rebuilds her projects until they work the way she pictured can keep adjusting this Fat Brain Toys run.
She enjoys solving puzzles without grown-up help, and a run that stalls shows her exactly where her design went wrong.
The finished course stays standing on her desk until a faster idea comes along.
A pixel art building kit where bricks are pieced together into a picture, square by square, for a steady, hands-on art project.
Why we like it
A patient, arty 10-year-old gets to recreate Starry Night in bricks with this pixel art kit.
She fits each brick into place over quiet afternoons of winter break, since slow, careful making is what she enjoys.
The finished picture then sits on her shelf as something she made herself.
*Paid link
A jigsaw puzzle from the Ocean Turtles line, fitted together piece by piece on a table to reveal a picture of sea turtles beneath the waves.
Why we like it
If ocean animals are her thing, she can hunt for sea turtles, coral and other sea life among the pieces of this Ravensburger puzzle.
The bold colors make each patch easy to sort, and the picture can stay out on her desk between homework sessions, filling in a little more each afternoon.
A party word game played aloud around a table, where players call out answers and try to land on the same words as each other.
Named on a list by New York Magazine Strategist (nymag.com)
Why we like it
Fast Friends from Exploding Kittens rewards knowing exactly how her cousins think.
It needs a group to play, so save it for a full table rather than a quiet night alone.
A logic puzzle game about shifting boxes around until every cat is hidden, where each challenge asks for careful planning of the moves ahead.
Why we like it
Cats & Boxes from SmartGames turns a quiet stretch before bed into a solo puzzle session.
Harder challenges can stall her, so leave a tricky one set up for the morning.
A Harry Potter version of the Clue mystery board game, where players gather hints and reason out who did it, where, and how.
Why we like it
Clue's Harry Potter edition sets a whodunit in the wizarding world, letting a devoted reader of the books play detective.
She knows that world in detail, and here her sharp guesses go up against the whole family at the table.
A pick-up sticks game where players take turns lifting pieces from a scattered pile without disturbing the rest, relying on a steady hand.
Why we like it
Pressman's pick-up sticks spill across the kitchen floor, giving a girl a contest where calm fingers beat bigger cousins.
She likes running the game herself, and the rules stay simple enough for her to call every wobble.
Her pile of claimed pieces gets counted at the end to crown the winner.
A magic kit for learning tricks, practicing each one in private, and then performing a small show for family and friends.
Why we like it
Card and coin tricks from Marvin's Magic let her fool cousins across the dinner table.
Each trick needs practice before it looks smooth, so give her a few days before showtime.
*Paid link
A Nerf toy blaster from the Elite line, built for running games, friendly showdowns and aiming practice in the backyard.
Why we like it
Living room forts turn into battle lines once the Nerf Elite Disrupter Blaster comes out.
Set ground rules about where to aim before any match, so the lamp in the family room stays safe.
A Nerf throwing football in the Vortex Aero Howler line, made for games of catch and passing drills in a yard or park.
Why we like it
Backyard catch after Christmas dinner gets a Nerf Vortex Aero Howler to send across the lawn.
It is a sporty pick, so skip it if she would rather stay indoors with a craft.
A kick scooter that a rider steers by the handlebars and pushes along by foot, for cruising neighborhood sidewalks or rolling to school.
Why we like it
The Micro Kickboard Cruiser LED is a kick scooter for an outdoorsy 10-year-old eager to roll around the neighborhood.
She pushes off down the sidewalk to meet friends, rather than waiting for someone to drive her.
Since being outside and moving is what she enjoys, a scooter suits her better than another indoor gadget.
*Paid link
Science and discovery
A build-it-yourself engineering kit whose finished boxing robots square off against each other, turning the assembly into a head-to-head game.
Why we like it
The opening bell rings once she finishes building these Thames & Kosmos boxing bots.
Thames & Kosmos rates it for ages 10 and up, so plan on an afternoon of careful assembly.
Electronics
An instant film camera that prints a physical photo soon after each shot, ready to pin up, share or keep in an album.
Why we like it
Snapshots from her Christmas morning come out of this Polaroid Now as prints she can hold.
Each shot uses up film, so she may start saving them for moments that matter.
Arts and crafts
A rock painting set with paint that glows in the dark, for turning plain stones into designs that shine after the lights go out.
Why we like it
Glow paint is the twist in this Dan&Darci kit: she can doodle faces and patterns on plain stones by daylight, then see them shine once the room goes dark.
Set along a garden path or a windowsill, the finished stones make a little gallery for visitors to spot after sunset.
*Paid link
A nonfiction biography that tells the life story of the singer and songwriter, from childhood to a career in music.
Why we like it
Who Is Taylor Swift? gives a ten-year-old Swiftie the true story behind the songs she sings along to.
The publisher rates it for ages 8 to 12, so it reads easily at her age.
On Christmas afternoon, she can curl up with it while her favorite songs play.
A fill-in-the-blank word game book with a Christmas theme, where players call out words and then read the finished stories aloud.
Why we like it
This Christmas word game book puts a ten-year-old with a quick wit in charge of the holiday fun.
The publisher rates it for ages 8 to 12, and it makes a natural stocking stuffer.
After dinner, she can ask everyone for words and keep the pencil herself.
A graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier, published as a single volume to read from start to finish.
Why we like it
Smile by Raina Telgemeier makes a Christmas gift for a girl into graphic novels about school life.
She can read it on Christmas afternoon curled up on the couch. Afterward, it is easy to lend to a friend.
Yes. The Clue Harry Potter game sets a whodunit in the wizarding world for her to solve at the family table.
The Nerf Vortex football sends long passes across the lawn, while the Flybar pogo stick gives her driveway bounces to count.
Calm fingers win at Pressman Pick Up Sticks, where each piece comes out of the pile without disturbing the rest.
We added 2 gift picks.
We took out moon lamp for bedroom decor.
We added 8 gift picks. We took out 9 gift picks. We updated the short answer.
We took out Crayola Air Dry Clay hand sculpting medium.
We took out Thames & Kosmos physics experiment building kit.
We took out Mattel Games Pictionary drawing game against AI.
We took out University Games glowing ceiling space decorations.
We took out Klutz mini golf building kit.
We took out light-up marquee letter for room decor.
We took out journal for private notes and doodles.
We took out rock painting kit with glowing paints.
We added 4 gift picks. We took out a gift pick.
We took out JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker for music.
We took out MH MYLUNE HOME leopard-print throw blanket.
We took out Hasbro Gaming Monopoly Batman Edition superhero tabletop game.
We took out water bottle for busy school days.
We added 3 gift picks. We took out 3 gift picks.
We took out card display rack for showing off a collection.
We took out 6 gift picks.
We took out Osmo tablet coding game kit.
We took out Nintendo Star Fox game for Nintendo Switch 2.
We took out goose figurine for desk or shelf decor.
We took out digital bedside alarm clock for school mornings.
We took out alarm clock for a bedside table.
We added a gift pick.
We took out activity book starring the KPop Demon Hunters cast.
We took out YLL karaoke machine for sing-alongs.
We took out Klutz paper horse craft book.
We added a gift pick. We took out 3 gift picks.
We added 6 gift picks.
We added 6 gift picks.
We added a gift pick.
We added 4 gift picks.
We took out Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencil set.
We took out 2 gift picks.
We took out Nintendo Switch Pro gamepad for couch play.
We updated the short answer.
We took out magnetic word kit for story building.
We added 6 gift picks. We took out 8 gift picks.
We took out Dover Publications clay animal craft book.
We took out Crayola Clicks art markers for doodling.
We took out LEGO Creator 31146 flatbed truck building set.
We took out Hasbro Trouble family board game.
We took out Spin Master Games domino tile holders.
We took out art set for drawing and painting.
We took out backrest cushion with arms for reading in bed.
We took out Klutz gear bot building kit.
We took out Amazon Kindle Kids e-reader for keen young readers.
We took out LEGO 10698 brick collection for open-ended creative building.
We took out track building kit for rolling marble courses.
We took out butterfly wall decals.
We took out BONNYCO unicorn figurine painting craft set for kids.
We took out Crayola Inspiration Art Case portable drawing and coloring kit.
We took out reading backrest pillow.
We took out watercolor butterfly wall stickers.
We took out lined writing journal.
We took out Soundcore Select 4 Go portable Bluetooth speaker for everyday listening.
We took out K'NEX marble coaster building set.
We took out Nerf Vortex foam throwing football.
We took out Shashibo DODECA fidget puzzle for restless hands.
We took out Ravensburger Hogwarts Astronomy Tower sculptural jigsaw display build.
We took out Fun Express Grinch themed holiday pillow craft kit.
We took out Itopstar mixed craft materials set for freeform projects.
We took out Nsrzua personal journal craft kit for diary keepers.
We took out VOLUVOLU 300 farm animal jigsaw puzzle.
We took out JBL Go 5 Bluetooth music speaker for bedroom listening.
We took out Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker for music from a phone.
We took out Anker soundcore 2 wireless music speaker for everyday listening.
We took out The Orb Factory PlushCraft rainbow cushion craft kit.
One alarm in early November, with this list’s newest picks.
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Chosen by our team from store data and what readers pick, not hands-on tests. Nothing is paid to be on this list. Recall notices checked . How we pick
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
