This Tamagotchi comes with a neat trick built-in: A wheel on the side lets kids zoom in and out on their character. And we mean really zoom—it can go down to the cellular level. “They loved the fun characters and the surprise of seeing it grow,” said one parent of an 11-year-old and a 5-year-old. “Checking on it throughout the day made for a fun day. They both loved the size of the toy which made it easy to play with it anywhere.” Ages 6+; two AAA batteries required
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Kids can make the most out of their creativity by designing and fabricating their own puffy stickers. This kit comes with enough materials to make 60 stickers, so they'll never be at a loss for decorations for their school supplies. Ages 6+
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Our testers loved smushing and stretching this putty, especially because it smelled nice and came in a vibrant blue color. “It’s not sticky!” one parent tester said. “The tin was great for storage and it was easy to get the putty in it. The putty also didn't stick to the tin which is really nice!” Ages 3+
This game is perfect to break out when they're feeling silly: They'll have to wear a headband with a dangling, magnetic flying saucer, and use it to pick up cows from a revolving pasture. Testers told us kids kept requesting to play this one again and again. Ages 6+; two AA batteries required
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Labubu who? These have the same collectibility factor as Pop Mart's monsters, but with Disney characters they know and love. It's a plush bag charm with a vinyl face, and they come in blind boxes with seven styles to collect in all. “My daughter loved the theme of the toy and the unboxing experience,” one parent said. “The best part is that she happened to get her favorite character. She shrieked with excitement!” Ages 8+
Edith is a magical girl with two special gifts: She can bring any object to life, and she was also granted eternal childhood. So yes, she really is 100 years old. Testers loved the wry humor and fast pace of this book, and kids especially dug Edith’s sidekick, which is a lemon. “I was very happy with the ending,” said one kid tester. Ages 6 to 10
RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Awards
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Little artists can use the included templates, layer them on top of each other to make a new picture, then trace and color in the whole thing. When she's done with the included images, she can download more templates online. Ages 6+; three AA batteries required
They can wear their Huntr/x fandom on their sleeves—literally—with this fun bracelet maker. Kids load up the beads into a long pen, then use it to string onto a bracelet all at once. “She loved getting to make bracelets without help!” said one parent of a 7-year-old. “She liked the ease of using the ‘pen’ to grab the beads instead of having to try to get the string through each bead.” Ages 7+
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Take those manicures to the next level with these cute nail stickers which come in cute shapes like cats, strawberries, and donuts. There are 200 stickers in each package, and they're said to last even through hand-washing. No age recommendation given
They'll love entering their room every day with a big, glowing version of their name shining down on them from on the wall. There are many ways to customize this, too, including by picking the color, font, backing shape, power source, and symbol at the end. No age recommendation given
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Kids who love Minecraft will love these bracelets, which have beads that look like the different “mobs.” But that’s not all: Some of the beads are actually rolls of Minecraft-inspired stickers they can use to decorate their school supplies or trade with their friends. It also comes with a book where they can keep their stickers. “"If you like Minecraft or Sticki Rolls—or collecting Sticki Rolls—it's really good," said one 8-year-old tester. Ages 4+
Budding fashion designers can use these templates to come up with more than 100 different styles. Kids mix and match "plates" with different tops, bottoms, shoes, and hairdos; use a crayon to make a rubbing of the complete outfit; then color the whole thing in however they like. If they want even more options, there are also the My Style and Disney versions. Ages 6+
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Friendship bracelets are back in a big way (though they never really went out of style), and this loom lets kids make cool designs in their bracelets. It comes with directions to make 10 different styles without sewing. Good Housekeeping Institute testers loved planning out what they were going to make. Ages 6+
It might not look like much, but it's actually pretty fun. It's a bracelet that can move up and down their arms, and can be transferred to friends, as they do tricks. And it glows in the dark! Ages 6+
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Interest in sewing has been at an all-time high in recent years. With this one kit, she can learn a running stitch, blanket stitch, whip stitch, and how to decorate with embroidery. The kit makes seven different projects in all. Ages 6+
The Aurora Palm Pals are bean-filled plushes designed to fit in the palm of their hands—a perfect size for stocking stuffers! A pencil is a good reminder for them to keep their grades up, but they come in a variety of shapes, including a water bottle, a baseball, and various cute animals. Ages 0+
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Teach her the importance of saving with this fun twist on a bank that's actually electric. She can even create her own PIN to use it as an ATM. No age recommendation given; three AA batteries required
Here's a mess-free way to show off her creativity—all she needs is water. The designs disappear in a few minutes, so she can create again and again.
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They can bust out all their favorite tunes with this small, portable karaoke machine, which works with Bluetooth and charges with a USB-C. It comes with two wireless microphones, and it comes in a range of colors. Ages 3+
Kids are still over the moon for Squishmallows, and this gift lets them add three 8-inch stuffies to their collection in one go. The exact Squishmallows are a surprise, so there's an element of excitement to this gift, too. Ages 3+
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