Ask HN: What gift worked for your child well?

[zsolt_terek]

The holiday season is coming and I'm tired of buying another unused toy or gadget for my kids. It would be great to see what worked for others, I'm particularly interested in seeing gift ideas that made a profound change to a kid, e.g. opening them up to a new hobby. Or just a toy or a visit together to some place that made joy. Non-digital is a plus.

Please include one or more keywords about the matching age group so that the list is easily searchable, like: TODDLER (for 1-2yo), PRESCHOOL1 (3-4), PRESCHOOL2 (~5-6), SCHOOL1 (~7-10), SCHOOL2 (~11-14), TEEN (15+).

[raffraffraff]

My nephew (PRESCHOOL1) loves: rubber boots, small friction-powered cars (unbreakable, no batteries, still uses them a year later), lego, giant jenga, colouring books. The more expensive toys are quickly ignored. He could get addicted to the games he plays (supervised) on Granny's tablet, so his time with those is limited.

General advice, but particularly for HN ;-): Everyone likes to exaggerate how smart their kid is. Please don't get them something beyond their grasp just to boost your own ego. Everyone ends up disappointed and the kid might think that $thing is boring, forever. If you're willing to sit with them and really help them with it that's different but even if you are, don't make it so hard that it's a chore.

[giantg2]

Generally agree, but friction cars do break.

[KeithBrink]

My three year old loves playing with a marble race puzzle inside a plastic ball, called a Perplexus. He can play with it for hours on end.

[zsolt_terek]

My son (4) loves that too, but his brothers didn't care at the same age. It depends so much on the personality. I also got a little bit addicted to it recently ;-)

[moooo99]

> I also got a little bit addicted to it recently ;-)

I can relate to this! For my 22nd birthday my parents to me one of these because I constantly tried to solve my cousins. Trying to solve the whole thing is easily one of the most addictive yet infuriating non-digital toys I have ever played with. Still who’s using it more than a year later!

[nvarsj]

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (SCHOOL1+). Bought it for my then 8 year old and he still reads it regularly. Great for developing a sense of humor and learning to not take this world so seriously.

[taylorhou]

I'd love responses to this! I've got a 4, 2, and another on the way myself.

I've been noodling on a toy idea as well since I haven't seen it in the market yet (there are close toys though) - would love to see an actual building set where there are big holes in standard distances in blocks and other shapes that can be "screwed" together with an electric driver (toy). Starting with basic blocks that represent a 2x4, literally anything can be built from there.

[stevenicr]

SCHOOL2 (~11-14) Found a used keyboard that had voice / sound recording option built in - can quickly record a sound and play it with all the keys. Battery powered. This got used, then paused, then picked up again, and combined youtube / similar with offline use (learning some songs on occasion).. has been used during discord chats.. quite surprised (and very glad) at the amount of use.

after age 9 or so (past 7 years or so).. every single toy I've seen in every catalogue of toys.. a waste of money. even if it's something they like, it will be opened then cast to the side while attention is focused on phone / computer (that's where to fun games are, and friends to talk with are)

yugioh cards have been a thing - but that is mainly because a group formed at the school.. this could be pokemon or similar... DnD gained some traction for a bit, but fades if group meetups are not consistent from my experience.

[ElCapitanMarkla]

2 preschool kids here. The two things that get played with over and over again are the play kitchen and all the food items etc that go in it, and the dress ups. Number one toy over the lst few years has been a Melissa and Doug wooden ice cream set - https://melissaanddoug.co.nz/products/melissa-and-doug-ice-c...

It is a bit more expensive but they use that all the time. And every kid that comes here spends time playing with that thing.

[thorin]

SCHOOL1 (boy now 7, girl now nearly 9 )

Lego, gets used all the time. Sets get built properly kept and played with for a while then go into the general lego pool for creative play

Physical books (Beastquest series for the boy, Roald Dahl, Harry Potter)

Android Tablets, they've had for a year and held up well, used regularly, too regularly. They don't have any other technology and use maybe 1hr a day. I was programming my vic 20 at 6/7 and taking apart electronics.

Craft stuff, paper glue, coloured pencils, paints etc gets used every day

Old skool board games: Monopoly, Draughts, Chess, Snakes and Ladders get used a lot.

[jamesdhutton]

Earlier this year I got a chess board for my 6-year-old. He took to chess with enthusiasm and plays many games a week with me and any other adult whom he can convince to play. Definitely one of the best things I’ve bought for him.

[progers7]

Lego continues to be a favorite in our house. Duplo for 2-4, and Lego for 3+.

[ergvgdvgrd]

Magna-tiles are a big hit in our house. My kids and every kid we have over likes them. Better than legoes because they're more fragile, so they don't get locked up into projects for months.

[ranic]

Some favorites from my two over the past couple years:

- Magna Tiles (TODDLER, PRESCHOOL1)

- Marble Maze (PRESCHOOL1)

- Lego Duplo (everyone loves these!)

- Stomp rocket (TODDLER, PRESCHOOL1)

- Books (PRESCHOOL2): Ivy & Bean, Zoey and Sassafras, but anything really depending on the kid

[brudgers]

A leatherman multi-tool at age five.

But it's the perfect gift for anyone at any age.

[dr_kiszonka]

Are there any affordable multi-tools without blades? My kid is not ready for a blade yet and, for good reasons, he wouldn't be allowed to bring a blade to school.

[turrican]

TSA-Compliant models like the Leatherman Style PS might be what you’re looking for. My dad got me a nice leatherman when I went to college and it was incredibly useful for years, such a great gift idea.

[giantg2]

Most schools consider unapproved screwdrivers or other tools to be weapons these days.

[brudgers]

No idea, it was years ago.

I parented my way through it, and it all worked out fine.

[torbica]

PRESCHOOL2 (~5-6): Hubelino set SCHOOL1 (~7-10): Nintendo switch or Masters of Universe action figures (not from recent Netflix but original one)

[ravanoverflow]

If your child is (~7-10) years old, laptop is the best gift for him/her. + programming course for children.

[culopatin]

Only if you want a child tethered to a screen from that point forward. I was that child, I’m in tech, I’m not sure I’d want that for my kid. Shared computer and a course would be much better imho.

A dedicated laptop signals “go do whatever you want with it anytime you want” also, where a shared one signals “we own this and we tell you when to use it”

[ergvgdvgrd]

Also, "mainline hard-core pornography whenever you're ready!"

[LoganDark]

I was first given a laptop at 5. But I could not give that advice to anyone in 2022.

The world and the Internet is a different place now. Pedophiles and predators run rampant. It's just not possible to keep a child safe without being a total buzzkill.

And there are surely going to be people who believe being a buzzkill is necessary or even your responsibility as a parent to curb the content your child is allowed to see. I have no objections to that way of parenting. But my opinion does not change:

I can not recommend giving a child access to the internet from a young age. It worked back then. It does not work today. Especially since apps like TikTok completely ruin young minds, imho.

[lern_too_spel]

That makes sense if you take a hand-off approach to parenting, but if you spend any time trying to raise your kids, it's the wrong choice. A computing device they can easily program (so not an iAppliance or game console) is a powerful tool for developing their minds. Many children that age, if taught like an adult how sugar can harm them, will limit their intake of sugar. Giving them an assortment of other foods that are healthy makes it even easier for them to make the right choice. It's the same for TikTok.

If they are unable to understand, you have identified a problem you need to work on. If they understand but do not have self control, block it at DNS and work on self-discipline. By the time they can circumvent your controls, they will likely be ready to make good decisions.

[LoganDark]

> A computing device they can easily program (so not an iAppliance or game console) is a powerful tool for developing their minds.

No argument here. I grew up programming from about the age of 8. I actually didn't program my computer directly -- I learned Roblox scripting first (Lua).

> Many children that age, if taught like an adult how sugar can harm them, will limit their intake of sugar. Giving them an assortment of other foods that are healthy makes it even easier for them to make the right choice. It's the same for TikTok.

TikTok was an example, for what it's worth. There are vast amounts of unhealthy time sinks that exist in the world, and they make money off of it. They have no reason to be respectful to children, and most of them aren't.

I don't know much about children, as I've never been a parent myself; all I know is that most of what exists today did not exist when I was a child, and most of what I used back when I was developing also does not exist anymore. That means I'm heavily biased, and I have no idea how you would keep a child in today's world off of those time sinks, because they were not a problem while I was growing up.

IOW the reason I can't recommend this is because I don't think it would have worked for me. It certainly doesn't work for everyone. And whether it's the "wrong choice" or not, it's a risk and one I would recommend against taking.

> By the time they can circumvent your controls, they will likely be ready to make good decisions.

I would say this is true in the majority of cases, yeah. Although, creating a game of bypass-the-security-stuffs would make a good incentive for a child to learn technology...

[tomcam]

Road trips. Just me and the kids, no mom.