A Gift Guide for Quirky Kids

A few years back I wrote this Age by Age Gift Guide, back when our kids were all eight years old and under... I thought it would be an evergreen post, and it is for the most part! But... Older kids can be hard to shop for, especially if you don't want to just buy them the latest, greatest electronics. 

Our kids have intense interests, often pretty quirky ones. It can be tricky to find new and exciting gifts that aren't just extensions of what they already like and own, but I've crowd-sourced and found some really amazing ideas below! You'll be able to view based on different interests, but a lot of these gifts will span a wide range of interests for sure.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase through these links.

Today, 11/30, many of these books are available from Amazon including a "spend $20, save $5" promotion

Use the code MERRY to save 20%+ on KiwiCo items!  

For the brainy child:

Books: Scientist Academy // The Great Brain series // The Mysterious Benedict Society // Encyclopedia Brown // Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Gifts: Tinker Crate subscription // Robot Lab // Snap Circuits Set // Marble Run

For the fantasy lover:

Books: Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls // Tales of Magic series // The Wingfeather Saga // The Chronicles of Prydain // Howl's Moving Castle

Gifts: Fairy garden kit // Hooded Cloak // Wooden sword and sheath

For the animal lover: 

Books: Vet Academy // Where the Red Fern Grows // The Little White Horse

Gifts: Dog Lovers Set // Pom Pom Pet Shop Craft Kit // Soapstone Carving Kit

For the adventure lover:

Books: Improve Your Survival Skills // Swallows and Amazons // My Side of the Mountain

Gifts: Adventure Bags from Wild Things Adventures // Bow and Arrow // Pocket knife // Ninja line // Pocket Bellows // Two-way Radios

For the wholesome child:

Books: Heidi // Understood Betsy // Happy Little Family // The Saturdays // The Moffatts // Children of the Noisy Village

Gifts: Sewing kit // Calligraphy book and pens // Baking set

For the artsy child: 

Books: My Year of Art // Ballet Shoes // Henry and the Chalk Dragon

Gifts: Travel watercolors // Watercolor journal // Doodle crate subscription // Macrame Kit

 

For the bookworm:

Books: Complete Shakespeare // Writing Box Set // Little Women

Gifts: Illuminated manuscript activity box // Cross-stitch Bookmark Set // Book light // Reading Pillow // Personalized Felt Bookmark

I feel like there are SO many more books I could add, and I'm sure you have plenty of recommendations - if you've got tried-and-true recommendations for older kids, I'd love to hear them in the comments!