How to hit a home run when gift shopping for the kids on your list

Ah, the Christmas season, the lights, the chestnuts roasting on open fires, the chill in the air, the Salvation Army bells, Frosty and Charlie Brown and Jimmy Stewart and Red Ryder BB guns. And the celebration of birth and life. What a joyous time.

And perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the season: buying gifts for kids, seeing their faces light up and watching them enjoy, learn and play.

There are many great gifts on the market, says Cat Bowen, an inveterate gift tester and reviewer for her role as senior parenting editor for BestProducts.com. She has some overall guidelines for getting gifts the kids will love.

Children telegraph their interests, so watch them play and surf online and listen to them talk to their friends. “Lean into that and lean in early,” said Bowen, “because recently, we've had a lot of toys sell out around the holidays.” This is particularly true for size- or delivery-dependent items requiring planning. That means ensuring you have batteries, USB plugs, cords and items assembled before Christmas Eve.

Buying gifts is about spending money, and though we all want to spoil our kids and grandkids, it's important to understand the weak correlation between the cost of a gift and the enjoyment kids will derive from it. With inflation and the increase in toy technology, keeping a lid on spending is tough. Even low-tech Lego sets can cost hundreds. Bowen says the average toy costs $50-$80, but shoppers wisely steer clear of the high-ticket items and spend an average of $35-$60 on gifts.

Bowen said the hot three categories of toys these days are magic, robots and retro. For retro, Super Mario Brothers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers are making a comeback, with new movie releases driving some of those sales. Even the venerable Spirographs, which dates to 1965, has seen its star rise — or redrawn.

For magic, Bowen singles out the Cookeez Makery. This oven-themed playset allows children to cook “dough” into a scented plush toy. If this sounds nonsensical and otherworldly, it's magic and gets made for about 35 bucks.

There are two robot dogs on the market this year and plenty of other robot toys that often push the price boundaries. Many are app-powered and teach children basic coding, adding a touch of learning to the fun. Bowen reminds shoppers purchasing tech toys to mind their compatibility with the child's existing systems. For example, Xbox and Nintendo don't play well together; Mac and PC try but sometimes fail.

If you care about your children learning while they play, there is good news on the market. Bowen says toymakers are subtly imbuing play objects with lessons, like the coding in robot apps. One item on the Best Products list is a volcano beanbag toss game that looks like cornhole but plays like school. Children learn about volcanoes as they play. Another is a national parks set for preschoolers and Squishy Human Body, which allows kids (age 8 and up) to remove and identify body parts. With this one, your future doctor can get a leg up in college anatomy class. (It takes guts to tell body parts jokes.)

“Educational toys are no longer the boring chemistry set that is cool to one out of 50 kids,” Bowen said.

Though education may be the goal, Barbie is the hot commodity in 2023, what with the movie hoopla. Bowen's top pick for Barbie-related paraphernalia is decidedly low-tech: rub-off Barbie fashion plates that can be mixed, matched and colored in. Bowen's own 12-year-old daughter made a whole Barbie book with her new analog toy. (Ken not included.)

Despite the dominance of the digital, the faddish and the mysterious, the No. 1 gift on the Best Products list fits none of these categories. It's not retro, magic or robot; it's decidedly low-tech and not particularly educational. In fact, it's as much a kitchen appliance as it is a toy. But, Bowen says, her kids love it and still use it year-round five years later.

It's a snow cone machine. Just mix ice, flavored syrup and food coloring if you like, then let the machine fulfill its destiny. Shaved ice is for everyone, almost any time of year. Alter the ingredients and make a margarita, slushie, granita or iced coffee. Wait a minute: that's why it's No. 1! It's a gift for parents as much as for the kids.