Holiday Gift Guide for Homeschoolers 2023
Are you looking for holiday gift ideas for the homeschoolers in your life? Welcome to my 2023 Holiday Gift Guide! There are SOOOOO many winter holidays to celebrate, and no matter what your family’s traditions are at this time of year, if you’re exchanging gifts, this guide will help you find some inspiration and maybe even something fun to get for yourself.
Homeschoolers do things a bit differently and while you might not think a pocket microscope is an awesome gift for an 11 year old, let me assure you, in this house, and our friend’s houses, it definitely is. Every kiddo is different, with their own interests and curiosities and I think you’ll find something for everyone in this guide. I know many holiday gift guides sort the items by age, but I found it far more efficient to sort by category.
I’ve added some of the items listed to this shopping guide, but as always, you can look up the items and buy them ANYWHERE. No need to shop through Amazon if you have other options!
Games, Puzzles, Fidgets
Games are always a must on a homeschooler’s holiday wish list. They can be more ed-focused like Prime Climb or some good family fun like Throw, Throw Burrito. I am listing a few of our favorites here (my kiddos are 8 & 11 for reference), but if you aren’t buying this for your own household, it’s never a bad idea to ask the recipient what some of their favorite games are or what some of the games they already have are to get you headed in the right direction.
Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza and other fun family games on Amazon
Sequence is a family favorite here and they have MANY version including a Kid’s edition!
Mobi (math) and BananaGrams (vocabulary) are both great games that travel well
Guess in 10 is loads of fun for all ages and lots of different versions, so there’s something for everyone!
Puzzles are always a win for us, we take a big hibernate-y break at the end of December and doing a puzzle together is one of our favorite ways to connect (it’s usually a giant puzzle and a giant LEGO set, but more on that below). Here are some of our favorite places to look for unique and interesting puzzles:
Galison has beautiful puzzles, this is one of my favorite places to holiday shop.
Amazon has tons too
You can also make a custom puzzle at one of these sites!
Fidgets and 3D Puzzles are also a huge hit around here- Check out some of our favorite fidgets and hand held puzzle toys like these:
SHASHIBO Magnetic Fidget Cube- both of my kids got these for their birthdays this year and LOVE them!
Wooden Bran Teaser Trio from Uncommon Goods
Kanoodle- all versions- both of my kids have a version of this, awesome for travel and quite time at home!
Both of my kids, and like, ALL of their friends are fans of Aaron’s Thinking Putty- my brother gifted us the Magnetic one and that was a BIG hit!
Subscription Boxes
Subscription Boxes have definitely become a winter holiday tradition in our house. There are SO many good options for all ages and interests. We love boxes that the whole family can enjoy together (like Universal Yums) as well as more curriculum focused boxes like MEL SCIENCE (they have an AWESOME “Black Friday” Deal going right now!
I recently rounded up our 25 Favorite Subscription Boxes for Homeschoolers to give you a big list for holiday gift giving! I also HIGHLY recommend visiting CRATE JOY and seeing all the amazing boxes they offer!
Memberships and Experiences
Memberships and experiences are such a fun thing to receive and enjoy long after the holiday season has passed. We love “a nature hike with grandma” as a gift! Check in with the homeschool families on your gifting list and see if they have any memberships that need renewal or what new memberships they want to try this year. Here in CA we also have the option to purchase a “state park parking pass”, we gifted this to my sister’s family one year and then got one for ourselves because it's so awesome. Definitely check out state parks and attractions in your area to see what they offer.
Pro Tip- do some digging to find places in your area that offer multiple locations accessible with a single membership- here in Los Angeles a LACMA membership also grants you access to the La Brea Tar Pits, and the William S Heart museum. Here are some suggestions for membership and experience gifts, but there are SO many possibilities here based on your personal interests and location!
Local aquariums, museums or amusement parks
An in person or online subscription for an elective or enrichment class
Nature centers, parking passes
Camping trips, excursions, food tours, history tours, tourist-in-your-city day etc
A concert, special exhibit or performance (tickets make awesome gifts!)
Dress Up & Cosplay
We are a house that will never be “too old” to dress like our favorite characters from nature, books, film or our own imaginations! If you know kids like mine who wish Halloween was more than once a year (and not because of the candy but ya, that too), here are some “dress up” ideas for all ages!
About 5 years ago we got the kids each their own “Tattoo Shop” box as a gift and it is still something they love. It’s full of temporary tattoos and a cut sponge to use for applying! We’ve condensed it into one plastic pencil box storage container now, but we take it when ever we travel because it’s a great activity for road trips!
My kids are 8 and 11 this year, but we’ve found items like hats, glasses, coats, capes and accessories are still excellent for creating characters and imaginative play time. I recommend doing some local thrifting, asking around in your local buy nothing group, checking out Etsy or even FB marketplace for some fun stuff.
Arts & Crafts
We do art nearly every day so we work our way through supplies regularly and I also feel like by December we’ve really worked into anything we picked out as “new school supplies” at the end of August.
Michael’s always has awesome deals all through November and December and a great “Black Friday Weekend” sale worth checking out. Our Michael’s is also next door to a 5 Below, which has awesome stickers sometimes, so I always go check over there too!
Here are some of our arts and crafts related favorite gifts:
Water color paper, felt or card stock
Pipe cleaners, pompom balls, googley eyes, glitter glue
Art sets like THIS and like THESE are cool but you can also assemble your own in a shoe box!
We also ADORE “How To Draw” books and these blank comic books.
We got this pottery wheel kit last year and still use it, super fun
Both of my kids love this air dry clay too
STEM gifts
If you have a kiddo who loves to tinker, code, build, program or experiment, these are some STEM gifts they will absolutely love.
LEGO (you can’t go wrong here if you live in a house of LEGO like we do) I think it’s my partner’s favorite place to shop every holiday season and he always ends up getting us a family set we build together too! If you have a Costco membership they always have great Lego set offerings in October and November ahead of the December holidays, definitely worth checking, I saved about $20 over Target on a large set purchase this year!
We’ve had THIS MICROSCOPE for several years and it’s still in great shape! Definitely durable and works well.
My oldest got both Gravitrax and the Gravity Maze last year and still plays with both regularly, huge win. We had MARBLE RUN for years too, and I had it when I was a kid so pretty sure that never gets old- though these can be tricky with little littles in the house due to the tiny pieces/marbles.
This 135-piece Fort Building Set is under fifty bucks and turns our living room into all kinds of fun places and spaces!
My youngest got this adorable Paint & Flower Grow kit as a “stuff to do during lockdown” gift in 2020 and LOVED it, it inspired a whole new flower garden in our yard! We also adore the Back to the Roots Mushroom Grow Kits and we’ve grown/eaten the pink and golden oyster mushrooms! Delicious!
This 13-in-1 DIY Solar Robot kit was a little intesne for me, but my kids and partner loved it!
Nature Inspired
For the outdoor types and nature lovers on your list, here are some of our favorite gifts inspired by our favorite place to live- planet Earth.
Rite in the Rain Outdoor Journal- this makes an awesome nature journal! We got this as a gift from a group leader after a hike and it’s super fun. Love the all-weather paper and it’s bright yellow (which helps us misplace them less).
Waterproof/shockproof digital camera…ok, the one we have is pricey, but my 11 year old has had it for 2 years now, taken it to sleepaway camp with friends, taken it in the snow, taken it snorkeling multiple times, it’s been in the Big Sur River, to Mexico, on airplane trips and it' still works perfectly. Takes awesome photos and we love it. From my research, it’s the “shockproof”ness of this camera that puts it in a higher price tier. The next best option would probably be this one . If you want one that is waterproof but a little less rugged- this is the best choice under $100.
We also love the satisfaction of an instant camera or printer (my kids take a lot of pics with the phone they share so the printer is a favorite here) - excellent for nature journaling!
Camelbak Mini hydration system- getting each of the kids one of these was a great move for hikes and long bike rides and other big outdoor adventures.
A city near us holds a Festival of the Kite every spring and last year my brother got the kids some awesome kites! Using them at the festival was fun but I also loved that it encouraged us to get outside on windy days all year long!
We have friends who have THIS SWING and if I could figure out where it would go here, we’d have it too. Swings and other back yard fun like slides and play structures are great holiday gifts. If you have a pool or existing back yard play-stuffs, anything that goes with what you’ve got is a good call.
My kids are 8 & 11 and still adore getting sets of sidewalk chalk and bubbles for holiday gifts.
Cooking, Baking, Kitchen and Food
We use cooking for so many parts of homeschool- history, world and cultural studies, math, life skills, self-care, the list goes on. Here are some great gifts for your favorite homeschool foodies who want to do more in the kitchen next year!
NY Times Cooking subscription- the gift that keeps on giving for under $50! I gifted myself an NYT Cooking subscription mid-year and love it so much it’s definitely a gift I will be giving to others this holiday season.
Kid friendly cooking equipment like this can opener that leaves no sharp edges or this veggie chopper to help slice and dice
A cute apron like one of these from etsy or featuring their favorite theme
A cooking class or subscription box or a food adventure to a new or favorite place.
A cooking or baking book that you can work through together we love The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs and the Baking companion book.
Self Care
As homeschoolers, our mental and physical well being are something we prioritize OVER academics- so my kids are no strangers to a “reset day”, “rest is best” and “taking some ME time”. Some of our favorite gifts that focus on self love are:
Journals
Lush bath bombs, anything from Frank Body, scrubbie scrubbers from Daily Concepts
Loop noise reducing ear plugs
a stretching mat, or blocks or blanket
Blankets/throws (I am obsessed with the UnHide blankets- they are spectacular!)
My youngest and I love Kitsch goodies- the shower caps (though THESE are still her fave shower caps), the heatless curlers, the satin pillow cases and their travel stuff- it’s all great!
a salt lamp- we literally all have them in our rooms here.
Books
This one seems incredibly obvious but of course we give BOOKS every holiday season! Books always make amazing gifts and you can often score some amazing deals via ThriftBooks, Costco or other places (check your LOCAL shops!) that sell new and gently used books for gift giving. I wrote a post not too long ago about my favorite online bookstores, find it here:
Here are a few suggestions that aren’t actual books, but great for the bibliophile in your life:
Both of my kids have reading lights- one like THIS and the other has THIS one. Since they both read in bed at night, we love these so they don’t have to get up to turn the light off when it’s time to go to sleep!
Bookmarks are always great gifts and I love them as gift TOPPERS too- they make wrapping look extra special!
One of my kiddos has a bean bag chair that they love for reading and the other is getting THIS THING as a gift this year because they have so many stuffies and squishmallows their room is getting overrun!
This neck pillow for reading in bed is also a good gift for the readers in your life!
Picture Books are a great idea at EVERY age, I absolutely recommend looking at Costco for these, the DK/ Smithsonian series is fantastic.
To Wear
Pajamas, lounge wear, great socks and outdoor gear - all the things homeschoolers wear the most!
In our house we started a tradition of gifting cozy winter pajamas on the night of the winter solstice- adapted from the tradition of always receiving pjs on Xmas eve when I was a kid. I usually end up getting these at Target or Old Navy.
If the kids have outgrown their robes, they usually get new ones as gifts in December
Though clothes and pjs may not seem super exciting we love putting in the effort and energy to pick these things out as gifts for one another because they get SO MUCH use.
The robes, slippers/house shoes- and awesome socks like Bombas are always great to give and receive ((and btw Bombas makes FANTASTIC slippers too!))
If you have a kiddo that appreciates accessorizing with jewelry, vintage, pins, or patches I love finding unique pieces on Etsy.
OTHER
I’m going to put some of our other favorites here that I couldn’t figure a “category” out for.
My youngest got a Magic Mixie last year and LOVES it- we’ll be getting some of the “refill” packets this year to keep up the fun. It looks like their new thing is the Crystal Ball which I’m sure my kids would be into as well.
What are your favorite holiday gifts to give and to get? Leave a comment below and I will keep updating this post as I remember more things too!
