Shopping for large families can be stressful and expensive. You could try to buy a gift for each individual or something for everyone to enjoy together. The trick is finding something everyone will enjoy without relying on screens.
Buying gifts for families with multiple children of various ages is challenging, especially if you want to avoid video games, movies, and screen subscriptions. Thankfully, you can find lots of options, including educational mail subscriptions, craft kits, cooking sets, and games.
Each individual child has unique interests and skills, so pairing a group activity or game with a monthly subscription may be one way to ensure everyone gets something they like!
Games and Activities for Multiple Ages
The trick to buying an activity or game for kids of multiple ages is thinking of the oldest child's interests and skills but the youngest's safety. In my experience with group foster care and nursery work, the middle children will participate if the oldest is excited about the activity or is interested in teaching it.
Of course, there is no guarantee that all the kids will enjoy one house gift, but having the option for when friends and other family members visit makes them more appealing over time.
The following list includes a range of family gifts that large families with multiple kids have vouched for as fun, helpful, and regularly enjoyed.
1. Yard Games
Getting kids outside can be frustratingly challenging for some parents, so helping them out by gifting a set of fun yard games is a thoughtful idea! The younger the kids, the more particular you will need to be with the games you choose.
Here is a list of fantastic yard games and toys for kids under 6:
Corn Hole
Little Tikes Basketball Set
Trampoline with Sides
Yard Bowling Set
Playground Set
Sandbox Set
Water Table
Saucer Tree Swing
Kid groups under the age of 14 or so enjoy these:
Kubb
Croquet
Ladder Golf
Badminton
Spikeball
Throw Throw Burrito
Laser Tag Set
Bocce Ball
2. Craft Kits
Some families may view working on crafts together as partying like it's 1869, but it can be a lot of fun to work on something as a family for the house or for others. Crafts are an excellent choice for a family in that they can engage people of all ages.
Depending on the family's size, interests, free time, and age range, you could buy individual sets of the same craft idea or one larger set meant to be one piece.
For example, embroidery kits are small and cute individual crafts that are easy to individualize based on personal interests. Even better, the finished products can be turned into a pillow for each person or a family quilt. However, embroidery is not the best option for little ones.
Cross stitch with blunt or plastic needles and a thick net are an option for younger kids who may like to learn the basics of needlework, but babies and young toddlers should probably not have these around.
Little ones can help with weaving crafts (potholders, rugs, placemats, table runners), making button garland strings, arranging crayons for melting, making jewelry, and more with close supervision. Again, these crafts are easy to scale in difficulty for older kids without having to buy tons of extra supplies.
3. Art Sets
Similar to craft sets, art sets engage multiple ages and can be done individually or together as a family. You could invest in a large set of paints or pastels for everyone to share with individual books or canvases. You could even add an online art course for kids.
Young kids love finger painting, cut-outs, glue projects, and glitter, while older kids enjoy sketching, model-building kits, and paint-by-numbers.
One craft everyone can get into is oven-bake clay. Each kid can make something and bake it to keep forever. We make our own Christmas ornaments with this every year--it's a lot of fun!
4. Geocaching Gear
Families who enjoy hiking outdoors and treasure hunting may enjoy geocaching gear. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game that requires GPS to find hidden containers of surprises. Organizations, businesses, and individuals stock these containers and hide them for folks to find.
Geocaching is a fun activity for outdoorsy families with multiple kids because everyone can participate, time is spent on the trail together, and no one knows what they will find in the geocache.
Geocaching gear for kids can be anything from hiking equipment (compass, canteens, boots, hats, glasses, and such) to collector's equipment (magnifying glasses, containers, bags, backpacks, dusting brushes, cameras, sketchbooks).
5. Board Games
Whether they are for indoor entertainment on a rainy day or a quiet activity for older kids while the baby sleeps, board games are a solid gift to a family with multiple kids. Consult with the parents to ensure you don't double up on a game they already have.
You could go with the classics, like Battleship, Sorry!, Monopoly, UNO, and the like, or you could buy lesser-known board games that are still enjoyable for kids. Extra points for finding games with a high replay value!
Here are some of our favorite games to play with toddlers and kids under 5:
memory games
Trouble
Who Is It?
UNO!
Reel Them In Fishing Game
Tic Tac Toe
Headbanz Game
Twister
Bluey Scavenger Hunt Game
Jenga
big puzzles
For ages 6 and up, these have been a blast:
Quelf Jr.
Apples to Apples Junior
Mouse Trap
Would You Rather? Family Card Game
Family Feud for Kids
For Sale
Tsuro
Clue Junior Board
Incan Gold
Castle Panic
Chinese Checkers
T.A.P.E.S!
Banana Grams
Ticket to Ride
Carcassonne
Splendor
Stories of the Three Coins
Stacking games are a lot of fun for toddlers and young kids. If this is the age you are shopping for, check out this list: 10 Montessori Stacking Toys for Toddlers.
6. Collection Shelf
Is there a little collector in the family you are shopping for? Buying a setup to display the items a family collects over time is a fun way to encourage family time.
You could make a gift basket with a guidebook on collecting items, magnifying glasses, containers to collect and study items, and a shelf or display box to show off the collection.
Growing up, my family collected coins. Old coins, coins from every state, and eventually coins from places we or people we knew had traveled abroad. The problem was that we simply tossed them into a jar on a shelf. We would pull them out to show friends but couldn't appreciate them daily.
One year, my grandmother gifted us coin collector books to organize the coins and a few little display cases to show off our favorites. That collection got a lot more attention and enjoyment after that!
7. Science Kit
Science kits are a fun activity for weekends or long afternoons with one or multiple kids. Some of these will not work for toddlers or babies, but the older kids will enjoy the process, and the little ones can watch the final product.
These days, there are many science kits to choose from. Some favorites are:
crystal-growing kits
bottle rocket kits
soapbox car kits
chemistry kit
microscope kit
star-gazing kit
critter-catching kit
volcano kit
Many places online now offer kits with dozens of science experiments inside. Those could give more bang for your buck!
8. Indoor Garden Kit
Learning how to grow one's own food is a nifty skill to have, but it is beneficial to kids learning how plants grow in school. Having an indoor garden kit can make lessons in school more tangible and tasty!
Indoor garden kits can be as sophisticated as a hydroponics system, as low-tech as a window box, or as simple as a row of Mason jars with water. Find a kit that explains what to do and provides seeds, or fill in the gaps yourself. Either way, my kiddos have enjoyed eating from their indoor garden kits!
9. Cooking or Baking Set
One-time cooking or baking kits are okay, but kids get excited about having their own cooking stuff. You can easily make a basket for each kid with an apron, a unique cookbook, and a tool they will need for their theme.
For instance, among my nephews is a boy who loves baking, a boy who enjoys Asian food, one who likes experimenting with historical foods, and another who prefers meat. So, I got each of them a cookbook loaded with recipes they would probably like, a personalized apron, a tool for each (that their parents didn't already have), and a spice.
That was apparently the gift that kept giving because their parents have thanked us for those gifts multiple times over the last two years!
10. Magnet Tiles
Families with multiple kids under five years old often struggle with finding something all the little ones will enjoy safely. Our family found that magnet tile sets are excellent for these ages!
Magnet tiles are plastic and will break or crack when they hit a concrete floor just right, but they are otherwise quite durable. Though magnet tiles are rated for kids three years old and up, they also keep adults, teenagers, kids, toddlers, and babies thoroughly entertained! Supervise the little ones with these.
If you have a young family with multiple kids in mind, you can find a more age-appropriate gift idea list here: 20 Gift Ideas for Parents with a Baby and Toddler at Home.
11. Marble or Car Tracks
Marble or car tracks are fun for kids and adults alike, but they are not the best for babies and toddlers who might swallow little pieces. Families with kids aged 4 years and up will get hours of use out of these!
The classic wooden sets are the most durable and long-lasting if you buy marble tracks. However, the slightly flexible plastic tracks work better with the wheels for cars.
12. Brain Teaser Puzzle Cubes
Brain teaser mini-puzzles are ridiculously entertaining for kids. Babies and toddlers will mostly shake them around for the sound or stack them, but young children, kids, and teenagers will spend hours trying to master them.
The best part is that you can buy dozens of these on Amazon, so everyone has plenty to work through!
13. Scrapbook Kit
Is the family you have in mind in love with pictures, art, or preserving history? A scrapbook kit may be a thoughtful gift! Scrapbook kits come in all sizes and themes, but I have found that putting one together myself is the best way to ensure each individual's personality is represented.
You could give a small set to each individual or a big set to the whole family. Either way, it's a fun activity that everyone can show off!
Subscriptions for Multiple Ages
Subscriptions are an easy way to give a gift to the whole family from afar. You should probably ask the parents which option would work best for their family so that the subscription fits the kids well.
These are the subscriptions I've heard or experienced excellent things about!
14. Finders Seekers Junior Explorers
Families who like solving puzzles together would love this family-friendly mystery game subscription. It is centered on a different global location each month!
Each month of Finders Seekers Junior Explorers comes loaded with facts about the location, toys, art supplies, and a game. The creators seek to engage STEAM skills, and they do a superb job of that!
15. KiwiCo STEM Subscription Box
KiwiCo's STEM subscription boxes cover multiple age ranges. You can shop by age (0-16) or subject, which makes this subscription quite flexible.
Of all the options on this list, however, KiwiCo is on the expensive side. But the boxes are excellent in quality!
16. Little Passports Subscription
Know a family who loves to travel? Consider giving their kids a Little Passports subscription! The Little Passports creators offer age-appropriate introductions to various regions of the world.
Each box includes activities, facts about the location, and ways to learn more. It's a fantastic gift!
17. edZOOcation Subscription Box
The edZOOcation subscription box is perfect for the little animal lovers out there! Each box is themed with a particular animal and comes with a high-quality plushy, stickers, a mini-magazine, and lots of neat information about the animal.
Moreover, 50% of profits are donated to wildlife conservation, making this subscription a no-brainer!
18. Letters from Afar Subscription
Does anyone else wish we could go back to sending and receiving letters from our best friends? There is something authentic and charming about letters, which is precisely why Letters from Afar began.
Each month, subscribers receive a beautifully illustrated letter, field notes, and a map from an explorer traveling the world. Kids will learn about cultures, favorite foods, animals, traditions, and famous places worldwide through this letter series!
19. TalkBox.Mom Subscription
Families adventurous enough to travel to foreign countries may enjoy a challenging subscription designed to help them learn their next location's language. TalkBox.Mom does this by equipping your family to practice while life happens.
Each box has a level-up in charts, resources, audio, and more. It's fun, relevant, and challenging!
20. Mysteries in Time Subscription
I simply cannot leave out the history buffs! The Mysteries in Time Subscription is a kid-friendly story-driven walk through world history, geography, and cultures throughout time.
Though it is designed for ages 6-11, my younger kids have enjoyed hearing the stories and looking through the pictures. Each box comes with a time-traveler adventure story, stickers, a bookmark, and a kids' history magazine with puzzles, recipes, and facts.
In a Nutshell
Games, activities, and subscriptions are all fun gifts for families with multiple kids. Even if it's a bit over the youngest child's head, the older kids can help the youngest understand or participate, which adds to the experience! You've got many options, so which one do you think will be a hit?
