25 Kids’ Gifts Under $20

posted in: Gift Guides

Birthdays are a time of celebration, right? Your kids probably cheer at the never-ending party invitations that appear in the mailbox.

But let’s be honest: With every party invite comes the stress of finding another cool gift for another kid. Instead of scrambling at the last minute, stock up on the fun and affordable goodies below.

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Infants to 2-year-olds and up

AppeTeethers at Little Toader

AppeTeethers ($9.99) at Amazon

The humor might be lost on the baby, but parents will love these food-shaped teethers, which are free of BPA, PVC, phthalate and lead. Disguised as chicken wings and broccoli, these chew toys will entertain onlookers and soothe babies’ sore gums.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: all ages

 

Playskool Stack ’n Stow Cups at Walmart

Playskool Stack ’n Stow Cups ($7.97) at Amazon

Tots can stack, sort, spin, stow—and chew!—these rainbow-color cups for hours. Once assembled, the toy hangs on your diaper bag or stroller for easy portability and playtime on the go.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 9 months and up

Yookidoo Flow ’N Fill Spout at Toys R Us

Yookidoo Flow ’N Fill Spout ($24,95) at Amazon

This automatic spout attaches to the tub and has three interchangeable tumblers. Whether they’re making their own kid-size shower or filling the googly-eyed cups with water so they float, babies will have a blast at bath time!

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 9 months and up

American Plastic Toys Sand & Water Playset at Blain’s Farm & Fleet

American Plastic Toys Sand & Water Playset ($10.99) at Blain’s Farm & Fleet

This play set offers a lot of bang for your buck. It can be used in the tub, kiddie pool or sandbox, and it includes four boats, a flatbed truck and a rotating crane!

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 18 months and up

Sesame Street Elmo’s On the Go Letters at Kmart

Sesame Street Elmo’s On the Go Letters ($15.99) at Kmart

Thanks to Elmo and friends, kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re learning. I love how the letters each snap into their own special spot, and that everything folds up neatly for travel or storage.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 2 and up

 

Ages 3 and up

Minion Goggle Kickboard and Minion Pool Goggles, both at Toys R Us

Minion Goggle Kickboard ($9.99 at Amazon) and Minion Pool Goggles ($11.99 at Toys R Us)

Give your favorite little fish this adorable kickboard and pair of goggles. The huge eyes on the goggles and the see-through lens on the kickboard will instantly hook them.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 3 and up

 

Minions Movie Spinnin’ Stuart at Toys R Us

Minions Movie Spinnin’ Stuart ($12.99) at Toys R Us

You can’t go wrong with a fabulous toy from the widely anticipated Minions movie! With the help of an easy–to-use crank, Stuart spins. Feeling too dizzy? Instead, press Stuart’s pocket to make him speak, play cool tunes and flash festive lights.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 4 and up

 

Hog Wild Atomic Sword Popper at Amazon

Hog Wild Atomic Sword Popper ($19.99) at Amazon

Let them duel with this sword that shoots foam balls up to 20 feet. No matter the method of combat, this spongy weapon couldn’t hurt a fly!

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 4 and up

 

Shopkins So Cool Fridge at Toys R Us

Shopkins So Cool Fridge ($17.99) at Toys R Us

This set will probably be sold out by the time you read this—a harsh reality with Shopkins, which are miniaturized cartoon replicas of foods and condiments like eggs and ketchup. If you have a kid who loves little toys, try to snag a Shopkins set before they sell out. Any set will probably do!

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 4 and up

 

Jurassic World Raptor Claws and Dino Head Hand Puppet, both at Toys R Us

Jurassic World Raptor Claws ($18.97) and Dino Head Hand Puppet ($13.39) at Amazon

With Jurassic World and the upcoming The Good Dinosaur, dino buzz is sure to reach a fever pitch this year. These foam claws and heads mimic those of the Velociraptors in Jurassic World. Who knows! Maybe your kid will be the next Chris Pratt.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 4 and up

 

Curious Chef 11-Piece Chef Kit in blue or pink, both at Target

Curious Chef 11-Piece Chef Kit ($19.99) at Target

Stoke their interest in cooking with this mini chef’s set. With an apron, measuring spoons, whisk, spatula and more, they’ll be whipping up tasty treats in the kitchen in no time! The kit is available in pink and blue versions.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 4 and up

 

Ages 5 and up

Mega Bloks The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Photo Booth Time Machine Building Set at Amazon

Mega Bloks The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Photo Booth Time Machine Building Set ($7.99) at Amazon

Our favorite absorbent, yellow and porous friend goes way back with this awesome time machine from the recent film SpongeBob: Sponge Out of Water. Give the dial a spin and modern-day SpongeBob becomes caveman SpongeBob.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 5 and up

 

Little Live Pets Owl and Baby Bird at Target

Little Live Pets Owl and Baby Bird ($18.72) at Amazon

Warning: Cuteness overload! This adorable baby and parent talk to each other, and the mom owl feeds her baby and teaches her to sing. In fact, the closer they are to each other, the happier they become, singing and talking even more. Kids can also record phrases, which the mother owl will repeat.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 5 and up

 

The Magic School Bus: The World of Germs at Toys R Us

The Magic School Bus: The World of Germs ($12.79) at Amazon

For budding scientists—or kids who appreciate an ick factor—this game features a number of crazy experiments like growing bacteria, testing antibiotics and using yeast to inflate a balloon.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 5 and up

 

Poof Titan Torpedo at Walmart

Poof Titan Torpedo ($19.35) at Amazon

Kids will love throwing this 29-inch soft-foam torpedo across the yard or at each other. Bonus: It won’t hurt at all if they hit their target.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 6 and up

 

iHip Little Dude Bluetooth Speaker

iHip Little Dude Bluetooth Speaker ($9.47) at Walmart stores

This tiny guy is a great companion for a tablet or smartphone. The speaker streams their favorite Pandora stations or iTunes songs via Bluetooth and has an unexpectedly good sound for the size and price. It will look awesome next to all of their other backpack key chains but will outshine them with its functionality and coolness. The speaker is available in Walmart stores in white, black, blue and purple.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 6 and up

 

Paper Punk Ape

Paper Punk ($9.95 and up) at Paper Punk

Take origami and paper airplanes to another level with these modern paper-building kits. The graphics are so awesome that you might want a couple for your desk too. My favorites are the Ape and Fango the Snake. You can clearly tell which animals they are, but they have an edgy twist that creative kids will love.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 6 and up

 

Compose Yourself Music Card Game at Amazon

Compose Yourself Music Card Game ($14.99) at Amazon

I’ve got the scoop on this new game! Kids arrange the enclosed cards in countless configurations, scan them with the app and hear their compositions played by a symphony orchestra. They can also download MP3s and share their creations via social media.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 6 and up

 

IQ Candy game at Barnes & Noble

IQ Candy ($14.99) at Amazon

This portable game has 60 challenges that will really get them thinking while still having a good time. Plus, the colorful pieces look good enough to eat!

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 7 and up

 

Ages 8 and up

Hog Wild Camo Reel Roaster at Amazon

Hog Wild Camo Reel Roaster ($16.47) at Amazon

This fishing-pole-like roaster will make any campfire more entertaining. It has a rotating stainless steel skewer that you turn with a reel crank for a fishing and roasting experience all in one.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 8 and up

 

Strand Bands at Buy Strand Bands

Strand Bands ($17.34) at Amazon

The next generation of Rainbow Loom, Strand Bands are made of a unique material that allows kids to select a width and simply peel the strands apart. Strand Bands can be braided, woven, beaded—you name it. And they can be reused! The kit includes 360 feet of Strand Bands along with a styler, which holds the strands while the pieces are being made, and 76 beads and charms.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 8 and up

 

Roominate 3-in-1 Helicopter Play Set at Target

Roominate 3-in-1 Helicopter Play Set ($14.79) at Amazon

Designed to encourage girls to construct and design, this set includes plenty of pieces and connectors as well as a screwdriver, battery pack, a doll and a pet. In other words, they’re all set to build any helicopter, airplane, submarine or vehicle that they dream up. The set requires two triple-A batteries, which aren’t included.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 8 and up

 

Nerf Rebelle Secret Shot Blaster at Toys R Us

Nerf Rebelle Secret Shot Blaster ($18.50) at Amazon

My 9-year-old daughter loves this toy. She even has her own theme music that she sings as she transforms from a “regular business lady” carrying a purse to a secret agent with a deadly weapon with foam darts that shoot up to 75 feet.

Manufacturer’s suggested age: 8 and up

 

Something a little different

If you’re the parent of the birthday boy or girl, it’s possible that you don’t have one more inch of space for stuff. As an alternative to a roomful of gifts, why not set up a registry at Deposit a Gift to raise funds for a bigger present, such as an intensive summer dance program or a new bedroom set? Or if your kid is altruistic, create a fund that will allow them to donate a substantive amount to a charity they care about. The basic registry is free to set up and has tons of features, and you only pay 4 percent of the funds raised to Deposit a Gift.

 

**Please note that I have an Amazon Associates account. While Amazon purchases made from this page are monetized, this in no way affects my editorial decisions

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Trae Bodge is an accomplished lifestyle journalist and TV commentator who has specialized in smart shopping, personal finance, and retail for more than a decade. She has appeared on TV over 1,000 times; including Today Show, GMA3, NBC Nightly News, Inside Edition, and network affiliates nationwide. She has been named a Top Voice in Retail by LinkedIn, and her expert commentary has appeared in Forbes, USNews.com, Kiplinger, Yahoo Finance, and numerous others.