With the holiday rush right around the corner, it’s never too early to start gathering wish lists  and consulting holiday gift guides. As parents and grandparents, we know that the younger years can feel a bit the easier when it comes to memorable gifts. Cute clothes and fun toys are always a hit with the littles and with parents of the littles. 

As kids grow older, it can be tricky to find appropriate gifts that are affordable, fun, and thoughtful, especially for those elementary and pre-tween ages.

Weather it’s for your own kids, grandkids, children of your bestie, nieces, nephews and all those in between, we’ve rounded up a great list of gender neutral gift Ideas for kids ages 5-8 years old.  

11 Gender Neutral Gifts for Kids Ages 5-8 

1. The Nightball Soccer Ball, $27.99

For the soccer star who has it all, a light-up LED soccer ball is next level. Choose from a variety of colors and watch your kids play until dusk, just like when we were young. This is super durable gift for both girls and boys that lights up when kicked. Bonus: Batteries are included! 

2. Loog Guitar, starting at $98

I’m a firm believer in giving experiential gifts or educational activities, and musical instruments rank high on that list for the holidays. Enter the Loog Guitar. Aside from the adorable array of color options, this guitar is perfect for that child who wants to start learning guitar, but unsure about committing to lessons or a real (hint hint expensive) instrument. It comes with visual flash cards to help your child learn, or access to a learning app and online tutorial videos. The travel case is the icing on the cake with this gift, making storage compact and easy. 

3. Oooly Paints, $10.99

‍If you have kids that love creating, you have to try Ooly art supplies. These are high-quality art products that come in all sorts of bright colorful packages and combinations. Honestly, I would love to have any of them today as an adult and 8-year-old me would scream with joy to find Ooly under the tree. The pearlescent watercolor set is a favorite because not only do the paints shine, but when you wash your brushes the water turns shimmery too!

4. Baketivity, $28.95

This kids baking subscription box was such a hit in my house with both my son and daughter. We loved it so much we’ve gifted it to friends for birthdays all last year. Choose from the Baking Club, Cooking Club or Single Kits. Pair it with a personalized chefs apron or oven mitts from Etsy and you’re all set!

5. CandyLab Castor Set, $20

‍Build your own CandyLab mini cars with this super fun creator set. Each kit comes with three wooden car bodies, wheels and stickers for decorating. Kids will love customizing each car and you can even paint them! (Paint not included)

6. eeBoo Board Games, starting at $11.99

‍Games are always a great idea for gifts. They are perfect for gatherings, those long breaks from school and visiting friends or family over the holidays. We tend to pull out games on sick days or snow days too. A few years ago we discovered the high-quality games from eeBoo and I swear we have acquired almost every one, we love them so much. All the games and card sets are made from high-quality materials in bright colorful boxes that can withstand play session after play session. These are great 15-20 minute games intended for kids of all ages, but also fun for adults and older kids too. 

7. Plus Plus, starting at $15.99

Do you have a builder kid in your family? PlusPlus are a great toy for those kids who enjoy putting things together and taking them apart. Each set comes in a handy travel tube, complete with instructions. Or, let kids use their imagination and come with all kinds of unique creations. All of my kids enjoy both!

8. Wonderbly Books

‍When it comes to giving books for gifts, it can be challenging because not all kids love books and it’s hard to know what reading level a child may be at. I stumbled upon these amazing personalized customizable books a few years ago thanks to a Facebook ad (we’ve all been there!) and have to say they are as cool as they look online. Our favorites are the “Where Are You” seek-and-find books, but there are tons of options for adding your childs name as a character in any of the books. 

9. VTech KidiZoom Print Camera, $49.95‍

A great option for kids that may not be ready yet for a polaroid camera, the VTech KidiZoom is sure to be a hit for the holidays. This lightweight, rechargeable, compact camera comes with two paper rolls and automatically prints out black and white images in seconds Explore 110+ templates to create comic strips, play money, greetings cards and more! My kids love to print these off and then color them in to make mini works of art. You are going to wish they had this technology when you were a kid!

10. Micro Kickboard Scooters, $89

There is nothing better than gifting a kid wheels- am I right? As long as its not 4-wheels… not yet anyways! Every one of my kids love their Micro Kickboard Scooter so much, they use them almost daily. We even have scooters at the grandparents houses now, making these perfect gifts from extended family. Choose from transitional 3-in-1 scooters, luggage scooters, LED scooters (the lights are awesome!) foldable scooters and more. With over 10,000 5-star reviews, this is a product worth checking out.

11. Paint-By-Sticker Books, $8.45

‍These sticker books come in a variety of themes, there is bound to be one your child loves. Choose from dinosaurs, outer space, unicorns, rainbows, under the sea and more. This makes a great stocking stuffer and bundles nicely with other similarly-themed gifts. The best part? Each page is perforated so you can easily rip it out once it’s completed for a cute piece of kiddo art to display.

Don’t forget to add your favorites to the shopping list this holiday season too. We all deserve a little something for our hard work as moms! If you need some ideas, this Poppylist gift guide for moms is a great places to get started. Happy shopping!