Holiday Gifts that Support Your Child’s Development
When most kids unwrap holiday gifts, they’re met with what my mother used to call “five-minute toys”—the trendy gadgets that spark excitement for a day or two but quickly wind up forgotten.
This list is different.
Each gift below supports sensory-motor development, balance, fine and gross motor skills, focus, imagination, and whole-brain growth. You’ll also find experience-based gifts for older kids and teens that strengthen resilience, confidence, and a growth mindset.
And just to be clear: we are not paid to endorse any of these products—we simply love them because they’re fun, functional, and great for the brain.
Gifts for Ages 3–6
Stepping Stones
Stepping stones build balance, motor planning, coordination, and confidence. This set features uneven surfaces that challenge adaptability, and the included spinner lets kids create games and obstacle courses. They even double as sorting bowls when flipped. 👉 National Geographic Stepping Stones
Balance Bike
A balance bike promotes independent movement, core strength, balance, coordination, and confidence—key building blocks for early brain development. 👉 Balance Bike
Dinosaur Sorting Puzzle
A sensory-friendly fidget toy that strengthens fine motor skills, palmar grasp, and hand strength. Kids squeeze colorful balls into the dinosaur’s spikes—playful and developmentally rich. 👉 Gel Dinosaur Sorting Toy
Pipe Cleaners
Simple, inexpensive, and endlessly useful for fine motor play, bilateral coordination, crafts, and sensory exploration. 👉 Colorful Chenille Pipe Cleaners
Gifts for Ages 7–10
Rocker Board
A fun movement challenge that improves balance, core engagement, motor planning, stability, and proprioception. 👉 Kids Rocker Board
Indoor Trampoline
A great tool for emotional regulation, agility, motor planning, and cardiovascular health. Kids who are overstimulated often benefit from quick, repetitive movement. 👉 BCAN Foldable Indoor Trampoline
Exercise Dice
Turns movement into a game with endless combinations. Perfect for agility, coordination, social skills, and group play. 👉 Exercise Dice for Kids
Gifts for Ages 11–14
Lego Sets
Great for creativity, visual-spatial reasoning, fine motor skills, sequencing, and sustained attention. 👉 LEGO Architecture London
Genius Square
A fast, strategic puzzle game that sharpens spatial thinking, problem-solving, and flexible thinking. 👉 Genius Square Game
Q-Bitz
Strengthens pattern recognition, memory, visual perception, and fine motor skills. 👉 Q-Bitz Game
Slack Board (Advanced)
A more challenging stability and balance tool for older kids craving a bigger challenge. 👉 Gibbon Slackline Board
Fun for the Whole Family
Yoto Player
A screen-free audio player that builds listening skills, imagination, language, and comprehension. 👉 Yoto Player
Interval Workout Card Game
Fun for the whole family, this interactive card game will help increase your heart rate, improve strength, balance and coordination skills, which are foundational to the Brain Balance Program. 👉 Exercise Card Game
Experiential Gifts for Teens
Summer Camp
A powerful experience for building friendships, resilience, independence, and a growth mindset. Search for summer camp enrollments near you!
Gym or Exercise Studio Membership
Supports healthy movement habits, independence, social opportunities and bonding for the whole family.
Cooking Classes
Great for sequencing, sensory exploration, fine motor skills, and trying new foods.
Pottery Classes
Supports bilateral coordination, creativity, hand strength, and sensory tolerance.
End the Year With Intentional Growth
As the year winds down, many families start thinking about what they want the next year to look like—more calm, more confidence, more focus, and more progress at home and at school.
If you’ve been considering Brain Balance, the end of the year is the perfect time to take that step. Starting now gives your child a strong developmental foundation heading into 2026, with improved brain connectivity, better emotional regulation, and new tools for success.
Our team is here to support your family every step of the way—so you can begin the new year with hope, momentum, and a plan.
About the Author
Sarah Weeks
Educational Leader, Former Principal of NYC public schools, Executive Director, Brain Balance of Brooklyn
