We all like to imagine our kids playing baseball out in the street, foraging in the woodlands and catching frogs, but the reality is: in 2023 most kids want tech. That doesn’t mean you need to glue them to a smart phone 14 hours a day, but there are several gadgets out there that can make life more fun, more streamlined, more educational, and much quieter for parents who have earned five sweet, sweet minutes all to themselves.
Here’s our gift guide of cool gadgets featuring 11 of the best techie gifts for kids in 2023. (Batteries not included.)
11 best techie gifts for kids: gadgets
1. JBL Kids Headphones – JBL does a wide range of kids headphones, specifically designed for little ears. They’re wireless, come in a bunch of fun colours, and they can’t exceed 85dB. That means they’re safe, even if your six-year-old wants to blast some Metallica on the plane.
2. Amazon Fire – Amazon’s latest Fire Tablet generation is faster than ever before, and they’ve even kicked the battery life up to 13 hours (very handy for long car drives). We recommend the Amazon Fire Kids Tablet here: it’s got built-in parental controls and a big, bright screen. Even comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.
3. Apple Watch SE – To wear or not to wear? Some parents don’t mind wearable tech, and it’s certainly got its benefits. With something like the latest gen Apple Watch SE, you can turn on ‘Schooltime Mode’ (a focus mode for kids), quickly send and receive texts, and track your child’s location via Find My. Gabb Watch 2 is another great option here.
4. Amazon Echo Dot Kids – Amazon has done a great job of fleshing out their Kids+ ecosystem, and if you haven’t tried Echo Dot Kids yet, you might be pleasantly surprised. Not only can it do all your regular Echo stuff, but it also comes with Reading Sidekick, which lets your child read along with books purchased through Kids+, with Alexa filling in the blanks. Nifty.
5. Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition – Amazon’s Kindle is still the e-reading industry leader, and for good reason. It’s recently had an upgrade – now with 300ppi high-resolution and glare-free display – and you can plug straight into the Kids+ ecosystem. That’s thousands of books on tap. The Kobo Nia is another good entry-level option here, although it doesn’t have all the Kindle’s bells and whistles.
11 best techie gifts for kids: tech toys for STEM
6. Teach Tech Mech 5 – Bit of a mouthful, but this toy is a great way to introduce your kids to the world of robotics and mechanical coding. Two skills they’re probably going to need in high school. With this kit, kids can build their own STEM robot, all by snapping coding buttons into the ‘coding wheel’.
7. Winning Fingers – A cube toy that tests your child’s memory and hand-eye coordination, building fundamental brain skills. This one’s perfect for all-ages, and it’ll provide hours of distraction in the car. Repeat sequences, catch the flashing lights, and try to beat your old time!
8. Artie 3000 – Another great STEM gift. Artie 3000 is known as the Coding Robot. Kids can create their own code, and Artie translates their instructions into lines on paper. You can code anything from tic-tac-toe to illustrations and diagrams, and the software is easy for anyone to pick up. No prior experience necessary.
11 best techie gifts for kids: board games and more
9. Tacto Chess – Getting kids into chess is a great way to stimulate their creativity and critical thinking skills. And who knows, you might just find a new hobby for life. There are a bunch of apps out there, but Tacto combines physical pieces with a screen, turning your tablet into a real-life chess board.
10. SUNLIN Dance Mat – Kids today probably don’t remember the sweaty magnificence that was Dance Dance Revolution, but that’s okay. There’s a modern incarnation in the SUNLIN Dance Mat: a good example of tech that gets children moving. Just follow the beat and dance to the LED cues.
11. Tamagotchi – No, you don’t need to check your calendar. It’s still 2023. And yes, tamagotchis are still a thing. The tech is decidedly lo-fi by today’s standards, but tamagotchis are as colourful, portable, fun and addictive as ever. You can even connect your digital pet with others around the world via the ‘Tamaverse’ (yes, really).
