Personalized Christmas gifts for kids work because every kid is the main character of their own world. Put their name, their face or their dog on something, and it jumps to the top of the pile. The trick is choosing personalized gifts that still get used once the wrapping paper is in the recycling. Here are six ideas, from stocking stuffers to the big gift, with an honest catch on each.
What makes personalized Christmas gifts for kids last
Kids get a lot of stuff at Christmas. Most of it is forgotten by the new year. Personalized gifts have a head start, because a kid will always look twice at their own name.
A name on a mug is cute for a day. The personalized gifts kids keep loving have something more going for them.
- They get used. Read, played, worn or carried. A personalized thing on a shelf is decoration.
- They grow a little. A gift that works at four and still works at seven earns its spot.
- They include other people. Kids love seeing their grandparents, cousins and friends in their things too.
- They're spelled right. Check the name twice. Then check it again.
Keep those four in mind and most personalized gifts sort themselves into keepers and clutter.
Six ideas with their name on them
1. A storybook starring them
A picture book where your child is the hero, with their name on every page. Bedtime suddenly has a celebrity. Some let you add a pet or a sibling as the sidekick, which doubles the giggles.
Good for: ages 2 to 6, and kids who ask for the same book every night. The catch: some read like a form with a name dropped in. Preview a few pages and pick one with a real story.
2. A wooden name puzzle
Each letter of their name is a chunky puzzle piece. Toddlers pull them out, line them up and start to spot their letters everywhere.
Good for: toddlers just meeting the alphabet. The catch: kids outgrow it in a year or two. Then it becomes shelf decor, which parents tend to love anyway.
3. A memory game of their own world
This is the one we make. Matchy Matchy Memory prints your photos as a matching card game, from $19.99. Fill it with their world: their own face, the cousins, the best friend from preschool, the dog, the grandparents. Kids tend to shriek when they flip themselves.
Good for: ages 3 and up, and families who play together on Christmas afternoon. The catch: it's a game, so it shines when there's someone to play with. For quiet solo time, the storybook is the better pick.
4. An embroidered stocking or backpack
Their name stitched on something they use every year or every day. The stocking comes back each Christmas. The backpack goes to school.
Good for: kids who like having their own things. The catch: younger siblings will want one too. Order them as a set.
5. A letter from the North Pole
A letter from Santa that mentions real details. The new puppy, the lost tooth, the brave first day at a new school.
Good for: believers, roughly ages 3 to 7. The catch: older kids investigate. The more specific and true the details, the longer the magic holds.
6. A growth chart with their name
A wooden growth chart with their name at the top. Mark their height every Christmas morning and watch the marks climb.
Good for: families who love a yearly ritual. The catch: moving house means taking it with you. Choose one that hangs, so it can travel.
Their own face, re-drawn
Kids go wild for seeing themselves as a movie hero. Matchy Matchy Magic re-draws your photos in 3D Film, Watercolor or Anime, from $29.99. Same matching game, with the whole family turned into a cast of characters.
- 3D Film. For kids who quote animated movies at dinner.
- Anime. For big feelings and big eyes.
- Watercolor. Softer, and lovely for little ones and grandparents.
You see your first card before you pay, so you can check the look before the whole deck is made.
Choosing photos for a kid's deck
- Start with them. Two or three photos of the kid at different ages. Baby pictures get the biggest giggle.
- Add their people. Siblings, cousins, grandparents, the neighbor they adore.
- Add the animals. Their pet, the cousin's pet, the goat from the petting zoo.
- Keep it close. One clear face per photo is easiest for small players.
For kids under five, 12 cards keep the game short and sweet. Older kids can handle 24 cards, and families who love a challenge go for 48.
Under the tree, and after
A personalized gift gets one big moment on Christmas morning. Help it get many more.
- Play the first round right away. Kids remember the gifts grown-ups sat down with.
- Bring it to the next visit. Grandparents love finding themselves in the deck.
- Give it a home. A spot on a low shelf means it gets picked up again.
- Add to it. Next year, a new book in the series or a new photo game with the year's best moments keeps the tradition going.
Kids tend to love the gifts that keep pulling family into the room. A name on the cover gets them interested. The people inside keep them coming back.
Make one with their favorite faces
Pick the faces your kid loves most. Choose real photos or re-drawn ones. Choose 12, 24 or 48 cards. Check your first card before you pay. Shipping is $5, and free when you order 2 or more decks. US only, ships in 3 to 5 business days. Order early for Christmas.
Start with Matchy Matchy Memory for real photos, or Matchy Matchy Magic to see them re-drawn. Questions? Write to us at hello@matchygame.com.