When kids finally attain the age of 10, they have hit the double-digit milestones, with their teenage years just looming around the corner. Children within this age group start to chart their own interest paths as they discover more about themselves. Therefore, gifting your ten-year-old is an opportunity to help them nurture those interests or passions while encouraging them to deepen their self-exploration. Similarly, children within this age group also value friendships and inclusion, so it's advisable to gift them something they can share with their peers. For example, art projects, board games, and complex projects that require critical thinking and creativity. So, here are the ultimate gifts we believe are most appropriate and suitable for 10-year-olds.
A Quiet Escape Room at Home
Thames & Kosmos Exit: The Game—The House of Riddles Price: $15
Escape rooms are fun and educational ways for 10-year-olds to solve puzzles, mysteries and develop critical thinking. Such games can be played at home by older kids. It involves the player being “left” in a room by themselves to solve various mysteries, puzzles, and codes to “escape”. One such game is the Thames & Kosmos Exit: The Game—The House of Riddles, which contains a series of hands-on games that your kid can play at home. This particular escape-room-style game won the Kennerspiel des Jahres award in 2017. Each game can be played once for one or two hours, making it an entertaining option for sleepovers.
A Sense of Humanity
Giving your child a donation to make to a worthy cause helps instill in them a sense of humanity. It teaches them the values of generosity, empathy, and kindness and allows them to experience the satisfaction of helping the needy. You can research a few of such worthy causes as a food bank, homeless shelter, or any other charity campaign within your neighborhood or town and find ways to make a difference. For research, DonorsChoose is a great resource that lets you search for these organizations by zip code. Alternatively, you can choose from several resources such as GuideStar, Charity Navigator, and BBB Wise Giving Alliance. You can introduce your 10-year-olds to any of the many charitable causes available on these sites and give them something to donate.
One of the many intriguing and exciting things about Telestrations is that they present you with the ability to create landscapes and draw a variety of standard stock images, etc. This board game is an upgrade of the traditional telephone game with images. It entails players working with a dry-erase marker, a sketchbook, and a small card containing a list of various objects.
You are supposed to pick a single object from the list, draw it, then hand over the sketchbook to the next player who'll draw another object and so forth. At the end of the round, you'll have created a unique landscape with various colorful pictures. Telestrations is a fun game full of laughter —especially if played by many participants—and it's perfect for kids aged ten and above.
A Hammock for Reading
Camping trips or vacations can be great fun if you remember to pack a portable hammock. However, they're just as ideal for a comfortable yet straightforward private space for your 10-year-olds to have me-time to read their favorite novel. Our best pick for this piece is the ENO SingleNest Hammock which is packable, lightweight, and doubles up as a durable and comfortable snug sling, perfect for a quiet time. The ENO can contain around 400 pounds, so two kids can comfortably snug into it and have fun. Keep in mind that for this product, you need to buy separate straps for suspension.
Journaling Tools
Pilot FriXion ColorSticks Erasable Gel Ink Stick Pens
Rhodia Rhodiarama Softcover Notebook
Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Price: $20
If there is a gift that can help your child develop critical thinking by writing down their thoughts, ideas, and opinions, it's a collection of journaling tools. Think of a set of colorful pens and pencils (rainbow-colored gel ones are better). Our best pick for gifting your 10-year-old son or daughter is the bright Pilot FriXion ColorSticks Erasable Gel Ink Stick Pens, which come as a set of 10 and are very affordable. These pens offer a smooth writing process and clean erase, leaving neat and precise work.
Another best pick, FriXion ink, magically disappears when erased by the firm plastic rubber at the bottom of the pen. The friction from rubbing turns the ink into a transparent color which is both mesmerizing and fun. If you want the ink to reappear, place the paper in the freezer, and voila! Finally, Rhodia Rhodiarama SoftCover Notebook is a perfect option for journaling, doodling, and even daydreaming. It comes as a complete package of blank notebooks and pens of various colors.
A Skateboard for a Beginner Is Perfect for 10-Year-Olds
Zumiez Cruiser Complete Skateboard
Zumiez Standard Complete Skateboard
If your kid has ever shown an interest in skating, then consider gifting them a skateboard when they turn 10. You can opt to get one customized for your kid at your local skateboard shop. Alternatively, buy a remodeled one at a reliable retailer like Zumiez. Zumiez has some of the best skateboards specifically for beginners, from the Zumiez Cruiser Complete Skateboard to the Zumiez Standard Complete Skateboard. While at, remember to pick up the safety gear, too, including helmet and knee and elbow pads.
Kids Tablet
If your kid is a natural artist capable of drawing great stuff on paper, you might want to let them experiment with digital art. A beginner's drawing tablet may be precisely what they need to explore their creative side. You can connect a drawing tablet to a computer device and draw digital images using a stylus. Kids' Tablet is the ideal gift for a 10-year-old with an eye for sketching, digital comics, animation, doodling, etc. Our best pick for kids tablets is the versatile Wacom Intuos S which is a fun and classy drawing tool for beginners. It has an easy-to-use pen that is both customizable and comfortable. Even better is that it comes with Corel Painter Essentials 7, robust software that's just right for beginners.
Find Amazing Gifts for 10-Year-Olds
Age 10 is a crucial time for your child's life. The next decade not only marks the beginning of change for them physically, mentally, and emotionally, but it sets them on the journey to teenagehood and ultimately adulthood. As you celebrate each milestone of your child's life, preparing them to be responsible, creative, and resourceful youngsters who are critical thinkers is the way to go. What better way to do that than gift them something that will open doors of creativity and imagination? Go ahead, borrow from our examples, and be inspired.
