We've been a huge fan of KiwiCo Toys and KiwiCo science kits since 2020 when my daughter was a baby. We've tested out so many awesome products through the toddler and little kids years that I wanted to make a central, dedicated KiwiCo gift guide on some of our top picks!

KiwiCo Gift Guide For Babies to 6 Years Old

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Ok so if you’re looking to gift something from KiwiCo or a STEAM project in general for babies, toddler, or little kids that are 4 years old, 5 years old, or 6 years old these are my top picks in NO particular order:

KiwiCo Clubs

KiwiCo recently made some major changes to their subscription lines. The first being a simplified system from KiwiCo crates to KiwiCo clubs. Before you had 9 lines to choose from, now it’s 5.

The new club membership starts off age based with Panda Crate and KiwiCo Sprout, then memberships are interest based: on Science and Engineering in KiwiCo Labs, Geography and Culture with KiwiCo World, and the arts with KiwiCo studio. 

Panda Crate got a huge makeover earlier in the year which I covered in my Panda Crate Plus review, so there isn’t too much to update you on there, but for the other lines they really moved the projects to be more in line with the Panda Crate improvements, namely that each project builds on skill sets from previous projects. 

The updated KiwiCo clubs memberships make a great gift for age-appropriate hands on learning. I love that the kids continue to receive new things every month, which we’ve found super convenient to have on hand during school breaks or long weekends inside since they include everything you need inside. 

KiwiCo is still STEAM focused, so kids are building and creating with each project, but now they are able to break them back down and rebuild again in the future. So we are seeing a lot more wood and less cardboard. 

They usually have a great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal where the longer subscription you sign up for, the more you save, and you guys can always use code TCM for a discount on any new subscription here!

Water and Sand Sensory Table

This has been the #1 most requested item you all have asked me to review over the years and we finally got it and I have to say, we’re obsessed and I 10/10 recommend it.

I often get asked about toy easels, water tables and mud kitchens; all of which I’ve reviewed over the years, and I don’t know why it never clicked in my brain that this one from KiwiCo is ALL THREE!

Yes, you read that right. The water tubes suction onto an acrylic or plexiglass like board, meaning if you don’t stick them on, the kids have an acrylic easel. It even comes with washable paint crayons to get you started. 

I have no idea why I’ve slept on this item because it’s quickly become my #1 pick from KiwiCo’s store. 

The bin is a great size for “washing dishes” or filling with dirt to make mud pies. It comes with a spray bottle, squeegee, and sponge – which those 3 items alone make great toys/gifts. 

I guess I just didn’t realize how many accessories this came with and how great it was, especially for families with multiple kids.

So a few things that I’m obsessed with beyond the easel meets STEM water table features:

• Height adjustable
• DEPTH adjustable! So if you have a bigger kid with longer arms, and a baby who likes to explore, you can actually set the panel closer to the shorter armed child
• Cleaning and storage: The bin itself has a drain, which is a really good size for draining water, but also if you put dirt or sand or even leaves in there. It’s also easy to take out and dump out if needed. Lastly, the panel can actually slide out and be stored on top of the bin as a cover to protect what is inside the bin when not in use. 
• Size – this is SUCH a good size for multiple kids. I can’t stress that enough. I don’t know why I hadn’t considered it, but apparently I’m not the only one because another mom of a 2 and 4 year old commented on the review page saying how convenient it was and that she didn’t realize both kids would be able to play on their own side. Either way, this is a GET!

And I know someone is going to ask me how this compares to the Marble Run + Art Easel which we’ve had for years; and while we still love and use the Marble Run + Art Easel. But from a space saving perspective, I would’ve just gotten the Water and Sand Table to start. It’s similar enough, and for younger kids, with the added bonus of  not worrying about marbles being a choking hazard if you have a baby in the house. Additionally, the Water Table is easier for multiple kids to play at once. Again, both are great gifts, but you can still drop little balls in the water table run and you just get so much more versatility.

Lastly, you can pair the Water Table with their Water Pump Play Set – which also makes a great gift on its own in the shower or bath, and is an easier option for younger kids getting started on the water table as the clicking in of the pipes may be challenging for some 3 year olds (it was for mine). 

Peek-a-Zoo Puzzle Box

This is one of my FAVORITE items from the updated Panda Crate line – you can get this in the Let’s Figure It Out Panda Crate Plus as part of a subscription – or you can buy it alone. It’s cheaper to get it in the subscription though, especially if shopping on sale or using discount code TCM.

Anyway, this is basically a lock box with keys and little wooden animals inside. It works fine motor skills, problem solving, and doubles as a matching/sorting game. 

I think this is suggested for around 2.5 years old, but even at 3 and 5 years old my kids enjoy playing with it. I said in my Panda Crate Plus review that I can easily see them using this as a “collection/treasure” box in the future. For now, it’s one of the best toys for keeping my youngest engaged quietly for long periods of time and even my almost 6 year old is always asking to borrow it from my youngest.

Easy-Squeezy Juicer

We’ve had this for well over 6 months now and my kids continuously play with it over and over again; as you can see from how much where it has!

It’s easily one of their favorite activities to set up a restaurant or  “lemonade” stand in the backyard, come over with the order sheet, circle it then go make and bring it back. 

The lemons and oranges have a little sponge inside that soaks up water and then they squeeze it into the cups. We got this right when it first launched, and it looks like they’ve introduced coloring changing cups since then which is super cool!

Solar System

KiwiCo’s Astronaut Starter Kit was a HUGE hit with my kids! It’s actually a really great activity set for multiple kids as the solar system set up has plenty of planets to paint and pieces for multiple kids to work on at once.

The rocket launch also comes with 2 rockets so each kid can take turns with the launch.

We had a blast making all of this one day and my kids even brought it to school to show everyone; the teacher said they ended up using it for an impromptu lessons on space. 

Really such a great value compared to others on the market too!

Load + Go Wooden Train Set

This is SUCH a good wooden train set that my kids adore! It comes in the Plus or Deluxe “Let’s Tell A Story” Panda Crate.

The track is compatible with most standard wooden train tracks so you can easily pair with another set; but what makes this really special are the accessories. 

There’s a hopper you load the blocks into and drop on the train, little color coordinated people and stations, and a few interesting features like a red “horn” on the main train, block drop off area, and traffic arm. 

We’ve had this for about around a year or so and my kids spend hours playing with it still. It’s really one of the most fun and interesting all wooden train sets I’ve ever come across!

Fort Builder Kit

We’ve tested out three different fort building kits and this one is our favorite!

It’s the perfect intersection of easy AND sturdy builds. I love the connectors actually are bendable to make points like an A frame roof. It pairs great with silks or sheets from around the house for forts or puppet theaters.

My kids use this pretty much every week and it cleans up/stores away really nicely in the carrying bag. 

Pretend Play + Early Math Bundle (3-Pack)

I believe the Bake-A-Cake stand mixer was the first ever Christmas gift we got after my youngest was born and it still gets played with all of the time!

It comes with a wooden stand mixer, recipe cards, play sugar and flour, and utensils, and wooden ingredients/utensils.

You can buy it alone or in an early math/pretend play bundle (historically I’ve seen that sell out during the holidays). From that bundle we’ve also had the Pasta Making + Shapes Set which is a really fun sensory set that comes with a great non-toxic playdough that smells amazing.

The set also includes the Build A Burger Set which is a mix of plush play food and a wooden grill/accessories as well as recipe cards.

Each of these items work different early math concepts from pattern recognition, sequencing, shapes, and fractions and are sure to keep your child engaged in pretend play from the toddler to the early elementary years. 

Piano Xylophone and Shaker Set 

Another one of our absolute favorites that my kids still play with regularly! This is rated safe for babies as young as 6 months, and has maintained my kids attention at 3 and almost 6 years old. 

The xylophone has piano-like buttons to make the sound, you can also pair this with any wooden mallet (not included) to use as a regular xylophone. 

You can purchase this on its own, or as part of the Panda Crate Plus “Let’s Listen” Crate and I’d 10/10 recommend that as it’s one of my favorite Panda crates with scarves and some fun shakers and it ultimately becomes a more cost effective option when using discount code TCM on a new subscription. 

Play and Go Lockbox

We’ve had several lockboxes over the years and our absolute most used is the KiwiCo Play and Go Lockbox!

I’ve said it a ton of times over the years, but I’m convinced the key to keeping babies and young toddlers engaged are CONTAINERS. They love putting things in and out of different containers and this lock box is by far one of our favorites.

It is bigger than most, so kids can fit more toys inside. It also has interesting doors, including a see-through side working some lessons on object permanence.

Beyond that it comes with wooden X and O pieces you can drop in the top as a little fine motor puzzle. 

This comes as a standalone item or in the Panda Crate Plus Let’s Count! Crate.

Paper Dolls 

I’ve shared these in our playroom tour, but it’s still one of my absolute favorites, and this makes a great gift for kids well beyond 6 years old too.

It’s a cute canvas carrying case with six paper dolls, scissors, markers, and different textures, stencils, and papers for you to create clothes and accessories with.

We love this at home, and it also works great for travel. It even has little scenes for kids to play on with their paper dolls and there’s an option to buy this as a “party pack” or Stocking Stuffer Bundle if you’re shopping for multiple kids/instances.

Canvas Crowns

This is a set of 2 Canvas Crowns that are pre-washed and ready for kids to dye, paint, or embroider. I LOVE this and may actually get it for my kids this year as it’s a fraction of the cost of some of the other crowns on the market, and I love that the kids can do it however they want. 

For littles, you can give them washable markers to decorate, then wash and do over and over again. For older kids, you can pair it with KiwiCo Fabric Dye Powder Set and let them decorate more permanently. 

Sensory Sand Shaved Ice Maker

The Sensory Sand Shaved Ice Maker is another great sensory toy by KiwiCo!

It comes with two packs of super soft kinetic sand that holds really well and a tray for playing on to keep the sand contained as well as 3 different shape molds, and a counting board that corresponds to the molds. 

My kids have always loved moldable sand, and this came with plenty of accessories for them to both play at once. I was a little nervous because getting the lid on can be tricky, my 3 year old is still mastering it but my 5 year old figured it out after I showed her a couple of times.

It works some early math skills, hand eye coordination, and finger strength. But I think the biggest skills it unexpectedly worked on was frustration tolerance and patience. Sometimes the sand would go into the sides and above the spinning plate, so the kids would have to work harder or practice patience as the sand slowly dripped down. I thought my kids would get frustrated by this, but actually my daughter said “this is one of the best toys!” 

KiwiCo Discount code: TCM

We absolutely LOVE our KiwiCo toys and KiwiCo science kits! We started using KiwiCo with my oldest when she was a toddler and she still loves it at 5 years old! So whether you're shopping for a baby, 2 year olds, or even a 7 year old I hope this gift guide for kids was helpful for finding the perfect gift to bring to a birthday party, Christmas, or anytime!