11 Best Tech Gadgets to Gift Kids in 2023

When choosing tech gadgets to gift your favorite little people, the biggest predicament is choosing between educational and entertaining ones. But you don’t have to choose between the two because, today, you can get tech gadgets that stimulate your little one’s brain, keep them creative and have fun.

We’ve made it even easier for you by scouring the internet and looking into the tech gadget catalogs of the top retailers to find fun toys that stimulate learning. The options we’ve picked include toys they can use for reading, gaming, drawing, learning STEM, and communicating. 

Our gift guide comprises gifts that have amazing controls, so you never have to worry about that. We’ve also included a mix of options suitable for kids of all ages, from cute little toddlers to picky teenagers. Here’s a highlight of some of the categories we’ve covered.

Top Picks: Best Tech Gadgets to Gift Kids

Best Overall Tech Gadget for Kids: Original Tamagotchi 

For the top spot, we had to pick the tech gadget that would scoop you the title of the coolest mom, dad, aunt, uncle, or granny. The Tamagotchi is a digital pet that’ll wake your inner child as you reminisce about the good ol’ days and create similarly fond memories for the kids in your life.

Kids can add the egg-shaped virtual pet to their keychains as an accent piece or favorite bags and carry it everywhere. If you grew up in the ‘90s, you must know the excitement of carrying a “pet” you can feed, play with, discipline, and care for.

The Tamagotchi is not only a fun gadget to handle but a challenging one, too, because the child needs to raise it from the egg stage to adulthood and ensure that it’s happy, fed, and clean in order for it to survive. It’s appropriate for kids aged 8+ and is available in 44 different colors, ranging from solid colors like Black, Blue, and Neon to Plaid, Comic Book, Retro, Animated, Tie-Dye, and more.

Best E-Reader for Kids: Kindle Paperwhite Kids

Do you know a little person who just can’t keep their little fingers off books or any reading materials they come across? If yes, then we recommend the Kindle Paperwhite Kids tablet, which can carry an entire library of reading materials suitable for kids between ages 7 and 12.

This e-reader is also perfect if you’re just starting to nurture their reading spirit or looking for activities to keep your tweens off the internet for a little longer. The Kindle Paperwhite has an endless selection of popular, ad-free books and comes with a one-year free subscription to the Amazon Kids+ Library.

It’s also quite damage-proof thanks to the kid-friendly cover it comes with, as well as a two-year “no-questions-asked” replacement guarantee. Not to forget, it’s also waterproof with an IPX8 rating, has a reduced lag time, and has a long battery life of up to 10 weeks.

The Kindle Paperwhite comes with a year’s worth of FreeTime subscription. This parental control feature allows you to select the content your child can interact with and other advanced parental controls.

Best Smartwatch for Kids: Apple Watch SE (2022)

If you’re willing to spend a little more on a functional tech gift for school-going kids, the Apple Watch SE is a good option. The Apple Watch SE is an impressive wrist wearable that gives parents peace of mind and replaces the need for a phone. Your kids will enjoy using this Apple smartwatch to text and call, track their sleep and health, pair with thousands of apps, and quickly call for help with the SOS feature.

The Family Setup feature on this device makes it possible for your kids to use it without an iPhone. You only need to pair it with your own iPhone, which gives you control over everything they do, including their screen time.

The Family Setup feature allows you to know their whereabouts at any time. You can also turn on Schooltime Mode, which disables some functionalities so they can focus while at school, all while letting you closely monitor their contacts.

Although it has parental controls, it’s not made specifically for kids, so it’s best to hand down a used Apple Watch SE that you’ve kid-proofed or stick to gifting this to older kids. The best part is that there are a variety of case options and bands you can pair with this watch that will definitely tickle any kid’s fancy. The 40mm case is perfect for tiny hands, and they never have to take it off, even when they go for a swim, because it’s water-resistant and swim-proof.

Best Tablet for Toddlers and Small Kids: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro (2022)

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is a durable and resilient tablet that’s perfect as your child’s first tablet. It’s ideal for 6- to 12-year-olds as it allows them access to numerous ebooks, shows, music stations, movies, and other age-appropriate apps that they can use for education and entertainment.

This tablet is built with kids in mind, so the 8″ HD display screen is made with aluminosilicate glass and comes with a kid-friendly case that protects it from bumps and drops. Amazon is serious about having this last as long as possible, so they give a 2-year worry-free guarantee during which you can replace the tablet for as little as a crack or a completely shattered screen.

As most of the other kid’s gifts from Amazon are included in this guide, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet allows kids ad-free access to cool and fun edutainment content from popular and renowned brands. These include LEGO, Marvel, Disney, and National Geographic.

It boasts 13 hours of battery life, 2 GB of RAM, and 32 or 64 GB of internal storage that’s expandable up to 1 TB. The Parent Dashboard puts a lot of control in your hands, as you can limit screen time, block access to certain sites, set educational goals, and adjust age filters. Even better, the browser has built-in controls that make it easier to customize and child-proof usage.

Best Tablet for Teens and Tweens: Apple iPad 10th Gen

The latest Apple iPad makes the perfect gift for kids ages 7 and up. It’s a wonderful multi-use device that they can use for entertainment, education, and exploring their creativity in numerous ways. The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display is super responsive, has great viewing angles, and makes it even easier to multitask and switch between apps.

Your kids will absolutely love doodling, drawing, and scribbling on this iPad with the Apple Pencil that comes with it. They will also enjoy full-immersive watching, gaming, and music-listening sessions thanks to the landscape stereo speakers and built-in mics.

Furthermore, this device’s WiFi 6 and WiFi 5G capabilities improve its connectivity and internet speeds, which is a feature older kids will truly appreciate.

The Apple iPad 10th Gen comes in four bold colors: Pink, Blue, Yellow, and Silver to ensure there’s actually something for everyone. You can also pair this purchase with a Magic Keyboard Folio to protect it from bumps and cracks while improving its functionality.

Best Mini Drone Camera for Kids: DEERC D20 Mini Drone for Kids

Do you know a little human who can’t contain their excitement when they see a drone? Well, the good news is you can put the same power in their hands with the DEERC D20 Mini Drone for Kids at an affordable price. 

This mini kids’ drone has a small, compact design, almost the size of an adult’s palm, and weighs about 69 grams, making it usable without registration from the Federal Aviation Administration. It has foldable motor arms that make it incredibly portable and easy to carry around in your pocket or backpack.

The DEERC D20 Mini Drone is an easy-to-operate drone for beginner drone pilots with numerous kid-friendly features and voice control capabilities. It uses an Optical Flow Positioning system to automatically stabilize flight levels, an Altitude Hold system to enable auto hovering, and 3-speed modes suitable for remote pilots at different levels. 

The Headless Mode allows you to fly the drone in any direction, especially when the drone is far away. It comes with two modular batteries with 10 minutes of playtime each, and you can recharge using the USB charging cable it comes with.

Best Headphones for Kids: Belkin SoundForm Mini

If you know a little person who loves immersive sound when watching, listening to music, or gaming, then a set of good-quality headphones is a gift they will surely appreciate. The Belkin SoundForm Mini are the perfect headphones for little people as they’re affordable, specifically built for kids, and have a safe listening volume.

These headphones are made to fit and be comfortable for kids thanks to their smaller-than-regular caps and adjustable headband. The Belkin SoundForm Mini Bluetooth headphones can stay connected for up to 30 feet and give you up to 30 hours of listening time from a single charge, which makes them a reliable companion for kids during long drives or flights.

They have a Safe Volume cap at 85 decibels to protect the delicate and developing eardrums. The SoundForm Mini is also incredibly durable, as it can withstand multiple drops and water splashes for up to 2 years without malfunctioning. The best part is that you can find these in Pink, Blue, White, and Black, so you get to match these to your giftee’s personality.

Best Speaker for Kids: Amazon Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen)

An Amazon Echo Dot Kids is a cute little sidekick that kids between ages 3 and 12 can use to listen to music, audiobooks, and podcasts, play games, and get help with homework. It works exactly like the revered Echo Dot but is ridiculously cute, thanks to the animal skins that adorn it.

The Echo Dot Kids Edition has advanced yet easy-to-use parental controls that allow you to filter content, review activity, and set daily limits. It provides access to kid-friendly resources from Disney, National Geographic, Barbie, Spotify, and Ask Alexa that children can use for edutainment purposes. For example, the Echo Dot can be your child’s reading companion or their little crutch that helps them with homework occasionally.

It comes with a 1-year free Amazon Kids subscription, which provides access to a wide range of Audible books, games, and educational skills to keep them creative, learning, and entertained. The smaller kids will love the animal-inspired (owl or dragon) voice feature they can find on this gadget, and you can also get it with the Echo Glow or a stand to make for an even bigger smile.

Best Console for Kids: Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is the new-age Game Boy. For the few of you who don’t remember, it was the most popular gaming device in the ‘90s. Nintendo has been continuously building on the success of its first gaming console to ensure they keep up with technology and the demands of every generation ever since.

Today, the Nintendo Switch is the ultimate gaming console for any little gamer. It can be used in the intended handheld mode, connected to a monitor or TV screen, or propped on a tabletop. It even comes with Joy-Con controllers that support the flexibility it offers and make multiplayer games more exciting. 

Not to forget the kickstand that supports it in Tabletop Mode and the improved speakers that make gameplay ultra-immersive. The 6.2-inch multi-touch gaming console has over 4,000 games to choose from, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros, FIFA 23, Golf, Tennis, Volleyball, and other sports games.

Best Instant Camera for Kids: Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera

Another one for the good ol’ days is an instant camera, only this time, the photos are printed out immediately. Kids in this digital age might never know the joy and excitement of having print photos to paste on their walls or to create scrapbooks. But you can change this for a cute little person who’s into photography or scrapbooking with the FujiFilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera.

This kid-friendly camera is easy to use, fully automatic, and prints good-quality card-sized photos in just a few seconds. It has multiple features to ensure impressive picture quality in well-lit and dark scenes, including a Fujinon 60mm f/12.7 Lens, an Auto Exposure feature, an Optical Image Viewfinder, and a Built-In Flash.

The most interesting feature has to be the selfie mode that takes cute selfies from an arm’s length and the little mirror next to the lens that allows the giftee to confirm they’re in the frame.

The Fujifilm Instax instant camera is available in several cute and fun colors, including Blush Pink, Lilac Purple, Sky Blue, Ice White, and Charcoal Gray. It also comes with a matching vegan leather camera case, removable camera strap, an equally cute mini album, and 40 Fujifilm Instax instant film credit card size prints.

Best Robot Toy for Kids: Kidz Robotix Table Top Robot

In this STEM era, you can never go wrong by gifting your little explorer or scientist a robot toy to spark their curiosity by allowing them to put together a real-life moving robot. The 4M Table Top Robot is an Amazon Choice product that reinforces mechanical, creative, and scientific skills for kids ages 8+.

Little scientists will enjoy putting together a battery-powered working robot crab that changes direction in case of any obstacles. Assembling is pretty easy, as the box comes fully loaded with all the necessary components, accessories, and easy-to-follow instructions.

This tabletop robot construction makes for an excellent gift that kids don’t have to enjoy by themselves, as you can help make it, or they can call over fellow inventors to help.

The Kidz Robotix Table Top Robot is accredited by the STEM.ORG, which is the body responsible for approving STEM education resources, including toys, in America. You can also pump up the fun by getting your favorite kid the other 4M Kidz Robotics science kits, which include the Snail Robot, the Doodling Robot, the Motorized Robotic Claw Arm, and the Motorized Robot Hand.

How to Pick the Best Tech Gifts for Kids: Step by Step

In this tech-heavy era, gifting has become harder and more pocket-heavy than ever before. But, fortunately, despite gadgets being a bit more expensive than sweets, dolls, teddy bears, and cars, tech gadgets are presents children will appreciate and use for many years. 

So, inevitably, the first thing you must consider is your budget. You can easily find kids’ tech gadgets that cost $20 and clothes that go up to $200. When spending more money on tech toys, ensure they are durable and reliable so that your favorite little person can get a lot of use from them.

More importantly, you must consider your child’s interests, hobbies, and personality if you’re to get them a toy they’ll enjoy using. Remember their favorite color because it normally affects their emotions and feelings toward the gifts. Last but not least, make sure the toys you pick are age-appropriate, so they can be fun for the kids and support their growth and development.