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Age 9 marks the beginning of the tween years, a developmental phase situated in be“tween” childhood and adolescence. At the youngest end of the tween range, 9-year-olds might act like teenagers-in-training one minute and little kids the next. But they are moving in the direction of independence both where play and learning are concerned. Laura Phillips, senior director of the Learning and Development Center at the Child Mind Institute, says 9-year-olds are increasingly “fine-tuning areas of interest and of talent,” so “play” might look more like “practice” for their favorite activities — kicking a soccer ball around with friends, organizing a bake sale, choreographing and practicing dance routines, or directing a play. Kelly Harris Smith, founder of children’s art space Minni and mom to two kids who were 9 and 11 when we spoke to her, recalled that at the onset of tweendom, her kids had just started to move away from a lot of their toys in favor of new creative endeavors. “They still love to construct things together and now they are filming stop-motion scenes of their creations. It takes a long time to set up and photograph each shot — sometimes hundreds of frames — but they are very into it,” she says.
Whatever hobby your particular 9-year-old is into, there is an age-appropriate gift to encourage, entertain, and delight them. We asked Phillips, Harris Smith, and other child development experts, as well as discerning parents and tween whisperers, to tell us about the best toys and games for kids this age — from catapult-building STEM kits to washable hair chalk. We’ve organized their suggestions by price, so if you have a specific budget in mind, you can use the table of contents to jump right to that section. Otherwise, you can browse through all of their picks to get an idea of what the 9-year-olds in your life are probably into right now.
And if you’re shopping for kids in other age groups, we have gift guides for 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 11-year-olds, and 12-year-olds — plus the meticulously curated Strategist Toy Store, which is filled with all of our greatest hits.
Update on November 21, 2024: Added van Gogh–inspired scratch-art cards, Taylor Swift Mad Libs, and a DIY pinball machine; updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Under $25
Puzzles are an easy gift to make personal, because they come in a million different designs featuring animals, food, sports, you name it. And they’re a fun way to connect as a family. “We do some really big puzzles — 500 to 1,000 pieces — especially when we have a long weekend,” says Harris Smith, who recommends Galison puzzles for their high quality.
Here’s an upgrade to the classic black scratch paper we included in our guide to the best stocking stuffers. The kit comes with four van Gogh–inspired cards with basic outlines to guide you, a scratch tool, and instructions. Once finished, kids can display their unique pre-Fauvist illustrations.
According to Anya Kamenetz, mother of two and author of The Art of Screen Time, “Kids this age are developing pretty specific interests and are growing in manual dexterity and independence.” She says that her kids love these 3-D puzzles of architectural marvels — including the Empire State Building, Taj Mahal, Notre-Dame, and the Colosseum.
I first found out about the Ollyball after my older brother took my niece to visit an immersive Bluey experience at the Camp store in Los Angeles, where the ball was used to play “keepy uppy.” They had so much fun playing with it that I had to check one out for myself. The toy weighs less than an ounce and absorbs impact so kids can hit and kick it with full force and never worry about breaking windows or knocking things over indoors. Inside, there’s a re-inflatable bladder that helps it float through the air. And the exterior, made of Tyvek material, has line drawings that you can color in with most markers. This Ollyball is a Camp exclusive with special artwork. But the brand also makes a spooky glow-in-the-dark ball, a megasize globe, and a handful of balls that rep different NBA teams.
“I came out of my office after doing a podcast and realized my 6-year-old and 12-year-old both had purple hair,” says Zibby Owens, author, mom of four, and host of Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books. They’d been playing with this “hair chalk,” which appeals to many age groups and is, of course, only temporary. “It packs quite a punch but quickly and effortlessly comes out in the next shower,” Owens notes.
Harris Smith counts Plus-Plus as one of her personal favorite toys. “Similar to a lot of the toys my kids are currently into, it has to do with building and creating,” she says, adding that the possibilities to build both 2-D and 3-D shapes are endless. “My kids love them because they get to build without limits and can easily take them on the go,” she notes, adding that Plus Plus is made in Denmark in a 100 percent wind-generated factory.
“This is the age where anything that has to do with slime is huge,” says child psychologist Dr. George Sachs. Fourth-grade teacher Courtney Caulfield adds that her students are always playing with the stuff, particularly glittery and neon varieties: “They love the feeling in their hands, and they insist that it helps them concentrate when they’ve been doing homework for a long time,” she says. While the number of brands and textures can be overwhelming, it also means there’s a slime out there for pretty much every type of kid. The below unicorn-themed set from Elmer’s includes three pre-made slimes with special mix-in elements. Texas-based slime company Peachybbies was named the current “It” slime in our tween girls gift guide; it makes limited-batch offerings with themes based on boba, cute animals, and holidays. Or, for something a little more science-y, National Geographic’s mega slime and putty lab offers eight different kinds of slime including magnetic slime, bouncy slime, fluffy slime, and glow-in-the-dark slime.
Wrangler global creative concept director Sean Gormley told me that, for artsy 9-year-olds like his daughter, Olivia, books that teach realistic drawing techniques are a creative gold mine. This one from eeboo shows young artists the basics of animal anatomy with tips and tricks for sketching different species. Not only will it pique their interest, it’ll give them a relaxing break from screens.
Whether they’re drawing, journaling, or color-coding their schoolwork, this set of pastel dual-tip markers is an excellent tween gift. One end has a fine point for precise lines and the other has a bold chisel tip for filling in large areas or creating thicker lines.
Portable card games like Monopoly Deal, Sushi Go!, and Sleeping Queens make excellent gifts for 9-year-olds who love social, unstructured free time with their friends but still need something to do. All three of these games have been recommended by parents of tweens because they’re engaging, easy to learn, and playable in about 15 minutes.
Ruka Curate, founder of the Tiny Treasures Nanny Agency, recommends Rubik’s Cube and its 43 quintillion combinations as a great exercise for the 9-year-old brain. “It’s a classic, and people still buy them! Super-affordable,” she says. Thanks to the brand’s 50th anniversary this year, there are a bunch of new styles of cube to choose from, like the speed cube favored by Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik (a.k.a. Pommel Horse Guy), the crystal cube, the impossible cube, and even bobble-head-esque Marvel character cubes.
Stephen Nedoroscik
This coding kit includes all the components and guides needed to build a very special motion sensor — when connected to an app on their tablet, it allows kids to perform their own tricks and actions that get translated to the screen. And since the kit is Star Wars–themed, those tricks and actions involve familiar faces like Baby Yoda. Dr. Sanam Hafeez, neuropsychologist and founder of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, likes that after kids finish building, they have something new to play with: They get the educational and developmental benefits of coding work, Hafeez explains, along with “more fun and imagination.”
School-aged Swifties will appreciate this book of Taylor Swift–themed Mad Libs, especially as part of the activities for their sleepover birthday party.
Speaking of Swifties, this cute Super Smalls bead kit mixes chunky gems and alphabet beads so that kids can make colorful friendship bracelets and necklaces. It’s been a recent hit with Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio’s 6- and 9-year-old daughters, though she recommends buying extra letter beads whenever possible so kids don’t get frustrated when the most commonly used letters inevitably run out. (Vowels go especially quick.)
Kamenetz’s kids love the game Throw Throw Burrito, “which is a fun combination of goofiness and actual strategy.” The fast-paced, card-based game only takes 15 minutes to play and is suitable for two to six players. Toy blogger and reviewer Lori Jepsen of Toysenberry is also a fan. “It’s a fun way to get tweens off their screens and moving around,” she says, and older brothers and sisters and parents can enjoy it too. “I mean, what’s not to love about throwing burritos at your siblings or parents or spouse?”
Under $50
Kids this age have big emotions that can be tricky to regulate. Natalie Williams, director of education at the Miami Children’s Museum, says activities like painting can help relax and redirect their emotional energy. “Art, water, and paint bring a sense of relaxation and allow you to open up.” The meditative and virtually mess-free Buddha Board sets up in under a minute: all you have to do is fill the reservoir with water, dip in the bamboo paintbrush, and create whatever comes to mind on the painting board. After a few seconds, the picture gently fades away, so your young artist can start all over again.
This pinball-machine-making kit from Thames & Kosmos is also featured in our guide to the best STEM toys. While building it, kids are introduced to concepts like momentum, force, and angles in a way that feels more like a game than a lesson — and the result is a working arcade game they can play at home.
“I am always in favor of promoting STEM toys, especially for girls as their interest in science and technology is frequently overlooked,” says Dr. Angelina Morales, a psychologist who specializes in children and adolescents. With instructions on how to build a catapult, a crane, a ladder, scales, and swings, this kit is a great entry point to learning about physics.
Maya Smart, a mom, literary expert, and author of Reading for Our Lives, says this dice game combines rapid number recognition with “silly competitiveness” to make learning fun: “For 9-year-olds, numerous variations on the game can build in meaningful math practice without the boredom of worksheets.” To start the game, each player grabs a set of ten dice and everyone rolls their whole set at once. The objective is for all of your dice to eventually land on the same number. Kids will have to quickly identify the number they want to keep rolling and try to be the first player to get a matched set of ten.
Lego is well established as a perennial favorite across all age groups. Developmentally speaking, kids at this age can use their advancing problem-solving skills to follow more complicated instructions and build greater masterpieces than ever. But if you’re looking for something with added play value, New York deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff recommends picking up one of Lego’s three-in-one sets, because you can take them apart and rebuild them into something else. You can also find them in a huge range of themes, from forest animals to dinosaurs to houses and cars.
Gormley’s daughter enjoys using her Lego builds to set the stage for complex narratives. “She uses Lego figures, and sometimes Barbies, for imaginative world-building with lots of commentary and conversation, taking on the accents and demeanors of different characters,” he says. This set of six Minifigures blind-box packs would make a fantastic gift for one big-time Lego fan. It’s also a nice idea for party favors.
Fourth-grade teacher Jacob Cohen says the graphic novels in his classroom library are always the most popular. And while the best graphic novels for 9-year-olds will depend on their individual reading level, he universally recommends the newly adapted Babysitters Club graphic novels and Investi Gators, a New York Times-bestselling series about a pair of crime fighting sewer gators, as they get the most traffic with his students.
When Williams’s son was approaching 9 years old, she says he loved to pull out their family’s African drums and instruments during their annual Kwanzaa celebration. Outside of the holidays, Williams says that instruments and music exploration will “never go out of style” and this type of play “reconnects them with music” in a hands-on way. This beginner set of bongos can introduce a cool and unique-sounding instrument that your child can freestyle on as they improve their playing skills.
“Every magician I’ve known over the years — it’s actually been quite a few — has begun their career because somebody gave them a magic set,” says Chris Byrne, a.k.a. “the Toy Guy.” He recommends this virtual-reality magic set because it teaches magic in a totally immersive way and helps kids master the performative part of magic tricks, something he says is very empowering for them. “It activates the brain on so many different levels. You’re not just passively watching, you’re reading and learning how to do a trick, then you’re mastering how to do that trick,” he says. The kit comes with a deck of cards, cups and balls, a fake thumb and hanky, ropes, a magic wand and hat, and more. It includes lessons for 34 classic step-by-step magic tricks brought to life via VR performances and an instruction book that comes to life. Download the app, place your phone in the included VR goggles, and get ready to play.
Under $100
In the same vein as the Lego sets above, this 825-piece building set yields a jumbo, pose-able Eevee that will particularly appeal to Pokémon fans. It’s designed for kids around 9 years old, but if your child is ready to level up to a more challenging build, the brand also makes more intricate motorized Pokémon designs that have over 1,000 pieces.
By the time they’re in fourth grade, children are more responsible and better at keeping track of their belongings. With that in mind, it’s a good time to upgrade their backyard bug viewer. We have written about Nocs binoculars before, and I gifted a pair to my bird-loving husband a few years ago so he could stare at migrating beauties in Prospect Park. I also own the brand’s Zoom Tube, which is kind of like a telescope since it’s only for one eye; it combines with the Inspector Microscope to allow you to observe tiny flora and fauna. I love the wide range of stylish colors Nocs offers and the rugged water-resistant exterior. Each product comes with a handy carrying bag and simple instructions that even explain how to take photos of your magnified views with your phone.
The pickleball craze isn’t slowing down anytime soon; in fact, more and more universities are adding the sport to their official lineups. So it makes sense that the sport would become popular with school-aged kids too. This kid-size pickleball net can be set up in a backyard, on a driveway, or in a playroom and includes two balls and two racquets.
American Girl dolls remain popular with a large age range. Everyone knows the dolls, but there are also hundreds of play sets and accessories you can buy for under $100, including a scooter and sidecar, a Hogwarts trunk with an owl, and a Little Mermaid set with Ariel’s daytime outfit and a stuffed Flounder. (Other, albeit pricier, American Girl play sets that would make great gifts include an ice-cream truck, a recording studio, a first-class airplane set with a beverage cart, and a school locker that comes with a jump rope, water bottle, and markers.)
$100 and up
While ride-on toys may come off as babyish to most 9-year-olds, this EV go-cart is sleeker and much faster. It can go up to 11 mph, making it a thrilling and enviable gift. It runs on a 36-volt rechargeable battery and has grippy front wheels but slick back wheels, making it easy to drift. And should it be shared among siblings or friends, parents can lock in slower speeds for younger kids. Just don’t forget the helmet.
Smart says that “instant cameras provide a great way to capture fun moments with friends and have a printed memento to decorate their rooms or lockers.” This easy-to-load camera is a good starting point for new photographers and the set comes with a camera, a pocket-size photo album, batteries, and 40 sheets of film. Once they sharpen their artistic eye, they can use the included twine, magnets, and other accessories to display their mini-pictures.
By age 9, children can read fiction and nonfiction and often begin to read independently: “They have a better grasp of grammar, contain higher vocabulary, and can formulate longer sentences,” says Sachs. The Kids Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof and lets kids carry a whole library in their backpacks — even though what you’re giving them just feels like a fun toy. The kids’ version also has extra features like a parent dashboard that lets you track reading progress and add books to your child’s library. It comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which includes access to thousands of titles.
Additional reporting by Latifah Miles, Lauren Ro, Trupti Rami, and Dominique Pariso.
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