The Simple Way To Make a Christmas Wish List for Kids

Have you ever had that deer in the headlights moment when grandma asks for your kid’s Christmas list and you haven’t given it one single thought yet? Yep, that’s me pretty much every year (sorry, mom)! 

This year, I’ve resolved to change. I’m going to actually plan ahead for Christmas. And, hey, my kids will love me because they get to make their Christmas wish list in October. Not only will this help me get a head start on holiday shopping, it may also – I hope – distract them from asking me every single day how many days it is until Halloween. 

Ready to get your kids started on their Christmas wish list?

These tips will help you keep the list organized and ready to share with friends and family.

Decide how to approach Christmas wish lists

Before you start helping your kids create their list, think about how you want to approach Christmas. You have the opportunity to influence the process if you have a point of view in advance. For example, do you want to encourage the kids to list experience gifts? Do you want them to think of certain categories, like toys, books, and clothes? 

How many Christmas presents should a child get?

There’s probably not one “right number” of Christmas presents each child should get. Instead, it’s all about deciding on your values as a family. Think about how you want to approach Christmas gifts. You might want to set a budget for gifts instead of deciding how many presents to buy.

Psychologists recommend that you not buy everything on their wish list and that you consider buying the items your child has wanted the longest. This teaches them about delayed gratification. 

What is the five gift rule for Christmas?

Some parents have embraced the “five gift rule” for Christmas. It’s super simple!

• One gift they want
• One gift they need
• One gift they wear
• One gift to read
• (And one surprise!)

This rule is super simple and sets the tone for the holiday. It also means that you don’t end up overwhelmed by new toys that you can’t possibly store or play with. If this idea appeals to you, you might want to incorporate it when you help your kids start their Christmas wish list. 

What about experience gifts for kids?

Experience gifts are a wonderful way to give your kids non-toy gifts for Christmas! If you like this idea, the options are almost endless. Ask your kids to think about activities they might want to do.

My kids are constantly asking to go to the local fun park (go-karts, arcade games, laser tag, etc.) and that would be an awesome Christmas gift. Last Christmas, a friend gave our daughter a horseback ride! She LOVED it. 

In the past, my family has also exchanged museum and zoo memberships, state and national park passes, and kids’ classes. I really love doing this with my sister who lives overseas, so she doesn’t have to worry about carrying a bunch of stuff back home on the plane after Christmas.  

How do you do stocking stuffers?

Does your household have an approach to stocking stuffers? Think about how you want to do stocking stuffers as a family. Will you include food, gifts, or both? If you’re going to stick with food and candy you don’t need a list.

On the other hand, if you want to include gifts, start making a stocking stuffer list of all of the random things your kids ask for at the store. My children are always asking for stuff like bubble gum, glitter, cute erasers, scrunchies, and other little stuff like that. 

Make a christmas wish list template for your kids

Once you’ve thought through your Christmas present approach, it’s time to create a simple Christmas wish list template for your kids! Create the Christmas list template based on the categories you’d like them to think about. You could include things like:

• Want
• Need
• Clothes
• Books
• Experiences
• Little stuff

Or you could just make it a free for all! It depends on how you want to think about Christmas gifts and the age of your child. Older will kids will need zero explanation, but you might have to help kids who can’t read yet think through the list. 

Print out the list, and make sure to print some extras just in case. If you have older kids and you want to change how you do gifts, now is a great time to explain.

Tweens who are used to seeing a million presents under the tree might not be too happy if you’ve decided to switch to the five gift rule. You should talk this through with them. It’s up to you, of course, to decide if you want them to have input or if this is a decision you want to make as parents. Either way, it’s important to give them a heads up. 

Making a Christmas wish list for babies and toddlers

When my kids were little, I struggled hardcore to make a Christmas gift list for them. Really young children (less than two) can’t make a list, so you’ll have to do it for them. Follow whatever guidelines you’ve decided on and have at it!

If you don’t really have any ideas, look to daycare for inspiration. Does your child have a favorite toy or activity there that they might like to do at home? Could you buy passes to a local play gym? Babies and toddlers grow so quickly that they probably need new clothes and shoes! Think about upcoming development phases. Will they soon be ready for sippy cups or utensils? 

Ask friends with older kids for inspiration. What books and toys did their kids like at your child’s age (or a bit older)? 

Helping kids with Christmas list ideas

If you have preschool-aged kids, they can start to contribute ideas to their Christmas gift list. As kids get older, my experience is that they have a zillion ideas. But if yours need some inspiration, these prompts may give them (or you!) some ideas. 

Look through a catalog

This is kickin’ it old school. Does anyone remember circling Christmas present ideas in the Sears catalog? I loved doing that when I was a kid. Recently, we got a Halloween costume catalog and my kids asked to look through it. I let them and they had HOURS (really, hours) of fun looking through the catalog and marking the costumes they liked.

It works for toys too! They’ve looked through toy catalogs and picked out things they were interested in. We’ve even looked through clothing catalogs for shoe, clothes, and outerwear ideas (Lands End Kids is a good one). 

Go to Target or a store they like

I don’t know about your kids, but mine always have a zillion present ideas when we’re in the toy section of Target. This one might be too overwhelming to be honest, so try it at your own risk.

It’s not for the faint of heart. But if you’re willing to handle the mile-a-minute, stream of consciousness gift ideas this could serve as some serious inspiration. Plus you know you can buy everything at Target. 🙂

Prompt them to think about their favorite activities or upcoming plans

Kids probably won’t think ahead on activities, trips, or plans but you can prompt them. Last year, we knew we were going skiing in January and my daughter REALLY wanted a purple ski helmet. Perfect Christmas gift! 

If your child is into soccer, maybe they’d like new cleats or cool socks or something. Who knows? Encourage them to think about the things they like to do and any equipment or tools that might help. 

Art supplies are also a great choice! Last year my daughter really wanted modeling clay. BAM! Stocking stuffer. 

Encourage them to consider activities (movie, go carts, roller skating, etc.)

Encourage your kids to think about experience gifts if you want to give non toy gifts. I can think of at least 10 things my kids ask to do on a regular basis that would make perfect experience gifts. For the record, here are the 10 things I can think of in less than 30 seconds:

1. Go roller skating
2. Go ice skating
3. Go to the local fun park (go-karts, etc)
4. Go to a play
5. Take art classes
6. Go to a soccer game
7. Breakfast out and their favorite museum
8. Watch Princess Bride + have a pizza picnic
9. See a movie
10. Go on a hay ride

Tracking and sharing your kids’ Christmas wish lists

Now that your kids have made their Christmas wish lists, it’s time to make the lists organized and accessible. Remember, these will make your Christmas shopping easier and will help out friends and family, too. 

Edit the list if needed

First, you’d better curate the list. Knock off anything you don’t want on the list (animals, giant stuff, inappropriate video games, etc). Make a note of the things you are planning to buy from the list so others don’t accidentally duplicate a gift. 

Supplement the Christmas list with things you think they would like/need

You probably have some good ideas that didn’t make it onto the list, so add them! The list will be mostly your ideas if your kids are small. For older kids’ lists, you might only add a few items. This is the place to add on practical items and surprise gifts that you know they would like, but that didn’t make it on the list. 

Add links and store notes to the wish list

If you can, include links to the item. If you don’t have a link, note the store where they saw the item. When kids aren’t specific (e.g. “yellow rain boots”), I let the gift giver decide what they want to buy. Only if I know specifically what gift the kid wants (e.g. a specific Lego set) do I include a link. 

Include sizing info

Make sure to include sizing and color info for clothing and shoes. You probably know what size your kids need, but other family members might not be up to speed on the latest! Make life easy for them by spelling it out. 

Share the Christmas wish lists!

Once the lists are made, add the list to a gift tracking app or send a photo of the Christmas wish list printable. Gift tracking apps like Giftster help you create and share lists. You can also create a wish list on Amazon (including outside links). I keep a Trello board with gift ideas for my family! Keeping it old-school (but still electronic) is also an option. A simple word document or email usually works just fine.

If you want to keep a printed list, just take a photo of the list to share with people who ask. 

It practically goes without saying, but yes – I wait until someone asks me for the list before I share it! 🙂 

Making a Christmas Wish List can be Simple

You don’t have to sweat making a Christmas wish list for your kids. Whether you have older kids or little ones, it all starts with thinking about how you want to approach the Christmas list.

Look around you for inspiration. Use a printable Christmas wish list template or an app to make your child’s list – or help them make their own! Make sure to include relevant details and then share with the world!