Surprise!: 5 Unique Kids' Gifts for Under $15

With spring gift-giving occasions on the horizon, it is time to think about some cool gifts for the kids in your life.  Wouldn't it be fun to give something different this year?  Something that makes the kids say, "Oh cool!"  Yes, you could be that uncle/aunt/friend/grandparent. who gives the most unique gift of the party.  Read on . . .

Ultra Stomp Rocket
The Ultra Stomp Rocket by D+L Company has won numerous toy awards, and with good reason:  this is the king of cool toys.  You actually just stomp on the launch pad to launch the foam rocket up to 200 feet in the air.  That's all there is to it.  No batteries or fuel required - just plain kid stomping action.  The Ultra Stomp Rocket is recommended for kids ages 8 and up, but you can also buy the junior version for kids as young as 3 years old.
P. S. Parents seem to love them just as much as kids do.

Volcano Making Kit

This Volcano Making Kit by Toysmith consists of a volcano mold to make your own plaster volcano.  After construction, just add baking soda and vinegar to watch it erupt with awesome bubbling action.  Many kids know about the baking soda and vinegar combination, but building a volcano first adds to the fun.

Live Butterfly Garden

The Live Butterfly Garden by Insect Lore is a nature lesson in a box.  The set includes a mesh habitat, a feeder, and a mail-in coupon for five caterpillars and food.  You send away for the five caterpillars and food, which arrive in a clear plastic container.  Watch them eat and grow, and when they form a chrysalis, they are ready to go into the habitat.  In two to three weeks you will have adult painted lady butterflies!  I have actually seen these, and they are AWESOME.  Kids love to watch the metamorphosis that they have probably only learned about in school.  They even come with a guarantee that at least three of the five butterflies will survive until maturity.   Bonus:  if you are in a climate that is at least 55 degrees, you can release them into the wild.  This makes a very unique gift.  Amazon sells this for a great price too.

Tall-Stacker Pegs and Pegboard Set

The Lauri Tall-Stacker Pegs and Pegboard is one of those timeless toys that kids love to play with and don't realize how they much they are learning while playing.  My son had this when he was little and he LOVED it. Kids as young as 2 years old can manipulate the tall pegs to fit into the rubber pegboard.  The pegs can be stacked on top of one another for more imaginative play.  Kids can create towers of pegs.  Meanwhile, they are building fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, as well as practicing patterning and color matching.

Classic Tin Kaleidoscope

Remember kaleidoscopes?  The Schylling Classic Tin Kaleidoscope is just like the ones that were around when we were kids.  Peer into the eyepiece while turning the end of the tube and watch the awesome colors and patterns that appear.  I loved these as a kid, and this one is made of sturdy tin rather than cheap cardboard.  Makes a great gift for kids of any age.


Don't settle for an ordinary gift for the special child in you life this spring.  There are so many choices available if you look off the beaten path.  What is your favorite unique gift idea?  Share below!