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gifts  /  kid

Looking for a gift for a kid

Open-ended. No batteries. Doesn't beep. Plays well in five years still.
  1. Lego — open-build, not the licensed kits $30-100
    Classic 11005 box, etc.
  2. A really good kid's book $20
    Make-Up by Sandra Boynton if very young, Phantom Tollbooth if older.
  3. A roll of butcher paper + a box of markers $30
    Hours of drawing.
  4. A magnifying glass + bug-watching kit $25
    Outside time.
  5. Building blocks — wooden, not plastic $50
    Tegu. Heirloom-quality.
  6. Marble run — Hape $40-100
    Open-ended physics.
  7. Camera — used point-and-shoot $30 thrift
    Real one, not a kid one.
  8. Rock-tumbler kit $60
    Patience training.
  9. Watercolor + heavy paper $25
    Real quality, not crayola junior.
  10. A library card + an outing to use it $0
    Most underrated gift.