When your list is long and your budget limited, you don’t want anyone to know you shopped with the price tag in mind. Sure, kids might not be aware of how much a gift costs, but this selection of thrifty choices practically guarantees that the focus will be on the present, not the price. Have you come across other good gifts for $10 or less? Share them in the comments.

Prices and availability are subject to change.

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Kids love crayons and have for generations — which is why adults will smile in recognition of the classic presentation of a box of 64 crayons, complete with a sharpener. It’s a creative way to encourage art from the earliest age.

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The littlest ones will use this gift at every meal, choosing from a set of three cartoon-decorated handled cups from Pinkfong. BPA-free, these sturdy little meal accessories earned 4.7 out of 5 stars from more than 500 customers. One 5-star reviewer noted, “My 2-year-old loves having his own mug, just like his mama.”

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Some kids just love to care for their little baby dolls. The Perfectly Cute Basic 14-inch Baby Doll is a super-soft option that’s also durable, being crafted with easy-to-clean materials and sporting a pastel dress and satin headband. Pacifier included.

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This gift from Hoyle, suitable for children ages 3 and up, offers a half-dozen games within one gift box. Crazy Eights, Go Fish, Memory, and more are among the card games designed to keep kids entertained for hours.

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The Kracie Popin’ Cookin’ DIY Candy Hamburger Kit allows little candy fanatics to create their own treats in the form of cheeseburgers, fries, and soda. A microwave is required to create the fast-food meal.

Suitable for school or after-school activities, this fanciful backpack is a stylish choice complete with “sparkling diamonds and winged hearts.” It’s roomy, features secure closures and is crafted from durable polyester designed to last. And it’s pretty cute.

Kids will head to the nearest set of stairs to try out this retro gem that many a parent enjoyed back in the day. The Original Slinky Walking Spring Toy from the Just Play Store is about as low-tech as it gets, and that’s a good thing.

Imagination will come into play with this offering from Hexbug. “Alien-powered” construction toys for girls and boys are revealed when kids open — or “unbox” — the trash can or dumpster packaging. Inside, they’ll find parts designed to help build a static robotic model.

“Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!” is a gift the whole family can enjoy, giving youngsters a jump-start on education along with the playful spirit of the classic children’s series.

Encourage a green thumb from an early age with this tool set complete with its own colorful canvas tote. The JustForKids gift includes a wooden-handled metal rake, shovel, and trowel so young gardeners can work alongside the family’s garden lovers. A 5-star reviewer noted that the sturdy set was a hit with his 4- and 6-year-old boys — and that the products “have held together with lots of rough dirt play.”

Are the kids not quite ready for a real pet? Satisfy the need to care for a puppy with Wilfred, a Beanie Bellie dog. It’s made with super soft fabric and is shaped to sit “in an attentive pose.” No one will be able to deny a hug to the doll with “sparkly golden glitter eyes.”

The collecting urge may start early, since giving a child a Hot Wheels car will no doubt lead to wanting more. These classic miniature vehicles, complete with intricate details, are available in themed collections such as rescue vehicles or racing cars.

Mondo Llama’s Paint-Your-Own Ceramic Kit — here in the form of a butterfly — seems perfectly designed for rainy-day fun. Ideal for those ages 8 and older, the kit comes with the butterfly base, paints, and a brush for an opportunity to be creative.

Kids ages 4 to 10 are the target audience for the Driven by Battat Micro Dump Truck, a sturdy toy that features lights, sounds, and movable parts. Just watch to see what stories they create as their truck winds its way through their imagination.

The Franklin Sports MLB Playball Oversized Foam Bat and Ball, designed for kids 3 and older, features a 24-inch oversize soft rubber foam barrel that’s “the perfect material, size, and shape for kids learning to play baseball.” A ball is included. Batter up.

Older kids (12 and up) with a curious streak will likely delight in this chemistry kit from Discovery allowing more than 20 science experiments. The award-winning set, recognized for its STEM properties, “encourages observation, creativity, and curiosity.”

Kids love to create their own jewelry, whether on their own or within a party setting. This 360-piece kit offers kids 6 to 12 the chance to become a jewelry designer. It comes with clay beads, elastic, clasps, and an instruction manual.

Encourage a sense of adventure with this pirate chest kit from Melissa & Doug that includes a wooden pirate chest, 27 stickers, four pots of paint, a paintbrush, and two glitter glues. The arts-and-crafts activity, once made, latches shut to store a treasure of its maker’s own choosing.

The Creativity for Kids Fashion Headband kit offers youngsters age 5 and up all they’ll need to create 10 hair accessories. The kit includes satin headbands along with rhinestones, flowers, feathers, a butterfly, yards of ribbon and more. (And while it’s all about fun and fashion, this gift also encourages “motor skills, color awareness, and construction concepts”).

Packaged in a travel-friendly drawstring fabric pouch, this Ocean Life Puzzle to Go from Mudpuppy is designed for kids ages 3 and up who are transitioning out of jumbo puzzle pieces. Favorite sea animals, from narwhals to stingrays to sea turtles, are among the 36 pieces in this game crafted out of safe materials, including recycled paper and nontoxic inks.

Can a family have too many puzzles? We don’t think so, which is why we’re also spotlighting Mudpuppy’s Red Panda Mini Puzzle. It’s a 48-piece puzzle designed for ages 4 and up to be able to complete on their own. A bonus of this travel-friendly gift is a two-sided insert that includes an image of the puzzle on one side and facts about the Red Panda on the reverse.

We were charmed by the owl motif taking center stage on this Luvable Friends towel set that’s ideal for the littlest ones, though many other design options are available. The unisex baby hooded towel comes with five washcloths, as well. Buy with confidence, as it’s an Amazon bestseller earning 4.7 out of 5 stars from more than 28,000 shoppers.

SwimWay’s Toypedo Bandits offer little swimmers a pool toy with a bit of a kick. The torpedo-shaped water toys, which are sold in a set of four, feature “amazing hydrodynamic action” and glide underwater up to 20 feet. Take them on vacation for use in indoor pools, as well.

Remember when you used your own hands to form a snowball? Amateurs! Today’s kids have gadgets for everything, as this Hey! Play! Toy Snowball Maker tool proves. Designed to encourage outdoor play — and a good, old-fashioned snowball fight — the tool is sold in a set of two.

Kids can try out a career with the Bruin Deluxe Surgeon Medical Set, which features plastic elements including a clipboard, thermometer, reflex hammer, scalpel, and more. Ideal for ages 3 to 6, the set includes a soft doctor’s case for easy storage.

The classic Mattel game of Uno is a reliable family favorite. The 108-card deck comes with an instruction book and scoring rules that bring a bit of fun (and a little math) and the chance to yell out “Uno.”

This Cowboy Activity Book from ZAGS Press is a fitting choice for kids ages 3 to 8 with an interest in the Wild West. Activities include coloring pages, mazes, word searches, connect-the-dots challenges and more, all exploring Western themes.

The Lego City Stunt Plane Building Kit is designed for kids ages 5 and up, offering nearly 60 pieces that can be assembled into a toy jet with decorated tail fins, a functioning cockpit, and a mini pilot figure.

Kids won’t fight putting on their PJs and slippers when these Pixar "Toy Story" toddler slipper socks are on hand. Each pair is crafted from soft material with a cushioned footed and soft outsole for an emphasis on comfort.

Don’t let greeting cards fade into history. This kit lets kids get creative, designing various elements into 3D cards sure to please any friend or relative getting handmade treasures. Die-cut elements, a few rhinestones for sparkle, and eco-friendly materials are featured.

Storytelling will become a family tradition when this hefty paperback is presented. Published by DK, the book features stories “retold” using “simple, lyrical language” designed for reading aloud by Mary Hoffman, with illustrations by Julie Downing. From “Jack and the Beanstalk” to “Cinderella” and lesser-known stories, the choices will fill many a bedtime with a bit of magic.

You pop the capsule into water — a cup or the bath — and watch what happens. The JA-RU Magic Grow Capsules (a set features a dozen of the soft, expanding-foam pellets) burst into vivid color, growing into fun and vibrant animal shapes.

A kazoo is a gift that keeps on giving. Kids love to toot away (though their parents might curse you for bringing it into their home). This set of six kazoos introduces the young ones to what’s billed as one of the easiest musical instruments to play. This model keeps safety in mind, with a kid-friendly design made of lightweight/durable aluminum alloy and featuring a polished surface free of sharp edges. Six replacement filters are included.

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Find more great ideas on Cheapism's interactive gift guide for 2022.

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