The best tech gifts for kids (that won’t rot their brains)

We know - put ‘kids’ and ‘technology’ into a sentence and you’ll be lambasted every which-way with opinions and comments about screen time and device addiction. But it’s not all bad! In fact, there are loads of tech products out there that can actually be beneficial for kids. So if you’ve got small humans on your Christmas list, here’s our pick of the best products for kids out there that they’ll not only love, but won’t turn ‘em into a zombie, either.

For: Kids who love to read. Whether they’re obsessed with Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket, getting them an e-reader means they have all their favourite stories in one place. 

Age: 8-18

We love e-readers, and while nothing can beat that incredible ‘book’ smell as you carefully turn over crisp pages, there’s no denying the convenience at having all your books in one place. And for kids, it means they can bring their favourite books with them anywhere - on the schoolbus, family trips, friends houses without weighing down their bags.

This is the perfect gift for any budding bookworms on your gift list. Whether they’re reading The Magic Faraway Tree  for grade three, or teenagers taking on Lord of the Rings, an e-reader knows no age limit - they just need to love reading! You could even find out what your recipient’s favourite books are and load them onto the device beforehand for a personal touch.

For: Kids who know their triceratops from their lamb chops.

Age: 5-12

Okay, so the main benefit to this lamp is probably to scare away any monsters that might be hiding under the bed - but isn’t it just so cool? This 3D Dinosaur Head LED desk lamp is available through Gadgets4Geeks and can display 7 different gentle colours that create this amazing 3D hologram effect. Neat-o! It’s USB and battery powered, and is the perfect bedroom accessory.

For: Kids who love music and experimenting with sounds

Ages: 12+

Okay, we kind of want this on our Christmas list, too. The Hasbro DROPMIX Electronic DJ game lets you remix songs, with really fun and interesting outcomes. The set includes 60 Dropmix cards which contain music from well-known artists. You pop different cards into the device to hear what the songs sound like mashed together. Ideal if you’ve ever wondered what Ed Sheeran would sound like mixed with Childish Gambino.

For: Tweens and teens who have discovered the incredible healing properties of a nice warm beverage

Age: Old enough to be drinking hot beverages

Well if this isn’t the most adorable way to keep your cup of tea warm. It’ll work with any standard USB port, and keeps beverages warm during those long study sessions. Whether you have a teen who’ll be hitting the books (so to speak) next year with school study, or your kid loves watching movies on their laptop - and they love a hot cup of tea or hot choccy, then this is a gift that’s sure to put a smile on their dial.

For: Kids who love to know how stuff works

Age: 8+

Move over robot vacuum cleaners, there’s a new kinda robot in town, and it’s one that any technology-loving kid is going to want to get their hands on. This construction kit lets budding scientists and engineers build a robot using an aluminium can. And as the product description says, millions of cans are thrown out each year, so it’s also encouraging recycling!

For: Nature-loving kids who love a good environmental doco as much as a Marvel flick.

Age: 6+

I know, I know, we said we’d avoid screen time, but we’ve made an exception for Disney+ - namely because of their partnership with (well, acquisition of) National Geographic. Which means there’s LOADS of incredible documentaries that are great educational content for your kids. Whether they love big cats, space discovery, dolphins or even the Titanic, there’s plenty of documentaries that are jam-packed with information.

For: Kids who have stars in their eyes

Age: 8+

Now this is a gift that'll be out of this world - literally! Give the gift of wonder with this telescope for any pint-sized budding astronomers in your life.

Whether they love science, space, or just exploring in general, we figure this'll be a huge hit under the Christmas tree. This telescope, which you can find at Kogan, has an  Astronomical telescopes have a focal length of 400mm (f/5.7) and a large aperture of 70mm, and the refracting telescope includes two 1.25-inch telescope eyepieces (K20mm and K9mm), which can magnify 20 times and 50 times respectively​

For: Kids who love to draw and need a bit of extra confidence

Ages: 7+

Tracing is a great way to grow confidence in drawing, so if you have a kid in your life who's constantly doodling, then a tracing light box could be the perfect gift to encourage that artistic flair.

They just place a plain piece of paper over the top of the image they want to draw, and the gentle light from the box makes it easy to see the image, making drawing a breeze.

From simple cartoons to more complex images, this is a great excuse to get out the fine-tipped pens and coloured pencils.

For: Kids who have monsters under the bed and can't sleep

Age: 3-8

This is a nifty little sleep aid that's designed to help kids relax as they go to bed, while also introducing them to the concept of meditation - which is proven to have loads of mindfulness benefits.

This Meditate Mate Monkey has a 7 minute guided meditation which is then followed by 20 minutes of relaxing music to help kids drift off to sleep.

And it's so cute! Look at that little monkey face. And how good are toys that have a practical use, too.