Best Star Wars Gifts for Kids

Has your kid watched all the Star Wars movies a dozen times, even the bad ones? When you ask her a simple question, does she make seemingly unrelated comments like, "These aren't the droids you are looking for"? Does your child constantly beg for new LEGO sets, with reckless disregard for the state of your feet when you step on a tiny stray clone warrior?

Face it: you're raising a Star Wars fan, and you'd best give up; you won't be able to resist the power of the Force for long. Make your kid happy with Star Wars paraphernalia for his birthday, Christmas, elementary school graduation, lost teeth, an A on that tricky spelling test, letting the old lady across the street pinch his cheek even though she smells funny—every occasion you feel he deserves a treat. In return, he will be your devoted fan, as well.

The Star Wars franchise has been so aggressive in licensing toys, that this list could go on forever. Instead, I want to point out to you some less common Star Wars toys that you might not find at your local toy store (but that are totally worth searching for online).

• Star Wars Science: This line of educational toys is a lot of fun, but will also teach your child scientific principles at the same time. Some products include a talking Jedi telescope; a holographic animation lab that uses Clone Wars characters, but also allows your child to design his own; and an air-powered Boba Fett rocket.
• Stuffed toys: Stuffed toys are great for preschoolers just learning to love Star Wars, because they can be squeezed and snuggled, and won't hurt you when your child hits you with it (accidentally, of course!). You can get a plush talking Yoda, Darth Vader, or Chewbacca, or for the spaceship lover get a stuffed X-Wing fighter or Millennium Falcon. No kidding—they really have thought of everything.
• Board games: This allows your youngster to indulge his Star Wars fantasies while you get to play a fun game with him and ignore the Star Wars veneer over the classic board game content, if you wish. There are Star Wars versions of Trouble, Operation, Monopoly, Guess Who? and more.

Of course, in addition to these items, there are the most common toys, such as Star Wars LEGO, all sorts of lightsabers and helmets, and Star Wars video games for every gaming platform.

There are Star Wars books out there that are appropriate for any Star Wars fan on your gift list.

• For beginning readers: DK Readers has an excellent series of graded readers that span the range from pre-reading to early chapter books. These 32-page books include glossaries and pronunciation guides when needed, and are filled with beautiful, glossy, full-color movie images.
• For third-graders and up: There are several series available for this age group, including the Star Wars Rebel Force series, and The Last of the Jedi series. These books supplement the action in the movies, using the same main characters.
• For teens: Teens may enjoy the hardcover adult Star Wars books, such as Darth Plagueis and The Old Republic series. These books carry the Star Wars saga further, introducing new characters and situations.
• For kids of all ages: DK also publishes a fantastic series of illustrated guides to the Star Wars characters. There are specialty books about the Clone Wars, unbelievably detailed books that show cross-sections of Star Wars vehicles, and even a LEGO Star Wars visual dictionary!

There are even Star Wars board books for babies. Your baby can learn the alphabet with Star Wars ABC. (W is for Wookiee, of course!)

Your little Padawan is likely to want to broadcast his status as a Jedi apprentice. To that end, consider buying him these Star Wars clothing and accessories.

• A Jedi costume (These are easiest to find in stores around Halloween, but you can buy them online at any time.)
• Star War T-shirts (Great for fanboys of any age, actually.)
• A Star Wars backpack (Again, these are seasonal; you'll find the best selection in late summer and early autumn. Cuddly Yoda backpacks can be found year-round, but they don't hold much, and are better for bringing to sleepovers than to school.)
• A Star Wars handbag (For the teen geekgirl in your life.) Amazon has a nice selection, or you can check out a specialty website like ThinkGeek.

Face it: Star Wars fans love Star Wars, many times to the exclusion of anything else. Use these ideas as a springboard for your search, and please let me know if you find a great product that I haven't mentioned. After all, I have a little Star Wars fan at home, too!