Top five gifts kids will want, but may not put on their lists

The kids may think all the electronics on their wish lists are great. Unfortunately, the endless video games and other screen time could turn the kids into zombies before the winter break ends.

There are actually other gifts the kids will be excited to receive and will even help support their mental and physical education.

Bubbles were inducted into National Toy Hall of Fame last week, cementing their status as an iconic toy. Using suds as a toy has been around since at least the 17th century, and it is still as fun and magical today.

A gift of bubbles could be as simple as the basic plastic bottle used as a stocking stuffer. It could also be a box of bubble bath, or a battery-operated bubble-blowing machine.

As a plus, if the temperature goes below freezing during the break, the child can experiment with bubbles in the freezing cold.

If bubbles bottles are not available at your favorite local store this time of year, try a party supply store.

Does your child know everything about "The Hunger Games?" Maybe he's a fan of "Arrow." Maybe the favorite Disney character is Merida or Hawkeye.

Both male and female characters using archery are in the mainstream, and there's a good chance your child is a fan of one of them.

If that's your kid, he or she will love getting a bow and arrow. It doesn't have to be a real set, if the idea of pointy arrows concerns you. In fact, Nerf makes styles that are gender neutral as well as in pink and purple.

Speaking of pop culture, you may have heard of this little movie called "The Lego Movie" that distracted kids from singing "Let It Go" for about a month or two. (That song was, of course, replaced by "Everything is Awesome" which is awesomely annoying.) That movie was did so well that more movies are in the works.

Whether or not your child has tons of Lego blocks to store in these boxes that look and connect like Legos, your child will love to use the decorative storage. While these boxes will help you see less stuff on the floor of your child's room, they will also give your child more options for play.

Activity kits are available with a variety of themes from crafts to science, making it easy to find one that will suit your child.

One of my kids got a magic kit last year, and he loved making a wand and then testing the color-changing experiments before putting on a show for the rest of the family.

Kits can be found in craft stores as well as in educational themed stores.

Bring your child to a bookstore, and she'll find several books for you to buy for her. Ask her to make a list of things she wants for gifts, and a book may not make the cut.

It may be because a book seems like an everyday item. Books are much more readily available than most of the things that did make the cut.

Get your child the newest book in their favorite series, and he will be pleasantly surprised.