You’ve probably heard us say it before, but our primary goal for The Sidewalk Club is to equip families to thrive in the middle of the city, to celebrate the beauty of urban life, and provide a source of support and solidarity between city families.
This year we made a gift guide, but the point of it isn’t just to showcase stuff and feed into the materialism of the holiday season (although no gift guide will be completely immune to that). We’ve been slowly building a list of books, games, toys, gear, and other things we think enhance city life, and we’re so excited to announce its release! We’ve collected our favorites from each category below, but you can scroll through more than 200 items in the full gift guide.
Books
Sometimes city life can feel lonely or too abnormal and hard to explain. Then we find books like The Vanderbeeker series or one about nighttime walks through the neighborhood peeking into neighbors’ windows and it feels like a perfectly normal way of life again. Those are the kinds of books you’ll find in our gift guide: ones about how cities operate and others with the city as a silent but powerful part of the story.
Outdoor Play and Biking
Outdoor play in the city might look a little different than playtime in the suburbs or countryside, but kids thrive in the outdoors no matter where they live. City life spent outdoors often means multiple sets of wheels for skating, scootering, or strolling around the city, and blocks of sidewalk can be an endless canvas for chalk.
We’ve even got a section for bike lovers; from accessories to helmets to your kid’s first balance bike!
Toys for Building
Does your city kid love building living room cities? Or are you working together on a replica of San Francisco made with LEGO? Your future architect will love these toys and building gamesāthere’s something for all ages!
Clothing and Accessories
Looking for great brands that celebrate urban life? Want to dress your kid in city pride but don’t need another sports jersey? We’ve got you covered. Browse these hip t-shirts, caps, and other accessories for your family from brands we love! You can search by city too.
Not Just For The Kids
We like to think most everything in our gift guide can be enjoyed by grown-ups too. We’ll be the ones reading the books and making sure the wooden skyscraper doesn’t collapse onto the rubber street below, but if you need something specifically for a parent, we have suggestions. Hop on a full-size scooter and your kid will think you’re the greatest parent in the universe!
We set out to create the best collection of gifts for city kids and their parents, and we’ll continue to add to the guide as we find quality products that we think you and your kids will love. City life is a good life, and it’s so rewarding to find books that celebrate it and gear that’s just right for our urban lifestyles!
Affiliate links throughout SWC and the gift guide help us offset the costs of running The Sidewalk Club. Read more here.