The Best South-Asian Products to Buy For Your Kids This Year
We’re all in a crunch during the holiday season. Too many gifts to buy and too little time to do it. And if you are anything like me, you want to support small businesses. But it can be hard to find them and know if they're worth the cost.
That's why I wanted to create a South Asian Holiday Gift Guide for Kids and Families! Instead of turning to the Amazons and Targets of the world, I’ve compiled a list of small South Asian businesses and creators to support. Either I, or a close family member, has used products from all of these brands and fallen in love with them.
The products are too dreamy, high quality and beautiful to ignore. They have a uniqueness and “anokhapan” that only love and passion can exude.
And they’re great gifts too because your non-South Asian friends probably haven’t seen products like these before!
1. Ten Thousand Villages - Fair Friend Plush: Turya Turtle
A certified NGO, Ten Thousand Villages works directly with artisans from India and around the world. They are dedicated to paying fair wages to workers, and a portion of sales goes back to the artisans. These “Fair Friend Plushes” were made by Indian creators with cotton fabric and 100% Kapok stuffing. A beautiful non-toxic (non-plastic) gift for your loved one.
2. Tiber Taber
I love Tiber Taber. The brand creates high quality, beautifully designed clothes for kids at really affordable prices. The material is always soft and made of high quality fabrics. Most of what I've bought from here was made of 100% cotton. What I like about Tiber Taber is that 1) they have both Desi clothes and play clothes and 2) their clothes are tasteful and colorful at the same time – even for boys!
Oh these gorgeous books! You will fall in love with the art in Tara’s books and art prints. Tara Books isn’t just about telling stories; it’s about reviving and celebrating India’s folk, tribal, and indigenous art traditions. They collaborate with artists from tribal and folk backgrounds — bringing their art out of traditional contexts (villages, folk art circles) and into contemporary books. They believe the form of the book matters as much as its content. That means design, paper, printing technique — everything is chosen carefully so the final physical object evokes a certain aesthetic and atmosphere, often different from conventional mass-market books.
4. The "My First Hindi Words!" Board Book Series
We wouldn’t recommend our own books in our own holiday gift guide if we weren’t 100% fully and truly proud of them! These fun and colorful board books focus on teaching kids Hindi words, using English writing with phonetics and dozens of hand drawn illustrations. The trio includes My First Hindi Words!, My First Hindi Words: Things That Go!, and My First Hindi Words: Opposites! Each book showcases Hindi words your kid will see in the world around them (like milk, car, chair, and food) making it a perfect start to their language learning journey.
5. "Priya's Kitchen Adventures: A Cookbook for Kids"
From Priya Krishna, the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Indian-ish and Cooking at Home, comes an illustrated cookbook for kids and their parents that draws on Priya’s childhood experiences traveling the globe with her family. Each recipe is kid-tested, has bright step by step instructions and will give your child the satisfaction of cooking their own food. This is perfect for the slightly older kids in the 6-12 age range.
6. Malabar Baby
An elegant brand for your little baby, with soft fabrics and beautiful sophisticated designs, rooted in India and South Asia. The brand not only has a range of products for your baby – from swaddles and sleep sacks, to bedding and PJs – but also has clothing for moms and homeware. This brand is on the pricier side, but the products are definitely worth it!
7. Modi Toys - Baby Krishna Collection: Plush Toys with Book
A Hindu focused brand which introduces your children to gods and deities that can sing. These plushes are adorable and extremely well made. We are a multicultural family (I am Jain and my husband is Christian) and we still love these toys and the peace that they bring to our home. We have the baby Krishna plush and I'm so impressed that the mantras are sung by children – a nice detail that makes them super engaging for my toddler.
8. Love Bubbsi - Creamy Coconut Oil Shampoo + Wash
Rich and creamy soaps and lotions made with clean ingredients. My daughter had some skin and hair breakage issues when she was younger – and we loved using Love Bubbsi’s shampoo and conditioner. They smelled wonderful, but were also very gentle on her hair.
I love the variety and options on this wonderful clothing site! The clothes are gorgeous, modern, and - most importantly - comfortable for your little one to wear. The brand was created by an Indian-American mom who was tired of hearing how itchy and uncomfortable Desi clothes were. What I love about this brand is that 1) they have playful yet classy clothing that kids love and 2) they have clothes for older kids (all the way up to 15 years old), which can be hard to find.
10. Bol & Sol Books - "The Desi Dot Book: High-Contrast Patterns for Babies with Activities for All Ages"
Designed by child development experts, this high-contrast, accordion-style board book is perfect for tummy time and floor play. With captivating rangoli and kolam patterns, a baby-safe mirror, and bonus activities for older children. Each page was thoughtfully designed to support early childhood development and foster cultural awareness and pride.
11. Vichaar & Prem – “Little One Builds”
A wonderful sweet book about a little boy who aims to build a fort, but hits obstacles along the way – so he calls upon different gods to give him the strength and help he needs to move forward. The illustrations of this book are so gorgeous and thoughtful. Your child will be enamored!
12. Ankid
A sophisticated and playful Indian clothing brand. With kids outfits that span both Indian festive wear and western wear, you will definitely find gorgeous pieces here that will stand out. I am a huge fan of this brand, particularly their curated sense of color and the little details they use to elevate each piece. My personal favorites are their kulfi kurtas and imartia pajama sets. Clothes from Ankid scream "quiet luxury."
13. Joey’s Dolls - Priya Cultural Mini Doll
Joey’s Dolls is an award winning brand that creates dolls from multiple Asian countries. Their "Priya" doll is celebrates Indian culture, but they also have dolls from China, Japan, Cambodia, and more. All their dolls are soft and cuddly and wear detailed traditional clothing, and have cute cultural specific accessories.
14. Phutari
These are the kinds of fun clothes and playful products I love for my kids! The brand is based in Jaipur, and showcases the traditional hand-blocked art of the region. They also sell “quilts” (otherwise known as the “Jaipuri razais”) in fun prints like monkeys and camels. My daughter has several outfits from here, and they are all super soft, bright, and comfortable!
P.S. They also have clothing for adults!
15. Fab India
Always a staple, for good reason. They have a huge range of clothing for kids, with soft dependable fabrics and designs. You can buy fancy wedding clothes, as well as comfy everyday outfits. The only downside is that the prices seem a bit high (in dollars) – I usually only buy these in India (where the prices are lower). Also note, their sizing runs a little small, so I would size up!
