With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to start seeking out the best gifts to give to your children. There’s nothing better than seeing the pure joy on my kids’ faces when they open a gift they are excited about. As a homeschool mom to three littles, and a past nanny of 16 years, I love gifts that can not only help with my kids' development, but are also engaging and fun. I try to jot down as many gift ideas throughout the year so I have a quick and easy gift guide to follow when shopping time comes. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to finding gifts, I’m easily overwhelmed with the number of options. I am sharing my gift guide this year to hopefully make Christmas shopping a little easier.
First on my list is my go-to gift every year and that is the Young + Wild Interactive sensory kits. We have many kits ourselves and the best part is that the homemade scented playdough never dries up. Each kit comes with three different colors of playdough and is theme-based. You all know I love a theme. Young + Wild keeps every kid in mind by offering over 25 different themes based on your kiddos' interests. They have 3 different sized kits, however; their biggest kit is our go-to. They even have one that the Elf can give the children. Their dinosaur kit is the house favorite here. To learn more, go to https://www.youngwildandfriedman.com/collections/sensory-kits-1?page
This gift is one I don't personally have but will be purchasing this year. It is a balance board called the Little Surfer by Lilly and Driver. The little surfer helps with self-confidence, gross motor, balance control, muscle growth, and expands creativity.
This balance board is for children ages 12 months to 8 years old. I love that this balance board has so many different uses and can be kept for years of fun. To order a Little Surfer go to https://lilyandriver.com/products/little-surfer
Hello World is our all-time favorite book series. I always try to include at least one book every year. The Hello World series offers board books that contain a bunch of easy-to-understand facts that kids love. We have most of the series and my kiddos love reading these books over and over. I find so much joy hearing my kids tell their friends different facts that they learned out of the Hello Word series. You can find our newest favorite Arctic Animals here:
Whether you are a homeschool momma like me or you are looking for an educational game, this ten-frame game called 10 On the Spot is the game for you. This game is a bingo-style game perfect for K+. I love that this game has a beginner and advanced option for endless opportunities for learning fun.
To find out more go to https://www.learningresources.com/10-on-the-spot-tm-ten-frame-game
You can't go wrong with Magnetic Wooden Blocks. Wooden blocks have always been a hit in our house. Our favorite ways to use blocks are for building towers, houses, animal cages, or even homeschool activities.
Tegu has wooden magnetic block sets that my kids have been eyeballing. Here is the link to find out more about Tegus magnetic blocks. https://tegu.com/products/tegu-magnetic-wooden-block-set-42-pieces?variant=17539685548122
On the topic of blocks, these Himiku blocks are made out of beech wood. The best part is these blocks are super unique and not one block is the same. If your kids love rocks, these are the blocks for them. Their unique shape gives your kids a challenge to be able to stack them all. I personally think they also make a cute decoration piece in a nursery or playroom. Please check out Himikus website for more information https://himiku.net/products/thehimikublocks?variant=36045162315933
I love all things STEM which is why this STEM activity is a must. This Flower building activity is great for ages 3-6 years old. I love that you can throw this toy in the dishwasher for an easy clean.
This set encourages creativity and can be used either inside or outside. There is a total of 153 pieces for endless variations of flowers for your little ones to create. To find out more please visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Z7PC9MJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_683YZ65865MBZT38BA6S?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I love anything that can teach my kids about diversity and other people's family dynamics, which is why I love the All About Me Family Counters. This
set not only teaches your children about your family, but also other people's families. You can also use these counters for sorting, patterning, and counting. Here is the link to find out more
My First Vehicles by Smart Max is the perfect gift if you have kiddos like me who are obsessed with everything trucks. This set comes with 4 different magnetic trucks for endless fun. If your family loves to have car races then these trucks are going to become a family favorite. To find out more go to https://smarttoysandgames.com/us/my-first-vehicles-1.html
I don't know about you but Magna Tiles have always been a must in our house. I love how many different learning benefits Magna Tiles provide to my children, especially critical thinking and problem-solving. Not only that, but these tiles are great for your kids to express their creativity and can be used in homeschool.
After seeing that Magna Tiles came out with arctic animal additions, I knew I had to put this set on my kids’ gift list this year.
https://cat-n-mouse.com/products/magna-tiles-arctic-animals-set-25-pieces
Lastly, is the Benarita Pikler Triangle. My dear friends have had this Pikler for almost 6 months, and not a day goes by that they don't use it.
There is a 2-in-1 climbing ladder that allows the child to imitate rock climbing. The Pikler climber encourages coordination, physical fitness, and balance ability. You can adjust the climbing ladder based on your child's age and abilities. To find out more on the Pikler go to https://www.amazon.com/Benarita-Triangle-Foldable-Climbing-Suitable/dp/B08YN9W51P/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=pikler&qid=1638386045&sr=8-8
Happy Holidays,
Kyla Lopez
National Nanny Agency Owner
Homeschool Mom of Three Littles
Comments