Kids Gift Guide
If you are reading this, you likely have kids or have very special kids (nieces/nephews) in your life that are deserving of something spectacular. But if the kids in your life (either your own or special kids) are anything like my kids, they have everything under the sun. Seriously everything. So much so that I have a meltdown once a quarter about the amount plastic items I trip over on a daily basis. Given we live in a fairly small space, I trip a lot so the items included on this gift guide are the items my kids probably play with the most and are not plastic. And I will also mention that both my kids play with all these items so they're fairly gender neutral IMO.
Play Kitchen - My kids love our play kitchen. They spend hours making cookies, cupcakes, pizza, etc. It's a great toy for imaginary play and I also think it's especially great that my son loves it as it gets rid of the stereotype that only women cook. In all seriousness he probably gets the most joy out of playing with it and making all kinds of different foods. I highly recommend a pretend kitchen!
Strider Bike - Kenny has had a Strider Bike since he was 2 years old and can totally cruise on that bad boy. It has taught him balance and it's been a form of fast mobility for him when we go on family walks. He has really loved it and Matilda cannot wait until she's tall enough to ride it. Depending on the climate you live in, this would be a great gift as it promotes activity, fresh air, and does not involve a screen of any kind. Just sayin.
Magnatiles - We are a big fans of magnatiles. Both of our kids love building all kinds of things out of magnatiles - castles, matchbox car garages, houses, towers, etc! Mattie has also sorted the tiles by color or tried at least as she learns her colors - so certainly multipurpose. Magnatiles are also a great indoor activity making them an even better Christmas gift.
Toddler Table + Chairs - We received this as a gift when Kenny was 2 or 3 years old - I can't remember! Ha! But it's been a great gift and has gotten a ton of use. The kids color at this table, draw, play with playdough, and we use it as a "kids table" when we have other families over for dinner. It's been such a versatile piece for us and has sparked a lot of creativity. A great gift indeed.
PB Kids Chair - This chair is the best. Our kids both received this chair as a gift and they're just so great. They watch shows or movies in the them, they just straight up lounge in them at times, and they've even used them to build forts with. They both feel like they have their own little spot when we're all in the basement. Not only that, the chair comes apart easily and washes up so nicely when needed.
AN EXPERIENCE! - Can I shout that any louder through a screen. This should really be the number one item on this list, but somehow it ended up in the last spot. But I cannot say it enough - an experience is so much more appreciated than any plastic toy or item that loses significance so fast. For instance our parents pitched in some money last year and Kenny took ski lessons. How cool is that? We would love for our family to ski together some day and it's best if you start young. He crushed it and spent almost every Saturday in January on the mountain and ended the season skiing most green runs independently. The experience could be anything - music classes, a zoo membership, dance/ballet classes, horse back riding, time together, etc. And this can be a gift for any age of child. I'm a really big believer in that experience gifts are the best for kids.
I hope that helps if you're struggling for kid ideas. All of these gifts have been a blessing to us and I hope other children love them just as much.
Cheers,
AFK