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I am a gift giver, I love shopping for gifts for people on my list! Especially babies and toddlers; as a mom with one of each, I feel qualified to recommend some great gift ideas. I see lots of gift guides floating around the internet and they all seem to have the same handful of gifts, but not me! Keep reading for some fun and unique gift ideas that you won’t see elsewhere!
Gifts for Playtime
For Jack’s first Christmas, he was gifted a subscription to Lovevery. Lovevery sends your child expertly curated toys, appropriate for their stage in development. I loved that I didn’t have to research which toys to buy him and when; every three months a new box would arrive filled with beautiful, wooden Montessori toys. We could just unpack and play! There’s even a parent guide in each box explaining the purpose of each toy. Jack still plays with every toy, even the ones we’ve reused with Grace!
While the subscription is a fun long-term gift, a great open-able Christmas gift is the Lovevery play gym. We’ve had this since before Jack was born and it is one of the only baby things we’ve consistently used every day for more than two years! I especially love that it can become a tent once they’re crawling!
I’m a huge fan of sensory play, and one of the things we’re gifting my niece is a homemade, farm-themed sensory bin! Inside the bin is green rice, pinto beans, realistic farm animal figurines, colorful resin letters that spell out her name, and some scoops! If you’re short on time or creativity, there are always great pre-made options from small businesses as well!
A great sensory option for the littles is a water mat for tummy time! They can “splash” and chase the foam fish across the mat.
Clothes and gear
Our kids take swim lessons and need bathing suits year-round. Our favorites are from RuffleButts, and I especially love this blue seersucker suit. We even have the matching hat! There are great boys’ options too, like these colorblock trunks and matching rash guard!
As I’ve mentioned, a must-have for babyhood in this house is the Solly Baby wrap. Both kids loved being worn in a wrap and I loved that it gave me my arms back! Totally needed with 2 under 2. This would make a great gift for a little newbie!
We are big fans of outdoor play, and Jack will ask to go out in any weather. I like to make this happen by providing a good quality rain coat and pants for him, as well as boots and a big umbrella for myself! I love this rain gear because it is made to the same high standards as the adult gear and I know it will hand down to Grace wonderfully as well. We are also BIG fans of their snowsuits! (Is it just me or are good snowsuits hard to come by?!)
Gifts for Physical Activity
One of the bigger-ticket items on our kids’ Christmas wish list is the Lily and River climber. Pikler triangles are a great way to encourage gross motor development and burn off some extra energy inside during the long winter months! It is on the expensive side, but it is truly something that can be used by all ages and will be used for years.
Another fun gross-motor gift idea that will burn off some winter energy is the StairSlide! Each piece of slide goes over 3 stairs and it turns your steps into a slide! How cool is that? Bigger kids would love to have a few segments and the littles can enjoy one, three-stair piece! I love how the pieces lay flat and stack for storage, unlike a stand-alone slide. Use code SLIDE10 for 10% off your order!
In case you’re like me and feel like one of the last moms on Earth without a play couch, here’s your sign to add one to your gift list this year! We have the Flip couch on our list; I prefer it over the Nugget because it’s slipcovers are waterproof (*praise hands*) and the triangle pieces have flat tops for better building!
These stepping stones are so cool and will be great for developing balance and playtime indoor and out! Crawlers and seasoned walkers alike will enjoy the challenge of an obstacle course!
In case you can’t tell, I have kids who love physical activity LOL! I have had my eye on this mini trampoline for a while now because I think it would be a great activity option for inside days when kids are more likely to get stir crazy or ask for screen-time.
Gifts for Mental Activity
I actually want one of these for myself– the Yoto player is a kids’ audio player that has audiobooks, music and singalongs, educational activities, free children’s podcasts, radio and more. It’s great for older kids who can choose what to listen to by picking a player card, but little kids will love it too because they love music! I think all moms love the fact that it is screen-less!
This arts and crafts library is like gifting a stocked creative closet! It has pipe cleaners, pom poms, felt, googly eyes– over 1,000 pieces of crafty goodness! This is a great gift because it will grow with the child and let them indulge in their creative side!
Books. I don’t think I need to wax poetic on why we love books and how important reading is! So here’s a link to our favorite book publisher; let me know if you want help picking some out!
Nurture their creativity with some creative play props! Younger kids would love a Basket of Babies, a Wee Baby Stella, some play food, or a pretend sink. Toddlers might enjoy a bigger baby doll, dress up clothes, or a doctor kit!
Experiences
This is actually my favorite gift category. Most of the gifts on our kids’ wish list are gift cards or memberships to local children’s museums, swim lessons, discovery farms, and zoos! I would much rather my kids get an outside experience than an inside toy. Bonus points if the gift-giver wants to come with!
What’s on your kids’ wish list this year? Which of these gift ideas would your kids like best?
Check out my other holiday content and gift guides:
Holiday Gift Guide for Husbands
Holiday Gift Guide: Ideas for Her
Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers
Our Favorite Matching Christmas Pajamas for the Whole Family
Making a Reverse Advent Calendar for 2021
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