These are in no way ranked in any particular order, but I need to say that all of them have been a ＨＵＧＥ item of play and creativity in this household! Below are the top ten items that my kiddos ages 2 - 9 years old have been gifted over the past few years. There is a solid mix of toddler, preschool and elementary school aged toys and items!
My amazing sister discovered this one and we haven't gone back to Hot Wheels or any other track since! The amazing thing about this track is the fact that it is ONE piece! It is easy to maneuver and can go outside as well. It comes with a suction hanger, so you can stick it to windows or mirrors to add extra slope! We use just regular hot wheels or matchbox cars to race. My favorite thing about this track is that my kids will spend endless amounts of time testing out angles, curves, bumps and jumps. It is pure experimenting and learning as they play.
We received this set from a relative and I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking the pieces would be EVERYWHERE and lost in a matter of minutes. To my surprise, my kiddos played for a long time creating cities and driving around the little wooden vehichles. We ended up keeping this set outdoors under our deck YEAR-ROUND! The pieces didn't warp or fade one bit. We added a bit of reptile tank grass to make a "park" for our city and when paired with wooden peg people or small game piece people it opened up a whole new world of play!
This one I could talk about for days! This was not a holiday gift, but rather a spur-of-the-moment splurge, and I'm so glad we did it! Basically... I was really tired of tripping over magnets on the kitchen floor from the dishwasher and fridge! I did some research and tried out this contact paper on a small stretch of wall about knee-height from the ground. It took approximately 5 minutes to put up and border with washi tape! Since then, we have used ALL sorts of magnets on our wall. Favories tend to be magnatiles (and knock-off versions), Melissa & Doug Magnets and Pete the Cat Button Magnets.
I can't imagine a day without our Yoto player! We have the Yoto Mini, and it is absolutly perfect for what we use it for! This is basically a screen-free bluetooth audio player that allows kiddos the autonomy to play podcasts, stories, audiobooks, music, and even create their own card. The player is synced with an app on an adult's phone so grown-ups can have control over what plays and when it plays, if needed. Kids can slide a card into the cube to have it play whatever they have selected, however, if they lose a card it can still be controlled and played via the app. You can also play content on multiple devices as well, which we love! My oldest has listened to podcasts, while my middle ones listen to stories and calming ocean sounds before bed. I love the independence it gives my kids to listen and learn and play without a screen, microphone or camera!
If you haven't tapped into your child's sensory play ability, now is the time! This table was a hand-me-down and I'm so glad we received it! I know a lot of people love using Ikea's sensory tables, but this works so well for us! There is a lot of space to fill and ample amounts of room for muliple siblings to move around and play. It isn't a deep surface and its right at toddler-height. To clean up we simply scoop out the contents and then tilt the table (it is pretty light), and pour out the rest. I leave sensory material in day to day, however, and only switch every few weeks. I just put the lid back on the table to make a lego base or car/road top and keep senosry scoops, along with a bin of legos, under the table!
If your kiddo is a LEGO fan, this may be another perfect gift idea-- especially for the 8 years and older crowd. Snap Ships come in sets like LEGOs and you are able to make multiple crafts to build and battle. They come with direction manuals, in a sturdy reusable storage box. All of the pieces are interchangable and a bit more durable than LEGOs. They are not battery-operated, so no flashing lights or annoying noises! There is an app you can download if you choose to include a tech element to the toy, where your ship can come to life and battle other ships you have built. I would highly recommend this toy for a builder, or battler!
This has been a solid "go-to gift" for many years now! It helps if your little people enjoy dinosaurs and getting messy, but there are so many varieites of egg digs out there that contain other little toys and figurines. My older kiddos LOVED the fossil dig by National Geographic, while the younger half of the crew enjoy any kind of treasure they can chip away-- animals, gems, dragons to name a few! This one is a bit messy, so we usually save it for a warmer day to do outside or a mess-safe area inside!
#8 Green Toys Rocket Ship (and really anything Green Toys)!
Green Toys are AMAZING. So durable, solid and Earth-friendly! We regularly play with the tea set, bath boats, and any of the car sets we've bought, but the Rocket Ship definitly stands out as a family-favorite. I'm not sure where the magic is... it could be that the top capsule separates from the bottom, the little red and blue astronuat people, or the fact that you can hide treasures inside the ship itself! We have used this countless amount of times for sensory play and road trips, doctor office visits and "quiet time" in bedrooms! It will forever be a favorite!
My little boys LOVE baby dolls. Sometimes they will push them around in their play shopping cart or stroller and sometimes they will give their babies a bottle and tuck them into bed. The one thing they LOVE about the Manhattan Baby Dolls are the soft material they are made out of, the perfect size for hugging, the magnetic pacifier (so easy for little hands to put on baby's mouth), and the fact that baby's diaper and clothes can be taken off and put back on. This has helped our little people SO much with transitions and getting diapers and clothes on themselves! I love the fact that these dolls come in both genders and multiple skin tones as well!
Last, but certainly not least! Do you have a kiddo who loves science? Loves investigating? Future surgeon? Doctor? This gift would be for the 6 years and older crowd, as it is a bit more intricate and utilizes cutting utensils! The best thing about this dissect lab is that the pieces can be put back together and it comes with many extra gel packets, which allows you to remake the mold over and over! We have done this experiment multiple times with my 9 and 6 year old and they love it each time!!
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