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Hi there, and happy holidays! Are you like me, where you blinked and all of a sudden the holidays are just days away? I’ll be honest, I turn into the biggest procrastinator when it comes to my holiday shopping. I am extremely indecisive as I just want to make the best choices for my loved ones. I always need to remind myself, though, that the holidays aren’t about gifts and material goods… they’re about the joy, memories made, and love felt around this time of year. Take it from me… try to wipe that urgency and stress away and replace it with that lovely and special holiday spirit! Spend those last few days before the holidays celebrating with your loved ones instead of battling the crazy retail stores. To help inspire you for some last-minute gift ideas (and to help with any stress!), I’ve created a list of jolly ideas that you can order from home that will surely make any little one smile!
Ideas for the really little ones…
We are a big Lovevery family. We love the Montessori-based toys, and this momma especially loves the fact that the products are safe, non-toxic, and developed through research by experts. You’ll see Lovevery products mentioned often throughout my site! They are tried, trusted, and just lovely. One of the most popular and loved Lovevery products is the Infant Play Gym by Lovevery! It’s the best infant play gym I’ve seen, it’s simple (not loud and overstimulating like some out there) but still enriching and interesting for young babies. I think the hundreds and hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon will tell you that the Infant Play Gym by Lovevery is worth it!
If you’re wanting a play gym that’s simple, minimal, neutral, and would be beautiful in any nursery, but can’t justify the higher price of the Lovevery play gym, this Little Dove Wooden Baby Play Gym is a lower price and really is just lovely.
The Organic Cotton Play Tunnel by Lovevery is another huge hit. Perfect for creative play and for promoting early motor development, your baby will be sure to love, learn, and grow with this fun play tunnel! Play hide and seek, watch your baby crawl through, and provide fun ways for creative play for multiple kiddos! The Organic Cotton Play Tunnel by Lovevery pops up and collapses easily, and it also comes with a handy organic cotton carrying case. Perfect for travel or for taking it to grandmas or the babysitters!
So simple, yet so fun! A tried and true favorite is the mushie Stacking Cups Toy (made in Denmark), with thousands of high reviews on Amazon to prove it. Families love this simple Montessori stacking toy for babies. The color choices are all aesthetically pleasing, and these cute little cups can be used in a variety of ways. A great choice for a holiday gift that little ones can grow with! Also, check out the lovely mushie Stacking Rings Toy, and the unique mushie Stacking Stars Toy!
Continuing on with the stacking toys, a common stacking toy for babies and young children are colorful stacking rainbows. They are open-ended and provide kiddos with multiple ways to play and learn! This Wooden Rainbow Stacker is pretty big, includes many pieces and bold colors, and is made with non-toxic paint. This Pastel Wooden Rainbow Stacker would be pretty for a baby nursery with the pastel colors. This Neutral-Colored Silicone Stacking Rainbow is less heavy than the wooden ones, which might be a good idea for babies or young toddlers who like to practice their throwing abilities.
Books, books, and more books! You can never have too many books. A book is an excellent gift for any aged kiddo that is fun, educational, and practical. This Three-Book Pat the Bunny Set is a classic and a favorite. My daughter has loved her Pat the Bunny book since she was a baby, it’s just too lovely! Goodnight Moon… who doesn’t love this all-time favorite? Simple, sweet, and a great gift idea. So much love for Goodnight Moon! This Three-Book My First Words Box Set is another great idea for your little one as young children love books with real pictures. My daughter has always loved these books from the time she was a baby until now at three years old. Highly recommended! It may bring on some tears (for mom or dad), but you can’t go without reading Love You Forever… “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be… (pass the tissues).
Ideas for young toddlers and preschoolers…
Do you have a little music lover in the family? Children are born with a natural interest in different sounds, so anything that makes noise is fun! This Wooden Instruments Set is an excellent idea to foster that curiosity in music and natural sound. Made of natural wood and free from toxic color coatings (and free from loud and artificial noise like some toys on the market), this Wooden Instruments Set is sure to bring a smile to your little one!
Cue the Lovevery love again! Another all-time favorite and highly rated Lovevery item is the Wooden Block Set by Lovevery! This block set is awesome because it comes with blocks that are a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. It also includes a bead threader, rolling ramp, shape sorter, and you can convert the storage box into a cool pull car! There are so many ways to keep your toddler or preschooler entertained with the Wooden Block Set by Lovevery. Safe, non-toxic, fun, and educational… the perfect gift for the holidays!
Wooden Balance Boards are another great idea for young kiddos. They are versatile, fun, and allow children to be creative. They can use it for balance, as a bridge in an imaginative game, a bed, and more! Wooden Balance Boards are a popular gift or toy idea for families who want to provide a simple Montessori play space for their families.
The Montessori philosophy emphasizes natural materials and more real-life things, so this Animal Magnet Set is a great idea for your kiddo! It features 16 large fridge magnets with pictures of real animals instead of pretend cartoon ones. A great way to help your loved ones learn about different animals!
Do you have a toddler or preschooler that loves to move? Young kiddos are all about learning what their tiny little bodies can do! Balance bikes have become extremely popular for young kids, and the Strider Sport Balance Bike (ages 18 months to five years old) is a highly rated family favorite. It grows with your kiddo as the seat can be adjusted. This Balance Bike also comes in a variety of colors! The Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter is also another awesome choice for young kids to work on power, balance, and to have fun. This Scooter is available in both red and pink and is sure to be a hit!
Who doesn’t love sidewalk chalk? From this 20-piece sidewalk chalk set to this 160-piece deluxe sidewalk chalk set (an Amazon choice), both options would be fun for the kiddos!
It’s wintertime, so what’s better than some Play-Doh in “winter colors?” How fun! Check out this Play-Doh set, perfect to use as stocking stuffers!
My daughter is three, so I could list a thousand ideas for wonderful book gift ideas for toddlers, as we have shelves and shelves of books. I’ll include some of our favorites! You may recognize this title as it’s a family favorite… We’re Going On A Bear Hunt is read almost daily in our home. It’s simple, sweet, and a lot of fun. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is catchy and always fun to read! Our family loves the Llama Llama Red Pajama books. Our favorite is the original book, Llama Llama Red Pajama, but my daughter also loves the additional board books. They are so cute and catchy, I’ll recommend this Llama Llama’s Little Library box set, which includes four books. All of them are great, though! (You could also include this cute little Llama Llama Red Pajama plush doll with the books, too!) As parents, we know toddlers have big feelings. So adding some books about feelings would be an excellent idea for your young kiddos! Big Feelings is a highly rated favorite. All About Feelings is one of my daugther’s favorites. It’s geared for kiddos that are probably preschool age and higher, but she still really enjoys pointing out the feelings in the pictures and reading it with me, and she asks to read it almost every day!
Ideas for slightly, or “sleigh-tly” (see what I did there??) older kiddos…
One thing that I think every kiddo loves is art! Whether it’s drawing in a coloring book, finger painting, playing with chalk, or getting pen on the couch (ha!), children love to be creative. This highly-rated Melissa and Doug Standing Art Easel will surely bring some joy to your family this holiday season! It includes options for a chalkboard, whiteboard, a locking paper roll holder for drawing or painting, and trays to store art supplies. It’s listed as safe for children ages three and older, so it’s also a great gift idea for families wanting a gift that will grow with their kiddo, or a gift that will entertain multiple children. Very practical, convenient, and fun for the whole family!
I’ve heard so many good things about Magna-Tiles, and the crazy high reviews on Amazon speak for themselves. This 32-piece Magna-Tile set is a good starter kit, but if you’re wanting a kit with even more pieces, this bigger deluxe 110-piece Magna-Tile set may be a good option for your family. Two great holiday gift ideas!
Hanging swings (both indoor and outdoor) are super popular nowadays and for a good reason! Not only are they fun and exciting, but they also provide a place where kids can feel safe, cozy, and help when they’re experiencing sensory overload. This Colorful Pod Swing Chair is a great choice for preschool-aged kids and up. This Neutral-Colored Cotton Swing Chair is simple, aesthetically pleasing, and a good option for older children for their bedrooms or outside.
I saw another momma mention wanting to get a gratitude journal for their kiddo, and I thought that was an amazing idea. We live in a time where practicing mindfulness and gratitude is a growing mindset, so how awesome would it be to begin that practice with your children from a young age? This Three-Minute Gratitude Journal For Kids could be a great option as a gift idea!
Continuing with the journal idea, I thought these were excellent ideas, too… Between Mom and Me: A Guided Journal for Mother and Son, which is a journal full of activities and prompts for moms and sons to connect; Love, Mom, and Me: A Guided Journal for Mother and Daughter, which is a journal full of activities and prompts for moms and daughters to connect; and Between Dad and Me: A Father and Son Guided Journal to Connect and Bond, which is a journal full of activities and prompts for dads and sons to connect. I’ve always found comfort in writing, even as a younger child I would write notes to my mom if I didn’t feel comfortable talking about them. I think providing a space for kids and parents to connect through written prompts and activities is a wonderful way to strengthen that parent-child bond and provide comfort and safety with communication. I definitely recommend these journals as holiday gifts this year!
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish… oh, the beloved Dr. Suess! This Dr. Suess Beginning Book Collection is a great gift idea for grade school kiddos that are learning to read. With easy-to-read font, sight words, rhymes, fun stories, and more, these books are sure to be loved by your new reader! The Wonderful Things You Will Be, a story about love, dreams, and acceptance. With thousands of five-star reviews, it speaks for itself. The World Needs Who You Were Made To Be (by Joanna Gaines and Julianna Swany) is another adorable and beloved favorite in our household. This Feelings Activity Book for Children (it lists ages four to eight) and All About Feelings are two great resources for children who are learning how to recognize and navigate their feelings as they grow. All Are Welcome, a book about diversity and inclusion, and Big Feelings, a book about navigating big feelings, are two books (by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman) that would be great to read together as a family and a great gift this holiday season.
...And there you have it! I hope this list has helped inspire you for those last-minute holiday shopping ideas! You can finish the rest of your shopping from the comfort of your home while you wear those soft, cozy matching family pajama pants and sip on some yummy hot chocolate. ‘Tis the season!
Remember, you don’t have to give material gifts. I always remind myself that oftentimes, less is more. Instead of piling on the stuff, you can always explore other non-material gift options. Some great ideas include family memberships to fun places, tickets to family-friendly places (like museums, aquariums, or the zoo), classes (like cooking classes or dance classes), and even vacations! Maybe your kiddo would love a cute little “coupon book” with coupons like “one free daddy-daughter date of your choice.” They can choose to say, go out for ice cream, get a special breakfast, or go to the park! Have fun and be creative! Kiddos will truly love and appreciate anything special you do for them. The holidays are magical for children!
As always, thanks for reading! Happy holidays from our family to yours! Try Amazon Prime Free for 30 Days!
Lots of love,
Anna
