It’s that time of year again. I can’t believe it, but we’ve started our Christmas shopping already. I stress a little bit about finding the right items to purchase. I HATE returns. I hate the lines, the annoyance, the receipts, etc. So, I try to be super strategic about my purchases.
A nice thing about being the older sister in my family is that while I can’t always choose the perfect gifts, I can make recommendations on toys that worked for us (and those that didn’t). Helping others always brings me peace. Especially if it means helping my nieces and nephews.
Read on for some of my favorite suggestions for the kiddos this time of year.
FOr your science side ~ A butterfly garden
This gift came to us from a Nana and WOW, was it a great find. The company does a really nice job of supplying healthy caterpillars and guaranteeing that you will see some grow. We received this gift in the winter and waited it out for May to arrive, but when it came, we were thrilled! We fed the butterflies orange slices and sugar water. It was a pretty magical experience.
CLICK HERE for butterfly garden link.
for your sporty side ~ A practice Net
Hubs discovered this little wonder. He’s known about them, but finally decided to bring one home about a year ago. We line up, take aim and throw or hit balls at it. It’s a simple way to get the kiddos outside without a partner if they need a little outdoor time. LOVE this thing. We can take it apart in the winter, but often we leave it up throughout the seasons and even let our man use it in the garage (I don’t recommend that last part, but when the going gets tough, I sometimes send the kids to the garage in winter).
CLICK HERE for practice net link.
FOR YOUR Engineering Side ~ Marble Run
As soon as it was safe to have marbles rolling around in the house (ie- no babies to put them in their mouths), we got one of these bad boys. A marble run needs to be durable and big enough to keep my kids busy. Thankfully, our set has enough pieces to make more than one run. We’ve made competitions, races, challenges, you name it. The kids keep getting older, and I can still pull the marble run out for a good time.
CLICK HERE for marble run link.
FOR YOUR playful side ~ Guess Who
I used to love this game when I was a kid and felt nostalgic when my daughter took a liking to it. At 5-years-old, she insists on playing Guess Who nearly every day while we eat our lunch. That means we make it through 2-4 rounds and then move on. The version I’ve linked here doesn’t have any cards, which means you select your character right on the playing board. That means fewer pieces to lose and more opportunity for fun. This game doesn’t seem to get old, and in my house, that’s a win!
CLICK HERE for Guess Who link.
FOR your IMAGINATIVE side ~ Calico critters
My daughter has never really been an animal lover, but she loves imaginative play. While she has loads of Barbies and loves those dearly, she spends A LOT of time with her little rabbit family. Calico Critters are another one of those toys that have been around forever. This is convenient because I have actually purchased the little houses and furniture sets, etc on Facebook Marketplace at half the cost. But, the original little critters I wanted to purchase brand new. LM3 packs these little rabbits up and takes them almost everywhere. It’s adorable and feels great to see her enjoying these. Totally recommend. She started playing with them around age 3 and at 5 she’s still into them. A big win!
CLICK HERE for Calico Critter link.
Good luck with your shopping this year!!! I know it will be great no matter what. Hopefully, you find time to focus on the good stuff– time with family, connection, and gratitude. These are the things that ultimately bring me the most peace. I hope they do for you, too.
What brought you peace this week? Share the peace via comments on FB or here!
4 the Love of Peace 