overwhelmed holiday gift guide
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Photo by ariana clare photography. I had to include a couple photos from emmy and elle's first holiday photo session. I still cannot believe this was two years ago!
Feeling a little overwhelmed this holiday season? Then you have come to the right place to make holiday shopping a breeze! I've had the best time compiling a huge list of ideas for the special little ones in your life. As most of you know by now, I am an educational consultant for discovery toys. discovery toys does an awesome job of identifying the different types of play in separate categories so it is easy for parents to choose the right toys and activities for their children based on their individual needs. I have decided to organize my gift guide using some of the types of play highlighted by discovery toys BUT I am including toys, books, and activities from lots of different companies. If it is a quality toy then it made my list regardless if it comes from Amazon or Pottery Barn Kids. I will update this list throughout the holiday season if I come across anything else that everyone needs to know about for their children. Enjoy the list and let me know if you have purchased anything that I have missed and needs to be added! Happy Holidays!
Make-Believe Play
Make Believe Toys from Amazon
Corolle Câlin Charming Pastel Baby Doll- emmy and elle have about six of these dolls and LOVE them all. They are beautiful dolls and smell like vanilla. Must have item! I would suggest an American Girl doll for the older doll lovers in your life.
Corolle Mon Premier Stroller- emmy and elle love this stroller and it is extremely durable. This year we are getting them an additional stroller from Pottery Barn Kids.
Hape Gourmet Fridge and Hape Gourmet Chef Kitchen and Cookware Set- Katharine Grace has this kitchen and loves it! If you want a sturdy kitchen that does not take up a lot of room then this is the play kitchen for you! I really like how there is an option now that you can buy a cookware set with the kitchen.
Hape Instant Waffles Kid's Wooden Kitchen Play Food Set and Accessories and Hape Sushi Selection Kid's Wooden Play Kitchen Food Set and Accessories You cannot go wrong with any pretend food from Hape. Their play food is high quality and the majority is either wooden or felt. I love all of their sets but these are two we are buying for emmy and elle for Christmas.
Hape's All Seasons Wooden Dollhouse furnished with accessories
We love Green Toys products! I love the fact they are environmentally friendly and they are super cute and durable. A win-win! Here are some of our favorite Green Toy products we use in our own play kitchen- Green Toys Tea Set, Green Toys Cupcake Set, Green Toys plates, cups, and utensils set
Is it just me or has Melissa and Doug blown up over the past couple of years? I feel like I have seen them everywhere from Amazon to Nordstrom to TJ Maxx! We love their products and here are a couple we own and love for make-believe play- Slice and Bake wooden cookie set and Let's Play House, dust, sweep, and mop
I looked at a lot of doctor's kits to decide on one for emmy and elle. I went with the classic from Fisher Price. You cannot beat the amount of items that come in the medical kit and the cost! I am also eyeing the Fisher Price Food Truck for emmy and elle after playing with this awesome toy at a friends home. The Fisher Price crawl around car has been a favorite of emmy and elle's since their first birthday. It is definitely a toy that grows with your child. The crawl around car also comes in PINK and RED. The last two toys mentioned are two of the four toys on this entire list which require batteries.
The Moluk Bilibo is an awesome toy for imaginative play. A child can turn it into anything they want it to be from a spaceship, a car, a hat, a cozy reading chair... the possibilities are endless!
Make Believe Toys from IKEA
BUSA Children's Tent is a fun and roomy tent which can attach easily to a tunnel.
DUKTIG Doll Bed is an amazing STEAL. I have been looking at various doll beds for emmy and elle and I just could not bring myself to pay a lot of money for a bed their baby dolls pretend sleep. This doll bed is made of solid wood, can be painted, and is the perfect size for any of their dolls.
DUKTIG 14-piece vegetable set- We love all of our felt play food from Ikea. I feel like a lot of people forget to look at Ikea for children's toys but you can find some awesome items for cheap!
Make Believe Toys from Land of Nod
A Teepee to call your own from Land of Nod is on emmy and elle's wish list. We have a playhouse from Pottery Barn Kids in their playroom downstairs but this would be the perfect addition to their shared nursery upstairs. (hint, hint to any family reading this list)
emmy and elle's received their playhouse tent last year for Christmas and are obsessed with the amount of space inside the tent. Pottery Barn Kids continues to say the tent is on backorder but I have stopped telling people to look there and have found this tent from the Land of Nod which is similar in design and function. I highly suggest for everyone to check out all the different tents from Land of Nod, I have really not seen any cuter ones on the market.
Make Believe Toys from Pottery Barn Kids
If you want to splurge on a 3-in-1 kitchen from Pottery Barn Kids then I recommend the Chelsea because it is so dreamy. I would like my own kitchen to look exactly like the grey version of the Chelsea. I like the 3-in-1 design if you have a smaller space or only one child that will be playing with the kitchen.
emmy and elle were gifted the three piece retro kitchen last year for Christmas. They love the kitchen now but I can honestly say I was more excited last year about the kitchen than they were since they were not yet 2-years-old. I could have waited until this year to splurge on this gorgeous set but I am happy we have it because there is so much space to store all of their kitchen accessories and toys. They have really started to play make believe the closer to age three they become. I cannot wait for them to see the additional accessories we bought them this year!
Pottery Barn Kids also has a vast selection of kitchen pretend food and accessories. I love seeing their new collaborations but comparable toys can be found cheaper on amazon and IKEA. There are a couple sets I have not seen anywhere else such as the wooden milk container set and wooden egg container set. These sets are durable and look adorable in a pretend kitchen fridge.
There are many different dollhouses from Pottery Barn Kids but one which has really caught my eye is the Westport Dollhouse. I feel like it is roomy inside and the price is not outrageous. This is definitely on emmy and elle's Christmas wishlist. For a comparable option please see above under the make believe amazon section)
Sensory Play
Sensory Toys from Amazon
This is the HOT toy of the season. I feel like it's the next tamagotchi! It comes in various colors and I linked one here for reference. Good luck when you're on the hunt for a Fingerlings (ages 5+)! Fingerlings - Interactive Baby Monkey - Zoe (Turquoise with Purple Hair)
HABA Kringelring Wooden Baby Rattle & Clutching Toy (Made in Germany)
Hape Country Critters Wooden Activity Play Cube for Toddlers
Skip Hop Baby Explore and More Rocking Owl Stacker Toy (amazon has even combined the owl stacker with our other favorite skip hop toy, the owl push toy, as a holiday bundle)
*The owl stacker was emmy's absolute favorite infant toy. I literally shed a tear when I packed it away.
Skip Hop Explore and More Roll Around Rattle Toy, Hedgehog
Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Sensory Teether Toy
Manhattan Toy Classic Baby Beads Wood Rattle, Teether, and Clutching Toy
Manhattan Toy Skwish Classic Rattle and Teether Grasping Activity Toy
A lot of the toys I listed above would be perfect stocking stuffers for your little ones.
Mermaid bracelets and pillows are awesome sensory toys for the older kids in your life. I know Katharine Grace will be receiving a couple bracelets in her stocking!
Sensory Toys from discovery toys
(Please let me know if you would like to order anything from discovery toys and I can help you with the cost of shipping)
Super Yummy Teether- The Best teether on the market and it smells like vanilla!
Sensory Sights- Just won the Dr. Toy Award for its awesome design
Tangiball- Also smells like vanilla and is amazing for babies to grasp and play
Boomerings- these little links can help with so much from attaching to toys so they are not thrown from a stroller or carseat to using for early math skills and color recognition
Little Lacer- this toy could easily fit in the motor play category too but it is the perfect first lacing set for little hands
Shake 'N Slide- this is my new go-to baby gift. It is so interactive!
Stack, Roll & Jingle- stacks in any order and can roll on any surface!
Try-Angle- the perfect toy for tummy time and then it grows with your baby into an interactive sit-up or tabletop play toy.
Sensory Toys from IKEA
Baby Bath Toy- emmy and elle have this bath toy and love it. I love it too because I know it will not become moldy!
Sensory Toys from Pottery Barn Kids
Bunny Plush Play Mat we own the bunny and lamb mats. We used them for tummy time when emmy and elle were tiny and they still like to lay on them while reading a book.
Fun on the Farm Stacker emmy and elle loved this stacker and received for their first christmas at ten-months-old. I love the vibrant colors and all the different textures of the different animals. It helped us teach them about different animals too.
Motor Play
Motor Play toys from Amazon
Hape Wonder Walker Push and Pull Toddler Walking Toy This is always the walker I recommend to everyone. It helps your baby learn to walk but it is also an interactive toy
Hape Walk-A-Long Snail Toddler Wooden Pull Toy and Hape Shape Sorter Wooden Pull Turtle Toy are two awesome pull toys for your little ones which will also help them learn to sort and identify shapes.
emmy and elle love to lace beads. They currently have this set Melissa & Doug Primary Lacing Beads with 30 Beads and 2 laces and this set Melissa & Doug Farm Lacing Beads With 13 Wooden Beads and 1 Sturdy Lace but Santa will be bringing them this colorful and new set Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Lacing Beads - Educational Activity With 27 Beads and 2 Laces. Lacing beads is an awesome way for toddlers to work on fine motor skills and patience.
Cruzee UltraLite Balance Bike (4.4 lbs) for Ages 1.5 to 5 Years
Micro Mini 3in1 Deluxe Kick Scooter (Red) This would be the perfect scooter for a toddler the same age as emmy and elle
This would be the perfect scooter for someone the same age as Katharine Grace (5 and up) Micro Maxi Deluxe Kick Scooters (Pink)
The Original PlasmaCar by PlaSmart – Purple – Ride On Toy, Ages 3 yrs and Up, No batteries, gears, or pedals, Twist, Turn, Wiggle for endless fun The Plasma car is definitely on emmy and elle's wish list this year for Christmas!
The teeter popper is a fun toy which will help your children learn to balance! It comes in a few different colors which I have listed below:
Fat Brain Toys Teeter Popper - Green
Fat Brain Toys Teeter Popper, Blue
Fat Brain Toys Teeter Popper, Pink
Fat Brain Toys Kids Spinagain Toy This is a MUST HAVE toy for your toddler!
Fat Brain Toys Tobbles Neo emmy and elle loves this toy. They received it for their first Christmas and still enjoy stacking the tobbles
Fat Brain Toys Squigz Starter Set, 24 Piece
*We love Fat Brain toy and I highly encourage you to check out their website or look them up on Amazon
Motor Play Toys from discovery toys
(Please let me know if you would like to order anything from discovery toys and I can help you with the cost of shipping)
Go, Go Caterpillar is my number one best selling toy since I became a consultant. This toy will encourage your child to crawl, then walk, then run! It will also help your toddler understand cause and effect and cooperation skills.
Practice Panda is a brand new toy for fall of 2017. It will help your child exercise a variety of basic dressing skills.
Stacking owls is a cute wooden toy which could also fit under construction and numbers play!
Motor Play Toys from IKEA
This adorable bath boat is the perfect stocking stuffer for bath time fun!
Construction Play
Construction Play Toys from Amazon
HABA-Fantasy Land Building Blocks
Hape Basic Builder Toddler Wooden Play Set
Hape Master Workbench Kid's Wooden Toolbench Pretend Builder Set
Limited Edition Learning Tower Kids Adjustable Height Kitchen Step Stool with Safety Rail – Wood Construction – Quality Learning Furniture from Little Partners (Earl Grey) There are a lot of different learning towers on the market so I would suggest you do an amazon search to find one that is perfect for your child's needs and budget.
Star Wars is going to be huge next month and one company that never disappoints with their Star Wars gear is LEGO's! Here are a few of the best Star Wars LEGO Sets
LEGO Star Wars Yoda's Jedi Starfighter 75168 Star Wars Toy
LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon 75105 Star Wars Toy
LEGO Star Wars Darth Vader Transformation 75183 Building Kit
LEGO also has a line of products for toddlers called DUPLO. I love the DUPLO sets and highly recommend starting with the sets below!
LEGO DUPLO My First Number Train 10847 Preschool Toy
LEGO DUPLO l Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Minnie's Caf‚ 10830 Large Building Block Preschool Toy
LEGO DUPLO All-in-One-Box-of-Fun 10572 Creative Play and Educational Toy
Finally, the last construction toy from Amazon I want to highlight on the gift guide is the Green Toys tool set. We love the tool set and it comes in two colors!
Construction Play Toys from discovery toys
(Please let me know if you would like to order any discovery toys products and I can help with the cost of shipping)
Connectix- this is our current favorite toy that many people have asked me about because emmy and elle are often seen playing with it when I post instagram stories and snaps. They love this toy so much that my mom has already bought them a second set for Christmas. Thanks Oma! This open-ended, kid-powered magnetic construction set inspires the imagination, fosters experimentation, sharpens logical reasoning, and strengthens fine motor skills.
Marbleworks- Connect colorful tubes, chutes and bases together in different ways to create an infinite number of raceway configurations. As the marbles speed through the course, children learn about the laws of gravity, object permanence and cause and effect.
Motor Works- This junior-mechanic set has a working power tool and a shop full of parts to build three free-wheeling vehicles! A motorcycle, prop plane, and race car are sized right for small hands and feature moving parts. Includes tool box, dull child-safe electric power drill and manual screwdriver, and extra screws. (one of only four toys on this entire list that requires batteries)
Hexacus- An exploration in creativity and fun for the entire family. Just sort by size and color, then stack, nest, and balance to create a wide variety of patterns and shapes. The included Idea Booklet shows over 100 examples of easy to challenging patterns and shapes to build.
Gear it!- With this creative, open-ended gear set, children learn about cause and effect and simple principles of mechanics. Build a base, a wall or even a cube by interlocking the bases. Then use the connectors to attach the gears, forming a chain reaction. Decorate the plates and gears with the colored pegs. Finally, turn the handle to set everything in motion with spectacular effect.
Construction Play Toys from IKEA
emmy and elle have shown an interest in trains so I wanted to buy them their own train set they could construct and create. I did not want to break the bank since I knew this train set would be stored away when it was not in use. I found the perfect compromise from IKEA. I love the LILLABO basic train set. There is a whole line of LILLABO train sets from IKEA and I highly suggest you check them out before you splurge on any other set!
Logic Play
Logic Play Toys from Amazon
Eric Carle Matching Game Perfect Stocking Stuffer
We love puzzles from Melissa and Doug. The majority of them are wooden or pegged so they are prefect for little hands. They also have a sound collection and I can say firsthand the sounds work well and last! Here are some of our favorite puzzles from Melissa and Doug.
Melissa & Doug Classic Wooden Peg Puzzles (Set of 3) - Numbers, Alphabet, and Colors
Melissa & Doug Vehicles Wooden Peg Puzzle (8 pcs)
Melissa & Doug Farm Wooden Chunky Puzzle (8 pcs)
Melissa & Doug Shapes Wooden Chunky Puzzle (8 pcs)
Melissa & Doug Pets Sound Puzzle - Wooden Peg Puzzle With Sound Effects (8 pcs)
Melissa & Doug Musical Instruments Sound Puzzle - Wooden Peg Puzzle (8 pcs)
Melissa & Doug Farm Sound Puzzle - Wooden Peg Puzzle With Sound Effects (8 pcs)
Melissa & Doug Puzzle Storage Rack - Wire Rack Holds 12 Puzzles(Puzzles Not Included) I found this puzzle storage rack while researching items for the gift guide. I immediately added it to my amazon cart because this is perfect for storage!
This puzzle made the Southern Living holiday gift guide list and looks amazing for elementary aged children Ravensburger Disney Castle 3D Puzzle (216 Piece)
Fat Brain Toys Rolligo This toy is on emmy and elle's wish list!
Logic Play Toys from discovery toys
(Please let me know if you would like to order any discovery toys products and I can help with the cost of shipping)
Giant Pegboard- discovery toys classic, two-sided and award-winning pre-math and pre-reading toy just got better! Side one features a pegboard for sorting, stacking, counting, and matching the 25 easy-to-grasp pegs of various sizes and colors; the flip side features a raised peg geoboard for creating geometric designs. Updated set includes 12 two-sided pattern cards, with activities for both sides of the board! This is a huge hit with emmy and elle!
Mosaic Mysteries- This set of tiles appeals to your child's creative and mathematical nature. Set offers plenty of shapes, textures and colors to recreate 50 stunning patterns suggested in the accompanying manual, or to create original designs from among thousands of possibilities. (ages 8+)
Pentonminoes- Mind challenging puzzles for all ages! Each of the 12 unique shapes is based upon five connected cubes, and the shapes combine to make thousands of different puzzles. Booklet includes 75 two & three dimensional puzzles of increasing perplexity. Or create your own designs! (ages 8+)
Mental Blox- Brain-boosting, block-building, make-you-think game! Arrange & stack the multi-colored shapes to match the 40 included progressively numbered patterns.
Artistic Play
Artistic Play Toys from Amazon
Skip Hop Explore and More Musical Egg Shaker Trio, Multi (3-piece)
Skip Hop Baby Explore and More Musical Instrument Accordion Toy, Multi, Hedgehog
Skip Hop Explore and More Musical Instrument Set, Multi (3-piece)
Hape Pound & Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone
Hape Mighty Mini Band Wooden Percussion Instrument
HABA Fun with Sounds Wooden Discovery Blocks with Acoustic Sounds (Made in Germany)
Play-Doh Touch Shape to Life Studio
Play-Doh Touch Shape and Style Set
Artistic Play Toy from discovery toys
(Please let me know if you would like to order any discovery toys products and I can help with the cost of shipping)
Place and Trace- This is an original toy from discovery toys they have continuously made better over the years. emmy and elle still play with mine from 30+ years ago. This ideal first set of puzzles is also a versatile learning tool. The textured chunky pieces fit into three differently themed trays to teach shape recognition, categorization and fine motor dexterity. The 12 fun shapes can also be used for sorting and matching activities, stenciling, clay stamping, imaginary play, and even cookie cutting.
Artistic Play Toys from IKEA
MALA Easel is the best STEAL! Check out all the art supplies from IKEA. IKEA has a large selection of artistic toys all for great prices. They also have a lot of storage containers and ideas to help organize and store away your little one's art supplies.
Artistic Play Toy from the Land of Nod
Usborne Books Artistic Play Books Wish List
I created a wish list of recommendations from Usborne books which lists the most popular artistic play books and activity books. Enjoy!
overwhelmed blog Artistic Play wish list
Language Play
Language Play Toys and Books from Amazon
I am going to be dedicating an entire blog post this coming week to this amazing book but wanted to make sure I included it on my gift guide. If there is one book you buy your child this year, make sure, "Wonder" is the one! If you have a younger child then I highly recommend, "We're All Wonders," which is the title I am gifting emmy and elle for Christmas. #choosekind
Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
Language Play Toys and Games from discovery toys
(Please let me know if you want to order something from discovery toys and I can help with the cost of shipping)
Busy Farm- Boosts reading readiness skills with this hands-on set of 36 soft-molded farm animals and 23 progressivly chanllening activities
Busy Letters- Build early reading skills with hands-on set of 26 uppercase and 38 lower case letters. Comes with 23 progressively challenging activities and a guide with over a dozen more. Bonus activity is the letters can also be laced!
Spelligator- Stack letter tiles on your gator to make the most words. Includes consonants, vowels, digraphs, and blends
Adventures in Storyland- Story telling game! 12 scenes and over 200 cards provide endless combinations!
Language Play Toys from Fat Brain Toys
Personalized Name Puzzle is always my go-to gift for a birthday or holiday present. It comes in two different color combinations and it's the perfect present to help children start to identify the letters in their names. The puzzle is made of wood so it is extremely durable! We have one for emmy and elle with their full names, Emelia and Elizabeth.
Usborne Books Holiday Book Wish List
I created a wish list of recommendations of all the best selling books from Usborne and a lot of their holiday selections too. I also created a second wish list of all the awesome wipe-clean series of books because they would make the perfect stocking stuffer and gift. Enjoy!
overwhelmed blog holiday wish list of Usborne Book recommendations
overwhelmed blog wipe-clean series wish list of recommendations
Does your little one need a comfy chair to enjoy all of their books? emmy and elle love their chair from The Land of Nod. They currently have the size small chair which still fits them perfectly. I know the number one item on their Christmas list for next year will be the large sized chair! (Only difference between the Land of Nod chair and the everywhere chair from PBK is the price. PBK is more expensive)
Numbers Play
Numbers Play Toys from Amazon
Hape Counting Stacker Toddler Wooden Stacking Block Set
Numbers Play Toys from discovery toys
(Please contact me if you would like to order anything from discovery toys because I can help with shipping.)
Boomerangs Activity Set- I am planning on purchasing all the different activity sets from discovery toys between now and when emmy and elle turn three-years-old. I think these activity sets are awesome to expand early math and early reading skills.
Busy Bugs- we currently own busy farm and it is the perfect set for early math skills. It also helps with color and insect identification.
Numbers Play Toys from IKEA
Usborne Books Numbers Play Wish List
I created a wish list of recommendations from Usborne Books for numbers play because they have a huge selection of math books and math activity books. Enjoy!
overwhelmed blog wish list for Numbers Play
Need storage for all the new toys? Two brands I love are 3 sprouts and Pehr. You can find both on Amazon!
3 Sprouts Toy Chest, Elephant, Grey
3 Sprouts Storage Bin, Pink Elephant by 3 Sprouts
3 Sprouts Storage Box, Hedgehog, Grey
Pehr Designs Pom Pom Mini, Pink
Pehr Designs Pom Pom Pint, Multi
Pehr Designs Pom Pom Bin, Blue
Give memories, not things...
We have two themes for emmy and elle this year for Christmas. We are trying to give as many kid powered toys as possible meaning less batteries and screens. My gift guide reflects this idea because we want to encourage their imaginations as well as verbal and critical thinking skills. We are also trying to give memories and not just tangible items. Examples are buying a membership to our local children's museums, investing in kindermusik, the local playhouse, and dance class. We are also starting to save for a big family vacation in 2018 as well. I wanted to throw out some ideas such as museums, zoo memberships, classes and family outings as a fun alternative to traditional man-made gifts.
Photo by ariana clare photography
(All graphics are from amazon, discovery toys, fat brain toys, IKEA, the land of nod, pottery barn kids, and Usborne books. Full Disclosure: This post contains a few affiliate links. overwhelmed (emmy and elle's mom) may make a very small commission on items purchased through this post. THANK YOU for supporting overwhelmed/emmyandelle.com and being the reason that it’s totally awesome to create posts like this gift guide! I hope this guide helped shopping for the special children in your life a little easier. The best part is you can shop from the comfort of your couch and never step foot inside a mall with active toddlers!)
