Welcome to my first gift guide of the season! I told Eric that creating gift guides is one of my favorite parts of blogging. These are so much fun to create and I now have inspiration for my own giving this season.

Today I wanted to put together a list of some toys that my children have and love and find a few that are on our list. I really wanted to create a guide that fuels creativity and independent play. Only one of these toys takes batteries (the dinosaur) and even without, the kids would think its pretty cool. The hats are a bonus because they’re pretty fun for the winter!

I’ve heard this mentioned a few times by both our teachers and The Busy Toddler but it’s really important to look at our children’s toys as tools. They are the foundation of some of the best learning that takes place at home. These items fuel their development and skill building. And of course, their little imaginations.

I’ll touch on a few specific items that we have and share why we love them. The sensory bin from Young Wild and Friedman is a gift that keeps on giving. My kids LOVE these. They will play together for hours. I don’t think of these sensory bins as being overly messy and I always have my kids clean everything up and whatever they leave out is open for me to throw away. They’ll even take some of the little toys that come with these bins up to their rooms and continue their games and find more creative ways to play with them.

Duplos and mag-tiles are hands-down some of the best toys my children own. Their is endless creative possibility with these toys and they’re kind of fun for me too ;) We also love Hey Clay which comes with an app that teaches you how to create the specific animals listed or you can get creative and create whatever you like. It’s another family favorite.

This list is just a tip of the iceberg in the world of all the wonderful toys there are out there for kids. Puzzles, dolls, books, crafts, balls, bikes and more! I hope this gift guide gives you a little inspiration this holiday season!

-XO-

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