December may be the most wonderful time of the year but let’s be honest, gift decisions can be the worst. Like Shannon mentioned, it is wise to include options that aren’t toys but when you do, choose wisely! All gifts under my tree must meet the good gift trifecta.
1.The receipient must love the gift on first sight because what is Christmas without ooo’s and ahhs? 2. The gift has to stand the test of time, a minimum of at least one year of longevity. And last but not least, 3. It can’t break the bank. Below are my picks that passed the test to become a part of the… 2014 Top 10 Last Minute Gifts for Kids.
1. Boogie Board (~$30)– When my friend first told me about this I laughed and said “Hello, we live at the beach. My girls had boogie boards by age 2.” Well, this one doesn’t belong in the water but you can take it pretty much anywhere else. The Boogie Board is a 8 (or 10) inch LCD tablet that is perfect for any child that likes to doodle, draw or write. For the emerging writer like my three year old, it is the perfect place to practice letters. With a reset button at the top, it allows a child to start over at will not to mention saves paper and prevents a huge mess for mom. For an older elementary student, this may be just the toy to keep learning and homework fun when pencil and paper has just gotten boring. Plus, if you travel a lot like us this is great for road trips and plane rides without batteries or recharging required.
2. Elenco Snap Circuit Kit Jr(~$30)– Some kids just love to tinker and if you know someone who does, this is the toy for them. Designed for ages 7+, Snap Circuit is a series of working parts that the child arranges to make working elements like a volume-adjusted siren and voice-controlled lamp. The kits comes with a manual complete with simple directions for the do-it-yourself experiments. With an emphasis on applied science and math principles, this is a “learning- is-fun” kinda toy.
3. Moon in My Room (~$25) With all the super moons, blood red moons etc…this year it felt only appropriate that a moon toy be on the list. The Moon in My Room is a 3D moon that hangs on your wall. Equipped with small lights that illuminate different parts of the moon, the different phases of the moon come to life. It comes with a remote control so you can peruse the different phases or set it to automatically phase. Of course you can turn the moon off after child falls asleep. The Moon in My Rom brings the magic of outerspace right into your own room.
4. Dueling Stomp Rockets (~$15) Stomp Rockets have always been on my favorites list because stomping rockets as high in the air as you possibly can is good ol’ fashion fun! D + L Company has taken it up a notch by adding the duel stomp so two people can challenge each other, may the highest rocket win. The rockets are reusable and made of foam so there’s a low risk of damage to people and property:) There’s nothing wrong with a little family competition!
5. Fubbles Bubble Wands (~$10) Over the years, I feel like I’ve become somewhat of a bubble expert. When I had toddlers, it was the spillproof containers that caught my eye. Then I just had to have the bubble gun that they used at My Gym that mesmermized the kids. Now that both girls can blow bubbles for themselves, I’ve found Fubbles Bubble Wands and they are here to stay. These wands are ridiculous, my six year old has literally wrapped herself in a five foot bubble. These have provided hours of fun and if you put them away for a the cold months will bring huge smiles when you break them out again.
6. Kinetic Sand (~$15) Sand, why would anyone near a beach want more sand?? That’s exactly why I had never purchased this item but when the girls received it from my aunt, I became a believer. The stuff is just plain cool. The sand really does “move” into the shapes you want it to without the need for water like the beach. Make sure you buy a plastic container to play and store it. It’s easy to clean up but I wouldn’t let them dump it out on carpet or rug if you know what I mean.
7. Coolibar Rashguard (~$30) Never can have too many rashguards when you live in Florida, right? Coolibar’s sun protective clothing is the most comfortable brand I’ve found yet. The fabric is soft and cool, they offer some cute patterns and it means less surface area to lather in sunscreen, yay! Everything is UVA/UVS spf 50 and while you are on the site check out the women’s line because I love the fitness tee, but I digress.
8. Coolibar Surf Suit (~$50) I think I’m on an S.O.S mission this year…as in Save Our Skin which is why I must include this surf suit for all the beach boys out there. This comfy one piece suit will allow your surfer boy to enjoy the waves longer. It is easy to think that sun exposure doesn’t matter at their age when the reality is, sun damage is cumulative so we must protect our kids from the start.
9. Wild Kratts (~$10-$25) Who doesn’t love Chris and Martin? This PBS show is a hit for parents and children because it is fun and educational so naturally both of us are excited about this new toy line. From figurines to a creature suit and creaturepod projector as featured on the show, there are varying “toy” options from which to choose that all promote pretend play. These also made the cut because the Wild Kratts Live show is coming to the Florida Theatre in February (tickets as low as $20)
10. Lay-n-Go Play Mat (~$50) Legos. You either love them or hate them and those in the latter category will probably agree that its more a storage/small items strewn across your house issue than anything else. The Lay-n-Go mat takes care of that. You spread it out on the floor, throw as many Legos as you have on it, play and build and play some more. Then the best part is with the tug of a drawstring, your lego mess is no more and can be toted where ever you want them to go.
Happy holiday shopping to all and if you need more ideas check out the winners from last year.
*P.S. I linked all products to Amazon for simplicities sake so be sure to comparison shop online for the best shipping and discounts!
