'Tis the season to start thinking about what you're going to buy your family and friends this year for Christmas. Some households are still feeling the struggle of the economy in their wallets so while it's still important to give gifts, it's a great year to make sure you're making those gifts special.
Older children can sometimes be tough to shop for. They're not interested in simple toys like dolls or blocks anymore and their curiosity is starting to get the best of them. SmartLab toys makes wonderful kits that allows kids to build their own robotic bugs, mix concoctions in their 'science lab', there's a large line of art and puzzle kits and there are even baking sets for your little chef at home. Prices are very reasonable and these toys can be found in most stores in your area.
Insect Lore makes very unique toys that allow your child to grow a ladybug or butterfly habitat (Bugs and all!). If you're not sure whether you'd like the little creatures making a home in your house there's a wide variety of outdoor bug catching toys as well as regular educational toys. The Snap N Learn sets are great toys for learning numbers and colors and they come with storage buckets as well.
At Superstructs.com you can create a customized box of construction toys for your favorite little one. Small and large sets are available and with the customized Superstructs you can choose the design on the box as well as include a child's name. Different sets are available that are capable of building vehicles, Wacky Machines, Fairy Gardens and many more. Prices are very reasonable.
Older children who are engineers in training will love the Snap Circuit sets made by Elenco. A circuit board comes equipped to hook up a fan, noisemaker and other features. My husband even loves this toy so it's a great buy and very educational. The toy features a block layout so you won't be worried about a mess of wires on the board.
B. Toys are available at Target as well as online and they have a wide variety of colorful and educational toys available for kids. Their bristle-type blocks come in a few different sets, they have a variety of musical toys like a keyboard and marching band set and they have an activity block for the little ones that is very cute and has a great deal of functionality. The best part is the toys are all very affordable not to mention extremely colorful and cute.
You can't go wrong with the classic Lego set. These days there are tons of sets to choose from with an age range starting as young as 2. These colorful and educational blocks are always a kid favorite and very affordable which makes them parent friendly too!
I can't say enough about Snapfish's personalized books for a great gift idea this holiday season. The price for one book is about $39 or so and it's worth every penny. The story choices are based around some of the most popular characters right now like Sesame Street and Diego. The pictures are fantastic and when you submit a photo of your child, you'll find that photo appear on each page, sometimes more than once. I've seen products similar to these Snapfish books that end up looking awkward and noticeable pasted on, but I'll give Snapfish two thumbs up for this product.
Gamewright has a variety of toys available that are great for all ages. The Feed the Kitty Game is great for toddlers and teaches them to follow direction. The Take the Cake Game is a great way to practice shape sorting at a young age while spending time together during family game night. The games are very well made and hold up well.
The Be Good Company makes a really creative toy that my son and I both love. With the weather turning unfriendly we have to stay in the house more so my son misses playing in his sandbox out back. Luckily Be Good makes a small sandbox toy with a wooden frame that comes in a variety of themes like construction site, fairy garden, circus and many more. The mess stays pretty well contained in the box and the toys that go along with it are very nice. Sand is even included. Pick one up for adults as well like the golf course set that can be set up on an office desk and shoot that hole in one when you're stuck in the office instead of on the green.
For the office professional who likes to have fun you can purchase one of Mimobot's designer USB memory sticks. A variety of characters are available including Hello Kitty, Star Wars and Happy Tree Friends. A variety of storage sizes are available at a pretty reasonable price. Not only are they functional but they look cool on your desk.
Don't forget those loveable fur babies in your life. Stock their stuffing full of organic Simply Fido Eco-Friendly Toys for pets. They are great quality toys that are dyed with an all natural process and they hold up well to the chewing and throwing.
Stock your stockings with Glob all natural paints. The powdered packets can be mixed with water to create a fruity paint that is chemical free. You won't be worried about the safety of that finger painting project. Bananagrams is a great game for the whole family that has a Scrabble-like feel to it, but it is much smaller in size and stores easily in its own banana bag.
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