When thinking about shopping for holiday gifts, we came up with a list of things we wanted our gifts to "do" or accomplish.
- Enable Physical Activity
- Encourage Creativity
- Provide Comfort
- Supports a small / independent and/or locally owned business
- Homemade, hand-crafted and budget-friendly
Gifts that help kids stay active
A SAFE BOW & ARROW SET
*supports a small business
Have an archer on your gift list? If you are shopping for a child who loves Disney's Brave or whose favorite Marvel Avenger happens to be Hawkeye, then check out these super cool, well-made bow with soft, safety arrows from TWO BROS BOWS. Two Bros Bows have bow and arrow sets in a fun assortment of designs, such as dragons, unicorns, tie-dye, flames, butterflies and more. They also have plenty of accessories, including quiver bags and archery targets.
CUDDLE BUDDIES
*supports a small business
Think fuzzy yoga ball for kids. These kooky little guys can be used as a chair during virtual learning. Or, take your cuddle buddy outside for some exercise on the grass. Roll around, bounce up and down. Give a kid a ball and they can play for hours. Give a kid a fuzzy ball and the possibilities are endless. Available in blue, green, orange and pink in a variety of sizes on the FUZZBUDDS site.
BABY'S FIRST SCOOTER
*supports a small business
We're highlighting the Ace 2-in-1 Sit and Stand for the tiniest gift recipients this year. A child's first scooter is the most memorable. It's important to choose a scooter your toddler will feel comfortable riding. Like all scooters in the Svolta collection, the Ace comes in gender neutral color combinations. Available in Teal and Red. Check out all three styles of scooters, along with newly added accessories from the "Bunnies & Bolts" collection at Svoltaride.com
Gifts to encourage creativity
3D PRINTER MADE JUST FOR KIDS
*supports a small business
Encourage creativity in kids (and adults). This 3D printer was designed for ease-of-use. Our family has one and can testify that this small-but-mighty machine is the gift that keeps on giving. The app is very simple to use and hosts a decent catalog of ready-to-print items. For things not on the Toybox catalog, we have usually been able to find premade .stl files on thingiverse.com and other 3D community sites. Next, we're going to learn how to design in 3D on Tinkercad. It is an investment, but a worthy one. We used our Toybox to print fractal trees to use in our DIY snow globes this year. Many of our homemade gifts this year will contain parts printed by our Toybox. Shop the 3D printer and accessories at Toybox.
FULLY LOADED TINKER KIT FOR MAKERSPACE
For pint-size tinkerers, this fully loaded toolbox is a dream come true! We put together a custom kit for our 6-year-old maker's birthday, but if you're looking for something already packaged, this is it. This gift checks off all the educational learning boxes as well: STEM, engineering, and art. Available only at Lakeshore Learning.
HOLIDAY STEM / MAKER CRAFT KITS FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES
*supports a small business
KiwiCo offers all levels of kits for STEM and MakerSpace-type projects for a wide age range. For the holidays, they've put together three incredibly unique projects that light up or move. Buy the kits individually, in a bundle or sign up for a subscription on the KiwiCo website.
Comfort-providing gifts
THE CUTEST CHOCOLATES WE'VE EVER SEEN (and tastiest!)
*supports a small business
Shopping for foodies (big or small)? One Up chocolates serves up video game-inspired chocolate (Pokemon, Pac Man, Super Mario Bros, DragonballZ) creations in unique flavor combinations. These delectably delicious chocolates are a visual treat! These small batch chocolates sell out quickly, so place your orders early at One Up Chocolates.
Hand-crafted / homemade gifts
GIFTS MADE AT HOME ON A BUDGET: POM POM BUDDIES, SNOW GLOBES,
Get crafty! Grab a bag of pom poms, felt, googly eyes, paint and glue. Growing up in the 80s, we had these things called Weepuls (Weeples) that the school would give out as a reward for selling magazine subscriptions during fundraisers. Making our own version of these pom pom buddies is both fun and inexpensive. We source products from our local craft stores (i.e. Michaels, Joann).
Other wallet-friendly holiday craft ideas:
- Perler bead ornaments
- DIY snow globes
- Candy sleighs
- Snowflake origami kits made with Post-Its
- DIY recipe books.
As an added bonus, entertain the kiddos by enlisting their help in making these simple craft gift projects.
Happy gifting!