This year, I am sharing my gift guide early. If you are anything like me, you have probably started shopping for holiday gifts already. Either way, I rounded up some of our favorite toys and toys I plan to give my own kids this year to make your shopping this year simple and easy. Happy Shopping!
1. Magna-Tiles Dino World XL 50 Piece Set
My dino-loving 5 year old loves this Magna-Tiles set for the magnetic dinosaurs. This STEM-learning toy comes with:
- six magnetic dinosaur figurines, including: Pteranodon, T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, Triceratops, and Brachiosaurus
- Figurine sizes vary (3″ to 7.5″)
- Each dinosaur has movable parts ready for action and imaginary play
Educational Benefits:
- Developing Motor Skills
- Creative Play
- Shapes and Color Identification
Age Group: 3 and Up
2. Grimm’s Large Wooden Rainbow
Our 12 piece wooden rainbow is the most played open-ended toy at our house. We use it to make ball run, stack, color sort.
Educational Benefits:
- Problem Solving
- Color Recognition
- Spatial Awareness
- Hand/eye Coordination
- Improves Concentration
- Sorting
- Balancing Objects
- Imaginary Play
- Sequencing
Age Group: 1 and Up
3. Grimm’s Semi Circles
We love using our Large Rainbow Semicircles to build towers and dollhouses. They can also be used in combination with our Grimm’s Rainbow to make ball runs.
Educational Benefits:
- Problem Solving
- Color Recognition
- Hand/eye Coordination
- Sorting
- Sequencing
Age Group: 1 and Up
4. Grimm’s Small Wooden Balls
These wooden balls are perfect for little hands. These small solid wooden balls are the perfect size for marble runs. They fit perfectly between our large wooden rainbow when we make ball runs. We mostly use them for ball runs and color sort with our Building Rings.
Educational Benefits:
- Color Recognition
- Spatial Awareness
- Hand/eye Coordination
- Sorting
Age Group: 3 and Up. Warning – Choke hazards.
5. Everwood Friends Core Ball Run Unit Blocks
The Everwood Friends Core Ball Run Unit Blocks are easy to put together. My 2 and 5 year old are able to setup a simple ball run by themselves, and are able to easily make adjustments. My kids like to play with this set together. The Core set is a great starter set that comes with:
- 23 blocks in 13 shapes
- 4 balls and a drawstring bag
Educational Benefits:
- STEM
- Spatial Reasoning
- Hand/eye Coordination
- Balance
- Developing Fine Motor Skills
Age Group: 3 and Up
6. Everwood Friends Large Gem Blocks
Besides the obvious big beautiful sparkling gems, my kids love playing with these hard maple unit blocks because each block is carefully rounded and sanded smooth. The blocks are not painted or stained for durability. We have had them for over a year now, and they still look brand new.
Educational Benefits:
- Color Recognition
- Spatial Awareness
- Hand/Eye Coordination
- Sorting
- Balancing Objects
Age Group: 18 months and Up. No choking hazards. Third-party lab tested for safety and certified CPSC compliant.
7. Wiwiurka XXL Rocker Balance Board
Besides the obvious climbing and rocking, we love to hook our rocker to a ramp and slide cars/balls down. We have also used magnetic tiles to fill up the entire rocker and rock a bunch of balls back and forth. You can also add some play roads and cars to race down the rocker.
Educational Benefits:
- Imaginary Play
- Develop Gross Motor Skills
- Promotes Open-Ended Play
- Enhances Concentration
Age Group: 2-9 years old
8. Disney KIDEA Wooden Figures
It’s no surprise that we love all things Disney. So when I came across these cute Disney wooden figures, I was in love. Each figure is made from 100% FSC-certified beech wood with details on both sides. They are 15mm thick and are created using non-toxic paint safe for mouthing. These are my 2 year old’s favorite wooden toy this year. She use them for small world play.
Educational Benefits:
- Improves Concentration
- Creative Play
- Develop Gross Motor Skills
Age Group: 1 and Up
9. Magic Wood Marble Tree
This is a gift I plan to give my 2 year old this year. I did take it out to play with it myself and to inspect it for defects of course. This marble tree is made from beech wood using non-toxic stains, and comes in 3 sizes, Large (28″ tall), Small (18.8″ tall), and Mini (14.5″ tall). I opted for Small because I heard Large is too big and it doesn’t fit on top of shelves. This Marble tree comes with marbles, but I tried using small wooden balls/beads, and they all make slightly different whimsical sounds.
Educational Benefits:
- Hand/Eye Coordination
- Develop Gross Motor Skills
- Sensory Play
Age Group: 3 and Up. The marbles are choke hazard.
10. Stapelstein Stacking Stones
I plan to give my 5 year old this year. I was looking for stepping stone that are not too slippery. I came across these Stapelstein Stacking Stones that are made from 100% resource-saving EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) – completely recyclable. I got the rainbow classic set of 6. We have been playing the floor is lava recently, so they would be perfect for that. You can even flip the stones over and use it as a bowl or color sort activity.
Educational Benefits:
- Hand/Eye Coordination
- Develop Gross Motor Skills
- Sensory Play
- Promotes Open-Ended Play
- Enhances Concentration
Age Group: 1 and Up