Christmas in the air {toddler edition}

It’s October, you say. Christmas is forever away.

Uh, yeah. About that. It’s not.

I’ve got a son with a birthday that falls the day after Christmas and folks, let me tell you … it is right around the corner. It’s not too early to be thinking about planning a purposeful holiday season focused on Christ and the amazing gift that His birth was to all of us.

That being said, you’re going to want to buy gifts. But there’s no reason not to be purposeful there, too. Selecting just a couple of high-quality, meaningful, fun gifts for your family members adds to the spirit of the season without overwhelming the meaning. In that vein, I’m offering up a few of my favorites for different age groups. Today, we start with toddlers. These are all things that have been loved and used in our home, and have brought a lot of joy without adding to the junk factor. Maybe some of them will resonate with you!

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Stockmar Beeswax Crayons These unbreakable, toddler-friendly art supplies are non-toxic and full of vibrant color. They come in a sturdy metal tin and require some refining of fine motor skills; their blocky shape can make fine lines, fat swaths, and everything in between, but children have to first experiment to see how to hold the crayon to get the intended result. These are pricier than a box of throwaway Dollar Store colors, but I guarantee you will have them forever.

Plan Toys Geometric Sorting Board It’s a color sorter, a shape sorter, a stacking toy … pretty much every “classic” toddler activity. The colors are vivid, the wood is solid, and the size is perfect for little hands. While you’re there, look at some similar options: the Hape Color and Shape Sorter, and the Creative Peg Puzzle, which kicks up the color matching a notch in terms of hand/eye coordination.

Melissa and Doug Deluxe Latches Board These unwieldy boards hurt like the dickens when dropped on your foot. I had to say that up front, because for some reason, my toddlers like to try and haul the thing around, slam it in the vicinity of my lap, and wait for it to tumble to the vulnerable bony top of my foot. But aside from that unfortunate tendency, this is a great learning toy that is just plain fun. There are so many play options outside of the obvious “open and close the latches and doors.” There’s hide and seek, there’s find the animal, there’s guess the color … and the list goes on.

Sorting cups There are tons of options available in big retail outlets, and even on etsy, but I ended up making ours with some inexpensive wood supplies from Casey’s and my own watercolors. In addition to sorting colors and scooping for fun, these end up being a staple in the play food genre. If your kiddos lean that way as well, make sure to opt for larger size balls that don’t present a choking hazard.

Peg people I can’t say enough about the simple, open-ended joy of peg people. Leave them unpainted, and they are a blank canvas. Paint your own (or buy some pre-painted) and you’ve got “action figures” and “dollies” and everything in between. A small sack of peg people, some non-toxic paints, and a few fabric scraps makes for a great gift idea for kids from preschool on up, too!

Giant Marbles These are HUGE. And bright. And fun. And trust me, your toddler will be enthralled.

Montessori Trays I can’t say enough good things about NaturaBaby’s trays.You are totally capable of making your own. (My Pinterest board can help!) But NaturaBaby’s pricing is fabulous, and she is one creative Momma to boot.

Baby-safe fingerpaint Of course, you’re welcome to use pudding or another edible option. But if you’re looking for something to unwrap under the tree, these powders are plant-based, CPSIA-compliant, and more colorful than butterscotch.