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2019 Developmental Gift Guide

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It’s the most wonderful (crazy) time of the year! We know it friends and we are here for you! We LOVE holiday toy recommending. It’s one of our favorite things to do. So let us help you check some things off your list by sharing some of our favorites you can pick up for some of your favorites.

Few things to remember:

  1. How we choose our favorite toys. Quality, price, how many areas of child development can be included in play with each item (the more the better), and the ability for the toy to be used numerous ways once a child’s creative muscle is flexed (we love forever toys). Many of these toys are toys we have enjoyed with our own children, toys we have tested in therapy sessions (stay tuned for a post on the numerous purposeful activities that can be done with the bean bags, rings, and cones!), or toys recommended from other therapists or parents!
  2. Choose wisely. Less really is more. Too many toys can overwhelm a child and limit their willingness to engage. In fact, we feel strongly any early childhood milestones can be taught with The 4 Essential  B’s (add the box the gift comes it and maybe there are 5!). So anything from this list is bonus fun.
  3. Individual Child and Stage vs. Age. In year’s past, we have shared our lists by age. This year we decided to try something a little different. Toys on this year’s list are listed from simple to more complex. Some toys included could be enjoyed by a 6 year old or a 42 year old (see Pass Back ball at the end of the list, a fan favorite of one of our husbands!). When you click the links below there is certainly a description and a recommended age but keep in mind that toys are the tools of learning. So just consider what stage the child you are buying for is in, what their current interests are, and choose accordingly. For more info on what big stores aren’t telling you about choosing toys (but therapists are) and a FREE handout, click here. 
  4. Don’t forget 1-2-3 Just Play With Me! Our mom inspired, therapist created tool is what we wanted to guide purposeful play and help educate and support each mini milestone when we first became parents. It’s used in every US state and in over 15 countries by parents, therapists, non profits, hospitals, and child care centers. Gift yourself or someone you love with it this holiday season. AND any orders through our website from midnight on Thursday 11/28 through midnight on Black Friday 11/29 will be DOUBLED for FREE. No code needed. We will just send you double of what you order. It’s a great time to stock up on a meaningful gift for friends or for you therapists to fill your waiting rooms with helpful materials! ** Keep in mind while we do sell through Amazon, this offer is only available through the website and only includes free shipping in the US (international customers can email for a shipping quote).

 

So without further wait – here is our

2019 OFFICIAL HOLIDAY TOY LIST. 

Black and White Mirror

 

Ring Stack

Shaky Eggs  

Playskool Pop Up Toy

Simple Balls

Shopping Cart

 

 

 

 

 

Stacking Cups 

Rainbow Stacker

 

 

 

 

 

Nesting Garage Boxes

Jack In The Box 

Spinagain Toy

Poke A Dot Book

Suction Cups 

Shape Sorter

Bristle Blocks

 

 

 

 

 

Smart Max

Pound And Tap Bench 

Piggy Bank

Rocker Board

 

 

 

 

 

Ball Pit 

And balls

Music Set 

Water Bead and Animal Set

Crawling Tunnel 

Egg Match Set

Easel

Alphabots

 

 

 

 

 

Maze Cube

 

 

 

 

 

Gears! Gears! Gears!

 

 

 

 

 

Science Experiment Set

 

 

 

 

 

Rubiks Cube

 

 

 

 

 

Perfection

 

 

 

 

 

Battleship

 

 

 

 

 

Ring Toss/Bean Bag Set

 

Block Set 

Dr. Kit 

Magnet Tiles

Stepping Stones

Drip Drip Bath 

 

Magnet Creation Station 

 

 

 

 

 

Play House Cleaning Set 

Trampoline

Kazoo

Sky Nook

Wooden Coffee Maker 

Fruit Abacus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Counting Bear 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vet Set 

 

Dinosaurs

I Can Do That Game

 

 

 

 

 

Spot It Card Game

 

 

 

 

 

TellTale Card Game

 

 

 

 

 

Stomp Rocket 

 

Bug Catcher/Magnifier 

Root Viewer 

Toss & Catch

Magic Set 

Bazooka Blower 

 

Velcro Dino

Nerf Gun Target Set

Wall Coloring Sheet

Bop It

Cloud Message Board

Pass Back Football

FOREVER TOYS – What are they and where can you find them?

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If you have ever asked Nicole and I for toy recommendations then you are familiar with the term “FOREVER TOYS”. FOREVER TOYS are what Nicole and I lovingly refer to as toys that stand the test of time (and we don’t just mean durability). FOREVER TOYS are those toys that kids can play with for many years, at multiple stages in development; toys that don’t take batteries to work but a child’s imagination instead!

Forever toys are harder to find in mainstream toy stores.  They are NOT toys related to the most popular kids’ movie or television show or iPad app.  They are toys that have no identification to a character.  They are toys that don’t require batteries.  They are toys that occupy their space on the toy store shelf for many years because they appeal to all generations no matter what the latest trend in toy manufacturing.  FOREVER TOYS are most commonly found in small, locally owned toy stores that understand the importance of these types of toys to our kids’ growth and development.  On your next shopping trip take a look at what’s on the shelves of the toy aisles.  Look more critically for toys that will challenge your child, toys that don’t do it all for them.  Consider these types of toys for their next birthday or holiday.  Your child’s imagination will blossom and no doubt, their creativity will impress you!

My mother-in-law saved these Construx toys that once belonged to my husband for many years. My son loves them! With them he has created a multitude of things from a “backpack buddy robot” to a bow and arrow. Although Fisher Price no longer makes Construx, they would qualify as a FOREVER TOY in my book! This building toy could be used to supplement a math lesson about shapes, connected to create a fence to contain toy animals, shaped into letters for a multi-sensory spelling lesson, or used to create weapons for a pretend battle just as my son did!  Manufactured over 30 years ago, Construx have stood the test of time and are most definitely what Nicole and I consider a FOREVER TOY!

What toys do your kids have that would be considered a FOREVER TOY? Do the toys your kids gravitate toward most stretch their imagination and challenge their creativity?

Owen proudly displaying his creations!

An ax, bow and arrow, shield and sword – all made with imagination and Construx!

Add These to Your Storm Preparedness List…

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With Frankenstorm looming I thought now would be a good time to review some creative play ideas.  Why, you may ask.  Because if your house is like my house it’ doesn’t take many hours of being stuck inside for cabin fever to set in.  But parents delight in knowing that the boredom our kids may experience over the next few days may make them smarter!  A wise one once said, “a little boredom breeds creativity”.  So with that in mind arm yourselves with some of these great ideas to help your children grow their brains while the storm outside is brewing!

Creative, imaginative, pretend play is one of our favorite ways to play here at Milestones & Miracles.  Through this type of play kids can practice what they have observed, develop their interests, build language skills, gain social skills and create beyond what even we as adults can imagine.  A CNN article stated, “Want to get your kids into college?  Let them play.”  And the New York Times reported that the self-regulation skills that dramatic play develops “have been shown to predict academic achievement more reliably than I.Q. tests.”  It is important that we equip our children with what they need to engage in this type of play.  But first let’s define what constitutes pretend play.  Role playing and recreating familiar activities is the first type of pretend play our children engage in.  This is when they imitate us talking on the phone, cooking in the kitchen or mowing the lawn.  Role- playing usually involves realistic like props and actions played out by the child that they have seen an adult carry out.  By 18 months most children role-play.  Here are some examples of toys to support role-playing: doctor kit, play food/kitchen, dress up clothes, baby doll, play phone, plastic animals, doll house.

Imaginative play is the most sophisticated type of pretend play.  An example would be my son feeding the imaginary monsters under the pine trees at the soccer fields with the fallen pine needles and dirt.  This type of play involves the child imagining objects are something they aren’t.  This type of play happens around the age of 3 ½ and beyond.  Some examples of “toys” to support imaginative play are: colored scarves, wooden blocks, cardboard boxes, art supplies, things found in nature (dirt, sand, sticks, leaves).

So be prepared for Frankenstorm; gather your bottled water, candles and toys!  Clean out your closets for dress up clothes and raid your recycling bin to help your kids create and imagine their way through their boredom!