Wow I can’t believe we are already approaching Christmas season again! There are so many fun shops I have been able to work with this year, and I have the best toys to share with you! Let’s do this!
Infant and Toddler
a) Marble Tree This marble tree is my personal favorite item in our toy room and one I always keep out. Whenever children come over to play or visit, it tends to steal the show. Keep in mind the marbles with this wooden tree are choking hazard size and requires adult supervision.
b) STEM inspired Aqua Lab How fun is this aqua lab that inspires ingenuity and exploration during bath time.
c) Narwhal Teether and Pull Toy We love the auditory and sensory components of these vibrating pull toys and this narwhal is so dang cute!
d) Beetbox Developmental Crawl Toy This adorable beet toy provides an auditory reinforcement reward when baby moves it. As the baby moves the beet, it rolls to encourage your baby to continue crawling towards it.
Kinderfeets Pram Walker
We love this adorable pram! Its not only beautiful but functional as well. As your little one is ready to begin walking, this pram is also a great developmental tool. We also have a kinderfeets balance board and balance bike and we have loved every single one of their products!
e) Soft Ball Pit if you have been around for awhile you might have seen this one pop up on my previous toy lists under the infant and toddler section. A ball pit is always fun for infants and toddlers. We also have one similar to this that even my older girls continue to enjoy! This one comes with tunnels, a target, basketball hoop, dart balls and is currently half off!
Kids Ball Pit
We have a ball pit similar to this one that even my older girls continue to enjoy! Perfect for toddlers who are ready to explore through the tunnels, use the target dart balls and shoot some hoops!
f) Quiet Activity Books We have always been a fan of activity books for our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, and this adorable small shop has a variety of books to choose from. We can’t wait to use the “I am a big sister!” book in particular in a couple of weeks when our new baby arrives.
g) Lego Duplo Set We jumped on the Duplo lego band wagon a bit late and we instantly became obsessed! They have so many cute themes to choose from to encourage creativity, building, spacial reasoning and fine motor skills.
h) Skip Hop Backpack My girls have loved their various versions of these backpacks over the years! We use them for traveling as well as church to keep their individual activities and they are the perfect size for toddlers.
i) Light Up Floating Dinosaur Bath Toys How cute are these?! We stumbled upon these glow in the dark bath toys and thought they would be the perfect sensory edition to your infant/toddler’s bath time or used in a water table for continued exploration.
Pretend Play
a) Safari Ltd Figurines We have a massive bucket full of Safari figures and let me just say, it is always a huge hit when we pull it out for the girls or when cousins come over to visit! We love using the figurines in sensory play as well as small world play. The details are unreal. Use discount code: purposefultoys for 15% off.
b) Learning Resources Rainbow Color Cones You know our Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Counter will forever be a favorite of ours, and this one is right up there with it as well! These cones are perfect for color recognition, following color sequences and dramatic play.
c) Mr and Mrs Potato Head I will forever be a fan of Mr and Mrs Potato head man and this set comes with a complete family. We also love using the pieces in sensory play such as play dough, kinetic sand, slime etc.
d) Sarah Silks We are obsessed with Sarah Silks! The crowns, silks and dress ups are always getting used in our playroom, and your kids will love them too. We also love using the silks for water play, with our small world set ups and when creating forts.
e) Sweet Pea Lane Dolls My soon to be 8 year old NEVER liked any sort of dolls until she got a Sweet Pea Lane Doll and now she sleeps with one every single night. These dolls are handmade and unique. Their accessories are removable and interchangeable. There are a variety of sizes to choose from! Use discount code: purposefultoys for 15% off until January 1st. Next full release will be Black Friday so make sure you’re following her on instagram for updates!
f) Bow and Arrow We have loved every item from Treasures from Jennifer that we have gotten. The quality is always amazing, and these handmade bow and arrows are so much fun! Set up a target outside or use the bow and arrow to shoot down your magnetic tiles!
g) Melissa and Doug Puppets Puppets may not be for everyone, but we are obsessed! My girls love when our puppets help us read books. They also enhance their social development as they have conversations with the puppet.
h) NASA Pop Up Tent We have a few pop up tents and each one my girls get so excited when we pull them out. This NASA themed one is perfect for a fun space dramatic play set up.
Dress Up Center
Check out the dress up center we recently added to our playroom!
i) Dress Up Center This dress up center is compact and rotates for easy access to all sides. Discount School Supply has a lot of dress up centers to explore on their site for you to find one that fits just right for your needs and space. Use discount code: Rylee10 site wide. If you’re wanting the one we recently shared in our play room click here.
j) Safari Dinosaurs If you’re looking for a dino loving child, these figurines are our absolute favorite! The names of the dinosaurs are on the bottoms of the figurines and Safari does not skimp on the details! Use discount code: purposefultoys for 15% off.
k) Pretend Sword If you have children who are constantly play fighting like mine, these swords are a much better alternative than the random sticks they find that could actually send someone to the hospital haha. They are soft and perfect for pretend play!
Kids Furniture
a) Plush Rocker These plush rockers are so dang cute and I can’t wait to get one for our new baby this year!
b) Nugget Comfort We love our nugget comfort and are always finding new ways to play. We love using our nugget for forts, dramatic play, and simply for a soft quiet space in our playroom. We also use the nugget with a fitted sheet over top when my girls want to have a sleepover or when we have extra company! Check out the blog post I wrote for Nugget Comfort with more play ideas!
c) Kids Table and Chairs We love this little kids table and chairs! My girls use it constantly in their bedroom. The top of the table is removable with a mesh basket for small toys.
d) Collapsable Play Table Okay this table is amazing and definitely on my personal list! The table folds down to nicely fit under your child’s bed when not in use, and makes the perfect play table when you are ready to pull it out!
Acrylic Wall Pocket
I am obsessed with showing off some of our gorgeous toys as art and these clear acrylic wall pocket shelves do just that!
e) Tree Bookshelf I have had my eye on this wooden tree bookshelf for a few years now and the price has finally dropped to more reasonable price. It’s the perfect shelf for a gorgeous book and toy display in your child’s room or playroom.
f) Star Pillow I found a few pillows like this one, but none of them have the price that h&m offers! This adorable pillow comes in three different color options.
g) Cotton Muslin Seat Cushion um yes please! I am gravitating towards some fun natural statement furniture pieces to balance out the pop of color in my girls rooms and this cushion is the perfect addition to a quiet space with some books and stuffed animals.
h) Velour Soft Toy The dots? Are you kidding me? So dang cute, and a great way to add some fun patterns into your child’s space.
i) Upholstered Kids Sofa Is there anything cuter than a mini sofa or leather chair in a children’s space? We also have this blue chair from discount school supply that we absolutely love! (code: rylee10 works on discountschoolsupply.com).
Vehicles
a) Picasso Tiles Car Track This car track encourages building and creativity while using cars that run automatically along the track.
b) Wooden Marvel Car with Figure My 3 year old nephews are obsessed with marvel super heroes and this wooden car and figure is a fun alternative to all the plastic toys you might already have at home.
c) Road Tape Roll Yes this is literally a roll of tape haha. But you can easily create a fun road scape anywhere you are for your vehicle loving child. Put it in your purse and add it to the wood floor at grandma’s house along with a couple of cars to keep your little ones happy and busy.
d) Princess Hot Wheels My girls love cars and I thought these princess themed hot wheels were so fun! The design on the cars go along with each of the Disney princesses dresses.
e) Wooden Police Car This wooden car is large and perfect for your children regardless of their age! This particular car is heirloom quality and will last throughout the years.
Candylab Toys
We are big fans of Candylab Toys! These cars are always out in our playroom. You will love these wooden cars whether you choose the small candy car or the larger trucks and racers. Use discount code: purposefultoys15
f) Wooden Car Ramp We have a similar version to this car ramp and my children have loved it ever since they were toddlers and it still gets played with! The mini wooden cars that come with this ramp are also our favorite cars to use on our larger blue track as well!
g) Camp Castle Play Mat We are constantly pulling out this car play mat! Most of our toys are in our playroom which has carpet and isn’t the best to play with cars on. However this mat is easy to pull out and turns our carpet into the perfect car play space. The multiple designs for the mats are adorable and there are even smaller table sized mats that are perfect for restaurants and travel.
h) Melissa and Doug Emergency Vehicle Carrier This little carrier car is perfect for smaller hands to manipulate. The emergency vehicles are bulky and boxy which makes them easy for toddlers to pick up and play with.
i) Mini Construction Vehicles I wanted to add these tiny construction vehicles to the list as the perfect cars to add into a fun sensory tray/small world play. We love using ours with a sensory filler such as black beans, and our favorite toy bricks from Guidecraft.
IVI 3D Play Carpet
This play carpet is so cool! The different dimension of textured carpet offers a sensory experience as well as a perfect track to drive cars on. There are multiple designs to choose from. It’s basically like a birds eye view of a dollhouse or city! Use discount code: Rylee15 for 15% off!
j) The Ultimate Book of Vehicles This book of vehicles is not only informative, but perfect for younger children to learn about all different types of vehicles without being over stimulating with context.
k) Remote Control Ride on Water Shark Car We don’t personally have this one (yet), but I have heard so many amazing reviews from friends and family of this fun remote control shark car that also rides on water! If you get this one, let me know how much you love it. My friend has three for each one of her boys and they love it.
Large Motor
a) Balls Everyone with kids needs a bag full of balls ha. We pull these out all the time when my girls are jumping on the tramp, with their ball pits (linked above in the infant and toddler section), with a parachute and more.
b) Stair Slide This one made it onto 2021 Christmas toy list as well as 2022! We love our stair slide! My kids are always begging to pull out our slide, particularly in the hot Vegas Summers when we can’t go to the park as often. If you are cooped up in the winter, you will love having this option to entertain your children for hours! (Note: the stair slide is much better on carpeted stairs to prevent slipping) Use discount code: purposefultoys for 10% off
c) Indoor Swing If our playroom was just a tiny bit larger, this indoor swing would definitely be in there! I love the idea of having some quality fun large motor activities for the kids to explore indoors. Use discount code: purposefultoys10 for 10% off.
d) Roadster Tricycle The lower to the ground trikes are perfect for younger children to start working their muscles in a safe way. If you’re looking for an older child, this caster trike is for ages 5+ and what we will be getting our girls this holiday season. My neighbors have one, and the girls love whipping around on it!
Stepping Stones
I don’t know about you, but my kids are always creating different path ways to adventure through. Having some stepping stones on hand make it easy to create a fun path for them to explore whether in or outside. They will also enhance their balance and coordination as they play!
e) Large Jeep We have held off on one of these motorized vehicles for a long time, but watching my nieces and nephews love theirs reminds me of the one I loved as a kid as well with my siblings. I think this is the year we finally cave!
f) Adjustable Roller Blades Okay these roller skates are amazing for beginners! And somehow they magically adjusted to fit all three of my girls? They are made to grow with your child! With the amount of times I have had to set a timer for my girls to take turns, they may each need their own to skate together because they love them so much.
g) Balance Board We have a couple of different balance boards and this one in particular is so fun because it can even hold my Polynesian husband’s weight! It’s fun for the entire family to enjoy! Use discount code: Purposefultoys10
h) Adjustable Roller Blades These are the same as the ones I linked above (f) but I wanted to make sure to share another color option so you knew there were others available if the other ones linked are too feminine for your little one.
Arts and Crafts
a) Colorations Liquid Water Color We use liquid water colors for so many art and sensory projects! These water colors are perfect to add into your water table or mud kitchen. We also love using them with our craft projects.
b) Window Crayons Window crayons are perfect for an easy activity whether on an acrylic easel, window or shower door!
c) Resin Paint trays These handmade paint trays from Three Letter Words by Katie are cute and practical! They are easy to clean and the perfect addition to your art projects. Use discount code: rylee10 for 10% off her site. Make sure to check out her other resin loose parts and letters while you’re there!
d) Art Smock We love having an art smock on hand for art projects and messy sensory play to help keep the girls clothes clean and dry. There are multiple colors to choose from and the sleeves on this one is a must!
DIY Jewelry Kits
We love these jewelry kits from Pretty Life Girls. There are multiple styles to choose from. They are the perfect beaded kits to have on hand for a fun craft and comes with everything you need, plus the organized container! Use discount code: PT10
e) Easel I have tried a couple different art easels and my favorite is still the Ikea art easel we got 7 years ago when my oldest was 18 months. It’s sturdy, lasts a long time, and the price is right!
f) Oil Pastels If you are doing a lot of water color you have to have oil pastels on hand as well! They are some of our favorite resources. The colors are bright and vibrant, and they pair perfectly with water colors.
g) 24 Craft Aprons If you are hosting multiple children for an art project or you are a teacher, these craft aprons are a must! They come in a variety of colors and are only around $20 for 24 aprons!
h) Chunkies Paint Sticks These paint sticks are another resource we always like to have on hand. They are easy to create with without a lot of pressure from your little one, almost like coloring with lipstick on paper. We use a lot of different art materials and this one is definitely a go to for my girls.
Sensory
a) Thin Light Table We love this light table with colored light panels! We have so many fun activities that we do with our light table! Use discount code: Rylee10 for 10% off.
b) Slimy Sand If you haven’t tried slimy sand yet you need to! This sand stretches like slime, but isn’t sticky and as messy #momwin. You will love the texture, and clean up is so easy! Plus it lasts forever so you can frequently pull it out again and again.
c) Wooden Mud Kitchen We have had this mud kitchen from Wood n Poppy for over two years now and it still is used almost daily! It is 100% worth it! These handmade mud kitchens never go on sale, but they will be having 10% off site wide for their black Friday sale November 11-14. (Keep in mind the last day to order and get your mud kitchen in time for Christmas is the beginning of December)
d) Inspire My Play Sensory Tray This tray comes with a lid and inserts making it the ultimate sensory play tray. Check out our activity we did using this play tray and the sections here.
e) Pop it Purse Okay we all know how great pop its are for sensory exploration, but this purse I had to link because 1 it’s a pop it purse! and 2 its only $4! Yup, that’s a steal my friends.
Liquipen
How fun are these?! These are perfect for the kids who need a little extra sensory stimulation while coloring or working on their homework. They are also for children (or adults) who need a little bit of a calming activity to help ease anxiety and stress.
f) Liquid Tiles These tiles are my girls favorite!! We love pulling them out. We have used them for “The ground is lava”, musical chairs, and honestly just walking around in circles on to music haha. Everyone loves these when they come over to play! You can get it in a four pack or single. Use discount code: Rylee10.
g) Translucent Bears, Bowls, Tongs and Pattern Cards This activity is one of our favorites and it comes with so many resources to use with other manipulatives as well such as the bowls and tongs. All three of my girls love these regardless of their age differences. These resources are also translucent and also work well on a light table. Use discount code: Rylee10.
h) Resin Charms I had to link our resin charms because no matter how many times I link and share them on Instagram, I get more questions about them! We also used Halloween resin charms in a recent activity, and plan on getting the Christmas ones this upcoming holiday season. Resin charms are perfect to add into your sensory play. My girls always pull theirs out when playing with play dough and our slimy sand.
Blocks
a) Wooden houses and Gem Blocks Hello Sugar House has quickly become one of our new favorite small shops! These blocks are absolutely stunning! There are a variety of shapes to choose from, but you definitely need the houses with the removable translucent windows! They are also perfect on a light table or set up near a window where the light can shine through.
b) Harry Potter Hogsmeade Village legos are a classic for a reason. They enhance creativity, ingenuity, and your child’s ability to follow directions (not to mention patience haha). My oldest is currently obsessed with harry potter and dreams of actually going to Hogsmeade, so this set was a must for us.
c) Magnatile Dinosaur Set If you haven’t tried Magnatiles animal sets you are seriously missing out! They are so much fun and the magnetic figures can connect with your block creations.
d) Piccaso Tile Animals These animals are giving me lego duplo vibes mixed with magnetic tiles. The design is more toddler like and a fun addition to your tiles.
e) Wooden Marble Run We always love a good marble run and these wooden ones are the perfect addition to your other wooden blocks!
Everwood Friends Blocks
Everwood Friends have fun unique styles of blocks and these Christmas themed ones currently have my heart! Use code SAVE25 for 25% off your second item.
f) Piccaso Tile Magnetic People I recently discovered these magnetic people and instantly bought them. I love that they connect with the magnetic blocks while being able to manipulate their legs and arms for different positions.
g) Light Up Blocks These blocks are on the more expensive end, but they are rechargeable and a fun sensory resource if you are in a classroom with children or running a preschool/daycare. Tip: if the light seems to go out, simply tap it to go back on until it is time to recharge. Use discount code: Rylee10 for 10% off.
h) Crazy Stone + Activity Cards These stones and activity cards are perfect for shape and pattern recognition, as well as encouraging your little one to come up with their own fun designs.
We hope you love this years Christmas Toy List! Let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments below! Happy Holidays!