Educational Gifts
It just wouldn't be right for a homeschooling mom not to include some educational gifts in her gift guide, would it?
So here are a couple of the best educational gifts for kids!
PICK AND DRAW
Awarded by the National Parenting Center, Pick and Draw is a fun, one-of-a-kind drawing game that teaches you how to make very creative cartoon faces. And any age can enjoy doing it alone or with a group. Providing endless hours of creative fun with the whole family, Pick and Draw is simple and easy to use…you'll be playing in 5 minutes or less!
For more step-by-step drawing help, you'll want to follow this blog by the creator of Pick and Draw
Also available on Amazon is The Big Book of Pick and Draw Activities – available in paperback (here) or eBook form (here).
JUNIOR CAPTAINS
I love gifts that keep on coming all year long! Junior Captains will be super educational and super fun!
Capt. Bo & Alli are sailing around the world inspiring, educating, and entertaining the next generation of adventurers! Follow along as they send back videos, postcards, lessons, and stories of the people and places they encounter along the way!
How to gift Junior Captains: Sign up your favorite elementary aged “Junior Captains” today and receive the custom Junior Captains Wall Map in time to wrap for Christmas.
Then in January your child will receive the full Starter Kit, including everything they need to follow along as we send back postcards, videos, and stories about each new landfall!
Check out the Junior Captains program right here.
UNCLE RICK AUDIO CLUB
Do your kids like history? Then they will love the Uncle Rick Audio Club!
Listen to Uncle Rick read historical fiction books from a time when stories were based on historical truth and character was always a part of the message! Children will learn history and have fun at the same time!
There is a lot more than just history too! Uncle Rick audios carries a large library of classic books, Bible stories, and character stories, all in audio format.
When you sign up for the audio club, you'll receive two new audiobooks every month, plus bonus audios and 20% off every day at the Character Concepts store!
Interested? Try a free 2 week trial which includes 2 audios of your choice! If you like it and want to continue, do nothing and you'll receive your first $10 charge in 2 weeks. Otherwise, you can simply cancel your membership and you won't be charged a thing! To sign up for your free trial, go here and use the password AFF to get started!
Gifts for Girls
Today I've got a couple gift ideas for girls!
CHARACTER TRAILS
Do you have a daughter that loves to read? (I do!)
Character Trails teaches Godly character traits through Bible stories, stories from history, and stories from everyday children. Practical hands-on projects make learning come alive while interesting “application questions” make it easy for you and your child to apply lessons to real life situations!
SCREENSTERS
If your girl owns an electronic device, she'll want to keep Screensters handy for keeping her screen clean and polished.
These microfiber cleaning clothes feature a playful, dual sided design – a plush side to clean and a silky side to polish screens. A special coating prevents the buildup of mold or mildew and an elastic loop makes it easy to attach your screenster to your purse or bag for on-the-go use.
MELISSA AND DOUG DOLL
If your girl is like mine, she loves dolls! And if your budget is like ours, American Girl dolls are not really an option.
I found a high quality doll from Melissa & Doug that is much more affordable and every bit as fun.
Gifts for Boys
Today is all about the little boys we love so much!
I've rounded up the best gift ideas for boys, and here they are.
THE RUNT
I love having a boy who is a reader, but he wasn't always that way. It took lots of patience, lots of reading exciting books aloud to him, and lots of making interesting, “boyish” books available to him.
The Runt will be sure to fascinate the boys in your house and get them reading!
Book description: He was a runt. Kit Carson Hunt was tired of being the smallest boy in the Flat Creek country. He dreamed of doing big things. First, he wanted to rule the Ozark woods with his champion coonhound. But when the dog came into his life, it wasn`t champion material, just a mixed breed hound puppy, and the runt of the litter, at that. But God moves in strange ways. He would use that mongrel pup to teach Kit what it really means to be a winner.
Purchase your copy here.
SCREENSTERS
Boys who own electronic devices can keep their screens clean and polished with this dazzling bunch of kid-friendly screen cleaners from Toddy Gear.
The dual-sided design is plush on one side for cleaning silky on the other for polishing. 100% microfiber means scratch-free cleaning and a special coating prevents the buildup of mold or mildew.
Attach them to your backpack with the elastic loop so you can keep your screens clean anytime and anywhere!
Shop for screensters here.
BUILDING BRICKS
It seems like every little boy loves Legos, but I completely understand how pricey they can get. Our son only has a few – he got a couple sets for his birthday and his great-grandmother let him dig through the bottom of her toy box to see if he could find a few in there.
We found this off-brand set with 800 pieces and bought it for him for Christmas. (I can't believe I'm writing this right now. He's sitting right beside me. He's working on school work, so hopefully he's focusing hard on it!)
The reviews on it are great, stating that they work just as well as the name brand and are totally compatible with Lego brand.
And they are certainly much cheaper!
You can purchase this set here.
Gifts for Toddlers
Sometimes it's hard to figure out what to gift to a toddler. They're not a baby anymore, but they're not quite ready for “big kid” toys either.
In this post I've rounded up a few of the best gifts for toddlers!
MY FIRST FLYBAR
My First Flybar is so perfect for toddlers for several reasons:
1. It's like a “big kid” toy, but it's still easy enough for a very young child to operate.
2. It's perfect for getting out all of that toddler energy!
3. It can hold up to 250 pounds, which means mom and dad can sneak in a turn because they won't be able to resist (I couldn't!)
My First Flybar works like a pogo stick, but it sits flat on the ground so that it's not difficult to operate. The handle is attached to flexible tubing that can stretch to whatever height your child is.
It also squeaks when you hop – how cute!
My 4 year old is getting this for Christmas, and I know he is going to love it!
I have a discount code to share with you for My First Flybar – order here and use the coupon code fly10off2015=14 to get 10% off.
POLI CUP
My kids love getting new cups! (And I like it when they get one because they always drink a lot of extra water for a few days afterward!)
When I saw the Poli Cup, I wanted to get one for my daughter because it looks like it addresses a lot of the common issues every mom has with sippy cups.
1. The valve does not come all the way out of the cup, meaning it has the potential to get lost. But at the same time it's easy to clean.
2. The flow of the liquid is completely adjustable, from a very slow flow for active toddlers, to an easy flow for thicker drinks like smoothies.
I also like that it's made in the USA, as that is something that is important to me when making purchase decisions.
The cups come in a variety of cute nursery rhyme designs. SHOP HERE.
I SEE ME BOOKS
Toddlers will be thrilled to see themselves appear as the star of a book or to see their name on a gift!
I See Me offers oodles of choices for personalized gifts for kids. You can choose from books, puzzles, ornaments, coloring books, placemats, and more!
I got personalized coloring books for my nephews, which I will pair with a pack of crayons for a perfect gift!
Browse around and see what your favorites are!
Gifts for Babies
Today I'm sharing some of my favorite gifts for babies!
LOVEY
Some people call them blankies or security blankets; we call them loveys at our house. But regardless, my babies always loved holding a lovey, and my 4 year old still carries his around everywhere!
This zebra lovey is gender-neutral, and super cute!
You can pick up this adorable gift here.
MUSLIN SWADDLE BLANKETS
Another baby gift favorite of mine is muslin swaddle blankets. They are so soft and comfy for baby. It seems like the more you wash them the softer they get!
This is a really nice gender-neutral set, and right now it's discounted by quite a bit!
BEBE BELLA DESIGNS
I cannot resist the plush blankets they make for babies! (Probably because I really want one for myself!)
Bebe Bella Designs has gorgeous blankets with lots of different designs from which to choose.
I really love their minky blankets. Oooh, I just want to wrap up a baby and snuggle!
Shop all blanket designs here.
CRINKLE TOY
If you need a gift that's in the $5 range, a crinkle toy is perfect! My babies always loved having one of these attached to their car seat! It definitely will pay for itself many times over!
Find it here.
Gifts for Dad
Today is all about gifts for dad, so be sure to spend some time browsing the gift ideas!
NOVICA
Novica offers unique, handmade gifts from artisans around the world.
They offer a selection of gifts for him, which would make meaningful gifts for the man in your life.
I picked up this Hand Crafted Leather Wallet for my husband – hopefully he doesn't read this post!
EASYACC
You'll find a variety of electronics at EasyAcc, like this Power Bank, which is perfect for charging devices while on the go.
If you're looking for more Christmas gift ideas, be sure to browse around at what else they have to offer.
365 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR WIFE WHEN YOUR KIDS ARE YOUNG
I'm not sure if a wife could get away with giving this to her husband for Christmas 🙂 , but I think it's great for people like my mother-in-law. She loves gifting our family books that will help us grow closer in our marriage and in our parenting.
You can pick up the print version for only $4.99.
FOR YOU THEY SIGNED
If your husband likes to read, he will definitely enjoy For You They Signed: The Spiritual Heritage of Those Who Shaped Our Nation.
More than simply facts and figures, For You They Signed provides an abundance of resources within one volume, including: a full year of life-changing, challenging family or group devotional character studies, over 90 illustrations, biographical summaries, and insightful quotes, character quality definitions, Patrick Henry`s speech delivered to the signers, the Christian nature of state constitutions, and the Christian nature of America`s universities.
