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Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

A good mantra for kids Christmas shopping I’ve read is ‘Something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read’. And I REALLY want to stick to it, but will probably fail.  Growing up, when I was small, we each filled a laundry basket full of gifts. With 6 kids it felt like MILES of presents when we walked out at 6am. Talk about a serotonin rush. It was rarely anything expensive but it felt like a treasure trove of gifts. Now whether that was the case or just my perception, who knows? My parents didn’t spoil us but I’m finding it VERY hard not to want to buy my kids so many fun things for Christmas. Last year I learned the lesson that they just can’t handle that many gifts and we stopped at 5 because they were exhausted – we hid the rest of them and brought them out throughout the year, on desperate Saturdays. So the below guide is a mixture of things we already have that our kids LOVE, stuff I want to buy them but won’t, some stuff I’m hoping grandparents buy them and of course some splurges from Santa. I shopped and pinned all of them myself, with my kids in mind (my kids are 2 and 4).

Some of you pointed out that it was hard to read what I had to say about each thing and kinda annoying to have to scroll up and down constantly in the previous gift guides. So we created a product board like we usually do, with links below it AND a brand new gallery that you can click/scroll through for those of you who want to read my recommendations (although I only had room for a couple sentences). We are just kinda testing this out so let me know what you prefer the slider or the moodboard/roundup.

Up first is TOYS. I want ALL of these things for our kids but will obviously not get them all. Generally we stay away from anything electronic and overstimulating, and opt for things that inspires imagination and creativity (you know, like a whoopie cushion). Click through the gallery to read what our kids already have and love.

Emily Henderson Gift Guide 2017 Holiday Christmas Home Decor Toys Stocking Stuffers Clothing Kids Gift Guide Toys And Stocking Stuffers Final

1. HandTrux Shovel | 2. Small Bow and Arrows | 3. ‘One’ Book | 4. ‘ABC’ Book | 5. ‘Room on the Broom’ Book | 6. ‘Dragons Love Tacos’ Book | 7. Let’s Play House | 8. Rainbow Sound Blocks | 9. ‘The Big Book of Bugs’ | 10. ’50 Cities of the U.S.A.’ | 11. Build A Robot | 12. Doctor Set | 13. Bristle Blocks | 14. Shoe Lacing Toy | 15. Pantry Play | 16. Cheese Wooden Lacing | 17. Bowling Set | 18. Jump Rope | 19. Magnetic Tablet | 20. Chalk Spray | 21. Chalk Bombs | 22. Whoopee Cushion | 23. Cross Stitch Bear | 24. Catchoo | 25. Wooden Animal Pull Toy | 26. Etch A Sketch | 27. Spaceship Stickers | 28. Activity Sensor Board | 29. Horseshoe Magnet | 30. Magnetic Fishing Game | 31. Wooden Cocoa Set | 32. Snowtime

Now click through the gallery for my commentary on each piece!

When it comes to kids clothes I have a theory – I buy them affordable pieces, mostly from Target for their everyday lives, but I LOVE to give and receive the more expensive boutiquey pieces from smaller brands. I simply can’t spend $60 on a dress for Birdie that I know won’t get worn enough or will get ruined, but I sure do want a grandparent to buy that for them. The smaller brands, made in America out of really high quality materials need support and so that’s how I approach it. I buy those pieces for others as a gift or a special occasion for our kids, but send them to school in more affordable pieces.

Also when it comes to gifting clothing I want it to feel extra special – if it’s a sweatshirt, it needs to be an extra cute one, or if it’s gloves I want them to be super playful. I shopped for all of these myself (with my kids in mind) and love them all so much.

Emily Henderson Gift Guide 2017 Holiday Christmas Home Decor Toys Stocking Stuffers Clothing Kids Gift Guide Clothing Final

1. Liam Hoodie | 2. Affirmation Badge Set | 3. Mini Long Sleeve Snap Bodysuit | 4. Angelica Tank with Wings | 5. Chloe Ruffle Sleeve Dress | 6. Crew Neck Bear Pullover | 7. Gold Ankle Fashion Boots | 8. Colour In Pjs | 9. Finger Critter Gloves | 10. Reindeer Pocket Neck Sweater | 11. Schuyler Jumper | 12. Lottie Dress | 13. Jolina Ankle Fashion Boots | 14. Wrap Tunic in Light Chambray | 15. Faces Leggings | 16. Leon Crew Sweatshirt | 17. Disney T-Shirt | 18. Playtime Overall in Peach Flannel | 19. Blue and Ivory Check Dress | 20. Cora Dress | 21. Fireman Pajamas | 22. Sleep Mini Zip All In One Jumpsuit | 23. Ava Dress | 24. Heidi Bunny Fashion Boots | 25. Bear Face Pullover

Now click through the gallery for my commentary on each piece!

Lastly, decor for the room – obviously not typically on their wish list from Santa, but when it’s playful and engaging it’s both decor and a toy. Click through the gallery to read my thoughts and feelings on each of these awesome pieces.

Emily Henderson Gift Guide 2017 Holiday Christmas Home Decor Toys Stocking Stuffers Clothing Kids Gift Guide Room Decor Final

1. Pink Wooden Blocks | 2. Swan Plush | 3. Space Pod | 4. Rocket | 5. Wooden Swing | 6. Kid’s Trowel and Fork | 7. Wooden Toy Tool Bench | 8. Animal Tracks Chart | 9. Hippo Pull Toy | 10. Dinosaur Chart | 11. Circus Set | 12. Construction Plate and Utensils | 13. Play Kitchen | 14. ‘Work Hard & Be Nice to People’ | 15. ‘Start with Yes’ | 16. Wooden Animals | 17. White Sailing Ship Kite | 18. Alligator Knit Throw Pillow | 19. Wooden London Set | 20. Bear Nightlight | 21. Wooden Dollhouse | 22. Cat Chair | 23. Birds of North America Chart

Now click through the gallery for my commentary on each piece!

Let us know how you feel about the product board versus the gallery. Do you prefer one over the other or do you like having both? I kinda like both myself, but I’m a girl who likes options in general so I’d love to hear your preference going forward.

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Erin
7 years ago

I love this new format for gift guides! I like that you included both the large product board and the new gallery.

Maya
7 years ago

This gift guide us fantastic. I actually want everything in it and have none of it!! The format was great, too. So much more fun to scroll through on a phone

gwen
7 years ago

I also want to chime in that I love the gallery! And I’m enjoying seeing gift guides with a lot of options for younger kids – I have a lot of baby and toddler christmas gifts to get this year, and so many kid’s guides seemed aimed at 7+.

Rachel
7 years ago

Hmmmm… Is it crazy that I want an adult size version of the butterfly wing tank top? For fancy dinner parties, obviously.

Liz
7 years ago
Reply to  Rachel

So many options of the butterfly wings available on amazon. I know because my daughter thinks we should fly together.

Rachel
7 years ago
Reply to  Liz

Hahaha, you sound like the best Mom. You should definitely fly together!

Mollie
7 years ago

You are tempting my wallet so much! And I love this new format, it was great for an overview and still made it easy to get down to the nitty gritty.

Carolyn
7 years ago

This is the best kids gift guide I’ve seen! I want everything for my kids! I appreciate that they all look good on a shelf and don’t have batteries. Exactly what I was looking for, thank you! And I loved both formats along with your short commentary. Everything was perfect!!

Admin
7 years ago
Reply to  Carolyn

THANK YOU. xx

Shannon
7 years ago

My nephew (and honestly, the entire family) LOVES the indoor snowballs.

Meg Lec
7 years ago

Love these ideas and the product board! Is it possible to make it so we can swipe? That would be so convenient! All the little girl gifts are making me want to have another baby.

Gigi
7 years ago

I’m a gallery girl myself so I enjoyed this. I did look through both methods before I realized that they were repeating. Lol I’m tired.

Liz
7 years ago

Thanks! Some great ideas in here. I am off to buy those gloves and some bear sweaters. The gallery is great – don’t need the other view. However, could you please compress the white space a bit so one can see the picture, the description, and the next button on a phone screen? Thank you!

Jen
7 years ago

The gallery is a HUGE improvement over your previous method. So much more usable and easy to read/digest. The main thing I would add is a price on each slide. The price often influences people’s interest in something so it’s better to show that ahead of time rather than making us click to find out (e.g. I might assume something is expensive and not click, but if I realize it’s a great deal I’d be way more likely to check it out).

I think it’s good to keep the product board as well for a big-picture snapshot of what’s the in the gallery. They work well together.

Jillian
7 years ago
Reply to  Jen

I completely agree!! Both methods are super user-friendly and made me want to put pretty much all of your great ideas into my cart! I am always much more likely to click on something if the price is displayed ahead of time, so I agree with the above commenter that that would make it EVEN better and easier to use! Thanks for all the fantastic ideas! Love them all!!!

Jessie
7 years ago

Love the gallery, and would pick that if I could only pick one method, but I do like having both because you can glance through everything quickly, then dive deeper in the gallery if you want specific details. Has anyone else ever clicked all the way through a gallery and then decided it was kind of a waste of time because you weren’t interested in anything? The mood board first sort of saves you from that.

Great picks, too! I have 3 nephews and a niece all in the infant-4 age range, so this was nice to get some ideas that might be liked by both the kids and the parents for Christmas. In fact, the biggest downside is that my sister-in-law also reads your blog, and might take some of the ideas herself!

Jessvii
7 years ago
Reply to  Jessie

^This is basically how I feel. If I could only have one, I’d choose the big picture mood board. But, if having both is an option, then that’d be better.

Chelsea
7 years ago

Hey thanks for listening to the feedback and putting in the slider so it’s easier to read. I think what would actually be the best solution is a board that allows you to click each item individually. That way I can glance at everything at one time and only click on the things that interest me. Rather than having to click through 15 things I don’t want in order to get to number 16 or whatever.

Andrea
7 years ago

Nice gift guide! Add this to Birdie’s clothing list! A friend of mine from high school started it and these darling dresses are made in NYC.
https://dottishop.com/

Rachel
7 years ago

Brilliant guide… But did you say NEW PLAY ROOM?

Jen
7 years ago
Reply to  Rachel

I think it was briefly mentioned before, but the extra living space- near the powder room and kitchen, is being turned into a play room 🙂

Lauren
7 years ago

The gallery is such an easy format to follow along with on my phone! Thank you!
I love this post, it is so spot on for toys and cute clothes. I’ve been reading a lot of different gift guides but this one is Useful!
I think the wings you picked are pretty and coordinate with the palette of your board, but check it Tree & Vine on Etsy. It’s a collection of felt wings with coordinating accessories, so precious.
And no Mini Biden in your apparel? They have such an eclectic and colorful vibe season after season.

Kasia Johnson
7 years ago

Shopping for kids is the best. Love the gallery.
Also, I have to tack on my favorite toy ever- Magnatiles. I got them for my daughters when they were 2 and 4, and they still get played with ALL THE TIME now that they’re 6 and 8 and they’re perfectly safe for my baby to chew on (unlike Legos, my girls’ other favorite building toy).

Emily
7 years ago

I really love the gallery. It’s easier to see on a phone, and quick to scroll through. Plus it’s nice to see your comment right below the item.

Samantha Rae
7 years ago

I read once that it’s best to have gifts from Santa NOT be the splurgy gifts, because kids talk about Santa at school and kids with more affluent parents get these amazing toys from “Santa” which leaves poorer kids wondering why Santa gave them less expensive gifts. I thought that was a good tip.

Jillian
7 years ago

Just purchased the Melissa and Doug Clean up set after seeing it in your roundup. My 20 month old nephew loves cleaning up. I know he’s going to be obsessed with a set his size!

Jillian
7 years ago
Reply to  Jillian

Also, I prefer this format as well =)

Tiffanie
7 years ago

Love your list! We give year-round and could only come up with the idea of books for our 19 month old, but which books??? Well, the ones you have on your list are the ones I had been eyeing and spying for a minute. Bingo! This list is great for when we are itching to buy him a new toy. I especially love the robot and medical kit. Oh, and why not snatch up the animal foot print banner for his play area?! Please share more kids gifts idea kid-year day Christmas in July? 🙂

The format is great.

Tiffanie
7 years ago
Reply to  Tiffanie

Kid-year day was supposed to be year-round. oops! ?

Jennifer
7 years ago

Loved the gallery. Enjoyed reading your comments while I looked at each item without having to scroll back and forth. Thank you also for the ideas. I selected some of them for my nephew for Christmas. Hope your kids have as memorable a Christmas as you had as a child.

Jordan G
7 years ago

Love the gift guide! Thank you for introducing me to some new brands. I am trying to follow the “want, need, wear, read” rule for my toddler twins but man, it’s so hard. There is just so much cuteness out there.

I stumbled upon these suspender bubble shorts for baby girls (0-24 months) on OshKosh and I thought you and your readers might love them because they fit that vintage aesthetic. I snatched up a pair for my 20 month old daughter – can’t beat the $10 price and she can wear them year-round without the tights.

https://www.oshkosh.com/oshkosh-baby-girl-babybgosh/190795974324.html

Rachel
7 years ago

Thank you so much for including Thimble in the guide – we’re so honored and love seeing Birdie in her Thimble pieces! – Rachel and the Moms of Thimble Collection

Kari
7 years ago

I love the gallery, if you are counting. Having both seems ideal for the impact and then the useful info. I love the workbench, but if you were looking for something smaller (maybe easier to ship) then there is one handmade in Colorado that I love. You can find it here: https://plumfieldshop.com/products/work-bench?variant=4535779716

That shop also carries tons of American made gorgeous wood block sets too – I personally like the “Women Who Dared” set (#stillwithher) – but birds/nautical flags/constellations are pretty great too.

I’m feeling the wooden toys this year, apparently.

Christine Schwalm Design
7 years ago

For books, I got my my stepson Zen Shorts and Zen Socks. Great messages about not sweating the small stuff and having perspective. Good reminders for us grown ups, too!

Lauren
7 years ago

I like having both! Made it so much easier to see and read!

Kate
7 years ago

Wonderful guide.

Heads up – Many of the links aren’t working for me. They take me to a page with the URL that starts with “http://rstyle.me…” and it’s blank and white. 🙁 I want to buy ALL the things!

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7 years ago

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Jihane
7 years ago

My son is 18 months old and this guide is great for us ! I don’t have access to all the products cause I live in Italy but thank you for the great ideas! And yes, love the new format with both the new gallery and the usual product board 🙂 If I had to chose between one of the two presentations I’ll go with the new gallery but its definitely nice to have both :=) Thanks to all the team for the commitment and the hard work!

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