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If you’re anything like me, then you may have waited until the last minute to shop for Christmas gifts 🤷🏾♀️. Or maybe you scored some great gifts during the Black Friday sales but have a few more items on your list for your kids. If this is you then this gift guide is probably what you’ve been looking for! I’ve put together the perfect list of learning and interactive activities for babies and toddlers that should help you narrow down your options!
Sometimes it can be difficult deciding what to get for your kid when you feel like they have everything already. You often find that they seem excited for their new toy for the first few weeks after Christmas, then it starts collecting dust. A great rule of thumb, if you’re ever stuck on what to get your child, is: “something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read”. We don’t always stick to this rule, but it helps take the guesswork out when you’re indecisive.
This gift guide is comprehensive to specific age groups to ensure your child won’t get bored easily or frustrated from the toy being too advanced or not advanced enough. Some are items that we personally play with at home that I’ve noticed my kids still love months later. Many of these gifts even have the potential to grow with your child for continued learning and fun! I also made sure to choose items that were incorporated in lesson plans during my preschool teaching days.
Let’s start with the little munchkins.
Gifts for babies 0 to 6 months
Tummy Time Water Mat: We all know tummy time can be a challenge for our little babies earlier on. The majority of infants hate it! They’re uncomfortable and fussy, meaning tummy time only lasts for five minutes at a time. One way to score extra time is to make tummy time more interesting. This mat has engaging graphics that keep babies entertained and allow them to splash around without getting wet. It also includes toys inside the mat that they can play with and move around.
Double-sided Play Mat: This is a great play mat for infants. It has black-and-white high contrast toys and images which encourage visual development and brain stimulation. The features of this mat include sensory objects that provoke touching and teething as well as squeaking and crinkling sounds (babies’ favorite noises!). The ribbon allows you to hang it on the car seat to occupy them while traveling. And once they begin to sit on their own, the magnet lets you hang it on the fridge to keep them busy while you’re in the kitchen!
Black-and-white high contrast book: This is another great item with high contrast images that will stimulate babies’ visual and brain development. You can flip through the pages and read it like a book or open it up to stand to keep your infant intrigued during tummy time. This also has a ribbon to be hung which makes it another great item to travel with.
Bath Books: We love bath books in our house! Infants can look at the graphics or even use them to teethe. Bath toys, in general, are very helpful for kids who hate baths, and can also keep them occupied when it’s time to wash their hair! These will grow with them and can be used at any age.
Wrist and Ankle Rattles: My go-to toys for both babies when they were newborns. These rattles are perfect for babies who are working on their grasping and fine motor skills and aren’t able to hold toys yet. They’re also great for helping them discover their hands and feet.
Gifts for babies 6 to 12 months
Soft baby blocks: You may think these are regular schmegular ol’ silicone baby blocks, but these blocks are a game changer and I’m so excited to be getting Adele these for Christmas this year. They can be used for teething and stacking, but also have other great features that make them great blocks to grow with. The raised shapes, textures, and squeaking sounds make them great for sensory play. These blocks can be attached to each other by placing the shape from one block into the hollowed-out shape of another to develop cognitive and fine motor skills. They also contain numbers and math symbols to practice elementary-level math equations 🤯. I’m pretty sure Jeremiah will also get a kick out of these!
Crawl-Along Roller: This is a fun, yet simple toy to encourage crawling and tummy time. There are rattles and toys inside that make this toy entertaining for infants. As they play, the toy will roll and they’ll crawl after it!
Stacking Cups: These cups are a very basic, and inexpensive tool for developing cognitive and fine motor skills. They can also be used to practice colors and numbers. This set includes holes that make them great bath toys.
Pound and Tap Xylophone: Another toy I’m excited to be getting Adele this Christmas is this pounding toy. It’ll keep her busy for a while as she plays music on the xylophone and will also strengthen her hand-eye coordination as she uses the hammer to knock the balls down. The age range begins at 12 months, but Adele is already crawling around pounding toys on different objects in our house, so I know this will be perfect for her and other busy 9-month olds!
Ball Pit & Tunnel: The ball pit/tunnel combo is exactly what you need to tire those active babies (and toddlers) out! As soon as babies start crawling, they’re always on the go! And ball pits to them are like heaven. Put them together and your kids will be busy for at least an hour! This version can be used separately and can be folded for easy traveling and storage.
Other great gifts for 6 to 12 month-olds:
Montessori Object Permanence Box
Gifts for 1 to 2 year-olds
Take-Along Sorting Barn Toy: This is a great interactive toy that develops toddlers’ fine motor skills by sorting barn animals and dropping them into their specific holes. The barn also includes a handle that allows toddlers to take it with them wherever they go!
Building Blocks: Another awesome fine motor toy (can you tell we like fine motor activities over here?!). Blocks are also the perfect open-ended activity and can be used in many different ways, encouraging your child’s creativity!
Non-toxic Bath Crayons: More bathtime fun, but make it toddler edition! Bath toys are great for keeping little ones interested in bathtime and occupied during the dreaded hair washing. These are all-natural, plant-based, and easy to clean up.
Plush Doll Set: This is a great doll set that can grow with your little one. I love that you get a set of 6 multicultural babies and can dress and undress them. These dolls are used in many preschools as they help foster daily life skills.
Size Sorting & Counting Puzzle: Another great toy that strengthens cognitive and fine motor development. These carrots are different sizes so your child will work on matching the carrot to their correct size hole. This puzzle can also be made into a fun game for you and your little one.
Climb and Crawl Playset: This playset is ideal for active kiddos and a great way to get their energy out on a rainy day. They can use it for climbing, crawling, balancing, stacking, sliding, and can be used for all ages. Another item used in many preschools.
Other great gifts for 1 to 2 year-olds:
Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set
Color and Shape Wooden Block Sorter
Gifts for 2 to 4 year-olds
Magna-Tiles: Next to legos, Magna-Tiles are a favorite open-ended toy for many toddlers. These are great for kids who are still working on their fine motor skills and have a hard time attaching lego pieces together. The magnets cling together very easily. Your child will have tons of fun for extended periods of time as they get to express their creativity. Magna-Tiles are a well-known, and widely-loved brand but can be expensive. This is another brand that is just as good and you get more magnets for half the price.
Play-Doh Play ‘N Store Table: This table is the answer to our Play-Doh prayers. Finally, a way to keep this stuff contained. I love everything about it. It’s short enough to slide right over your child’s lap so they can be closer to the surface and not drop any below them. It has compartments to store Play-Doh once they’re done. And it even comes with molds and tools they can use with the play-doh for more fun. This table also comes with 8 containers of Play-Doh!
Beach and Ocean Animals Sensory Bin: A sensory bin that comes with everything your kid needs for a fun ocean and sand adventure!
Reusable Stickers: An item we were so glad to purchase for Jeremiah this year. I remember using this set with the kids I used to nanny and they would sit and play with them for so long! This specific set has some of Jeremiah’s favorites such as a train track, construction vehicles, animals, and the community, but Melissa & Doug have so many other different scenes to choose from.
Sand & Water Boat Table: If your kids are like mine then water play can last for hours. Literally hours. And now that it’s winter it’s not as practical to use big water tables outdoors (unless you live in Florida like we do ☀️😎). This table is small enough for your child to use inside on top of tile or a towel. Or you can add the legs it comes with and use it outside on a sunny day. It combines sensory play with imaginary play, and that’s really all I need to say to describe how long your child will be interested in this! It comes equipped with everything they need for sand and water play.
Balance Board: This very simple board is ideal for developing gross motor skills. I love that it doesn’t take up too much space but can keep your toddler active. This board is multi-functional and can also be used as a step stool, toddler seat, and for creative play.
Other great gifts for 2 to 4-year-olds:
Fold and Go Wooden Barn with Animals
I hope this gift guide helps you narrow down your search! If you end up getting any of these gifts for your kids this year, let me know how they like them by tagging me in a post/story on Instagram!
Also, let’s continue to help our fellow Mamas! Comment below to let us know what you’re getting for your kids this year.
