After having written that silly Amazon post all about stuff that looks stupid and you should not buy, I felt bad. So here's a post about gifts my kids have actually recieved, and which they have loved and used! All different price points. All pictures from Amazon unless otherwise mentioned.
Calico Critters. So adorable. This tuxedo cat family lives in our dollhouse now. The clothes come off as well, which is nice for redressing and making little outfits.
I was surprised by how many charms you could make from this kit. The instructions were easy to follow and the clay never really dried out as long as you kept it in a Ziploc between uses.
Nice, sturdy magnet. Picks things up. What would one write about a magnet?
A graphic novel in the vein of Guardians of Ga'Hoole, or Warriors, or maybe Redwall. Animal warriors. There is a whole series.
Magical, wonderful amazing mats. The pictures are drawn only in water and the pen only works on the mat. You draw it, it dries and disappears, you draw again. They fold up, too, so you can take it wherever.
Nice sparkly sequined pillows. Draw things on it and annoy your siblings.
I'm sad that we are past this age now. The age of playing with water pads. These were great in the car, though. Come in all different themes for the picky people in your house. Melissa and Doug is always a good bet, I find.
Fun to make, if a little frustrating. Well, it was frustrating for me, at least. The 8 year old had no problems.
Bright, cheerful mug. I don't own a dishwasher so I can't speak to its longevity, but with handwashing it has held up pretty well. The girls like having 'their own' mugs for hot chocolate. Or just to argue about, really. It's nice to have a hobby.
Djeco really makes the nicest art kits. The markers lasted very well and the pictures were cute. I think there might have been only one we didn't like.
Good, basic first telescope. Comes with two different lenses. Let's you see craters on the moon and also into birds' nests.
Big Mouth brand inflatable tubes come in all different styles. We have the doughnut. It is awesome. Slide the hill in breakneck speed and make everyone gasp...but do it in style.
Sparkly, glittery wand filled with water and...stuff. I don't know. Very glittery.
Very big hit. What can I say? We're comic fans.
These Dover paper dolls come in all different styles. We have these knights, but there are historical costumes from across cultures and ages. They come pre-coloured, which I like.
Jellycat stuffed animals are super soft. And they come in nice, traditional animal shapes, like the rabbit above, and also in crazy stuffies - like a bowl of sushi. A bit pricey (I think this rabbit was $30?) but hold up super well. And can be washed.
Hape tea set. All wood, even has a tea bag. The tray is a bit too small to carry everything at once, but it has withstood heavy use so I'm recommending it.
Sushi Go! Fun new family card game to add to the roster. The idea is to play in three quick rounds, and it is a very 'fair' game - no one is going to feel like their hand is 'better' than anyone's else. Not a lot of crying in the playing of this game, which I love.
We like this puzzle company because the pictures are bright and colourful, the puzzles are not ridiculously hard, and the pieces are very well constructed.
Mechanimals. Weird little vehicles which, when they drive over a special Mech Card, turn into little warrior action figure things. Actually, it looks pretty cool when they do it. The 9yo spent a lot of time playing with these.
Has some creepy bits, so probably for 8yo and up. Creepy like 'monster in the basement and monster kidnaps mom and kids have to withstand peril to save her in a fantasy world' kind of creepy. Great series, though. We waited breathlessly for #8 to come out. Well, some of us waited breathlessly at least.
There you go! A list!
