When my girls were younger we followed the 4 gifts rule for Christmas presents. Something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. But as my girls have gotten older I’ve realized they won’t want to play with toys much longer. So two years ago I kicked that rule to the curb and just got them whatever they wanted. Within reason and budget of course.
I’m always very intentional with what I purchase for my girls. I only buy things I know they will play with and that will last a long time. I love finding the perfect gifts! I take into consideration their interests and try to find unique gifts that they would enjoy. I share a lot of their toys in my stories on Instagram and always get requests for a gift guide. So I thought now would be the perfect time to share one. These are all toys my girls have and love. This is not an extensive list for all ages and interests, mostly for the imaginative and crafting loving children. My girls love to craft and create things. Whether it’s made from art supplies or toys. They’re always coming up with new ideas with their toys and craft supplies.
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For the Imaginative –
My girls have always been so creative and imaginative. They love pretend play and are always coming up with ideas I’ve never even considered. I love watching their imagination flourish while they play. These are some of the toys that have aided in their imaginary play over the years.
A Mouse House –
This is by far my girls’ most played with toy. I made these little mouse houses for my girls 4 years ago and it’s still one of their favorite toys. All you need is some little suitcases, dollhouse furniture, and Maileg mice. You can create little rooms in each suitcase. Your children will love decorating and rearranging the rooms. My girls love making tiny food and accessories with polymer clay for their mice.
Big Sister Mouse | Big Brother Mouse | Royal Twins | Mum and Dad Mice | Triplet Baby Mice | Maileg Furniture | Dollhouse Furniture | Nesting Suitcases
I recently made a blog post detailing our mouse house with links to everything if you want to see more. You can find the post here.
ETA: Boutique Little is having a sale through Cyber Monday – 10% off Maileg brand. Use code HOLIDAY22.
Hazel Village Animals –
I first got my girls these animals when they were 3 & 5. They are the sweetest little stuffed animals and dolls. My girls love dressing them in the cute outfits and accessories. They keep the clothing and accessories in this nesting suitcase set. Hazel Village will be having a 20% off sale on Black Friday, November 25th from 12am est to 11:59pm est.
Hazel Village Animals | Hazel Village Dolls | Hazel Village Doll Clothes
Lottie Dolls –
If your children enjoy playing with dolls they will love these little ones! They are modeled after young children and are slightly smaller than Barbie dolls. I like that they look like little girls and boys and not adults. They have some cute outfits, accessories, and play sets that you can purchase as well.
Wooden Blocks –
Wooden blocks are the all time best open ended toy. My girls have the set from Melissa and Doug but there are so many available out there now. They love to build houses for their little dolls and animals. They also really love Contraptions. You can make so many fun things with these!
Magnetic Tiles –
I wish I had these when I was little. They are so much fun to create with and play! My girls have come up with the coolest creations using them. They have made castles, houses, and cars. Most recently they made a frozen lake for their Maileg mice to ice skate on.
Legos –
I think Legos are my personal favorite toy of all time (besides the mouse house). I grew up playing Legos with my older brother. It was the one toy we both loved to play with together. I remember spending all day building with him. I even still have my legos from my childhood! When my girls were younger we had a lot of the Duplo legos. Now that they’re older they have so many cool sets! I think I always buy them one new set every year. We like to keep the houses and buildings put together on shelves in our playroom. All the loose legos are kept separated by color (Hi, I love to organize 😆) When my girls play with Legos they will typically play all week long. They get out their houses and set up a whole little town on the table. I just let them keep everything out if they’re going to continue to play with them throughout the week. They are so creative with their little creations! I love seeing what they make.
Lego Classic Set – Medium | Lego Classic Set – Large | Lego Friends Forest House
Tinkertoys –
I first bought these for my oldest daughter when she was 3. She is now 10 and still plays with them! She has created so many cool things with Tinkertoys. She loved to pretend it’s food and play them with her cooking set. She got another set a couple of years ago. It’s such a fun open ended toy!
For the Crafter –
My girls have always been creative. They love to create and craft everyday. They can make anything out of nothing. I can’t tell you how many boxes of cardboard they’ve gone through making various things. I love providing a variety of creative, crafting supplies for them to practice their creativity. These are some of their favorites they use frequently.
Needle Felting Supplies –
Needle felting is such a fun and forgiving craft! My girls love making little animals! If you’ve never tried needle felting before a kit is a great way to start! I also have a blog post all about needle felting if you want to learn more. You can find the post here.
Needle Felted Animals Kit | Needle Felting Book | Wool Roving Set | Felting Needles | Felting Pad
Polymer Clay –
This is probably my girls absolute favorite craft supply! They have made countless little clay toys, food, accessories, even dolls using polymer clay! We also love to make ornaments with it every year.
Polymer Clay Set | Clay Tools | Polymer Clay Idea Book
Cross Stitch Kit –
When I was little I always remember my mom would get me a little cross stitch kit around Christmastime. I taught myself how to cross stitch and always felt so proud when I would complete a set.
Cross Stitch Kit | Wooden Cross Stitch Jewelry Kit | Cross Stitch Bookmarks | Wooden Cross Stitch Ornament
Embroidery Kit –
Embroidery is such a fun handicraft! I love all of the different stitches you can use. And there are so many kits available now that includes everything you need down to the needle.
Embroidery Kit | Embroidery Book | Embroidery Crafts Kit
Sewing Kit –
My girls love sewing little things. From animals to purses, they’re always making something. I love these books and kits perfect for small sewing projects. We got the Felt Animals Families book last fall and my girls used to it make Christmas gifts for their cousins. It would make a great gift along with the supplies!
Woodland Animals Sewing Kit | Felt Animal Families Book
Woodworking Set –
I got this set for my oldest daughter 2 years ago and she loves it! It is a four in one woodworking set that includes a jigsaw, drill press, sander, and wood lathe. It includes wood for the lathe and jig saw but you can also purchase an additional set of wood. My daughter has also been enjoying wood carving. She has a carving knife, cut resistant gloves, and a wood carving book.
4 in 1 Wood Workshop |Wood Refill Set | Wood Carving Book for Kids | Wood Carving Knife | Cut Resistant Gloves
How to Draw Books –
My girls love how to draw books! I put off on getting them for the longest time because I was afraid it would stifle their creativity. But I was so wrong! These how to draw cute books are my girls particular favorites. They have created so many cute little mini books and stories based off of these cute drawings.
How to Draw Cute Stuff | How to Draw Cute Animals | Draw Kawaii Cute People | Kawaii Doodle World
Bead Set –
My girls have recently fell in love with heishi beads and making bracelets. They made a ton for our Wild + Free handicraft market this year. This set has a ton of colors and everything you need to make bracelets.
Heishi Clay Bead Kit | Alphabet Beads
Instant Print Camera –
I got my girls these cameras last Christmas in anticipation for our family trip to the beach. I knew they would love to have their own cameras to take pictures during our vacation.
Instant Print Camera | Camera Case
Scrapbook Things –
I also got them some scrapbook kits last year. I thought they would enjoy making a scrapbook of our vacation and just anytime really. I knew they would enjoy it but I had no idea just how much they would love it! And I’ve enjoyed watching their creativity throughout making the scrapbooks. The scrapbook kits from Hobby Lobby are only $6 and includes everything you need to create pages in your scrapbook: paper, stickers, alphabet stickers, and embellishments. Every other week they are 50% off. If they’re not on sale now, wait a week and you can get the kit for $3!
Scrapbook Albums | Scrapbook Kits
Illustory –
If you have a child who loves to write stories this is the perfect gift! Your child can write and illustrate a story, mail it in, and it will be turned into a real hardcover book. There is a comic book version as well.
I know there are bigger, more extensive gift guides for all ages out there. But I just wanted to share some favorites of ours over the years. These are all things my girls have and love. They have played and crafted with them for years. Hopefully this list gives you some ideas you maybe haven’t thought of before. I’ll share any discounts from this list on my Instagram stories in the coming days when I find them!
