Gifts for 5 year olds

So the littlies are growing up and going to school this year! My goodness, where did that time go?  Here are some things my 5 year old loved from her Xmas and birthday loot!

1) Lego

So little boys love Lego it seems and now the Lego brand is tapping the little girl market.  My little one loves them!

2) Necklaces

Starting from about age 3 little girls LOVE necklaces and bracelets and dressing up.  There are such beautiful, colourful, fun things for them.  The price needs to be right though as from experience, whether cheap or expensive, these things break with little fingers playing with them all the time... they are too irresistible!  The one above is from Kangaroo Care at Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/listing/95858635/bright-princess-necklace-for-a-little) for $20 and $4 postage.

However Cotton On have great options that change all the time and are super cheap.  This bracelet is $4! See http://shop.cottonon.com/shop/kids/

Seed (www.seedheritage.com) also do nice things for a bit more.  These beads are $10 so still good value!

3)  Build & Paint Bird Feeder

Craft is king for my 5 year old!  So this gift has reigned supreme!  I have a wonderful sister-in-law who always comes up with perfect gifts!  This one came from the Australian Geographic shop, and is brilliant because not only do they paint and build but it then gets proudly hung in the yard for the birds to feast on.  Our attempt does not look much like the picture (at all) but it is still a fun thing to have around the yard.  One point to note, putting together was a bit of a challenge - we ended up using superglue to hold it altogether.

Here is the link to purchase from direct Australian Geographic at $24.95 plus postage (http://shop.australiangeographic.com.au/-Build-Paint-Bird-Feeder-P2410.aspx).


4)  Paper doll dress up kit

This gift was played with for hours at a time, obsessively for days!  The paper things did rip and tear but nothing a bit of sticky tape can't fix!  I also had to remake the stand for the doll due to ripping (from overuse!) so I used the paper as a template to make a hardier, cardboard one.  All that said it is a great gift idea!

By this age, my little one is really into Barbie.  This kit has pretty, tasteful outfits to dress her rather than some of the slapper outfits available for the real dolls.  Look at Booktopia (http://www.booktopia.com.au/runway-barbie-dress-up-doll-kit-the-five-mile-press/prod9781741789898.html?gclid=CNfihd-Gj7UCFYpZpQodr3UANw) you can purchase for $5.40 plus postage!

  

Gifts for 4 year olds

Here are a few ideas that hit the mark for our 4 year old and her friends:

1)  Dress ups

Yes dress ups are still fun and having some extras on hand are great for when friends pop around for a play... it seems the first thing they do is get changed into something more fun! 

My girls like the princess dresses which you can pick up from K-Mart and Target for around $20-30.  The boys seem to like being a fireman or spiderman.

2)  Sticky mosaics
Craft is really popular for this age group and they are becoming old enough to do more interesting and complicated things like these mosaic pictures.

My little girl loved doing these and they are quite educational also as it is a stick-by-numbers idea.  These are also available at K-Mart (our new favourite shop!) for around $15 or less.


3) V-Tech Laptop

I am letting you in on a big secret here!  If you price this item in one of the fancy toystores they will tell you its worth $70.  However venture down to our favourite shop and it is selling for $30;  in fact I bought one on sale for $25!!  K-Mart we love you!


4)  Musical jewellery box

My little girl has been dreaming of one of these for years now. The problem is they are all so cheap and disgusting I think, and I am yet to find one that is pretty enough to display on her shelf.  I have noted the cheaper and tackier it is the more she loves it!!  She wants to buy one of these for all her friends, which of course I refuse as I like to buy gifts I feel happy about receiving! Anyway I have included as an idea even though it is something I would begrudgingly buy.

Christening gifts

1) Silver bangle

Silver jewellery is a traditional Christening gift, typically given by the godparents. I remember having a bangle that a wore for years and loved it. This one is around $42 at Gifted Memories.

2) Silver photo frame

Keeping with the silverware tradition (again typically godparents) I like the idea of a gift that is not too babyish and could be kept for life. Here are some gorgeous photo frames by Georg Jensen. They are just over the $100 mark though so expensive. Most department store sell similar items in a variety of price ranges.

3) Cultery set

These are a great idea too.  Cutlery sets always come in handy in our house.

4) Crockery mug

While melamine is practical, it is nice to have a special mug.  We use them in our house for making warm milk as I don't like putting plastic in the microwave.

  

Gifts for 3 year olds

Here's a few ideas that hit the mark for my daughter's 3rd birthday!

1) Dress ups

Picture from costume.net

We are at the stage now where my 3 and a half year old changes her clothes a few times a day, typically removing her street clothes and replacing them with her fairy costume, complete with tutu skirt, fairy wings and sparkle shoes... no big problem other than its freezing cold and fairies don't wear warm cardigans or leggings apparently!

Picture from bestpricedtoys.com

The other issue is these dresses can cost over $50, particularly if you start looking at the commercially made Disney characters. I would search eBay and local markets as its possible to get really cute ones that have been handmade. We were fortunate enough to receive a dress and a tutu skirt as gifts at different times.

Of course, dress up costumes need not be limited to fairy outfits but for some reason in our house its all about fairies... !

2) Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to keep littlies entertained and my 3 year old goes nuts for them! Good for their problem solving skills too! Doesn't matter what's on it. This one is from ELC and costs $17.50. www.elctoys.com.au

3) Magnetic scenes

These toys keep 3 year olds occupied for hours! We received a dress up doll set but this one from Tiger Tribe looks great too! It includes a fold-out A3 magnetic board with a busy market scene including a cafe, ice-cream stand, cake stall, fish shop and bakery! With over 30 magnetic pieces the picture and story can be different every time. It is fun to play with them or to encourage them to play on their own.

It is great that all the bits come in a lightweight tin - good for travelling. A word of warning, I do have to pick up all the little bits that don't make it into the tin, but I feel like picking up bits of toys is my main role in life at the moment!

I found this one at the Early Learning Centre for $19.95 (http://www.elctoys.com.au).

4) Felt Creation Boards

Along the same line as the magnetic scenes, the Felt Creation story boards are wonderful for keeping pre-schoolers quiet! The littlies stick the felt pieces onto the felt board and rearrange to create a different story every time. This was another fabulous gift we received that my 3 year plays with regularly and for long bursts. They are quite inexpensive too. It carries a warning with it about all the "bits" and trying to keep them altogether! I keep ours in a closed container and out of reach until playtime.

The boards measure 38cm x 32 cm and some of the varieties include Princess Castle, Pirates, Pet Shop, Construction, Boutique Clothes Shopping, Aquatic Diving, Dinosoars, Science Lab, Fairy Garden, Dancing Ballerina and On the Farm!

You can pick them up for as little as $12.95 from brightbuttonstoys.com.au (excluding postage).

5) Drink bottle

Another great present we received that was a welcomed change from all the toys was a good quality drink bottle. Bobbleart has some cute designed stainless steel drink bottles that are BPA free, lightweight and durable and don't scratch or dent easily. The twist top is easy for drinking yet leak-proof too which is good news for my handbag! As far as size goes, 600ml is a good size for 3-4 year olds.

I saw this one as moowoohandmadecardsandgifts.com.au for $24.95.

As an aside did you know that aluminium drink bottles need to have an internal lining in order to be safe as aluminium is not a food safe material without the lining. SIGG appears to be a safe brand of aluminium bottles. Stainless steel on the other hand does not require a lining as it is considered food safe. Read more at www.bpafreedrinkbottles.com.au.

7) "Today is" weather chart

We attempted to make one of these using cardboard and contact but it didn't last very long once the baby sister became a toddler! My 3 year old loved it though so I found this more robust one online... it is a little exxy at $45 (ex postage) but I have seen something similar in the shops for nearly twice the price. It measures 60 x 43 cm and is recommended for 3-6 year olds. I found it at www.whowwhatwhycom.au. They also have a magnetic one that is slightly cheaper at $30.

8) Doctor kit
Early Learning Centre has a great doctor's kit for $35.  It is a little on the pricey side compared to other options out there but the bits and pieces are a better quality and come in a solid case for storing. www.elctoys.com.au

Gifts for 2 year olds!

Two year olds love puzzles and books and are still not at the point of wanting particular toys. They are starting t0 become interested in imaginative play. Here are a few things we received or bought for our two year old that were a big success!

Tea Sets

Ah, the instant joy of water play! Fill a teapot with water and let the little ones go crazy overfilling their tea cups... outside of course! The china, porcelain or ceramic tea sets are just gorgeous but just not so practical to play with for this age group. Wooden sets are good but obviously can't be used with water. Although they don't look as sweet, plastic is best or tin.

This little placcy number is made by Fisher Price, costs around $24 and available from major department stores, such as Kmart and Target. It plays music when you tip it! Perfect! Toysrus also do a similar one for around $20.

This tin one looks nice. It is around $22 and available from PeeDee Toys.

Wooden Fruit Set

This little pack has a knife and cutting board included to "chop" the fruit & veggies! This one is available from Unique Kids.

Picture for bedroom

Before you get into the age of "I wants" a picture is a nice idea, particularly one they can keep forever. I found these really sweet prints on Etsy at Cinnamon Ink. They range from $10-$30 for the print, plus $5-$8 in postage.

We bought this one for my older daughter from the Keep Calm gallery. It is a bit more expensive at GBP48, plus the cost of postage and framing. Hopefully she will like to keep it for many years as its not too childish, and has a nice message.

Sunhat

My husband went to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup and returned with these cute hats for our daughters - they loved them and get lots of comments wearing them around and about! You can purchase from Filiokus for NZ$35.

Some ideas for first birthday gifts!

The developmental step between 1 and 2 years old is enormous so best to find something they will be able to grow into over the coming year or years....


1) First Baby and Pram



My eldest received one of these, which was well beyond her on her birthday but within 6 months it was a firm favourite and has remained that way so far (she is 3!)... These are available from Early Learning Centre (http://www.kidscentral.com.au/) for around $20 each.


2) First Steps Baby Walker by Vtech



This is another firm favourite in our house and so many of my friend's homes as well. This was actually loaned to us from a great friend, and we loved it so much we bought one too! It is great because it is a walker and activity centre as well. The front panel can be removed from the walker for baby to play with on the floor. The panel plays music and teaches shapes, numbers, letters and colours. It retails for around $80 from discount department stores like Big W and Kmart and baby stores as well.

3) Tomy Hide 'n' Squeak Eggs



These come highly recommended as they are nicely priced and can easily be packed for travel trips or holidays. Each egg can be "cracked" and when pushed down make a squeak. The bottoms of each egg have a different shape to add some fun to packing them away! They cost around $13, although you could probably find them cheaper online.


4) Babuska doll
My one year old loved this; it kept her occupied for hours! And now I like how they display in her room. There are boy versions available such as sailors and pirates. A word of warning, check the size of the littlest doll as it may be a choking hazard for little ones. Bin it or put away for a few years! The one pictured is available from Nest Emporium (http://www.nestemporium.com.au) for $20 plus $10 postage. I have seen them in lots of kids shops such as Treehouse, Kids Central/Mothercraft and Shack also.

5) Plate and cutlery sets

Little ones love their own plate and cutlery sets. I love the plate sets from JAB Designs as they are melamine so unbreakable and have very cute designs - we have the one with the bears face and my little girls love it! It came in a 3 piece plate, bowl and cup set. Peters of Kensington (http://www.petersofkensington.com.au/) stock this brand, as well as a number of gift stores. I think they cost around $50 for a set.

6) Tea sets

Little boys and girls love playing tea parties! I love this one pictured, it is the Wooden Birthday Tea by Djeco, made in France and excellent quality but crazy expensive at around $70. Initially I bought a plastic cheapo from Kmart for my little girl and she had so much fun with it in the bath - well worth the $10!! We have since been given a beautiful ceramic set that we will pull out when both girls are a little older.

7) Galt Puzzles

These are great puzzles that last for a few years... while they are little they like to just pull them apart after you have made them! When they are a bit older they can do them themselves and learn to say the names of the animals.

They are 2 piece simple, colourful puzzles with chunky pieces that cannot be bent. It encourages early matching and manual dexterity. They cost around $12.00. I found some at oo.com.au.

These are great puzzles that last for a few years... while they are little they like to just pull them apart after you have made them! When they are a bit older they can do them themselves and learn to say the names of the animals.

They are 2 piece simple, colourful puzzles with chunky pieces that cannot be bent. It encourages early matching and manual dexterity. They cost around $12.00. I found some at oo.com.au.

Our favourite kids books!

Here are the all time favourites in our house:-

1) Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins

Beautiful pictures and lovely story!

2) The Chimpanzees from Happy Town by Giles Andeae and Guy Parker

I have read this book so often I can recite it by heart! There was a town not far from here called Drabsville USA....

3) Ten little fingers & Ten little toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury

I love the message in this book.

4) The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

I must say it does surprise me that my littlie loves this book so much as the language is quite outdated and formal. I guess it is the timelessness of the story, and wonderful illustrations that capture her imagination.

5) Babykins and his family by Richard Scarry

This book was first published in 1976 - another classic! I love Richard Scarry - his humour is wonderful!

6) What do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry

Yes, another Richard Scarry because we love his books so much. In fact we could include any in here but these 2 are firm favourites.

7) Milly-Molly-Mandy

So I do admit to putting this on the list myself as they were my favourite books as a child! My littlie hasn't really gotten into the stories yet, but I'm positive she will! So happy and wholesome, what's not to like about Milly-Molly-Mandy and her Little Friend Susan and the nice white cottage with the thatched roof!

8) Olivia

Olivia may not be as wholesome and chipper as M-M-M but she's super fun and written with great wit! We love her books and her TV shows!