Sunday, November 1, 2015

Christmas and Stocking Stuffer Gift Ideas for Two and Three Year Olds- Under $20.



Christmas is fast approaching!  If you don't want to drain your wallet but want to pack a big punch with your gift giving for the toddler or preschooler in your life, try out these ideas!  Please note that there are affiliate links in this post. However, these are all products that have been tested, approved and loved by my child!


Lacing Cards
Lacing Cards are great for helping young children develop motor skills and for helping them prepare to learn to tie their shoe laces.  The best ones I've found are the Eric Carle lacing cards.  They are inspired by the author of the Very Hungry Caterpillar.  These are well constructed and have different lacing patterns on each card.  As a bonus, they get your kid interested in rereading all their favorite Eric Carle books!


 

Craft Supplies
Craft supplies are great for helping a child develop creativity, coordination, and pre-writing skills.  Here are a few go to staples:

I've had really good luck with the Crayola brand line of washable markers (and crayons) actually living up to their name and being washable.




What kid doesn't love play-doh?



Cookie cutters and stamps are great manipulatives for kids to use when playing with play-doh.... help them build those motor skills! 



Do a Dot Markers are a fun way to paint.  You can also find a plethora of "do a dot" printable educational activities free on-line.



Make sure the little one's fingers stay safe while learning how to cut!  These scissors are a great introduction to cutting paper, without cutting little fingers!  What I love about the Fiskars brand preschool training scissors is that they have an optional "training lever" that opens the blade after each cut. This was really helpful when my daughter was first getting the hang of using scissors.  




Other craft supply gift ideas include:
  • stamps and stamp pads.  The stamps can also be used on play-doh!
  • finger paint
  • water colors
  • a smock to wear while painting
  • googly eyes
  • construction paper
  • felt in various colors

Books
Books are always great!  Kids love them and they help develop literacy skills

Below is a link to some of the books my daughter and I have really enjoyed reading together. 





Reusable Stickers

These are basically window clings.  They come with backgrounds that you can put the stickers on, or the child can place them on a window or mirror.  This is a quiet activity that doesn't take up a lot of space, so it's a perfect gift for a child heading on a long car or plane ride!


 

Lego sets and Lego animals
For the child in  your life who loves Legos and animals!  I wish they made Lego animals when I was a kid!  They connect on to regular Duplo Lego bricks.  (For those of you who haven't gone Lego shopping for awhile, the Duplos are the bigger brick Legos that are designed for younger children).


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