2014 Holiday Gift Guide: Toddlers & Pre-schoolers

Kiddos are the most fun to shop for, but at the same time, I feel like our children have so. many. toys. and don’t really need any more. When people ask what to get them, I mostly ask for them to build on to their Duplo and Lego collections as well as their Brio train set, and for books. Because you can never have too many books. And we also try to steer clear of too much plastic for the kids. Here are some great gift ideas for the little kids in your life (baby tips coming up later this week!).

These magnetic wooden blocks look like so much fun for little builders.

This scarf is so adorable. I’d love it for Léonie in a year or two.

Alec is super into his balance bike (he calls it his “porsche racer balance bike” and rides it to pre-school and back every day. This one with chalkboard finish is cool.

We bought some PlusPlus to bring with us to Sardinia this fall after seeing my cousin’s 5 year old play with it. It’s crazy how much stuff you can build with these teeny little double-pluses (there are midi sizes to for smaller toddlers). It was a great thing to bring on a trip since they don’t take up much space and Alec (and Louis) had a lot of fun with them. I think my dad could really get into PlusPlus as well!

Christmas PJs are such a sweet tradition and Hannah Andersson has so many cute options that you can mix and match to suit all your minis.

I wish I wish I wish we could get Kiwi Crates to Sweden! If you’re in the states – you have to subscribe to this monthly craft crate for kids. They have options for all ages and they just arrive at your door. And I’m told they really keep your kids busy pretty independently.

I bought this book for Alec and can’t wait to read it with him. At his age (almost four years old) he is really asking a lot about different places and where things come from and languages and history and all sorts of fun stuff. At pre-school they are doing some projects with maps so this will tie in well.

I did do some shopping from the Kate Spade for Gap Kids collection but I didn’t buy this coat. I obviously haven’t stopped thinking about it but Léonie is much too small for a coat like this this winter. For toddlers though, there’s nothing sweeter than little girls and boys in lovely proper coats.

So, the boys don’t seem super interested in pretend play of this kind (despite my efforts to interest them in gender atypical play) so I haven’t prepped this doll’s bed that I bought ages ago for them. But the plan was to paint it white (or another fun colour) and sew sheets and pillow etc to match the ones the boys have on their beds. Maybe Léonie will be into it in a year or so.

We’re Swedish so we have to love our Fjällräven Kånken Minis. Each of the kids have them (though Nonie’s hasn’t gotten a lot of use yet) and since we got the chest straps for them (you can buy Fjällräven’s or another brand), they are much easier for little shoulders to carry.

I really like IKEA’s play kitchen and the play food and utensils and stuff that go with it. We have most of what they sell, but we don’t have this cute shopping basket with play food.