For 2024, I am really trying to live by the mantra of less is more. I wouldn’t say it’s going well, but I am trying. For the holidays, this means being more thoughtful about what we bring into the house. It was with that in mind that I put together the Smart Gift List for this year. The items on this list can be used by multiple ages and many can be added on to in the years to come. As always, gifts are listed in order of ascending age suggestions. This is LVEC’s 5th Annual Smart Toy List, but if you haven’t found the perfect gift here, check back to our past lists for further suggestions. Happy shopping and happy holidays from LVEC!
Nature Kids Blocks pair perfectly with the dëna diversity kids set which appeared on my list last year. This set contains tiny houses and trees and come in pastel, neon, and natural color palates. These silicone shapes are excellent toys to encourage creativity and are safe enough when they end up in baby's mouths since they are certified food safe. Ages 0-3.
Tiny Land's Montessori Toys Set is designed to help infants learn and realize their mistakes and correct them as they play, a skill many older children have yet to master. This trial and error promotes independence and self-reliance encouraging a growth minsdset from the get go. Tiny Land offers a number of toy sets to grow as your baby grows and develops! Ages 8-12 months.
Activity Blocks are a great way for kids to explore their senses through play. These colorful blocks consist of visual, tactile and auditory blocks to encourage kinesthetic learning, which is a more hands-on tactile way for learners to process new information. Ages 1-3.
Baby’s First Birthday Band is a great introduction to the delights of music making. This first set contains colorful instruments that are easy for babies to grasp and will introduce them to the world of rhythm and music. Introducing instruments at this age is beneficial for cognitive development, sensory development, motor skills, and creativity. Ages 1-4.
Little Garden Designer is a landscape planning toy for littles. The set comes with a range 67 solid wood pieces that can all be arranged in an infinite number of garden designs, promoting fine motor skills and spatial awareness. Ages 1-4.
Bath Time Water Pals make a great stocking stuffer or gift all on their own. Each bath pal is crafted out of eco-friendly natural rubber and are adishwasher safe, meaning they will be able to last for years to come. The shark and scuba diver are tried, tested, and still being used by my ten year old at bath time with no sign of wear. Ages 0-10.
Take-Apart Crane is the perfect gift for the child who likes to assemble, disassemble and assemble again. This truck goes beyond imaginative play and helps todlers focus on concentration and problem solving skills plus they get their own drill. Ages 3-6.
The Moon Calendar is more than just a beautiful display. It’s a puzzle and lunar calendar for the smallest of moon watchers. Observe the moon & change the magnetic moon discs each day to learn about the moon phases along with the accompanying card which shares lots of moon facts. Ages 3-6.
Salad Spinner Play Set requires no batteries or electronics and operates just like a real salad spinner while encouraging a "healthier" way to play. Pretend play fosters social and emotional skills while the spinner and tongs work on motor skills with new and receptive language being an additional benefit. Ages 3-8.
Pretend Library Kit encourages the love of books (and borrowing books) from a young age. Magic Playbook carries a number of pretend play sets depending on your child's interests as well as a subscription option. Ages 3-8.
Big City Builders Construction Game allows the player to feel like they are in charge of the construction crew and responsible for delivering supplies to the sites around town. With multiple ways to play, the Big City Builders game is a fun challenge in color-matching and decision-making that also encourages fine motor skills, following directions and taking turns. Ages 3-8.
NSG Junior Boxing Set is the perfect way for your kid who may need to blow off some steam while simoutaniously working on eye-hand coordination and balance. This set is portable so can be placed inside or out, which can be extremely helpful for the child who may need a little alone time. Ages 3-8.
Micro Magnatiles are a great non-screen option to keep them occupied while traveling, at a siblings sports game, or while the adults finish up dinner. Let their creativity run wild with a toy they already know and love. Ages 3-10.
Constellation Air Fort is the perfect gift for any kid who loves a fort (which is every kid). Kids and adults alike will enjoy finding constellations tucked away inside this cozy fort. It's perfect fit for a handful of little munchkins or a couple of grown fort enthusiast. Big enough for playdates, movie nights, and even slumber parties, and still small enough to fit in any standard sized room! Ages 3+.
Train Sets allow kids to let their imaginations explode as they design and build a funtioning set up. The best part about a train set is that you can start small and add bits and pieces over the years to come. Problem solving, fine and gross motor, imagination, cooperation, independent play as well as social and mathematical skills all show up when kids build trains sets. I prefer the originals: the Brio Railway Set for Ages 3-10 and for more advanced engineers, the Lionel Junction Starter Set is a great gift, Ages 10+.
STEM Board Games allow kids to build a track using logic to help the squirrel transport the pine nut to the end. This puzzle is ideal for enhancing children's logical thinking, focus, observation, color recognition, and understanding of cause and effect. Ages 4-8.
A Cooking Subscription (or baking subscription) to Raddish Kids is a gift that keeps giving for kids who like to help out in the kitchen. This subscription service was put together by teachers and chefs and qwill send your child a monthly kit filled with recipes, easy to read instructions, a shopping list and cooking tools. Cooking with kids is important because kids are more likely to eat something they have made. Additionally, confidence, math skills and executive functioning skill all come into play when planning and making a meal. Ages 4-14.
OSMO Reading Adventures is a new game to go along with the previously recommended Osmo base Reading Adventures is a great way to bring reading to life for kids who may be beginning readers or those who want a bit more challenge. This is an espceially great tool for kids who may stuggle with reading, be slow at processing, or just need a bit of repetition because reading becomes interative and fun. Ages 5-7.
Coggy makes a great stocking stuffer for anyone who likes a brainteaser game. Fold click and arrange the gears to complete the challenge cards all while improving visual-spatial skills, critical thinking, and logic skills. Small, portable, and minimal pieces make it a great on-the-go toy. Ages 6+.
Roller Coaster Engineering Kit allows kids to design, build, and experiment with working roller coaster models which exposes them to lessons in physics, force, motion, energy, velocity and more which solving the various building challenges. Ages 6-14.
Domino Reaction Kits teach patience perhaps more than any other toy. The planning and set up is most of the process before kids can enjoy the reward of their efforts. Domino runs inspire creativity, promote problem solving, and encourage kids to think about engineering and physics through cause and effect and force and motion. Ages 8-14.
Racko "A board game which kids cannot fight about" was how one of my good friends sold me on this game. Family bonding (not fighting) is unavoidable and the game set up promotes oragnization, numerical ordering, and executive functioning. Ages 8+.
Super Entrepreneur Bead Kit will let your child take their bracelet making to the next level, both in terms of the bracelets themselves, but also what they can do with them. It's not just about creating jewelry; it's a contemporary twist on the classic lemonade stand, sparking creativity and an innovative spirit in every child. The kit comes with guides to help your child enhance their designs, build their brand, and market them. Ages 8-12.
The Stargazing Kit is a great gift for anyone who enjoys time outrside looking up at the night sky. The small, easily portable device helps you to quickly identify more than 1,500 stars visible to the naked eye. And if that's not enough, open up 50 Things to See in the Sky and you'll learn the science behind blue skies, sun dogs, and the solar eclipse. NASA's Star Maps are another great (and free) resource to use with your stargazers! Ages 8+.
Travel Stub Diary will help your young traveller document and store memorabilia from their travel experiences so they'll be able to relive those adventures again and again. Journaling of any sort is an increasingly rare skill that helps us to remember, reflect, encourage creativity and improve writing skills. This travel companion comes with clear sleeves to store your memorabilia as well as space in the margins to jot down every trip detail. Ages 10+.
Oyla Magazine is the perfect gift subscription for older kids. The magazine has great articles of interest for young minds in additon to enticing pictures to draw in even those not as enthused about reading. This has been a big hit in encouraging reading for my child who shys away from longer books. Print and digital subscription options. Ages 12+.
Smart Goggles are a gift to the entire family, though gifting them to your teen will show them that you prioritze their self care and mental health. Each routine, lasting from 5 minutes upward, comes with a different amount of pressure, heat, and massage along with a relaxing soundtrack. After a session, the app will show you your starting heartrate compared to where you end up, if you are still awake that is. Ages 12+.
Who’s Most Likely To has preven itself as a fun post-dinner game with your family or a group of people who know eachother well. Make sure you get the Kinda Clean Family Version if planning to play with your kids! This game promotes conversation and self-awareness in a way that's fun and engaging. Ages 12+.
Scrabble Aura Edition is a great way to decorate any teen room while also encouraging word play. Leaving out this calming Taylor inspired game board just may inspire your teen to try out some words (whether on their own or with friends) without them even knowing that they are building vocabulary, math, and memory skills. Ages 12+
History by Mail makes an excellent gift for history buffs of all shapes and sizes. History By Mail makes history tangible, relatable, and exciting. They offer US History, Nartional Holidays ,National Park History and Urban Legends subscriptions so you can tailor to your child's specific interests. Ages 12+.
Aeroband Pocketdrums (no drums required) make drumming an accessible options for learners of all ages and skill levels. PocketDrum allows you to learn the fundamentals at your own pace with in-app lessons to teach proper technique, and rhythm training games sharpen your skills. Amateurs can expand their abilities by jamming along to songs to practice timing and fills and analyze your progress. For seasoned drummers, PocketDrum is the ultimate portable kit. The authentic pads, accurate sensors, and low latency give a realistic playing feel for pros. Ages 12+.
Agility Light Training has been something my kids have wanted to do since they saw F1 drivers using it to train for races on Drive To Survive. Agility light training has been proven to improve coordination, cognitive function, improve balance, and mental stimutlation with the desired result of increased speed, faster recovery times and overall enhanced performance. BlazePod offers a starter kit which can be customized depending on needs as they develop and grow. Ages 12+.
InkBox Freehand Tattoo Kits and Markers make a great gift for the artsy teen especially if they tend to use their own body as a palette but without making the committment of a permanent tattoo. Give the gift of self expression, experimentation, creativity and confidence by purchasing individual markers or a set so your artist can easily create tattoos that last up to 10 days. Ages 14+.
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