With Christmas just 14 days away, we’re all in a rush to make sure that everyone on the “Nice List” receives their presents on time! If you’re a parent or family member who is at a loss or is still pondering on what to give their kids or nieces and nephews this holiday season, we’ve got you covered. In today’s curated children’s gift guide 2020, we bring you the best toys to give this season. We’ve gone through the clutter and picked out the top recommended toys that your kids will enjoy playing with for years to come. Spark their imagination and help them develop their skills with these parent-approved toys that are highly giftable this season!
Best Toys to Give This Season: Wooden Toys That Entertain and Educate
1. Homi Baby BPA-Free Teether Rattle for Baby and Toddlers in Canary Yellow
Crafted in the USA using ethically harvested hardwoods, the Homi Baby BPA-free teether and rattle for babies is a perfect baby shower or holiday gift for new parents and their bundle of joy. Every Homi Baby rattle is sanded to perfection and sealed with a mixture of organic coconut oil and beeswax, to make it completely safe for baby’s use. These rattles are made of hard maple and birch to create the smoothest texture for your baby. The colors used to paint the handles are water-based, 100% non-toxic paints, dyes, and sealers. This toy has an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “I LOVE this rattle.. and so does my baby! I wasn’t sure what she would think about a wooden rattle, but she plays with it all the time! As she’s grown developmentally, I’ve seen her play with it in new and different ways.” Lydia M.
2. Carlorbo Food Wooden Toys for Kids and Toddlers
With a wide variety of food models that kids would normally see right inside their kitchens, this fun set from Carlorbo features fruits, vegetables, eggs, and more ingredients so they can play pretend to be a chef and cook up imaginative meals! With 9 food models and 19 pieces in this food set, these wooden toys are perfectly sized for tiny hands. It comes in bright colors that are engaging and promotes realistic, imaginative play among children. These wooden toys feature smooth edges and no splinters and are painted using water-based paints and non-toxic finishes to ensure that it is safe to use among kids. Help your child develop motor skills and his imagination with this fun set that is also great as a present this holiday season. This toy has an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “These are very easy for my son to use. The magnets are strong enough to hold the pieces together while not being too strong and hard to cut through. The wood is strong and puts up with my toddler banging the sides together without getting all dented. I love the tray it came with as it helps teach him to organize his things. Overall very cute and durable fruit and veggie set.” Amy K.
3. Lewo Wooden Rainbow Stacking Game
Another great gift below $25 is the Lewo Wooden Rainbow Stacking Game, a collection of colorful, triangular wooden building blocks that come in 12 different colors and 3 sizes. These imaginative, colorful wooden blocks offer endless possibilities, inspiring creativity among children by letting them build tunnels, houses, buildings, and more. These classic wooden toys can help them explore colors, refine coordination, motor skills, and expand reasoning as they grow up. The wooden rainbow stacking game is tested with CPSC accepted third-party laboratories and passes physical and mechanical tests to ensure safety for your kids. Made of 100% non-toxic wood. These toys have an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “My children, ages 5, 3, and 2, love these blocks so much that we had to buy another set. They look just like the photo. The colors are beautiful and the wood is nice and heavy. I would also recommend these for older children or even an adult that is young at heart. Some of the structures that can be created are challenging and fun to try. Great product!” Alfonso
4. Grimm’s Seven Friends in 7 Bowls: Set of Wooden Sorting & Matching Rainbow Peg Dolls with Tray
You’ll need to splurge a little more for this collection of high quality wooden toys from Grimm’s. Perfect for kids 1 and up, these toys help kids develop their sorting and counting skills. It features bright colors that draw attention and inspire creativity. Let your kids develop different characters for the dolls, which are all crafted by hand in Germany and made from sustainably harvested European wood. Each toy features edges that are rounded for safety and painted with natural water based stains before finished with natural food-grade vegetable oil. The coatings in these toys are certified non-toxic and conform to stringent European and American toy standards, making them safe and suitable for all kids. This set has an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “These toys are cute, sturdy, colorful. They encourage a child’s imagination, which is the reason for play. Through these beautiful, yet simple wooden toys, a child can safely explore the world. Play is the work of children, and no toys are better than those that inspire the use of the imagination for through the imagination, one can learn to solve problems. Bravo for a fantastic toy!” Ealymusic
5. MiO Wooden Animal and Woodland Toy Modular Building Blocks Set
Let your kids explore the beauty of nature with this 14-piece wooden building set that inspires hours of imaginative play with whimsical woodland characters. This set features 2 MiO animals, including the fox and skunk beanbag, 3 reversible tree and garden blocks, one reversible pond and stream plank, one grass plank, 6 cubes, and a drawstring bag to keep them together. Perfect as a gift for kids 3 and up. These innovatively designed toys have an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “I bought a few sets of MiO for my daughter’s first birthday. This was an add on after the first was a huge hit. I wish I had ordered the hammock before they were gone. All my kids play with them with the one year old.” M. Omer
Children’s Gift Guide 2020: Top Rated STEM Toys Right Now
1. National Geographic Break Open 10 Premium Geode Mineralogy and Geology Kit
Kids who enjoy exploring your garden will appreciate this explorative mineralogy and geology kit from National Geographic. Let them break open these fascinating rocks to reveal amazing crystals inside. Geodes are naturally occuring formations with an array of crystals inside. This kit includes 100% natural geodes that may be as big as a tennis ball or as small as a ping-pong ball. A highly interactive STEM kit features a 16-page full-color learning guide in which kids can learn about how geodes are formed, 10 high-quality crystal filled geodes, a pair of safety goggles, and 3 display stands. This STEM activity has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “I love the geode so much I drew a picture of it. My kids and I learned a lot about geodes and geology from the booklet and from opening the geode. I’d recommend this to any family ready to learn about science hands on.” Danielle Rosaria
2. K’NEX Education Intro to Simple Machines: Wheels, Axles, & Inclined Planes Set
Let your kids explore the world of machines with this set from K’NEX, which features as much as 221 colorful parts and pieces that can be combined to build 7 fully functioning replicas of real-world machines one at a time. Kids will enjoy hands-on learning with this set, which is designed to introduce little ones to scientific concepts as they build two types of simple machines: wheels and axles and inclined planes. The best part is that this set is highly collaborative, so kids can work on it with parents or siblings. This set has an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “This kit has a fun variety of projects, all with satisfyingly realistic results. And for once an ‘educational’ toy actually had clear educational value, prompting the kids to make a change in the project and then observe the difference and draw a conclusion. (I really should get out the CD-ROM that came with this and see what additional gems it has!) My 5yo was able to complete the projects with minimal help (just in figuring out how to join completed portions together), while my 7yo could follow the directions completely independently. The two-speed fan is a definite favorite in this house!” Nerdy Mommy
3. Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst, Robotics Stem Kit for Kids Age 8-12
For your older children who enjoy science projects, give them something to keep them busy this holiday season. Staying indoors and avoiding large gatherings to keep safe? Worry not as kids won’t get bored when they have the Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst, Robotics Stem Kit, designed for kids 8 to 12 years old. This STEM DIY kit features over 50 pieces of real parts that will let them build robots with 10 challenge cards, safe and strong electric motors, a battery pack and batteries, 19 sturdy wooden components, real hardware, a storage bag, a 21-page manual, washable markers, and more. This set has an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “We bought this a year ago for our then almost eleven year old. He’s used it throughout the year, adding items from his stash of spare parts. It’s been a great gift, with lasting play value. Highly recommended!” Julia Childlike
4. Engino Physics Laws Inertia, Friction, Circular Motion and Energy Conservation Building Set
Discover the endless wonders of science with the Engino Physics Laws Set, which features award winning components and step by step illustrated assembly instructions so your kids can learn as they play. With this set, they’ll discover and learn about the basic laws of physics through assembly and experimentation. This set features 6 working experimental assemblies, including the inertia test platform, sharpening wheel, rocket launcher, rubber band car that kids can build themselves. It also includes 12 pages of theory and facts, a 2-page quiz to help apply and test what they’ve learned, and 4 pages of experimental activities illustrating physics concepts. The Engino Physics Laws set has an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “Wonderful toy for my daughter (8). She has loved legos for a long time and these are a nice supplement to her love for building things. Also very educational and provides information to the kids about the mechanics/physics involved.” Richard
5. Osmo Coding Starter Kit for iPad
Designed for kids aged 5 to 10, the Osmo Coding Starter Kit is a new adventure for kids to try. Using hands-on physical blocks and coding commands, kids can control the character Awbie on an imaginative adventure called Coding Awbie, which is an introduction to coding. These coding blocks will inspire kids’ creative side while developing an ear for rhythm, melody, and harmony. Coding Jam will let them learn different patterns and loops with more than 300 musical sounds. With Coding Duo, kids can solve advanced side-by-side coding puzzles on their own or with their siblings or friends, playing at their own level and using teamwork and strategy to unlock new puzzles. This set includes the Osmo Base & Reflector for iPad, 31 tangible coding blocks including: Walk, Jump, Hand, Magic, Rest, Quantifiers (Numbers), Repeat, Subroutines, Stackable storage for game pieces and 3 game apps called Coding Awbie, Coding Jam & Coding Duo. The Osmo Coding Starter Kit has an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “My kids love the Osmos coding starter kit. The 3 games that are a part of the kit is plenty to keep the kids busy. It helps with their analytical skills and helps in solving problems while they are having fun. This is great especially during quarantine time and keeps them busy!” Sue Varghese
For more amazing stories on the best gift guides this holiday season, don’t miss out on the stories from The Teelie Blog archive below. Make sure to share this list with friends and family and don’t forget to subscribe to our exciting weekly newsletter.
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The Most Festive Christmas Home Decor for a Magical Holiday Season
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