Little Kingdoms Holiday Gift Guide 2024 (Part 2)

Please supervise your infants and any child still mouthing toys while they engage with these materials.

Loose Parts

1) Chip clips: These are helpful with fort-making and could end up in small world or other kinds of dramatic play. The color variation also lends itself to sorting and categorizing activities.

2) Golf tees: The different shapes and colors offer another obvious opportunity to sort and categorize. These can also be used for fine motor practice as children use a pincer grasp to pick up certain colors. Other ideas could be using them as a border or fence in outdoor small world play or transforming them into a tiny person!

3) Binder/shower curtain rings: For children who are always looking to de- and reconstruct EVERYTHING (this means they’re working through a connecting schema), open-ended materials like these could become a part of a whole we can’t even imagine! Let your child decide and be open to diverse interpretations.

Sensory Table

1) Measuring cups: These are the perfect introduction to volume and conservation. Most children don’t develop conservation, the ability to understand that the volume or number of a substance doesn’t change just because its container or form has, around seven years old. This will get them thinking about this concept in a playful context!

2) Jumbo sponges: These jumbo sponges are incredibly porous and retain so much water. Their mass changes drastically before and after being wrung out and if you introduce them as a “toy” you can also incorporate them into cleaning activities. Break out the baby dolls and give them baths to build empathy or bring the dirty trucks to the “carwash.” Put those kids to work, they’ll love it!

3) Muffin tin: These are an amazing tool for sorting and categorizing, and for a child working through an enclosing or enveloping schema. And you can also keep it in a mud kitchen for them to bake their days away.

Small World

1) Turf: Turf inarguably elevates pretend play. It could also become the foundation for dinosaur play or be a stepping stone in a game of “the floor is lava!” You’ll be surprised by how many uses your child finds for these.

2) Community play people: These are a crowd favorite! Children often become attached to one or two of the people, they might even name them and create narratives around their families or professions. These play people are great for inspiring conversations about similarities and differences.

3) Wood slices: These are fun for stacking but could also become the backdrop for some small world play. Whether it’s an enchanted forest or dinosaur play, they offer dimension to your child’s future playscapes.

STEAM

1) Wooden stacking numbers: This is one of the most genius math tools I’ve ever seen! The numbers all increase in height by the same intervals, so children can practice addition and subtraction through stacking. For example, 7 is the same height as 3 + 4, so when those number blocks are stacked and placed next to 7, they’ll be the same height.

2) Scale: This tool invites children to explore the STEAM concept of weight in a fun way that is relevant to them. When kids learn about the ideas of heavy and light, you can invite them to test their theories with the scale. Prompt them to make hypotheses about what weighs more or challenge them to make the scales even.

3) Unlock it! Number match game: These locks and keys provide a unique math challenge. The locks have a written number on the front with that number of stars on the back, and the corresponding key has the numeral version. They must match to unlock effectively and will learn one-to-one correspondence in doing so. 

Infant

1) B is for Ball: Balls are a classic toy and always will be. These silicone balls are dynamic in that they open up and separate into two pieces. The pieces can be stacked or filled with water and used as a bath toy!

2) Three-in-one baby mirror: This baby mirror will grow with your baby through toddler and early childhood. It can be reoriented and has attachments to foster vision development in infants and gross motor skills like pulling up and cruising in toddlers, all the while becoming familiar with their reflection.

3) Glitter Pool Noodles: Lightweight and reflective, these pool noodles are soft, infant-friendly toys. They can be placed in front of babies doing tummy time to foster more engagement and extend the practice a bit longer.

Books

1) Even superheroes have bad days: Even Superheroes Have Bad Days is a phenomenal book about emotional regulation. We see superheroes get angry and frustrated then decide what to do with those emotions. It’s captivating for children!

2) Elephant and Piggie books: Mo Willems does it again with the Elephant and Piggie series. These characters are lovable individuals with a dynamic friendship. We see them play and celebrate together, as well as share their emotions and resolve conflict. And a huge grown-up bonus, they’re pretty short the voice is distinct and enjoyable!

3) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: This classic just doesn’t go out of style. Its sing-songy cadence makes it fun to read and familiarizes kids with the alphabet by personifying the letters.