Toddlers

When choosing Christmas toys for toddlers, some people think it is extremely easier while others find this age group from ages 1 to 3 years old is the most difficult.  I am not going to argue either way.  What I am going to tell you that it can be very fun!

Toddlers love to touch, taste, smell, see, and feel their toys.  I know you don’t like the taste part.  Ya gotta get over that part because they are going to do it when you are not looking. That is why the toys are always too big to stick in their mouths.  Just make sure that the toys stimulate their senses!

I have often heard parents explain that it is so difficult because  young children often do not verbally express themselves.  The good news is that most our communication between people is through body.  Toddlers will always show you what they want.

Bring them to your local toy store or Walmart and test this out.  Your kids will start pulling toys off the shelves and playing with them.  Don’t be surprised if they choose something for an older aged child.  The recommended ages are just guidelines.  Do keep in mind that some of the guidelines are for safety and this will be stated on the packaging.

When our 2 boys were toddlers, we would always take note of what our kids played with at church, play dates with other kids, and what they gravitated towards when we were shopping.  Our kids always acted so surprised when they opened their gifts at Christmas.  Trust me, we are not that smart.  While you may still believe in writing a letter to Santa Claus, I prefer to use the time tested method and have my kids tell me what they want.

Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty.  You have done all your hands on research and you still are a little unsure.  Being a parent, I can relate.  What I found far more convenient than letting my toddlers go “hands on” for Christmas toy selection, is to go online to Amazon.com and read the consumer reviews.  Customers at Amazon are not allowed to write a product review unless they have purchased the product they are writing about.  Amazon has both good and poor reviews.  I think they only censor reviews that are “G” rated to read.  The reviews are powerful and real.

Another major benefit to purchasing Christmas gifts for toddlers online at a major retailer like Amazon, Target, or Walmart is that most offer shipping for free once you reach a certain dollar limit.  This is usually around $25.

Additionally, most have a 100% satisfaction guarantee with certain restrictions.  What I mean is if your toddler really hates the gift and it’s not broken, chewed on, or full of sticky candy, then you most likely can return the product.  If the toy looks used and ready for the scrap pile, then you own it and most likely your toddler was thrilled with it.  I never said that toddlers were perfect!

By the way, don’t forget the classics like wooden toys for your toddlers.  We purchased a Thomas The Train wood train set for our son when he was about 3 years old.  At age 9 he is still playing with it!  His younger brother who was just 2 at the time had the time of his life knocking down everything that his older brother built.  Some of the best toys have also been around for hundreds of years. These toys have lasting power because they have universal appeal and will help introduce you kid to some foundational ideas.  As a young toddler, I always enjoyed building blocks are a great gift for any kid that’s at least one and a half years old.

Here are my suggestions for classic educational toys for toddlers:

Stacking rings.  A true old time favorite.  Six smooth rainbow-colored rings are stacked in any order and topped with a large red ball.

Magnetic Stacking Train.  Let ‘em build the train and take it apart all day!  Toddlers love the magnets.  It’s like magic for them.  Mix the blocks around and stack them in imaginative ways – feel the fun way that the magnetic pieces stick together or repel each other.

I could write all day about this subject.  I will end with this.  The most important addition to Christmas toys for toddler(a) is time spent with you.  Toys just seem more fun when a parent comes and watches.  Remember when you were young and you said “Mommy! Daddy!  Look at me!”?  The tables have turned.