Seasoned Mom Top Christmas Gifts Toddler- Young Kids

Hey Everyone! I'm am all about buying meaningful gifts for the special people in my life. I am also about simpifying, buying less, being thankful and not litterally buying into the American culture of excess. Living where I live, and knowing the people I know, it is impossible not to change my mindset about how I have thought and spent my money in the past at Christmastime.

For me, I had two choices to make. One, turn a blind eye and forget the abject poverty around me. Then continue to spend in the same way. Decorations, new outfits, food, snacks, clothes, lights... the list goes on and on. I am so ashamed. All the things I thought were necessary for a happy Christmas...  The second choice was to simplify, buy meaningful gifts, do less. And most importantly, give more. My family needs nothing materially. Nothing. 

I'm not saying at all, that we are throwing the giving of Christmas gifts to our kids out entirely. But we are doing less for sure. I love blessing my kids. But it is now primary to Alex and I to teach our kids that a material Christmas is entirely contrary to a Jesus filled Christmas. 

Friday I will share one of the ways that we taught our kids to make Christmas about other people this year.  It was indescribably awesome!!!!!!!! So come back Friday. 

But for today, let me share with a few gift ideas that my kids loved and didn't just toss aside. I was huge into getting hints from the more experienced moms before me, and I hope that I can be that for some of you. Part of having a more Jesus filled, simplified Christmas is not throwing valuable money down the toilet. And that means gifts that will get thrown into a corner creating a mess a week after Christmas.

So without further ado, here are my kids top favorite gifts that they loved/still love:

Toddler Years: Hands down this gift. It was my kids favorite, and every single kid who visited my house.

Preschool Years:

Shopping Cart. Hours upon hours of fun. They loved using the real (non persishable) food from the kitchen. Kids are all about imitation, and Melissa And Doug is such a quality made product.



And puzzles, lots and lots of puzzles.



Young Children:
Books, books and more books. I could have made this entire post about books. But I held back. Literacy is so important to little ones. Please read to your kids! Here are my very, very favorites:

Any book in the "Fancy Nancy" series, hard back, paper back, they are all fantastic... magnifique!



And for the little boy in your life...



And for family reading... Henry Huggins series and Ramona Quimby. This boxed set is an incredible value.




I'll be back with Older Kids another day soon!!!  I hope these ideas help.