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My kids tend to hijack toy catalogs as they come in the mail this time of year and after they are done with them, I flip through the pages and the anxiety grows and grows as I see many items are circled and realize that every year their tastes are getting more and more expensive. Here are a few products I would recommend.
1. GIVE THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY: Crafty Bands
My daughter is so crafty and creative. Craft kits are some of her all-time favorite gifts so when I heard about Crafty Bands by Epiphany Crafts, I knew she would instantly fall in love with them! Designed for children 8 and older, the Crafty Bands kit allows your little one the opportunity to create custom charm jewelry for or with their friends. The kit includes an innovative Shape Studio Tool that allows your child to create fun and colorful bracelets with personalized charms from photos, magazines, and more. The starter kit includes all the materials needed to make four (4) complete charm bracelets.
She was 7 years old and when we received the kit and she was able to easily use the kit with minimal help. She could shape the pictures and adhere them to each charm with no difficulty. Once the charm was snapped on, it was really difficult to remove (which is a good thing because there is no way the charms will fall off unintentionally). I loved all the bright colors which really appealed to Bella. The look on her friends' faces when she presented them with the "BFF" bracelets was priceless and the parents were just about as thrilled as their daughters! Read my full review here.
Buy it here: You can purchase the Crafty Bands starter set from Amazon, Paper Wishes, and HearthSong.
2. GIVE THE GIFT OF A RETRO TOY WITH A MODERN TWIST: Hello Kitty Large Doll
When I was a little girl, Hello Kitty was one of my very favorite characters and I was so pleased when my favorite feline made a comeback. For the first time ever, Hello Kitty is being offered as a fully articulated large doll that girls can truly play with - the doll can sit, stand, turn her head, and can be placed into various fun poses. The Hello Kitty Dolls are also dressable, with removable fashions. The Large Doll is available as a Princess, Dancer, Best Friend, and Pop Star.
We received the Pop Star to review which is perfect for my little diva of a daughter. I liked how the doll has a modern twist with the rock star look and Hello Kitty was thankfully appropriately dressed for a little girl to play with (I have been increasingly shocked with toy outfits as my daughter gets older). My daughter really loved the bright fashion and that she could pose her, further enhancing her imaginative play. Although the doll was designed for 4-6 year-olds, she still loves it as an 8-year old! Now she is eyeing the Large Doll accessories and I don't mind because these dolls and the accessories are more affordable than most other items on her Christmas wish list!
Buy it here: The Hello Kitty Large Doll retails for $24.99 and can be purchased from toy stores, mass merchants, and Amazon
.3. GIVE THE GIFT OF A GOOD READ: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck
My son does not enjoy reading. Getting him excited about the dentist is probably more likely than getting him excited about reading. However, the kid loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. We really thought the series was done so we were really pleased to see a new edition (Hard Luck) released in time for the holidays.
From Amazon:
Greg Heffley's on a losing streak. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is proving to be a tough task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of the dice turn things around, or is Greg's life destined to be just another hard-luck story?
Although I have not read this one yet, I did get it for my son for Christmas. These books are a really entertaining read. He started reading them in 2nd grade and still enjoys them as a 5th grader! If your child has not started reading the series yet, then now is the time to start their collection!Buy it here: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck retails for $13.99 for the hardcover edition. It is available at a discounted rate from Amazon
.4. GIVE THE GIFT OF INTERACTIVE FUN: Phineas & Ferb Quest for Cool Stuff Video Game
Based on the top-rated Emmy Award-winning hit series, Phineas and Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff is available for the Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS. Join these adorable characters as they travel to out-of-this-world places in their newest invention, the A.T.T. (All-Terrain Transformatron). The amphibious ride helps the boys hunt for lost loot to display in their backyard Museum of Cool. Included in the game are popular characters from the series to include Dr. Doofenshmirtz who is determined to unleash his latest creation, the "get-rid-of-cool-stuff-inator" on the Tri-State Area.
The game has several modes of play so your child can play in a story mode or exploration mode. This is a really nice feature because my daughter prefers to play different challenges while my son and I like to spend our time exploring different levels. The graphics on the game are low-tech and it plays a little bit more similarly to different iPhone apps rather than a high tech video game. However, it did a good job of mimicking the series. It is, after all, a cartoon. My daughter is 8 and found the game to be entertaining. It is similar to other adventure games she has played in the past but it kept her engaged nonetheless. The best part of the game, from my perspective, is that it is rated "E" and promotes adventure and fun rather than violence! It would be a great gift for a youngster who enjoys the television series.
Buy it here: Phineas & Ferb: A Quest for Cool Stuff is available from a variety of retailers to include Amazon
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