I’ve been enjoying sharing with you some of my favorite gifts that I have given my kids and grandkids through the years- such as the types of toys I like to buy for my kids, our family’s favorite books to read together, and lots of dress-up costume ideas, too! I hope it’s helped you to get some ideas as you shop for those special people in your life!
But I’m having such fun I wanted to suggest a few more!
So, here are some of our top toy picks, based on gifts we bought for our own kids- trusted and true toys that last and encourage healthy-role play.
These toys and games have been (or still are!!) well-loved (and well-worn!) in the Boyer household and that we highly recommend! 🙂
Please note that this article may contain affiliate links. That means that if you buy something, I may earn a small commission.
Fisher-Price Noah’s Ark– ours is no longer with us, but it served many kids for many years. Super great for toddlers. The animals are just the right size for little hands to grasp.
Toys Girls Love:Â
Lee Middleton Dolls: This is a gift we gave to most of our girls at some point. They called them the “heavy baby” because they are life-sized and do get heavy to tote around. We gave each girl some of the clothes they wore as a baby for the doll to wear because they fit into 0-3 month size baby clothes. The family went together and gave one to Melody for her December birthday last year. This a especially a perfect gift idea if mommy is expecting a baby and your little one can have her baby to care for too. Baby sucks it’s thumb or a pacifier too. (you can follow the link to this doll at Amazon, but be aware they have others as well if you want a different color hair, etc.)
Melissa and Doug Jenna Doll: This is one of our favorites, if you want a smaller doll for a young toddler
Mommy and Me Stroller – We’ve had many doll strollers, and often they aren’t very well made and soon need to be repaired or replaced. Don’t think you’ll have that trouble with this one. A plus is that it is adjustable so that it lays flat or you can adjust to an angle. The wheels swivel so it’s easy to push. Comes with a little “carriage bag” too. And, best yet, it fits an 18″ doll!
Dollhouse: If you want to know what our very best ever investment was for 8 girls of our own and now 8 grand-daughters, here it is. (We actually have 3 of them as we had so many girls around the same age at a time and ours are older varieties). Hands-down, it’s been the FAVORITE toy for my girls and now using same ones for the grand-kids!  And of course, we have a huge container of doll house accessories for each room. We get together for family night every Friday night and it’s pretty safe to say, every time the doll houses will come out and provide lots of hours of fun. Check out the accessories, too.
- Loving Care Dollhouse Nursery Â
- Loving Family KitchenÂ
- Loving Deluxe Decor Kid’s Bedroom Â
- Loving Family- Everything for BabyÂ
- Loving Family BathroomÂ
- Loving Family- Parent’s Bedroom Â
Well, you get the point. They are always coming up with new rooms, outside furniture, etc. Like I said we have a big tub we’ve collected through the years. To tell the truth, I LOVE playing dollhouse with them! Great investment!!
For Both Boys and Girls:
- Radio Flyer Wagon-” Little Red Wagon” : We’ve had our little red wagon for years. Ours doesn’t have the wood on the sides, but it’s a great safety feature. Radio Flyer just goes and goes for years and years and kids and more kids! Love ours. One of the best outdoor toys we’ve invested in.
- Lincoln Logs:Â Our boys and girls got HOURS of fun constructing with Lincoln logs. Wait ’till you see the creativity of their play. And Lincoln logs never wear out!
- Lincoln Logs Redfield Ranch
- Lincoln Logs Little Prairie Farmhouse: set for little girls:
- Lincoln Logs Wrangler’s Ranch
Board Games: Kids young and old enjoy board games. It’s so much better to engage kids in a board game than to sit them in front of electronics. You actually are developing a relationship with them when playing games together.
Here are some fantastic games for young children:
- Candy Land– This is the very version of the game I played as a little girl and so glad to see it back! LOVE the pictures on the cards in this set. Just played it last night with my 4 year old grandaughter- FIVE times! I guess that says it all!
- Uncle Wiggly Board Game– This is a super great game for young children who are just learning counting. That’s really the only skill it takes to play. I remember playing it with my sister as a child and now my grandson James (age 6) and I play it when he comes over.
- Chutes and Ladders– another great game for younger children who are learning to count. Been a favorite in our home for years.
- Trouble– fun and easy to play. Dice is under the “bubble” so it can’t get lost.
- Guess Who?– This one goes to the beach every year with us. It’s a fun guessing game. Easy to understand. My daughter made her own “card” to go in the board with people from history on it just to change it up and make it more fun.
Board Games for ages 6 and up:
- The Game of Life– love this game and so did all my kids and grand kids. They always try to see who ends up with the most kids at the end of the game. (No one ever gets as many as I had!)
- Mouse Trap  – fun game you build upon as you go to end up “catching a mouse”
- Sorry– Â Â fun game. We wore our game out.
- Battleship– early game of learning strategy . Our boys especially loved this one.
- Risk– This one is great for ages 8- adult. Helps kids and adults think strategically.
- Catan– Ages 10 and up. Fun game. They have add on games to it as well. Our older kids love to get together every now and then for a game of Cataan.
- Constitution Quest Board Game:Â Love this one. What a great way to learn about the Constitution and it’s signers.
Other Ideas:
Amazon gift cards make great gifts suggestions for relatives to give to your kids. That way, for instance, if you get a Loving Care Dollhouse, your little girl can pick out what rooms of accessories she wants.
Amazon Kindle: I used to think I’d never use a Kindle. I like real books, but boy, was I wrong. Do you know how much more convenient it is when you’re going on a trip, flying on a plane, standing in line at the post office, etc, just to pull out your Kindle and all the books you want are right there instead of having to haul around weighty volumes. It sure saves space on your book shelves too. Sometimes you want a physical book to keep for years to come, but sometimes you want to read a title and you’re done with it. Kindle makes SO much sense. We are beginning to collect (and make available to you) old books written in the 1800’s – great old books. What an easy way to share them with you because we can’t afford to have them all reprinted. So consider getting a Kindle for Christmas this year or giving one to your kids!
Here’s a special deal on a Kindle made just for kids:
- Bundle Gift - February 16, 2023
- Valentine Brownies Heart Shaped - February 8, 2023
- Why Your Children Need Heroes - August 19, 2022
Thank you for the suggestions. Thank you for all the free downloads all year.
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.
Marilyn