Every year we do a Readers’ Favorites Gift Guide along with this one and this year you can check it out as well as add your two cents about each product on our Pinterest . That’s not all you can do if you have a toy or gift for a child that you ( and they) think is rad, educational and want to tell other parents about it just email me a link ( allie@notimeforflashcards.com) with the subject “Gift Guide” and I will add it to the board.  Here are my sugesstions based only on how much my kids play with them not on any sponsorship or relationship with the company.

Above you see my kids playing with the LeapFrog Tag Maps: World . This map is amazing we all had fun finding places and of course trying to beat each other at the Map Racer game. I think my husband and I had as much fun playing with it after my son went to bed  as he did. My son isn’t a huge fan of Tag books but he loves the maps there is also a USA one although I am partial to this one that lets him explore the whole world!  

This year was the year of Playmobil Playmobilat our house from an ambulance to a catapult we dove head first into this german toys with glee. My son loves these toys, they fufill a need for pretend play and give kids great fine motor practice with all those teeny tiny pieces. However there are all those teeny tiny pieces so you may want to invest in some containers to contain them all. In truth my son’s favorite playmobil thing he has is the catalog but after that I would say the
Police Car gets the most action.

For my daughter nothing beat out this book  Everywhere Babies.  She got it for her 1st birthday in June and we have read it probably 10 times a day since. I am ready for a new book for her to love but she is still happily reading this one over and over again. You can read my rave review here.

These Star Wars Lenticular Playing Cards gets used daily. My son ( and the rest of the family) loves to play Go Fish  and beats pretty much everyone every time. We think he is using “The Force” to pick the matching cards from the pond. Card games are great ways to work on memory, math and logical thinking skills. It may also encourage a little trash talking if you have competitive people in your house. Still nothing beats turning off all electronic entertainment and playing a game as a family.

Another of my daughter’s favorites is this Melissa & Doug Shopping Cart. We use it to play grocery store but she also just pushes her baby around in it happily putting whatever she finds in the basket. One feature I absolutely love about this cart is that if  perhaps a 4 year old gets in the basket there are breaks that push down and the cart won’t budge.

The last new addition to our gift guide is the Step2 Push Around Buggy  - we call this the “Beep Beep” and my daughter took to it like a future Danica Patrick! She loves this thing and it’s surprising how well it pushes not just on grass or pavement but I can even drive it over our gravel driveway. I like how I can pop her in it while picking apples in our front yard , she loves sitting in it and I know she is safe. 

Below are the toys from our 2009 and 2010 Gift Guides. Many of these toys are still being used daily by one if not both of my kids!

Little Tikes Spray and Rescue Fire Truck This fire truck has been a huge hit at our house. We bought it for my son as a “Big Brother” gift and it kept him happy and busy while I attended to his newborn sister in the warm days of summer. We worried that it would maybe be too young for him but he happily drove it all over the patio, spraying pretend fires all summer.

LEGO Duplo My son got Duplo for Christmas last year and it’s been played with daily since. Right now we have a police station and train station in the middle of our family room but have built every sort of building and even used them for math lessons. When we were little duplo was a “baby toy” but now with the different sets they have it really does extend past toddlerhood and if like us you have a younger child that you are uncomfortable having little classic Lego around these are a great choice.

Fisher-Price Medical Kit How many of us had this as a kid? Mine was in a little beige briefcase. My son came to me to every single OB appointment during my pregnancy and this kit got used almost every time we got home as he played doctor. Now he plays pediatrician, veterinarian and detective ( not sure what he uses the blood pressure cuff for as a detective…) with it! I love the practicality of making children familiar with medical appointments and of course the promotion of pretend play.

Lamaze Buzz the Bug Play & Grow My baby girl is 4 months as I write this and is nuts for this toy. It has a multitude of textures, sounds ( she loves the crinkle sound), and hard rings to grasp and bite! It has a hook to attach to straps and I appreciate it’s big enough to attach to my Ergo strap too!

Educo My Creative Cookery Club I love this kitchen, and so does my son. It’s not too big, but it has all the essentials for a play kitchen , oven, sink and burners. It also comes with utensils , pots and my son’s favorites , the salt and pepper shakers. I love that it uses gender neutral colors and it was a cinch to put together even late on Christmas Eve! 2 and up.

Melissa & Doug Food Groups This food set is a perfect match for the kitchen but even if you don’t have a play kitchen , learning about the food groups is essential when you are teaching about nutrition. We use these to play grocery store, restaurant and my son’s favorite “Starbucks” . We have had these for a year and they are sturdy and although the age range is 3 and up, there are no small parts and great for a family with a range of ages. Also the crates the food comes in have been a huge hit here as well, they get used with blocks to make cities and ferry boats. 2 and up.

Wader Quality Toys: Garbage Truck My son is into a lot of things, music, cars but his number one love is garbage trucks. We own 15 garbage truck toys of various sizes and this is by far his favorite. What I like about it is that it makes no sound, the cans it comes with slide into the dumper which requires some patience and fine motor control, and the truck is made in Germany which eases my mind. My son plays with this all the time. We cut up junk mail into garbage , grab a place mat and make a “dump” a lot. 2 and up.

* A similar item ” Melissa and Doug Pound a Peg ” was recalled in Canada- Link to recall I thought it was this when a reader pointed out that there were two different toys. So yay no recall on this !

Hammer Bench My son is lucky in that many of his toys were “tested” by students in my classrooms for years before he was born. I knew which were hits and which were duds . I’ll be out of luck when he goes to school but this toy was a huge hit in my classroom of 2-3 year olds a few years ago and has been a favorite of my son’s since he was 1 ! A great , colorful option for toddlers. 1 and up .

Fisher-Price Little People Build ‘n Fun Farm I have a soft spot for Little People, I think that they promote imaginative play, heck I remember the elaborate stories I made up in my bedroom with my Little People. I chose this toy though because it comes with interlocking blocks and a base to build on. These blocks are easier to click together and take apart than Duplo ( which I love for preschoolers) so they are perfect for young toddlers. My son has been playing with these happily for over 2 years. 1 and up.

Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube I know I said no batteries for the reader gift guide but this toy is one exception. Like the hammer bench this was a toy I saw tested by many children when I worked as a director of a childcare center. The babies loved this and so did my son . He played with this as an infant more than anything else, well about as much as he played with Sophie( see below). It lights up and plays individual instruments when the side buttons are pushed as well as all together. It’s not obnoxious and the music is really pretty so even when you hear it 3 or 500 times a day it won’t make you want to throw it into your neighbors back yard. Newborn – 2 year old.

Sophie the Giraffe Teether I found out about Sophie from a mom of a student when I was pregnant with my son. She insisted I get it . Now I am insisting you get it! My son loved it, not just for teething but as an easy take anywhere toy. So if you have a newborn- 1 year old to shop for this is a great option. Newborn – 18 months.

My final selection for 2009 is this Colorfelts Play Boards – The Very Hungry Caterpillar I love books and this is my favorite and this felt board has been the perfect companion for the story. We used to read the book and play along with the felt , but now that my son is older and knows the story as well as I do we simply act out the book on the board. It’s a fantastic , easy , unplugged toy! 2 and up.

You don’t want to miss our readers’ favorites from 2009 and 2010  either so check them out !