With the holiday season just around the corner, you’re probably already preparing your child’s wishlist to share with family and friends. There are so many toys on the market these days, and it can seem daunting to decipher which toys will keep your child engaged for more than just a month or two after the holiday season ends. When compiling a wishlist, I try to keep a few key factors in mind:

• Educational value: most toys are just for fun, but it can’t hurt to have a few to help your child learn something, too!
• Longevity: is it durable, and does it cover a wide enough age range to last at least through the next year?
• Versatility: can it be enjoyed in a variety of ways?
• Cost: I try to ensure that our wishlist includes toys ranging from small stocking stuffers to bigger splurges to fit all budgets.

With these factors in mind, I’ve created a list of toys that will surely please all the little ones on your nice list this holiday season!

Whether your baby is 6 months or 16 months, they will LOVE this Fisher-Price Linkimals Cool Beats Penguin Musical Toy. My son got this little guy for his first Christmas when he was around 4 months old and it was his favorite toy for at least the next year! Not only do they light up and play super catchy songs, but the really cool thing about Linkimals is that they connect with other toys in the Linkimals line. You can have a whole little squad of singing and dancing friends that your child will adore.

With the toys our kids get every holiday season, I like to make sure we also include items on our wishlist with an educational element. The Learning Friends 100 Words Book is an excellent choice for children who are just learning to talk. Simply touch a picture, and you can learn the name of the word and a fun fact in both English and Spanish! If your child likes this book, there are other options you can purchase, too, such as the 100 Animals Book and the 100 Things That Go Book. These books are perfect for entertaining kids during long car rides and flights.

Our son has always liked going for walks around our neighborhood, but never loved sitting in the stroller for too long. The Step2 Whisper Ride Cruiser made our walks even more fun. It gave him much more freedom to explore than the stroller ever allowed. There’s a storage spot for snacks and toys, a fun horn to honk, 2 cup holders, and a seatbelt to keep kids safe. The push handle even folds down so you can easily bring the cruiser to the park or a friend’s!

Most kids love anything that makes noise. The Baby Einstein Hape Magic Touch Piano is a fantastic way to introduce your little one to the joys of playing an instrument in a way they can understand. It comes with 3 different sheets of music and the ability to learn 6 different songs by matching the color-coded notes on the sheets to the keys on the piano. 

The VTech Pop-a-Balls Push & Pop Bulldozer is a wonderful gift for new walkers this holiday season. The chunky handle is easy to hold as they push the bulldozer across the floor and watch balls pop out of the chimney and into the bucket. They can press buttons to hear fun music and learn colors and numbers too!

For his second Christmas, our son was given this Montessori Shape Peg Puzzle and he was absolutely thrilled. He’s always had an obsession with shapes and colors, so this was the perfect gift for him. The big knobs make it easy for little hands to grab onto the pieces, and the bright colors are engaging. This puzzle is an excellent tool for improving motor skills and hand-eye coordination. 

A new bath toy is always at the top of our holiday wishlist. For kids under 2, look no further than the LEGO DUPLO Floating Animal Train. Introduce your child to the fascinating world of LEGO with this simple and super fun bath toy. Toddlers put two bricks together to build each animal and then watch them float around the tub on colorful connecting rings. The rings easily snap apart when bathtime is over to ensure the toys stay clean and mold free.

If you’re shopping for a baby this holiday season, these Infant Rattle Socks make a great gift! We got these for my son’s first Christmas when he was around four months old, and they actually helped him learn to roll over for the first time! 

Little People and Hot Wheels joined forces to bring the best of the Hot Wheels world to the littlest hands this holiday season. The Little People Hot Wheels Spiral Speedway is a toddler-friendly stunt racecar track playset with four tracks and 2 Wheelies vehicles. Unlike traditional Hot Wheels, the Wheelies vehicles have no small parts and are safe for kids still in the “mouthing” stage. 

These Munchkin Learn Bath Letters and Numbers make a great stocking stuffer. Made of soft, non-toxic foam, toddlers can stick these numbers and letters to the side of the tub and easily learn colors, numbers, letters, and eventually words! A simple gift that provides years of educational fun. 

If you or the little one you’re shopping for lives in a warm state most of the year, another family favorite this holiday season is the Step2 Rain Showers Splash Pond Water Table. We knew we wanted to get our son a water table, and after a lot of browsing and comparing, we landed on this one. It has so many engaging elements; from the waterfall on the top tier to the flinging frog toy on the bottom level, your child will find a new way to play each time they use it! Plus, it’s an excellent way for them to engage in water play during the months when it’s still a little too cold for the beach or the pool. 

Enjoy the Holiday Season

We’re sure that the most fun gift this holiday season will be the one you receive, watching your child’s wonder and awe at all the holidays have to offer. Enjoy the family traditions–cookie decorating, building a fire, decorating the tree, going to see the lights–and embrace all the memorable moments along the way.

If you still need more gift-giving ideas this year, check out our GiveIt Blog. To make your life even simpler this holiday season, share this post with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and loved ones you usually create kid wishlists for. You may even consider creating a searchable wishlist for your child this holiday season. Trust us: everyone will be merrier because of it!