2018 Holiday Gift Guide for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers

Over the Moon Parenting is happy to share our latest list of thoughtfully selected gift suggestions for young children from newborns through the preschool years. We have provided samples of toys and other gifts we love which are safe and appropriate for each range of development. You can find most of these toys, and so many more, at local toy store, The Toy Box in Hanover. We suggested gifts that will appeal to children over time, promote creative and open-ended play, and support developing skills. Please feel free to share this list with friends, grandparents, aunts, and uncles!

Newborn to 6 Months:

• • Rattles and Mouthing Toys such as Munch Mitt baby teething mitten, NogginStik Rattle Clutching Toy and Sophie Giraffe

• • Soft Blocks such as Earlyears Squeak n’ Stack blocks

• • Books/Cards with High Contrast Color such as Black & White, Usbourne- Baby’s First Touchy Feely and Wee Gallery Art Cards

• • Tummy Time Helpers such as Earlyears My First Water Mat and Sassy Floor Mirror

• Easy Grasp Ball such as Skip Hop Roll Around Toy or Eebo Noisy Ball

6 to 12 Months:

• • Rattles and Mouthing Toys such as Haba Clutching Toy Magica and Green Toys My First Keys

• • Stacking Play such as Tobbles Neo, Manhattan Toy Brilliant Bear Magnetic Stacker and soft blocks listed above

• • Fine Motor and Cognitive Toys such as Kid-O Activity Board, Fat Brain Toys Dimpl and Melissa & Doug Jumbo Knob Puzzles

• • Sensory Balls such as Edushape Sensory Balls

• • Puppets such as Folkmanis Puppets and Haba Musical Elephant Puppet

• • Active Play such as ball pit with balls from Lakeshore Learning and Peek-A-Boo Tunnel by Schylling Toys

• Early Creative Play such as WeeCanToo veggie and fruit paint with roll of paper

1 to 2 years:

• • Cause and Effect Toys such as Early Melodies Pound and Tap Bench, Mini Spinny Clutching Toy, and Push and Go Inchworm

• • Stacking Toys such as Haba Stack and Learn Blocks, Djeco Topanifarm (Nesting/Stacking Boxes) , Green Toys Block Set and all those mentioned above

• • Chunky Puzzles and Shape Sorters such as Djeco Felt and Wood Puzzles, Melissa & Doug Take Along Shape Sorter and Green Toys My First Shape Sorter

• • Musical Instruments such as Hohner instruments and Remo drums

• • First Pretend Play such as Kidoozie Snug and Hug Baby Doll and Corolle Bath Baby Doll

• • Active Play such as Radio Flyer Classic Walking Wagon, Brio Pull Toys and Pewi Y-Bike Walking Buddy

• Creative Play such as Crayola Pip Squeak Markers and Jumbo Crayola crayons with a roll of paper

2 to 3 years:

• • Dramatic/Open-Ended Play such as train table, play kitchen and accessories like Hape’s My Coffee Machine and Melissa & Doug Ice Cream Counter, road/town rug with vehicles, doctor kit like Learning Resources Doctor Set, baby dolls like Corolle, Melissa & Doug Dress-Up sets

• • Building Toys such as Smart Max sets, Melissa & Doug Wooden Unit Block set, Lego Duplo Block sets

• • Puzzles such as Melissa & Doug Beginner Pattern Blocks, Djeco Puzzles Duos, Melissa & Doug Chunky Jigsaw Puzzles

• • Creative Play such as an easel and chubby paint brushes with non-toxic washable paints and a smock, large stickers like Melissa & Doug Sticker Collection books, Do-A-Dot Markers

• Indoor Active Play such as small round trampoline with handle, Rody Toy, Whirlee Ride-On, Bilibo toy

3 & 4 years (and beyond):

• • Dramatic/Open-Ended Play such as everything mentioned above plus animal and dinosaur figurines like those from Collecta by Briar or Schleich

• • Puzzles and Problem-Solving Toys such as Ravensburger 24 or 48-piece floor puzzles and Brio Take Along Labyrinth

• • Building and Manipulating Toys such as Magna-Tiles, Plus-Plus BIG Tube, Light Stax JUNIOR Classic and everything mentioned above

• • Creative Play such as Kwik Stix Solid Tempera Paint Sticks, beginner scissors such as Alex squeeze scissors or Crayola safety scissors

• Active Play such as Spooner Board, Micro Mini Deluxe Scooter, Ezyroller