When it comes to kids, Christmas can be a present minefield filled with questions like: What do they like? What do their parents like? What’s age appropriate? What’s enriching and not just adding another thing to the house? What do I like? (Because after all, gifts are just as much about the act of giving as they are receiving.)
As an aunty to many nieces and nephews, it’s safe to say I’m well versed in the art of gifts for kids. Except this year, there’s another person to buy for: my two-year-old baby niece, Willow. And when it comes to Christmas for the cute, newer little munchkins of the family, you want to make sure you choose a gift that they will love but not outgrow too fast.
You also want the parents to feel as though they have a gift that'll keep both them and their baby entertained, while making sure they're learning too. Aaaand it doesn't hurt if you score some aunty points in there as well... right?
This year, I've raided the Fisher-Price range for inspiration. I've found toys that make me wish I myself was a kid again, because I can only just imagine how much fun my sisters and I would've had with these goodies at Willow's age.
Willow road-tested the toys - an early Christmas present if there ever was one - so I could help other gift givers in my position select toys that kids (and their parents) actually want. Let's go:
Fisher-Price's Stride To Ride Lion.
Now just like I don't like to say I have a favourite niece or nephew, I don't like to say I have a favourite toy to give as a gift. But wow, the Fisher-Price Stride To Ride Lion makes that really difficult because this is the toy of my childhood dreams. There's something about a set of wheels that was just so exciting as a child. And you can just see the smile spread across Willow's face as soon as she had a go on it.
If you're buying for nieces and nephews around the same age in the same family, namely between nine and 36 months, this is the ideal gift because they can all enjoy it together. It's a good one for the parents to get involved in too as you can push them around the yard, create your own little games using the numbers and balls on the lion's face and let your kids' imaginations run wild.
Fisher-Price's Beat Bo Junior and Beat Bo DLX.
When we turned the Fisher-Price Beat Bo Junior and Beat Bo DXL on, Willow couldn't help but bop along with their catchy tunes. She instantly began carrying the Beat Bo Junior with her everywhere she went and was equally mesmerised by the way the Beat Bo DXL turned and boogied along with her. The two sizes are great for both the home or on the go play.
Willow's mum, Amanda, even remarked that this is the quietest she'd seen her daughter in a long time because she was so enthralled by the two versions of the Beat Bo. Winning. These two toys from the Fisher-Price range are also great for encouraging your little ones to learn the basics of colours, counting and the alphabet in a fun and interactive way.
Fisher-Price's Zoom 'n Crawl Monster.
If you're up for some laughs, there's no toy that creates them like the Fisher-Price Zoom 'n Crawl Monster. Even as an adult I had a ball (literally) with Willow as we popped the fun multicoloured spheres in the mouth of the Zoom 'n Crawl Monster and it spun around and spat them in all different directions for us to chase.
The silly phrases and fun songs the Zoom 'n Crawl Monster plays only adds to the fun and it's the sort of toy that'll grow with your child with the options to sit and play as well as the ability to chase as it zooms around the house. It's a great transitional toy as your child moves through the crawling stage so they're sure to enjoy it for a long time to come.
So whether your little one is a mover and grover, wild child or forever playful, you're sure to find the perfect toy to keep them well and truly entertained so the folks can catch a break. And there truly can't be a better Christmas gift than that.
What toys are on your shopping list for this silly season? Shhh, we won't tell Santa...
This content was created with thanks to our brand partner Fisher-Price™.
Top Comments
Books, books, books - I have a 16 month old and she LOVES her books. We started reading to her when she was still in our arms, and she will sit down in front of her bookshelf now at 16 months and flip through them all. Toys are great too, but what child doesn't have heaps of toys?
I'm a parent of a baby and for him, the best four gifts I can think of are:
1// Books. Buy the kid books. No more bright plastic crap - we have what we need, trust me.
2// Wrist rattles (from Target) are alright, and it's good to have at least 2 of those.
3// Wooden toys: blocks, stacking rings, pull-along animal, activity cube etc.
4// Baby Bunting voucher.