Tips and Tricks

Christmas Gift ideas for Children

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tips + tricks, Christmas gift ideas, toys, wooden toys

It’s only 36 days before Christmas and I bet a lot of mums out there are now making their lists and doing their preliminary Christmas shopping. After all, it is better to have prepared in advance rather than to cram when all the shopping malls are packed with people and our planners teeming with holiday activities, right?  I must admit I am one of those people who leave Christmas shopping up to the last minute. I enjoy the adrenaline rush and the all the excitement that goes along with that. But it has drastically changed when I became a mum. It was nearly impossible to tag the little one along in a jam-packed mall during the Christmas season as I find it really stressful. Can you imagine chasing after a 3-year old in a place full of people? I’d definitely skip going to public areas during holidays to prevent all that stress from building up in me!

Anyway, even though I’d skip on those binges this Holiday it does not mean that I will forget about gift giving. In fact, this early am now checking out online shops for possible gift ideas for friends, as well as gift ideas for my family and my godchildren. I have not seen a lot of shops online, but here are a few of the things that I think I’d get for my Christmas list:

  • Wooden alphabet block for my god children ~ educational toys are really my favorite gifts to give and to buy for my little man, too, they are earth-friendly, practical and kid-safe, not to mention really sturdy, as well, so I am thinking of getting this one from ColorKiddo for my little inaanak {godchild}
  • Books ~ books are my absolute favorite so it is no wonder that I also love to give this as gifts. I am thinking of getting my little man another Dr. Seuss book for Christmas as well as buying my niece and nephew story and activity books
  • Clothes ~ it can be quite tricky to check for sizes, but clothes in my opinion are one of the most practical things to giveaway as gifts. In fact I am really thrilled whenever Jared received clothes since he can use it for a longer period of time. Ideally, clothes are perfect gift ideas for family members, close friends and those godchildren that you often see {since you are aware of their sizes or you can simply ask their parents about it.
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Products and Brands, Reviews

christmas gift ideas for children #4: shake, rattle + drum

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christmas gift ideas, children, musical instrument, music, toys, christmas

Christmas is finally upon us + I know a lot of us will be going out for a last minute shopping, even if it’s only a few more hours before Christmas Eve or even on Christmas Day itself. If you are hard up on brilliant ideas on what to give your little ones this Holiday season, you might want to check out this gift suggestion – the Shake, Rattle  + Drumtoy set!

christmas gift ideas, children, music, musical instrument, toyschristmas gift ideas, christmas, children, music, musical instrument, toys

Shake, Rattle + Drums is a perfect gift for your little Mozarts or Schubert. The set comes with a drum, 2 drum sticks, 2 mini-maracas, a tambourine stick + a castanet. It is a total package for your budding little musician-in-training.

christmas gift ideas, christmas, children, music, musical instruments, toys

What I love about this product:

  • It is perfect for kids 3 years + up {yup, my little one needs supervision whilst playing, but I don’t mind, I drum away with him while he does :D}
  • I love the size of each instrument which is just perfect for my son’s chubby little digits 🙂
  • Every instrument is made of wood + very durable that I know it will survive a couple of bangs + throws by the little man. I am expecting this toy will be around longer that most of the toys in my son’s toy bin.
  • The drum head is made from natural rawhide + it does make a very interesting + beautiful sound that got the little man, + probably the neighbors, interested
  • It conforms to international standards, including ASTM F 963-03 that I am certain it is safe to give to my little one to play with
  • It even comes with this parent-friendly activity guide that includes helpful suggestions + ideas on how to play with the set, encouraging the entire family to join in + promoting fun, bonding activity + learning {for the kiddos}

christmas gift ideas, children, music, musical instrument, toys, christmas

Shake, Rattle + Drums is a part of Sounds Like Fun music maker toys which are a “unique collection of of exploratory instruments designed to introduce young children to the benefits and joys of music making.” They are distributed by West Music, along with a host of other classroom instruments and an assortment of classroom music games.

Did you know that children who enjoy music at an early age are more likely to do better in school in the future? This is because music contributes to what the experts call a “rich sensory environment” that forge more pathways between the cells in your child’s brain. Thus, helping him develop his ability to learn in most areas, like reading + math. Music is not only a good learning tool for our children, it also helps them express themselves + develop their self-confidence.

So for this Christmas, give the gift of music + learning to our little ones 🙂

For more information about this product, please visit the West Music Website.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I was given this product for review purposes. However, opinions + views are 100% my own.

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Products and Brands, Reviews

christmas gift ideas for children #3: a day at activefun

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image from metrodeal.com

There is nothing the children would want more this Christmas {aside from loads of toys, I guess} than a whole day of playing + having fun! Playing builds their character as well as develop their motor + coordination skills. Apart from that, for bigger kids, mums can catch up on her me-time {by probably watching a movie, going to the bookstore to buy stocks for her crafts or postcard collecting hobby, or have a mani-pedi, too!} whilst her little ones play. So, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone really.

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