Parenting Toddlers

It’s almost Christmas - if you go into any store, you’ll see Christmas products already on sale. Because of tough economic times, retailers are trotting out their Christmas merchandise early this year. This means you can scoop up some good deals. I read an article the other day that said if you’re looking for the best Christmas bargains possibly ever (in the history of capitalism ), wait until Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving. According to the article, stores will practically be giving away stuff in order to lure in shoppers. If you want a jumpstart or at least some ideas before then, Esquire has compiled a list of the 30 Hottest Toys for the season. The list has toys for babies on up. There’s a range of products, from learning video games (the Fisher-Price Smart Cycle pictured above is a video game/exercise bike in one) to Mr. Potato Head. And even books. Don’t overlook books as Christmas presents. I’m guessing that out of all the toys you could get your toddler, books would be among the most well-used and long-lasting.

Anyway, here is a link for that list. 30 Hottest Toys. Some of my favorites from the list include:

The 24-piece Disney Dress Up Trunk. This comes with a sturdy trunk and all the accessories needed to dress up like Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, or Cinderella. It’s about $40. I am definately on the cheap side, so if you like this idea, you can get a box and buy some cheapo princess stuff at the dollar store (nothing but the best for my kids, huh?). But all in all, $40 isn’t bad for a sturdy box and some fun dress up stuff. If your little child is a princess at heart, she’ll love this.

Struwwelpeter, by Heinrich Hoffmann. This is a 160 year old German book that uses great language to scare the heck out of your children! Just kidding, sort of. In the tradition of old school nursery rhymes, this book tells about the terrible consequences faced by naughty children. Your children will love the silliness of this book - I know Peanut would love it. The book can be found online for as little as $7. There are ten stories (click on the link to get a little rundown of each). Remember the time period when these stories were written and take them with a grain of salt (for instance, in “Die Geschichte vom Daumenlutscher” (The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb), a mother warns her son not to suck his thumbs. However, when she goes out of the house he resumes his thumb sucking, until a roving tailor appears and cuts off his thumbs with giant scissors. ) Wow. It’s absurd and exaggerated, which kids will find funny. I probably would too!

The Fisher Price Smart Cycle. This is something that is kind of cool if you want to spend some more money. The Smart Cycle allows your child to indulge in video games but keeps him active at the same time. He pedals his way through learning activities. According to the manufacturer, it teaches:
upper & lowercase letters
numbers & counting
spelling
problem-solving
shapes
matching
creativity
spatial reasoning
motor skills & lots more!
All while your child gets some exercise. It can be hard, especially for those of us who live in a winter wonderland where it’s too cold to go outside for long periods of time, to get enough exercise. This takes care of that. The Smart Cycle is $100.

I haven’t decided what to get Peanut for Christmas. Our Little Guy will probably get the next size up clothes - he doesn’t need much at his age! I think I may get her some Melissa and Doug crafty stuff or an art kit. She has so much stuff - I just want to get her something that she can use and enjoy and that won’t take up space in her room as she ignores it.

What are you getting for your children for Christmas? Are you cutting back on toys and gifts this year? Typically, people cut back on adult gifts but still go all out for toys. Are you planning on having Santa hit your house with a huge bag of goodies?