20 Days of Holiday Gift Ideas
For the next 20 days, we will share 1 favorite toy and/or book. All promote development.
The first recommendation starts on Sunday, December 1st. Make sure to follow us so you don’t miss any.
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This is one of my favorite toy sets to give as a gift. Simple yet long-lasting. These can be used as toys with infants and toddlers and are great for all areas of development!
Charla Tabet, Infant Development Specialist.
One of my favorite board books! Extremely versatile to elicit language for little ones and toddlers. You can name and describe a variety of animals and vehicles while having fun with early developing sounds. Great to pair with toy animals and vehicles to bring the story to life and encourage imaginative play during the preschool years.
Gaby Garcia, Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist & co-founder Kids Yoga Flow
Farm animals and farm! You can use these to teach a variety of concepts: animal sounds, vocabulary, verbs, following directions, turn-taking, and much more.
Vanessa Perez, Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist
Balance bikes are a fun way for kids to learn how to control their bodies in space. The best part is that after they master the balance bike, they usually just hop on a traditional bike and go.
Jenny Analuisa, Pediatric Physical Therapist
Favorite toy! Great for practicing grasp and release, index finger isolation, mouthing, inserting shapes for visual motor and so much more.
Prabha Patel, Licensed Occupational Therapist.
No matter what age, bubbles are always a fun way to engage your little one and laugh together.
Lourdes Villavicencio, Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist.
Board games are great because they bring the family together and are also a fun way to teach your children important social skills such as turn-taking, sportsmanship, and collaboration. Some of my favorite games include Silly Street, Quik Cups, and any games by Peaceable Kingdom such as Race to the Treasure, Stack Up, Dinosaur Escape, Hoot Owl Hoot, and Snug as a Bug in a Rug.
Gigi Arriete, Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
More than a children’s book, Lion Heart Goes to School is a tool for parents to help their kids transition into school. It comes with a lion heart token, to remind kids of their bravery and give them comfort. This is known as a transitional object, which is considered by psychologists to be an effective defense against separation anxiety.
Caro Mejía, Author & Journalist
Simple block shapes are ideal for extended child-directed play. It’s always best not to show kids how we’d build towers and structures so that they are encouraged to focus on experimenting and discovering for themselves. Children might use the pieces to form lines, trails or tracks or combine them in a multitude of ways with other toys and objects. The possibilities are endless.
Sandra Hallman, Infant Developmental Specialist
In My Heart – a book of feelings by Jo Witek. I love this book and all of them in the series because it encourages both parents and kids to develop names for everyday feelings. A lot of times, kids are crying or struggling because they can’t express themselves and they feel overwhelmed by their emotions. This book talks about our common emotions and acts as a safe space to discuss them with our children setting up their emotional intelligence for life!
Julie Fernandes, Licensed Occupational Therapist
I love this activity board because children can explore different activities while working on problems solving skills, gross & fine motor skills and much more. It’s the perfect home-made gift for that handy dandies and can de be made out of anything found around the house.
Enia Alberto, BCBA & Program Manager at AEIOU Foundation.
I love this idea, however, for those not comfortable with a drill, I’ve linked a few other options readily available to buy.
These variety of animal ball poppers are great for learning cause and effect, turn-taking, joint attention, following simple directions, imitation skills and much more.
Yamiris Diaz, Bilingual Speech-Langauge Pathologist
The vet clinic is a great toy to promote pretend play and turn-taking, identifying colors and animals, and following simple directions.
Nicole Temiño Pereira, Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist
Children love to role-play real-life scenes. A play kitchen invites them to create delicious recipes, practice fine motor skills, engage in conversation, and imagine they are master chefs. Further, colors, shapes, and literacy can be incorporated in endless opportunities of fun!
Alexandra Kagen, Assistant Head of School, La Piazza Academy
SpinAgain by Fat Brain is my new favorite toy! It’s great for eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills but overall it’s just a ton of fun. Play with it upright, on its side, or turn it upside down and watch the star-shaped discs spin off the corkscrew pole!
Dr. Chandi Edmonds, Pediatric Physical Therapist & founder of Alpha Kids Shine.
