Great Gifts
Gift inspiration for the upcoming holiday season:
Construction Site with Remote Control Crane
This construction site open and ready for constructive imaginative play! Get ready for hours and hours of fun. Boys and girls alike enjoy playing with this set and love the dump truck and cement truck accessories that are included with the crane. Plus, anything with a remote control is super cool! Although it looks top heavy it doesn’t easily tip over. Available at US Toy in Leawood and online at CPToy.com
Personalized Puzzles
Kids love puzzles. Kids love seeing their names on items. Combine those two and you have the perfect present! The “I See Me” puzzles are a terrific gift for the child who has mastered wooden puzzles and is ready for a challenge. I was impressed with how durable the pieces are—they can stand up to lots of use and abuse. The illustrations are so cute you’ll want to glue and hang them on your child’s wall, while your child will want to put it together again and again. In addition to puzzles, I See Me has personalized books, placemats, coloring books and even an iPad app. www. ISeeMe.com
Rainbow Loom
I have two girls. We do a lot of crafts, and we do lots of crafts that involve jewelry making. After a recent sleepover, the girls came home with bracelets made on the Rainbow Loom. We went out the next day and purchased our own. With cute designs that are easy to make, the Rainbow Loom is hours and hours of fun for everyone (Mom included!).
Discovery Builders
I like toys that teach kids. High quality, well made toys that encourage learning can be hard to find, though. The Discovery Builders from Lakeshore Learning have everything I love in a toy. They are well made, super fun and sneak in some creative learning. The sets allow for endless building and creating, as well as just plain old fun. Available at www.LakeshoreLearning.com, or visit the new Lakeshore store at 5670 Antioch Rd., in the Merriam Town Center.
Crayola Marker Maker
We own the Crayola Crayon Maker. To this day, my 9- and 12-year-olds continue to pull it out and make crayons. They can spend an afternoon creating all sorts of new colors. The Craoyla Marker Maker is just as cool and the perfect gift for any craft lover in your home. It offers hours of creative fun! A couple of things to note: To make the markers, ink needs to be poured. I would suggest a parent’s helping with this step. Also, once the markers that come with the set are made, a refill kit will need to be purchased to make more. www.Crayola.com
Polar Bear PJ Collection & Booties
Keep girls and dolls cozy from their heads to their toes with this PJ set, featuring matching girl and doll pajamas. Each outfit features a tunic top with lace trim, and leggings with wintry polar bear graphics. My younger loves both her American Girl Doll and lounging in her jammies, so this makes a perfect gift! Store.AmericanGirl.com
For Older Kids and Parents
Keurig Brewer
Don’t drink coffee? Don’t worry! You’ll want to have a Keurig Brewer in your home regardless of whether you are a coffee drinker or not. It makes the perfect morning cup of Joe, but also makes a great afternoon glass of lemonade, energy drink, hot tea, apple cider and so much more! The possibilities are just about endless! From a space saving Mini Plus to the ultimate Platinum Brewer, there’s a Keruig Brewer that’s a perfect fit for your home. www.Keurig.com