Green Treehouse

Pressed for affordable gift ideas for that little one in your life?  Here are 5 great gifts for tots: 

1.  Pony or Unicorn Stick.  Sure, playing with the broom is fun, but not nearly as much fun as the real thing.

2.  Bubbles.  What kid doesn’t love bubbles and bubble accessories, like a gigantic wand or bubble mower?

3.  Planes, trains, and automobiles!  Most little guys and gals alike love playing with pint-sized toy vehicles.  Mom and dad (and grandma, too), will appreciate the entertainment value–just pack a couple of vehicles in a diaper bag and pull out when needed to keep the little one occupied!

4.  Shape Sorters.  A classic, must-have gift.  Melissa & Doug makes terrific sorting toys.  Chicco and Sassy also make educational and fun sorters.

5.  Puppets.  Kids love puppet play, especially when they get to watch a show by Mom or Dad.  Finger puppets are a sure crowd pleaser!  

I’m nearly convinced that one of the best gifts for a toddler/pre-K aged-child is a train table–with trains and a bunch of accessories, of course!  My children (and the children of nearly every parent I know) are drawn to them whenever they spot one, such as at Barnes and Noble or at the pediatrician’s office.

While the floor or dining room table may seem like an okay place for train play, nothing quite beats a train table that is specifically designed to keep kids busy for hours by encouraging imaginary play, while also neatly containing train parts.  A separate play space for the kids is a nice perk of a train table—fewer train parts to step on around the house, fewer times asking (okay, let’s get real here, begging) your kids to “clean up” their toys.

A quality train table can last for years.  Even after your kids outgrow the table for train play, it can be used as a versatile storage table (most train table manufacturers offer deep storage drawers as an add on accessory) or as another surface for doing other activities, like school assignments or art—some parents elect to paint a table’s surface with chalkboard paint for extended use.

There are a number of popular train table manufacturers, including reasonably priced tables by KidKraft (which offers tables in a choice of color, complete with colorful and fun play surfaces).  BabyEarth.com offers free shipping on orders over $99—that makes giving a train table gift this holiday an even merrier idea.