Category: My Favorite Kids Toys

I run into this dilemma every birthday and holiday season for our good friends; what do I buy their kids when they have everything?  They aren’t necessarily spoiled the problem is that there are four of them ranging in age from ten to two, boys and girls.  Literally every Barbie and Thomas the train item has been bought, train tables and doll house too.  I am at a loss every year. I hate having to ask their mom and dad what the “it” thing is to have for the year I find myself struggling for ideas.

I would love to give each of them something they would remember forever.  Not something they will play with, toss aside and forget who it was from.   That is my mission for this coming year.  The mission will begin in May with a little guy turning eleven and end at Christmas.  This year I am going to work at getting it right, a unique, personalized gift for each of them.

My focus needs to begin with Ben.  Eleven is a tricky age but lots of fun.  His new adventures have been in playing hockey.  I think perhaps a gift is not the best option.  No matter what personalized kid toy I would purchase he is likely to look at it, toss it aside and never think about it again.  So an experience it is.  With his new found skill in hockey his balance has become amazing so I am thinking it might be fun to try out a skate park.  I am looking into a private lesson for him and my son and a day at the skate park practicing their new skills.  This option gets him moving, is something different and a day out with a friend.

Next comes the birthday of the two littlest girls.  The oldest will be turning five and the youngest will be turning three.  For them I can easily see two different scenarios; painting or baking/decorating.  There are a few local places that we can take the girls where they would be able to pick out a piece of pottery and design and decorate it however they please.  It is something they would personalize themselves and could have forever.  If we did the baking/decorating idea I was thinking I would let them choose a cake, cake pops or cookies to make.  Then we would spend the day making them and buying different items to decorate them with.  I even thought we could add in decorating little kid aprons or ordering them personalized aprons in their favorite colors with their nicknames on them. Fun!

Next is the hardest of the four, the soon to be eight year old.  She is a bit harder to please.  I thought last Christmas I did a super job when I picked out all types of items for her pretend class room. See she loves to play pretend school just like my daughter did.  One thing we were always missing was the fun things like tracing paper, dry erase boards and markers, new crayons, pretend detention slips and all that fun stuff.  I could tell when she opened it the gift was not a hit at all.  Back to the drawing board I went in my thinking of great gifts.  I think this year with her we would both enjoy a day out doing a manicure and/or pedicure for her.  Maybe a day spent at the mall getting her makeup done.  She recently had her ears pierced so I think it would be ultra fun for her to get to pick out a fancy pair of earring as well.

Getting through their birthdays is my first personal mission in getting personalized kids toys or experiences this year.  Next we will move on to the Christmas season.  I think at that point I will need to dig deep down, maybe tickets to a hand on museum or zoo for the entire lot of them.  Something fun, memorable and able to be enjoyed by everyone involved.  That is what every gift giver aspires for – right?

The days of simple gift giving are over for my oldest child.  She has moved on from playhouses, dolls and doll house to iPhones and iTunes.  This happens to all parents at one time or another.  What are parents to do when their babies out grow toy boxes and playhouse and move from dollhouse on to docking stations for every tech gadget known to man.  My suggestion is simple -STOP.

The beautiful little lady has blossomed into an incredible young lady who is in need of nothing and in desire of it all.  We have reached the point where we pack up the play area and store the kid kitchen and train table.  The play area is now being transformed into a study nook.  With this comes the days where Santa moves down the totem pole and the “but they have two cell phones and I don’t even have texting” starts.  With this is the need to simplify and explore options to help preteens and teens realize the world does not, has not and will never start revolving around their need to be like everyone else.

It has become a family tradition that around age eleven birthday gifts start to come to an end.  Don’t get me wrong it is still a huge deal that this is the day of her arrival however it is celebrated with her at the center.  No gifts center this holiday.  Time and togetherness however are very much present and accounted for.  She controls the mood of the event, invites people within the family she wants to spend time with and that is how the day proceeds.  Games are played, private conversations are carried on, food is eaten and time is shared.  Does the fact an iPhone has not been opened bother her?  Not one bit as in this moment her heart is filled with the maximum amount of affection one could ask for.

The same will be started this year at Christmas.  Our family will always believe in the spirit of Santa and so he will always visit bringing one most wanted present for each child.  This year a pillow pet is wished for by Bear and for Belle a game, Apples to Apples.  The main present we are choosing for our children is time.  Usually the holiday is a hustle of cramming events in followed by being beyond broke!  This year however we will take the entire week off both my spouse and I.  This is our gift to them.

It is an amazing feeling to see your child open a doll house on Christmas morning that they will play with every day until the day until they trade it in for make-up and tech gadgets.  Giving presents to children especially something personalized is and will always be a special treat.  When the magic of those presents teeters off and the greed starts to show itself, give them the one thing they crave more than anything…time.  It is one of the least expensive presents you can buy.

It is official Christmas is right around the corner.  Consumers are finally finished paying off last year and now they get to do it all over again.  This year with the children a theme is being picked and played off of from every member in the family.  The little lady wants a kitchen with lots of household accessories.  This is fabulous and a gift that everyone is anxious to add their personal touches too.

First is the main kitchen.  This has been so much fun in comparison to other personalized toys we have purchased in the past.  This one is actually specifically being built with her in mind.  Her kitchen is being built equipped with a kitchen island on wheels with space below to store food and cooking utensils.

The one thing extra special is that each piece is unique and does not come jammed all together in one tiny space.  The sink is its own separate unit.  It is neat because a port allows clean water to be pumped into it but then released into storage port.  This way she does not just have to pretend to “wash” the dishes.

The stove and oven combination are really cool also with knobs that turn and provide the click-click sound along with little lights that make the burners glow hot.  The oven has its own special light so that she will be able to watch the cookies as they bake just like on a real oven.  It is also super safe because the lights work on a timer and shut off automatically after an allotted time of not being played with all this without emitting any heat.

She is going to have fun redesigning her kitchen every day.  The dishwasher is pretty neat too.  The racks both pull out for easy stacking of the dishes.  It has all the neat features in the rack space like a larger dishwasher does.  There is a special space for silverware, glasses, bowls and plates.  This dishwasher she can load anyway she wants and no one will ever tell her there are too many dishes and they will never get clean.

The refrigerator is pretty cool too.  The one she will end up with has a little bit of fake frost in the freezer and has space in the doors for milk, condiments and all types of drawers for meat, fruit and cheese.  This kitchen space is going to be a hit.

The family loves to pull together personalized kids toys.  It is the neatest concept in mini kitchen design ever.  They are going to build and stain the kitchen cup boards with the same materials that were used in our kitchen and even are using laminate that resembles the granite in the big kitchen.

Family members have already been seeking out the latest mini kitchen gadgets for the space.  It is amazing the items that have been found.  A toaster that actually pops the toast, which is of course little slats of wood designed to look like bread.  Another cool personalized gift is the chef hat and apron that have been personalized with her name and made in her favorite color, purple.  A friend of ours found a blender that spins and a cool coffee maker with built in lights and gurgle sounds.

The baking pans, utensils, pots, plates and cups all look like shrunk divisions of the items within the home kitchen.  It is amazing the things that can be personalized to meet a child’s fantasy.  The mini microwave even has a little timer, dinger, light and spinning tray.  Defiantly makes a parent want to play.

My kids reminded me a few weeks ago that this was September and that Christmas was only THREE months away.  After I hyperventilated I realized I needed to get on the ball.  I am known for giving the best gifts and this year couldn’t be any different.  However, the economy has put a bit of a damper on our budget. This year I will need to get into creative mode to come up with some personalized kids toys and gifts that the kids will enjoy.

One of the biggest problems I have is staying within a reasonable price point for all of the children we love and want to be able to spoil.  It is easy to go overboard.  I want each gift to make the child feel special and thought of. This is difficult when they range in age from eight months to twelve years of age.

One idea I think is always a favorite is a personalized children’s story book.  This works for a lot of age groups.  You can use a child’s name and add features that resemble the child’s life.  Being center stage is what most little children want and what better way than with a story with them as the main character.  Whether it is a pink princess or soccer sports star the personalized children’s story will be sure to win them over.

Another idea that I have thought of is a shirt with their school and personalizing this by adding the last name on the back.  Our daughter is the perfect candidate for a present of this type.  Clothing for preteens is always a viable option and one they love especially school spirit items.  For little munchkins a personalized shirt with their favorite character and activity is fun.  Barbie playing soccer would be a sure favorite for my niece.

Personalized kids toys aren’t the only option for personalized gifts a gift basket filled with the child’s favorite things is fun too.  This is a terrific option for my niece, Anne Marie.  She loves teaching class and store.  For her I was thinking of hitting the dollar store and finding different types of work books, sales slips, pens, paper pads in different shapes and colors and adding it into one big tote.  This way she can keep all her goodies stored together safely and away from the hands of her two younger siblings.

Boys are a bit trickier for me.  This year I am really thinking I need to step out of the box to find presents for my nephews.  Nerf guns, video games, clothes have all been there done that status.  To come up with something personal for them I am going to really need to dig deep.  They are both huge Michigan State fans so something cool along this line would be fun.  Good thing the kids gave me warning this morning I have a bit of time to think about it.

This year I am hoping to be able to keep the Christmas budget in check and under five hundred dollars.  I am not sure how it will work out but am hoping to come up with some creative, fun personalized children’s toys, some fun preteen personalized gifts and for the adults maybe some homemade magic potion to drowned the sad feelings we have after all that spending.

When you first see the double lines show up on the pregnancy test you start to think about all the goods you need to support your new little being.  Toys, clothes, furniture, bottles, and all that stuff babies absolutely need to survive all runs through your head in that moment.  What expectant parents fail to realize is that really so long as the baby can eat and has a place to rest its head it will thrive with a parents love alone.  However, as indulgent parents we feel the need to purchase and store goods that we think baby might need as it grows.

That is where toy boxes come into the picture.  Toy boxes are really one of the best gifts a new parent can receive.  My father has made a toy box for each new arrival in our family and all of our friends.  We used ours from the day we received it before baby was born to now as they have grown out of the toy stage of life.  It started out storing the new purchases until babies arrival, then moved on to the storage of toys and it now is used as game storage plus a really nice coffee table for our sitting room.  My father is really great at making these personalized kids toys boxes. He adds little features that make them uniquely each individually perfect.

If you aren’t as lucky as we have been to have someone make our children a personalized kid’s toy box I recommend you look into ordering one right away.  It helps to keep all of baby’s things in place before their arrival and helps create a space for their extra things as they begin to accumulate and take over your home.  You will want to make sure you look for a quality personalized kid’s toy box.

What To Look For

• Safety: You really want to find a toy box that has a controlled hinge.  This will help ensure that no one gets their fingers shut in the box.  You will also want to make sure that the toy box does not lock latch.  Children love to sit in their special toy boxes and it would be incredibly dangerous if the box latched and locked them in.
• Practical verse Decorative:  Are you looking for a toy box that also combines as a book shelf for a child’s bedroom or are you looking for something that is strictly functional for toys in the main space where a child plays?  This will be a living room or area where mom and dad can keep an eye on them for quite awhile as they play.
• Material:  Are you looking for a personalized toy box that is made out of plastic or wood.  The benefit of wooden toy boxes is that they last forever and can be passed down as an heirloom.  Plastic ones however are less expensive, light weight and can easily be maneuvered by little ones.

Benefits Of The Toy Box

• Quick Cleanup:  Toy boxes are perfect places to throw toys in a jiffy.  Larger toys are easily stored for use later.  Smaller toys can be placed in bins that can then be stored inside the larger toy box so that little pieces don’t get lost at the bottom of the box.
• Easy Access:  Toys boxes are a great independent play parenting tool.  The toys inside are easily accessed and children can spend hours emptying and filling the box with their personal belongings.  Whether it is dress up clothes, teddy bears, match box cars or Lego’s kids can entertain themselves without needing to much parental interaction when toys are stored in toy boxes.

Drawbacks Of The Toy Box

• Broken Toys: If toys are thrown in to the toy box overtime the more fragile toys will eventually be broken.
• Forgotten Toys: Toys that are stashed at the bottom might become lost or forgotten about for the child.  Rotating toys in and out every few weeks will prevent this from happening and prevent toy boredom.
• Potential Mess:  Isn’t this why we have kids though.  Yes, toy boxes can solve and create the same problem.  Toys get thrown in and out of the toy box.  That is what having children is all about – hiding messes.

I love my friend’s kids.  They range in age from two up to ten.  They have every toy imaginable.  It is not that they are spoiled it is that there are four of them.  Gifts at Christmas and birthdays are getting more and more challenging each year.  Because they are so important to me I often go out of my way to let them know I took my time finding something they would enjoy.  One way I do this is by purchasing personalized gifts for them.

Personalized toys are so fun to buy especially for children who you love and don’t get to see as often as you want to.  It is nice to give them something that is tangible that will make them think of you every time they see it.  I want them to see that they are important enough in my life that I don’t just run and grab a gift card on the way to their party.  It is always fun to see their faces light up when something is so over the top cool and just for them.

One year my “niece”, I hope I am not the only one who calls my good friends kids niece and nephew, was really into glam.  She loved having her hair done, getting manicures and pedicures, the whole nine yards.  I went into the local craft store and bought a storage container and constructed a themed top just for her.  I used paper, glue, glitter and stickers to create a design that I knew she would love and that would match her room so that when it was stored it still looked pretty.

I went to the store and purchased all things glamorous.  We bought lip gloss, nail polish, polish remover, brushes and combs, hair ties, colored gel, bubbles, crayons for the tub and a big loofah.  This was going to be a little girls dream kit of all the things glam.

I took some paint pens I already had on hand and personalized her brush.  This was done by simply turning the brush to the flat side and putting her name on it in glitter pens.  For each of the bottles of nail polish and lip gloss I took plain stickers and cut them to the size needed to wrap around the bottles and then came up with jazzy names to call them such as purple popsicle and pink lollipop.  All things this little girl adores.  The red was my favorite lip gloss luxurious licorice.

I then decided the best way to wrap the gift was in cellophane so that all the colors could show through and I could adorn a huge curly ribbon on top for her to use in her hair at a later date.   Then I took some glitter glue and added all kinds of polka dots all over to match the colors inside.  When she opened her gift, a favorite among the personalized kid’s toys I have given she started to jump up and down.  She loved it!   Once again I had pulled it off.  I think the better of maybe an hour was taking up of time to pull it all together and it is a gift she will cherish and remember for ever because it was a personalized gift just for her.

Spring seems to be the season for birthday parties. We have five close birthdays within the months of May, June and July. I went to the store to find some presents and realized that nothing really stood out. Nothing was the type of personalized kid’s toys that I remember getting when I was younger. So I set to find something that could be played with outside that I could take home and personalize.

I found the cutest little watering cans that I knew my nieces would love. I bought them and took them home. I knew I wanted to get them swimsuits too so I went in and found two that I thought were adorable. When I got home I got out the paint and went to town designing the watering cans with the same design that was on each of the girl’s swimsuits. I know the girls are going to love their gifts.

Now I was on a mission to personalize toys for the other three birthday parties we have to go to. My niece who is turning two is a bit tricky for me. I decided that a step stool would be nice. This is the year of independence and she is going to be learning to potty train, help in the kitchen and start to want to reach her toys on her own. I purchased a sturdy wood stool from our local handyman. I happened to know that this is a special design he makes strictly for smaller children for sturdiness. It is perfect. It has two steps and is extremely stable and light enough for her to carry around on her own.

To personalize if I took the colors from her new big girl bed spread and started to paint it. As I was painting it I thought of all of the adventures she likes to have. Her parents are avid hikers so I made sure to include some girlie hiking boots. She loves to get her nails done so I painted her getting a manicure. I wanted to make sure it was something she could use as she got older so I decided not to paint cartoons and princess which she might like today but not tomorrow. I finished the project with several coats of gloss and added non slip tape to the steps and voila a beautiful personalized children’s birthday gift.

So as I was feeling creative to start I lost my mo-jo when it came to the last two parties we were to attend. I searched the web and found a website dedicated to selling personalized kid’s toys and accessories. My nephew that is in martial arts mentioned that he did not have a place to display his belts so I decided upon the KidKraft personalized martial arts belt holder. Complete with his name and the date he started martial arts on it. He is going to love it!

Last but not least was my best friend’s son. I have lost all motivation for buying birthday presents but knew I loved this personalized gift giving idea. I went back to the site where I located the martial arts belt holder. I found the perfect item for him. He is into hiding his stuff from his four sisters. I purchased a KidKraft personalized locker. It will sit perfectly by his bedside and his personalized with his name. I know when he gets it he will love it. I can already see him locking up his Lego’s and books.

This year I know the gifts we will give will be favorites. I know my kid’s favorite toys are the ones that have a personalized touch. I would recommend if you are looking for a kid’s toys that you search the internet and look for a personalized toy or item. The kid is your life will treasure it forever.

I love my kids. I am like most parents I would do anything for them, give them the world and share all of my favorite things with them. As much as I love them I dislike the state of chaos all of the things they own causes in our home. My father built them a toy box. Toys live there. I purchased a storage ottoman for the living room and made sure it provided more storage for our family. It is filled with toys. Each of their rooms has shelves with plenty of boxes and baskets to store toys. They of course are filled. So my question to them is how their toys find their way under my feet. With all the places the toys have to hide and live why am I constantly stepping on them?

As I pondered this question I took a look at the things they had accumulated. The children’s toys come from all directions to them. People buy them things for Christmas, Birthdays, Easter you name it people seem to send them something. Do not get me wrong I am grateful but when do we draw the line and start to minimize what comes into our home.

I started out on the journey to remove the clutter from the kid’s lives. My opinion is that in order for this to be a success they too had to play a major role in the process. I took on Spencer first but the process was much the same for my daughter’s room to. We emptied out the toy box, removed his things from the ottoman and locked ourselves in his room. We had three boxes one for garbage and broken toys, one for donations and one for toys that were still good. It took us a good two hours but we successfully navigated through his toy collection and eliminated a ton of extras that were not being played with or had been broken. Another thing we did was make a binder and three hole punched all the Lego manuals all the directions from toys in which my son swears he cannot live without.

We discussed what we could do to ensure that we never let it get to this chaotic point. What we came up with is that we would work on the principle of one thing in one thing out. If they received a gift they knew they were not ever going to play with they were going to put it in the storage ottoman to be regifted or donated to charity at a later date. To me this is a winning solution that I would recommend employing with the books, toys and craft stuff in your life. If there are things that you wish to keep for them to have later on, mine are a kidkraft dollhouse for my daughter and a workbench my dad made from my son, store them in the attic out of the way. This will ensure they don’t clutter your home or get ruined in the meantime. The kids will be so happy to have those few unique items from their childhood with they have little ones of their own.