You can’t believe that they aren’t your babies anymore! Gone are the days that you ran to a store and grabbed a few small toys and picture books for your little one. Your kids have very specific wants in terms of gifts now! You want to get them creative toys, games, and items that will stay staples in the house for more than a few days. Well, look no further than Daily Mom for some great ideas for gifts for your young grade schooler. Whether you are looking for something for imaginary play, games, or something for your very active child, you will find something here for your little guy or gal.
Wood Toys by Maple Landmark
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Long before toys were being made from plastic, wood was the top choice. Wooden toys are sturdy, timeless, and foster imagination. They’re a great investment because they’re durable and stand up to rough play. Wooden toys are the ones that last for generations. Maple Landmark is the best place to search for wooden toys for the kids in your life. They feature products for all ages and interests.
The Marble Mill Cascade Set can keep your little builders busy for hours. This set is made up of 10 marbles and locally-harvested hardwood maple pieces in different shapes and sizes that allow for vertical and horizontal building. The pieces are modular which allows for endless numbers of set-up and plenty of room for imagination.
We also love the Mancala board and stones. This board is a version of the popular African game that kids love. It’s made of pine and includes 60 colorful stones and instructions for newbies.
The color cube is a great pick for older kids (and even teens and adults). It’s a colorful version of the classic Soma puzzle. Seven unique shapes combine to form a cube, but there’s more than one solution. This makes a great stocking stuffer, too!
Perfect gift for creative kids with big imaginations and parents looking for toys that are built to last.
About Maple Landmark
Since 1979, Maple Landmark has been making wooden toys, games, and gifts at their shop in Middlebury, Vermont. They take pride in operating in a responsible and sustainable manner and producing products that have always been safe and of superior quality. They’re well known for their NameTrains, but also craft heirloom wooden baby toys, toddler toys, board games, and gifts.
The American Girl Doll & Experience
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If you have a school aged girl, the chances are very high that you know all about American Girl. We love the American Girl dolls for lots of reasons (one of the main being how cute they are and how they are a “right of passage” for many little girls). However, the entire mission of the brand and story behind some of their newest lines is something that we’d like to share with you.
Across the nation, American Girl temporary stores are popping up in malls near you, so taking your daughter to experience the entire aspect of choosing her perfect doll may be closer than you think. New temporary stores are located in: Detroit, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh, and San Antonio. If you’ve never been to American Girl yourself, you are in for a treat, and a day spent with your child that neither of you will forget for a long time.
The Truly Me line is Daily Kid tried and tested, and features the classic 18″ doll, with a huggable cloth body, eyes that open and close, style-able hair, and a movable head and limbs made of smooth vinyl. Like all of the 18″ sized dolls, there are an insane amount of accessories, clothing, and add-ons that are available for your newest dolly in the family, from wheelchairs and hearing aids, to pets and accessories. If your daughter is interested in a hobby, the chances are really good that American Girl has the perfect outfit and accessories to accompany the doll. If you live local to an American Girl store, make sure you stop at the doll hair salon, where you can learn all about how to properly care for her hair, get a custom hairstyle, or even get her ears pierced.
American Girl’s latest line are the WellieWishers, which is based off the custom books and TV show (now streaming free on Amazon Video!) of a group of five friends who live in a garden and explore the world in their colorful garden boots. WellieWisher dolls are designed to appeal to the preschool aged girl, and are 14.5″ tall, with a fully plastic body.
There is also a brand new girl in the BeForever line named Melody. In our visit to the new Detroit American Girl store, we thought it was extremely fitting to discuss Melody Ellison, who is a little girl living in Detroit, Michigan during the 1960’s Civil Rights Era. The movie about her story also recently launched on Amazon InstantVideo (and is free if you’re a Prime member). The movie is extremely well done, and spurs honest and thoughtful conversations with your child, about what it was like growing up as an African American during that era, and the problems that it brought at that time. In collaboration with the city of Detroit, Melody launched at the Detroit Public Library, and American Girl announced a $175,000 donation that will support the children’s sections at the Detroit Public Library’s 22 branches, which included a donation of Melody dolls and books valued at $125,000. Through the donation, the Detroit Public Library will be able to give a free Melody book to any local child through the end of 2016.
Perfect gift for the girly girl who wants to adopt a special doll to cherish for life.
About American Girl
Since the inception of American Girl in 1986, their devotion to bring a collection of dolls to little girls as well as a connection to community has made American Girl a leader in the retail business. American Girl is a pinnacle in the toy community through their charitable events, product diversity, and numerous awards received.
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EXPLORE AND CONNECT
American Girl | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | WellieWishers Instagram | YouTube
Winter Boots by Kamik
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Keep those toes toasty warm this winter with Kamik boots for boys and girls. These are some serious snow boots, inspired by the Canadian North, meant for even the coldest, snowiest, iciest days.
Your daughter will adore the Clover boots, with their fun pink fur cuff and coordinating purple soles. These will be easy for her to get on “all by myself!” with the two simple Velcro straps – she’ll just slide her foot in, strap, and go! They’re waterproof, so no need to worry about her toes getting cold and soggy after playing in the snow for hours, and the Clover boots have a thermal barrier insole to add just a bit more warmth – plus she’ll have Kamik’s signature Thermal Guard removable moisture-wicking liner keeping her feet warm too.
And for the boys, the Kamik Dare boots can’t be beat. With Kamik’s own Zylex liner, his feet will be kept warm up to minus 40 degrees, due to the liner’s three layers and ability to trap body heat in, and keep cold air out. The top adjustable bungee cord is a fun and functional feature that helps keep rogue snowballs out of your son’s boots. Simply cinch the bungee cord, tighten up the lower Velcro strap, and he’ll be ready to go for hours of fun in the snow. The soles are made from RubberHE – a lightweight rubber that won’t weigh him down, but will still keep his feet nice and dry, no matter what weather Mother Nature brings this winter.
- Comfort Rated -40°F
- Waterproof 600 denier nylon upper with reflective print
- Adjustable snow collar with Easy Grab Lace Lock
- Removable moisture wicking 8mm Zylex® liner
- Adjustable midfoot velcro strap with easy grip rubber tip
- Waterproof and lightweight synthetic RubberHe shell
- SNOWAVE synthetic RubberHe outsole
- Built in the USA
- NiteRays Reflective Technology
- Temperature Rated: -25°F
- Waterproof nylon upper
- Gusset tongue and two adjustable velcro straps
- 6mm Thermal Guard removable moisture wicking liner (100% recycled content)
- Thermal barrier insole for extra warmth
- Waterproof and lightweight synthetic RubberHe shell
- SNOWPAW synthetic RubberHe outsole
- Built in the USA
Perfect gift for children who love being outdoors, splashing, playing, and exploring.
About Kamik
When it comes to boots, Kamik is one of the oldest, most trusted companies around and remains family owned and operated to this day. Starting in 1898, Kamik has been keeping feet warm, dry, and protected from the elements. Their products are inspired by the Canadian North, which means that they’’re the very best boots for winter weather. Each pair of Kamik boots has been created with cutting edge technologies, such as lightweight yet durable rubber soles, super-insulating inserts, and more. With over 70% of their boots made in the USA or Canada, and a large-scale effort to be sustainable and green, this is a company that you can feel good about supporting.
Couture Clothing by Lourdes
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Clothing might not seem like the most exciting gift for a school aged child, but if you are giving a girl some outfits from Lourdes, trust us, she will be excited. This couture children’s clothing features whimsical, colorful designs on pieces that are so comfortable she will never complain about wearing them.
Your daughter will be pretty in pink in this kitty cat long sleeve shirt with matching skirt that features other animals in bright colors underneath the tulle overlay.
This zip up hoodie and matching pant will easily become her go to outfit for just hanging around or going to the park for a playdate this winter. You won’t find comfort and style blended together so seamlessly as with this outfit.
If you have a daughter who loves animals, she needs this dress. It features colorful little animals drawn in Lourde’s signature child-like style. Even though it is a dress, it is still very warm, and if you live in a particularly cold climate, just pair it with some warm tights and boots.
Perfect gift for the fashionable girl who also wants to be comfortable.
About Lourdes
Lourdes is a children’s fashion label created in 1990 by designer Lourdes Paterna. Her designs stand out and are easily recognizable for their use of color, hand painted fabrics, and drawings that are beautiful and childlike in their simplicity. We love that Lourdes uses natural fabrics like cotton, wool, and linen. Designed in Spain, Lourdes can be found in boutiques all over the world. Lourdes always offers perfect designs for every season that your daughters will love wearing.
Skateboards by Penny Skateboards
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Give your adventure-seeking kid the best Christmas ever with a skateboard by Penny Skateboards. There’s a Penny board to suit everyone’s skill level and style. The pick for our beginner was the Neptune 22″ board.
The 22″ was the first and original Penny Skateboard, and it’s perfect for beginners and more advanced skaters. The classic waffle top non-slip deck is orange and painted with the “cool blue hues of the summer sky” giving it a cool retro look. Hints of the hidden deck color will be revealed the more you skate! The 22″ deck size makes it portable, and it fits perfectly into Penny Pouch Backpacks.
But this skateboard doesn’t just look cool! The Penny plastic formula is top-secret and is of the highest quality, to keep this board functioning well for the grade schooler in your life. The mint blue wheels are made from a chip-resistant formula and are designed to last.
Not finding one that you love? No problem! Penny has a customizer that allows anyone to design their own board from the color of the deck, to the bolts, and everything in between!
- 22″ plastic cruiser
- Classic waffle top non-slip deck
- Quality orange Abec 7 stainless steel bearings
- Orange high tensile bolts
- 4-inch aluminum truck with powder-coated finish
- 59mm, blue 83A wheels for a smooth ride
- 83A blue cushions
Perfect gift for an active kid who loves to be outdoors and try new things.
About Penny Skateboards
Penny Skateboard’s founder, Ben Mackay, has a strong appreciation for what it takes to design a great skateboard. He has combined his knowledge of manufacturing and design to come up with a top quality, high performance, durable, and exciting skateboard. These boards are designed and built to not only look good and perform well, but exceed all of your expectations you might have when seeking a quality skateboard.
Watch by Kurio
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This innovative smart watch now designed for kids comes completely preloaded with games, bluetooth, texting, and picture-taking capabilities! Whether you just want some quiet play time or an easy solution for those long excursions to the grocery store, your child is sure to enjoy the features in the Kurio Watch along with the motion detection games they can play without needing a lot of space.
- Comes with a built in camera for stills and video
- Currently available in blue, pink, and purple
- Send messages back and forth with an Android phone
- Input emergency allergy and contact information
- Motion detection for maximum engagement
- Perfect for ages 6 and older
From the makers of the bestselling Kurio Tablets, the Kurio Watch is a real smartwatch with a responsive high-resolution 240 x 240 pixels touch screen and 256MB internal storage built specially for kids! The watch includes productivity tools like an alarm, calendar, and calculator. You’ll enjoy the messaging capabilities, the camera and video, music player, activity tracker, apps, games, and so much more!
Watch the Kurio Watch Video.
Most importantly, parents can enter their child’s critical information – from emergency contacts to medical information – built in is the ‘In Case of an Emergency’ app, which is easily accessible from the home screen!
Perfect gift for the middle schooler to preteen to enhance engagement and interaction with all the qualities and functions of a watch!
About Kurio
KD Interactive is a company of KD Group, formerly CIDE Group who makes the Kurio products. This division has been created with the speci?c objective of incorporating new technologies with learning and the development of childhood comprehension. KD Interactive released its innovative and successful Kurio product range in 2012 and is now introducing its brand new Kurio S Series range!
Lego Friends Amusement Park by LEGO From Amazon
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Amazon’s Top Toy List this year includes the LEGO Friends Amusement Park Roller Coaster Building Kit. This is one of the coolest LEGO Friend’s sets ever released. Designed for kids ages 8-12, this 1,124 piece set will keep your child busy building, and then she will be able to play all day with the Lego Friends on the 4 car roller coaster. The design of this set is delightful. It is the cutest amusement park ever, with sweet accessories like little amusement park snacks. The set includes 4 mini-dolls: Emma, Andrea, Matthew, and Naya, and they will have so many fun adventures here with the help of your little LEGO lover.
Perfect gift for children who love engineering and imaginary play.
About LEGO and Amazon
Who hasn’t heard of LEGO? LEGO is loved all over the world. The center of LEGO’’s core philosophy is that quality play enriches and nourishes children’’s lives, preparing them for their adult life later on. By stimulating children’s imagination and encouraging them to express themselves creatively, generate ideas, and have fun, children learn to be systematically creative and hone their imagination through free play, which can also explain why the classic LEGO bricks were (and are) such a big hit among children and adults alike.
Who hasn’t heard of Amazon? Amazon Prime for the win! Right? If your child has LEGO on their wish list this year, take advantage of that Prime shipping and get your LEGOs from Amazon. They have an amazing selection.
Stainless Steel Lunch Boxes by ECOlunchbox
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You can quit using expensive disposable plastic bags and yucky plastic containers. With that plastic crap, you are throwing money in the trash can everyday, and your kids are ingesting harmful chemicals from the plastic. Save money, save your health, and save the earth with stainless steel food containers from ECOlunchbox. These containers and lunch boxes are stainless steel, dishwasher safe, and reusable. Your kids will love them and you will probably want a set for yourself as well.
This Three-In-One set from ECOlunchbox is very popular and for good reason. It is a three piece nesting lunchbox set. It is bento style, allowing you to pack a healthy variety of fresh foods without mixing them or squishing anything. Pack an entree in the larger container and sides in the 2 small ones. This set is modular and all snaps together. The clips that hold the set together can be adjusted so that even young kids can use it unassisted.
The Oval & Snack Cup two piece set features a large oval lunchbox measuring 6 1/2 inches long by 5 inches wide and 2 inches tall, fitting 3 cups of food, and the small cup fits 1 cup of food. The small cup has a leak proof, silicone lid. This kit is perfect for a salad. Pack the salad in the lunchbox and put dressing in the cup. Shut the cup inside the lunchbox and your kid will have a delicious lunch to-go that you could never pack properly in a paper bag!
Perfect gift for health conscious families who pack lunch and snacks on the go.
About ECOlunchbox
ECOlunchbox was created to help you make healthy changes in your life that can start at lunchtime! These changes in how you pack lunch might seem small, but with all the lunchboxes and containers ECOlunchbox has sold since launching in 2009, they have prevented tens of millions of pieces of plastic trash from being used and disposed of. That is huge. Your family is healthier eating without plastic and the world benefits from your eco-conscious choices. ECOlunchbox was created by a mom who wanted to quit using plastic for her family’s lunches. She needed a good option, so she created one! The company now offers stainless steel food containers, machine washable lunch bags, lunch wraps, reusable cotton napkins, and bamboo or stainless steel sporks. Packing a healthy lunch in a non-toxic and eco-friendly way is so simple with ECOlunchbox.
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Three-In-One | Oval & Snack Cup
EXPLORE AND CONNECT
ECOlunchbox | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Collectible Dolls and Sets by My Mini MixiQ’s
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If you have a child who loves little collectibles, chances are My Mini MixieQ’s are on her list. These little dolls come in sets based on personalities and themes like Smart, Sweet, Sassy, and Brave. They are cute little cubes that your daughter won’t be able to resist. Pair the sets with Mini MixieQ’s playsets and mini rooms for adorable imaginary play.
Kids will collect them, play with them, and trade them. Use the app to track your collection and play mini games. The colors are bright, the designs are adorable, and they’re just about as fun as can be making them the perfect gift this holiday season.
Perfect gift for kids who like to keep up with the latest trends in toys and collectibles.
About My Mini MixieQ’s
My Mini MixieQ’s is a creation of Mattel. Mattel is the maker of some of the best and most popular toys around. This is the company of Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Ever After High. You can trust Mattel to create toys that kids will love and actually want to play with. In addition to a huge selection of incredible toys, they now pair them with online games and apps that will just add to the experience of Mattel toys.
Don’t forget to stay up to date with Daily Mom this holiday season. Also, make sure you check us out on social media and use our holiday hashtag #dmholiday16
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