Educational & Sensory Gift Guide for Kids

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Christmas, birthdays or just because, these are all great educational options for the kids you are shopping for. From activity books to apps, I’ve listed some amazing options for all ages. Now the next time your friends or parents ask what to get you kid, you can just send them this list.

Make Believe Ideas Books and Activity Books

I love Make Believe Ideas books because they have so many options. Many of their books allow your child to work on fine motor skills when coloring, writing and using stickers. They also have books with touch and feel pages which allow for sensory exploration. They also have books that work on specific skills such as early literacy  (i.e. learning letters) and math skills (i.e. counting). They also have books that work on emotions such as our favorite “I Am Using My Words” which I linked below, among others we found!

Fairy Garden Kit

Izzy got a fall/halloween inspired fairy garden this year and LOVED making it. So naturally for this winter I wanted her to have the chance to create another little masterpiece. I created a blog post about this activity and shared the developmental outcomes for each step. I linked where to buy & my post about the winter fairy garden here.

Educational Apps

Kidlo Coding Games For Kids ~ I just got this one for Izzy  and LOVE it! Coding is all about problem solving and math so this a great way to stimulate your childs cognitive development. It says ages 5+, however she’s able to the basic level coding work. I always love exposing her things early so she can work her way up in problem solving with some prior knowledge. You can click the image below to learn more.

KidloLand ~ I got this one for Izzy over a year and it’s AMAZING! There are over 1000 songs, rhyming, stories and educational activities . This app is great for babies, toddlers and kids. When I explain it to people I like to say it’s a bunch of apps within the KidloLand App. You can click the image below to learn more.

Homer ~ This we have had for over a month now and I’m very happy with the pace of this app. Also love it let’s you customize the learning of your child based on where they currently are along with likes and interests. Homer works on early literacy and literacy skills. You can click the image below to learn more.

Kid Licks

Allowing your child to put on nail polish is a great way to work on fine motor skills. Kid Licks nail polish is made is small batches in the US using a few edible ingredients. It’s removable with alcohol, soap and water. If you are concerned about other nail polish being too toxic, then you should consider tryin Kid Licks. Izzy has fun being able to paint her own nails. It’s a watery texture, so it can dry quickly. Be sure to help your child with wiping the edge of the brush to the jar so they don’t have too much on it as they apply.

Paint Sticks

Guys my daughter is obsessed with these things! Plus they dry instantly, are non toxic and are washable. Izzy got some on her shirt, when holding it close to her chest as she described her art to me. It was a white and black striped top. I added a little OxiClean to the spot and threw it in the washing machine. The paint stick came out without any scrubbing. These paint sticks glide on the paper like pastels and Izzy LOVES that! They work similar to glue sticks. You just remove the cover and twist up and down. Click the images below to shop.

Mega Bloks

These are great for busy little hands and minds. We build tall towers, create patterns and make little houses for some of Izzy’s other little toys to play and “live” in. Click below to check them out.

KidzLane Educational & STEM Toys

You guys know I always say, play is a great way to work on cognitive, social/emotional, gross and find motor skills.. to name a few. Click below to check out some KidzLane toys.

Melissa & Doug

Okay, who doesn’t love Melissa and Doug products? They have a great reputation for a reason. I linked a bunch of options below for you. Click the images for more details or to shop.

Kiwi Co Crate

Each crate has a thoughtfully planned theme and appropriately meets the age of the child the box is for. I LOVE these boxes! Izzy had such a blast with her boxes. My mom loves getting these as gifts for the grandkids. They have this teacher mom all excited! Click here to try it for FREE, just pay shipping.

Z Dough

Each Z Dough is naturally scented so your child can get a full scenery experience. And although they are safe if you child accidentally takes a nibble, they are not meant to be eaten. The colors are vibrant and great for little creative hands. I love to keep some sort of play dough in my diaper bag for while we are out to eat.

Children’s Factory

This brand creates quality products that are perfect for the classroom, but also at home! I first discovered this brand when I was at the ATL Botanical Gardens and Izzy was exploring dirt and seeds in the Children’s Factory sand/water table. From that moment on, my love for this brand grew. Check out some of my picks below by clicking the image.

Little Partners

These products are gifts for you children and for yourself, especially the learning tower! Izzy has been using hers for years! I love how she can be up at the counter helping me cook or playing while I am cooking. She also loves to use it for play, as you can see the ice-cream shop piece that you can buy separately to go along with it. We have the tri easel as well and LOVE it! It’s a felt board, white board and a chalk board. The white board is also magnetic  and you can pull the roll paper down to draw or paint on. Click below to shop.

I hope you found some amazing things for the kids you were shopping for this year.

XO Eryka