It’s Thanksgiving week, which means Black Friday shopping. Personally, I don’t love the hustle and bustle of going to the mall or Target with everyone else on the same day, especially before dawn.
I think I was traumatized by Black Friday on my first job as a teenager. My third day working at a KB Toys was Black Friday and it was INSANE!
But, I do enjoy online Christmas shopping when the prices are low and I am sitting on my comfy couch with tea and the fire roaring.
So, here are some of my favorite toys and books for you to check out this shopping season. They will encourage creativity, discipleship, and of course, play!
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Storybook Bibles
If you want to add to your storybook Bible collection this Christmas, like I plan to do, you can check out this post!
Blocks
There is so much versatility in blocks!
- Picasso Tiles – We absolutely love these blocks and to our collection most Christmases.
- Various shapes – We got these over the summer and boy do they spark creativity!
- Stacking Rocks – My girls pair these with the blocks above. It has provided hours of creative play.
- Rainbow Stones – These are simply beautiful. There are many ways you and your kids can add them to play.
- Rainbow Light Blocks – These have been on my wish list for a while. I think this might be the year. They are fun to play with in windows.
Bible Storytelling Toys
These are toys that don’t just help you play out one story, but many!
- Animals – Creation, Noah, and so many more stories are capable with these animals.
- Boat and fish – Lots of gospel stories happen on boats! Plus, the rest of the Bible has many, too. This one is beautiful.
- Scarf (water) – Scarves are wonderful open-ended toys. Get it in blue and your kids could use it as water, sky, or a costume.
- Sheep and Hills Stacking Blocks – This is a beautiful little set and made me think of John 10 and Psalm 23.
- Noah’s Ark – This is a fun one, and you can get creative to use it outside of Noah.
- Fire Stacking Blocks – Lots of fire stories to use these with: burning bush, Elijah, fiery furnace, and Pentecost to name a few. I think they are gorgeous.
- Beautiful Baskets – These are beautiful for using in stories or keeping toys in.
- Puppet Making – Make your own Bible characters.
Exploring God’s Creation
My girls are little scientists and so are most kids.
- Wildlife Anatomy – We love these books. We have the entire collection.
- Ocean Anatomy – My oldest spends so much time just reading and learning about God’s creation in this series.
- Preschool/Toddler Science Kit – A fun way to explore God’s world.
- Magnet Wands – My kids love these magnet wands.
- Microscope – Take a closer look at what God has done.
Art Time
Process art over crafts or product art 99% of the time!
- Trays – I love a tray for art time. Easy set up and easy clean up!
- Play Dough Tools – I like to make our playdough, but we love these tools and others like them.
- Paint Sticks – These paint sticks are fantastic. One of my favorites!
- Dot Markers – My girls love these and they are great for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Story Stones – We love using rocks to tell stories. You paint or draw symbols or images from the Bible story and then kids can retell the story to you.
- Pip-Squeaks Markers – These are a great size for little hands.
- Animal Stamps– My girls adore stamps! All day long they could stamp, stamp, stamp.
- Art Case – My girls love having a case like this with art supplies. The supplies feel extra special in a box like this.
- Random Supplies – I love throwing a kit like this on the table and see what the kids come up with.
Gross Motor Play
It can be harder to get outside in the winter, so we need to burn a little extra energy inside with these toys.
- Balance Board – So much fun!
- Sensory Swing – We got one a few months ago and it has been a game changer, especially for meltdowns.
- Crash Pad – Just plain fun and wonderful for long, cold winters.
- Fort Building – Don’t want to pull all the furniture into the living room for a fort? This is a life-saver!
- Stair Slide – This is what my girls are getting for Christmas. I can’t wait!
