Charlie is (obviously) too little to care about gifts this year, but this is the first year that Henry is starting really enjoy opening presents (as well as all the other fun things that come along with Christmas) which makes this makes this year extra exciting. And since he is my little December baby, I’ve had lots of friends and family asking for gift suggestions for him for both his birthday and Christmas. And because I have a December birthday too, I know that it can actually be kind of hard to have to try and come up with a bunch of ideas all at once! So initially, I was planning on this post being a list of my gift ideas for Henry this year. However, he is at an age where he seriously loves so many different things; for example, if we go to someone else’s house, it doesn’t matter what toys they have, he’ll have a blast playing with them. Not to mention, Henry and Charlie are super blessed to have two sets of awesome grandparents who not only get them stuff throughout the year, but who have already told me some of the gifts that Henry is getting for his birthday/Christmas this year and let’s just say that he is going to be a very happy boy!
So I was having a hard time putting together a post of ideas of things that Henry wants this year, and instead, I decided to put together a list of toys he has and loves that I think would make great gifts! But in case any friends and family are reading and curious about ideas for him he still LOVES books so those are always a safe bet. And then
any toy with wheels (cars, trucks, trains, planes, etc.) is always a
hit, but I think that’s probably true of most two year old boys! He really has fun playing with the most random things though, plus he is totally at an age where just opening the gift and playing with the box is a thrill…ha!
Before I get into the gift guide though, I wanted to share a few other suggestions on buying for toddlers. I am a huge fan of memberships for gifts since they’re something you can get so much use out of with young kids. Here in Portland, memberships to the Oregon Zoo, The Children’s Museum, and OMSI would all make wonderful gifts. There are lots of other places for toddlers that would be fun to give an “experience” gift to on a smaller scale as well. My go-to toddler birthday party gift at the moment is a gift certificate to Smartypants, which is this awesome kids art studio here in Portland. It’s so perfect for toddlers, and so I’ve bought multiple gift certificates here for birthday parties of Henry’s friends. Most cities have things like play cafes or bounce house places and while a gift certificate to one of these places may not be thrilling for a toddler to open, they (and their parents!) will love it come January when the excitement of their new toys has worn off and everyone has cabin fever! And last but not least, if you’re looking for stocking stuffer type items for toddlers, you can’t go wrong with the Target dollar spot! I’ve found so many neat little toys and things here for Henry over the past two years so definitely check that out if you’re looking for ideas 🙂
The gift ideas listed below are (for the most part) all toys that Henry has and loves! It was hard to narrow it down because he has lots of toys he likes, but I tried to include things that I think would make great gifts and the work for both girls and boys. Most of this stuff is geared toward the two year old set, but there are many items that could work for slightly younger/older children as well. Also, none of this stuff below is sponsored, they’re just some of Henry’s tried and true favorites that we’ve either purchased or have received as gifts from friends/relatives. Happy shopping!
Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set- I got Henry this Nativity Set back in the summer when it was on clearance and he’s been loving it so far this holiday season! Little People things are so perfect for the toddlers 🙂
Tuffo Muddy Buddy Suit – I always get lots of comments when I post pictures of Henry wearing this suit on Instagram, but it’s really come in handy the past year! Even if you don’t live in the rainy Pacific Northwest, it’s perfect for any time you want to keep your toddler from getting muddy. And it comes with a little zipper pouch, so it’s a great thing to just keep in the car. (And it comes in a few different colors!)
Bouncy House – So we don’t have one of these and we don’t have room for one, but I wanted to include it in my list because I think it’s actually a great idea! A few friends of mine have this Little Tikes bounce house and I think it’s a great investment for under $200! It’s definitely designed for toddlers as opposed to older kids, but even if you only set it up a few times a year, you’d get your money’s worth compared to renting a bounce house. Plus, stuff like this entertains toddlers for hours and as a parent, I feel like you can’t put a price on that….ha! Like I said, it’s not something we have space for now, but for a future Christmas when Charlie is old enough to use it too, I think it would be awesome! (I haven’t seen this model in person, but it looks great too for the price!)
Anywhere Chair – Henry got this from my parents last Christmas and a year later, he still loves to sit in it and read. Plus, I think that anything with a kid’s name on it makes a cute gift 🙂
Sleep Sack – Henry still wears sleep sacks to bed, but it’s getting harder to find ones in his size now that he’s a toddler. Halo does make great sleep sacks that come in XL, but they don’t carry many in stores and you usually have to order online. Aden and Anais also makes XL sleep sacks as well that are a little more expensive but they’re so soft and have cute patterns. Henry has one of their thinner classic sleeping bags that we love, but I’d like to get him a multi layer sleeping bag for the winter since his room gets pretty cool at night. I think an Aden and Anais sleep sack would be a perfect gift since they’re cute but functional, plus they fit a range of sizes so they’re easier to buy than clothes since toddlers grow like weeds!
Woodlands ABC Nesting Blocks – We got these for Henry as a big brother gift and he loves them! The woodland design is adorable, they are great for learning letters, and I love that they don’t take up much space 🙂
Water Wow! – These are great for toddlers because they’re mess free – a great activity for traveling!
Play Wooden Coffee Maker – My sister and brother in law sent this to Henry for his birthday and even though he’s only had it a few days, he loves it. But then again, he sees his parents drinking coffee all the time so it makes sense, right?! 🙂
Hope some of these ideas might be helpful when shopping for the littles on your list! For other gift ideas, you can also check out my past posts on our favorite baby gear 🙂
