Our Favorite Gifts for Kiddos
3-5 yrs
When Clarke was a baby, I created a
list of our
favorite gifts. Four years later, people still visit it and
order, telling me it helps them sift through all that's
available. I've tried doing the same here, creating a similar list
for older kiddos. Each of the items listed here we've
personally used and loved. I'd rate each of these 5 star. I've
included books,
audiobooks, DVDs, music,
odds & ends, toys & blocks,
and gifts for kids given to parents.
Jon J Muth is our very favorite
writer/illustrator. He produces gorgeous picture books with timeless
messages we reading again and again. You can't go wrong with any of
these for a kiddo between 2-6.
We also love books by Virginia Lee
Burton. There are perfect for vehicle buffs who
appreciate a good story.
Clarke loves listening to stories.
Be began with the more age-expected Frog and Toad series,
Paddington, and Winnie the Pooh. Then he fell in love with Jack and
Annie from the Magic Tree House series. They go on adventures
through time, visiting dinosaurs on one trip, spending the day with
Leonardo Da Vinci the next. He's learns about countries all over the
world, significant events in history, and the customs of cultures
that delight and educate. Each story is between 30 minutes and 1
hour long, read by the author, Mary Pope Osborne, who has a
beautiful Terry Gross-like voice, and introduce listeners to facts
in a way that's easy to understand and fun to learn.
Clarke watches videos occasionally. There are some of
his favorites and ones his parents find wonderful too.
Finding kid-friendly music that doesn't
drive adults crazy is hard. What might pass as tolerable in
a house where you can go into another room doesn't work on a long
car ride or when everyone's playing together. For those times, these
are our very favorites.
