10 days til Christmas! Celebrating the holidays with small children brings so much wonder to the small details of everyday life. It also brings some added fun, like de-hoarding the pile of ornaments my 3 year-old has stashed in the corner of her dollhouse. Well maybe that's just my house.

If you are needing some inspiration for the favorite little ones on your list, I've included some of my most-beloved toys and children's items below. And if you are worried about going into the madhouse that is your local Target, I have two words for you. AMAZON PRIME. If you are gleefully finished with your Christmas shopping this year, file these suggestions away for your child's next birthday. Merry Christmas! May you hug your treasured ones tight and feel the hope of this joyful season.

Now for that magical list:

Best toys for children ages birth-2 years

Nesting blocks: Grows with your child! Your baby can move items in and out of the blocks and your toddler can build (and of course knock down) a tower.
Large wooden marbles: Great for working on a child's grasp and ability to transfer items from one hand to the other. And lots of fun! Pair these with the nesting blocks above or baskets for your child to move items around and roll. My baby loves to roll anything that resembles a ball, including an orange!
Books: A few of our favorites lately include Dear Zoo, anything by Sandra Boynton, and Good Dog Carl
Silk flags/scarfs: great texture for young children and a fun toy to pair with music.
Music: Elizabeth Mitchell and Slugs and Bugs make my dinnertime prep a happier place for all.

Best toys for children ages 3-5 years

Wooden train set: Make sure to purchase a set that is compatible with other brands and allows your collection to grow!
Skates: Want to keep your older toddler entertained indoors during these cold months? SKATES. Development of gross-motor skills and balance are just an added bonus!
Kinetic sand: Buried treasure. Buried Elmo. Buried letters. There is something therapeutic about sand, and the kinetic nature of this type keeps the sand together and your house cleaner! Great for playing indoors.
Platform swing: We already have this one in our backyard, and it's fun for kids and adults! Great toy that will grow with your child.
Books- A few books on the list for my 3 year-old include Dragons Love Tacos, Good Good Father, and The Mitten.

Merry Christmas!

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It's snowing in Georgia! The rare sight of snow evokes a mix of excitement and terror since most Southerners aren't really prepared to handle the radical change in weather. If your family is like ours, we spend an hour getting bundled up to play outside for a few minutes. Then we come inside, because we're freezing! If you are getting cabin fever or are tired of picking up your toddler's trail of messes (junk is EVERYWHERE), keep reading for some GREAT activities that will keep your child happy and busy. The latest research emphasizes the importance of providing activities that allow your little one to engage in free, creative play with toys rather than merely being entertained by lights and gadgets. These activities leave plenty of room for creative license:

Bean scoop- This one is really complicated. Buy some dry beans from the store. Or better yet, use the dry beans in your pantry that you bought but never used again after your soaked beans still tasted crunchy. Dump said beans into a large box and provide varying scooping materials. All of my measuring cups and spoons have disappeared but my daughter is having a blast! Once you are finished, have your little one vacuum up the beans!
Water beads- These beads are a great tactile material and are novel enough to keep adults and kids entertained. *The beads expand significantly with water, so use a small amount at first and add more as needed. I have heard they can expand in your pipes, so be careful to dispose of in the trash.*
Sink or swim- Most toddlers love bath time, so bring some water fun into daytime play. Fill up one side of the kitchen sink and gather toys and objects that can be placed in the water. Discuss objects that sink or float if your child is at the predicting age. Make sure to provide cups or bottles to allow your child to scoop and dump the water.
Cooking with old jars- I like to keep my old herb and spice jars for my daughter to do her "cooking." She loves to smell the jars for a faint memory of thyme or basil. The thyme jar can become chicken, almond butter, or a smoothie on any given day.
Shopping in the pantry- My toddler loves to push her grocery cart around the house and is often raiding the pantry to "shop". Make sure to keep kid-friendly items like cans and cartons within reach and breakable items away from curious hands. Be prepared to find pumpkin and tomato cans stowed away in the far corners of your house. If you want to make things extra fun, have a cash register to check items out.

Have fun and stay warm!