Holiday Gift Guide: Kids, Part 2

As I’ve shared before, we keep our kids’ Christmas gift budgets to a minimum.  So we try to make what we do spend really count.  Hopefully the following gift ideas will help you as you Christmas shop this week.

1.  K’NEX I love my daughter to receive gifts that encourage open-ended fun and creativity, and K’NEX is one of those kind of toys.  K’NEX is a line of construction sets that has all sorts of bars, bricks, and connectors, allowing kids to build whatever they can dream up.  Now K’NEX has come out with a 400 piece value tub for kids ages 7 and up.  With 400 pieces, there’s a lot of big playing that can be done!  It’s priced at about $21, and can be found at Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us stores, as well as Amazon (where it’s currently less than $18!).

2.  Heely’s I know some kids that have Heely’s and just love them.  Basically, they’re a combination of a shoe and a skate.  You can use them as sneakers, but then a wheel can flip out on the heel of each, allowing kids to skate around too.  I have known about Heely’s for years, but until recently I had no idea they came in just loads of styles and colors.  I received a fun pair that looks like old-school Converse, but Heely’s are also available in styles that look like skate and athletic shoes.  Priced from about $30 to $60, these are great because they can double as a shoe and toy gift.  You can pick up Heely’s at Finish Line stores, as well as on Zappos, Heelys.com, and Amazon.

3.  Phd Pocket Disc The Phd Pocket Disc is a soft Frisbee-like disc that can be used to play many games, but is made of crocheted cloth that won’t break windows or dent walls.  Sounds like a parent’s favorite kind of toy, right?   You’re probably wondering why “Phd” is part of the toy’s name though right?  Good question.  One of the companies’ founders explains it stands for , “Perfectly Harmless Device that Prevents Home Destruction while Promoting Hand Dexterity. Overall, it’s a Pretty Hip Disc.”  While the pocket disc can provide loads of fun, it’s also fair trade, meaning the Central American women who craft the Pocket Discs are paid fair wages and work in good conditions.  The classic Pocket Disc is available for $9.99, while the heavier sport edition is $14.99.  Both are available for purchase from PocketDisc.com and at retailers nationwide.

4. WheeGO This is one of those games that’s a learning tool, but your kids will just think they’re having a good time.  WheeGO is a treasure hunting game for kids ages 4-8 that is also something similar to hide-n-go-seek.  Game clues lead children to different locations and further clues, and finally to an ending (included) treasure.  Throughout the game, kids are challenged to different physical activities, brainteasers, and rhyming games, helping to develop their thinking skills and get them moving.  And just this year, Creative Child Magazine gave WheeGO a Preferred Choice Award.  WheeGo can be purchased from the company’s website for about $10, or some retail locations in a few states.

The products reviewed above were provided to me by the companies.  The opinions shared within the review are mine and were not provided by the companies.