Preparing for the holidays is a lot of work. Between getting ready for guests, finding the right items to shop for, shopping, and everything else – the holidays can be a challenge!
Now that my oldest child is 10, I have found some ways that make the process of holiday shopping easier. You know you will need to shop for the holidays — so start early with these tips!
Budget and shop year round.
The end of the year shouldn’t be super stressful and end up being a financial disaster. Â Try to budget for holiday shopping every month by putting away some money, and/or purchasing gifts ahead of time.
Buying gifts ahead of time can be an awesome idea – but there are downsides too. Be careful about buying things that can become outdated within the year, or that the recipient might get before the holidays. For example, I love snagging great sales on clothes or other useful items for the kids, especially when I know they can use those.
Educational toys.
The holidays are a great time to buy toys that have an educational value. Â Sometimes these are things like books or puzzles, but there are lots of great toys out there for a variety of ages, from toys that help kids learn shapes and colors to toys for older kids, like STEM products.
Crafty toys and projects to keep the kids busy.
Choose some toys that can be used during your holiday break.  We travel for the holidays, and on Christmas day, the kids tend to get up really early to open gifts.  After that, in the dead of winter and all the stores etc. are closed, this is the time for the kids to use toys.  Between trying to deal with stress of holiday traveling and everything else, we make sure that we give the kids a variety of crafts and other projects that can be done over the holidays – which is much better than the kids bickering because they are bored!
Go green!
There are so many great “green” toys out there, like ones that are naturally made with wood and free of chemicals. I love picking out wood or recycled toys, which are a nice change from typical plastics and electronics.
Buy toys to donate.
The holidays are an extra special time to teach lessons about giving to others. I always involve my kids when I can, and they love picking out gifts for other kids during the holidays. After Christmas, I have the kids do some spring cleaning to also donate their gently used toys as well.
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My favorite toy as a child was a stuffed animal.
My favorite toy was a water baby!
My favorite toy was my stuffed animal. It was a dog.
I loved Barbies when I was a kid.
My favorite toy as a child was my Cabbage Patch doll.
I loved my Cabbage Patch doll and puzzle games.
I loved my purple stuffed bunny; carried it around everywhere and couldn’t sleep without it!
I loved Legos as a kid, and now my son loves them just as much!
My favorite toy was a stuffed bear.
My favorite toy as a child was my care bears!
I loved any kind of stuffed animal as a little kid.
My child’s favorite toy is a little people rv camper that her grandparents got her for Christmas. We make up tons of stories about what the little people are doing, we sing songs, and we roast marshmallows over the fake fire – it’s so fun and cute!
I love my care bears.
My barbie dolls were my favorite. I played with them every chance that I could.
I had a farm set with lots of animals that I just loved
My sons favorite toy is Legos.
As a really young child, my favorite toy was an old fashioned baby carriage my parents found somewhere. There are pictures of me pushing that carriage around the house, with the cat inside with a bonnet tied on it’s head! Haha, that poor patient cat.
I liked my cabbage patch doll
i liked barbies.
My doodle bear was my favorite child toy
My favorite toy was barbie dolls!
I loved my Cabbage Patch Dolls.
My favorite was Gi Joe.
my favotire was a class register. my daughters is a ugly stuffed rat!
I had a teddy panda bear that I slept with every night.
I used to play with Barbies. I loved how many different outfits you can dress them in.
I liked my Pretty Ponies when I was little.
My favorite toy was my Speak & Spell.
I had a plastic doll I named Priscilla that I carried everywhere with me.
My son’s favorite toy is his Thomas train.
My favorite toy as a child was a play kitchen.
I loved Legos when I was a child. Right now, my son loves anything to do with trains.
As a child I played with legos for hours. My kids played computer games, My granddaughter plays with her wooden puzzles.
My favorite toy was my bicycle.
My favorite toy as a child was my Mr. Potato Head. I could seriously play with that thing for hours.
I was a big time Barbie fan. I had tons of dolls, a couple Dream Houses, cars, a pool set, etc..
My bike was my favorite
I loved my Cabbage Patch dolls and my baby alive doll!
I loved barbies bc we never had them in Ukraine until we came here
My etch a sketch and MC hammer doll.
My holly hobbie oven
my favorite toy when i was a child was my dolls. i loved to play with my dolls.
i loved playing with barbies
I loved jumping on the trampoline when I was a kid.
I’m not sure I had a favorite toy, but the Christmas I received my Cabbage Patch Doll is a special memory for me.
Barbies were my favorite toy and now my daughters favorite toy.
I had this ugly monster thing, and it was my favorite.
My fav toy as a child was a slinky
My daughter is 9 and her favorites are her stuffed animals!! Especially Webkins!
I loved to play with barbies and puzzles and my daughter loves crafts.
love weeble woubles
My favorite toy was Care Bears and that’s my daughter’s too.
I loved Barbies
Polly Pockets were my absolute fave growing up! I used to have sooo many. Wish I would’ve saved them for my kids, they’d love them now.
I had. Little blue house where the patio doors slid open. It had little people with it and a bell
My favorite toy was my Glow-worm…you would squeeze it and his face would light up. Was so much cooler than any night light!
Barbies
I had a gizmo stuffed doll from the gremelins movie!!!
Mrs Beasley Doll was my fav!
Oh, I had so many favorite toys! I REALLY loved my pretend dishes and my miniature china set! All my dolls and I would have tea!
Teddy ruxpin and water baby
I used to love playing with Barbies when I was young!
My favorite toy was a Barbie.
I remember my favorite toys as a child were play food. I loved “making dinner” for my brother and mom. I still think all the food and toy kitchens are so cute.
I loved my Cabbage Patch Kids. My littles love their Vtech toys with tracks. They are total boys!
I loved Lego’s and my easy bake oven! My boys also love lego’s!
My favorite toy/doll was my chatty cathy doll!