A Cookbook for Disney Lovers

Man, I'm missing the parks right about now. If you're feeling the same, the Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook from my pal Ashley Craft will have you mixing up Mickey magic in no time! This is the perfect way to cook up some great family memories together, right at home.

Osmo

By FAR our best pick this season for keeping all of the kids occupied and entertained has been this Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit. It comes with a stand to make your tablet (Kindle Fire or iPad) compatible with the Osmo system, with a mat and pieces that kids can place on it for game play and learning. The Osmo system can read what's being placed on the mat, and guide them through various creations. Our favorite game so far is an ABC game that teaches our preschooler how to make ABCs with manipulatable sticks and other shapes that come in the kit.

Pillowkins

It's a pillow. It's a pal! These absurdly-adorable pillow buddies made with recycled water bottles are soft, cuddly, and easy to care for. They're perfect for fostering curiosity and taking along on your next road trip!

A Sentimental Scarf

One of my favorite gift ideas for families, the McGovern & Co Map Scarf lets families take their memories along with them in the form of a beautiful piece of cloth. This surprisingly durable fabric is cool enough to act as a shawl on a summer day, warm enough to serve as a winter scarf when bulked up around a sweater collar on chilly evenings. It's even large enough to spread out as a makeshift picnic cloth. It's packable and light and seems to always wind up in my bag or draped around the shoulders of one of my kids.

The company makes this along with tons of other location prints to fit any family's destination preference and turn that road trip into a forever piece of memorabilia.

A Weighted Blanket

Okay so folks who have ALL the things may already have this. The thing is that you can never have too many weighted blankets because they rapidly become the favorite of everyone in the house and they're in constant use. That makes it STILL one of the best gift ideas for families who have everything! Weighted blankets are exactly what they sound like: blankets with beads inside to add extra weight. That pressure across your body helps impart a sense of calm and reduce anxiety. Weighted blanket should be between 10-12% of your body weight, give or take. Our favorite is from Tranquility, because it has a washable cover!

The Ultimate Chicken Coop

The aptly-named Ultimate Chicken Coop by Hampel is made of molded plastic for an easy-to construct and easy-to-clean home that's the perfect size for a backyard flock. It's simple to move with the add-on wheel accessory, so you can provide your chickens with fresh grass often. Flaps on the sides lift up for easy egg access and it's totally predator-proof, as proven by our cats who spent the better part of a week trying to gain access into this curious new contraption.

Our former chicken run – that monstrosity of wire and metal in the background – is getting demolished to make room for a playground, making this one of the best gift ideas for families who have chickens and are short on space. If owning chickens is on your bucket list, this is the easiest way to do it.

An Upscale Play Area

We got this Activity Table from Skip Hop earlier in the year, and we love how it converts from a bouncer to a play area and even a sleek homework table for our older kids. The things that have really stood the test of time, though, are the Reversible Waterproof Play Mat and the Kids Chairs.

MPowerd Luci Core

This solar OR battery powered light has cool white LEDs, a bendy arm to wrap it around anything, and it lasts 12 hours on a single charge. The Luci Core has rapidly become our family's favorite light, being put to use in the shop, for reading, for photography, and all around camp.

Green Toys Sets

Our boys have gone through zillions of car toys. Most have died a sad destructive death in mud or their wheels have simply fallen off after weeks of abuse. That's not the case with Green Toys. This is one family gift that stands the test of time. Their plastic – made from 100% recycled milk jugs – is some sort of magic. During the holidays, we clean them all up and setup a little holiday display inside, our own funny version of those old Lenox displays. This tugboat and cargo plane set are just the ticket for families looking for long-lasting toys.

A Portable Noise Machine

Sure, a lot of families have a noise machine. But a simple, portable one that can double as a bluetooth speaker? That's a win for any crew – especially one on the go. The Sound Oasis is multi-purpose for the whole family. When we're at home, I even use this speaker on my desk to drown out the household noise.

Snack in the Box

The concept is simple: a divided box for snacks and a box for drinks. It doesn't SOUND particularly earth-shattering, but these little snack boxes are far more functional than plactic baggies. We keep them filled with high-protein food like nuts and crackers, and stash them in the car whenever we head out. They've saved us about a kajillion drive-through trips, making Snack in the Box one of our favorite functional gift ideas for families.

Science Kits

The STEM at Play kits from ETA Hand 2 Mind are our fave for getting hands-on activities going without the need for a bunch of prep.

This 3D Pen for Kids

The 3Doodler Start lets kids write their name in 3D or create cool keepsake gifts without the threat of burns. The eco-plastic comes out of the wireless pen in a warm state that's soft, pliable, and totally safe for children.

GUND Rainbow Plush

Welp, this is the cutest dang teddy bear I have EVER seen. I need one for the kids. Okay I'm totally lying. It's for me.

An Easel for Everyone

We've been long-time fans of Little Partners' modern, functional, family-friendly play sets. We use their cubby for organizing the kids' homeschool stuff, their step stools in the kitchen, and their easels for art and instruction varying from painting to chalkboard, whiteboard and everyday scribbling needs. Their 2-sided A-Frame easel includes a roll sheet at the top and two shelves underneath.

Gabb Z2

Our oldest kiddo is reaching that age where he needs a phone (SOB!). For $20 a month, Gabb offers unlimited talk, text and GPS with no web browsing capabilities (something we only allow on their computers at home with monitored access, and one of the things that caused the most hesitancy when it was time to get a phone). I'm SO relieved to have a safe option for getting the kids a cell! Get $30 off your phone purchase with this link and code DAY30.

An Indoor Garden

My 6-year-old begged for his own garden space for his birthday. Only problem? It's winter. Not exactly high season for planting…and if I do manage to get some seedlings sprouting, I always worry about killing plants over the busy Christmas holiday. We got the Click & Grow system to let us “set it and forget it.” This herb garden features a timed grow light, pre-seeded capsules in properly-balanced soil pods, and a reservoir that lasts weeks with easy indication for refill time. The light above the plants can extend up and down as the plant grows.

Kindle Kids Edition

I've told you guys how we use a Kids Fire as the main educational tablet for our kids. A few parents have asked if there's a way to make it more of a traditional e-reader with JUST the book part of Amazon FreeTime. No games or videos or other apps. If that's what you're looking for, the Kindle Kids Edition is just the ticket! It's purpose-built for reading, with a black and white glare-free screen, weeks of battery life and Bluetooth capability so you can listen to Audible books. It even includes a year of access to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited with books like Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl, and it has a 2-year no-questions-asked warranty.

LEGO Toys and Stuff

You can never go wrong with LEGOs! We've been using the Teebee with a built-in brick plate to tote our creations around, and finding inspiration in books like How to Build Brick Airplanes. LEGO Chain Reactions is another huge hit around here, along with the LEGO Animation Book.

Nintendo Games

If you have a Nintendo Switch, Just Dance is what you need. The 2021 version can handle up to six players, AND you can even use your cell phone as a remote (no extra accessories needed!). Nate and I COULD join in with our four kids, but I think we may just kick back, relax and enjoy the squabble-free fun.

A Robo-Maid

This robot vacuum is the ultimate gift for anyone who's tired of cleaning up after messy kids. Hint: that's pretty much every parent on the planet.

A Giant Erector Set

Several brands now make these snap and click poles and connectors that can be built into any design your kiddo can think of. Their imagination is the limit! Most sets come with inspirational instructions and add-on covers in case you want to follow their directions to create things like pirate ships, play houses and lemonade stands. The best one on Amazon right now is made by Tiny Land Store.

Britannica Kids' Encyclopedia

Every family needs a good encyclopedia. The classic, newly-updated Britannica Kids' Encyclopedia is perfectly accessible for both kids AND adults! If you're looking to spend time immersing yourself in learning together, this is the pick for you.

Toy Cats you can Draw On

Okay, normally this kind of thing isn't my jam. I don't generally like little trinkets that are inclined to get lost. But I've always had a thing for Fuzzikins' cute kitty friends that can be draw on and rinsed off and redesigned over and over again. I have a kitten-obsessed kiddo who geeks out over them. And this one is in a self-contained, totable CAMPER VAN. It's adorable. I'm sold on this definitely being one of the cutest gift ideas for families who have everything.

Activity Books and Sets

Our kids spend SO much time at their activity table, we have a full closet of activity set options for them. Friends always ooh and aah over it when they come over.