2018 Holiday Gift Guide For (little) Kids

I may not have kids of my own yet, but plenty of my friends have already jumped on the baby train and I’m a proud Auntie to a 6-month old niece and 3-year old nephew. During my brief tenure so far as an Auntie I’ve learned a lot about what’s worth spending money on (gifts they won’t outgrow in 2 months) vs. where a good book or cheap game actually ends up being the favorite gift. I don’t know much about kids over the age of 3 just yet, so here are my favorite gifts to give the (little) kiddos in my life.

The North Face Fleece Hooded Jacket: I’ve given a few North Face jackets as gifts over the years and the great thing about them is they usually last more than 6 months even for growing babies. They are a reasonable price point for a good quality jacket, that can also be passed down from kiddo to kiddo. If I’m buying for my nephew, I may size up one size so he can get more use out of it. 

Monica & Andy Romper: I only recently discovered Monica & Andy after they opened a pop-up shop in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood. They are known for having super cute patterns on their clothes like pizzas + peace signs + macarons. They recently launched a bunch of cute holiday patterns as well. I recently got my niece some of their onesies and pants, which have the ability to be footless or you can roll them down and they turn into little footed pants which is great for growing babies in different seasons. When my niece is older I already have my eye on some of their super cute tutu dresses. 

Teepee: I got this for Christmas when he was one, and it was a big hit. It’s nice because they come in lots of different colors to fit whatever color scheme your kids bedroom or playroom is and they can use it to read in when they get a little older. It pretty easily collapses and can be stored out of the way when not in use as well. 

Pottery Barn Kids Chamois Blanket: If you have a baby and you know me, then you own this blanket from me. It is the BEST gift to give when a baby is first born. I always get it personalized and the price point is fantastic. It ships quickly and is so super soft, I almost always get a text from the parents that they wish this came in adult-size for them. There are plain colored chamois blankets but my signature gift is the light pink polka dot for baby girls or light blue striped/or dots for baby boys.  

Melissa & Doug Pizza Party: Since my nephew got a Melissa & Doug kitchen set for Christmas last year he has been very into all things food. We love reading the book Secret Pizza Party so I got him this wooden pizza party set for Christmas last year. I’ve also gotten the Melissa and Doug Mixer and cookie playsets. They are great quality and definitely stay in great shape after lots of wear and tear playing. 

Micro Scooter: This is one of those gifts I feel like you see all little kids getting these days. I got it for my nephew last Christmas (I think with an Amazon Black Friday deal) when he was two-ish, and while it wasn’t a big hit immediately, he seems to have grown to like it a little more as he has gotten older.

North Face Bunting: This is a must-have if you live anywhere in the North. Especially this year when it was already under 10 degrees on Thanksgiving Day in Boston. Just like the jacket I linked to above, the North Face gear is great quality, at a reasonable price point, and definitely can be passed down from kid to kid. I only wish they made this in adult size, because I could definitely use one during the Boston winters. 

Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair: This is a GREAT gift especially if you can snag it while on sale for under $100ish. I got one for my nephew when he was really little, and he’s gotten lots of great use out of it during snack time or just reading books together. It was the first thing I bought my niece when she was born, so that they would have matching gingham PB chairs with their names on them. I just think these are so classy looking and cute and will be something they can use for many years. 

Disney Matching Game: Like I said before, sometimes the biggest hits are the cheapest and most simple. I picked up this Disney Matching Game at Target one day before going over to visit my nephew and it’s something we play every single time we are together (sometimes for over an hour). He’s actually really good at it (too good) and it’s been a fun way for him to learn the names of all the Disney Characters. We played a Cars branded one over Thanksgiving and I am sure there are lots of other fun themed matching games. The one tip when playing this: we split the cards into two sets and just play one set of cards at a time to help the games not take forever. 

Storm Trooper Apron: I forgot to include it in the image above, but since my nephew loves his play kitchen (and Star Wars) I found this adorable and affordable storm trooper apron at William Sonoma over the winter, and got it personalized with his name on it. It was just a tad long when he was 2 but a perfect fit now. 

Books, Books and more Books!: My nephew LOVES to read. And if you’ve ever read to a toddler you know that Dr. Seuss is the devil and Curious George books are way too long. If you’re going to be reading (and rereading) books over and over, I highly recommend a few of our favorites that are actually enjoyable for the adult to read as well as the kid. 

• Dragons Love Tacos: Such a cute story. Just remember, Dragons Love Tacos but they HATE spicy salsa! There’s also a Dragons Love Tacos 2 and a cute stuffed animal toy as well. 
• Secret Pizza Party: By the same author as Dragons, we love reading about this sneaky pizza-loving raccoon. 
• Robo Sauce: Another by the Dragons author, this one is best read using your robot voice. My nephew loves to read the FLASH! BANG! BOOM! pages. 
• Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast: There are 3 books in this series and this is the original. They are really cute and entertaining reads about refrigerator adventures. 
• Larry Gets Lost in Boston: There is a whole series of books where Larry the dog gets lost in different cities. When I was moving out of NC and back to Boston I got this book for my nephew along with a stuffed dog that looks just like Larry, and it’s one of our go-to books to read together when I come back to NC to visit.