The Stuff of Parenting

1.    Museum or Zoo Membership
Give the whole family a gift they will love all year long: a membership to a local zoo or children’s museum. Most memberships include free admission as well as unique opportunities to attend members-only events, and give parents and kids the chance to have a regular family outing without breaking the bank. (SD)

2.    Reusable Tote for Library Books (or Groceries, or Pool Toys, or…) - $27.50
One of the great joys of having small children is the weekly trip to the library to pick out stacks of picture books, to come across old favorites and find new classics to enjoy. Encourage parents to make good use of the local library with a stylish, reusable tote for getting the books home. (SD)

3.    J.S. Bach Cello Suites - $23
Parents and children alike will enjoy these evocatively beautiful cello pieces over and over again. Wonderful to put on during creative activity, before bed, or simply to listen to together in the car, this recording is great way to introduce parents and children to the pleasure of enjoying great music together. (SD)

4.    Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers and Up, by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson - $12
Moms and dads who love to cook frequently find themselves with little “helpers” on hand in the kitchen. Give them this marvelous cookbook – by Moosewood Kitchen author Mollie Katzen – to inspire them to create in the kitchen with their children! Recipes appear in words and pictures, and are geared as much towards the pleasure found in the process of preparing food as in the final outcome. (SD)

5.    Babysitting
Parents of toddlers and preschoolers have their hands full – give them some time off with an offer of babysitting.  If the child is a younger toddler dealing with separation anxiety, arrange to come over after he is asleep so that the parents can have an evening out. For older children, offer to take the kids on an outing for a day so mom and dad can have some down time at home. (SD)

6.    Gift card to a local children’s bookstore
Independent children’s bookshops are a wonderful resource for busy parents who want to introduce their kids to the best in children’s literature but don’t have time to wade through the piles of books competing for attention in big-box chain stores. The sellers at these independent shops are knowledgeable about the world of children’s lit, the selections are frequently well-edited, and the stores themselves are often fun to play in. (SD)

7.    Bottle of wine
It’s 8 pm, the kids are in bed – even if they can’t leave the house, give Mom and Dad a date at home over a good bottle of wine. They can toast each other, their children, and your good taste. (SD)

8.    Homemade “Toddler/Preschooler-Friendly” Map
Similar to the “baby friendly” map above – simply buy a map of your town and mark the best attractions for families and small children. Some sites to scout out and include: zoos, parks, wading pools, indoor play areas, children’s bookshops, good toy stores, library branches, and coffee shops with toys or play space. (SD)

9.    Netflix subscription
Just because they have little ones, parents don’t need to miss great film. With a Netflix subscription, parents have access to thousands of films, documentaries, TV shows on DVD, and more, mailed straight to their home. Watching a movie after the kids go down can be a great way to reconnect, spark conversation, or just have some down time together. (SD)

10.    An invitation to Tumblon
How about a personalized invitation to Tumblon? On Tumblon, parents can get customized developmental information, track milestones, record stories, share photo and video, and get recommendations for the best toys, gear, and books as well as contribute their own. Introduce parents to the Tumblon community, and give them the resources they need to encourage and celebrate their child’s growth. (SD)

1.    The Baby Book, by William and Martha Sears - $14.95
This must-have book from the Sears library (attachment parenting guru William Sears is a pediatrician; his wife Martha is a nurse, and sons/co-authors Robert and James are also pediatricians) is the reference new parents will be thumbing at 2 a.m. in search of guidance. The Sears’ no-nonsense prose, gentle encouragement, and wisdom gleaned from years of pediatric practice (and raising 8 children!) is a welcome friend during the first two years of a child’s life. (SD)

2.    Camelbak BPA-free Water Bottle with Bite Valve - $15
Hydration is especially important while pregnant and breastfeeding, and having a reusable, portable, BPA-free bottle with a secure top and easy sipping mechanism is a gift that will get a lot of mileage. (KG)

3.    Aden and Anais Muslin Swaddle Cloths - $45.99
These large, soft swaddle cloths can also be used as crib sheets, nursing cover-ups, stroller drapes, and play mats. If you own or have access to a serger, you can also make your own swaddle blankets: simply buy a yard of 45-inch wide soft flannel (check the nursery aisle at your fabric store) and serge each of the sides with a simple overlock stitch. (KG)

4.    This Little Piggy: Lap Songs, Finger Plays, Clapping Games and Pantomime Rhymes, by Jane Yolen and Will Hillenbrand - $14.95
This treasure is full of familiar rhymes, charming pictures, and instructions for singing and playing lap games with little ones. From their earliest days, infants love song, motion, and rhythm; give new parents a head start with this delightful book, which also includes a CD. (SD)

5.    Babysitting coupons
New parents may be hesitant to ask for help, and may even feel guilty leaving their tiny little one with someone else. To help them ease into getting some much needed alone time, give a small booklet of babysitting coupons, ranging from such simple separations as “Take a nap while I sit up with the baby” and “Go down to the corner coffee shop for 1 hour” to a whole evening or afternoon out. (SD)

6.    Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow - $46
If the expecting mom is still early in her pregnancy, a total body pillow is an excellent gift that her husband will be sure to thank you for. Rather than gathering all the household pillows to help make the mom-to-be comfortable while sleeping (and therefore crowding out the dad-to-be!), this total body pillow can do the trick without the hassle. (KG)

7.    Healthy Child, Healthy World, by Christopher Gavigan - $16.35
Help new or expecting parents go green with this readable, helpful guide. Full of tips on simple ways to cut toxins in the home, choose healthier food, and find alternatives to toxic household products, this book makes creating an eco-friendly home something anyone can do. (SD)

8.    Breastfeeding Survival Kit
Pack a basket with everything the parents-to-be will need to successfully feed their little one from day 1: Lansinoh lanolin nursing cream, nursing pads, a nursing pillow and cover, and the Sears Breastfeeding Book . If you’re feeling particularly generous, toss in a good novel for mom to enjoy while baby nurses! (KG)

9.    A Homemade “Baby-Friendly” Map
Pick up a map of your city, do a little research, and give new parents a guide to going out on the town with their new baby. Mark stores with private nursing areas, kid-friendly coffee shops and restaurants, independent children’s bookstores, parks that are great for a stroll, spots that have changing tables in the men’s restrooms, and the like. Some helpful resources to get you started: lilaguide.com, deliciousbaby.com, Google Maps. (SD)

10.    Honey for a Child’s Heart, by Gladys Hunt - $12.99
“Children don’t stumble onto good books by themselves; they must be introduced to the wonder of words put together in such a way that they spin out pure joy and magic,” writes Tumblon blogger Gladys Hunt at the beginning of this indispensable guide. Give new parents this winningly-written guide that will encourage them to put good books at the center of their family life, and that includes wonderful lists for taking to the library or bookstore. (SD)

1.    Mini Automoblox - $21.60
Unlike traditional car kits that provide step by step instructions, these interchangeable “car blocks” let your child design a vehicle to the specifications of her own imagination. Automoblox has won a whole raft of toy awards for its ingenious design that fosters creativity, problem-solving, and experimentation. Sport-utility hood with a sleek convertible body? Why not? (SD)

2.    Snow block maker - $5.50
This simple block maker can be used to build snow forts, snow walls, igloos, and anything else you and your preschooler can dream up outside. Get active outside together, and take your snow construction skills up a notch. Best if you live somewhere cold! (SD)

3.    Melissa and Doug Deluxe Wooden Kitchen Accessory Set - $25.43
Give him this wooden set of pots and pans, and your preschooler can cook up anything he can imagine. He can open a restaurant, make Thanksgiving dinner, even prepare a feast for the President of the United States. Invite a friend over, and watch them learn to collaborate and cooperate – and don’t forget to taste the final product! (SD)

4.    Write a Book Together
Have your preschooler dictate a story to you and provide the accompanying illustrations. Together you can compile a book: let her help design the layout, print out a title, “copyright” and dedication page, and take it to a local print shop where you can make as many copies as you wish and have them bound using inexpensive plastic claw binding. Let the author distribute them to friends and family! (SD)

5.    Fitness Dice - $14
Roll the dice and do what they say! This simple toy is an excellent way to engage in physical activity with your child, and model the importance of fitness. If you live in a cold climate they’re a great way to keep moving indoors in the winter. (SD)

6.    Melissa and Doug Magnetic Wooden Alphabet – $9.57
These letters are a colorful, fun way for your child to become familiar with the alphabet – and an excellent way to keep them engaged while you work in the kitchen. Start by practicing colors (“What color is this “a”?) and, as they learn, move onto identifying letters and eventually short words. (SD)

7.    Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh, by A.A. Milne - $25.20
These timeless, charming stories have delighted children for over 70 years. Milne’s winsome prose and original illustrations will provide hours of joyful reading together for you and your child. (SD)

8.    Wooden Building Blocks - $38.40
This most basic of childhood toys is among the most versatile: kids can build towers, towns, houses, castles, fortresses, or anything else they can dream up. Blocks help hone fine motor skills, spatial relationships, problem solving, creativity, and perseverance, and they provide a new play experience every time. (SD)

9.    My Days My Pictures Journal, by Kathleen Lashier - $10
This brilliant little picture journal for 4 – 6 year olds has a page for every day of the year, each with a caption like “This is my house,” or “This is my mom” and space to draw. Some encourage writing simple words, like a parent’s name. An excellent means for encouraging children to creatively engage and record the world around them. (SD)

10.    Owen, by Kevin Henkes - $11.55
Follow the story of Owen and his beloved blanket, Fuzzy, in this Caldecott Medal winning picture book by Kevin Henkes. What happens when a neighbor suggests Owen is too old for Fuzzy anymore? Any child who has had a beloved transitional object – and any parent who has wondered, “Will he end up taking that to college with him?” – will enjoy this wise, playful story. (SD)

1.    IKEA Rusig Rocker - $9.99
This plastic rocker is close to the perfect toy: the simplicity of design lets little imaginations run free (is it a horse? a dinosaur? a hippo?), it’s lightweight enough for toddlers to carry around the house, and it actually looks kind of cool sitting in your living room. And for $10, it’s a steal. (SD)

2.    Egg Shakers - $7.99
For the budding percussionist, or any toddler who loves making music. These little shakers fit perfectly in small hands, won’t break and spill everywhere, and won’t drive parents nuts. They’re perfect for using in singalongs, rhyming and hand games, and dancing along with the radio. (SD)

3.    Museum ABC Nesting Blocks - $13.59
Each block in this beautiful set is printed with letters and corresponding images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Younger toddlers will enjoy building towers (and knocking them down) and nesting the blocks inside one another; older toddlers will enjoy naming the pictures and letters (and knocking them down). (SD)

4.    Melissa and Doug My First ABC Book - $14.99
Wooden magnets can be pulled out and matched with pictures for each letter of the alphabet in this toddler-sized book. What I love is that it builds several skills at once: fine motor coordination, alphabet learning, and matching pictures with words. It’s so much fun to sit on the floor with a little one and watch their pride as they figure out which magnets go where. (SD)

5.    Homemade Brag Book
Toddlers love naming the people they love! This is an especially wonderful gift for children who live far from extended family: fill a small photo album with pictures of loved ones; if possible, use pictures that include your child. “Read” it together before bed, sharing stories about the people in the pictures, or let your child take it along to day care or the nursery for some added reassurance that she is loved. (SD)

6.    My First LEGO Duplo Set - $34.50
Duplo blocks are a great way to introduce toddlers to the wonderful world of LEGO construction. These blocks are large enough for their chubby hands to manipulate successfully, and they’re too big to choke on. They provide almost endless possibility for imaginative play, and they also work with the smaller LEGOs as your child grows. Watch out: you may find yourself sitting on the floor playing with them as enthusiastically as your child. (SD)

7.    Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young, by Jack Prelutsky and Marc Brown - $13.57
The simple rhymes and charming pictures in this beautiful book are wonderful for reading together with your toddler. Children will love the rhythm of the poetry, which is an excellent tool for learning language and feeding imagination. (SD)

8.    My First Brain Quest: 400 Questions to Build Your Toddlers Word Skill - $10.73
A great parent-child activity, and excellent for travel. Little ones follow Max the Monkey through his day; each card is filled with pictures and questions to help toddlers name and learn about the world around them. The included parent guide gives helpful tips on how to use the deck. (SD)

9.    Garden Fresh Fruits and Veggies - $20
Packed in a farmer’s market bag, these soft plastic fruits and vegetables can be sliced (with the included plastic knife), peeled, or broken apart just like the real thing. A perfect gift for small kitchen helpers, this toy is a great way to introduce your toddler to the fun of preparing fresh food. (SD)

10.    Bean Bag Bonanza
These are fun, easy toys to make for toddlers. Make simple bean bags with old t-shirts or dish cloths: cut them into 5-inch squares and place two together, wrong side out. Sew three and a half sides shut; flip right side out; fill with beans; and sew them shut. You can use any dry bean, but first bake them at 250 degrees for 20 minutes to kill any pests and prevent sprouting. If you want, use a fabric marker to write your toddler’s name on the bags (one letter per bag); numbers are also great. The games are endless! See how many you can toss into the laundry hamper; use them for hopscotch, set up various sized buckets with different point values and see who can gather the most points…or make up your own games! (KG)

1. Sophie La Girafe Teether - $19.47
This is an excellent gift for the teething infant.  Sophie the Giraffe first debuted in France and quickly became a global craze. I have yet to meet a teething child that hasn’t loved Sophie. (KG)

2. Baby Paper - $4
Babies who have learned to grasp love the sound, feel, and texture of this soft, flannel-covered, crinkly square. The bright polka dots are fun to look at, and little ones can crumple, tug, and mouth this “paper” over and over again. Toss it in the diaper bag, and you have instant entertainment wherever you go. (SD)

3. Haba Trix - $8.95
Haba is an excellent toy company that produces wood products made with 100% non-toxic, water-based stains. Trix is a great grasping and teething toy, and the triangles can be rotated out to create a variety of interesting shapes for inquisitive eyes. Ideal for 6+ months. (KG)

4. Haba Twitterling Mobile - $44.95
Haba’s mobiles are great because they move naturally in random patterns, making them ideal tracking toys. The birds are attached with magnets, so they can be taken off for children to play with. Two of the birds have squeakers in them. Ideal for newborns and infants. (KG)

5. BabyLegs - $12
Mom and baby will love these stylish little legwarmers, which come in a variety of colors and patterns and are perfect for protecting chubby knees that are learning to crawl. They also double well as a second layer under pants in cold weather; my two-year old still wears hers! (SD)

6. Melissa&Doug Shape Sorting Cube - $14.99
This cube is a great way to introduce older infants to shape and color. Although most won’t be able to play with it independently yet, older babies will love to manipulate the wooden (non-toxic!) shapes in their fingers and mouths, and to help parents push the shapes into the slots. This toy will grow with your little one through the toddler years. Great for children 9 months and up. (SD)

7. Homemade Lid Sorter
We have one of these in our early childhood classroom, and the older infants flock to it week after week! All you need is a large, clean plastic ice cream tub with its lid and an assortment of lids from frozen juice canisters. Make sure and use the kind that just pop off, with no sharp edges, of course. Cut large slots in the ice cream tub lid with an X-acto knife, big enough to drop the juice lids in like coins.  These are easier to manipulate than shapes, and new walkers love to carry their “bank” around with them. Best for infants 6 months and up. (SD)

8. Angel Dear Baby Security Blanket - $10
This sweet little chenille blanket comes in a variety of animal shapes (bunny, elephant, bear, lamb, puppy, giraffe, lion) and is a perfect snuggling toy for a newborn. Also great as a burp cloth in a pinch! (KG)

9. Bumbo Baby Sitter - $39.99
A great gift for the infant who just wants to be a part of the action, but can’t sit up independently yet. This award-winning seat is contoured to fit your baby’s posture and help him practice sitting up, looking around, and taking part in the world! (SD)

10. The Alphabet Room, by Sara Pinto - $12.23
With each letter, little ones peek inside a room slowly filling up with playful objects that keep rearranging themselves. The flaps in this lovely book are fun for little fingers to open and shut, and the wordless story can be retold over and over again. This is another great infant gift that ages well into the toddler years. (SD)