Play: The work of our children.

It still amazes me how much my two year old son picks up from watching me… even when I don’t think he’s noticing. Like the time he looped his tiny arm through his brother’s car seat in an attempt to carry him. Or how he vacuums right along next to me, lifting his pretend Dyson at random times like I do to pick up larger crumbs on the floor. Or when he uses a sponge to clean his dishes in the sink. Or how no diaper change on his baby doll is complete without Desitin, because we use it on every diaper change in real life. Or when he grabs our deodorant and tries to put it under his arms. All day long he’s watching and learning how to navigate this big world.

Imaginative or pretend play is so crucial for child development. It encourages creativity, promotes physical development, and improves their problem solving skills, among many other things. This Christmas I’m focusing on gifts that encourage my sons imagination and allow him to imitate and recreate the world around him.

Below are some items we already have and love, some that I’ve already purchased for Christmas and some that are in my Amazon shopping cart. Happy holiday shopping!

Kitchen Play:

This play kitchen will be found under our Christmas tree on December 25th and I think it’ll be the biggest hit of the day.

The quality of Learning Resources toys is great and I love their farmer’s market play food set which is the perfect addition to a play kitchen and also can be used for sorting/learning colors.

I also love this set of breakfast, lunch, and dinner food baskets by Learning Resources (you can buy them individually if you don’t want to buy all three). I really appreciate the healthier food options they include for my kids to play with rather than pizza, French fries, chips, and endless sweets like many of the other pretend food sets include.

Cleaning Play:

There’s nothing wrong with getting your kids involved with chores from an early age and this Melissa & Doug broom set is perfect. Plus, they don’t know the difference between chores and play yet!

A favorite in our house. My son runs to grab his Dyson vacuum every time I start vacuuming… I’m hoping his love for vacuuming continues as he gets older!

Doll Play:

A dollhouse with all the accessories and people will be magical for your kiddos under the Christmas tree.

While I was getting coffee recently, I saw a mom carry her baby in his car seat and her older daughter carry her “baby” in its play car seat and it was one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. And remember, baby dolls aren’t just for girls! They make lots of boy options too!

This brand also has a matching doll stroller , playpen , highchair, twin stroller, and baby carrier. Pick and choose which your kiddos will most enjoy for their baby dolls.