GIFT GUIDE 12th Annual Holiday Gift Guide !

BY PARENTING NOW

THE RAIN SETTLES IN for the winter season, parents often start looking for indoor As activities to keep their busy toddlers and preschoolers engaged. Singing and listening to music, specifically fingerplay songs, is a fun way to entertain your child, while also building connection.

Fingerplays are short songs that are paired with finger movements or body actions to “act out” the story. Even if you’ve never heard of the term “fingerplay songs,” you’ve likely heard one before or even sang one yourself — “Itsy Bitsy Spider” is the perfect example!

When you sing fingerplay songs with your child, they are building on lots of important skills, including: • Listening • Rhythm • Creativity and imagination • Cause and effect • Sequential thinking • Large motor skills • Coordination • Language development

Here are a couple fun fingerplay songs to sing with your toddler and preschooler:

1,2,3,4,5! (pop fingers up, one at a time) I caught a fish alive! (put palms together, making swimming motion) 6,7,8,9,10! (pop fingers up, other hand) Then

I let it go again! Why did I let it go? (gesture both palms up) Because it bit my finger so! (right hand

“bites” finger on left hand) OUCH!

Way up high in the apple tree, (hands in air) Two little apples were smiling at me. (point two fingers) I shook the tree as hard as I could, (shaking motion with hands) Down came the apples, Yum, they were good! (rub tummy) (Repeat with other fruit)

Creepy, creepy caterpillar, (fingers crawls like caterpillar) Crawling, crawling by, Don’t you know that someday, You’ll grow up to be a butterfly! (thumbs together, fingers fan like butterfly). Don’t you know that someday, You will be a butterfly? Tiny little tadpole, swimming by a log, (finger swims) Don’t you know that someday, You’ll grow up to be a frog? (hop hand like frog) Don’t you know that someday, You’ll grow to be a frog? (ribbit, ribbit, ribbit!)

Your child’s ability to listen and respond appropriately to a fingerplay song is the foundation for learning about impulse control, logical consequences, and thinking skills. The more you sing fingerplay songs with your child, the more opportunity your child has to practice these skills—all which helps lay the foundation for future learning! ✦

These songs are from Parenting Now’s Squishtivities series, which is currently being offered as a drop-in program every Wednesday from either 10 am to 11 am, or 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. To see the full calendar of events offered, visit parentingnow.org. Fingerplay songs can also be found on Parenting Now’s YouTube channel--look for the Circle Time videos!

Little did we know that the first holiday gift guide we did 10 years ago would turn into such a fun project with so many great ideas to share every year. I only have a few guidelines when choosing items: they can’t be “mainstream” toys but need to be a little off-the-beaten-path. I love things that get kids thinking, moving and active or engaging with their family. This year, the list is wide-ranging with ideas for ages newborn (new baby niece to celebrate!) to teenagers. I hope you find some great ideas that you may not have thought of before.

Preschool farmers will love the KULLERBU FARMYARD PLAY TRACK. A fun twist on a train set, the track comes with two sneaky farm “animals” (Selma the sheep and Simon the pig) that your track builder has to try to catch. The farmyard sounds add to the fun! Perfect for ages 2 - 8. Available at: https://www.habausa.com/

There’s literally nothing softer (or sweeter) in the entire universe than a SLUMBERKIN. This year, a few new friends came to visit — Dragon and the Caring Crew. Each Slumberkin encourages emotional growth through a story. Dragon reminds us that creativity comes in many forms and is something we can all do. The Caring Crew’s How to Bee Helpful set includes five minis and promotes caring and kindness. Available at:

With a new baby in the family, I was excited to hear about the HOWDY BABY BOX subscription. The box features ethically made baby and kids products from women-owned businesses in the U.S. for ages newborn through 24 months. The box I got was beautifully curated and would make any new mama swoon with delight. Available at: https://www.howdybabybox.com

The iconic original, ROLLERBLADE, will have your teen or tween rocking and rolling. The Advantage Pro X.T. from Bladerunner has both men’s & women’s styles and sizes available and is a perfect starter skate for inline skating. The skates have an easy closure system, extra foot support and a durable frame to help with balance. Plus: it comes in hot pink! Available at: rollerblade.com or via Amazon or Dick’s Sporting Goods.

The magic of bubbles really never gets old. When the American Bubble Company offered to send BUBBLE TREE BUBBLES to try, we couldn’t resist. The bubbles are the first-ever eco-friendly sustainable bubble system that uses a non-toxic bubble solution made in the USA. The bubbles come in aluminum bottles with poppy, vibrant designs. And the refillable bubble system saves money — there’s no need to purchase replacement bubble wands and containers. Available at:

Amazon and Target.

We’re not a golfing bunch, but my teenager has been begging for a set of clubs. I don’t know much about what to get and don’t want either a discount set that won’t last or a crazy expensive set that may not be right for him in the long run. I was lucky to learn about STIX. The company fits our budget and his interest level — plus they look cool. Available at https://stix.golf/ There’s no mistaking a CHANCE BASKETBALL. The L.A.-based company has bold and vibrant patterns that inspire kids to get out and play. Chance Athletics believes in spreading the love through donating products and raising funds for communities that need them through organizations like Boys & Girls Club, Hoops for Haiti, and Project Backboard. Available at Target or https://wearechance.com/

My baseball-obsessed sons are preparing for the next season, so I was thrilled to learn about the BACKYARD LEAGUE GAMING BASEBALL. It is regulation size and weight and connects via Bluetooth to the user’s smartphone. It tracks catches, drops, and other metrics and features up to 70 hours of battery life on a standard 2032 watch battery. With activities and global leaderboards, kids can keep the game going year-round. Available at: https://backyard-league.com/

Outdoor play needs outdoor gear. Oregon Family favorites, LONE CONE MUD BOOTS come in tons of adorable and kid-approved prints and are made to keep toes warm and dry in any weather (rain, mud and snow!). Available at

The ORIGINAL STOMP ROCKET® STUNT PLANES gets kids out and moving, but it also helps enrich those STEM skills. Dead simple, but endlessly entertaining! No batteries required, and the soft tips means fun that is safe. Plus, as a sneaky educational bonus, they have to think about gravity, motion and force (whether they realize it or not). Also available at Target, Target.com and Rite Aid. Fishing and living in Oregon go hand in hand, but finding a good rod and reel for young kids is challenging. If you’ve got an angler-to-be that’s ready to be on the water with mom and dad, the SHAKESPEARE EZ-GROW fishing kit is a great gift. For kids as young as four, the rod starts at 2’10” rod with an oversized handle knob and extended length push button and extends to 4’5” for kids up to eight. The large handle knob and push-button extender can easily be removed as little hands grow for comfort during use. Available at: https://www.purefishing.com/

It’s winter in Oregon so getting outside isn’t always an option. The

PLAYGROUND might be the perfect way to get your kids moving. It converts from a pull-up bar to a kids’ jungle gym, providing various lively indoor activities for the whole family. The pull-up bar has six different attachments: indoor swing, rings, trapeze bar, wood-and-rope ladder, and a knotted rope for swinging or climbing. Holds up to 300 pounds. Available on Amazon.

We’ve featured dozens of OSMO products and extensions in our gift guide and they never disappoint. The latest, OSMO DETECTIVE, is a globe-trotting adventure that takes kids to the world’s most famous cities, searching for clues to help solve mysteries, using a real magnifying glass and physical maps. Available for iPad or Fire. Available at https://www.playosmo.com/, Wal-Mart or Target.

When you’re young, there’s still a lot of excitement about getting something in the mail just for you — you can be pretty sure it’s not a bill. MAILPOP meets this excitement with a weekly mailed envelope with a newsletter, activities and a papercraft. Sign up at https://www.mailpopkids.com/ If you’ve got a young engineer in the making, the TENI AND

CAR KIT gives kids the material to build and paint their own solar powered car from scratch. The kit works like a puzzle, which my kiddo found frustrating at first (where’s the directions?!), but he quickly got the hang of it and was proud of his finished car. We also love that Teni and Tayo is a woman-owned business and celebrates diversity in all its products with just a “pinch of Africa.” Available at

Sometimes our gift guide recommendations are hard to explain but stay with me. BLINKS tabletop game is a tabletop game powered by artificial intelligence. Each game piece is responsive to your touch, works with the other pieces, and thinks for itself. Every piece knows its own game and can also learn new games. In short — it’s amazing (wow! Did you see that?!) and a ton of fun. Available at https://move38.com/ or Amazon.

Whether your kid is a bookworm or you struggle to get them to sit still and read for 20 minutes a day, OWLCRATE, JR. for ages 8 - 12, can help. The box comes with a brand new hardcover book, activities, stickers and other goodies. It’s beautifully presented and my reluctant reader loved exploring everything inside. And we’ve been reading the book together, which has been a delightful pre-bedtime routine. There’s also an OwlCrate for older kids (ages 14+). Available at: https://www.owlcrate.com/

Imaginary play is everything. The HESS CARGO PLANE AND JET is a brand new option from this award-winning company. A high-flying adventure awaits with six button and motionactivated flying sounds and lights. There’s a lot to discover with retractable folding jet wings, push-button cargo bay doors and a hidden slide-out ramp to maneuver. The jet is 14 inches long and has a wingspan of 15 inches. It’s hours of fun! Available only at

A portable Bluetooth speaker is becoming a “must-have” for kids on the go. The SPEAQUA bluetooth speakers are designed to bring your tunes wherever you go. The Barnacle speakers are waterproof and have a suction cup to stick anywhere. The major bonus is that the Barnacles can store up to 2,000 songs directly on the speaker, so you don’t need wifi or a phone to enjoy music. It’s shockproof, dust/sand proof with a 5-8 hour battery life and it even floats. Available at: https://speaqua.com/

The original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie was released 50 years ago! Still a classic, you can celebrate with a rewatch and the new GOLDEN TICKET family board game. Use strategy on every move and play your Wonka Candy cards to collect as many Wonka Bars as you can. When the last Wonka Bar is picked up, everyone opens up their collection to see who’s got a Golden Ticket! Play as one of the movie’s original characters, including Charlie, Veruca, Violet, Mike and Augustus. Start with the beginner side of the board and move to advanced mode when you’re ready. Available at Target.

GHOSTED is a fun twist on the traditional game of Clue. It’s “whodunnit” murder mystery game where you’re the ghost trying to solve your own murder — which character had it in for you, what wacky weapon did they use and why did they want you of the picture? This game is a new family favorite with quick play, easy directions and lots of laughs and silliness. Available at Target. Who said politics can’t be fun? ELECTION NIGHT is fun and educational. Winning the electoral college includes a lot of math! Two players or teams battle for critical electoral votes in the race to win the presidency. To get there, you have to sharpen your U.S. geography and political system knowledge and stay on your toes. Good for ages 8 and up. Available at https://sempersmartgames.com/ and Amazon.

I’ve got a Revolutionary War-era fanatic in my house (Thanks to Hamilton the Musical), so we were excited to try the SPIES OF LIBERTY escape room style game from Escape Notice Games. Players are all members of the Culper Spy Ring where they help George Washington outwit the British forces and turn the tide of war in favor of the patriots. Historic spycraft tools help players solve puzzles, read ciphers, navigate vintage maps, and uncover hidden codes - it’s beautifully and thoughtfully done and we had a lot of fun. No internet required! The game works best for 2 - 6 players, ages 14 and up (but my 9-year-old could join in). Available online at EscapeNoticeGames.com and Etsy.

A glitter-filled inflatable chair? Yes, please! AIRCANDY has fashionable, affordable and easy-to-use inflatable chairs. The chairs are jumbo and comfortable like a bean bag, yet strong enough to hold up to 250 pounds. AirCandy is made with heavy-duty PVC material and is 100% waterproof. Available at https://www.poolcandy.net/ and on Amazon. Oregon-based LOVE AND XO JULIA is a curated collection of clean skincare and beauty products and accessories for tweens and young teens just beginning their self-care journey. We love that the ingredients are all sourced to be good for young skin and the products help young adults kickstart their experience with selfcare and confidence. The products make them feel good and support wellness. Available at: https://loveandxojulia.com/

Your favorite fashionista will love the fun new ALPHABET BEAD NECKLACE from Oregon Family-favorite, Isabelle Grace Jewelry. Personalize with her name, her favorite people’s names, short sayings or cute messages, and you can also add a colorful heart bead. The chain is sterling silver or 14kt gold fill.

Exotic sauces can make boring dinners, well, less boring. AFRICAN DREAM FOODS has a set of sauces that include things like Southern Braal (a BBQ sauce with an African Twist) or Jalanasco Fermented Jalapeño (tangy and mild and great for eggs). If Mom prefers hot, African Dream can deliver with African Ghost Pepper, the hottest of the hot sauces. Available on Amazon.

Our world food travels to find great gifts take us to BAZODEE FOODS, a Caribbean, Venezuelan and Trinidadian inspired brand that infuses great flavors as a marinade and also celebrates the foods that create family bonds. What’s better for a foodie Mom? All Bazodee sauces are all natural, vegetarian, gluten and preservative free.https://bazodee.com/ Brooklyn-style crumb cake is something special and CLARKSON AVENUE CRUMB CAKE CO. knows what it takes. The company has regular and seasonal flavors, but also a build-your-own option to get just the perfect creation. Clarkson Avenue ships their freshly made cakes nationwide so you can give the cake as a gift in person or have it shipped to Mom’s door. https://clarksonavecrumb.com/

With beautiful packaging, easy step-by-step instructions, the MULLED WINE GIFT SET has recipes and spices for 4 recipes. The idea of heating wine and infusing it with spices may seem odd, but this beverage is one of the most iconic winter cocktails all over Europe. Known as gluhwein in Germany, glögg in Sweden, and vin chaud in France, this mulled wine cocktail set makes a great gift.

Chocolate and wine make for a very safe gift idea for most moms.

Wine Box Truffle Assortment features a 12-piece assortment of handcrafted chocolate truffles all beautifully laid out in a wine bottle-shaped box. The coffee caramel flavor was my favorite. Yum!