June is a big month for gifts in our families. Nine birthdays (my mom, aunts, and cousins/nieces and nephews) and father’s day (1 dad and 2 grandpas) make it a busy gift season for me.

There are 4 under 5-year-olds this year, so I always have to stop and think, “Okay, what was MyChild doing when she was this age?”

Then there is the requisite scramble, Google and Pinterest searches, and Amazon Prime ordering to get things taken care of.

Here are some of my favorite ideas for the kids this year:

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1. Kiwi Crate (for my 5 year old niece)

Like many first born children, my niece has MANY toys. Which increased with the birth of her little brother. I usually try to find something for her that is JUST for her (it’s not always fun to share) AND that doesn’t just add to their pile of stuff (I am constantly trying to reduce ours).

I had heard of Kiwi Crate (and it’s friends) long ago and often considered it for MyChild. I have never ordered it for us, for a variety of reasons, but it was just perfect for this gift.

They make it SO easy to send as a gift (check the appropriate box. Done.) AND we chose to gift her a 3-month subscription to extend the fun.

I received a SUPER cute thank you video, so the first month was definitely a hit.

Side Note: I seriously considered one of the younger sets for her 2 year old brother, but the Cricket Crate (0-36 months) seemed too young and the Koala Crate (3-4 years) seemed too old.

2. Melissa and Doug Plush Bowling Game (for my 2 year old nephew)

This little boy is on the go all the time. While I try to limit toys with his older sister (opting for things she can DO/create), this one gets all the cute things I can think of.

3. Crayola Camera

MyChild received this camera as a gift when she was around 2-years-old. Kids today are so exposed to photography through our phones, that I love to give them the freedom to create their own photos – without a grownup suffering a heart attack from a 2-year-old with their phone. She quickly graduated to this little digital camera and eventually got to use an old iPod for her photography.

4. Lego Duplo

I carefully consider the recipient and their family before I gift any type of Legos (age of other kids in the house, likely hood of parents hating me forever for gifting something with at least 30 small parts, etc.). Popular sets I’ve given in the past couple of years include:

My First Number Train (23 pieces)

My First Shop (39 pieces)

My First Zoo (60 pieces)

5. Lalaloopsy

If you have no idea what that word means, this one might be a stretch for you.

The premise is: These are rag dolls who came to life once their last stitch was sewn. There is a cartoon/movies, there are dolls, there are apps and online games, there are toy sets, it’s a whole world.

Personally, I find them adorable and yes, I got MyChild into them. We have more than twenty, now. I find these dolls fun for all ages. The Little Sisters are great for younger children – they are easier to hold/carry.

This (above) is Spot Splatter Splash (her pet Zebra) and her little sister Scribbles Splatter Splash (her pet giraffe).

Every doll has their own personality – I tend to search for ones relating to MyChild’s current interest – reading (Bea Spells-a-lot or Spec Spells-a-lot), baking/cookies (Crumbs Sugar Cookie or Sprinkles Spice Cookie), ice cream (Scoops Waffle Cone or Spoons Waffle Cone), birthday party fun (Candle Slice o’Cake or Wishes Slice o’Cake), and MANY more.

(Not bashing Barbie – Lord knows we have plenty of these around, too) BUT I like these so much better than Barbie for their obvious lack of human/realistic body images AND the lack of super tiny accessories that always get lost/eaten by a dog.