2022 Holiday Toy Shopping Guide for Kids
Amazon has organized its toys into some of my favorite categories as an OT! I’ve highlighted the best ones for your 2022 Holiday Toy Shopping Guide for Kids.
It’s that time of year! After an unseasonably warm and beautiful fall, it was fun seeing some snowflakes dancing in the air today!
It really got me excited for the upcoming holidays. I’m ready to make my list and start my shopping. Wow do I miss shopping for little ones!
When you make your class wish list (or for your own kids,) please avoid screens and techy toys!
For gift buying ideas to address specific child development skills, check out Develop Learn Grow’s previous posts. There are great ideas for classroom centers, indoor recess, outdoor recess, and for earning free time.
Best Educational Toys and Games for Kids 5-10+ – toys and games are categorized under different skill areas. (Visual skills, auditory skills, strategy, and motor.)
Skill Building Outdoor Games for Kids – find gross motor and movement activities for indoor or outdoor recess or for at home. The post includes easy DIY games, movement games, and gross motor coordination games.
How to Improve Reading Skills with Auditory Activities – find games and activities to help improve listening skills.
Art Project & Crafts for Kids – A Great Way to Support Learning and Development – this post shares fun and important arts and crafts for kids. There are so many great indoor, quiet, mindful ideas… be sure to check them out!
How to Improve Reading with 15+ Visual Skills Activities – more visual activities and games… they’re so important for learning!
Amazon Toy Categories – Top Picks from Develop Learn Grow
Amazon always makes it easy when shopping. You will love the categories and the age ranges to make gift buying easier!
Just please, help your kiddos brain and body development and stay away from those techy toys and screens! Stick with basic toys that support development.
Make a classroom wish list, shop for a teacher, or shop for your kids. Or, wait until after the holiday and use your gift cards!
Here are my top favorite categories to help your kids develop, learn and grow! (Affiliate links are used, please see below for more info.)
Enjoy the 2022 Toy Shopping Guide for Kids!
Sports & Outdoor
Get your kids moving! This category should be a top priority. After the pandemic, it’s been so evident that kids are not getting as much movement and physical activity as they used to.
This is so important for learning and behavior! Favorites in this category are the Indoor Scooter Board for extra movement and heavy work, the Basketball Hoop Set for a closet door, and the Exercise Trampoline for a corner of your room! The Obstacle Course in a Box is fun for indoor recess.
Encourage bikes and non-motorized scooters for home!
Arts & Crafts
Spark creativity!
Help kids work on fine motor skills, attention, sensory development and visual motor integration.
Grab an Art Easel for your room and add a Lite Brite or Kinetic Sand Treasure Hunt Set to your shelves.
Building Toys & Blocks
Make sure your learning space has building toys and blocks to help improve fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, visual perception and creativity.
The Tinker Toy Retro Building Tin (in the image) works on many developmental skills.
My personal favorites with my kids were Lincoln Logs, Lego’s, and wooden blocks. At work, I love the many magnet building blocks – they’re great for hand strengthening.
Games
There are so many amazing games you can add to your learning environment!
Some highlights: Skillmatics Found It, Guess Who?, and Memory & Matching – I Never Forget a Face (I’ve used this for work.)
And of course… Twister Ultimate!
STEM & Learning
STEM games and activities and brainy learning games are wonderful for kids! Just be sure to avoid the techy ones in this category!
Keep it simple to focus on more areas of body and brain development. For example, rather than an app or digital program where they sit and stare at an educational lesson, try View Master Classic Deluxe Edition (with Discovery Kids Reels.) This simple little toy shares wildlife / endangered species while working on – posture, bilateral coordination, shoulder stability, eye muscle focusing, finger strength on the lever, etc!
Some great picks in this category: Genius Tangram and Skillmatics Educational Brain Games – reusable activity mats (see the image in this category.)
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