This is the last of my gift guides for the season. It’s my 2017 Holiday Gift Guide for the Kid or Kid at Heart. In this list, I’ve compiled some gifts that have a bit of whimsy to them. In one way or another, these books, puzzles and more will certainly inspire a smile whether you’re 8 or 80.
None of these products are sponsored; however, this post contains some affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Robert Sabuda Pop Up Books
I’m kicking off this list with some pop up books from Robert Sabuda. I love them because they are creative and artistic and whimsical. Each turn of the page brings surprise and delight. It’s so much fun to see illustrations that just “jump” off the page!
We’ve owned many of these books for years. I display the Christmas and winter themed books each holiday season as part of our Christmas décor. When my kids were small, they LOVED opening every letter door in the Christmas Alphabet book.
I’ve gifted these to families, children and yes, even high end dress designers. It a gift that’s been loved by all.
Like the puzzles, it’s hard to choose just one, so I’m giving you a list of Christmas and winter choices. I’ve also thrown in one about dinosaurs, because, c’mon, what’s more fun than watching a big ole’ dinosaur pop off the page?
Encylopedia Pre-Historica Dinosaurs
White Mountain Puzzles
We recently received one of these puzzles as a gift. I can’t say we’ve ever been a big puzzle family. But, apparently times have changed, because we dove into it head first and didn’t come up for air until it was completed. Well, there was one night of sleep in there, but everyone was right back at it the next morning.
I think one of the reasons it is so popular across the different age groups is because of the design. Instead of large areas of blue sky or sea or some other scenery that makes it overly tedious to find the proper puzzle pieces, these have lots of colorful, identifiable areas to complete.
It’s like a bunch of smaller puzzles attached to each other. I thought it gave us just enough challenge to make it fun without making it so tedious that we’d want to walk away.
I also love the nostalgic themes. If you think the person you’re gifting to is one to frame a puzzle after completion, these could be a good choice. T
here are so many different designs, it was difficult to narrow it down to just one. So here are some ideas to get you started:
White Mountain Puzzles Vintage Tins
White Mountain Puzzles The Games We Played
White Mountain Puzzles Tin Signs
White Mountain Puzzles Things I Ate as a Kid
White Mountain Puzzles Garden Seeds
Animal Inspired
Wired Cat Ear Headphones– For the music loving person on your list who’s still rockin’ the cat ear trend.
Unicorn Winter Snow Tube– When all the fun pool floats have been packed away, it’s time to break out the snow tubes! Snow tubes and sleds are always a fun gift. (And one that will leave you counting the days until it snows 😊) And seriously, how fun would it be to see this guy, fully inflated under the tree? Imagine the Christmas morning photos!
Pocket Monkey Utility Wallet Tool– Looks like a monkey, fits into a wallet and has 12 tools baked into it’s small design. I bought a bunch for stocking stuffers last year. You never know when you’re going to need a bottle or letter opener, screw driver, an orange peeler, a ruler or any of the other many tools it provides. And the monkey? He just makes me smile every time I see him!
Fun and Games
Hopper Ball– One of the most fun Christmas mornings we had was when we had hopper balls under the tree. It’s fun for both kids and adults. This size is for adults, and yes, everyone is going to want a turn😊
Dr. Eureka- This is a lively, puzzle solving, logic game for kids, but my friend swears that adults always want to jump in and join the fun. It’s easy to understand right out of the box, so you can get your first game going quickly.
Spot it– We’ve all had lots of fun playing this game. You’ll be surprised how many times you’ll miss seeing something that’s right in front of you. Great for visual perception, speech/language, focus and fine motor skills, not that you’ll notice any of that while you’re racing to find the matching image on your card. I also love this because it’s easy an easy game to take with you.
Tell Tale– I brought this game to a family event one year, and we were literally in tears because we were laughing so hard at the stories being created. We had 8 players from every age group and everyone else was literally crowded around the table to see how the story was going to unfold. This is another game that’s easy to take with you.
That wraps up the 2017 Holiday Gift Guide for The Kid or Kid at Heart. In case you missed them, I also have a Kitchen Gift Guide and Coffee, Tea and Tranquility Gift Guide. I hope I was able to help you cross at least one name off of your list. Happy Shopping!