gifting small for your smalls
making things for my kids has always been the motivation behind this shop. so now that they're 5 and 9, i have built up quite the assortment of giftable products made just for littles, and you're certain to find something for all of the small hands on your list.
1. for the whole family to enjoy, a deck of cards
card games played a big part in my childhood--arguing over rummy with my siblings, endless hours spent perfecting my shuffle, getting swindled out of my candy by my grandma in poker--so many good memories.
so when i set out to design my own deck of cards, it was always with that thought of using them to create family memories. and that's what makes them so giftable. each card features a delightful forest friend with beautifully calming colors and a lovely matte finish.
and they're not just for kids. gift them to anyone in your life who needs a little more relaxing beauty. i can think of no better way to spend a winter evening than with a cup of tea and some visually stunning solitaire.
2. for the littlest hands, a chunky puzzle
my youngest is obsessed with puzzles, and she's luckily a big fan of mine. she still regularly pulls out her collection of wooden puzzles and diligently works her way through the stack.
with doubly thick pieces, our forest friends wooden woodland puzzle makes the perfect toddler gift. it's eight, laser-etched pieces make for delightful imaginative play and when it's not being played with, it can double a lovely piece of nursery art.
3. for the budding crafter, a stitching kit
since i'm always crafting, my kids are also always crafting. normally, this looks like cutting recyclables into small pieces and then gluing them creatively back together, but sometimes it's nice to have an activity that is a little more directed and a little less destructive. so i've created a few stitching kits to keep those little hands busy. and of course there's rainbows, there's always rainbows.
these kits are great for gifting to the older kids in your life--i recommend ages 6 and up, but i think they're perfect for the 9-12 year old crowd, which is notoriously hard to gift for. they make amazing bff gifts and slumber party activities, because not only do they provide some relatively quiet and calming fun, but when they've finished they've created their very own piece of motivational decor. and what better feeling is there than seeing something every day and knowing, 'i made that!'
4. for the observer, a matching game
i remember the good ole days where i was guaranteed to beat my littles in a matching challenge. and while this is no longer true, we still have a lot of fun playing with this matching faces set. every character has a name, and there's fierce competition to see who gets the sloth first.
with 20 different faces for a total of 40 pieces, this matching set is the perfect giftable challenge for the preschool aged littles in your life. featuring both animal and human faces, this matching game can also be used to prompt story telling and imaginative play. and they all come packaged neatly in a cardboard tube--which makes them an amazing stocking stuffer!
5. for the 'too cool for toys', a wooden yo-yo
yo-yoing was all the rage when i was in middle school in the late nineties. i remember wanting a fireball yo-yo more than anything in the sixth grade, and i wore that thing out. i have yet to pass this skill on to one of my kiddos, but i can happily say that my 20+ year old muscle memory is still alive and well, and i've personally tested every yo-yo that i've etched.
i'm not sure if yo-yos are still cool, but i think our wooden, fox etched yo-yo can encourage anyone to learn. and it's a great gift for that difficult 9-12 age range who thinks they're too cool for toys, but secretly still wants them. i would be excited to get one in my stocking, and i'm nearing 40.
6. for the artist, coloring postcards
coloring is always a good idea. it's my go to canned response for when my kids break out the 'i'm bored' declaration (well that, and hopelessly, 'how about you clean something'). and it's an activity that transcends age. the youngest enjoy it--at least for a little bit, and even mom and dad join sometimes.
our set of coloring postcards includes all 14 forest friends designs from our deck of cards, so there's something for everyone--from moths and snails to racoons and rabbits. this set makes a great gift if you're traveling over the holidays. it's small and easy to pack and provides hours of entertainment. and you can even send the postcards out as you travel, just be sure to bring along your favorite coloring supplies and some stamps!
7. for the creative thinker, tangrams
this picture always makes me laugh. my youngest will play nonstop with tangrams, but when i asked her to help me out with this shot, this was all of the activity she could muster.
our tangram set comes with the classic seven pieces nestled in a wooden tray that fits neatly in a plastic, resealable sleeve for the perfect on the go activity--just tuck it into your bag and pull it out for those emergency waiting moments--like in a restaurant or a waiting room. the back of the tray has 9 etched designs to try and it comes with a booklet of 18 more. and you can of course invent your own, making for limitless open-ended play. i love gifting tangrams to the 5-7 year olds in my life. they're old enough to figure out how to make the shapes, but it still presents them with a fun challenge.
8. for the tiny mathematician, geometric lacing set
sorry, not sorry for some more stitching. it's a favorite.
while our stitching kits are great for older kids, these geometric lacing shapes were made with the preschooler in mind. the strings have a metal shoe lace tip so they're easy to manipulate through the holes, and the other end has a wooden bead tied on to minimize the frustration that comes when they inevitably pull the string too far. they make a great gift for a quiet time basket or a road trip. and they come neatly packaged in cloth bag, perfect for gifting and stocking stuffing.
i hope you discovered something special!
kids are so fun to make and buy for. i hope you discovered some things on this list that would be a perfect fit for some of the kiddos on your list. and if there's anything you would like to see me put the oh, little wren spin on, let me know! this is my happy place of design.