Both of these wooden knife and wooden knife set are safe for most novice chefs whereas this one might be more appropriate for children who are ready to use a real knife that is still child-safe. You can also help promote self-help skills and independence with gifts that help your child participate in cooking –not to mention the gift of time and memories made together in the kitchen. Which food to try next? Depends on the spinner or the order of this path or these fun plates that are sure to make meals fun. Mealtimes: Take some of the struggles out of mealtimes with some of these fun gifts. Consider bath crayons, bath paint, bath bombs, bath confetti, color drop s, glow-sticks, –any of which would make great stocking stuffers, or you can choose something like this interactive set that lights up and has music parts or a bath-time basketball hoop.īedtime: Help create a calm environment and support a healthy bedtime routine with these recommendations that might make your child look forward to bedtime! Create a soothing and distraction-free environment with this bed tent or try a light projector such as thi s one that creates dinosaur images on the ceiling, this hugg a ble turtle, or this brave bear with his flashlight and book. “Time for bath” and “Time to choose a bath toy” have a different ring to them. But what if we could provide some tools to support these “tricky spots?” What if we could identify toys that we could integrate into daily routines and incorporate them in ways that help? Think of what part of the day feels challenging and add in some gifts to help make those tasks feel more exciting or run more smoothly.īath-time:Put together a Bath bin to make bath time more appealing.

Not every routine at home brings smiles to children and caregivers. Add in stepping stones, wobble boards, a figure-eight balance beam, or even tunnels and ball pits to level up the fun indoors.

Painter’s tape in the multi-color pack is great for creating homemade obstacle courses with little equipment. Winter is long so think of games that keep you moving indoors. To support calm feelings this card deck introduces mindfulness while this expandable breathing ball brings deep breathing to life. These Kimochis provide a cute way to talk about feelings and Create a Story cards support sequencing and story-telling. Consider adding some Social Services classics to your own toybox at home and normalize talking about mental health. There’s no rule that therapy games have to stay in the therapy room. The R ac e to the Treasure is in heavy rotation in the Social Services department as is Monkey Around, a non-competitive game that includes gross motor play, imitation, vocabulary, and social-emotional skills through a card game that prompts players to do movements together. Worried about the meltdowns that happen when a child is still learning to lose graciously? Stick with cooperative games such as those by Peaceable Kingdom. Board games bring the family together and there are many great options for even the youngest children. This is a great time to think of ways to spend time together during the winter months and look toward ways to create memories throughout the year. The old adage your presence is the best present is never truer than during the holidays. Many of the links included in this guide take you to Amazon, so add Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley as your selected charity through and get ready to shop! Family Time at Home Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley offers something unique- a holiday gift guide carefully curated with the needs of our families in mind and offered through the lens of mental health and wellness for the whole family.

Big City Readers put together this one that includes toys to support learning and development, and sensory play and of course books! There’s this one by Buzzfeed for kids with endless energy. Winter brings chillier temperatures, twinkling lights, extra family time and the opportunity for holiday shopping and gift-giving. By: Citlaly Gonzalez Psy.D Clinical Psychologist

Fox holiday gift guide