The Toadstool Christmas Wishlist
This is an entry into the ‘The Toadstool’s’ big Christmas blogger competition!
It’s only September and I already have a wish list as long as my arm for our twin girls. It is their second Christmas this year and they will be 22 months old. Last Christmas was special because it was their first, but they were only 10 months old so they didn’t have a clue that it was Christmas! This year they won’t have a much better understanding of Christmas, but I have been talking to them about it in the run up. Mentioning Santa and his reindeers and explaining to them why Christmas is celebrated. They don’t understand, but they have picked up on a few Christmasy’ words! Anyhow, here is my Christmas Wish List for our twin girls!
Janod Maxi Cooker Kitchen (Brown). £79.00
Children learn best from copying their parents and other people around them. From an early age, babies will study people’s faces and by the time they’re just six months old they can already smile. Our daughters have started copying me in a number of different ways. My favourite thing they have copied me doing is when I take my make-up off before bed using a wet wipe. Both R and M will see me doing this and they each gesture for me to hand them a wet wipe so they can both pretend to take their make-up off too! Of course they aren’t wearing make up, but they delight in copying me! I find it so heart-warming and funny to watch! I’m amazed by how quickly they pick up things!
This is one of the reasons why pretend play is so important. It helps to develop their social and language skills as well as their imaginative sides. It’s such an important part of child hood. There are many different things that you can do with your child. When I take our twins to play group they always play with the pretend kitchen. That’s why I love this kitchen from The Toadstool. This kitchen/cooker is a must have for little chefs. It’s packed with clever features such as magnetic fork, spoon and spatula (to ensure they’re easy to keep tidy and in one place). I love this idea. We have bought so many toys for our girls that have additional bits and pieces that go with it, but so often they go missing. This kitchen is a great aid to development and learning. It comes with 8 accessories and includes an oven, double cooker, sink with tab, cupboards, clock and the previously mentioned magnetic board for hand utensils. This kitchen looks really good and won’t look out of place in our front room. It’s compact enough not to take up too much room, yet at the same time it’s big enough for both of our daughters to play with it the same time.
Haba Large Farm Animal Playset. £29.90
Undoubtedly, both R and M’s favourite animal at the moment is dogs! They wander around saying woof, woof and every time they see a dog on TV or out of the window they get excited. If you are a regular reader of my blog then you will know that I quite often take our girls to the pet shop so that they can look at the rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and lizards. They love animals! As I’m sure all children do, which is why I think this playset is a perfect present this Christmas for your little boy or girl. The animals, farmer and tractor can easily be clutched and placed upright. The sturdy cardboard packaging unfolds into a farm house and this playset comes with 22 wooden figures and 1 set of game instructions which is unique to the Haba play sets, a guideline for extra play! Our twins have a big farm book, which my sister bought them and they love pointing at the pictures, listening to me saying the name of each animal and then making the noises that each animal makes! I think this playset is a great way for children to learn about animals and it also helps children to play their first games of role-play and fosters imagination and language skills.
Haba Doll Pram Hearts. £89.00
This beautiful wooden pram is made from sold beechwood and is finished in white and pink. It comes complete with a gorgeous 2 piece bed set finished in pink stripes with spotty hearts to keep baby dolls cosy. Suitable from 12 months of age this is another great way to encourage your child to play. Dolls and soft toys are usually one of the first props that children use. Children are naturally nurturing and from around 18 months of age they start to form attachments to various toys and blankets, even shorts in our household! M loves playing with the chords on daddies shorts and will carry them around everywhere with her! R in particular really enjoys cuddling her teddies and dolls as if they are real and I’m sure she’d love this pram to push them all around in.
Wonderworld Eco Doll House. £96.00
In my opinion every little girl should have a dolls house! My twin sister and I had one when we were growing up and I fully intend on my twins having one as well. The one that my sister and I shared was made by our dad. He still has it in his attic and it was absolutely stunning! Pink, wooden and it even had working lights! I love this dolls house from The Toadstool because not only does it look wonderful, it is also eco-friendly. Made from sustainable rubber wood it has everything you want from a dolls house and more. With wooden, solar panels, recycling bins and rain water collector your children will begin to learn about caring for our environment from an early age, through natural and fun play. There are plenty of films and shows on TV that talk about saving the planet and I think this dolls house is a great introduction to being pro-active in the environment. It’s brightly coloured and comes with a balcony and furniture as well as three charming wooded dolls.
Janod Giant Farm Train Set and Playworld
I think this toy goes in perfect harmony with the above Haba Large Farm Animal Playset. It’s beautifully illustrated and includes a number of different farm animals, as well as the unique train set. I love the bright colours of the trains and can imagine my two having lots of fun with this one, not to mention the fun that Twin Daddy could have with it too!
I also think the following items would make great stocking fillers
Haba Magical Sound Flute
Haba Shaker Drum
Lilliputiens Liz Soft Reversible Rattle
Lilliputiens reversible little red riding hood puppet
To see my wishlist on pinterest, click here.
