Gift-giving lists are not my usual thing, but you’ll love the unique gems on this one. These are incredible treasures I’ve found over the years for my boys as they’ve grown up. I’ve always tried to prioritize imagination, playfulness, fun, and quality materials for longevity and aesthetics. Many of these companies are smaller scaler, family-owned, or are proud of being ‘Made in the USA;’ plan accordingly because they may need human time to arrive (as opposed to Prime time).

This question gets asked a lot around the holidays. Here’s my midwife perspective from helping mothers birth, and navigate family holidays, for over 40 years.