Wholesome Gifts for Modern Families
Gift-giving lists are not my usual thing, but you’ll love the unique gems on this one. In fact, though I mostly roll my eyes at overly-early, overly-commercialized, over-the-top holiday stuff, last year I got so annoyed about promotions for cheap jewelry and bad perfume that I composed my own authentic list: Mom Gifts That Aren’t Dumb
This year I want to share some of the incredible treasures I’ve found over the years for my boys as they’ve grown up. My personal policy has been to emphasize items that prioritize imagination, playfulness, fun, and quality materials for longevity and aesthetics. While that can be harder as they grow up and technology takes center-stage, these have been winners. Many of these companies are smaller scaler, family-owned, or are proud of being ‘Made in the USA;’ plan purchases accordingly, because they may need human time to arrive (as opposed to Prime time).
Full disclosure, a couple of these companies include affiliate links; your price is the same (or better), and the small commission helps out. With or without links though, I only promote companies I genuinely love.
One of my son’s college math professors suggested Creative Crafthouse, and every item has been exactly as promoted. This is where to go for a special treat for someone in love with numbers, words, or riddles; a whiz kid who needs to noodle something out; or a granddad who loved woodworking or puzzles. They are a Florida family business with one of the larger selections of original handcrafted wood brain teaser and mind bender puzzles in the world. There are classic designs, games they’ve brought back to life, and 100’s of puzzles they’ve designed. Also- their cool website provides video intros so you can best match to the lucky recipient’s age and interest.
I have never seen children’s costumes I’ve appreciated as much as these, and they were also huge favorites of my customers all the years Indigo Forest had a storefront, too.
More than just a costume brand, Great Pretenders is on a mission “To inspire & empower children to explore their creativity, embrace their individuality, and unleash their imagination.” The costumes are hardy and wearable, made for real play, and have the simple details that make them work. You’ll find capes, costumes and accessories for princesses, knights, dragons, dinosaurs, superheroes WITHOUT BRANDING, occupations (firefighter/vet/pilot/construction etc), and so much more. Save this one, these are costumes that you will enjoy having around as year-round fun.
HABA toys are the ones that lasted all the way through my boys, through years of service in my midwife office, and even now are stored in the basement in case I ever have grandkids; they are constructed to last. These are European-designed, sustainable toys and games that “open up curiosity and wonder and pull families deep into the world of imagination.” Including wooden blocks, preschool toys, board games and dolls, HABA believes “life is better when we all play together.” (I’ve played a million rounds of the 'First Orchard’ game, WAY more fund than CandyLand.)
If you’re that natural mom with relatives that love to show up with trunks full of plastic toys, turn them loose on this website, they can’t go wrong. Bellaluna Toys focuses on Waldorf-styled toys that are “Nourishing to the senses, and beautiful to behold.” They strive to inspire imagination with simple and open-ended toys up to age 7, taking to heart that play is a child’s work and that toys are their tools. Their baby toys make me swoon, they’re in the basement too LOL.
I can’t imagine how many hours we’ve listened to Jim Weiss’s fantastic story-telling. I would make a commercial for Jim if he need one, his contribution to the quality of our family life has been incredible. Jim is a professional storyteller, recording artist and author with decades of experience and material. You can trust his characters to be worthy, his suggested age-range to be accurate, and his voice and storylines to hold the attention of antsy children and cynical parents both. His stories range from originals to classic literature, folk tales and history. He embodies the extraordinary craft of storytelling, and I couldn’t love him more for recording stories that my little ones loved in the car, that I could not only tolerate as an adult, but that also extended a loving and calming hand to me as a parent.
When our children have properly scaled tools to join in the family work, they experience pride and enthusiasm while they develop their skills. My boys couldn’t wait to bring their ‘real tools’ and get busy. Montessori Services take your child’s experience seriously and provides good quality - I’m still using their peeler in my kitchen because 16 years later it’s working better than the 3 adult ones I’ve bought since. From pouring to learning grace and courtesy, you’ll find something new here to help your child grow up even better. (And affordably, this child shovel is $9.99)
This was a HUGE hit with my young adult sons. (They do professional stunt work, so I’ll let you guess which projects I picked for them.) The Wood Giant does a great job with their 3D wooden puzzles. These are made from high quality wooden sheets, they come complete (no need for glue), and the directions are easy to follow. As they say, "We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." (PS. You can see my kids perform on IG @TheBrothersBarbeau)
A small local business located in Middlebury, Vermont, Maple Landmark prides themselves on making superior quality and eco-friendly educational wooden toys, games and gifts. At the right age range, yoyo’s become the ‘go-everywhere’ thing in their pocket. I tried it twice a few years apart before I found the right age for us (tween or earlier?)
Wildflower Toys is a treasure trove for these dollhouse characters that are hand painted and hand stitched of natural materials, with wonderful attention to detail. For instance, this gallant knight has hair made of 100% wool yarn, with bendable arms and legs wrapped with 100% cotton yarn. We’ve loved their castle characters, family groupings, individual, and fairy dolls of all descriptions. They offer a wide variety of skin tones, and I’ve been impressed with their reasonable pricing for this high level of quality.
While they have a wide range of toy offerings, here’s another example of Wildflower Toys’ imagination, so fun and different. The shadow puppets collections ranges from Little House on the Prairie, to Outer Space, Mermaids, Farm Life and more. Made in USA. Priced nicely at $17, you could also throw in a flashlight which is a hook for pretty much every kid.
We discovered Aerobie’s on vacation, and these discs are still brought out of the garage and our car trunks with big smiles every summer. Engineered for performance by, well, an engineer, “Aerobie's far-flying, gravity-defying rings and discs are the perfect way to elevate your outdoor games!” Look for bouncing balls, sonic fins, and the coolest discs that even I can throw and catch. It goes without saying, outdoor games?!
Make it stand out
Here’s is a gift that gives year-round, helping families interested in natural health heal better and faster. All kids get sick, and all parents wish that they could do more when it happens. My Get Well Soon on-line course provides extensive instruction on natural solutions to everyday family illnesses through 7+ hours of video training and a comprehensive 76-page reference manual. I’d love to help out YOUR family!
And last but not least, one of my favorite bonuses for the Get Well Soon course (above) is the 18-page download, 75 Quiet, Screen-free Activities for Sick Kids. I’ve pulled 209 examples of all those fun ideas into the Indigo Forest AMAZON store. They cover all ages, and makes an easy place from which to stock your supply for sick days, traveling, or gift giving. Have FUN!