Welcome to the famous MPMK Gift Guides and congrats on finding the most comprehensive and easy-to-use kids' gift guide on the internet! (If you're not familiar with our famous lists, learn all about them here)...Babies and young toddlers can be especially tough to shop for - it's not like we can just ask them what they want. Plus, kids develop differently and at different rates at this age.Your best bet is to go for the tried-and-true toys that aim to build hand-eye coordination and … [Read more...]
Gift Guide 2013: Best in Blocks and Construction Toys
Building and construction toys, blocks in particular, are my absolute favorites for both my son AND my daughter. They are the ultimate open-ended creativity toy and I love that my children play with them for huge chunks of time, all while developing math, problem-solving, and spatial thinking skills. Just like our "Best Toys for Active Play Indoors and Out" Gift Guide, this guide is also a two-in-one. First up are our very favorite sets for open-ended building and construction-themed dramatic … [Read more...]
MPMK Gift Guide: Go-To Gifts for Elementary Aged Kids
I am such a fan of your website and emails! Thanks for working so hard, especially at Christmas shopping time! Grandparents have scored major points after I forwarded them your lists.-MPMK Reader, Lauren These are awesome! I’ve waited to make Christmas lists until they came out- and now I”ve shared with all my friends. The past two years I’ve used them and the gifts are ALWAYS a hit!-MPMK Reader, Ellen Welcome to the famous MPMK Gift Guides and congrats on finding the … [Read more...]
Black Friday Sales on MPMK Ultimate Gift Guide Toys!
Happy Black Friday friends, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I got up extra early this morning to scope out the on-line sales and promptly sent my best finds off to my newsletter readers (sign up here to join). Normally, I don't share newsletter bonus material here on the blog but thought I'd make an exception today so you guys can get in on the deals too. These are 2013 Ultimate Toy Gift Guide selections that are on special Black Friday sales - which seem to be going on past Black … [Read more...]
Gift Guides 2014: Best Art Supplies for Open-Ended Creativity
Welcome to the famous MPMK Gift Guides and congrats on finding the most comprehensive and easy-to-use kids' gift guide on the internet! (If you're not familiar with our famous lists, learn all about them here)... Yay! I'm so excited it's time to talk about art supplies as part of this year's Gift Guide collection. This is one of my favorites. But that probably doesn't surprise you, huh? You all know how much I love anything that promotes open-ended creativity... I believe that every house … [Read more...]
MPMK Gift Guide: Top Learning Toys for Building STEM Skills
Welcome to the famous MPMK Gift Guides and congrats on finding the most comprehensive and easy-to-use kids' gift guide on the internet! (If you're not familiar with our famous lists, learn all about them here)...With all the talk I've been doing on the blog about the importance of fostering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills, I felt I absolutely had to include a STEM themed gift guide.I just keep hearing over and over how important cultivating innovation is … [Read more...]
MPMK Gift Guide: Keeping Kids Active Indoors & Out
This guide is a little different than the others in that it's really two guides in one. The first half addresses the best toys for burning off steam when you're stuck inside and, let me tell you, these finds can be an absolute life-saver on a rainy day.The second part of this guide is all about getting outside. If your little one has an adventurous spirit, I say run with it! Whether their fascination lies in the stars above, their own backyard, or testing out their own speed and … [Read more...]
They’re Here! The 2013 Gift Guides Have Arrived!
Today's the day friends - All 10 of MPMK's 2014 Gift Guides are finally available for your perusing pleasure!How great would it be to get all of your Christmas shopping done ahead of time this year? I've spent hours upon hours talking to friends and school teachers, reading reviews, polling our readers, and scouring toy award lists to come up with these finds. With over 250 of the most engaging and stimulating toys out there, I guarantee there's something for everyone here.“Which toys … [Read more...]
MPMK Gift Guides 2015: Top Learning Toys for Quiet Time & Independent Play
I'm so excited to introduce MPMK's 2015 Christmas Gift Guides! I've been working like mad on them (we're talking some serious man hours here) and, although I will admit that all the researching, photo-editing and linking can be more than a bit tedious, every year the process also gets me incredibly excited about what I want to get my own kids!This list was a new category for last year and quickly became one of our most popular. When I came up with it, quiet time was on my mind … [Read more...]