Yay! I'm so excited it's time to talk about our Artists & Creators Christmas Gift Guide. This one is second only to our Builders & Innovators Gift Guide on my list of favorites. But that probably doesn't surprise you, huh? You all know how much I love anything that promotes open-ended creativity. Don't forget you can see all seven of our guides here. And, as we're doing this year, here's a glimpse at my top 3 picks for this guide: Set of 11 Simply Washable 16 oz. Tempera Paints … [Read more...]
Gift Guide: The Vehicle Lover
Gift guide #5 is all about things that go Vroom! If I let C see it, I'm sure he'd want every single item on this list (which is exactly why I'm not showing it to him). Don't forget you can see all of MPMK's 2012 Christmas Gift Guides here. As with all the guides this year, we're starting with our top 3 for those of you who don't have time to peruse the whole thing: KidKraft Limited Edition Waterfall Mountain Train Table $141.95 Battat Take Apart Sets $ 18.15 and up Bruder … [Read more...]
Gift Guide: Doll Lovers
I have so many friends with little girls that are absolutely obsessed with dolls right now that I just had to include this guide (they're just too good of a resource not to take advantage of). Plus doll play is wonderful for dramatic play, teaching emotions, and fostering nurturing and empathetic qualities in children. As with all of 2012's Gift Guides, here's our cheat sheet to this list's top 3: Melissa & Dough Brianna Doll $15.68 Chico Doll Stroller $39.99 Corolle Mon … [Read more...]
Gift Guide: Kids on the Move
Installment #3 of 2012's Christmas Gift Guide was born purely out of necessity. With two rambunctious kiddos bouncing off the walls around here, I'm asking everyone in the family to think about gifting active toys this year! Below is a carefully curated collection of my favorite picks for expelling energy both indoors and out. Don't forget, you can see ALL of this year's gift guides (even those that haven't debuted yet) by clicking here or via our sidebar button. Before we dive in, here are … [Read more...]
Gift Guide: Dramatic Play
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)... On to our finds for dramatic play, yippee! Why am I so enthusiastic about this list, and dramatic play in general? Because I truly believe that this type of play is absolutely VITAL to kids' development. It teaches so many wonderful things - literacy through vocabulary … [Read more...]
Gift Guide: Little Builders & Innovators
Today I'm excited to give you a sneak peek of a big project I've been dilligently working on for quite a while. "Which toys should I spend my money on?," is probably the question I get asked most often by you guys, especially right around now. So this year, MPMK is doing the gift guide thing bigger, bolder and just plain better! I considered laying out our picks by age, or gender, or even benefit - but then I got to thinking about how I shop for my own kids. Ultimately, it's what my littles … [Read more...]
How to Buy Toys for Other People’s Kids
When buying kids’ gifts for birthday parties or other celebrations we can be easily enticed by toys that aren’t necessarily what you would want in your home for your child. I try to keep in mind that no kid really benefits from a ton of toys and that every parent will appreciate a quality gift in the long run. Here are some ideas to keep the fun in that special present, with a forward-thinking, minimalist spin. … [Read more...]
Father’s Day
Raise your hand if you don't exactly have Father's day all shored up yet. Uh huh, that's what I thought. Never fear, while on my death bed I've been scouring the web for some truly rad DIYs for Dad (oh God, the Nyquil's making me rhyme now). Anyway, check 'em out - I'm sure you'll approve. 1) For the Dapper Dan dad, hand stamped handkerchiefs. 2) For the "Let the good times roll" dad, a beer tasting sample pack (complete with custom photo labels) 3) For the sentimental dad … [Read more...]
The “Make Life a Little Better & a Little Easier” Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Just in case any of you out there are procrastinators like me, I thought I'd offer up one more Mother's Day gift guide before you're really and truly out of time. Before we get to the goods, have I ever told you how fun gift guides are to put together? They're like cyber window shopping. Honestly, this one is nothing more than all the stuff I'd buy myself for Mother's Day. As I was putting it together I noticed a theme, or rather two themes. Half of the products are all about taking care … [Read more...]