Christmas shopping is one of those things that can drive me up the wall. My kids are both old enough to start wanting a lot of stuff, but of course I’m still on a budget and still picky about what I will buy them.

Gifts that encourage creativity are among my favorites. Kids enjoy movies and such, but creative toys really encourage them to explore.

One of the challenges can be that a lot of creative activities are messy. Painting, for example. My kids have a lot of supplies to allow them to create, and it does create a mess sometimes. But it means I know they’re having a good time expressing themselves.

For children in the age range I have, Magic Cabin is a great resource. Lots and lots of wonderful toys that allow kids to be creative without relying on the usual television characters or princesses. That’s something I really value. The hard part is deciding what NOT to buy there.

The way my daughter has taken to her kindergarten journal makes me think that in another year or so something like Illustory could be a good choice for her. Not this year because she’s not comfortable in her writing skills. But she’s so creative in telling stories that I think once she writes better it could be a wonderful choice. Kids get to write and illustrate their own story, then have it printed as a hardcover book.

One of the favorite gifts that my husband ever gave our kids didn’t cost any money at all, just time. He got a two layer cardboard box from Home Depot by having the night crew save it for him. He taped it closed on top, then cut appropriate doors and windows for a playhouse. This allowed the kids to color on it as they liked. The double thickness of cardboard meant that kids could safely climb on top.

If you like that idea but don’t want to cut one out, there are cardboard playhouses available at Amazon.

I also love kids’ construction sets, such as LEGOs or K’Nex, but not the sets that are planned to make a particular item. I like the more generic ones that don’t limit what the kids can do.

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