Play with Purpose

2020 Holiday Gift Guide

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This gift guide isn’t meant to literally click and buy (although I’ve included links for ideas). Instead, it is intended to make you think differently about gifting. Our kids may grow out of their toys, but they won’t grow out of spending quality time together as a family.  If we want to stay focused on …

Why Children Will Benefit from Fewer Toys

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The toy industry sells us the story that our children need toys to be happy. In fact, we are sold the story that our kids need lots of new toys to be content. You may have come to believe that more toys=more joy and find yourself spending countless dollars attempting to prove this theory to …

2018 Top Toy List 2018 Top Holiday Toys

2018 Top Holiday Toys [the simple list]

Disclaimer: This isn’t your typical list of the “2018 Top Holiday Toys”–instead it’s the simple + intentional one. There’s nothing like the joy on a child’s face when he’s ripping through a pile of gifts on Christmas morning. Or perhaps it’s a slow and steady rush that comes across during gift-giving on eight nights of …

Excess Toys May Cause Decision Fatigue in Childhood

If you’ve ever looked in your closet and thought “I have nothing to wear,” but you really have a hundred different options, then you’ve experienced decision fatigue. Decision fatigue – it’s a phrase you may have heard before, but did you know that it also applies to children? If you are unfamiliar, the research surrounding …

The 15 Toys Your Kids Might Actually Need This Year

Children change like the wind. As they grow, their interests, abilities, and educational needs change as well. But what if their toys didn’t need to change right along with them? I am here to tell you that it’s possible. When it comes to the holidays, it can be easy to make impulse purchases. But if …

How to Choose the Best Toys

Not all toys are created equal. When it comes to choosing toys for my own kids, I choose carefully. I prefer to select open toys. Most importantly, open-ended toys that evoke imagination and creativity. These toys can be used by kids of all ages, interests, and both genders. I want to buy toys that are …