Old-Fashioned Toddler Gift Ideas
Traditional Presents for Two and Three Year Olds
Tired of light-up Widgets? Noisy Whizzers and Buzzers? Here are some suggestions for Montessori type gift ideas that toddler or preschool age children will love!
Many parents are beginning a trend back to simplicity and traditional, old-fashioned toys with their toddlers and moving away from plastic, light up and modern toys. Traditional toys are becoming more popular, especially in light of recent toy recalls and lead scares. Here are some ideas for nostalgic, Montessori-type or wooden toys for toddler gifts and presents.
- Wooden Beads and Stringers
Every parent has observed how much toddlers like to explore holes, strings and beads, so this toy will combine several of those elements in a single unit. Large wooden beads that are too big to be a choking hazard, combined with a nylon shoelace, can provide hours of entertainment for a preschool child and make a great present. There are important skills involved in being able to thread the beads and parents should encourage their toddlers to develop them. This old-fashioned toy is a beautiful, functional gift and can motivate greater learning in a preschooler.
- Wooden Animals
Rather than have stuffed animals that can be hard to sanitize and clean, consider giving wooden animal toys, like the beautiful wood turtle pictured below, for a gift. Toddlers love animals of course, and wooden toys are often more realistic looking to them and easy to manipulate. Parents appreciate how easy these old-fashioned toys are to clean and disinfect. Also, because these old-fashioned toys are so long-lasting and timeless in their appeal, you might find them a favorite present that will be passed down from child to child, generation to generation.
- Little Red Wagon
The quintessential preschool toy, the little red wagon, was replaced by Power-Porche and Motor-Monsters that seemed to quickly loose their appeal. With parents looking for old-fashioned favorites, the little red wagon is back. Kids will love these as gifts, and with good reason. Toddlers love to have boxes and containers to store their goodies in – staking, sorting, filling and emptying are favorite games at this age! A wagon allows all of those things and adds the bonus gift of mobility as well.
- Blocks and Shapes for Sorting and Puzzles
Many toddlers enjoy puzzle and shape sorter gifts, so a stack of wooden blocks will be a dream come true for some preschoolers. Parents can encourage their children to sort the blocks by shape, size or color categories, or use the gift to teach the names of the shapes. Pick a favorite animal and use the shapes to try to make that animal like a tangram puzzle or just see how high the tower gets before your toddler can't resist bringing it down in a big tumble.
These traditional toys and gift ideas may seem like simple presents, but there are many educational and developmental possibilities for parents of toddlers. Next time you need a present for a preschool child consider old-fashioned instead of high tech.
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