Hostess Gifts, Family Gifts and Teacher Gifts!

Family Gifts

During the festive season, you may find that you need gifts that are fantastic for a family, and these favourites are fun for everyone. Whether brought as a “thank you” for an invitation to a get-together, or given as a gift to a group, these gems will be greeted with grins.

Grimm's House Wooden Stacking Nesting Puzzle Building Blocks: Delight a family with young children with this set of five house shaped wooden building blocks. Whether used as a puzzle, stacked, made into houses and barns for small toys, or mixed in other building blocks, this set is lovely to look at, and provides hours of play. Recommended for ages two and older. $33.95

Hallelujah Handel Musical Story CD: Introduce children to the joys of Handel with this CD, which features more than two dozen excerpts of his most famous works, including the Sarabande in D-, Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks, Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, and Messiah. The music is woven together with a story about a mysterious boy with a beautiful voice, making this one classical music CD that will hold children’s attention for its duration. Recommended for children ages five and older. $15.95

Mudpuppy Around the World 100 Piece Puzzle: Packaged in an attractive reusable tin, this 100 piece puzzle by Mudpuppy is a great way to get kids excited about geography. Measuring 18 inches by 12 inches when assembled, the puzzle image is a map of the world, complete with illustrations of things that can be found in different regions. Recommended for children six and older, at $22.95 you may wish to pair it with My Granny Went to Market, a wonderful book that takes children on a rhyming, counting, around the world adventure. $8.99

Haba Who Am I Game: It can be challenging to find games that can be enjoyed by a variety of ages and abilities, but Haba’s Who Am I fits the bill. Consisting of 1 headband with a question mark magnet, 40 different “character” cards, and 10 counter cards that fit in a travel sized tin box, kids of all ages will love wearing the headband with the mystery character card, and quizzing other players to figure out who they are. With characters ranging from a lighthouse, to a penguin, to a banana, it is safe to guess that this game will provide plenty of fun. Recommended for ages three and older. $19.50

Haba Castle Knights Co-operative Family Game: The Haba Castle Knights Co-operative Family game is a novel cooperative game for two to four players. Using the elastic “construction tool”, players must work together to arrange the included wooden blocks into the towers of the king’s castle before the egg timer runs out. There are several different variations of the game that can be played depending on the age and skill level of the group, and since each game typically lasts between 10 and 15 minutes, even kids with shorter attention spans can stay engaged for the duration of a game. The Haba Knights Co-operative Family Game is a unique addition to any family’s game collection. Recommended for children five and older. $56.00

Thames and Kosmos Candy Factory Science Kit: If you are searching for a gift for a family with older children, the Thames and Kosmos Candy Factory Science Kit is sure to be enjoyed. Inside the giant chocolate bar shaped box is a 48 page illustrated instruction book packed with 25 candy recipes, as well as explanations of the scientific reactions that occur during the candy making process. The box also includes all the tools needed to perform the “scientific experiments”, including plastic and metal moulds, shape cutters, a candy thermometer, a spatula, a dipping fork, and even wrappers for packaging finished creations. Purchase the food ingredients separately, and kids will be making lollipops, liquorice, chocolates, caramels, fudge, gummies, marshmallows, peppermint patties and more almost as fast as they can eat them. Recommended for ages 10 and above, although children seven and above could likely participate with appropriate supervision. 69.99

Basket of Art Supplies:

Pair these picks with art paper, or construction paper, for a wonderful gift that is sure to encourage creativity:

For Children Five and Under:

Tin of 8 Stockmar Beeswax Stick Crayons: This set includes eight non-toxic crayons in red, vermillion, orange, golden yellow, lemon yellow, green, blue, and violet. Because they are made of beeswax, these crayons are ultra-safe for young children, produce pure, brilliant colours, and resist breakage well. They smell great too. $15.95	SES Fingerpaint Set: Made in Holland by SES Creative Arts and Crafts, and certified to be safe for use by children, this set includes four 150 mL jars of finger paint in blue, red, yellow, and green. Finger painting is a wonderful way to introduce toddlers to art activities, and it’s still a lot of fun for older preschoolers too. $13.95
Mercurius Flat 0.5 Inch Wide Paint Brush: This 0.5 Inch wood handled paint brush is made in Germany, and at $2.99 you can purchase more than one.	Melissa & Doug Poster Paint: Melissa and Doug Deluxe Poster Paint set includes 10 vibrant colours. Non-toxic poster paint set tha includes re-usable paint jars with screw on lids - $10.50.

For Children 5 and Above:

Mercurius Blackboard Pastel Chalk: This set of 12 individually wrapped non-toxic chalks by Mercurius is wonderful for use on a chalkboard, and makes for an interesting and unique art experience when used on paper. The set includes light blue, light and dark yellow, light and dark green, orange, violet, light and dark red, and light and dark brown. $12.50	Quercetti Animals Stencil Design Set: Consisting of four high quality transparent stencils with 50 animals in total, this set also includes colourful illustrations that demonstrate how the animals look when they are realistically coloured. This is a perfect stencil set for illustrating stories, making cards, and just having fun. $18.99
Yorik 12 Pack of Giant Hexagonal Pencil Crayons: Made in Germany, this set of 12 extra large pencil crayons includes gold yellow, orange, red, carmine red, pink, violet, purple, blue, dark blue, apple green, dark green, and dark brown. The larger size of these pencil crayons makes them easy for smaller children to hold, and novel for older children to enjoy. $17.95	Kids scissors with rounded tips: Every craft basket needs a good set of scissors. These scissors have adjustable screws and are made in Germany. Perfect doing arts and crafts! $5.50.

Teacher Gifts:

Make a favourite teacher or child care provider merry with these marvellous mementos.

Melissa and Doug 100 Piece Human Body Floor Puzzle: Gift your child’s favourite teacher with a new educational puzzle to use in his or her classroom. He or she will appreciate having a fun new learning tool, and so will years of children to come. The Melissa and Doug Human Body Floor puzzle measures 48 inches by 18 inches when assembled, approximately the size of a child’s body. This allows children to conceptualize how big things like their brains and stomachs really are. Constructed of durable cardboard that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth, it should stand up to classroom use, and because it is double sided (one side shows the skeletal structure, and the other side depicts the internal organs and the circulatory system) the play and educational value is extended. Priced at $17.99, it’s a perfect addition to any elementary school classroom.

Vilac Babar Giant 24 Piece Wooden Puzzle: Babar is an early childhood favourite, and this 24 piece wooden puzzle by Vilac is sure to be a favourite in your child’s preschool or daycare classroom as well. Featuring the famous elephant family enjoying a celebratory picnic, this beautiful and durable 16 inch by 12 inch puzzle would make an excellent gift on its own, or given together with a Babar book. $25.95

Melissa and Doug Poster Paint Set: Art supplies seem to be in short supply every classroom, so why not help restock the cupboard with this set of non-toxic poster paints from Melissa and Doug? Featuring 10 bright colours of paint packaged in reusable paint jars with screw-on lids, this set will provide plenty of painting fun. Priced at only $11.50, you can also include a set of four Melissa and Doug Large Handle Paint Brushes ($6.99), and a set of four Melissa and Doug Fine Paint Brushes ($5.25) to complete the gift.

Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel 18 oz Water Bottle With Sports Cap: A thoughtful gift for a teacher or childcare provider who is constantly on the go, the sports cap reduces the risk of spills and allows for quick and easy access to the beverage inside. Fill it with candy, small wrapped chocolates, or even pencils for a practical gift that is sure to be appreciated. $17.99

Magic School Bus Educational DVDs: Magic School Bus DVDs are excellent entertainment for a rainy recess! The Magic School Bus is a series of children's educational DVDs about science. They feature the antics of Ms. Frizzle, an elementary school teacher, and her class, who board a magical school bus which takes them on field trips to impossible locations such as: the solar system or inside the human body etc. Since the Magic School Bus DVDs present scientific facts in the form of stories in which fantastic things happen (for example, a bus turns into a spaceship, or children shrink to the size of blood cells), the end of each story feature a humorous detailing about which parts of the DVD are represented scientific fact and which were fanciful storytelling. Starting at $7.95.