Our Favorite Kid Stuff in 2017 (so far)

It feels like Back-To-School has meant more time for at-home play this year. We still have a packed schedule of sports and other activities but the time that we do spend at the house has been filled with new craft projects, building projects, and imaginative play. I had started a list of cool stuff that people had sent for us to review along with fun items that we had found on our own, so I thought I would share it here just in case you are looking for the perfect birthday gift for a 6, 8, or 10 year old. I’ll warn you that our list is LEGO, Harry Potter, and “fashion design” heavy. These kids know what they like. Have your kids been obsessed with anything new lately? Please let us know what they are loving right now!

Don’t laugh! The only things that matter in Gordon’s life right now are all things Harry Potter and LEGOS, oh and crystals. Does anyone know why a 6-yr-old may have recently become obsessed with crystals?

The illustrated editions of Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets were a magical introduction to the book series for my son Gordon who, gasp, had seen all of the movies first. I know, I know. We are really looking forward to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Illustrated Edition which comes out in October. We already have a copy reserved.

On our summer vacation, we stopped at my sister’s house for a few days of horse back riding and eating giant slices of pizza. One morning included a few rounds of the Clue Harry Potter Board Game. I’ve always loved CLUE but playing a Harry Potter version just pushed it over the edge. We have one of these on our Christmas list.

These Harry Potter Paper Flyers have been great as Gordon is learning to follow written instructions. It’s a beautiful Klutz book filled with Harry Potter themed paper flyers to punch out, cut and fold. The illustrations are amazing and there is a ton of bonus content to read and enjoy. Highly recommend!

Folks stop us on the street to comment on Gordon’s Harry T-Shirt. The graphic designer in me loves the simple, iconic image.

The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets are some of our favorites. While it’s cool to display a LEGO set once complete, and even cooler to take it apart to make something from your own imagination, how perfect is it that you can use the instructions to build three total different things, like this Robot/Dog/Bird LEGO Creator Robo Explorer set.

Moving on to my big girl Clare who is now solidly a tween. This basically means that you never know what you’re gonna get when you wake up in the morning. Exciting! She is dabbling in some big girl stuff but is also discovering that she now likes some toys that she has never been interested in before, like Barbies, what?

The Nokia Go is the perfect first step tracker. It’s simple to use, under $50, and doesn’t provide the distractions of a smart watch. It comes in a bunch of pretty colors and is also a basic watch.

We all joined in the rock painting craze this summer but Clare was really inspired by seeing beautiful examples in books like Art on the Rocks. It was fun for her to follow instructions and bring her artwork to a new technical level.

A love of creating doll fashions from single socks and scrap fabric has led to a love of Barbie Dolls. She recently spent a birthday gift card on this gorgeous The Look Barbie in a Sweater Dress. She seems to be the perfect doll for an older Barbie-lover.

This girl also loves Harry Potter and has a weird bet with her cousin that she will wear crazy socks every day this school year. I can’t wait to surprise her with their set of Harry Potter Houses Knee Socks. She also wears them to soccer!

Is your girl begging you for some color in her hair? We aren’t ready for permanent hues but we love to let her add some chalk to her goldie locks. These from Hair Flairs are some of our favs.

And now for my sweet crafty 8-year-old Quinn. We have been finding the coolest crafty kits for her to do alone or with a little help from her mama.

Have you seethe new snow resort LEGO Friends sets? Our favorite is the LEGO Friends Snow Resort Chalet but they are all adorable and as much fun to play with as they are to put together. I love all of the thoughtful details included in this set. Both of the girls went crazy over all of the cuteness.

D.I.Y. Dollhouse is a lavishly illustrated guide for budding architects, builders, and designers, showing then how to build and furnish their own eco-friendly dollhouse! This sounds like the perfect book to inspire creative, cozy winter projects at home.

We have outgrown hair bows but these Hair flower clips look great in a cluster or alone. Get a whole rainbow of colors for under $20.

Given the girls new found love of sewing clothes for their dolls, these Fashion Designers Kits By Seedling which come in 2 versions; Inspired by New York and Inspired By Audrey Fashion. The kits come with everything you need to design and create beautiful fashion designs. The sets are beautifully put together and make a fantastic gift for any crafty kiddo.

This Robotime DIY Dollhouse greenhouse kit is a good project for a parent and kid to do together. The tiny details are wonderful and I can’t wait to surprise Quinn with one of these this holiday season. It will be really fun to have some quality time creating this little magical wonderland.

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