Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Grandma's Holiday Gift Guide for Babies and Toddlers plus a Giveaway



There are lots of holiday toy guides this time of year but mine is unique.  This is a guide from a grandmother’s perspective

I saw all of the items on this list at Toy Fair NY.  None of these reviews are based on receiving a free sample or compensation.   I recommend only all high quality items that I think your grandchildren will enjoy. Yes, some have educational and developmental value but will children enjoy them is the main criteria for making my list. 

And… there are some that you will enjoy playing with the grandkids.  This is how items make it on my lists. Oh and the bonus - none of the items on this list are budget busters - almost all of them are under $20.

All of these pictures were taken by me at Toy Fair – none are stock photos.  That is why they are less than perfect with other stuff in the background, but they show the real deal.

My first list is for infants and toddlers.  The bonus is that one of these items is a giveaway.  See the details to enter the giveaway.  The giveaway is easy to enter and not complicated - I promise. Check back soon for two more posts for older kids.

All of these items are available on Amazon for easy shopping.  See the links at the end of the post.


First Words Tot Tower by eeboo   - The Giveaway Feature

The First Words Tot Tower is the giveaway compliments of eeboo.  See the details to enter at the end of the post.


Some toys are timeless and are enjoyed generation after generation.  These sturdy tower nesting blocks are a classic toddler toy.  I remember them being a favorite for my kids.  The graphics are bold and colorful.  This low tech simple toy is full of learning opportunities for a toddler and most importantly will be enjoyed – really important to grandparents.  And if you still able and willing to get down on the floor Grandma, it is fun to play with your grandchild.  Kids enjoy playing with it as they grow and can reach higher and higher to complete the tower.  

Books for children at every age are favorite gifts for me. Check out the board books by eeboo also shown here in this picture taken at Toy Fair NY.  They feature bright colors and simple themes. 

The eeboo booth is always one of my favorites to visit at Toy Fair.

Plush Princess Noa Snuggler by Douglas



All babies like to grab onto little snugglers and if you are shopping for a newborn you can’t go wrong with choosing one.  I particularly like this one because babies like to grab onto the satin finish which this one has and the character doubles as a doll rather than an animal. Babies seem to get more than their share of stuffed animals.  And so,  this one is a little different – and oh so cute and cuddly.

Best Friends Bert and Ernie by Gund


This pair are only 4 inches tall each so they are the right size for very young children. They can easily be held by a baby or toddler. Also, they don’t have removable eyes and so they are safe for babies and toddlers to play with. Bought together they are a bargain for name brand characters and Gund always has quality made products.

Animal High Rise by HABA



This 15 piece building toy has a little twist.  Each block has unique edges so it will take a toddler a while to figure it out.  When completed it forms an “animal high rise with colorful animals peering out the windows.  HABA is well known for these creative building sets for toddlers.  This may not be the last one you buy.

Snug Up Dolls by HABA



The snug up dolls come in different sizes – 8 inch to 12.5 inches so make sure you are aware of this before ordering online.  These soft dolls are washable and feature embroidered facial features.  The outfits are removeable but the shoes are on the fabric.  There are quite a few of these dolls available at Amazon so check them all out.  They have different expressions and hair color and there are a some boy models too.  As always, HABA makes a quality product.


Woodland Friends Puzzles by Orange Tree Toys


These sweet wooden puzzles featuring a rabbit, an owl and a fox are each only three pieces so they make a perfect first puzzle.  The toddler can begin with just three pieces for one puzzle and then you can set out the nine pieces to make three puzzles.  My guess is that many of the toddlers you know have rabbit, owl and fox stuffed animals and so don’t be surprised if they are present when these puzzles are put together.

Toy Story Train by DUPLO
















This 21 piece Toy Story train featuring Buzz Lightyear and Woody will be a hit with toddlers whether or not they are Toy Story fans. But with Toy Story 4 now available it is sure to be a winner. If there are older children in the house then this may be a magnet to play with a younger sibling.  This colorful set is easy to put together and what toddler doesn’t love trains.  Oh, and for those of us who are a certain age, Christmas and trains go together.



Giveaway Information
One winner will receive a First Words Tot Tower by eeboo.

The hallmark of The Grandma Chronicles giveaways is that it is easy to enter and there are two ways. Both ways count as an entry so you get two entries if you do both.  I need to be able to contact you if you win. If you enter -  email your email address to marion@grandmachronicles.com.  I will not use your email address for anything except to notify you if you win.  Grandmother’s Honor.

Two ways to win:

Leave a comment here on the blog
and/or
Like The Grandma Chronicles facebook page  - click here.

You can have two entries by doing both.  Deadline to enter: Thursday, November 14, 2019 at midnight. This item can be sent to US addresses only.



Full Disclosure:  The reviews in this article are my own objective opinion.  I did not get paid to write these reviews, I did not receive free samples nor do I have a sponsorship/ambassador relationship with any of these companies.

All of the items in this holiday guide can conveniently be ordered from Amazon.  Just click on the icon below to go to Amazon.



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

35 comments:

Mammamayor said...

What a great selection of gift ideas.Thank you for the ideas.good luck everyone.Natbelinsky@verizon.net

PattiAnn Green said...

Great ideas. Thanks! I love the Snugglers. My grandson would love that tower. He's 18 mos and loves blocks. He'd freak with this tot tower. It's taller then he is!

katie klein said...

I am a huge fan of classic toys like the nesting cubes!

katie klein said...

I am a huge fan of classic toys like the nesting cubes. katers2714 at yahoo dot com

katie klein said...

I like your page on facebook as well.

Unknown said...

I love Toy Fairs. You get to see (without feeling overwhelmed in a store with few CSRs) and learn about what is out there for your kids. This was a very informative piece. thanks so much for the review!

New Jersey girl said...

My cousin's son would love the first words tower.
Flyergal82 (at /yahoo -dot !com

New Jersey girl said...

Liked on Facebook

mkjmc said...

Perfect for my grandson. I don't know a child around that doesn't like to build towers

mkjmc said...

Liked on fb kathbpersons

Cindy P said...

What child doesn't enjoy knocking down a tower. This would be a great gift for my niece who is expecting.

ccmosch said...

Those look like fun! Thanks for the giveaway!

Pauline MIlner said...

This adorable tower would be the perfect Christmas present for my granddaughter, Claire. Thanks for the super giveaway opportunity.

Anonymous said...

I love this for my niece, thanks for the chance! I also liked on FB! -Darlene Carbajal

Stacie H said...

The Tot Tower is awesome! I would love to win.

TRIPPER2365 said...

This is great my nephews and nices wuld love these thanks for the info and the chance to win.

courtneebeth said...

These would all be fun gifts for babies I know.

kellyr78 said...

This looks like a fun toy and great for learning.

kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom

Anonymous said...

I never knew such wonderful toys were available!

Anonymous said...

Great toys!

Meredith Brooks said...

This is such an awesome giveaway! Thank you for the chance to win!

Jessica w said...

My grandson would love this

Shooting Stars Mag said...

Oh how cute! I have a friend that would love this for her little one.

-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com

Michelle Whitwam said...

These look great for my 20 month old grandson, Jack. Thanks for the great list.

Rebekah {mossandink} said...

You have some great suggestions on this list. We especially love Duplos and Haba toys - each of my boys received one of those soft Haba dolls for their first Christmas. :) I'm not as familiar with eeboo, but the stacking/nesting tower looks fun!

Rebekah {mossandink} said...

I've followed you on Facebook!

♡♥♬ Carolsue ♡♥♬ said...

This would make a great Christmas gift for my grandson!
I also followed you on Facebook as Carolsue Anderson
digicats {at} sbcglobal {dot} net

Brooke Rose said...

I would love so much to win this! The First Words Tot Tower looks so neat!

elizabeth miller said...

Like on facebook

elizabeth miller said...

This would be great for my grandson. I love how it incorporates the learning into fun.

ae minx said...

OH my gosh so many wonderful items for the little one. I just love the tower

lisa king said...

liked on fb as Lisa King

Debra Guillen said...

My Granddaughter would love this and just in time for Christmas.

msmissy02 said...

This is so cute! Thank you for the fun giveaway! I liked your Facebook page as well. DamianMom at yahoo dot com

mjbblb said...

WOW! That is quite a tower to build!