It’s been a long time since I’ve had to think of holiday gift ideas for toddlers and preschoolers! With Jake practically in middle school, he’s all about the electronics and big kid toys. Now that my niece is turning two (on Christmas Day!), I’m having fun checking out cool toys and gifts for little ones again! Emily has also reviewed some pretty cool gift ideas for little ones over the last few months, so I wanted to take a moment to remind you of those as well. Check out my favorite holiday presents for your tots!

 

These holiday gift ideas for toddlers & preschoolers are fun and educational. Plus there's something for every budget!Gift Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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#1 ZuZu Parade Plush Animal Stools

These are the CUTEST little stools ever. They’re way more than just stools for your tots and preschoolers to sit on. They’re plush animals AND a secret place to store small toys! I got Abbie the Elephant. The goal was to review it when they came to visit after Thanksgiving. Abbie loved it, but was feeling a bit shy with Aunt Nikki. She also isn’t used to posing for blog reviews, unlike Jake who’s been at this for 5 years!  She doesn’t see me as often as I’d like, so we’re still working on making sure she knows I’m the coolest aunt around. So rather than try to get pictures of a squirming, apprehensive toddler looking freaked out on the ZuZu, I just took pictures of the ZuZu. Then I realized that things were horribly awry in the background (toddler, remember?). Honestly, the pictures don’t even come close to doing it justice. I have failed you, oh ZuZu Elephant.

 

ZuZu Elephant

Abbie DID love this guy! When we took him out of the box, she went right for him, pulling his trunk and ears. She’s SUPER smart and advanced (as my brother says) too. We told her it has a secret bucket and she wanted to flip him over right away. Now, I was curious as to how the whole bucket part would work. Would my brother have to yank it out of the ZuZu’s body every time he wanted to access it? Nope!

ZuZu Elephant (5 of 8)

The opening is actually on the bottom of the ZuZu. Don’t worry, it twists on securely, so your tot’s precious treasures won’t come tumbling out. Fun fact for parents who are thinking “oh geez, my kid will have this a mess in no time:” ZuZu’s are machine-washable. Just pop the plush part off and follow the care instructions.

Aside from the super cute elephant, ZuZus come in 5 other fun animals. My second favorite is the Whale…or maybe the Turtle. They’re all cute!  Check them all out:

 

ZuZU Parade. One more thing: ZuZu Parade was started by parents. It’s a family company. I saw this great sign last night in a pizza place that said when you buy from a family company, you’re helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy learn to play an instrument, a mom pay a mortgage on her home. The parents behind the ZuZus took two relatively mundane but necessary things- a place to sit and a place to store toys- and made both of them incredibly fun. This is definitely one of my all-time favorite gift ideas for toddlers and preschoolers!

Each ZuZu retails for $69.99. Grab them on the ZuZu Parade website

#2 Count & Chirp Birdies

Foster a love of learning in your toddler with Count & Chirp Birdies from Lakeshore!

These super cute little birdies aren’t just fun to play with, they teach your tot valuable numbers and counting skills! Check out Emily’s full review here, then buy them over at Lakeshore Learning for $29.99!

#3 My Friend Teddy

My Friend Teddy

 

Remember Teddy Ruxpin? Well, talking, story-telling Teddy bears have come a LONG way since our childhood! They’re also a lot less expensive than the $100 my grandmother spent getting me set up with my talking bear. My Friend Teddy is just $39.93 at Walmart. It comes in blue and pink.  Check out Emily’s review here, then learn more at www.myfriendteddy.com.

#4 Cloud B Stay Asleep Buddies Hedgehog Plush

 

Cloud B's Hedgehog Stay Asleep Buddy is an adorable and cuddly sleep trainer that helps your littlest ones learn to self-soothe at bedtime and stay in bed longer in the morning. Check out our review!

If I was still little, I’d totally want one of these. In fact, I don’t care that I’m not a toddler, I STILL want one! Seriously, the cutest little sleep trainer ever! Emily did a great review of him, so I won’t reiterate too much. I DO, however, want to speak to the quality of Cloud B. I bought Jacob a Lavender Lab back when he was a year old.  I think they’ve since retired him? I can’t find him on their site anymore. Anyway, Jacob has carried “Puppy” everywhere for 9 years. He sleeps with him every night. Puppy does have some patches where his fur is getting quite worn, yes, but he’s still holding it together very well. We also have a version of the Twilight TurtleHoliday Gift Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers from 10 years ago that still works, aside from one color being burned out (and that took YEARS to happen). Cloud B makes the most wonderful baby and toddler products that will last long after your little one heads off to school.

Find the Hedgehog for $30.95 and other great products on www.cloudb.com.

#5 Zoonicorns

What do you get when you combine a zebra and a unicorn? A Zoonicorn, of course! Check out our review of these super cute plush toys for kids!

Back in June, Emily shared the story of the Zoonicorn, a unique combination of Zebra and Unicorn. These super cute plush animals retail for $9.99 each, or get all 4 and the story book for $49.91. Find them at: www.zoonicorn.com.

Your toddlers and preschoolers would love any of these super cute holiday gift ideas! Our little reviewers certainly did!

Did you already shop for your little one? Tell me what you picked up so far! I could use more inspiration for my niece. After all, her birthday in on Christmas. We have a rule- no combo gifts for her. She gets to have both a birthday and a Christmas. So bring on those ideas!