It’s holiday time, which means we’re all on the hunt for great gifts for our kids. There have been a lot of meh purchases I’ve bought over the years, but there are also several big ticket items that we’ve splurged on that have been great buys and really lasted the test of time.  In the spirit of giving, I thought you might like to know which ones we’ve loved and consider adding them to your holiday list this year.  And puhlease, feel free to add your favorites in the comments below.  I need help this year too!

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5 Big Ticket Items for Kids that rock!

1. The Dome

This is my number one pick for something expensive and large that was so worth it.  We love our dome! My girls have gotten so much confidence from this thing it’s unbelievable.  They have practiced and practiced and now can hang upside down, flip around, jump down, and do all kinds of tricks.  If the thought of that makes you think you may have a heart attack, then maybe you can’t handle the dome.  But, if you’re thinking that sounds awesome, then definitely go for it! This thing rocks.

Geometric Dome

*Note* As far as I know, this dome is not available in white.  We had ours painted when we painted our house.

2. These Huge Soft “Wood” Blocks

I’ve written three blog posts about these blocks.  (here’s one recent post) We LOVE them.  We’ve had them for five years and my girls still play with them ALL THE TIME. Can’t recommend them enough, with our without washi tape.

Edushape Big Wood-like Blocks

3. This Fort

Have you heard of Fort Magic?? If not, this is definitely an item to consider this holiday season.  Fort Magic kits are super easy to put together.  They come with tons of clips to add whatever fabric you want and you can use it over and over again in a million different ways.  We love ours (check out the full nail salon fort post here) and definitely would get this kit for a special friend or family member.  We love it!

Fort Magic Kit

4. This Camera

We got these cameras over two years ago and they are still going strong.  My girls are 4 and 5 now.  I do think they would love to upgrade in a few months but if you have kids younger than five, I would say this camera is a great starter camera.  My girls really like theirs and use them all the time.

VTech Kidizoom Camera

5. Anything on this List

Most of these items are inexpensive actually, except maybe the liquid watercolors.  They are my all time favorite art supplies to get you started with art making or to keep you going.

The Best Art Supplies for Kids

**UPDATED**

Ok, so I mentioned to Ev (Mr. Cherry) that I wrote this post and he said I missed the most important item and he was totally right! I forgot Magna-tiles!!! How could I forget our most played with toy.  We played with these for three years and then I brought them to our art studio and now 100’s of kids play with them each week.  If you don’t have magnatiles, pretty much run don’t walk to get them.  They are pricey for sure, but they last forever and have endless possibilities for creativity. We LOVE LOVE LOVE them.

Magna-Tiles

One more list that I absolutely love, fantastic books about real women and girls.  Check this out for sure! Not big ticket, but books can be expensive and I find it’s great to go on recommendations.  The Little People, Big Dreams series is our absolute favorite.

What are your favorite gift ideas this holiday season? I’d love some tips.

Happy holidays! xo, Meri