Made for Play
Explore child development through play, find inspiration for your next DIY project, and discover tips for selecting the perfect toys for your little ones.
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KidKraft Parents: Favorite Holiday Traditions
KidKraft Parents: Favorite Holiday Traditions This time of year, we tend to feel a little like Santa’s elves – we work hard all year making toys, especially for the big holiday rush! Of course, even the elves take a break and slow down to make memories with the ones we love. While we all celebrate differently, we’ve all found that the traditions that mean the most are often the simplest – those little things that mean a lot. So from our families to yours, here’s a peek at a few of the traditions that make the holidays feel like the holidays in our homes. Tell us about yourself! What’s your name, position here at KidKraft, and ages of your little ones? TAYLOR HERRERO: I’m Taylor Herrero, Director of Digital Marketing, and I have a 7-year-old daughter.HELEN ADAPPA: My name is Helen Adappa, and I’m Director of Brand and have a 3-year old and 5-year old!JUSTIN VICTOR: Justin Victor, Director of Brand, and dad to a 2-year-old son! What is your favorite family holiday tradition? TAYLOR: Christmas is big in our house, and we have so many little traditions. My favorite is that we make cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning. It's nothing big or fancy, but there's something so comforting about the smell of those cinnamon rolls in the oven while we open presents.HELEN: We play "Lottery" at christmas. We use hong bao (red envelopes) and put in cards that list out cash prizes or fun prizes like picking the next restaurant. But beware! There's also punishments in there like doing the dishes or jumping up and down 10 times while saying "Daddy the Great!” JUSTIN: For our family it is all about the stockings! From silly prank gifts, or little keepsakes from places we have visited or memories we have made that year, to our favorite sweets and a gift card or two for our favorite eateries. And after gifts and stockings, it's time to stuff our faces and watch lots of sports from basketball to football, there is always some game going on in the background as we visit and share. When or how did the tradition start? TAYLOR: I think it started when my dad was a kid, and we've done it my whole life and have kept it going with my daughter. When my daughter was four, I got the cutest picture of her with a big cinnamon icing smile, and then my dad found a picture just like it of me from the same age and it was just one of those simple and special memories. HELEN: We started it when I was a teenager, and now it's one of the traditions we look most forward to every year! One year, it was kind of a scavenger hunt and led to the reveal of a big KidKraft kitchen for my daughter! She still talks about it to this day. JUSTIN: It’s one of those things that you can’t really remember where it started – it’s just always been our rhythm as a family. With a 2-year-old, we do a little more gifting for him as he's too young to understand the meaning of the stockings, but we already have his hanging from the fireplace when he's ready! Want to know how we’re celebrating this year? Whether it’s watching your favorite Christmas movie for the millionth time, lighting the menorah as a family, or sipping on your grandma’s famous hot chocolate recipe, we hope your traditions bring joy to you and your family this year. And while the traditions may stay the same, we know that the gifts change from year to year… and can be tricky to get just right! If you need some inspiration, you can check out Taylor, Helen, and Justin’s favorite holiday picks for their kids this year or Shop by Age or Skill to find something your child will love.
KidKraft Parent Holiday Picks
When the holidays roll around, you better believe that the parents who work here at KidKraft always have KidKraft toys under the tree. Why? For starters, they’re durable and developmentally appropriate for littles, encouraging active and pretend play. And most importantly, they’re fun and sure to win some holiday gasps and hugs! We sat down with a few KidKraft team members to learn their families’ favorite KidKraft toys this holiday season, from the classics to the brand new arrivals. Tell us about yourself! What’s your name, position here at KidKraft, and ages of your little ones? TAYLOR HERRERO: I’m Taylor Herrero, Director of Digital Marketing, and I have a 7-year-old daughter.HELEN ADAPPA: My name is Helen Adappa, and I’m Director of Brand and have a 3-year old and 5-year old!JUSTIN VICTOR: Justin Victor, Director of Brand, and dad to a 2-year-old son! What are your favorite KidKraft toys this holiday season? TAYLOR: In our house, dollhouses are still the most-loved items, but the KidKraft toy I am most excited about this year is our new Ultimate Spaceship!HELEN: We’ve got two this year! The KidKraft Grocery Store Check Out and the KidKraft 2-in-1 Jet and Airplane. JUSTIN: The 2-in-1 Transforming Fire Truck Playset! Why is this toy your (or your kids’) favorite this holiday season? TAYLOR: It is just unbelievably cool and one of those toys I wish I would have had because what kid doesn't want to blast off to outer space?! HELEN: I love these items because my kids already love to play “grocery store” and “airport” all the time, and I know they'll love all the little surprises inside! JUSTIN: This transforming toy is perfect as a vehicle for my son to push around the house, and then it turns into an awesome play set with cool, bendy characters and skill and action blasters that he loves to shoot! It also includes a dog and cat character, and he is all about his pets right now. Tell us about your pick! What are the benefits, and why do you love it? TAYLOR: I love it because it really puts kids in the driver seat of their very own spaceship. It has lights and sounds, it rocks back and forth to simulate flying through space and has all the added details kids love like buttons, switches, and a projector to display galaxy lights on your ceiling.HELEN: I love them a lot because they are so realistic! That's key when my kids play. They’re also a fun way to teach my kids life skills, JUSTIN: My son gets so excited when he sees real rescue vehicles, and this great item brings that magic to life in his little world. Shop their picks! Ready to find your own KidKraft holiday favorite? Shop Taylor, Helen, and Justin’s favorites below, or use our Shop by Age or Shop by Skill features to find the perfect gift for your little one’s age and interests. Ultimate Spaceship KidKraft Grocery Store Check Out KidKraft 2-in-1 Jet and Airplane Shop all Play Sets
Gifts to Update Your Toddler's Playtime
As your toddler grows and develops new abilities, incorporating a few new, high-quality toys that match the skills they’re working on is a great way to support their development and keep playtime exciting. (Plus, opting for developmentally appropriate toys means your toddler will actually play with their holiday gifts for months or years to come!) And the holidays are the perfect chance to do just that – especially if you’re shopping our Holiday BOGO Bundles! Here are a few of the time-tested, toddler-approved toys sure to update playtime. Realistic Play Kitchens for Dramatic Play Unwrap a realistic-looking play kitchen on Christmas morning, and we guarantee your toddler will be whipping up pretend Christmas treats all day long. Play kitchens are great for encouraging practical life skills as well as imaginative and dramatic play. This year you can take advantage of the Holiday bundle with the cute and colorful Morning Sunshine Play Kitchen, the sweet and simple Uptown Elite, the super chic Modern Metallics Farmhouse, or the spacious Ultimate Corner Play Kitchen. With a variety of sizes, styles, features, and price points, we chose these play kitchens so that everyone could choose one that works for their budget, space, and toddler’s interests. Outdoor Playset for Active Play A new swingset is the ultimate “Wow” present, and it’s a gift that comes with years of benefits like tons of motor skill practice and more time spent getting active outdoors. Want to score your playset as part of the Holiday Bundle? You can choose from one of nine options, from the budget-friendly McKinley to the sprawling Bear Cave Lodge Swing Set/ Play Set. Kid-Sized Tables for Creative Play Around age 2, toddlers are starting to move beyond the “eating-the-crayons” stage and are getting more interested in actually scribbling and creating. Around age 3, they’ll actually attempt to start drawing shapes and pictures. And at any age, toddlers love playing with sensory activities and other craft materials. Providing them with an ergonomically correct table can help them focus on and feel ownership over types of activities even more as they’re better able to reach their materials and sit comfortably. Plus, they make great setting for tea parties! Our Holiday Bundle has three options for you: The Farmhouse Table & Chairs and the Arches Expandable Table & Bench Set both seat four. The Arches Floating Wall Desk is a great space saver and makes the perfect homework spot when they start school. Dollhouses & Play Sets for Imaginative Play Isn’t there something so classic about an unwrapped dollhouse or train set waiting under the tree on Christmas morning? And even when the holiday decorations are packed away, and the novelty has worn off, dollhouses still get played with as they encourage your toddler to engage in child-led, imaginative play. For a few classic “girly” dollhouses, check out the Celeste Mansion Dollhouse, the uptown Dollhouse, or the Grand Horse Stable & Dollhouse.For a more gender-neutral option that blends well with chic, minimalist decor, try the So Stylish Mansion Dollhouse in Boho Naturals. Or for boys or girls who don’t want a dollhouse at all, you can offer similar types of fun imaginative play with the Everyday Heroes Wooden Playset or the Waterfall Mountain Train Set & Table. To take advantage of our seasonal 50% off discount, simply add any two eligible Holiday Bundle items to your shopping cart, and don’t forget to enter code BOGO50 at checkout!
Benefits of Sensory Play
If you’re a toddler or preschool parent, you’ve probably seen the #sensoryplay tag on your feed at least a few times… usually accompanied by a bin of dyed rice and small toys. And while cute, themed sensory bins may be a fad, sensory play certainly isn’t! It’s a critical part of early childhood with huge development benefits, and it goes far beyond sensory bins. Here’s what you should know about sensory play and why it matters! What is Sensory Play? As you could probably guess, sensory play is play that engages the senses. Of course, that includes the big five – sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell – but it also includes our sense of balance and location (more on that later). Many sensory play activities focus on touch, encouraging kids to explore different materials and textures through good ol’ messy play (i.e. sensory bins, play foam, slime, etc.). But anything that engages the senses and your child’s attention and focus can count as sensory play. So when your toddler helps you cook and comments on the smells and sounds of food in the pan, they’re getting a great sensory play session too! Playing with scented bubbles in the bathtub, shaking maracas, and having fun taste testing new foods are all examples of sensory play too. Sensory Play for the Proprioceptive and Vestibular System Sensory play extends even beyond the five senses to our less commonly-known senses: proprioception and equilibrioception. Our proprioceptive system is responsible for our sense of place in a given space. It’s how we can feel where we are in relation to other things, even when our eyes are closed. Our vestibular system is responsible for our equilibrioception, or sense of balance. Activities that engage these systems like swinging, balancing, climbing, spinning, and walking backwards can all be considered sensory play as well! Why is Sensory Play Important? Supports Cognitive Development Sensory play actually helps develop the neural pathways (i.e. nerve connections) in babies and toddlers’ brains! The rich sensory inputs and problem-solving challenges that come with sensory play help support healthy cognitive development, laying the foundation for future learning. Our collection of cognitive play toys encourages this development. Refines Motor Skills Many sensory play opportunities also include fine or gross motor practice. Things like pouring items in a sensory bin or rolling out playdough build fine motor skills, while activities swinging and balancing refine their gross motor skills. Encourages Exploration and Curiosity By providing rich sensory experiences for your toddler, you help them discover the world around them. When they get a chance to explore new sensory experiences, their curiosity and natural drive to experiment and problem solve are sure to take over. Enhances Learning and Memory Kids, and adults for that matter, learn more effectively when multiple senses are engaged. This is why so many preschool and elementary teachers try to combine sensory play with learning activities. Activities like tracing letters in shaving cream or using hand motions and songs to learn new concepts are just a few examples of how sensory play can make academic learning easier and more fun for kids. Feeling inspired to incorporate more sensory play into your toddlers’ life? Check out our Sensory Play Ideas for Toddlers to get started!
Sensory Play Activities for Toddlers
No time to dye rice and make fancy sensory bins? No problem. While Instaworthy sensory bins with elaborate themes might be all the rage on social media, there are so many other ways to provide your toddler with sensory play opportunities. In fact, our favorite sensory play ideas require very little prep! Here are some simple, fun sensory activities for toddlers that come together in five minutes or less! Food! If your eighteen-month-old seems more interested in smushing sweet potatoes than eating them, don’t worry. That time in the high chair actually counts as sensory play! For one thing, meal times let your toddler safely explore new tastes, something that’s tough to do with most play materials. But it’s more than just taste! The smell, temperature, texture, and even sounds of all their favorite (and not-so-favorite) foods provide rich sensory experiences that help their growing brains…even if nothing actually ends up in their stomachs. Play Dough Play dough is a great way to combine sensory play with constructive and creative play, allowing your toddler to squish, feel, and mush as they create and build. Crafts Between squishy fingerpaint, sticky glue, fuzzy pipe cleaners, and more, craft materials provide a wide variety of sensory experiences – not to mention plenty of fine motor practice too! Keep a variety of materials on hand and create a mess-friendly craft space. Easels or dedicated craft tables can help keep the mess contained while still giving them a space to explore! Sound Shakers & Musical Instruments Old spice jars and other small containers make great shakers for little hands! Add different materials like dried rice, beans, marbles, or craft supplies so your toddler can explore the different sounds each object makes. To avoid messes and choking hazards, be sure the lids are on securely and hot glue them closed if necessary!When your toddler gets bored with homemade sound shakers, you can graduate to musical instrument toys for more advanced sound play! Chickpea Playfoam Did you know that the liquid from a can of chickpeas can be whipped into a foam that’s perfect for sensory play? Next time you crack open a can, save the liquid, add food coloring if desired, and let your toddler help you whip it with your electric mixer. In a few minutes, you’ll have a taste-safe foam for squishing, splashing, and playing. Sandboxes We like to think of sandboxes as the original sensory bin! And unlike a plastic bin of colored rice in your kitchen, they keep the mess outside! They’re also more versatile as your toddler can dig, bury, and build with sand in ways they can’t with an indoor sensory bin. Consider adding a sandbox and a few gardening tools to your backyard play setup, so that you have a zero-prep sensory bin ready to go at all times! Ice Play Set out a few bowls with water of varying temperatures (none too hot, of course!), a bowl of ice cubes, and a few kitchen tools like spoons, measuring cups, and tongs. The slippery ice and stark differences in temperature provide tons of fun sensory input. Plus, your toddler will love transferring ice with the different tools, and you’ll love the fine motor practice they get along the way! For a simpler version, simply provide a bowl of ice at their next bath! They can play with a few at a time so the cubes don’t all melt at once. Balance, Climbing, & Swinging While we usually think of sight, taste, touch, sound, and smell when we think of sensory play, play that develops your child’s vestibular system actually counts as sensory play as well! The vestibular system is responsible for our sense of our bodies in space. It’s how we keep our balance and sense where we are even when our eyes are closed. Balance beams, swings, and climbing materials are all great for vestibular development! For equipment-free activities, play games where you and your toddler spin around, balance on one foot, or find an object while blind-folded.Looking for simple toys to support sensory play and other types of developmental play? Check out our new Shop-by-Skill section where you can filter for toys by active play, cognitive play, imaginative and creative play, and social play!
How to Support STEM Through Play
Setting our kids up to love learning starts with play – and the STEM subjects are no exception! Even in the toddler years, play helps lay the foundation for early STEM skills and sparks interest in STEM subjects. What Is STEM? STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM in early education often focuses on laying strong foundations in math and science. That part feels pretty self-explanatory to most of us since science and math are basic elementary school subjects that we took as kids too. But the “technology and engineering” part gets a little more confusing to many of us. Those subjects can feel very advanced and foreign to us, leaving us wondering if our preschool kids need to be working with robot kits or building model bridges to get a full STEM education.In reality, toddler and preschoolers get the technology/ engineering component of STEM anytime they’re flexing their creativity and problem-solving muscles. So while those advanced building kits are great for older kids, for toddlers and preschoolers technology/ engineering activities look more like building with bricks or constructing toy train tracks. Toddler STEM Activities and Toys From messy science experiments to block tower masterpieces, these activities support STEM skills, but to your kiddos, they just feel like play! Ramps Playing with ramps is a great way to introduce early physics concepts and experimentation to your kiddos. This can be as simple as propping a cardboard box up against your couch. Roll different balls and other objects down it and encourage your toddler to experiment. Race objects to see which are the fastest, which go the farthest, and what happens when you adjust the incline of the ramp! Magic Milk Magic milk is a classic toddler science activity. They love the swirling colors, and you can introduce some early science concepts as you explain how the soap and fat molecules interact! All you need is need whole milk, dish soap, and some food coloring. Get the details on the science here! Nature Play Getting kids in the great outdoors is a great way to spark an interest in science. You can start conversations and get first-hand experience on so many science-related subjects like the weather, ecosystems, animals, plants, seasons, and more! Get outside, observe what your child is interested in, and explore it together! You can enhance their learning with simple activities like these: Leaf rubbings - Help your child notice the vascular system of leafs and explain what leafs do for plants! Bird/ animal watching - Learn about the different species in your areas and observe and explain behaviors like foraging, nest building, defending territory, etc. Nature scavenger hunts - Help them slow down and notice the little things as you search for items around the park like pine cones, an ant hill, clovers, flowers, etc. This is great for introducing a ton of science-related vocabulary! Fizzy Paint Fizzy paint combines art, sensory play, and science into one fun, kid-approved activity! It lasts a bit longer than your typical baking-soda-and-vinegar activity since the kids interact with the materials more. And as they paint, they’ll also be learning about chemical reactions! Counting Frames Counting frames, also called five frames or ten frames, are a great way to help toddlers understand the concept of numbers rather than just memorizing the order of numbers. Simply make a grid of five to ten squares with painters tape on the floor and gather up a few items to count! Check out the Busy Toddler for ideas to make your counting frames fun! Building Toys Building toys like blocks, train sets, and magnetic tiles are great for fine motor skills, problem solving, and creative thinking! They’re the perfect toddler toy for the “engineering” side of stem! If your toddler is getting bored with plain wooden blocks, they might be ready for more interactive or challenges building materials. Our wooden train sets and building brick activity tables can help make building one of your toddler’s favorite ways to play, making it easy for you to incorporate STEM into their daily lives!
Imaginative Play Benefits
At KidKraft, “Made for Make Believe” is our motto, so needless to say, imaginative play is near and dear to our hearts. We love it for so many reasons – the magic of seeing kids pretend, the silly ideas kids come up with, the memories of playing as a family. But we also love it for the developmental benefits. Here’s how imaginative play helps your child grow and thrive! What are the benefits of imaginative play? Creativity & Confidence Play pretend with a three-year-old, and you’ll be sure to act out some truly silly situations. Pretend play lets kids build whole worlds and make the “rules.” Since so much of their life is directed by adults, pretend play is one of the few times they get to be in control. Whether they’re saving the day, starting a restaurant, or flying a spaceship, they relish the chance to call the shots and give you directions. Feel free to make suggestions, but ultimately follow their lead and encourage them to be as creative as they want! Social Skills & Empathy When kids engage in imaginative play with peers, they practice a lot of social maneuvering. They must communicate with each other as they establish how the pretend situation works, and they have to navigate real-life social dilemmas when they disagree.Even when kids play pretend alone, they get a chance to put themselves into someone else’s shoes, something that doesn’t come naturally to a toddler. Imagining someone else’s perspective helps them build empathy and understanding. Practical Life Skills Pretend play helps kids learn how to interact in the real world. They can practice social interactions like ordering at a restaurant as well as basic tasks like caring for a pet or cooking. Pretend play is especially great at helping kids practice things they might not get the chance to do in real life just yet. When they are old enough to go school or order their own food, all of the pretend practice they had will help them navigate those situations with confidence. Language & Vocabulary Imaginative play comes with tons of opportunities to learn new words and expand language skills, especially when an adult is involved. Don’t hold back from using rich, specific language when you play with your kids. You might be surprised by how much they can pick up! For example, if you’re playing the part of veterinarian to your child’s teddy bear, don’t limit yourself to “boo boos” and “upset tummies.” Your child will learn more when you include terms like fractures, infections, sprains, and x-rays. You grow their vocabulary as well as their fascination with a subject when you use detailed language. Types of Imaginative Play Imaginative play can take several forms, including independent play, social play with peers, or social play with adults. Each has its own benefits. Independent play lets kids explore on their own terms and develop focus as they engage with what interests them most. Playing with peers builds social skills. Playing with adults can boost language and vocabulary development and provides opportunities for the adults to teach kids about the world through play. Imaginative play can also take the form of dramatic play, where kids act out roles themselves, or play with toys, where kids speak for toys but don’t embody a role themselves. It can center around fantasy or real-world scenarios. Both are beneficial, allowing kids to explore their creativity and learn practical skills that will serve them in real life. Shop Our Imaginative Play Toys Of course, nothing is as important for imaginative play as your child’s own imagination! That being said, toys that promote pretend play can really help them engage in and enjoy imaginative play on a daily basis. For developmentally-friendly toys your kids will love playing with, check out KidKraft’s wide range of play kitchens, dollhouses, and other imaginative play toys. Just like your child, they’re made for make believe!
What Is Cognitive Play?
Parenting a preschooler can feel like a crash course in childhood development…(in a good way!) You might vaguely remember learning about cognitive development and play in that Psych 101 class you took in college, but now you’re seeing it in action! Your kiddo has grown from a cooing baby to a talking toddler figuring out the world. If you’ve ever wondered what you can do to help support that rapid cognitive development, the answer is simply to help them engage in meaningful play! What Is Cognitive Development? Before we dive into the types of play that support cognitive development, it’s helpful to have a basic definition of cognitive development. In the simplest terms, cognitive development is the growth of kids’ ability to think. This encompasses their problem solving skills, their ability to use reason and logic, their ability to engage in abstract thinking. What Is Cognitive Play? The Role of Play in Cognitive Development Almost any type of child-led play can help kids’ cognitive development in some way, but when you see the term “cognitive play'', it’s likely referring to types of play that are particularly good at building kids’ problem-solving and thinking skills. Some classic examples include puzzles, building with blocks or other construction toys, and memory games.Problem-solving play can also include anything that is challenging for your toddler like dressing and undressing their dolls or figuring out how to fit all of their toys into their wagon. These activities help toddlers learn to analyze challenges and persist through trial and error. (For more ideas, see our 7 Problem-Solving Activities for Toddlers!)Language is another critical part of kids’ cognitive development. After all, we think through words, especially when we’re trying to think about more abstract concepts. A rich understanding of their language equips kids to tackle these challenges later in life! Playing, speaking, and reading with adults helps kids grow their vocabularies and intuitively understand sentence structure. It’s also important to remember that kids play in ways that may not seem like play to us, and these activities are also beneficial for cognitive development. Just as young babies can’t help but practice standing and crawling, toddler and preschoolers can’t help but practice their growing cognitive skills. When they suddenly fixate on sorting their toys by color or lining up all of their animal figurines from biggest to smallest, they’re building pre-math skills. When they’re determined to impossibly fit all of their books into their backpack, they’re building spatial reasoning. And when they simply stare at the pictures in their books, they’re often trying to retell the story to themselves, building their memory, focus, and future reading comprehension skills.In short, anytime toddlers and preschoolers truly focus on any task, it likely feels like play to them, and there is probably some form of cognitive benefit! Want more details? Check out our post on How Play Supports Cognitive Development to get brain-boosting play ideas and learn the different cognitive skills kids develop through play! Lastly, explore our entire collection of cognitive play toys perfect for cognitive development.
