School is starting in just one very long week, and what better way to celebrate than a half-eaten apple?

On a serious note, apples are not only the fruit of fall, but they’re also a fun way to bring in a new school year. Kids have a sense of humor and can appreciate a fun little apple core craft.

Use cardstock for a stiff base and glue it onto popsicle sticks. They glue well together, even using school glue, making it super easy for young kids to assemble as well. For a faster hold, use Tacky glue.

I did not include a template for this craft, because it uses such simple shapes that you can just make it yourself! Simple draw or trace a half circle and scallop the edge. You can make a template to reuse, or redraw them for a more organic feel.

Make one or a pair. Hang them around a classroom for some quirky back to school decor. Have kids write their names on the base for a classroom display.

You can also photocopy your semicircles on white paper and have kids color it so that they have a bigger role in the creation of the apple core craft.

What you need to make an Apple Core Craft:

• Popsicle sticks
• Red cardstock and/or green cardstock
• Tacky or school glue
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Black marker
  

How to make an Apple Core Craft:

1. On both colored papers, red and green, draw a half circle. Scallop the straight side so that the pointy edges are on the outside of the circle and the round ones are on the inside.

2. Cut out two in the same color for each apple core you’re making.

3. Lay out four popsicle sticks touching each other vertically. Glue one semicircle on top, and one on bottom, so that the scalloped sides face each other.

4. Cut leaf shapes from green paper.

5. Cut out a stem from brown paper or a scrap of cardboard.

6. Glue on the leaf and stem at the top of your apple core.

7. For the final touch, draw in a few seeds.

How to make an Apple Core Craft

Print

Materials

• Popsicle sticks (the standard size)
• Red cardstock and/or
• Green cardstock
• Tacky or
• School glue
• Black marker

Tools

• Pencil
• Scissors

Instructions

1. On both colored papers, red and green, draw a half circle. Scallop the straight side so that the pointy edges are on the outside of the circle and the round ones are on the inside.

2. Cut out two in the same color for each apple core you're making.

3. Lay out four popsicle sticks touching each other vertically. Glue one semicircle on top, and one on bottom, so that the scalloped sides face each other.

4. Cut leaf shapes from green paper.

5. Cut out a stem from brown paper or a scrap of cardboard.

6. Glue on the leaf and stem at the top of your apple core.

7. For the final touch, draw in a few seeds.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

I hope you enjoyed making an apple core craft!

The post Apple Core Craft from Popsicle Sticks appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

I initially decided to share this information after struggling to potty train M and sarcastically posting on Facebook that I think I’m gonna share how NOT to potty train a kid. Or rather, “how to potty train your 3.5 year old in 5 months”. But then a few friends chimed in that they could really use realistic advice. You know, “learn from your mistakes” kind of advice.

Thousands have read this advice. Now, four and a half years later and two years after potty training my second son, I decided it’s time to update this advice with my new experiences. So here goes…

• How I eventually realized I was making potty training mistakes:
• 6 Common Potty Training Mistakes You’re Probably Making:
• Potty Training Mistakes #1: Not being consistent
• Potty Training Mistakes #2: Using disposable training pants
• Potty Training Mistakes #3: Using a potty seat or potty ring
• Potty Training Mistakes #4: Turning it into a power struggle
• Potty Training Mistakes #5: Starting too soon
• Potty Training Mistakes #6: Using only reward charts
• When your potty training mistakes are getting to you…

I was frustrated to say the least.

I read up on my advice.

I tried and tried.

Nothing was working.

My son was three years old plus some. We had tried before the baby was born. We had tried in the summer. And now the pressure was on – his preschool wanted him out of diapers, and he was the only one left.

I thought that the peer pressure – all his friends wear underwear – would help.

I thought that getting a BLUE potty seat would do the job and excite him.

I even thought (knew?) that going commando may help.

But something was obviously not working.

How I eventually realized I was making potty training mistakes:

After abandoning the advice I read online, after five months of trying, after making every mistake possible, M was finally fully trained. He was (is) even ready to night train! (Update: he night trained very soon after).

I took the opportunity to think back and reflect on what exactly I was doing wrong!

Here’s the thing: you’ll read all sorts of advice, amazing tips, and cool strategies for easy potty training two-year-olds over the weekend. And it may work for some.

Potty training is an individual formula – and that is one of the first and most critical potty training mistakes that many moms make!

So why am I writing this list?

Call it a “potty training troubleshooting guide”. Go through it. Figure out if that’s what’s holding your child back.

Oh, yeah, one more thing.

You are still an amazing mother if your child is NOT potty trained by three years. You are doing a great job! Potty training is not easy, but you’ve got this.

So, while I was joking about writing a blog post on “How to potty train your 3.5 year old in five months”, I decided to go forth and share some common mistakes that I made, and the solutions and ways around them.

6 Common Potty Training Mistakes You’re Probably Making:

Potty Training Mistakes #1: Not being consistent

You can’t potty train over the weekend if you’re not going to head straight into the week with the same agenda.

Potty training is really habit forming, so if you take a break, you’re interrupting the whole pattern. Even more so, your toddler probably won’t understand why or when he or she gets to wear diapers sometimes and not others.

BE CONSISTENT.

We wanted to send M to preschool fully trained and realized his teachers probably did NOT want to clean up his accidents.  But this was interrupting the whole flow. I was so frustrated that he was perfect on the weekends but during the week, when we’d change into underwear after school, he’d consistently have accidents.

Eventually I realized that this may be an issue.

When we eventually realized this, I took him to his preschool, brought him to the toilet a few times, and almost overnight he was fully trained. We traveled with him in underwear at that point – a two plus hour road trip! (Having a travel potty for backup definitely helped.)

But let’s backtrack a few steps in this process and go onto the next common potty training mistakes.

Potty Training Mistakes #2: Using disposable training pants

Here’s what you need to know about disposable training pants:

1. They feel just like diapers
2. They don’t hold a poop

When we felt like M was staying dry on the weekends, we sent him to preschool with his training pants. Well, he pooped straight up his back. I had to come in to clean him up. He was screaming the entire time.

Did I mention that it was pouring rain that day? That I didn’t have a car? And that I was wearing his little brother while doing all this? I got sick afterwards.

Training pants are great for when you don’t EXPECT your child to use it, but you want it as a backup. This applies to a FULLY TRAINED child who has already formed his toilet-going habits, and is used to going to the bathroom when he needs. We use it now during nap time, and it’s great for long road trips too. We also use it for night training once we have a few dry nights with a diaper, to make it easier for the child to go to the bathroom if they do need it.

A possible alternative if you feel you need it (which I have not tried, by the way, so I’m not vouching for it) is cloth training pants. These are pretty much underwear with extra padding, so there’s less to clean up if there’s an accident.

So why didn’t M just go to the bathroom that day if he had mostly formed this habit? Yeah, about that…

Potty Training Mistakes #3: Using a potty seat or potty ring

We didn’t have space for a potty seat (though I was drooling over some adorable ones) so I just went straight to a ring that sits on the seat. All went without hitch, until that fateful day mentioned above.

We learned the hard way that when your child gets used to a potty ring, you’re stuck. She will now be afraid of every toilet without a potty ring.

M was terrified of his school toilet. He is a very skinny boy, and he really can’t sit straight on the seat. Except that he can. He just needed to learn how to hold himself up with his hands. By now he doesn’t even need to.

In case you’re wondering, yes, he does sometimes try doing it standing, but that doesn’t work in all circumstances (note the blowout I had to clean above).

After our training pants episode, when I realized that he was afraid, I offered his teacher (who is an experienced mother herself) our spare potty ring. She did not want to start with it, and encouraged us to teach him to go without.

We literally had to train him from scratch. And he did not choose a good day for that.

So, while in some circumstances a potty ring can be a great transitional step, if you’re having trouble training your child, you might want to evaluate your own situation. If your child is in a place regularly with a toilet that does NOT have a ring, you’ll want to skip that step.

If M can do without, you child definitely can!

And here’s where I provide an update with Y: we made the same mistake twice. He has a more adaptable and social personality so he was easier to retrain, but yep, we had to retrain him to go without the potty ring again!

Potty Training Mistakes #4: Turning it into a power struggle

Once things don’t go straight and clean from the start, you head into power struggle zone.

I was actually aware of this from the start, so it was not the cause of most of our issues, but we did experience this some. There were two things that I tried to do consistently that helped us avoid the struggle (meaning, when I slacked on them, that’s when the power struggle set in.)

1. Step back- To some extent, potty training is hands-on. You need to stand behind your child and be there for him.  But we were guilty sometimes of asking him every second of the day if he needed to go. Your child needs to learn how to go on his own. Gently reminding a few times, at the very beginning of your training, is enough.

The biggest learning experience for your child is his accidents. Your child will naturally feel bad about it and want to do better.

Potty training will need to be an independent experience, this is a basic skill your child will need to be fully trained outside of the home as well.

2. Give choices – Do the words “I don’t WANNA wear underwear, I wanna diaper!” sound familiar? This is the sound of the initial excitement of the patterns on the underwear wearing off.

Giving a choice puts your child in control – even if both of the choices are exactly what you’re telling him to do…

“Do you want the Elmo underwear or the airplane one?” simply works better than “We’re wearing underwear, not a diaper”. You can even give your child the option of going bare-bottomed or wearing underwear. It’s surprisingly age appropriate.

Potty Training Mistakes #5: Starting too soon

Another thing we did wrong, way before all of the above incidents, was trying before the baby was born? M sat on the toilet and had no idea what to do. We tried a number of times.

Make sure that your child is really ready before you try to train. Here are some guidelines you can follow, since clearly I’m not an expert on this. Some people have told me that potty training in three days did work when they tried again later on, so if your child is very young you may want to try again later.

Potty Training Mistakes #6: Using only reward charts

Reward charts make a great incentive for potty training, however, at least in the beginning, you want an immediate incentive as well. Unless your child is thrilled with the concept of placing a sticker on a piece of paper, she is simply too young to understand the concept of future rewards.

Aim for immediate gratification.

All who know me know good and well how I feel about junk food. However, M has eaten so many chocolate chips and had so many lollies (our earlier poop treats), I no longer recognize myself and my parenting principles.

But hey! He’s trained…

Bigger prizes (read: new toys) were given as follows:

• First successful pee
• First successful poop
• First full day dry and clean
• First full day at preschool dry and clean
• Subsequent potty training charts that were used for smaller incentives.

Yes, I DID do charts as well. I used them for bigger prizes and to track our success. At first I gave him one sticker every time he TRIED to make in the toilet. We used another at the end to mark ten days totally dry – and after that we were good to go.

Charts were a HUGE part of our potty training system. They were, however, part of a system. I finally decided to share that system with you:

I can’t reshare this post without first sharing with you an essential tip we gained from training Y, our second child.

The best way to train is to let your child go bare-bottomed. Ever dealt with the frustration of your child peeing in the underwear the moment you give up after trying to sit on the potty for an hour?

Babies learn to hold things in when they’re uncovered, when you’re changing them, and let it out when they’re covered with their diapers. When you potty train, they need to reverse this. If your child is bare bottomed, eventually they’ll need to let go.

But Y did not want to go bare bottomed. He felt naked.

The solution ended up being putting on him his big brother’s shirts. Longer t-shirts helped him feel covered but not TOO covered. So if you’re having this issue, especially with boys who aren’t wearing dresses and skirts, it’s worth a shot!

When your potty training mistakes are getting to you…

Remember the following:

1. Potty training is extremely hard. Mom friends have told me it’s the worst part of parenting. That might sound extreme, and maybe it is, but regardless, it’s hard enough to make moms say that.
2. You’re not alone. Most moms are announcing things they are proud of. They’re not broadcasting that their 3+ year old is now trained. They’re not announcing their potty training mistakes, because they’re not proud of them. Most bloggers who offer you tips are only doing so when they feel successful at it. Not when they struggled as well. But dare I say that the majority of moms struggle?
3. The job you are doing potty training your child is NOT  a measuring tape for how good a mother you are. How much  you love your children, how much effort you invest in them, how much you care when things get difficult. If you’re read until here, you clearly care.
4. Finally, when you’ve successfully trained your child reward yourself. You deserve it.

Do you know of any common potty training mistakes to add to the list? Do you have any other tips to offer struggling moms? Comment below – and be nice 😉 !!

The post Common Potty Training Mistakes appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

When my sister got married a few weeks ago, the kids were obviously invited to the wedding. There were many things that worked out for us with kids at a wedding, and some mistakes that we made.

I decided to compile this list of ideas for entertaining kids at a wedding, plus give you some other tips for bringing kids to a wedding based on my experiences. Some of these are based on what we did that was successful. And some are based on what we didn’t do.

These tips and ideas for entertaining kids at a wedding and retaining your sanity are geared toward moms bringing their own kids.

But you’ll also find ideas that’ll work for a kids’ table and tips that are great for the event organizer too.

First, you’ll find some activities for entertaining kids at a wedding, then you’ll find some general sanity-saving tips.

Activities for Entertaining Kids at a Wedding:

When it comes to entertaining kids at a wedding, the most critical parts are the photography sessions (when they need to be available but out of the way) and the actual procession. For the procession itself, I’d recommend keeping it simple: if you need the screen, pull out the screen.

I also believe in giving the kids a chance to actually watch the procession – they may find it interesting, as mine did, especially when it’s a favorite aunt or uncle getting married.

If your kids are getting fidgety, pull out the kids’ tablet or your phone and let them play games with the sound off.

For the photos, I brought along activities for all the cousins as well. I didn’t want to use these at the procession because it’s more formal. I stuck to things that were creative but non-messy, or at least not messier than gathering up a pile of big garbage.

Here are some of the activities I brought for entertaining kids at a wedding, plus more that you can choose form that would work:

1. Mess-free coloring:

We brought plenty of Crayola Color Wonder products and the kids just had fun coloring while they remained on call for photos.

 I brought this for entertaining the kids at my brother-in-law’s wedding a few years ago as well, and grabbed some Color Wonder for this wedding as well.

2. Semi mess-free coloring:

For my sister’s wedding, instead of just Color Wonder, I also brought along regular coloring things that were fresh for the kids but still not quite as messy as markers. (I just didn’t have enough Color Wonder to go around as there are a lot more kids.)

Cool coloring stuff for entertaining kids at a wedding include:

• Colored pencils – if your kids aren’t used to using these, it’s a fun change, and they won’t be able to mark up the floor or ruin their outfits with it.
• Mr. Sketch Twist-up Pencils – These are great if colored pencils are boring to your kids. They are scented and add a fun twist. Only get them for older kids as they break easily.
• Gel pens and black paper – this was perfect for the bigger kids! Go for milky colors that won’t really leave stains on the hands if they’re not so neat with it.
• Plenty of stuff to color – you can bring those black velvet posters (skip the enclosed markers and use colored pencils or crayons), coloring books with the kids favorite characters (we grabbed Sesame Street and Paw Patrol ones), plain pads for the more creative kids… even adult coloring books for the bigger kids!
• Stencils can add a little twist and make it more interesting.

Tip: don’t take everything out at once! Give the kids a choice and then hand them 1-2 activities at a time, so you don’t have 1-2 kids hoarding everything.

3. Scratch art for age preschool and up:

My sister recommended scratch art kits and it was a huge hit among the older-than-toddler set! The kids got very into it, especially my nephew (whose mother’s idea it was in the first place.)

4. Reusable sticker scenes for the toddlers:

Stickers are perfect for entertaining toddlers, but real stickers will cause problems. Baby Y loves wearing them and I knew he’d stick them on the floor.

So instead I brought those glossy sticker clings that don’t have glue on the back – they just cling. I bought my kids’ and their cousins’ favorite characters – PJ Masks, PAW Patrol, Frozen…

Tip: peel off the outline of the stickers in advance so that they have an easier time peeling them off – thanks Susie of Busy Toddler for this idea!

Stickers are a choking hazard – don’t give to kids who mouth things and always supervise!

5. A tablet with kids’ apps:

For the procession, and if you need an emergency “pull-out” I’d recommend having something handy that you know will keep ’em busy. My kids’ love the Little Scholar learning tablet, but if you don’t have something like that (or you don’t want to invest in one), at least enable child lock features on your phone and download some age-appropriate games in advance. Or, pull out an old smartphone that’s no longer in use and turn that into the “kids’ phone”.

6. Puzzles and other compact, entertaining toys:

If your kids are entertained by puzzles, grab a few flat ones to bring along! Other great toys along these lines would be chunky wooden lacing beads, a felt busy book, or Etch-a-Sketch toys.

Sanity saving tips for enjoying yourself with kids at a wedding:

1. Bring the kitchen sink… I mean the medicine cabinet.

Murphy’s law: Baby Y spiked a fever during the wedding. We realized afterward that it was because of a 24 hour bug going through his playgroup, but at the moment all we knew was that we were going to have a really long night with a really unhappy tot.

So my husband ran to the closest CVS for Tylenol and nearly missed the big family photo – he literally slipped in as the photographer was clicking the button.

We also saw a suspicious rash earlier and with an allergic child, and us taking the caterer’s word for it which foods he can eat, I was kicking myself for not bringing Benadryl. We just watched the rash, which ended up being part of the virus, but I realized how stupid I was for not bringing it.

I highly recommend equipping yourself with the  works. You might not expect your child to need it, but we all know that kids choose the worst times to get sick. So bring it all: Tylenol/Motrin, Benadryl, Band-aids – bring a whole first aid kit just in case!

Eventually the Tylenol kicked in and the evening went much smoother!

I also highly recommend earplugs for babies since music can be loud. They help for any kid that is sensitive to too much noise.

2. Changes of clothing that work in the best-case scenario:

We had a whole color scheme planned out, so while I obviously didn’t want to change my kids, I brought along dressy outfits that would work for the photos in case something got messed up before pictures.

They didn’t need it, but I guarantee you if I wouldn’t have had that changed, Baby Y would have had a blowout on the way in….

Which brings me to:

3. Dress your kids as close as possible to the venue:

The wedding was a two hour drive from our house, but fortunately we have plenty of family in the area.

We stopped off at the sister that lives closest to there, got dressed and then drove to the wedding venue, surviving the five minute drive intact…

4. Try to nap the kids – but don’t push it:

I did try to nap the kids late morning. Baby Y napped, M didn’t.

In the end the hype of the event helped M stay up late, but the fact that Baby Y napped helped us a lot.

5. Fill them up beforehand and bring snacks:

Your kids may or may not like what’s offered at the wedding. They may or may not be fed when they are willing to eat. And if you have a food-allergic child, catered food can be risky.

I came with a huge “sack o snacks” – pretzel flats, sandwiches, sippy cups, healthy fruit snacks, treats… Snacks like pretzels are also great for giving kids during the reception to keep them happy.

6. Bring the stroller if you can:

If you have a younger child, bring the stroller in. Not only do you have a place to drop all your cargo (yay!) but your child will want to rest at some point.

We left ours in the car and had to go through the hassle of getting it. Consider this especially if you’re in a place with valet parking and access to the car might be more complex!

A coupla hours in, Baby Y was screaming that he wants his stroller. Granted, he was burning up, but like I said, you want to be prepared. Note: you may be able to “coat check” it until you need it.

Tip: If your kids gets overwhelmed in busy situations, bring a stroller cover as well.

7. Prep them in advance:

Talk about the wedding in advance so that they know what to expect, what will happen.

Katelyn of What’s Up Fagans says “ Remind them it isn’t a day about them, but about so-and-so getting married. Tell them any expectations in regards to a receiving line, eating cake, first dances are NOT for them, and that presents are not for them. It’s helpful to go over common marriage ceremony and reception events so that they know what is going on and when and why.“

8. Bring Pajamas for the drive home:

You’ll likely be getting home quite late. If you have a drive home after, definitely change them before you leave! That way you can hopefully just transfer them right to bed and crash yourself.

That’s all for now with my tips and ideas for entertaining kids at a wedding! I’ll pop in with any more and add them to the list as they come up!

Do you have any sanity-saving tips for bringing young kids to a wedding? Got any other ideas for entertaining kids at a wedding? Comment below!

Loved these ideas and activities for kids at a wedding? You’ll love the posts below!

• Activities to do when the power is out
• The best kids’ clothing stores online
• Sibling Jealousy – How to Avoid Toddler Jealousy with a New Baby

The post Kids at a Wedding: Activities and Sanity-saving tips appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

If you’re looking for the best birthday gifts for two year old boys, you’re in the right spot! This list includes ideas for toys for two year old boys and non-toy birthday gifts too! Of course any Elmo toys and gifts would work here! You can also check out my favorite first birthday gifts here. Disclosure: this post contains commissioned images and links. Some of the products listed below were gifted to me by their respective brands for possible inclusion in this and other gift guides.

Finding the best birthday gifts for two year old boys can be tricky.

They’re at their age when they’re ready to do more and be challenged. But many of them are still mouthing things (I mean, Baby Y will eat E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. Unless it’s vegetables.)

So the challenge is big: find things that are stimulating and safe.

I scoured my toy closet and the internet to find the best birthday gifts for two year old boys for you so that you don’t have to do the groundwork.

Yeah, I know, girls might like these too. But I’ve got boys so I’m sharing what I know!! Find more gift guides for different age groups too!

Favorite toys for toddlers and the best birthday gifts for two year old boys:

Kids learn through play, and at two, your child has a whole new set of skills to learn! These best birthday gifts for two year old boys channel those new skills and let them learn through playtime.

1. Educational Insights Bright Basics Sorting Tree:

This adorable sorting toy is unique in that it almost has the feel of a “peg puzzle”. Instead of only classic shapes, you have little grippable images alongside some classic shapes.

The shapes fall into the tree and down the chute. My toddler loves this twist on a shape sorting toy because he sees a “reaction” when he matches the shapes correctly and loves watching it come back out. It’s much more rewarding than watching the toy disappear!

2. DUPLO Train Set:

2 years old is the perfect age to get started with building bricks – and DUPLO is the perfect stage.

Take this a step further and go “double duty” by getting a set that includes train tracks too!

3. Baby Bijoux Boy Doll:

When Baby Y was first born, I was looking all over for a perfect baby boy doll and my options were surprisingly limited! Baby Bijoux is an anatomically correct doll available in both boy and girl versions, as well as four different ethnicities (African American, Asian, Caucasian, as well as Hispanic.)

The features and the hands are feet are so highly detailed making this truly a high end doll. It’s got a head of hair making it much more fun to play with!

If you prefer a gender neutral doll, give Baby Doux a go instead.

4. Ride on toy:

I love the idea of giving my budding toddler a good solid opportunity to be active without being destructive, especially indoors. A good ride-on toy that can work for both inside and out is one of my best gifts for two year old boys.

We gave Baby Y this adorable one for Hanukkah, but if you have the space a Cozy Coupe is a popular classic too!

5. Peg board:

A simple peg board is the perfect way for your two year old to practice some fine motor skills and coordination. And if your tot loves to break things and take them apart, this is a great way to channel that energy!

6. Pretend Kitchen or Tool Bench:

Toddlers are just learning the art of pretend! Depending what your kids are interested in, a larger pretend play toy is great for this stage.

Be aware that many of these have small parts so read the product details (and maybe stash some away for another year if your toddler is still mouthing toys.)

7. Music Makers:

Let them make music!

Musical instruments make some of the best birthday gifts for two year old boys – just beware of volume controls on electronics, for your own sanity. Also, beware of small parts – some larger sets of musical instruments may require you to hide away a few until your tot is bigger.

8. Toddler-safe Vehicles!

They’re still too young for Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, but you can go for larger trucks and vehicles. Baby Y calls every single truck a fire truck (“fiwe cook”) and it’s so adorable. He plays a lot with his big brother’s stash and really enjoys them. Green Toys creates some perfect for younger kids.

Non-toy gifts for toddlers and the best birthday gifts for two year old boys:

:

When buying non-toy gifts for any age groups, my favorite trick is to pinpoint their favorite character and then you can buy anything! I literally bought M PAW Patrol underwear (check out my favorite PAW Patrol gifts here!) And he was in love with them!

9. Clothing:

I’ve shared in the past some of the best kids clothing stores online. If you’re looking for a great deal on something cool in every budget, try Zulily. Another of my favorite stops for adorable gift-able outfits is Tea Collection. Look for things that will make the tot smile too – Baby Y was so excited when I put on a shirt with a car on it today!

[show_boutique_widget id=”717943″]

10. 4-in-1 Trike:

Baby Y is starting to tire of his stroller, and he’ll soon be ready for a trike anyway. Getting one that can be pushed by a parent and then turn into a trike as your child gets older means you get more out of your gift.

11. Dishes for self-feeding:

This is the age when coordination improves and your tot may be developing an independent streak. Bring out the kid-sized cutlery! Baby Y insists on using a “poons” when he eats.

Or get kid-sized cups, plates, the possibilities are endless!

12. Play Doh:

You might think this qualifies as a “toy” but for me this is practically a gift for me – a babysitter!

Baby Y can sit for a full 45 minutes with play dough while I drink that coffee HOT! They mostly squish it at this age. The perfect accessory for play dough play at this age is s pile of craft sticks to use as knives, shapers, and to poke into a pile of dough.

13. Art Supplies:

Another skill your two-year-old may have just mastered or be ready to master is coloring! That makes toddler-friendly art supplies one my favorite birthday gifts for two year old boys.

Go for fat and easy to grip materials – and of course, make sure they’re washable and non-toxic, because your tot may try eating it…

14. Fuzzy Slippers:

Another successful Hanukkah gift we bought for Baby Y (he was about eighteen months old then) was a really inexpensive pair of fuzzy slippers!!

He is so obsessed with them that they are practically like the blanket – I had to sneak them into the wash when they got smelly!

15. Children’s Museum membership or visit:

These kids’ paradises are perfect for this hard-to-entertain on a rainy day age group! Baby Y had a blast with his brother and cousin at Children’s Discovery Center in Cherry Hill, NJ. Check out Groupon for great deals on experiences in your area.

16. Books, books, books!

“A kid can never have too many books” says a certain mama I know (me, in case you haven’t guessed yet….)

Try a book subscription such as BookRoo if you want to make it extra special.

What are your best birthday gifts for two year old boys? Have you given anything that was such a huge success that you can’t help but share? Comment below!

Loved this list of the best birthday gifts for two year old boys? Check out more ideas below!

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By “she”, I mean the sweet mother of the other toddler at the playground.

By me, I mean a socially anxious helicopter mom, who smiled at her earlier while my son was playing on the slide near her daughter, with me hovering nearby.

So what made her, a seemingly sweet fellow mom call the cops on me?

I’ll start from scratch.

I am a nervous mother. I tend to stand over my kids a bit too much. It stresses me out to take them out, but I’m working on it.

This Saturday, my husband and I took the kids to our local playground for the first time in a while. It was very full, which gets me nervous. But it was mostly people we knew, which was reassuring too.

While my husband sat and watched, out of the corner of his eye, chatting with a friend, I hovered over the kids.

As I was helping my 22 month old up the steps and down the slide, I met this sweet woman with a child my age and I smiled at her. I went to get something from the stroller and my husband invited me to sit next to him at the park bench.

“Nah,” I replied. “I need to watch the kids.”

“Watch from here”, the friend replied. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

My mind immediately traveled to 30 different scenarios, with  my son falling and breaking a bone being the least of them. He could run into the street while a car is zipping by. Someone could take him. Someone we know might feed him something he’s allergic to… But I kept quiet and sat down.

The second I sat down, Baby Y was out of the park and I chased him down quicker than I knew I could run.

But I knew with my heart and soul that my excessive hovering is not good for my kids. They need to run. They need to play. They need the illusion of freedom.

So I followed from a distance. And the entire time I worked on my anxiety.

“They’ll be okay. I can see them. If I lose sight of them for a moment, someone we know well will see them.”

“They won’t be going far. I can keep an eye on them without hovering. They’ll be okay. They’ll be fine. They won’t be fine if I limit them”.

I spoke to all my fears. I was struggling. I was working on myself. And I failed.

I was sitting and talking with a friend, while watching Baby Y run around in big circles through the empty areas of the park, making new friends with all the big kids.

M ran over to me and asked if he can go to a friend’s house. I stood up to find my husband and ask him what he thought, since we were supposed to be going home in a few minutes. I went over to the friend’s parent to confirm the invitation, and make sure that this wasn’t just the brainchild of the almost-six-year-old friend. It was, and the answer was no.

And a second later I was asking “Where’s Baby Y?!!” Only a couple of minutes had passed from when I was sitting on the bench chatting.

I didn’t see him. And then a moment later I did. He was with a few older kids – maybe ten years old or so, and they were talking to him. One of them was a child we know. I cracked up at how easily he makes friends… but then I realized something was wrong. One of the kids picked him up and started walking him towards us looking concerned.

And then a woman from the community came over to us and told her that another woman, the same one that I had “met” at the slide had just brought him in from the street and was calling the police to report negligence.

And then another woman, one that we know well, came and told us the same. And she suggested we leave the park and not wait for an encounter. We were planning on leaving then anyway, so we did.

Oh, to describe to you the panic.

“But I was being better! I was being a better mother!”

I am human. I got distracted for a moment by my other child. I even said no to a situation that I felt wasn’t supervised enough! I was trying! Trying to overcome my fears, my natural tendencies, so that I can be a better mother for my kids.

And here, I was proven wrong.

Oh, how I’m going to hover the next time we go to the park! And I SWEAR there will be a next time.

I was shaking the entire walk home. My son. He walked into the street. Something could have happened. Someone could have taken my sweet, sweet son. Okay, he’s more like the devil, but he is the love of my life. I could not survive without him. And that same woman that brought him back could easily have taken him.

Or possibly worse, he could have been killed by a speeding car. He could have been hurt, hurt badly.

“What’s the worst that could possibly happen?”

All the worsts that can possibly happen rushed around my brain, fast, spinning in circles.

And one of them did. She called the cops. She assumed negligence and called the police on me.

We heard the sirens from a few blocks away. We weren’t running. We were just going home on schedule. I wasn’t guilty. I was just human. And yet I was terrified.

I’m assuming that these cops get sanctimonious calls like this all the time. I mean, what did she tell them. “Parents weren’t watching kid, kid walked into the street”? Would the police do something about that if the parents are right there, had been watching, lapsed for a critical moment?

Yet, in the same way that I had imagined every terrible scenario that might happen at the park, the thought of my child being taken from me and put into a system where so many souls are lost sent my brain spinning.

Spinning with guilt. Spinning with regret. Spinning with self-judgement.

So why’d she call the cops? She has a kid that age! She should know how easy it is for a perfectly good mother to lose sight! Okay, her daughter seemed to be a sweet little angel,  a bit like my older child, not the monkey that is Baby Y.

But still, why did she call? Don’t fellow moms know what it’s like? Don’t we have each other’s backs?

I’d like to judge her favorably. I think she may have seen Y walking around for a while “on his own” with me watching from a safe distance, and wondered where this kid’s mom was. And when he went into the street, perhaps she thought that was proof that this baby was at the park himself.

I’d like to believe that.

But I can’t. She called the cops on me.

Me, the helicopter mom.

Me, the one who would never let anything happen to her child.

Me, the mom who wouldn’t let her older son play at a home where the parent was sleeping; the mom who never, ever lets her kids out of sight when playing outdoors. She called the cops on me.

And I still can’t believe it.

I know I need to bring you all some sort of conclusion. I know that I can’t leave this hanging. And while I work through the shock of the situation and the anxiety it brought, I wanted to share with you a few lessons I learned.

1. I made a mistake.

Yes, I know now that Baby Y still needs to be hovered over. If I had one hand on him, I wouldn’t forget that I was watching him, even with a small distraction, right? He’s not yet ready to not be hovered over. M, on the other hand, is ready for me to step back. I can learn to step back through him. When Baby Y is ready, I’ll step back there too.

2. We all do.

It’s hard to acknowledge our mistakes when they could have caused so much harm. Yet, there it was, an error in judgement. And it takes lots of self-reflection to acknowledge that an error in judgement does not make one a bad mother.

A bad mother is one who doesn’t even bother judging because she doesn’t care. I was trying to do what’s best for my kids, and I chose the wrong one of two options.

Here’s something I learned as a child. The ten people who were considered to have never sinned in Jewish tradition are NOT the leaders like Abraham and Moses. They were more  obscure people. That’s because when you DO THINGS, you are more prone to making mistakes. When you do great things with your life you’ll make some errors of judgement along the way, you’ll take risks and make mistakes. And being a good mother is doing a very great thing. Pat yourselves on the back, mamas!

3. I can’t do it alone.

There must be some sort of guardian angel assigned to each toddler to keep him or her alive. For real.

As much as the above two points help me to some extent with some form of self-forgiveness, I still can’t live down the fact that a moment of distraction, a simple mistake, could have cost my child his life! I think back to a story from my hometown of a toddler who was playing outside, supervised, and in a moment when the mother was preoccupied, walked into the busy street and was killed.

That could have been me. That could have been my baby.

And while I now know the kind of supervision that Baby Y needs, I also know that we can only try. We need to acknowledge that once we’ve done what we can, we need to leave it in G-d’s hands. We need to pray that we make the right decisions. We need to do all that we physically can. And then we need to realize that we are human and there is Someone up there who’s protecting our babies.

More like this:

• The one thing that’s preventing you from being a better parent
• 21 Perfect Elmo gifts for toddlers
• Food Allergies and your School: 7 reasons they’re so strict!
• Pregnant Women and Toddlers are Basically the Same
• 21 Ways to bond at bedtime

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If you are like most parents, you have some great kids who enjoy relaxing indoors, in front of a screen. While a little screen time generally will not do much harm, sometimes you may feel that your little ones are spending a little too much time in front of the television or tablet. If this sounds like you, you are in luck.

I’m here to help you figure out how to limit screen time, and how to divert your kids from the screen when enough is enough.

Incorporate Screen Characters into Pretend Play

While your child will likely huff and puff when you say screen time is up for the day, there are some great ways to help ease them into another activity. One way is to incorporate their favorite characters they were just watching into pretend play or art!

If their show was only half over when it was time to shut it off, have them draw a cartoon for what they think would have happened next. If they were playing a video game like Minecraft, turn it into real life.

Make a cardboard pickaxe for your child to decorate and have them head outside to “chop” down various trees. Cut out apple and carrot shapes for them to munch or (or provide them with the real food) to help keep their “hearts” full. You can even have them plant seeds into the ground for a pretend wheat or carrot crop.

My boys could play Minecraft for hours, if I let them. Which is why incorporating screen characters into pretend play has been such a great thing for my kids.

While screen time is probably going to be a norm for kids in this day and age, it makes sense to help them use their imagination a little.

Have Loads of Fun Activities to Transition to

Find out what your kiddos love to do. Do they love being outdoors? If so, once screen time is over, head on out for a fun picnic at the park. Play in the sprinklers, or even set up a mini car wash for hot wheels cars. Go on a nature scavenger hunt.

Even if they are not outdoorsy, there are plenty of fun indoor activities like board games, craft time, and even baking cookies. The options are endless, but the key is to find things that your children love doing, other than video games and cartoons. Having something exciting waiting for them will make it a whole lot easier for your child to hit the power switch.

Additional activities are always a great diversion from wanting to do more screen time.

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Time Limits are Always Welcome

I’m the first to admit that screen time is nice because then I’m able to do a lot of my chores or work in peace. However, I know it’s not the best thing for my child all the time. Setting a timer has been an amazing thing for me! Instead of forgetting about my child being on the screen, a timer reminds us both that it’s time to move onto something else.

Think of how quickly time goes when we’re on Facebook or our favorite blog. The same thing goes for our kids, time flies when they’re on the screen and having fun.

Something I’ve been trying to do to divert my kids from screen time is keep the tablets and phones out of sight. I often forget they’re laying around, which makes it easier for the kids to grab anytime they want.

Figuring out how to limit screen time can be tough, but with the right tricks up your sleeve, you’ve got this!

Comment below with your tricks for diverting your  kids from screen time. Can you help your fellow moms learn how to limit screen time?  Got anything foolproof to share?

About the Author:

Jess Weaver has been a work at home mom for almost 8 years. She owns www.jessleewrites.com and specializes in copywriting and ghostwriting. She’s the mom of 3 boys and 1 girl. Her time gets filled with writing, baseball, teaching her kiddos, and exploring the world with the fam.

Loved these clever tips for how to limit screen time? Check out the helpful parenting tips below!

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With M growing faster than a blue whale calf, I’ve been hunting for the best kids clothing stores online – because who’s got the time to shop in-store? I’ve put together this list and I hope you love it! If you’re looking for the best baby clothing brands and sites check this out instead. Disclosure: this post contains commissioned links.

As you can see, I’ve split this list into the best kids clothing stores online for YOUR needs: be it budget, dress, boutique, or designer clothing. I hope you love it!!

Bonus tip: Shop via Ebates for cash back on your purchases! You’ll also get a gift card or cash bonus from them the first time you shop through them. Install their browser extension and it’ll find coupon codes for you when you shop too, saving you even more! I use them almost every time I shop online.

Table of Contents:

• The Best Kids Clothing Stores Online on a Budget:
• The Best Kids Clothing Stores Online for Dress Wear:
• The Best Kids Clothing Stores Online for Boutique Clothes:
• The Best Kids Clothing Stores Online for Designer Outfits and Gifts:
• What are your best kids clothing stores online? Do you usually shop kids clothes online or in store? Comment below to help a fellow mom!

The Best Kids Clothing Stores Online on a Budget

If you’re on a budget like I usually am, check out the best kids clothing stores online with the most competitive prices. Of course, you’ll find quality here too – at least good enough quality to last through two active brothers (my own sons…

Target:

Target is a favorite among myself and almost every other mom I speak to on the subject. They have primarily their own brands – such as Cat & Jack (my personal favorite) – as well as collaborative lines with national brands, such as OshKosh. You’ll also find licensed clothing with your kids’ favorite characters, and plenty of fun prints, with fewer sassy sayings.

Walmart:

While Walmart is often overlooked when it comes to the best kids clothing stores online, I personally love shopping there. Kids grow out of their clothing quickly, and I can often find cheap basics, especially pajamas there. I’ve found some amazing things at Walmart.com and always check in when I’m looking for something specific. They have a couple of new private labels with even more fashionable choices (look up their Wonder Nation line!)

The Children’s Place:

I’ve gotten amazing deals through Children’s Place, and a huge chunk of my kids’ clothing has been purchased there. They have free shipping every day and their online prices are often a fraction of their in-store prices. My favorite: their pants with adjustable waistbands! With a long ‘n skinny kid, it’s hard to find affordable pants that work for them, and The Children’s Place’s skinny pants are one of the few that work. Get a $10 credit here!

PatPat

I discovered this website with Baby A and got a little obsessed. They’re fashion-forward and so affordable. The quality isn’t the best, but they have decent customer service and how much wear does your kid get out of it anyway?

Get $10 off through the PatPat referral program!

The Best Kids Clothing Stores Online for Dress Wear:

When it comes to the best kids clothing stores online for dress wear, much of it is seasonal. Around Christmas and Easter you’ll find that most of the stores have beautiful dress wear for kids available. However, if you need things in the “off-season”, these are some some of my best kids clothing stores online where you’ll always find great dress wear

Janie & Jack:

With a generous selection of blazers and vests for boys, as well as ruffly and lacy dresses for girls, this would be my first stop for dressy kids clothing online. Since they have plenty of choices, you’re more likely to find what you need, in the color and style that you want, at any time of the year. They even have a dedicated “special occasion” section for that really special event.

Returns ship free so you don’t need to worry about getting the size just right!

Zulily:

My absolute favorite limited-time deal site, Zulily has regular kids’ clothing deals, but my favorites are the dressy ones. It’s hit or miss, but when they have stuff it’s good, and usually very affordable.

Burlington Coat Factory:

Yes to shopping Burlinton-style deals online! They  have a dedicated section for boys’ dress wear under $25 as well as girls’ dressy dresses under $25.

If you want free returns, you’ll have to do it in-store but with these prices it may just be worth it.

The Best Kids Clothing Stores Online for Boutique Clothes

If you’re looking for that special touch or style that comes with boutique shopping, these favorites will make you smile. Some of these best kids clothing stores online for boutique fashion are very small and privately owned and some are more established but still specialize purely in what they do, in their own unique way.

Zulily:

Yep, we’re back to Zulily, with limited-time deals – many of them from small, boutique brands! The deals are always changing, but I think you’ll have at least a few boutique brands there regularly.

Tea Collection:

Made in a unique style, with global influence, Tea Collection features beautiful outfits that are ethically sourced! They also feature adorable outfits for siblings to coordinate.

Jojo Maman Bebe:

A brand fit for a princess (literally – it’s been worn by Dutchess of Cambridge as well as Princess Charlotte). Since they have their unique style, it’s easy to match up a whole family here too. I absolutely love how they manage to keep things playful but stylish.

Etsy:

Oh, how I love Etsy! You can get just what you want, how you want it, all while supporting a small business, a fellow stay-at-home mom! Etsy sellers include a huge selection of boutique baby brands, and a very diverse set of options.

The Best Kids Clothing Stores Online for Designer Outfits and Gifts

Whether you’re looking for an upscale gift for a special baby, or you personally want to dress your child in the best, here are some of the best places to buy designer kids clothes online.

Gilt – Gilt features daily deals on top notch brands including many boutique and designers. It’s easy to shop, has a huge assortment of brands and styles, incredible prices for what you’re getting, and is a favorite pick for me. From 7 for All Mankind to Little Marc Jacobs and Jacadi, you’ll find only the best there! They have free in-store returns too!

Saks 5th Avenue – Once again, find all the top brands in an easy-to-shop experience. They also have a beautiful selection of toys, kids’ decor, and baby gear – so you can go all the way!

What are your best kids clothing stores online? Do you usually shop kids clothes online or in store? Comment below to help a fellow mom!

Looking for more cool shopping resources? Check these out!

• Dad-to-be Gifts he’ll absolutely love!
• Elmo Toys for Toddlers
• Gift Ideas for Everyone
• Paw Patrol Gifts – 26 PAWsome Gifts for Preschoolers
• Subscription Boxes for Kids – 18 Favorites
• Big Sibling Gifts for when your new baby arrives
• 20 Amazing Gifts for Crafters
• DIY Gift box from scrapbook paper

The post The Best Kids Clothing Stores Online for every budget! appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Avoiding sibling jealousy in your toddler when the new baby is born is possible – it just takes a simple strategy. This goes beyond getting big sibling gifts and encourages a certain kind of interaction. Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links and images.

M was two and a half years old when Baby Y was born.

I was determined to do everything right so that he wouldn’t be jealous. And while some things are simply out of our control, taking the steps below helped minimize what could have been drastically.

I can’t say they get along perfectly -they fight like siblings do (Baby Y is now 21 months old, and M is four) but as a toddler with a new baby brother, we simply did not experience crazy amounts of jealousy.

I wanted to share with you the tips to avoid sibling jealousy below, but before I do, a few words of encouragement:

The insane sibling jealousy of a toddler with a new baby in the house is a stage that passes. It’s a natural reaction of a child who feels like his or her space was invaded. And if your child reacts violently, yeah, it can be scary, but it doesn’t mean that your toddler has a problem with rage. Toddlers don’t know how to express themselves, and they sometimes act out in surprising ways. If you’re concerned, of course, you can (and should) talk to your doctor about it.

Try to empathize with how your toddler must be feeling and where the sibling jealousy is coming from.

But most importantly, make sure that you discuss any concern pertaining to your children’s health and safety with your pediatrician or family doctor. Do not take any advice that you read on blogs as anything more than a chat with a fellow mom, and always consult with a professional if you are concerned.

6 simple ways to avoid toddler sibling jealousy:

Try one of these strategies, or try all – every little bit helps!

1. Realize that each child reacts differently:

It’s easy to compare, but each child is different. Realizing this is the first step toward empathizing.

My niece really lashed out when her baby sister was young. Not only was she much  younger than M was when his brother was born, but she was also a first grandchild on one side of her family, and really pampered.

Having that competition really confused her.

Not comparing can be hard when you’re in a large family where people are always having babies, but if you’ve done what you can and your child still reacts, don’t feel guilty about it, or like it’s your fault.

It’s also important to realize this BEFORE you take steps toward preventing sibling jealousy, because if something doesn’t seem like it’ll work for your child, it might not. You know your child better than I do. I’m just sharing what worked for mine.

2. Buy a gift from the baby:

Note: I said FROM the baby.

I learned this cool trick to avoid sibling jealousy from Katie of Pick Any Two and it really took an edge off the “big bad baby” aspect of sibling jealousy from the start.

Katie suggests exchanging gifts in the hospital, and to be honest, we just had Baby Y “give” M a gift when he came to visit. That means that the first time M visited his new brother, he was received a cool new toy from his brother, creating a positive first impression.

A perfect gift idea: a customized sibling book! We love this one.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQjhts8hbJK/?taken-by=momsandcrafters

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3. Gifts for the big sibling instead of the baby:

Building on the point above, it can be very difficult for a two year old to see all those gifts come in… and they’re not for her.

With Baby Y, since we pretty much had everything we needed from M, I created a baby registry mostly with things for the big brother. Having two kids of the same gender does help in this respect.

I created this list of big sibling gift ideas with some real winners that worked for us, and I also listed some tips for creating a baby registry for a second child here.

While I did register for a few things for Baby Y, most of my registry was for M. People who asked me what to buy were told to think of the big brother. And I gave him a small gift almost every day for those two weeks where I was really bedridden and couldn’t give him enough of me.

It doesn’t have to be as big as a new tablet (that was our one BIG gift). It can be a new outfit with her favorite character. It can be an inexpensive book. The idea is, the big sibling is the one that is receiving, and that will make him feel special.

Another great idea is to schedule a Mommy-kid date or two in the months following the baby’s birth, once you’re up to it. It can be an ice cream date, or even an at-home play date. The main thing is: it should be one-on-one.

4. Be aware of the interactions that are happening:

This is possibly my best tip for avoiding sibling jealousy and possibly the hardest.

Imagine: your toddler is used to being the absolute center of your attention. She missed you for the past day, and when she comes to visit you, you’re with a new baby. But wait, we’re taking that thing that stole my Mama home too?

It gets worse.

Some toddlers are old enough to already get a sense of how Mama is doing. M is a sensitive soul, and he definitely would get worried every time I wasn’t well, already at that age.

Some things can be stopped, some can’t. But we can try out best to nurture a better understanding of the new sibling in our little ones.

When people came by to visit the new baby, I insisted that they first say hello and talk to M, even if it’s about the new sibling. When M first came to visit me in the hospital, I put the baby down before he came into the room.  I did not hold the baby if he was not being cared for, and while I couldn’t hold M, I made sure that he could sit near me, read a book, cuddle a bit – with the baby down.

There are some non-negotiables. The baby was breast-fed – that was going to happen if we could manage it. So M had to deal with it. But giving him enough outside of those moments helped them not be as bad.

It’s also important to make sure not to take away any comforts from the toddler too soon.

For example, moving the toddler out of her crib, into a bed can make her feel displaced. We had the baby in a play yard in our room and moved M to a bed a few months after baby Y was born.  M actually begged to have a roommate and told us “He can sleep in MY crib!” when Y was about six months old.

The same goes for the high chair, stroller, or whatever it is that your tot might feel is being taken away.

Including M in “Baby Y” activities really helped too! Tummy time was always a family affair (hey, it can be good for toddlers too!) instead of focusing exclusively on the baby.

5. A baby doll might prevent sibling jealousy by helping your toddler feel more involved:

In addition to sending a gift home from the hospital, we let M bring his own “baby” home too! I’m not sure how much of a part this played in avoiding sibling jealousy – he wasn’t really interested in playing with the doll much afterward. He was excited to bring it home from the hospital.

This worked better with another niece of mine.

It awards kids the opportunity to play Mommy (or Daddy) too. It gives them the chance to practice some nurturing and feel involved in the care of the baby, instead of feeling like their place was taken.

And while M did NOT play with his doll once he was home from the hospital, he did practice “breastfeeding” his Elmo doll, so there’s that…

6. Don’t let your guard down – sibling jealousy sometimes comes later:

My wise mom (who raised ten of her own and went through the sibling jealousy thing NINE TIMES!!) warned me of this, and so I was aware.

A new baby isn’t really cute. Yeah, it’s charming how tiny he or she is, but there’s no interaction, no “look what she did!” – or at least less of it. There’s less to play with.

As the baby grows older and starts to open her eyes, interact, roll over, say clever things, etc, the attention can really shift in a way that can cause sibling jealousy.

Especially if you’re dealing with an older toddler like I was, the big sibling is STOPPING to be that adorable toddler, doing cute things every day. And in a subtle way, the dynamic of who the “cute one” is can shift.

I’m not saying that either child is loved more or less. It’s just how we react to the things our little ones say or do that changes. And  your toddler WILL notice it.

Just because you’re a few months in and are “fine”, doesn’t mean you’re in the safe zone. Continue to be aware of your child’s sensitivities. Your toddler is making major advances, even if they’re not “cute” ones. Give her credit for it. And remember to show your love at any given opportunity.

While sibling jealousy might be somewhat inevitable, it’s something that CAN be reined in. And while some things aren’t in your control, doing your best for your child is simpler than you might think – it just requires a bit of foresight and a lot of love. Since you already have the latter, I hope these tips to avoid sibling jealousy have helped you with the foresight angle!

What are your best tips to avoid sibling jealousy in a toddler with a new baby in the house? Comment below!

And if you want another favorite sanity-saving solution, check out the best baby products that I wish I’d known about sooner! These are sanity savers, all under $25.

Loved this? Check out these favorite posts on Moms & Crafters:

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Elmo toys and paraphernalia play an important role in my boys’ life; so much so, that M has even dressed up as him. 

So, because I figured many of you are in the same boat as me, I took the time to hunt for some of the best, exclusively Elmo toys for toddlers and babies on the web and gathered them all in one place. 

I’ll confess: it was a bit challenging. Many toys are discontinued. That includes many of our personal favorites. Those that I couldn’t leave off this list, simply because of how much my kids love them, I hunted down for you regardless and found a place where you can still buy them for a reasonable price.

7 Elmo Toys for Toddlers:

Got a 2+ year old? You’re in luck- most Elmo toys for toddlers and 2 year olds are geared towards ages 2-4. But you should DEFINITELY read the age recommendation on each toy.

1. Big Hugs Elmo

When your toddler hugs their favorite toy, what could be better than their favorite toy hugging them right back? This hugging, talking, nap-taking Elmo toy is the perfect companion for your Elmo obsessed toddler. I love that it’s more than just a stuffed doll; it’s interactive, so your toddler will spend hours toting it around, and spending time with their new best friend.

2. LOL Elmo

Get ready for giggles! This Elmo’s got jokes! This Elmo doll is another fun, interactive Elmo that your toddler will spend hours with. When you press his feet, Elmo will tell you jokes and make silly sounds. And if you make silly sounds, you’ll get Elmo rolling! Elmo loves a good laugh- the more he laughs, the more he rolls around and shakes! 

3. Get Dressed with Elmo- plush book

Your toddler will absolutely delight in this adorable Elmo book. Your toddler will learn about different kinds of clothes. The hands-on parts make for a great fine-motor development activity. Learn about zippers, buttons, buckles and more. For a toddler just learning to dress him or herself, this Elmo toy is a great visual and tactical aid. The book, by virtue of the fact that it features their favorite Sesame Street character, will excite and motivate them. 

4. Elmo’s Backpack

If your toddler is just starting playgroup, this is the perfect toy to get them excited about school! Each part of the playset, including things like a plush pencil squeaker and an apple rattle, has a fun noise that puts a smile on any kid’s face. This Elmo toy encourages lots of imaginative play (my favorite kind of play), and, a plus for Moms: it’s washable! 

5. Elmo Imagine Flashlight

This awesome Elmo flashlight has different modes and settings to encourage imaginative play and exploring! Your toddler will have fun turning the slides to shine pictures of Elmo in various poses onto the wall. He can also use it as a regular flashlight (and I don’t know a toddler who ISN’T obsessed with flashlights!). It even has a setting for an older toddler to use as a small bedside light! 

6. Elmo On the Go Letters

This Elmo toy is fun, educational and travel-friendly all in one! Toddlers just learning their letters will love exploring the alphabet in this fun storage case. The letters all come out and kids can snap them into the right back into place, or mix ’em up and try to spell out simple words, like their name! They can practice the sound each letter makes by matching it to a corresponding picture underneath each letter. It’s a great toy if you’re looking for more quiet play; no noises, no lights and no batteries required. 

Elmo toys for 2 year olds and under (specifically like that because of SEO)

7. Elmo Guitar

Does your toddler love to dance and play to some good music? Obsessed with Elmo + obsessed with music = this easy answer! Bring out your child’s inner rock star with this terrific Elmo guitar.  With light-up keys and three fun play modes, your toddler won’t put this down! The Color mode lets you rock out to colors and sounds, and Free Play mode lets you create your own song.

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7 Elmo Toys for 2 years old and under:

If you’ve got a young tot age 2 years old or under, it can be a bit harder to find. Most of these are recommended for age 18 months and up, but if you’re looking for a first birthday gift, fear not – it’s GOOD to get a gift a baby can grow into. If you’re not sure which of these Elmo toys for toddlers is suitable as a birthday gift, a gift card in these Elmo pillow boxes is also a great way to give the gift of Elmo. Also, double check the age recommendations since some Elmo toys are recommended from 12 months.

1. 13″ Plush Elmo

This plush, soft and huggable Elmo is the perfect “first Elmo” for a new Sesame Street fan. The quality is great and it has authentic features. It’s perfect for the younger toddler age range; where they’re just getting excited over dolls and huggies. Nothing will make them smile wider than their favorite Elmo doll. And my favorite part? It’s machine washable! 

2. Count Along Elmo Crayons

This is a great toy even if your kid is not Elmo-obsessed! Elmo will help teach your child things like number recognition, colors and counting.  Play in one of two modes, Explore or Question. It’s super educational and interactive, and fun for all ages. The compact size is perfect for small hands. And while the song is catchy, it has an off button if you need it! 

3. Bath time Elmo

I’m always looking for new and exciting bath toys that actually dry, and this Elmo bath toy is no exception. Elmo is ready for a swim in his cute swimsuit made of quick dry fabric. Hang it to dry with a convenient storage loop. If you have a toddler who is hesitant at bath time, bringing Elmo along for the fun will make it a whole new experience! 

4. Elmo Gear Play

Not just featuring Elmo, this Sesame Street gear toy is great for beginning counting and colors. The eight gears are interchangeable to arrange, stack and spin. No batteries required for this toy- all you gotta do is press Elmo’s nose!  

5. Elmo Steamboat Toy

This Elmo toy is great for in or out of the bath. Every part of the steamboat is functional in water, with a water strainer and  scooper and a Captain Elmo squirt toy! This toy is really a 5-in-1; it actually comes apart with 5 separate water toys, so there is lots to keep your toddler entertained with! If you keep the boat assembled, it is a quality bath toy that actually floats instead of flopping over to one side. Whether he plays with it in or out of water, it will definitely make playtime more enjoyable.

6. Personalized Plush Elmo with Blanket

This adorable, talking, moving Elmo comes complete with a blanket personalized with your child’s name! It will become a keepsake for forever. And while your toddler is still young, she will enjoy the 13 fun phrases that soft and cuddly Elmo can say, while his arms move up and down. If your toddler wants to match her favorite Elmo toy, this no-sew t-shirt is super easy to make!   

7. Nursery Rhyme Plush Elmo

Your toddler will love listening to Elmo recite five classic nursery rhymes! Elmo doesn’t just recite them, he gets animated while doing so! Listen to rhymes like Mary Had a Little Lamb and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star with Elmo’s own special version. This Elmo toy is a perfect “only before bedtime” toy (especially if you need to beg out of reading another bedtime story).  

What are your favorite Elmo toys for toddlers and for 2 year olds? Comment below!

The post Elmo Toys for Toddlers appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Click on the image and scroll through each post to find some great gift ideas for the people on your list, incentives for your kids, or birthday gifts for your loved ones.

Gift Ideas by Age

Sometimes the easiest place to start looking for gift ideas is the recipient’s age. Here, I’ve sorted my guides by age: you have babies, toddlers, preschoolers, tweens and teens (school-age), and of course, moms and dads.

I’ve also included in this section ideas that would work for the whole family, as well as subscription box ideas for kids of all ages.

Gift Ideas by Interest

My favorite place to look when buying gifts for anyone is at their obsessions and interests.

M tends to go overboard with obsession when he likes something. As a toddler, it was Elmo. Now he’s obsessed with Paw Patrol.

He gets it from me – I’m obsessed with coffee. Get me anything coffee-related and I’m sure to love it. I also love decorating the home and obviously I thrive on crafting.

I stuck to the “things I know” here so that you can be sure you’re getting authentic recommendations, so I hope this makes your shopping easier!

Gift Ideas to DIY

If you’re looking to save a little ca$h, you can make your own gifts! This is a very in-comprehensive list of DIY gifts on my site – since most of the crafts I’ve created are totally giftable.

I put the lists that are organized by theme here since I simply can’t link to it all here!

What are your favorite gift ideas? Got any ideas for finding the perfect gift for the people on your list? Comment below!

The post Gift Ideas for Everyone appeared first on Moms and Crafters.