Until recently, I had not heard of Ta-Ka-Radi. However, now that we have it, we can’t stop playing it. This is a game that is perfect for the family. Ta-Ka-Radi involves players constructing a tower with spaces in-between three chosen tiles per level. After the tower is built, each player takes a turn pulling out a tile from any level and putting it on top.  The only rule is that you can’t touch the other player while they are making their move!  Now, if you are like me and live with an engineer, well, you are at an instant disadvantage!  However, even though I haven’t one yet, we have had a ton of fun playing with this.  This is too hard for Will and Madison to play.  However, they take the wood tiles and built towers with them every day.  They loves these just for their own use too.  Ta-Ka-Radi is made by a family-owned company in Maine. The tiles are made from native Maine hardwoods, and the game is packaged in personalized re-usable tote bags. Ta-Ka-Radi makes a fun and unique gift for the holidays and is great for a lot of family fun!

Since 1946, Ten Thousand Villages has supported the work of artisans in over 30 countries including Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.  The company has grown to over 145 retail stores.  They continually strive to improve the lives of artisans in developing countries through the expansion of fair trade.  Most of its artisan partners use environmentally friendly processes, sustainable natural resources, and recycled materials for their products.

I was able to try out the Handmade Caterpillar and Butterfly Puzzle. Now, this is a tad too old for Will (who is 18 months old), but Madison (my 4 year old) seems to handle it pretty well. You can definitely tell this is a hand painted puzzle. It has the detail that you don’t normally see.  The butterfly puzzle has more pieces, but the bottom of the tray is also painted with a butterfly, so it makes it easier to figure out where the pieces go.  The catepillar is less pieces, so it is a tad easier to do.  As for materials,  this is painted albizia wood (and the paint is nontoxic).

Ten Thousand Villages has many other items to pick from also.  I focussed on the toys, but you there is really something for everyone there.  I found gifts for women, men, and even teachers!  If you are a looking for a one of a kind gift this Christmas, Ten Thousand Villages is your answer.

Since I have a toddler, I thought the Toddler Tools book line would be perfect for my house.

Listening Time is a great book for teaching your kids about how to be good listeners.  Both my eighteen month old and four year old like to read it.  It is a board book, so it can’t be destroyed either.  I love that it also helps to work on body parts too.  The illustrations in this book are great, and really get across what we want our children to do.  There is also humor intertwined into the story.  It is short enough that it definitely keeps even the shortest attention spans entertained.

Bye Bye Time is another board book that is good for those really hard times when we have to say bye to our kids.  It teaches our children how to comfort themselves when they are sad that we are leaving.  There is also advice at the end of the book parents and caregivers to make this transition easier like prepping your child and to be ready for tears.  The illustrations in this book are great too.  Madison can tell me the story without being able to read it (which is a huge plus).

Naptime is another great book in this series. Like the other books, this is board book. It also has the tips in the back of the book to help parents and caregivers with naptime.  I personally learned that Will should be getting one nap daily lasting 1 – 2 hours, and he should be getting 10 – 12 hours of sleep a night.  This book is all about a naptime routine and getting your little one down for some much needed rest.  Now, if this would only work on a 4 year old.    She likes the book; it just has not motivated her to take a nap (she quit naps at 18 months).

The last book in this series is Clean Up Time. That is something we all need at our houses.  This book rhymes, so it makes it all the more fun to clean up.  This too is a board book and also has the tips at the end to help parents and caregivers.  I personally agree with the “break it down” tip.  Will doesn’t often get overwhelmed at cleaning up; he just thinks it is a game.  However, Madison gets extremely overwhelmed if someone does not help her.  By breaking down what you are going to do (pick up the blocks first), it takes away from how huge of project it is going to be.

This Toddler Tools series is a great bunch of books.  They are books that are hard to destroy and have great lessons in them.  I highly recommend them in anyone who has a toddler in their house.

The Puppetivity Pal is a great gift for babies and even toddlers.  It is big enough to be used as a puppet, and also sits up on its own, so babies can enjoy it.  There is just so many things on here to play with.  The ears crinkle (which makes Will giggle every time).  If you press the heart, the puppy barks.  If your little one is teething, one paw on this puppy is a teether while the other paw is rattle.  The tail squeaks.  There is also a mirror on the foot, so your little one can look at themselves (and giggle).  What I like best is that it has a link on the back that allows you to attach The Puppetivity Pal to any stroller, diaper bag, etc.  This is one of the softest stuffed animals I have ever felt too.  Will likes to just hug this like a little baby and carry it around.  I love that I don’t have to worry if he falls with it, because it is sooo soft.

This is a great affordable gift for this Christmas season.

If you are looking for a very affordable gift for kids ages 3 – 7, then you must get the Poingo.  With the Poingo, you are able to touch pictures and/or the text, the their favorite characters are brought to life with either music, sounds, and words.  The best part is that the Poingo starter kit is $34.99 and is available at Target, Toys R Us, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale Clubs.  It comes with the pen shaped Poingo and two large hardcover interactive storybooks.  This is definitely affordable, and the starter kit is awesome.  You don’t have to automatically buy another $100 worth of books right off the bat.  You have a working system right from the start.  The book choices are excellent.  The books that came with ours are Cars and Finding Nemo, so it was definitely right up my kids alley.  These movies are favorites in our house, so my kids had a definite interest in the books.   They also have Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Winnie The Pooh.  The pen itself is simple to use.  All you have to do is click it on the part of the book with the words, and it will read that whole section.  You can also click on the images and for sound effects.  There are words that are highlighted also, and you get a definition of the word.  You can also click on images and find out what they are or get a cool sound effect.  Madison is actually able to take this and read the book by herself.  She loves having that kind of independence.  My kids love to read, so this is really a naturally progression for them.

This is one of the best affordable educational toys on the market for kids.  I recommend checking it out — you can even try a demo here.