Five Friday Faves - 11.14
What actually gets played with in our house
I’m not calling this a gift guide yet, but I am calling it a list of the things my kids use every single day. These are the items I’d buy again in a heartbeat, and if you’re hunting for something for the kids in your life, here’s what I’d point you toward.
Yoto or Tonie
We have both a Tonie Box and a Yoto, and they each serve a purpose. The Tonie is a better fit for my daughter (4) — the characters are intuitive for little hands — while my son (7) uses his Yoto every night. The Yoto cards and content definitely skew a bit older. Right now my daughter is obsessed with Elinor Wonders Why, Mrs Rachel, and Peppa Pig Tonies. My son is deep in Harry Potter on his Yoto and listens to Yoto Daily and Kids Short Stories on a Creative Card. They have a new TonieBox since we originally got ours. Here’s a quick feature compare.
If you get either device, pair it with plug-in headphones. Yes, the new Tonie Box 2 does Bluetooth and I think the Yoto does too, but keeping track of who’s connected to what is chaos. Aux cords keep the peace. These are the ones we use.
Lego and Magnatiles
Building toys are the backbone of playtime in our house. Magnatiles just get better the more you have, and the classic sets are still the winner even with all the fun themed options. Both kids play with them together, and we’ve had our first set since my son was one.
Legos are the other forever favorite. When they were younger, generic sets were great; now the themed sets are great for keeping them occupied. My son is in his Harry Potter era, and my daughter is loving the 4+ Bluey sets. Watching how their builds evolve as they get older is honestly one of my favorite things. I’m forever impressed with the weird stuff they come up with.
Superspace
If you want a bigger building medium, Superspace tiles are next-level. We got ours two Christmases ago and they still look brand new. The kids build elaborate structures that turn into hours of imaginative play. They’re definitely an investment, and you need a few sets to make the most of them, but they are a huge, long-lasting hit here.
Art Tools
We moved our art table upstairs this year, and it instantly became our daughter’s number one most-used spot. She draws every single morning. Keeping it simple has been the key for us with a small caddy with silly scissors, markers, crayons, stickers, and a big roll of paper she can pull from. That roll becomes everything from racetracks to giant posters to traced hands. This is another area where I love to see what they come up with!
Card Games
Now that I’m not hauling a diaper bag everywhere, I try to keep a few lightweight games in my bag at all time. A 52 card deck isn’t hitting yet (working on it), but Spot It, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, and Eye Found It are big winners. There are multiple ways to play, and they’ve saved us during long waits at restaurants and doctor visits.
As a parent of a 7yo and a 4yo, these are the most-used, most-loved toys in our home right now. Let me know if you want age-specific recommendations or ideas under a certain price point.
What’s for Dinner?
Sunday - Rice and Chicken Casserole
Monday - Pasta and Meatballs (from freezer)
Tuesday - Enchiladas (from freezer)
Wednesday - Take out
Thursday - NYC
More A Day In Her Life:
This week - I loved this week’s chat with Virginia Frischkorn! Her pivot from large scale, high end event planning to scaling events and experiences with Partytrick is such a cool path! I loved hear
One Year Ago -
Two Years Ago -
Thanks for being here! If you like what you read, there’s a few ways you can support A Day In Her Life!
🎙️ - Listen and Subscribe to A Day In Her Life wherever you get your podcasts
⭐️ - If you like what you hear, leave us a review! I will ❤️ you forever
💌 - Share the Podcast or this Newsletter with a friend so you’ll have someone to chat with about all the fun stuff you hear/read!
📩 - Subscribe below to get this newsletter to your inbox every week!
🔗 - Some of the links included in this newsletter are affiliate links, meaning if you purchase something, I may receive a (small) percentage. I only share things I love, and I am incredibly grateful for your support.
Funny that I was just about to text you asking which headphones hazel uses 😂