Buying Christmas gifts for children can be a challenge. While it might seem easy to purchase toys, games, or craft supplies for kids during the holiday season, it can be fairly overwhelming to find age appropriate gifts that most children don’t already have and will actually enjoy. Whether you work for hsi.com and have no time to do major holiday shopping or are just struggling to think of any ideas for gifts for the children in your life this season, here are some unique Christmas gifts that kids of all ages are sure to enjoy. 

Magic Mixies Magical Misting Crystal Ball with Interactive Plush Toy

This viral toy made waves on TikTok among children and adults alike. The interactive crystal ball requires users to fill a pot with “ingredients” before revealing an adorable – and magical – stuffed animal. Although the crystal ball can only “create” one stuffed animal, the toy can be used again and again and serves as an awesome night light for any child’s room. This gift will be at the top of many kids’ Christmas lists this season!

Little Tikes Toby 2 Director’s Camera

These days, many children dream of becoming a digital content creator on sites like YouTube and TikTok. Help them achieve this dream by gifting them an age appropriate camera like the Little Tikes Toby 2 Director’s Camera. Equipped with its own professional tripod, this camera can take photos and videos that are available for instant playback, so children can create their own content just like their favorite creators. Plus, these videos cannot be transferred to a computer or other device without the use of a USB chord, so you can trust that your children’s photos and videos will be kept safe. This is a great gift for young children!

Nintendo Switch 

If you’re looking to splurge on a gift for a loved one, a foolproof gift for recipients of all ages is a Nintendo Switch. The Switch is one of the most popular gaming consoles in the world, and is sure to be enjoyed by gamers of all ages – from young children all the way to their parents. With countless games available for physical purchase and instant download, the Switch is a gift that keeps giving, and is sure to be a hit this Christmas season.

Moving can be a stressful time for anyone, but especially young children who might have difficulty adjusting to a new environment and handling the transitioning period. Whether you’re planning a cross country relocation for a new job or just moving to a new home on the other side of town, leaving behind the home that your child is familiar with and potentially requiring them to transfer schools and learn to navigate a new area can be equal parts upsetting and stressful. Moving is a fairly inevitable – and often worthwhile – part of life, and one that children are typically able to adjust to in time. Keep reading for a few simple tips on how to make moving easier for your child. 

Keep Explanations Simple 

Moving can be overwhelming for young children as they might feel like everything around them is changing, without them having any say. To avoid overwhelming them further and giving them anxiety about any potential factors of the move that could be challenging, try keeping your explanations to a minimum until your child comes to you with questions about what is happening. For many parents, this can be as simple as letting your small child know that you are moving to a new house where they will have a new, better bedroom and a different space to play. 

Pack Their Belongings Last 

To give your child a familiar safe haven amidst the chaos of moving, it is important to avoid packing up their room until it is absolutely necessary. The day before your movers from Black Tie Moving come to collect your belongings is a good time to pack up your child’s toys and bedding. Additionally, you should be sure to unpack their things and set up their bedroom as much as possible first, before doing anything else in your new home. It is important that your child has a place that is familiar to them and any items they might need to soothe themselves after a stressful day of moving. 

Let Them Say Goodbye

In the midst of the excitement of a move to a new home, don’t forget the importance of giving your child time to handle their emotions and say goodbye to your home, in addition to giving them time to say goodbye to friends, classmates, and teachers if your move is requiring them to switch schools. From taking plenty of pictures in your old house to letting them host a goodbye party with their friends, it is important for your child’s emotional health to give them the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to everyone and everything they want to. 

Whether your child is headed to their first check up or about to undergo a minor surgery, it is likely that the thought of visiting the doctor might make them feel a bit scared. While being afraid of or anxious about going to the doctor is normal for children of various ages, as a parent, it can be heartbreaking to watch your child experience such difficult emotions. Going to the doctor’s office is an important part of keeping your child healthy, so it is important that you work with them to ease their anxiety. Here are a few tips for helping your child get over their fear of the doctor. 

Set a Good Example

Often, children are nervous about going to the doctor because it is something that is relatively unfamiliar to them. One of the biggest ways you can help your child to feel less anxious ahead of a doctor’s appointment is by setting a good example. Whether you’re going to the doctor for your own annual checkup or about to undergo a minimally invasive surgical procedure at Northwest Surgery Center, having a positive attitude and speaking about the doctor in an assuring way can help your child feel more comfortable going to their own appointment. 

Offer Distractions

Children often allow their anxiety about the doctor to build for hours or even days, making their imagined experience of what their visit will be like much worse than it actually ends up being. To calm your child’s fears and keep their anxious thoughts at bay, try offering them a distraction. Whether it’s talking to them about a different subject on the car ride to the doctor or allowing them to watch their favorite show or YouTube video on your phone or tablet during their appointment, keeping their minds busy can work wonders for calming them down and keeping them from feeling quite as anxious. 

Provide Incentives

Sometimes, it can be difficult to ease your child’s fears about the doctor altogether. When this is the case, your next best option might be to reward them for good behavior at a medical appointment in spite of their fears. Offering to take your child to their favorite restaurant, buying them a new toy, or giving them another incentive to make it through their appointment might be just what they need to face their fears. 

When you have kids, having a functional and well-equipped backyard is important. Giving your children a space to play and explore is crucial, and having a kid-friendly backyard is the perfect way to motivate them to get outside. Whether you’re looking for a new home with the perfect backyard or looking to renovate your own yard with the help of Classic Home Concepts, here are a few kid-friendly backyard ideas that both you and your little ones are sure to love. 

Build a Playground 

A classic backyard staple is a large playground or swingset. The right playset can give your child space to play and explore, as any child is sure to love spending hours climbing, swinging, and sliding. When investing in a playground, be sure to choose a set that is right for your children. Experts advise seeking out a playset that can be used by children of all ages and will continue to be functional as your children grow up. 

Include Sand or Water Play

Nothing is more fun than spending a day at the beach playing in the sand, but unfortunately, doing so is not realistic everyday for many people! IInstalling a sand box or a water table in your backyard is the perfect way to replicate this at home, and to encourage younger children to explore new sensations and learn as they play. This is a great option for nearly any sized backyard, as sandboxes and water tables are available in a variety of sizes and styles that can be easily incorporated into any space. 

Provide Plenty of Shade 

Installing large umbrellas or a canopy in your yard can serve as an effective way to protect your children from the sun’s harmful UV rays, while also serving as decoration in your yard. Choose an umbrella pattern or canopy style that matches the rest of your outdoor decor and keep yourself shaded in style. 

Include a Space for Crafts

If your child loves arts and crafts, giving them a space to work outside allows them to express their creativity and pursue the arts and crafts they love, while helping to keep their messes from entering your tidy household. This is a win-win for both of you! 

Install a Pool 

Whether you have a large outdoor space that is big enough for the installation of an inground pool or are working with a limited amount of yard space and want to give your children a small space to cool off on a hot summer day, backyard pools of all sizes are the perfect addition to your home.