favorite toys

We decided to have the girls open some presents since we had some family in town. Since it's prime Christmas toy buying time, I thought I'd share some of my very favorite toys.

I love toys that are educational and promote creative thinking.

Ok confession: this is actually MY favorite toy! Zuriah got some {along with Tinker Toys} for Christmas from Nana- I played with them for hours!

How fun is this wooden puzzle? I couldn't find the company that made it, but if you Google "snail wooden puzzle" you can find it to buy.

We discovered Calico Critters when we were in Colorado at a little toy boutique. Zuriah LOVES them. She always pretends to be little animals so I thought they were perfect- they have all different animals from bunnies to elephants. 

I love the food by Melissa and Doug. They are so pretty and you can cut them open {they have velcro connecting them} There are all different types of food as well- I love the birthday cakes!

Pretty toy kitchens... what child is without? I love this one because of the colors and the laundry! {by Little Tykes}

This is the doll house we got for Z for Christmas- it comes with all the furniture and was pretty affordable online. {Considering most doll houses you need to furnish yourself} Doll houses are great because girls learn how to play family.

Construction blocks are wonderful- Zuriah will play hours with simple blocks like these making cities, castles, caves, she loves them. 

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We are at home in Iowa for the week, it's so nice to be 'home.' I'll be posting a tutorial tomorrow on the recipe book I talked about last week {a bit of camera difficulty today unfortunately}. Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas week!