HH Holiday Gift Guide

Hiccups and Heels is excited to collaborate with Jenna Nieman this month to create the ultimate gift guide for every kid on your list! She has curated a comprehensive list of gender neutral “smart kid” toys to promote development at each stage, but still fun and exciting to open on Christmas morning. Jenna works at Soaring Eagle Academy, a school that specializes in students with Autism and related disorders. As a curriculum developer for students (ages 5-22) you can trust her toy suggestions. We sure do! Jenna's list is sure to delight both children and parents.

Infant

• The TotBot (pull apart plush robot to encourage curiosity, spatial awareness, and imaginative play)

• Teytoy Tummy Time Floor Mirror (all-in-one tummy time toy that folds and stores neatly)

• The Inny Bin (the aesthetically pleasing shape sorter- promotes fine motor and experimentation without being hideous)

• The Oombeeball or The Oombeecube (encourages object permanence, fine motor development and spatial reasoning without the hassle of 272992996 pieces to put away every night. Great for restaurants/ car rides)

• Poke-a-Dot books (sturdy interactive books that encourage language development, fine motor skills and even number, shape, letter recognition as babies grow— another great “have on hand” item or the diaper bag)

• Coco Village Wooden Fruit Set (a play food set, but make it cute; promotes healthy eating/cooking rituals through play, encourages fine motor and language development through play—honestly every single thing on the site is BEAUTIFUL. The kitchen, fruit stand, vanities, washing machine, everything)

• MUtable (7 activities in one, grows with kids, all-in-one play table that includes puzzles, play scenes, a white board, Lego boards and has a wooden cover to hide the ‘ugly’)

• Tapatou Chicken (the perfectly cute curiosity building cause and effect toy that won’t drive a mother crazy…ahem VTECH)

Toddler

• The Bilibo (take anywhere, be anything toy that stimulates senses, engages imagination, and evokes curiosity for little ones— it’s so simple you’d pass right by it in a store, but it’ll keep active little guys busy for hours)

• The Hungry Pelican- the silly toy that works on cognitive, social and motor skills with the multisensory features. Younger toddlers can practice feeding the pelican and as they get older, they can “be” the pelican and let mom or dad feed them!

• Neutral Art Easel (keep all your art supplies in one spot without the primary colors that make you feel like you’re in the art room or your catholic school Circa 1994) ****all ages toy

• TonieBox (the toddler proof speaker that is built to play. Comes with a tonie puppy so parents can control music/ stories/ volume while kids dance, play and snuggle up) *****all ages toy

• LeapFrog Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot (Pretend food prep play for kids to join in the rituals of cooking while working on sequencing with their 5-step kid friendly “recipes”)

• A-Frame Hideaway and Climber (provides toddlers with a place to get some movement in while also providing a cozy nook for quiet playtime/ story time)

• Safari Magnatiles (crowd pleaser for years, but newly elevated with thematic sets; animal one is the fav but there are many different ones)

• Hape Discovery Scientific Workbench (develops logical thinking and STEAM concepts)

• Peaceable Kingdom Floor Puzzles Magical Mermaid and Dinosaur (so many puzzle themes, great way for kids to learn visual recognition, develop fine motor and problem solving skills) ***ages 3+

• Inspiration Play Tot Tube Playset - STEM Award-Winning Tunnel Track (fits almost any brand of toy cars, easily assembled and stored, NO batteries required, flashing lights or annoying sounds)

• Make a Fort (perfect indoor toy for kids to build incredible forts, mazes, tunnels, and more; get kids off screens and engaged in creative real-world play with this eco friendly kit) ***great for older kids too!

5-7 year olds

• The Doodle Roll (washable, personalized, perfect)

• Top Secret Safe (for money management skills and imaginative play; promotes independence and supports kids to take ownership of their most prized possessions)

• Cash Register and Play Money (realistic and easily added to any restaurant/ store play scheme; teaches money management skills and functional math skills)

• Tubelox (the life size STEM building toy that gives kids templates if they need them, but freedom to use their imagination and create; supports abstract and critical thinking as well as spatial awareness)

• Skull Mountain Volcano (hands on chemical reaction experiment)

• Crayola Ultimate Light Board Drawing Tablet

• Clixo Crew 30 Piece Pack - The Flexible, Durable, Imagination-Boosting Magnetic Building Toy-Modern, Modular Designs for Hours of STEM Play. A Multi-Sensory Magnet Toy Experience Anywhere! Ages 4-8

• Osmo - Little Genius Starter Kit for iPad + Early Math Adventure (the most interactive way to have screentime; so many options based on age, interest, targeted skills) ***toy for any age 3+

• Magneti Book Animal Theme 40-Piece Game (educational and fun animal theme game, available in space theme too) ***ages 3-8 years

• Kids Mood Karaoke System (endless hours of family fun)

• Riwi Build It - these giant building blocks allow for hours of creativity and imaginative play

8-10 year olds

• Electronic Claw Game (bring the arcade home while supporting eye- hand coordination and concentration WITHOUT TECH/SCREENS)

• Bloop Ball (a spin on a regular game of catch to encourage active play (indoor/outdoor) and coordination; buy TWO if you have siblings and want to play catch, but you can also bloop the ball to yourself if you’re playing solo)

• Adidas Lego Set (a Lego set you won’t mind having on display)

• Clue (the board game that encourages critical thinking, perspective taking, attention to detail; great family game— oldie but a goodie)

• Crime Scene Investigation Kit (just a cool way to incorporate STEM and critical thinking into play)

• Door Pong (small and portable promoting eye-hand coordination, concentration and provides a nice movement break for long winter months cooped inside)

• Snap Circuits Teach Tech Mech 5 Mechanical Coding Robot

• NERF Elite Ace SD-1 Party Pack (Ten pack of mini nerf guns for all the cousins on Christmas)

Tween

• 3Season warm/cold weather Sleeping Bag

• 3D Printing Pen with OLED Display

• Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard

• DropMix Music Gaming System (for the music lover; a music mixing game you can play solo or with friends and the option to buy additional mix packs to keep the fun going)

• GlowCity Glow in The Dark Basketball or GlowCity Glow in the Dark Ball 3-Pack

• Oculus Quest 2 Advanced All-In-One Virtual Reality Headset

• Kids v. Adults Trivia Game

• DIY Screenprinting Kit

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One of the most stressful parts of the holiday season is easily the gift giving. We are hoping to relieve some of your stress with our comprehensive gift guide for all the adults in your life! From foodies to fashionistas we have you covered with unique ideas that are sure to make you the best gift giver this year. We even included small and local Chicago businesses we love (look for the * next to the item). Some companies have exclusive promo codes for HH followers so don't forget to use them for additional discounts and savings.

Gift Ideas for Foodies

• Try the World Gift Box & Subscriptions

• Cocktail Courier or the Cocktail Box Co

• New Wine Glasses - we love these unique ones

• Cocktail Shaker Set, Whiskey Wedge Glasses & Ice Cube Molds

• Corkcicle Air

• Ooni Pizza Oven

• Nugget Ice Maker

• Wine Subscription

• Gift Card to Favorite Restaurant

• Special Bottle of Champagne or Wine - great to open on NYE

Gift Ideas for the Self-Care Obsessed

• Scratch Goods*

• Face Masks - try this set!

• Robe

• Plush Blanket

• Slippers

• Journal

• Candle - obsessing of Capri Blue by Volcano

• Essential Oil Diffuser

• Pajamas

• Bathtub Caddy & Pillow

Gift Ideas for the Fashion Forward

• Handbag Storage Pillow Shapers

• Custom Bracelets - Try Nic N Bella Designs *

• Boho Chic Jewelry - Check out Hipvana * (10% Off with HH Promo Code: HICCUPSNHEELS)

• Necklet (15% Off with HH Promo Code: HICCUPS)

• Designer Swag - Try Adesso Resale * for Affordable High End Fashion Finds

Gift Ideas for Travel Buddies

• Luggage Scale

• Passport Holder

• Luggage - Splurge: Tumi | Save: Away

• Weekend Bag

• Packing Cube Organizers

• Unique or Customized Luggage Tags

• Travel Backpack

Gift Ideas for Tech Gurus

• Headphones

• Apple or Garmin Watch

• Extra Long Phone Charger

• Apple TV

• Streaming Subscription

Gift Ideas for Experience Lovers

• Massage or Spa Experience - locations in Chicago and the 'burbs!

• Cooking Class

• Facial - we love Scrub Me*

• Scratch Goods Mask Bar*

Gift Ideas for Beauty Buffs

• Perfume & Cologne - Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous or Tobacco Vanille are our husbands favorite & we always get compliments when we wear Jo Malone Poppy and Barley

• Carlucce Cosmetics (15% Off with HH Promo Code: HHBLOG15)

• Dyson Airwrap & Hair Dryer

• Monthly Subscription to IPSY or BOXYCHARM

Gift Ideas for New & Expecting Parents

• Tubby Todd Gift Set (use our unique LINK for 10% off your order - automatically applied at checkout)

• Ruggish

• Burt's Bees Mom Gift Set

• Little Giraffe Hooded Towel

• Jimmy Fallon Books: Everything is Mama, Everything is Dada & This is Baby

• Jessica Hische Books: Tomorrow I'll Be Brave & Tomorrow I'll Be Kind

• Hate Stains Co (10% Off with HH Promo Code: HICCUPS10)

*indicates shopping small

We linked everything on our gift guides for your convenience. Please note that Amazon, Tubby Todd, and Hate Stains links are affiliated. We hope our HH gift guides make your season a little bit merrier and a lot less stressful.

Happy Holidays!

XO - Katie & Amanda