Below are our holiday favorites in case you need some inspiration or ideas. Some ideas specific to Washington, DC while others are products or companies you may not be familiar with. There are also plenty of ways to incorporate giving into your holiday which doesn’t include actually giving a gift. Be sure to read through to the end where we explain our 5 days of GIVEAWAYS!
Books (this is one category I could go on and on and on with, so if you want more suggestions, ask!):
- Laurie Berkner’s Pillowland
- Dress Me Up!: A Mix and Match Play Book
- Love You Forever
- The 13-Story Treehouse series
- Who Is? Who Was? What Is? series
- How Many Guinea Pigs Can Fit On A Plane? Answers To Your Most Clever Math Questions
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Book-a-Month from Politics & Prose
Music
- Mr. Jon & Friends CD, Rock & Rhyme
From out of the DC metro area comes unanimous praise for the Parents’ Choice Award® winning kindie band Mr. Jon & Friends, powered for nearly a decade by the husband-and-wife duo of Jon and Carrie Lewis. Now kids and families across the country can tune into the energy, fun, and sweetness of Mr. Jon & Friends’ brand of Raffi-inspired good sounds with the band’s third album, Rock & Rhyme.
- Marsha & the Positrons CD, Positronic
Catchy songs about science and how the world works with subtle themes of friendship. - Alphabet Rockers debuted a collection of T-shirts which give young change-makers and their parents a chance to wear what they believe. These vibrant shirts were designed by original AlphabetRockersmember Stefanie Liang Chung, and feature song lyrics from their GRAMMY-nominated album, Rise Shine #Woke.
Sports
- Washington Nationals tickets
- Indoor gym memberships for Bambinos: My Gym, Kidville, Gymboree, Busy Bees
Healthy snacks for stocking stuffers
- Perfect Kids Bar
- RX Bar Kids
- The perfect alternative to juice and soda– ReThink Water
Games
- Rat a Tat Cat
- 20 Questions handheld game
- Monopoly
- Headbanz
- Catan: Junior
- Jenga: Disney Frozen Edition
Toys
- Come for a visit at Lucky’s Happy Home on the frontier. Dreamworks Spirit Riding Free is now streaming on NETFLIX!
- Craft-tastic Inventor’s Box
- Shimmeez
- Crayola Color Chemistry Set
- VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch
- Fujifilm Insta Max Camera
Class Drop-in Pass
- Pearachute–Their mission is to inspire children’s curiosity and passion by empowering parents and caregivers through convenience and choice. Making the best kids’ classes and activities available to you at the touch of a button, allowing you to drop-in and explore during times that fit your schedule with the flexibility to accommodate late naps, stuffy noses, and unplanned visits from grandparents. Click link above for a discounted code when signing up.
Subscription Boxes
- Subscription boxes have become a great way for kids to make memories, create something hands-on and have an experience where all of the necessary materials come delivered to their doorstep.
Memberships
- Smithsonian National Zoo–Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) helps the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute save species through educational and fun experiences, the power of our members, and funding for critical work. Membership levels vary, but most come with free parking (a $23 value!) as well as carousel ride vouchers.
- Port Discovery Children’s Museum— The premier children’s museum in the Mid-Atlantic and a place that values learning through play. Not enough space to say how great this museum is; lucky to live so close to it.
- National Building Museum— Inspires curiosity about the world we design and build. Building Zone & Play, Work Build are permanent while the museum has rotating exhibits and events throughout the year.
- Politics & Prose— Support one of our local and amazing bookstores!
- Sign your Bambino and self (or nanny, grandparent) up for a session with Tinkergarten
Theatre tickets
Experiences
- Holiday tree lighting and fireworks began on Nov. 10, 2018 and take place each Saturday through December. Complete with Santa appearances, holiday movies and fireworks. Be sure and warm up inside the Gaylord Resort, see the hanging tree and Christmas Village and then bundle up to check out ICE!. Get your tickets in advance. Use code: SNOW18 for $4 off ICE tickets valid Sunday-Thursday through Dec. 20.
- Tidal Basin pedal boating and swan boat tickets
- Ice skate at various rinks in DC
- Take your Bambinos and experience holiday tea
Gift of Creativity
- Kid Made Modern
- Ideas on Crate&kids blog
- Get creative at Treehouse Atelier, Red Panda Art Studio, District Dabble Lab, Little Loft Art, Anna Banana or All Fired Up.
- Klutz & Klutz Jr Crafts
- Alex Toys
- Kumon: My First Book Of…
Functional
Giveaway Rules: The giveaways will be posted each day on Instagram and/or Facebook depending on that day’s giveaway- so be sure to check both! You can enter as many giveaways as you want. Directions on how to enter will be on each individual post.
Giveaway Day 1: One copy of Laurie Berkner’s new book, Pillowland
Giveaway Day 2: “Lucky’s Happy Home” Playmobil
Giveaway Day 3: 8 boxes of fruit punch from ReThink Water
Giveaway Day 4: The newest Mr. Jon & Friends CD, Rock & Rhyme
Giveaway Day 5: 4 tickets to ride the Capital Wheel
There are no affiliate links associated with the Amazon links that are included above.
Sandra says
Lots of great ideas! I didn’t know they made DearEvan Ha son into a book!!! Awesome! Might have to gift that to my husband. 😜 We love Tinkergarten ❤️ And my daughter loves playing Rat a tat cat…so another vote from me!