Surprise - Last Minute Gift Ideas

Due to very generous family, we have enough gifts to celebrate twelve days of unwrapping Christmas gifts. I love one at a time because the children can take their time and enjoy each gift in turn. And there is not a giant mess of wrapping paper. The kids love it because they get something new EVERY day! Our out of town family likes it because they can video chat a little here and there and watched their gifts be cherished. The gifts here are what we've discovered in the first of our 12 days.

There is still time to shop before "Santa" is due to deliver gifts to preschool engineers all over the globe. Here are three gifts ideas that sparked interest in our house...

Hot Wheels Monster Jam double Launcher. A lever on each end of the track, when pushed, launches a small hot wheels monster truck across the track and, if there is enough umph, up over a ramp. Two players can make their trucks crash mid-air. One player gets a nice flip. If your child doesn't have a small monster truck in his or her collection then don't forget to throw a couple in your shopping cart. (The Launcher only includes one truck.)

We're big on levers, tracks, and ramps here. Plus, your child/children will learn how to play cooperatively to get that perfect crash.

Stackable Spinning Top. This one is for all those preschool engineers who are interested in circular motion. These stackable spinning tops not only spin but, with a little eye-hand coordination, can be stacked on top of each other.

Branch Out from Mechanical Tools and Trucks to Explore the Sea. This is a combo gift of music, a book, and some figurines. Brent Holmes sings "The Hammerhead Shark and the Sawfish" and your child gets to hear a chainsaw rev at the beginning. In the book "Wow! Ocean" there are hammerhead sharks and sawfish to spot among many other sea creatures. Lastly, Safari Ltd makes a hammerhead shark and a sawfish for your child to swim around the house.