A Few of Our Favorite Things 🎶
Confession: Thoughtful gift-giving is not my strong suit. Words are my love language and I’ve always valued experiences above things. If I love you, it’s much more likely that I’ve written you something meaningful, shared a nostalgic photo with you or an experience we’ll never forget.
That being said, I’m fortunate to have some incredibly talented gift-givers in my life who have spoiled us with some timeless gifts that have become more meaningful as the years go by. And lucky for me, I’ve been able to buy those same gifts for others and keep up my gift-giving charade ;)
The curated list below is what I like to call our “tried & true” favorites. It’s not a list of the latest trending products or what you’ll find in the popular items list on Amazon. The only things you’ll find here are items we’ve personally tried out as a family and would highly recommend because they meet our standards of quality, durability, ease of use, functionality, design and/or versatility. We aren’t interested one-trick-ponies that take up valuable space. Or spending money on things we’ll only use for a short season.
If that sounds good to you…read on!
If I could buy one thing for every new homeschooling family, this would be it. It is hands-down my favorite thing in our home. I give full credit to my brother-in-law who suggested getting one for my mother-in-law a few years ago. After she got hers, and we all crowded around the frame at her house, we ended up getting one for everyone in the family.
It’s the perfect way to bridge any distance between family members and let our kids re-live their favorite memories over and over again. And their app makes it so easy! You just connect everyone’s frame to the same app and after a family get-together, you can pop your photos straight onto everyone’s frame. They upload in real time so everyone can enjoy them.
For our kids, watching the frame is like watching themselves grow up! It’s a great reminder of their favorite experiences, people, places, and adventures — often inspiring our future activities and plans (“Mom, can we do that again? Can we go there again?”).
When their friends are over, they huddle around the frame laughing, reminiscing and dropping heart emojis on all their favorite pictures and clips. Free unlimited storage. Quick and easy setup. Beautiful HD display that turns off automatically at night.
Add photos of motivational quotes or fun messages for your family. If you’ve been wondering what to do with all those amazing photos on your phone, look no further!
This is the book I wish I had decades ago. The one I wish I had written! I’m so grateful to have discovered this little book because I know I’ll be using the tools in it for years to come. I don’t yet own a hard copy myself (hint hint, Mike!) but after listening to the audiobook last month, it’s at the top of my list.
The experimental approach to life described in this book has been my lived experience for the past thirty years, but I’ve never had the words to explain it like this before. Until now, I’ve also been lacking the tools to use my experimentation as a guide for designing my life — and that’s what’s offered here: practical tools for discovering your authentic ambitions.
I stand by my belief that there is no playbook for self-directed education, but if there is a book we can all use to help guide our children in their own unique and experimental approach to life, this is it! If you decide to read this book, please let me know. I predict a Modern Homeschoolers community conversation about it in the near future.
My brother bought these for our daughter a few years ago and wow - what a game changer! She uses them so often that we usually buy one or two packs a year. They can write on just about anything and with the dual-tip, she has even more creative control over her projects and designs. She loves using them to write on wooden keychains (her little business!) and other wooden crafting materials. Surprisingly, even with their vibrant color, they don’t bleed through the paper and mark up a table the way other markers can. Perfect for your little artist! Or maybe you? :)
4. Nugget - The Original Play Couch for Kids, Modular Foam Furniture
Don’t these photos speak for themselves? This furniture is ideal for open-ended creative play! It’s easy to move around, soft and comfy. I love that it’s washable and fits snugly under our daughter’s gymnastics bar. We mostly use it inside, but it’s durable enough to go outside when the ground is dry and your little ones want some tumbling mats, a book nook, mini fort, obstacle course, stage - or whatever else they come up with! We’ve had our set for four or five years and it still looks like new.
Our daughter took a few months of low-key gymnastics at our local “Little Gym” and learned enough to be able to practice her moves at home on this bar for the past few years. It’s excellent value, sturdy and well-constructed. Surprisingly, it’s even easy to set up, store and move around for indoor or outdoor play. Pair with a rainbow mat or Nugget cushions (pictured above) for the best experience.
These magnet toys are incredible! You can use them on a magnet board or refrigerator for anything from free play and shape sorting to making up stories. Or you can put them in a bin and take them with you for the kids to play with in the car or anywhere else. They can make up their own uses or follow the simple instructions to make fun 3D shapes like that giant heart. Great for individual play or creative fun with a small group. We’ve had two sets for years and not only do they still look brand new, but we have no plans to part with them any time soon.
When it comes to balance bikes, I remember being the biggest skeptic. “What’s the point in a bike without pedals?”. And then I ate my words. We bought this bike for our son when he was about three years old. He was having too much fun going fast on his scooter and wasn’t interested in a bike that would slow him down. Fast forward two years and he rode this things for two weeks in our driveway — and then jumped on a two-wheeler like it was nothing! Then we watched our daughter do the same thing. The best part about this particular brand is that it’s extremely lightweight and easy to carry and adjust.
Our kids love this stuff! After years of buying and throwing out dried up Play Doh, I was so happy to discover this clay. The link is for Crayola’s version on Amazon, but we just get ours for $1.50 from The Dollar Tree. The colors are bright and it smells good! As you can see from these pictures, our daughter spends hours working on creative projects with it. The best part? It never dries or hardens!
9. Usborne Book & 300 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, Animals of the World
I don’t have enough great things to say about the Usborne brand. We’ve had this puzzle for years, have done it so many times, and it still looks brand new. The pieces are thick, bright and detailed - and it includes a beautiful book about all the animals and their habitats.
10. Simple Abundance: A Daybook Of Comfort & Joy, By Sarah Ban Breathnach
More than 25 years ago, my mom gave me this book. It sat on my shelf, or in a storage bin, for probably the first 20 of those years — with me having no idea what value it held. And for the past five years, it's been my creative and spiritual comfort and mentor. A gentle and reassuring voice, guiding and reminding me of the power I have to control my own destiny. It was not written for homeschooling mothers, but there are so many beautiful connections to the slow and intentional pace described in these pages. There's an updated version, but I appreciate this classic with it’s pink satin ribbon, traditional sentiment and outdated technical jargon. They’re part of it’s character.
Grab a used copy on eBay for $4.
What a stressful decision this purchase was! Firstly, because I was concerned about being responsible for a group of kids bouncing around in one. And secondly, because once you decide you want to bite the bullet and get one for Christmas, how do you choose which one? If you’re in the market for one, I hope I can save you the trouble and recommend this brand. After all my concerns, it’s been nothing but a great experience for our family. We had the kids help put it together last Christmas and it’s been nothing but fresh air, exercise and fun for our kids and their friends.
12. How Children Acquire “Academic” Skills Without Formal Instruction, By Peter Gray
Don’t judge this little book by it’s silly cover. It’s worth its weight in gold. For a new homeschooling parent, what you’ll hear in this book will be hard to believe. But the earlier you hear it, the more it will help you to relax on your child’s unique learning journey and trust the process. In this short but insightful book, Peter Gray explores how children can learn reading, writing, and math through self-directed activities, without formal teaching. He provides real-life examples from unschooling families and democratic schools, where children successfully develop academic skills naturally through play and everyday experiences. A must-have for all homeschooling parents.
I’m usually not a fan of kitchen gadgets or accessories. They often mean having to learn how to use something new and most are a pain in the butt to clean. Not this one! My parents had one at their house (see pic 3) and the kids enjoyed using it so much that we asked for one last Christmas. Now we cook everything on it! Pancakes, French toast, bacon, eggs. I love that it’s easy for the kids to use and super simple to clean.
When my kids first opened this gift from my aunt and uncle, I was mortified. Until then, we’d only owned a small bag of this sand, it got all over the house and I threw it out. I had hoped to never see it again! But let me tell you, this box changed everything. And keeping it outside is key! Once I saw how much my kids loved this stuff and how they would sit and play together, I was hooked. We’ve had the box for years and all I’ve had to do is buy a refill bag of sand on occasion. It’s the perfect activity to pull out for one child or a small group. And the case makes it easy to bring along when we’re on-the-go!
This carry kit is adorable! Our daughter has owned it for years and still plays with it. And it looks like new! The fun play areas and little characters make it perfect for creative play alone or with a friend. And as you can see, she feels like a boss carrying it around :)
You know you love a product when your kids have outgrown it and you still want to keep it! We made so much use of this little pool for years — and our daughter still loves to pull it out every year for her backyard birthday party and fill it with stuffed animals for the kids to jump in. I love that it’s super light weight, easy to fill, empty, move around and store, and we can use it outside with water or indoors for other creative play. Excellent quality and value.
The most beautiful card game! We’ve had it for years and it still looks brand new. A wonderful gift for any young child. Mom will love it, too!
18. Guardian Bikes
We love this bike for our daughter! After going through so many heavy and clunky bikes when our son was younger, we were so happy to find this for her when she was ready to move up from the Cruzee balance bike. It was a seamless transition with no need for training wheels. We would definitely buy this brand again.
19. The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents, by William Martin
The Tao Te Ching was written more than 2500 years ago. It’s a book of practical advice for leaders and philosophers. It’s the most widely published book in the world, next to the Bible. This book is a rendering of the wisdom of the original book, written by William Martin, specifically for modern parents. If you’re already homeschooling your kids, this book will make you happy you are. There’s something comforting about seeing it on my shelf that I think you can only understand when you have a copy in your own hands.
These roller shoes bring this kid so much joy that I just can’t say no when he outgrows them and wants a new pair. A perfect opportunity for the little athlete in your life to show off his skills and have some fun — especially at the grocery store! Well-designed and constructed.
The cutouts make this puzzle a little trickier than some others, but it’s a long-standing favorite over here. After years of use, it still looks new and is always one of our daughter’s first requests from the Christmas closet every holiday season. Bonus: it’s scratch n’ sniff! :)
I love this little book! In a world of increasing noise and distractions, it’s vital for our kids to be able to see what other people don’t and focus on what actually matters. The simple activities in this book are a great way to jump into seeing things differently and bringing your kids along for the ride!
Thanks for reading! And if you’d like to see more recommendations, check out our full Amazon Storefront and Benable Lists.
