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Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide: Kids

November 16, 2017 by Barbara Rucci 4 Comments

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I’m literally in shock that next week is Thanksgiving… how did this happen? I have been working on collecting the best kid gifts for my holiday gift guide, so don’t panic. I got you covered. Everything from books to clothes to toys to bedroom, your cuddly baby and hipster kid will be prepared for 2018.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

I’m not going to lie, pulling together a gift guide is worrrrkk. I haven’t done one since 2012, and now I know why. But it was also really fun. My kids are older now so I don’t get to look through all the cute things out there for littles. I tried to pick all the stuff that I would get for my own kids. I hope you find something that strikes your fancy!

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Toys & Games for Kids

I Never Forget a Face ~ We love memory in our house, it’s just a great game for all ages. This one is our fave from Eboo. They have lots of different ones to choose from so find one that would spark your child’s interest.

Rainbow washi tapes ~ Every child, from toddler to teen, loves pulling and cutting tapes. Stock your art shelves with these solid rainbow colors. For a bigger list of art supplies, visit my art supplies page.

Sweet treats cookie cutters ~ One of the best activities we did when my kids were little was play “bakery” with playdough. These cookie cutters would be the cutest stocking stuffers, along with a container or two of homemade glitter playdough!

Busy board ~ This wooden bus-shaped busy board is great for boys and girls. My daughter was obsessed with yellow busses when she was a baby/toddler. This is a handmade item which, is even more of a bonus becasue you know it’s made well.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Cardboard ice cream truck ~ Summer on wheels, all year round. This food truck is made from cardboard. Ages 2 and up, free shipping!

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Bedrooms for Kids

Teepee play tent ~ Made by hand and roomy enough for more than one child. I love the bold stripes.

Vintage metal light-up letters ~ Made by hand, the lighbulbs are even dimmable! Create any word or phrase.

Wooden swing ~ Made by hand with organic paints. Good for ages 6 months to 3 years. I picture this as an inside swing – how cute would it be in a bedroom or playroom?

Hello. Also, I Love You ~ Linocut print using hand-carved linoleum block. We have one, I bought it years ago for my daughter and even though she is now fifteen, it’s still her favorite.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Banners & Buntings for Kids

BE BRAVE ~ BE KIND ~ IT’S OK ~ STAY TRUE

Affirmation banners. Handmade, silkscreened on unbleached cotton for a vintage look. I’m in love with them all.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Personalized name bunting ~ Felt letters sewn on cotton, custom made for any name or phrase and using any colors.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Felt ball garland ~ Perfect to decorate a baby or child’s room, gender neutral. Made by hand using beautiful eco-friendly pure wool felt balls.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Lovies for Kids

Pink stuffed octopus and brown bunny by Jellycat ~ If you’ve never owned a Jellycat stuffed animal, these are the best!!! Softest and cutest by far. They have many animals to choose from.

Big blue whale ~ Handmade using cotton fabric with embroidered details, this whale is 21″ long. I love him.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Best New Picture Books for Kids

Gaston by Kelly DiPuccio ~ A bulldog and a poodle learn that family is about love, not appearances. It’s ok to be different. Wonderful message and beautiful illustrations.

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers ~ Insightfully sweet, with a gentle humor and poignancy, here is Oliver Jeffers’ user’s guide to life on Earth. Created for his son, he shares his value system of kindness and tolerance.

How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green ~ A whimsical story about ghost care, Rebecca Green’s debut picture book is a perfect combination of offbeat humor, quirky and sweet illustrations, and the timeless theme of friendship.

Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht ~ Joyously drawn and rhythmically written, this celebration of family, friends, and the holiday season is as merry as the tradition it depicts.

Windows by Julia Denos ~ Walking his dog at dusk, one boy catches glimpses of the lives around him in this lovely ode to autumn evenings, exploring your neighborhood, and coming home.

The Little Reindeer by Nicloa Killen ~ An enchanting Christmas story about a magical yet unlikely friendship between a little girl and a lost reindeer, lovingly told and illustrated with red foil highlights and interactive die cuts.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

The Best New Art Kit for Kids

KidArtLit ~ Art kit meets storytime… delivered! That’s right, this subscription based art & literature kit comes to your door monthly. It’s a wonderful way to make reading and art part of your family routine. And you will build the most amazing curated library! All art is process-based so kids won’t get frustrated with how-to steps. There is no right or wrong, it’s all about the experience.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Clothes for Kids

Pick flowers not fights ~Shirts for kids and grownups, too. Plus stickers and mugs on this site.

Warrior DNA ~ Choose your color shirt.

Eat. Play. Love. ~ This is such an awesome play on Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat Pray Love. I want a shirt for myself.

Take a hike ~ Such a cut little hoodie, there is a pine tree on the front.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Lamb hat ~ So cute, I can’t stand it. She also has a lion hat which is ridiculous (as in ridiculously cute). I want a baby! Handmade with organic wool.

Fleece bear hoodie ~ My kids had a version of this when they were little, it was the best little fleece coat ever!

Crochet cowl neck pullover ~ Handmade. I love the style of this pullover, so easy to wear and perfect for those crisp days where you just need a quick extra layer, but still able to move freely. I want a grownup version!

Reindeer booties ~ I just had to include these. How cute are they?? Handmade with genuine leather. Sizes 0-3yrs.

Art Bar Holiday Gift Guide for Kids // 2017

Handmade baby shoes ~ I honestly think I wouldn’t be able to stop at just one pair if I had a baby. These are handmade, and the color combos are so gorgeous!

And that concludes my long list of goodies for your kids! Now just click “buy”, then sit back and have a cup of tea and read your book because you are done. (As if…).

xo, Bar

 

Filed Under: Etsy Finds, Living with Kids Tagged With: Picture Books, Holiday Gift Guide, name garland, 2017, kid gifts, clothes, hipster, teepee

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alisa Workman

    November 27, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    Love, Love, Love your list. Although I teach preschool art, I am always a bit stumped when it comes to my own grandchildren. Thanks for all these wonderful suggestions.

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      November 28, 2017 at 7:43 pm

      oh my gosh, thank you Alisa!! I never know if these list resonate with anyone, so thank you for leaving a comment! you’ve made my hard work worthwhile. xo Bar

      Reply
  2. Teegan

    December 11, 2017 at 1:37 am

    I like the look of the books! I’m going to order Pick a Pine Tree for my 4 year old, but we will all (6 and 8 year old as well) enjoy it. P.S. After reading your post on storing kids art I have spent a fair while scouring local garage sales and I found the perfect little dresser. One drawer for each kid and so far the system is working really well for me. Here in Australia school has just finished for the summer, and instead of report cards sitting on the kitchen bench annoying me for months while I figure out where to put them, they’re already in their respective drawers! Thank you for such a great idea!

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      December 12, 2017 at 10:32 am

      oh my goodness, thank you for sharing this with me, Teegan! I am feeling giddy that you read and my post *and* implemented my favorite organizing strategy!!!! I find that the drawers are a lifesaver as I hate “filing” and otherwise would have piles everywhere. Have a wonderful holiday and summer!!! XO bar

      Reply

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I have been thinking lately about so many big idea I have been thinking lately about so many big ideas. They seem to be stuck, though, in the cogs of my brain. I need to articulate and connect these ideas together, but I can’t find the right words, or medium. It feels like trudging through thick mud, and then making the choice to set up camp in the muddy place. Maybe this is always what motherhood + living a creative life will be. And I am ok with that, too. Life is mucky, and even though I crave clarity, I am also acutely aware that this is why I also crave art. Music, books, museums, film, gardens… these are the mediums humans turn to when they need to find connection and, if we are lucky, clarity. But I feel more protective of my human-centered ideas these days and less willing to share them in spaces like this where they are open source. I don’t even know what is real sometimes. And how am I contributing to this landscape of creative and intellectual robbery. I think I am headed in a different direction but I don’t know what that is yet. Meanwhile, I am camping in the mud and looking for beauty where I am. 

Some moments new and old, lately…

1. Painting at my easel, age 4 when we lived in England before moving to the US. 
2. I tried making a video of motherhood on mother’s day inspired by this song 🌙 but never finished. 
3. Planting dahlias 🌸
4. Year 2 of my veggie garden. It is not going well. 
5. We diagnosed our garden problem as not enough sun so cut down a tree to give the sun a little path but then the sun moved. Also failing at science 😳
6. When you see your habits in your children ❤️ 
7. My mom’s caretaker gave me a cake and now I am a whole year younger 🙏🏼
8. Thank you James for the treats, mom dreams of traveling to visit your bakery but this was the next best thing 🥐
9. Finding 50 bucks in jeans from 20 years ago 👏🏼 Always check the pockets!
10. The newly graduated makeup artist with her kit off to a job 💋 
11. When the birthday kid isn’t home it’s too sad. must make art. 
12. When I am so dumb and share it on the internet 🙃
13. My heart, my clarity ❤️
14. Another round of silkscreening! Things are happening. 
15. MUA by Ava, and hanging out with the help 😍
16. Reminder.
Happy Earth Day! Can we agree that every day is Happy Earth Day! 

Can we agree that every day is Earth Day? The older I get, the more I change my habits to be kinder to this beautiful planet. Lately, seeing the photos from Artemis II of Earth from space has really moved me to make even more planet-friendly choices. Here are some things we do at home, and of course, we could always be better, but I also think small changes are more doable and sustainable, and if millions of us did just one of these things, it would make a difference.

Ok, here goes! My hope is that someone reads one of these actions and thinks, I can do this! We cannot reverse the melting ice caps, but we can stop further global warming… humans can do this if we work together. It starts small and is community-driven, so share this with friends!

1. Eating less meat, eating more veggies (this is also called eating low on the food chain). A vegetarian or vegan diet is a low-carbon diet. Did you know switching to 2/3 vegan reduces your carbon footprint by 60%? 
2. Grow our own veggies. Save on emissions and packaging, and find joy in gardening.
3. Less food waste. Eat leftovers, clear the fridge.
4. Buy less. Buy local.
5. Repurpose, fix, mend, thrift.
6. Make homemade gifts.
7. Drive less, fly less. (This one is harder, but being conscious of it is really important.)
8. Moderate, steady thermostat settings can save so much energy. Try 67/68 F in the winter and 72/73 in the summer and don’t touch it.
9. No pesticides on our lawn. It may not be pretty, but we have never had a beautiful lawn, and I’m fine with that. We also live on a river so the thought of polluting that water so I can have a perfect lawn is crazy.
10. Using non-toxic cleaning products or making our own from vinegar.
11. This year, we will do “no-mow May” to promote biodiversity, help the soil, and reduce emissions.
12. Vote for candidates who take climate change seriously!

Add some things you are doing in the comments. This is a judgment-free zone, so no preaching! But for real, we all can do a little bit better. 

The blog post about these signs is on artbarblog.com, link in bio!
New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite materials that I bring to the library. Read the post for links and tips for how to pair these materials to foster deep engagement. Children have always needed time in childhood to use their hands to make things and play, but now more than ever, the skills they develop through these experiences are imperative for their future well-being and success. I’ve been reading everywhere about children’s “lost skills” in this new ed tech world where screens have replaced so much hands-on learning in the classroom, even as young as preschool 😞 Communication skills, flexible thinking, regulating emotions, building empathy for others, innovating, even core strength and pencil grips are a struggle. Offering time and materials for making things and playing with ideas should not be a challenge; it should be as essential as filling bodies with fresh air and food. Play is how children learn! Anyway, I hope this post will inspire you to collect some things for making and maybe even join our Materials Matter course over on @the.creativityproject so that you, too, can become an expert at cultivating creative thinking through art making!
It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or work or enjoy anything these days. I know joy is resistance, art is resistance, kindness and empathy are resistance, and I try and practice all of these things every day, and also boycotting and shopping local and volunteering and making calls and checking on my neighbors and bartering and keeping our big tree lit for the community. And still, it doesn’t feel like nearly enough. I know we probably all feel this way. And maybe the collective small things really do add up to bigger movements, I don’t know. It’s Sunday and my mom is in the hospital again and I miss my one at college and I had such a bad dream last night. My headspace is not in cheerleader mode which is my usual default. And yet… going through my camera roll to find photos of things I made did actually help today. And I have made a plan for future things to make. When I wake up in the middle of the night, the way I get myself back to sleep is by envisioning this one big installation idea I’ve had for years, it takes place in a forest and involves textiles. So maybe 2026 is the year for me to bring this to life, or begin the process. I think about this quote, and it helps, too: When you make art, you rebel against a world that fears vulnerability. Ok, I’m better. Thank you for listening 🤪❤️

Ps: It weighs on me that Meta should be part of the boycotts. If anyone has any ideas for building community and sharing somehow somewhere else let’s discuss.
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