Timeless gifts that won’t end up in the giveaway pile by spring

Follies
From an award-winning play designer and mom of two.
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It’s that time of year again when we start asking our kids “what do you want for the holidays?” and answers like “a robot that turns into a cupcake rocket” send us down an online shopping rabbit hole. As a mom of two and a play person (and the founder of Follies), the looming question only becomes more daunting as the days pass. The family group chat becomes impatient waiting for my suggestions and inevitably, grandparents and aunts weigh in with toys that I know will end up in the giveaway pile by spring.
So for the past few years my kids and I have put together what I call a “retrospective holiday gift guide” based on toys they loved so much, they actually ended up playing with them for an entire year if not longer.
Related: The most age-appropriate toys for babies and kids according to an early childhood development expert
One characteristic these timeless toys have in common is that they are what we call low floors, high ceilings in “playful learning speak.” In other words, they are easy for children to start playing with, but complex enough to allow them to challenge themselves as they grow older and play with the same toy in more elaborate ways.
Here are my top recommendations for timeless toys to gift this year:
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