Dress Up & Makeup Toy Gift Guide

Mel here! Dress Ups and makeup are a staple over here at our house. I love finding unique dress ups for my kids that can be used for both play and everyday! I also am a big believer in clean makeup for kids. Lots of makeup options for kids are full of unsafe ingredients so I've linked some of my favorites below.

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1. Little Adventures Dress Ups: Your all-in-one costume shop has arrived! Little Adventures has dress ups for kids, adults, and even dolls! Halloween, play dates, tea parties, and superhero missions are all covered. These costumes are super affordable and offer both general themed and specific character costumes. If you need a last minute Halloween costume, they offer two-day shipping with Amazon Prime. 

2. Silicone Hair/Makeup Kit: My 6 year old started showing interest in makeup when she was way too young to be wearing it, so I knew I had to find a realistic and safe pretend makeup kit asap. I love the Marlow & Co silicone hair and makeup kit because it comes with all the essentials and a travel bag to store it all! The neutral colors are so classy and the silicon has been durable to make it to my second daughter to play with! She is just figuring out how to do makeovers on her dolls!

3. Disney Dresses Handmade: There is something so special about wearing something handmade- you know that proper care, attention, and joy went into it. That kind of novelty item can be found on a little Etsy shop called Treasuresspace! If you have a Disney trip or other dress-up occasion coming up, consider patronizing a small business and getting something so special for your child in return! The dresses are so affordable for the quality you get, and worth every penny! 

4. Klee Kids Makeup: Once my daughter was old enough to start experimenting with makeup, I wanted to be sure that I was getting safe products for her gentle skin. I love that Klee Kids makes all their makeup with no talc, parabens, or animal testing, and the colors are subtle and age-appropriate. She started wearing a little makeup for her dance recitals and she personally loves how yummy the pink lemonade shimmer tastes! All the ingredients can be found before you even add it to the cart, for total transparency and peace of mind. 

5. Super Smalls Shoes and Jewelry: Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and that especially holds true for little girls, in my experience. When my 6 year old had a big birthday coming up, I wanted her to feel extra sparkly and beautiful. The Playtime Dreams Gift Set was exactly what I was looking for, with fun shiny heels, two rings, a necklace, and two sets of earrings. She wore those accessories every day for weeks. It didn’t matter where we were going, the glitter followed!

6. Walmart Toddler Girl Disney Dresses: Your girls don’t need to always be drowning in tulle to feel like a princess. I stumbled upon Walmart’s Disney dresses, and knew how my girls could always feel dressed up for a fraction of the cost of a full-on costume. These dresses give my 6 year old the best of both worlds, where she gets to feel like the classic Disney princess, but in a more subtle way. She feels perfectly comfortable wearing her Encanto dress to school on an average day, feeling both casual and dressed up!

7. Sarah’s Silks Dress Ups Collection: If we thought our playroom was shrouded in enough silk already, we weren’t ready for what Sarah’s Silks was about to send our way. Their silk dress ups bring even more life to the silk play world. Skirts, hats, and capes are just a fraction of what they offer in the costume department, and the color options are all stunning. We had to get the fairy wings the moment we saw them, and my daughters would wear them night and day if I’d let them. Code: TOYTESTINGSISTERS saves 10%

8. Dress Ups: Fireman Police Officer Veterinarian: I found the best hack for getting my kids realistic costumes that didn’t break the bank, and of course it was Melissa & Doug. These costumes come with functional accessories that transport your little one into the world of a first responder, veterinarian, or line cook! They pair well with many of Melissa & Doug’s pretend toys, giving kids the ultimate pretend experience. 

9. Sweet Wink Capes and Accessories: I am one of those moms that loves to dress for the occasion, and that goes for my kids as well. I was so excited to find Sweet Wink, a female-ran business that designs head-to-toe outfits for many different occasions and themes. They offer themed outfits to be worn more on a day-to-day basis, as well as costume accessories like capes and wands. They are a great option for birthday parties, pregnancy announcements, and special seasonal wear! Code: 25TTS to save at checkout

10. Wooden Vanity Makeup Set: I am so excited for my toddler to be approaching the age of enjoying her own little vanity! She is drawn to girly things and this wooden vanity and makeup kit is nothing short of all-girl. Everything is made out of wood so I know she will be safe playing with it, and I love that the vanity has a drawer to store the goods when she is done! I can’t wait to do our makeup together in the mornings. 

11. Le Toy Van Cosmetic Set: Introduce your kiddos to the art of vintage cosmetics with the Le Toy Van Cosmetic Set! The wooden pieces are all painted and designed to look like old-fashioned makeup, and come with an adorable canvas drawstring bag. My favorite pieces in the set are the powder applicator and vintage perfume bottle! It reminds me of the days I wanted to be french, fancy, and famous! My 6 year old is obsessed. 

Game Guide: Toy Testing Sisters and The Game King

We have teamed up with the Game King to bring you the best game list out there! We have rounded up games for little kids, big kids, and family games! These are all recommended and approved by the Game King! Below you will find games for 7 and under, 8+, and family games! Below you will find all of Darin's (Game King) picks!

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1. Narwall Waterfall: Save the narwhals by moving them across the water and avoiding the dangers.  But the water actually moves like a conveyor belt and could send the narwhals tumbling over the edge.

2. Speedy Feedy: This game actually has a trickier adult version, but just ignore that and play simplified rules. Identify the foods on the card and see which animal has the most foods pictured.  Your brain does the two-step: figuring out what is pictured the most and then which animal matches that.

3. Math Sandwich: Can you fill the orders for sandwiches?  Order cards call for specific ingredients that you have to compile.  The sandwich components are felt and great to play with.  This teaches great math skills, and it doubles as a fun toy so you can use it to play food activities.

4. Doggy Showdown Logic Puzzle: Five dogs are competing in a dog show and you have to move them to match the card that shows the results.  But the dogs are in a track so you have to use logic to figure out how to move certain dogs out of the way to get them all to line up.  The game builds in progression.  Can be a game that just one person can play on their own, solving the puzzles.

5. Exit Kids: This is not like the “Exit” games for older players.  Instead, the child draws a card and tries to gather clues in a varity of ways to find a trio of animals to solve the riddle.  This can be a solo game for kids, teaching them to use clues to for problem solving. This a very simple game that could play as young as 3 or 4.  

6. Race to Treasure: Can you get to the treasure in time?  In this simple cooperative game, you build a path to find treasures and get to the goal before the ogre does.  Great with problem solving and working together.

7. Pengaloo: Adorable solid wood penguins are hiding colored eggs.  When you roll the dice, you have to remember which colored eggs are under which penguin.  Bring them to your iceberg until you have enough to win.  But watch out, your penguins can get stolen. 

8. Tongues Out: Squishy pugs have gotten into the candy shop so their tongues are different colors.  When you squeeze them, their colored tongues stick out.  Find the right colored tongues and remember which ones are which as you round up the cute, squeezable dogs.

9. Tap a Bello: Flip over cards to see if you can match their colors, numbers or symbols. When there’s a match, you have to tap your head and then ring the bell.  Great for teaching colors, numbers or symbols.  It’s also great for getting confused since you will want to ring the bell without touching your head.

10. Cake-n-Bake Challenge: I feared this game had been discontinued since I loved it so much.  Turns out, it was just being repackaged.  Flip over a card and then build your cake to match the colors and toppings pictured.  It’s a race to see who is first, but this is also a great toy when you’re not playing the game.

11. Concept JR: The simple and easy version of the Concept game lets you give clues by placing tokens on various clues on a large board.  It’s a cooperative game so everyone is trying to guess what animal or object fits the clues given.

12. Outfoxed: Possibly my most recommended game for young kids.  Determine which fox stole the pie and do it before the fox reaches the end. You do it by placing little token chips in a sliding device that reveals clues about the culprit fox.  The sliding device is brilliant and kids love the deduction.

13. Hoot Owl Hoot: Try to guide all your owls home to the nest before the sun comes up.  There’s strategy involved as you jump from color to color but don’t leave any owls behind or it will be too hard to get them to catch up.  This is a cooperative game where everyone works together.

14. Zingo: This is a child’s version of Bingo. A fun tile dispensing machine (the “Zinger”) slides to reveal two tiles.  Your “Zingo card” has images on it and you have to find tiles to match those on your card.  Fill your card and you win.  This could be a pre-school game.

15. Paco's Party: There are four guests and three birthday elements at Paco’s birthday party. But as you flip over a card, there will be something missing.  Spot the missing item and win the card.  If everything is there, you do a little Paco dance.

1. Mantis: Try to collect mantis by matching color sets.  You can either steal from your opponents’ tanks into your tank, or move them from your tank to your point pile.  You’ll have to guess what color it is, but the back side of the card tells you three possible answers.  Use some deduction and some luck to steal or get points.

2. Up Dog: Try to play your numbered and colored cards to achieve goals (i.e. all red, or lowest total) and move your dog on the path to the winning dog dish.  But if someone else achieves the same goal, then they cancel out. Use some strategy and prediction to know how to move your dog.

3. Deduckto: A modern fresh take on Clue. Try to guess the animal, location, and disguise on your mystery card.  Other players give you clues as you play cards to determine if there is anything in common with your mystery card.  This can play on different levels, and uses lots of deduction.

4. Tumball: A cluster of colored balls are suspended precariously from a central hook.  Each player carefully places their white balls on the suspended ones, hoping the weight won’t cause everything to fall.  Try to get rid of your balls, one by one, but if balls fall, you’ll have to get rid of those, too.

5. P for Pizza (kids): Quick game to identify words in a category that start with a different letter.  Simple to play and quick to understand.  Teaches words and letters.  (For older groups, try P For Pizza regular version)

6. Concept: Help your team guess an object by giving clues.  Place tokens on a large board to show colors, locations, size or any number of clues that might help.  A great cooperative game that can get challenging.

7. Speed Colors: Look at a simple drawing of black outlines with parts that are colored in.  Then flip the card over and everyone quickly tries to remember their picture to replicate it using the same colors. Dry erase markers and fill-in-the-blank cards make it easy and fun. (You can even get to where you switch the colored tops to make it more confusing.)

8. Throw Fish: This is a new take on the old Go Fish game.  As you get sets, you build them into a tower in front of you. You can still ask a player for a specific card, but you can also use your turn to try to throw a card at an opponent’s tower to steal their cards.  (Throwing cards is harder than you think and the temptation could cause you could lose your turn.)

9. Qwixx: A fun “roll and write” game where everyone is playing at once.  Roll the dice and cross off numbers on your score sheet but you can only move forward and can’t go back to pick up missed numbers.  Each roll is critical and the pressure mounts in this fast paced dice game.

10. Piece of Cake: A fun “card” game where you’re trying to complete three full cakes using quarter-cake pieces.  You’re building while others are trying to foil your efforts. You’ll draw a cake piece and keep it or pass it on in a frantic race to complete the cakes.  Artwork is delicious for the cakes.

11. Overlap: This is a little “Tetris meets Uno.” You have a handful of cards which have various colored squares filled in.  You play your card on the discard pile and try NOT to match colored squares.  For every colored square that overlaps/matches, you have to draw another card.  Get rid of all your cards, and you win.

12. Cover Your Assets: A classic card game where you try to collect sets of valuable assets.  As the sets get stolen, they keep growing in value.  You can only steal the top set on someone’s pile, so you try to build your pile and protect your assets in this cutthroat, fun game.

13. Bears and the Bees: Play your hexagon shaped cards as you build a giant honeycomb pattern.  Each side is a different color and you have to match at least two sides to get rid of a card.  Watch out for special cards like bears and flowers as you create a giant pattern of cards in your race to get rid of all yours.

14. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza: Flip over cards reciting “Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza” and if what you say, matches what is on the card, you have to slap the pile.  The last player to slap the pile has to take the stack of cards.  You win when you get rid of your cards.

1. Fun Facts: Great new cooperative game.  Everyone writes down a numerical answer to a question and then flips it over.  Can you put them in order without discussing it?  How long would it take you to spend $50K?  And then how does that fit with everyone else’s answers.  

2. Just One: One of my favorite cooperative games. One person has to guess a mystery word.  So everyone writes down clues, but if you write the same clue as someone else, they cancel and the clues get tossed.  So you have to give a great clue, but not so obvious that someone else will give it.

3. So Clover: One of my favorite cooperative games. You place a series of random cards on your “clover board”.  It creates four pairs of words so you give a clue for each pair and then mix all the words up.  Can the rest of the group figure out which clues were for which words now that there are others in the mix?

4. Champions: Who would likely snore more?  Granny or Dracula?  In this game, you have to pit various random people against each other in bizarre hypothetical contests and predict who would win. You set it up in a “tournament bracket” to see how they fare against each other and then see how close you got to predicting the winner.

5. Cross Clues: Wonderful! Quick cooperative game where you have to work together to complete a grid of words.  There are four words along the top and four words on the side.  You pick a tile that tells you a location on the grid, i.e. A3.  Then you have to give a clue that combines the two words, and hope the group can place the tile in the right spot. It’s super informal and can be played as loosely as you want.

6. Hitster: A sure-fire instant favorite.  Download the Hitster app on your phone and connect to Spotify.  Then scan the QR code on a card and a song plays.  Can you remember when the song was released and then place it in order with the other song cards you have.  Get 10 cards in a sequence and your team wins.

7. Link City: Brand new cooperative game is already getting some buzz as the possible game of the year.  You are the mayor and 4 businesses want to open up in your city so, based on what is already in the town, you give them permission and place a token on the city map.  Now the rest of the group has to guess which token goes with which business.  Does a dog groomer belong by a park or baseball stadium?

8. Mishy Match: Your brain will hurt, and then it will get addicted.  Each card has a color written in the middle with four symbols in each corner.  You have to say the color that the word is written in (It could be the word “yellow” written in blue) and then identify the symbol in the corner that the written word tells you. You could say “Blue Rose” because it’s written in blue, but the yellow corner has a rose.

9. Bird Call: This is Happy Salmon on steroids.  You have three cards in your hand with birds on them.  You have to find another person with a match to one of your cards.   You can only do that by making the bird sound.  Match the card and put it in your point pile and draw another.  It’s chaos and very loud.

10. Sixem: Tenzi and Bingo had a baby and this is it.  Roll your dice and get 1-6.  Then fill in the spots on your card, just like a Bingo card.  It’s the most fun Bingo game ever since it adds an element of speed, and some strategy when you get to erase your opponents’ spaces.  

11. Dumb Questions to Ask your Friends: Everyone answers a question and one person has to figure out what the question is everyone was answering.  They can pick from five questions, but can only see them one at a time and have to lock in their guess before they can move on to another question.  It’s funny and engaging for a group.

12. P for Pizza: Name words in various categories that start with different letters.  The twist is that as people progress, they’ll be trying for different letters and categories which makes for some added chaos.

13. Super Mega Lucky Box: I hate the name, but I love the game. You turn over random cards to reveal numbers that let you check off spaces on your mini “bingo-type” card. You’ll have three cards you’re working on at the same time and trying to earn other tokens.  Another bonus is that you can have up to 6 people playing. 

14. Anarchy Pancakes: It takes quick reactions to win this game where you have to find strange toppings on someone else’s card that matches your card.  It’s like a group version of Spot It with a little extra zaniness.

15. Without Fail: This is particularly good for a group game with a youth group or party environment.  You’ll have to accomplish various tasks, but you have to bet how well you’ll do at it without actually knowing the task.  And you’ll be paired with the person who set the bar the highest while everyone else now roots against you.

16. Kazoo That Tune: There are two versions of this game: Regular and Festive (for the holidays).  You don’t have to have musical talents.  Just know how to make music on a kazoo. It’s the musical version of charades where people will be laughing at the efforts.

17. Wavelength: his is a brilliant, innovative game where teams are trying to read each other’s mind. You have to guess where a bullseye is on a spectrum. One person gives a clue about some specific item. You get a topic, like hot to cold, and then you give a clue such as “soup” and the teams have to decide where that falls on the scale, each trying to get close to the specific pinpoint.

18. Wilmot's Warehouse: This is the ultimate cooperative memory game.  You’ll place tiles with abstract designs face down on a board one by one.  But you’ll have to come up with a story as to how all the tiles connect in a cohesive way.  Once you place 35 tiles face down, you have 5 minutes to remember where each tile is.  If you know your story, it’s a cinch.

19. Don't Get Caught: This is a very unusual game. You would play this while other things are going on.  It could be during a dinner or party or any social gathering.  Each person is assigned a series of secret tasks they have to get other people to do without suspecting anything. The first person to get others to do their tasks wins the game.   

20. You Can't Say Umm: Laughing is guaranteed.  Winning…not so much.  You have to describe various words to your team and have them guess, but you can’t ever say “umm” or other filler words.  Toss in some other random rules to remember and it’s brain overload. Umms are guaranteed. 

21. Block Party: This is Pictionary with colored blocks.  Everyone scrambles to grab little colored blocks to build a specific picture.  Will the guesser know you created a stoplight or a pencil?  And with other people scrambling to grab the colored blocks, who knows what you’ll be left with.

22. Slingz: Get rid of your cards to win.  Each card has a letter and you have to think of an answer with that letter that fits the category.  But the category is changing every three words, so it’s a super fast-paced game guaranteed to frustrate you if you’re a second too late.

23. Think Fast (Disney or OG): Split into two teams.  The moderator reads clues to let you guess as many words as you can in a set time.  Each team does that.  Then on round two, the 15 words are the exact same, so you know all the answers, but the clues get harder.  Round 3 is even more challenging in a free-for-all.  (Of all the games I have, I chose to play this on my birthday.)

24. Linkee: The moderator reveals clues about four different words.  Don’t say the words out loud.  Just remember them because the winner is the person who can figure out how the four words are linked.  Are they all wizards?  Are they all ingredients in a pie?  Are they all parts of a bike?

25. Hues and Clues: Picture a giant color swatch board. You have to give a one word clue to get everyone to figure out exactly which color is the right one. Periwinkle, huckleberry, Barney, plum could all be your clue, but will other players know where to put their marker?

26. Happy Salmon: Few games get people up and moving like Happy Salmon. Flip your cards over and find someone who has the same card, complete the action described and go to the next card. My stomach hurts every time I play (short bursts of shouting).

27. Herd Mentality: It doesn’t matter what the “right” answer is to a question, it just matters what is the most popular. Name a farm animal. What’s your favorite finger? You have to match the “herd” to get a point.

28. Cobra Paw: One of the best “ice breaker” games to just get people drawn in quickly. There are a series of tiles with two icons on each. When you roll the two “icon dice”, race to be the first to snatch the tile that matches.

29. Think n Sync: The goal of this game is to think alike with your partner. Pick a partner and then, at the same time, shout out an answer to the chosen category. Can you both name the same cereal? This is a teen game!

30. Code Names: Does anyone NOT have this game already? Two teams racing against each other to identify random word cards on a grid. Give clues that connect multiple words so you can find your team’s words first.

MESH Toy Guide (Mental, Emotional, Social Health)

Mandy here! MESH toys can help kids recover emotionally and help them get back to a healthy baseline. These are toys like weighted plush, fidgets, sensory bins, swings, and audio players. But, most importantly, MESH toys should help kids build emotional resilience. Toys that aid in emotional resilience push kids to problem-solve and overcome obstacles. They can also use storytelling to express emotions and empathy.

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1. Emotional Baggage: I love finding new toys that help my developing littles learn about and how to regulate emotion. I have found the Emotional Baggage toy is a fantastic tool for identifying emotions and there are countless games you can play with the plushies to encourage emotional intelligence. It is also a great toy for teachers and anyone working with children.

2. Carabie Stuffies: Stuffies are well known and loved for their ability to comfort a child, but what I love about Carabie stuffies specifically is the book that comes with the bundle! It is never too early to teach your kids about health conditions that they themselves or loved ones will experience throughout their lives. Every purchase gives back to child health initiatives!

3. Feelings Bottles: I had a similar toy to this growing up as a kid, but without the emotions on the bottles. It was so relaxing to watch the glitter fall to the bottom. The emotions add an educational opportunity to relax children while teaching them about how they’re feeling. When my older kids were a little younger and were having strong emotions, I would tell them to grab the bottle that represented how they felt and we’d talk about it. 

4. Bumpas: Sometimes your child just needs a hug, and the Bumpa is there to provide that. It is weighted and larger than your average stuffed animal, so it gives really good hugs. The heart it makes with its hands and the smile on its face gives my 7-year old immediate feelings of safety and comfort. 

5. Big Feelings Pineapple: I love this fun take on Mr. Potato Head, but my kids love it even more. Fine motor skills are developed when fitting the pieces into the proper place on the head, and emotional skills are developed in practicing with and identifying emotions. All three of my kids enjoy the pineapple for different reasons, which makes the perfect toy, in my opinion.

6. Magical Meditation Yoto Card: This Yoto card is the perfect wind-down audio tool for my 9 year old who has so much energy he could probably go days without sleeping. I struggled finding things to help him transition into sleep-mode until I found the Yoto player and meditation card. He falls asleep so much easier now, and the whole house feels a little bit calmer in the evenings.

7. Mindfulness Meditation Yoto Card: Children need quiet time as much as they need wild time, and parents definitely need quiet time. The struggle to get my kids to calm down midday was helped tremendously when I found the Mindfulness for Children Yoto card. I plop the card into the Yoto player and minutes later quiet down. It has even been known to put them to sleep!

8. Surprise Stories: Remember Mad Libs? Now imagine how giddy I was when I discovered that there is a kids’ version that solves so many of my problems as a mom. I get so sick of reading the same book over and over again, but my kids love story time. With Surprise Stories, we get to tell a new story every night from one simple game. The kit comes with with prompts for the Star, Storyline, and Setting.

9. Emotion Coins: A new spin on the classic coin and slot toy, the Emotion Coins also double as an emotion educational tool! Putting the coins in the slots helps littles focus on the task at hand and calm down.  

10. Slumberkins: No matter what your child is going through emotionally or developmentally, there are customized Slumberkins for them. I am obsessed with these kits and have collected probably too many of them. The stuffed animals are all so unique and designed to represent the skill or idea it is trying to teach. When one of my kids was going through a big change, I was able to use the Fox Kin Change kit to help him navigate his situation. 

11. Needoh: When my kids are experiencing sensory overload, the Needoh Dream Drop helps reign her in and relax her nerves. The feel of the toy is so calming and satisfying, and the glittery filling is mesmerizing. It even includes a stand so that she always knows where it is when she needs it.

12. Affirmation Memory Cards: It has been amazing to teach my kids the power of positive self-talk through this uplifting game. You can play this game with littles as young as 3, and I recommend doing so. It is a great choice for winding down, quiet time, or when your kiddo is having a hard day emotionally. It is the perfect opportunity to teach them how to treat themselves kindly.

13. Liquid Sensory Tiles: I cannot accurately explain how satisfying these tiles are to play with. They are firm but have just enough give that you can move around the liquid inside. The feeling is addictive and my kids will run around on them forever. These tiles are a great sensory experience and allows littles to wind down.

14: Sensory Swing: Swings are fun in general, but what makes this swing special is the sensory-deprivation effect it provides. My kids can snuggle up in the soft fabric and forget the world for a time as they subtly swing. I’m not going to lie, I’ve hidden in there a few times myself when I needed some peace and quiet.

15. Huggy Hymns Stuffed Animals: These are huggable plushies with a built-in muisc box that plays hymns. The stuffy is 13inches and comes with a removable sound module and volume control. It uses a USB to charge. This would be a perfect way for your kids to relax and connec to God and Christ. We also love this as a baby shower gift.