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  • Valentine's Gift Guide Ages 5-7

    Charlie is 6 and it has been so much fun watching his toy and game interests change as he is growing. He loves building, creating, and almost any game! Because Charlie is the perfect test subject for this age group, it was really easy an fun putting together this Valentine's Toy Guide for ages 5-7. Every family celebrates Valentines differently. Mel and I enjoy curating a small package with a few toys, games, books, and of course candy! Many of these items you won't find at your local Target. We have tried to keep a much lower price point on many of these toys, books, and games. These guides include: Ages 0-2 Ages 2-4 Ages 5-7 Ages 8-10 Teen Ages 5-7 This age group is so much fun because they still enjoy when you play with them, but they are also growing and developing their own independence. This means it's easier to play with siblings, friends, and even alone. We have some awesome toys, games, and must-have items for this age group. Big Gem Diamond Art: Over Thanksgiving, we took a diamond art set with us. We were expecting our teen sister to play with it. Charlie and Caroline immediately jumped in and wanted to give it a try. Charlie spent hours using the diamond art set creating pineapple stickers. It's also a great tool for hand-eye coordination. Kids on Stage: This game is such a blast for kids! We love it because it can be used by kids 3+ and it works well even with different aged people playing. It's a charades game where you act out an animal, object, or action. Classic Lego: These mini classic Lego sets are fun to collect. Mandy has all of the colors at her house. The red set is perfect for Valentine's Day. This toy is great because they can build mini items. These sets are not difficult and easy to store. PlusPlus: If you have a kid who loves to build and create, PlusPlus is a must-have! You can easily free style build or follow some of their recommended builds. PlusPlus comes in one shape (mini puzzle shapes). This is great because we all know how easy it is to lose a Lego piece. Fujifilm Instax Mini: Mandy had a small NYE party and one of the kids brought her Instax mini! It was the hit of the party. All of the kids spent time capturing different moments from the night. Charlie kept his instant "polaroid" images and currently has them displayed in this room! This is such a fun toy for almost any age! Drone Home: This game was a 2021 TOTTY Finalist and comes highly recommended by one of Mandy's besties. The goal of the game is to get your alien to the launch pad and carried away by the drone. If you alien is flown away by the drone, you are the winner! Brain Flakes: This building toy is new to Mandy's collection! We had heard really good things about Brain Flakes and knew we needed to give them a try. This set comes with 500 disc flakes that interlock with any flake. They come with many different colors and an instruction book to make different creations. Love that all of the parts are the same so it doesn't matter if you lose a piece. It's pretty insane what can be produced with these Brain Flake discs. Rally Felt: We stumbled upon Rally Felt Co. when we found out their sets could be used on the Nugget Couch. Rally Felt creates felt sets that come with a matching book. We love the set Me and My Amazing Body! The book is interesting and even includes some fun facts. Mandy's kids love the body felt set and enjoy learning about all of the organs in the human body. You can purchase a la carte sets or they also have a monthly subscription option. Zingo: This game is like Bingo but with a Zing! Mandy's kids got this for Christmas and it has recently been their go-to game. Each player gets a bingo-like card. There is a device that outputs chips with different images on them. The first player to fill their card wins. Sarah's Silks: If you follow us, you know we have an obsession with anything created by Sarah's Silks. On January 10th they released their Valentine's line. This mini blue silk is absolutely beautiful and can be used for pretend play of all kinds. AquaBeads: Do you remember creating bead objects and animals as a kid by either placing an iron on the beads or cooking in the oven? Obviously fun but kind of dangerous and a lot of work! We love Aquabeads because they are easy for kids to design on their own and all you need is water to activate! You can produce many creations and even pull them apart and start fresh. It's also easy to purchase refill kits. This is the perfect activity to keep kids busy and off the TV. Stardust Nee Doh: Give us all of the Nee doh products! This Stardust Nee doh is the perfect color for Valentine's Day! We have found Teton Toys has the best selection and prices for all Nee doh products. You can save 10% on your purchase at Teton Toys if you follow us on IG. Red Butterfly Art Poster: We started using giant coloring posters from Red Butterfly Art back in October 2021. They are massive and we like to put them on our kitchen or dining room table and leave them out for our kids to color on throughout the week. Kate, the owner, is the artist behind these creations. We also love that there are duplicate images on these giant posters so kids don't get upset if they want to color a specific item. The poster we are featuring here is the Every Time Game Board. STEM Drilling Set: Charlie got this STEM construction and engineering building set for Christmas. It comes with 237 drill pieces for your child to either make their own creations or follow recommended instructions. You can build in either 1D or 3D. All of the pieces and drill fit into a small carrying case which we love. Mandy can attest that this is a very relaxing toy to play with as an adult! Magnetic Drawing Board: This magnetic drawing board is perfect for keeping kids busy when you are out of the house! You simply drag the pen across the magnetic board and the beads pop up! It's actually a great sensory and mediation toy. It keeps you focused and kids love the clicking and mesmerizing pop up beads. This toy is recommended for ages 3-8 but it would also be great for teens too!

  • Valentine's Gift Guide Ages 2-4

    Your baby has turned into a full blown toddler and has loads of personality. Together, Mandy and I, have put together a gift guide that is sure to thrill. Pair a few of these gifts with some yummy valentines chocolates or treats and your child will be filled with love this Valentine's Day. Every family celebrates Valentines a little differently. Mandy and I enjoy curating a small package with a few toys, games, books, and of course candy! Many of these items you won't find at your local Target. We have tried to keep a much lower price point on many of these toys, books, and games. These guides include: Ages 0-2 Ages 2-4 Ages 5-7 Ages 8-10 Teen Ages 2-4 This is such a fun age to shop for. This age is also perfect to start explaining the concept of Valentine's Day and watching them soak it all in. I feel like you really can't go wrong when shopping for your little one. They are so easily pleased by these small gifts. This toy guide is full of items from some of our favorite brands and companies. Jellycat Butterfly: Jellycat makes an excellent quality stuffed animal. I love that this one is shaped like a butterfly, making it super unique. This toy is soft, snuggly, and made to last! Piggy Paint Scented Nail Polish: My girls absolutely love painting their nails and toes. I have been really trying hard to keep the ingredient list short and clean when it comes to their nail polish. Piggy Paint makes a non toxic, kid friendly, vegan nail polish and it is SCENTED! The price point is great and it is also made in the USA. Heart Box Craft: This darling heart box craft is from Melissa and Doug. It comes with everything you need to have fun decorating this box to fill with trinkets. Monkey String: Have you heard of monkey string? It is bendable yarn coated in a sticky wax to make the strings pliable. Everything that is hands on and involves one of the senses is a huge hit at my house. Try this out and let us know how you like it! I can promise it will not disappoint. Balancing Blocks: These balancing blocks, made by Tekor, are perfect to help your child develop their fine motor skills. These stones are made of wood, colorful, and are super fun to stack. These get a lot of playtime at our house. Custom Chalks: These custom chalks are from a local Utah company, Let's Talk Chalk. I have linked you to her Instagram page to place an order! These chalks are so fun because each one can be personalized with your child's name. She also has other fun heart shaped chalks you can check out on her page. Heart Shaped Sunglasses: What little kid wouldn't love a cute pair of heart shaped sunglasses? These are the perfect size for little faces and have great reviews! Doodle Board: This doodle board is perfect to throw in your bag for a road trip, or to bring with you to church. Zero mess and it can be used time and time again. We love that this one has a stylus that is attached so it won't get lost! Playdough 10 pack: This assorted play dough comes in a 10 pack and is an Amazon exclusive deal. We go through tons of play dough at our house so I am always trying to keep stocked up with more. We also love giving this away as small gifts and it would be super fun to let your kids give out to their class instead of candy. Lacing Cards: These lacing cards are from Flourish Heirloom which means the quality is amazing. We have this set and Olina uses them ALL the time! Our favorite place to use these is in the car. They really do keep her busy for a long time. A Little Princess Board Book: Babylit books makes my favorite board books. They imitate some of the classic literature that I love which is a lot of fun for me to share with my girls. This specific story is a friendship primer and is perfect for Valentines. Wrist Streamers: These Sarah's Silk's wrist streamers are to die for! They are so beautiful and made out of 100% real silk. Let your child put these on each arm and run wild. Heart Magnets: I ordered these for my 3 year old a few weeks ago and she absolutely loved making them. I think children this age really thrive when they are given a little independence with a craft like this. She decorated these all on her own and we were able to let her proudly display them on the fridge. Cuddle and Kind Deer: This is a splurge but totally worth the investment. These dolls are all hand made and absolutely beautiful. This company also donates meals to children in need for each purchase made. We love a company that gives back! Playdough kit: This play dough kit is from A Wondoughful World and is curated beautifully. The owner hand picks each item and puts these kits together perfectly. We have a subscription with this company and it is so much fun to get a new kit each month.

  • Valentine's Gift Guide Ages 0-2

    It is always tricky to figure out what to buy for your baby or tabbie "toddler/baby". We have curated a gift guide for ages 0-2 that will help you come up with some fun and unique Valentines gift ideas for your little one. Add a few baby safe treats, balloons, and you've got yourself the ultimate Valentines baby bundle. Every family celebrates Valentines differently. Mandy and I enjoy curating a small package with a few toys, games, books, and of course candy! Many of these items you won't find at your local Target. We have tried to keep a much lower price point on many of these toys, books, and games. These guides include: Ages 0-2 Ages 2-4 Ages 5-7 Ages 8-10 Teen Ages 0-2 This age group is so much fun! Your little one is just starting to explore the world around them and really developing a fun personality. We have stacked this gift guide with lots of our favorite baby items that are somewhat Valentine themed. Enjoy! See, Touch, Feel, Love; Board book: This is one of our favorite books to read with our little ones. We love that this book gives you just the right amount of sensory play for your babies developing brain. Stacking Cups: These stacking cups are from one of our favorite companies, Wood and Ivy. They do a fantastic job of selecting colors and materials that are beautiful and esthetically pleasing. My one year old loves this bath toy. She loves filling up the cups and dumping the water on herself. This toy is perfect to improve fine motor skills. Romeo and Juliet Babylit Book: This book is a counting primer and from one of our favorite board book companies, BabyLit. The illustrations are beautiful and the colors are vibrant. This was, and still is, one of my girls favorite books. They like to count the items on the page with me and tell me how much of each item they see. Silicone Stacking Hearts: How cute are these stacking hearts? They are made of food grade silicone which makes them perfect for your teething baby. I love taste safe products, plus these are so dang cute AND heart shaped! Baby Booties: These baby booties are so cute and cozy. I love that they are a faux sherpa. I promise that these WILL stay on. I swear these booties with the snap on the front are the best alternative to socks. They are soft and will keep your babies feet warm. Cuddle and Kind Lamb: This is definitely a splurge. This Lucy the Lamb can be purchased in both size 13" and 20". This company makes some really quality stuffed animals. They are 100% handmade and have a quality guarantee. You won't go wrong purchasing from this company. Wooden Car: This Hape wooden toy car is really cute and perfect to start your wooden toy collection. Wooden toys are made to last and Hape is a trusted brand that we love. This toy helps develop fine and gross motor skills. Sarah's Silks Heart Streamer: This little streamer is one of the most played with toy at our house. We use it when we are having dance parties and I also use it to lead music for my Primary kids at church! Their products are made with 100% silk and are excellent quality. Heart Teething Spoons: These are teething hearts that double as a spoon. These toys were made to be oral motor therapy tools. How great that they are functional and heart shaped. Wooden Rattle: How cute is this wooden rattle? We shared the natural version but you can order it in 16 different colors. They also have an option to personalize it. What a fun and unique idea! Heart Rattle: This cute little rattle is from Amazon and is priced at only $2! We have this at our home and it's really easy for a baby to hang on to and shake. Jellycat Dinosaur: You know that our love for Jellycat runs DEEP. They make a phenomenal quality stuffed animal that is incredibly soft. This dino would be perfect to pair with a fun Valentine themed book. Mushroom Teether: These mini mushroom teethers stick to a variety of surfaces and are all the rage right now. They are easy to grip and chew which makes them irresistible to babies. Tie Dye Pajamas: Behold, the famous Amazon toddler pajamas. This company makes the softest and best fitting jammies for an extremely affordable price. They manufacture a million colors, patterns, and fits. You will thank me later for introducing you to the best toddler pajamas on the market. I own multiple of these for my girls and they totally live up to the hype. Blossom Baby Teether: This baby teether from Sarah's silks is so fun. Luella has this same teether in the ocean color and she loves to tote it around and hold it. The silk is soothing to touch and the wooden ring makes it easy to hold and the perfect toy to chew on. Silicone Rainbow Stacker: I bring you another taste safe toy, because we all know that 90% of these toys are going to end up in their mouth. Check out this darling stacking rainbow from Wood and Ivy.

  • How to Organize Your Toy Room

    Christmas is over which means we are all in organization mode. This can often feel overwhelming if we don't take the time to map out a plan and review the product we might need to help create the space we desire. We recently appeared on Studio 5 KSL to share our toy organization tips with viewers. As you know, Mel and I have many, many toys! Since I do have an insane amount, I have created centers within my play room. For example, I have a movement zone where my kids bounce on their Jumparoo, build forts with their Nuggets, and set up some pretty awesome obstacle courses. I have other centers for building, dress ups, and even pretend play. This helps bring order to my play room. I also regularly rotate my toys! I keep about 30% of my toys in my storage room. I rotate my toys often—this makes old toys feel new and keeps my toy room uncluttered. Recently, I have tried adding more of a Montessori feel to my play room. I love the concept of open shelving because it reduces the amount of toys available, promotes independence, and helps children understand what to do when they are done playing with their toys. I recently took one of my cubed storage units and removed all of the baskets. I placed individual toys in the shelf. It has been interesting to see how much more use these toys are getting. My kids can easily see what's available and put away their toys when they want to do something else. Here are links to some of our favorite toy organizing products! Game pouches: Game boxes take up so much space! These pouches are perfect for storing games and eliminating clutter. These also make transporting games so much easier. Forward-facing bookshelf: We love these types of bookshelves because you can put out a few books for your kids to select from and they can easily see the options available. Montessori inspired shelf: This self is beautiful and is by Inspired Montessori Learning. Using a shelf like this simplifies how many toys your kids have access to and promotes independence. Dress Up Rack: Using an adjustable clothing rack is great for dress ups! Pick 5-6 of your kids favorite items and hang. You can then store the rest of your dress ups in storage and rotate every month. "Shoe" storage bins: If your kids have LEGO sets, it can he hard to know how to store them. These bins are from Walmart and cost just over $1. They are perfect for stacking and storing LEGO sets and instructions. Lego storage drawers: These are great for storing classic LEGO. Its easy or the kids to pull out the drawers and you can store the bricks by brick type. PRO tip! Don't store by color, keep them sorted by brick type. Lazy Susan: I have two of these in my play room. One is used for a building station where I have placed PlusPlus, Brain Flakes, and Stacking Stones. The other one holds Caroline's baby products for her baby doll station. These are great because it keeps small items together and allows for simple categories. Stuffed animal bins: Who doesn't have 1M stuffed animals at their house? One way you can store these darling stuffies is stackable storage bind! Your kids can swap the ones they want access to and if you are feeling crafty, simply add hardware and hang out the walls. Clear looker bins: These clear looker bins are great to place in cubed organizers. Your kids can easily see what toys are in the bin. You won't need a label for any of your bins if you are using these clear options. My goal is to swap out all of my bins for these! Hinged stacking clear containers: These are actually intended to hold sweaters but they are great to store larger toys. I love that this container has a lid because it keeps out dust and other toys. These containers can also be stacked. Stackable clear drawers: I use these for my learning toys! They are technically for storing shoes but they work great for small items. I keep our counting bears and math cubes in these. My kids can easily pull out the drawers and it's awesome that they stack too.

  • Tried and True Toys: These picks are the hot ticket items this year

    Studio 5 KSL asked the Toy Testing Sisters to share with them our must-have toys for the 2021 holiday season. It wasn't easy only sharing 10 of our favorites! Watch Studio 5 Segment Here's which toys made the list! Sarah's Silks Stairslide (Use code TOYTESTING10 for 10% off) Nugget Comfort Couch Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Counter Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Rainbow Stacker Fairy Finder BeyBlades LEGO Star Wars X-wing Nee doh If you are local to Utah, shop our favorite toy store, Teton Toys and save 10% when you mention you following @toytestingsisters on IG!

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