Modern Holiday Gift Guide: Preschoolers

Last week, I shared Modern Holiday Gift Ideas for the Ladies & Gents in your life, check the ideas out

here

. Today, I've rounded up some fun modern gift ideas for the little preschools in your life. Below is a collection of must read books, a cute sleeping bag and toy ideas both small and big.

 Sources: 1.

The Gruffalo

(a MUST read for kids) 2.

Hape Coffee Maker

 3.

Fox Sleeping Bag

(perfect for living room camp-outs) 4.

Alphabet Puzzle

 5.

Wood Balance Bike

 6.

Etch-A-Sketch

 7.

New York: A Book of Colors

 8.

London: A Book of Opposites 

 9. Duplo Playhouse ( anything Duplo is always a hit!) 10.

Learning Resources Pretend Play Fruits 

 11.

Rainbow Throw Blanket

 12.

Press Here

 13. 

Melissa & Doug Shopping Cart

14.

Gruffalo's Child

Having fun shopping for your little preschooler this Holiday Season!

Have you started Holiday shopping for your little ones? 

7 Vacation Present Ideas for Kids

I recently returned from a two week Holiday in England visiting my best friend, we had a fabulous time. I'm head over in heels in love with England and looking forward to going back! While there I wanted to bring home some presents for my kids that would go beyond typical souvenirs, like t-shirts and key chains. Although I bought those too! I really want my kids to have a love of traveling, I've traveled around several parts of the United States but never internationally until recently. Having just taken my first trip aboard, its really solidified a need inside me to explore other countries and get several stamps in my passport. Getting my first stamp in my passport was so exciting, I smiled for ear to ear. 

I decided to buy presents for my kids that would help spark their own love of travel for destinations far away. I'm so looking forward to taking my kids or their first international trip. However, I'm not necessary looking forward to the long flight with them! 

While visiting, we spent a day trip in Paris and while there, I bought Avery a French kids book, and I don't speak French! The pictures in the book looked adorable, I decided to translate

 every page so we can read the book together. I also bought two Babar prints and Spider-man print from a street vendor while walking along the Siene River, I'm looking forward to hanging the prints in their rooms. I love that the Babar prints are both in French, one is a counting print and the other a book cover print. While in visiting around England, I bought Avery a few more kids books and Tabari a license plate from his favorite team. He loved that the license plates in the UK are so huge! 

I've rounded up a list of present ideas for your kids to obtain on your next vacation that hopefully will spark their love of travel and sense of wonder about how other places in the US and across the globe live. 

1.

Books

: Look for books that are distinctive to the State or Country your visiting. Language How To books for kids are so much fun to buy and then practice with your kids on how to say the words. Books about the a State of Country's history presented in fun learning way is also a fun way to learn about other cultures. 

2.

Games

: During your vacation try and locate family game that you can also play when you return home. Maybe there's a Italian version of Life that would be fun to play home?

3.

Maps

: If your going on lots of day trips of visiting various historical sites while on vacation, purchase a map that includes the points of interest and mark the places on the map you visited. Alternatively Etsy seller

Water Color Maps

has several adorable kids maps that are perfect to frame. 

4.

Toys

: Look for toys that feel unique to the area your visiting

5.

Artwork

: Hands down my favorite find was being able to locate artwork for my kids walls. When you buy artwork during your travels there's often a story behind it which makes the piece much more special. Plus whenever you see the artwork it will remind you and your children of the vacation. 

6.

Regional Candy

: Most kids love candy, and its always fun to try out candy for different parts of the country and visually see the difference and taste it. I bought my husband and kids several treats to try out from my holiday. 

7.

License Plate

: As I mentioned above, my son loved the License plate gift. While visiting the gift shops, look for fun novelty license plates, they make great decorations in kids rooms. The one I found for my son is branded with his favorite soccer team Manchester United. I totally scored cool mom points with the find. 

I hope you've enjoyed my roundup of present ideas for kids, I love finding special presents for my children that have a story behind it. 

5 Ideas for Framing Kids Artwork

My favorite artwork ever, is the kind my youngest brings home from preschool. I think its important to display kids artwork and crafts but in can be tricky, to make sure its done in a thoughtful manner. Kids artwork can get 'lost' on the fridge among coupons and to do lists and lets be honest in the backpack. Adding your child's own artwork in their bedroom is great way to celebrate your child's creativity and adds to the personality of their bedroom. Quick reminder, if your child has a gallery wall in their bedroom, add their artwork to the wall. Nothing gives me the '

sads

' more than gallery walls in kids rooms that doesn't include their artwork! For Gallery wall layout ideas, visit Avery's gallery wall

here

. 

Our little ones, bring home an assortment or varying sizes of artwork from paintings to, 3D Artwork, Windmills and more as I mentioned can be tricky to properly frame. 

Using a mixture of frame sizes and varying artwork, I've put together 5 Ideas for Framing Kids artwork. While sorting though your little ones artwork, involve them in the process and ask which ones they want to frame and place on their walls, it makes the whole project more fun and memorable for them.

Idea # 1 Floating Frame

Use a floating glass gallery frame to float unusual shaped artwork between glass.  This painted butterfly comes to life once placed in a floating frame. 

Idea # 2 Shadow Box Frame

My son recently made a cute Hungry Caterpillar sitting on a leaf at school, using a Shadow Box frame I was able to display his 3D artwork effortlessly. 

Idea # 3 Use a Matte

Kids make THE best abstract artwork. Using a Matte to frame artwork adds instant polish to kids artwork. 

Idea # 4 Skip the Matte

Just like adding a matte to kids artwork, transforms it from a cart project into 'artwork' the same goes with skipping the matte and filling the entire frame with artwork. When framing the artwork below, I cut down the original painting to fit a smaller frame and skipped the matte. The artwork framed without the map, reminds me of framed artwork you would purchase from Minted [ and yes, my little one is an amazing artist. Totally not biased! ] 

Idea # 5 Add a Color Background

My little one created this rainbow cloud, which can be complicated to frame since its an odd size. For this, I skipped the matte and opted to use tissue paper for the background for the artwork to reside on,

I crumpled the tissue paper to give extra depth

  You can also use construction

 paper or Kraft paper for Scrap-booking paper as a backdrop. 

Framing your childs artwork can be very inexpensive, you can find good frame deals at Ikea, Wal-Mart, Target, Marshall's and Home Goods in  wide selection of sizes. Also, look online for coupons for Micheal's Craft store and score big discounts on frames too, they carry a color selection

 of frames along with shadow boxes. All the frames used above where from Ikea, Target and Home Goods. 

Now for the fun part, sorting though your kids artwork and deciding what to frame, remember to include them in the process and create those fun memories together. I hope my 5 Ideas for Framing Kids artwork comes in handy. Whats your favorite to display your kids artwork in a thoughtful frame?