I have a smaller list (and I lack all the beautiful photos!), but I did think it was time to update our "favorite things." And, I did go to the painstaking trouble of linking up most things for you, so you can easily find what I'm talking about!
Hopefully, there will be some ideas in here for the special people on your list this year. Admittedly, we are trying to stay as simple and uncluttered as possible in our small space (which is impossible with six children, I think!). We are opting not to purchase Christmas gifts this year. . . but there are still some fun things that can fit in our (giant, homemade, wonderful) stockings! These are also good birthday gifts and even some gifts that are family-building for any time of the year.
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| Trampoline even in the Snow |
Curtis-Kid Approved Favorites
For Outside Fun:
- Razor Scooter
- Razor Rip Rider
- Unicycle
- Lightsabers
- Trampoline. A serious must-have for our boys. Hours and hours and hours. . .
- The Flying Turtle. M (3) draws a lot of attention when he zips around our neighborhood on this. He has his own style!
M on the Turtle 
T on the Rip Rider
Indoor Fun:
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| pattern blocks |
- Build a Road
- Trains and train tracks
- Zoobs
- Tinkertoys
- Bristle Blocks
- Rainbow Loom
- Knitting Loom
- Legos
- Pattern blocks. Our kids get creative with these. They are an assigned quiet time activity one day/week!
Games:
- iQ twist game: A good game to keep an individual occupied for a time!
- i Q Fit game: Another version of the IQ game.
- The Settlers of Catan- This game is great for my older set (9+) because it does take some time and perseverance.
- Telestrations- We've just played this recently and it really got us laughing. It works best with those who can sketch and write on their own.
- Quirkle- A favorite with my younger crew. M is good at this one (3) and it's often played with the older kids, too.
- Rack-O The kids and The Lawyer joke that I always win. I don't always. . but I've enjoyed this game since childhood!
- Rummikub. This is a version of rummy with tiles; teaches number sequencing and patterns!
- Sequence They have a "kid" version, too. Our kids have played the adult version from about age 4 or 5 on up. This is a great game for teams and up to 12 people can play.
- Jesus Storybook Bible- We just LOVE this book. We've gone through 2 already.
- Harry the Dirty Dog- There are more books in this series; all super cute and fun for me to read to them.
- Billy and Blaze- T (6) wanted ALL of these books when he was 4 and he has loved them. They are also good books for early readers.
- Ralph Moody Little Britches series. My biggest boys have loved these and read and reread them (starting at about age 8 or 9).
- Miller Family books. These are good for reading aloud as a family. It doesn't get much better for instilling good values and reading wholesome family stories.
- Danny and Debbie books or Don and Joyce books, and A Hive of Busy Bees. These are right up there with the Millers!
- The Pineapple Story. There is a book and audio cds. We really enjoyed listening to the audios in the van.
- G.A. Henty books on tape. We prefer those read by Jim Weiss. My boys (age 4+) love these; there are battles and blood, intrigue, and plot twists in these historical fiction books. Others (like L) might find them to be a bit dry and not their cup of tea.
- Your StoryHour audios. Favorites to listen to in the van. We have borrowed some from friends.
- Runner from Ravenshead. A favorite of the 2-8 age set. Very simple but really sweet with children actors.
- Kipper. Still . . . ever and anon. . . a favorite around here. The big kids are still drawn in if they hear Kipper and before I know it, everyone is gathered around the computer screen to watch the same episodes they have seen a hundred times!
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