Hot on the heels of our shop-local gift guide for adults, here’s our gift guide for the kids in your life; you can also check out last year’s gift guide for kids for more ideas. We found some great gifts for kids at some of the small businesses featured in the gift guide for adults, which you’ll see here; we also went to local business JR Toys, at 4265 Fairview St., a great spot for toys and games for kids of all ages, from fresh babies right up through the teenage years. In particular, they have a great selection of board games, STEM toys, and Lego.
For the smallest people on your gift list, we suggest a set of chewable blocks ($24.99): once they grow out of gnawing on them, they can start learning how to stack them into towers (and, of course, knock those towers over). We also love the Safari Zebra activity toy ($42.99) by Manhattan Toys, with its spinning, springing, and moving parts to play with. These are both available at JR Toys.
We love the Brio wooden train starter set ($89.99) at JR Toys for toddlers, and the various add-ons that are available, from extra wooden tracks to additional train cars. Another excellent pick is the set of Rainbow Fraction Measuring Cups ($39.49). Toddlers can play with them in the bath or in a sandbox and stack them inside of each other now; when they’re older, they can use them to help learn about fractions more formally.
For that meta-local gift and to encourage a lifelong love of reading, A Different Drummer Books has plenty of picture books by local authors, including Percy’s Perfect Friend by Lana Button (who also has a board book there called Stay My Baby); The Care and Keeping of Grandmas by Jennifer Mook-Sang; Snow Song by A.K. Riley (who goes by Kate and who you might find manning the register at A Different Drummer); Sun Wishes by Patricia Storms; and the wonderfully-named Ballewiena by Rebecca Bender, which is about — you guessed it — a wiener dog who wants to be a ballerina.
There’s also a great selection of puzzles at JR Toys, from floor puzzles for younger kids to 1000-piece Ravensburger puzzles for older kids, teens, or adults. We really like the cat-lovers’ library puzzle ($29.99) for the older set and the glow-in-the-dark dinosaur puzzle ($16.99) for younger kids.
For the bigger little kids, we love the Pizza, Pizza board game ($27.99) and Ticket to Ride First Journey ($39.99). The Pizza, Pizza game might be nostalgic for some parents (we have a vague memory of having a similar game way back when in the dark ages of the last century), but pizza-loving kids will surely enjoy this game. Ticket to Ride First Journey is the starter version for kids 6 years old and up; eventually, they’ll be able to move on to the original Ticket to Ride game.
At Megs Octopus Garden, you can find a stack of gorgeous colourful kids’ aprons ($28) in the back corner, perfect for any kid who likes to play restaurant or kitchen. The prints on the aprons vary; we saw Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, and the kaleidoscopic unicorn-kittens pictured below.
We love the little magic sets ($10.99) at JR Toys for your bigger would-be magician. One set includes a magic ball stand, a magic diamond card trick, and magic balls. Back at Megs Octopus Garden, there’s an assortment of adorable crocheted stuffed animals; our pick is the hen ($15). There are also fun pens featuring their favourite things ($10; see the video game controller pen pictured below).
If you’ve got a sparkle-loving teen or tween in your life, have a look at the beaded headbands ($42 each) at the Good Magpie. Not for the minimalist, these hand-beaded headbands by Crafty Akira would definitely add that something extra to their favourite outfit.
For the nature-loving kids on your list, consider the framed butterflies (some more clearly faux than others) at Megs Octopus Garden. These range in price from $45 and up to $80.
A Different Drummer Books has great middle-aged books by local authors, including Until Niagara Falls by Jennifer Maruno; and What the Dog Knows and The Best Mistake Mystery by Sylvia McNicoll. There are, of course, many other choices by non-local authors for kids of all ages.
For bigger kids and teenagers, we stand by the board game and puzzle selection at JR Toys. There’s Minecraft Heroes of the Village for big kids, or a Pokemon-themed game of Labyrinth. From more well-known games like Settlers of Catan to the beautifully-illustrated ecologically-minded bird-themed Wingspan, there are lots of options for teenagers to enjoy (and which may even encourage some family game nights).
And, of course, there’s always Lego. JR Toys has a number of the more challenging Technic sets, including the Porsche 911 ($249.99), or Star Wars and Marvel sets, which may suit some adult builders as well.
We’d be remiss not to mention the Taylor Swift section at Simply Gifted for any Swifties you might be buying for (be they young or old). There’s a printed tote bag (“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me,” $25) for your self-aware Swiftie, or a range of notepads and cards featuring the cartoon likeness of Taylor Swift herself ($11 to $17). Or keep it simple with warm socks that say “Swiftie” on the soles.
Now, we also understand that some people consider their pets to be their children, and there are also plenty of adorable gift options for your furry friends to be found in Burlington. There are gourmet sweet potato and cranberry doggie biscuits ($10.50 per bag) at Simply Gifted. You can find doggie bandanas ($20) at Megs Octopus Garden, and also pick up a tin of Chase and Chip’s Paw and Skin Balm for your pet’s winter-damaged pads ($12). However, our absolute favourite pet gifts are the Nepalese cat tents ($60) available at Megs. These are colourful little pods, cozy little hiding places for your favourite feline. We love the flower-topped gray one and the toadstool-shaped hideaway best.
