Gift Ideas for Girls

Princess LOVED making her wish list this year. There were a few times she had to be reined in, like when she made the list of over 50 LEGO sets she just couldn't live without, but other than that, she seems super excited about the holiday gift giving season.

This is huge progress for Princess, as gift giving season is a trigger for her in so many ways.  Princess loves to give, but she's not a fan of receiving.  Knowing her list was going to turn into gift ideas for girls everywhere made the process so much more fun for her.

If you have a girl on our holiday list this season between the ages of eight and twelve, Princess has you covered. She is so diverse when it comes to likes and interests.

There are six different sections to Princess' wish list aka a gift guide for girls.

1. Dolls

2. Embroidery

3. LEGO

4. Bracelet Making

5. Book Series

6. Movies

Gift Ideas for Girls

Ever since her younger sister fell in love with Barbie, Princess has been very intrigued by dolls of that nature.

When I showed her the new Creatable World dolls, she was over the moon excited, in that they were all she wanted in a doll and more.  Here are just a few reasons she loves them so much.

• They come with lots of accessories. 
• They can be boys or girls.
• They come in several different ethnicities and skin color.

When it comes to imagination, the sky is the limit with these dolls.  Princess earned enough money to purchase one of these dolls (one not listed on her wish list) a few months ago.  She has not put it down.

The Creatable World dolls are smaller than Barbie dolls.  For that reason she wants a male and a female Barbie doll. Of course not just any will do.  Lol.  She was quite specific about her preferences, which I love.

Creatable World Deluxe Character Kit Customizable Doll, Blonde Curly Hair

Creatable World Deluxe Character Kit Customizable Doll, Black Straight Hair

Creatable World Deluxe Character Kit Customizable Doll, Black Braided Hair

Creatable World Deluxe Character Kit Customizable Doll, Copper Straight Hair (Purchased)

Barbie Collector Holiday Doll 2015, Brunette (Purchased)

Barbie Ken Fashionistas Doll Classic Cool Doll

In October I introduced a Halloween themed embroidery and button sewing activity in our Montessori classroom.  Princess was instantly drawn to it and couldn't get enough of it.  She LOVED the process of creating, especially when she could design the pattern herself.  Needless to say she wants to do more of these types of activities and asked for supplies.

I love that she's showing an interest in these types of activities as it's always a benefit to keep her hands and mind busy.  Princess has already picked out a place in her room to store all of these fun items.

Embroidery: A Step-by-Step Guide to More than 200 Stitches (Purchased)

Similane Aida Cloth 14 Count Cross Stitch Fabric, White 12x18-Inch

Peirich Embroidery Floss Cross Stitch Threads,110 Colors Friendship Bracelets Floss with Organizer Storage Box Embroidery Thread Bracelet String Embroidery Kit 43 Pcs Cross Stitch Tools

Similane 12 Pieces 4 Inch Embroidery Hoops Bamboo Circle Cross Stitch Hoop Ring for Embroidery and Cross Stitch

890 PCS Crafts Assorted Buttons Mixed Color Resin Round Craft for Kid's Button Painting

Pink Container Storage Boxes 2 Pack

Princess has always loved LEGO.  She loves creating, taking things apart, and rebuilding them.  I kid you not she keeps every set of directions in her room for when she needs them.  Princess is so meticulous.  LEGO building and rebuilding feeds the precise and orderly side to her brain while at the same time inviting imagination and role play.

Princess loves LEGO friends above any other kind of LEGO, but like I mentioned earlier I had her narrow down her choices from 50+ to six.  You really can't go wrong with LEGO.  The sets on this list are brand new ones this year that she doesn't have.

LEGO Friends Turtles Rescue Mission #41376 (Purchased)

LEGO Friends Stephanie’s Gymnastics Show #41762

LEGO Friends Mia's Horse Trailer #41371

LEGO Friends Heartlake City Supermarket #41362

LEGO Friends 4+ Mia’s Foal Stable #41361

LEGO Friends Emma’s Art Studio #41365 (Purchased)

Princess has had a love hate relationship with jewelry.  She loves to wear jewelry, but is also rough with it to the point that many jewelry pieces break.

This year she's been very specific in that she wants more jewelry. I've been clear with my concerns.  We discussed the issue and decided that the very best way to provide her with opportunities to have more jewelry and help me with my concerns, is for her to make her own jewelry!

I LOVE this idea in that it will keep her hands and brain busy, enhance creativity, and if something breaks, she has the means to fix it.

Once again, she has already cleared out a space in her room to store supplies, the organized child that she is.  Lol.

Alex DIY Wear I Heart Charm Bracelets Kids Art and Craft Activity

Rainbow Loom Bracelet Craft Kit

17000 Pcs 24 Colors Pony Glass Seed Beads,3mm Pony Beads for DIY Bracelets,Necklaces, Key Chains

PP OPOUNT Bracelet Making Beads Kit with 50 Embroidery Floss, 1930 Pieces Alphabet Letter Beads and Braiding Disc for Friendship Bracelets, Jewelry Making

Friendship Bracelets 101: Fun to Make, Wear, and Share! (Purchased)

Choose Friendship My Friendship Bracelet Maker Kit

Princess LOVES to read.  It's rare not to find a book in her hand. Our biggest dilemmas are that she's a speed reader and her reading capacity is far above her grade level.  Finding enough age appropriate stories for her can be incredibly difficult.  You will find no single book selections on her list.

Thankfully Princess has a big brother with the same problem.  He's happily introduced her to some new material like Percy Jackson.  Another benefit is that Princess loves to reread her favorite books over and over again.

The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set

Harry Potter Box Set

Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5 Book Paperback Boxed Set (Purchased)

The Mysterious Benedict Society Complete Paperback Collection

American Girl Tenney 3-Book Box Set

Emily Windsnap: Six Swishy Tails of Land and Sea

Princess is at the point in her movie selections where she's not quite ready for all of the PG-13 craze, but is growing out of little kids movies.  I LOVE her movie wish list this year.  There were so many great movies that came out for preteens this year that aren't PG-13.

LEGO Movie 2, The Second Part Blu-ray (Purchased)

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse Blu-ray

Bumblebee Blue-ray (Purchased)

How to Train Your Dragon 3 Blue-ray (Purchased)

Aladdin Blue-ray

Mary Poppins Returns Blue-ray

I can't wait to start shopping for Princess, with all of the fantastic ideas she came up with. Hopefully this wish list helps you with girls on your wish list this year too!

Action Hero Gift Ideas for Boys

Bulldozer loves action heroes of any kind whether they be super heroes, jedi, wizards, or monsters like Godzilla.  He dedicates life right now to making sure he's in the know about every single one and loves to strike up a conversation with people about them.

Needless to say it was no surprise that his wish list has one major theme.  If you have a boy who's just in love with one or several of the action heroes below,  the Action Hero Gift Ideas for Boys should be a huge help during the holiday season.

Bulldozer's wish list has five different sections:

1. Marvel

2. Monsters

3. Star Wars

4. DC

5. Harry Potter

There are so many great ideas here many being the new and hottest items just released.

Action Hero Gift Ideas for Boys

Bulldozer eats, breathes, and sleeps Marvel.  He has seen every movie (except Deadpool) at least twice.  He has collected all of the LEGO minifigure superhero characters except for nine of them.  While working on that endeavor he's managed to collect all of the stones in Thanos' gauntlet.

There is very little Bullldozer doesn't have.  Fortunately there is new Marvel content being released regularly.  If you have a child who loves Marvel, there are some fantastic ideas here.

Spider-Man: Far From Home Blu-ray (Purchased)

Marvel Studios: The First 10 Years

LEGO Marvel Spider-Man Far From Home: Hydro-Man Attack #76129

LEGO Marvel Spider-Man Far From Home: Molten Man Battle #76128

LEGO Marvel Spider-Man: Spiderman Bike Rescue #76113

Avengers Monopoly (Purchased)

This year Bulldozer discovered Godzilla and King Kong.  For a kid who loves natural disasters, destruction, visually stimulating activities, and loads of action, monster movies are definitely a win.

If you also have a child who's into these creatures or is ready to transition from How to Train Your Dragon to more adult like content, these are sure to be a hit.

Godzilla (2014) Blu-ray

Godzilla: King of the Monsters Soundtrack CD (Purchased)

Godzilla Coloring Book (Purchased)

The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters

King Kong Blu-ray (Purchased)

Rampage Blu-ray

Once a Star Wars fan, always a Star Wars fan, especially while awaiting the final installment of the Skywalker family saga.  Bulldozer continues to collect all things related to a galaxy far, far away, these latest gift ideas are no exception.

If you have Star Wars fan on your gift list this year, any one of these ideas will go over fantastically well.

Star Wars Encyclopedia New Edition

Star Wars Nerf Chewbacca Blaster (Purchased)

Star Wars Nerf Bullet Refill Pack

LEGO Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Resistance A-Wing Starfighter #75248

LEGO Star Wars: A New Hope Death Star Escape #75229 (Purchased)

LEGO Star Wars Clone Scout Walker 20th Anniversary Edition #75261

Bulldozer is a superhero fan in that he knows DC as well as he knows Marvel.  An action hero gift list wouldn't be complete without the latest DC superhero items.

If you have a kiddo on your list who enjoys DC superheroes, be sure to check out these items, especially if they're a Batman fan.

Justice League Blu-ray (Purchased)

LEGO DC Batman Mobile: Pursuit of the Joker #76119 (Purchased)

LEGO Batman Mr. Freeze Batcycle Battle #76118

Hotwheels Batman 5-Pack (Purchased)

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes Character Encyclopedia (Purchased)

LEGO DC Superheroes Visual Dictionary

One might not initially consider Harry Potter an action hero, but if you'd read all of the books and/or watched all of the movies you know he is.  The only difference is his preference for a wand over a hammer or shield.

After watching the Harry Potter movies and visiting Universal Studios in Orlando three times in the last 15 months, one could say Bulldozer can't get enough of the Wizarding World.  He wants to attend Hogwarts and has gone as far as being sorted into the Hufflepuff house and has the official robe to prove it.

If you have a child who enjoys Harry Potter as much as Bulldozer, be sure to check out these great gift ideas.  Any you see that are specific to Hufflepuff, are also available in every other house.


Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle Defence Against the Dark Arts Competitive Deck Building Game (Purchased)

LEGO Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Knight Bus #75957 (Purchased)

LEGO Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts Minifigure Mystery Packs Set of 4

Sirius Black Wand

Authentic Hufflepuff Scarf

Hufflepuff Striped Socks

Hufflepuff Quidditch Crest Pin (Purchased)

Hufflepuff Head Boy Pin (Purchased)

Oh how I love my action hero loving boy!  He put together such a fantastic wish list this year.  I may be as excited as he is about some of these gift ideas.  Did I mention he gets his action loving genes from me?

Gift Ideas for Teen Boys

Dinomite is turning 13 soon.  The little boy that I knew has matured so much and grown so tall.  It's amazing how fast time flies.  I can't believe I have a teenager in the house.

I've found it a bit more challenging to shop for Dinomite this holiday season.  I needed to ask for help in regards to gift ideas.  What does one give a teenager for holidays these days?

Dinomite was more than willing to put together a list of Gift Ideas for Teen Boys for me.  

I must say he did a fantastic job!  Now my only problem is choosing which items to give him.

If you have a teenage boy in the house, I hope this wish list helps you as well!

Dinomite has divided his wish list into seven parts.

1. Sports Fan Gear

2. Cars

3. Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts

4. Jurassic World

5. Star Wars

6. Fantasy

7. Xbox One Accessories

Each part of the gift ideas for teen wish list includes six different gift ideas.

There is an idea of every teen boy on your list right here!

Dinomite is a huge football fan right now.  He watches games regularly, keeping up with scores and teams.  His favorite team is the 49ers.  Sports fan gear is high on his wish list this year.

If you have a teen boy who's a sports fan as well, some of these ideas may be helpful to you.  Once you know a teen boy's favorite team, the sky is the limit!

San Francisco 49ers Antigua Victory Pullover Hoodie Scarlet Size M

San Francisco 49ers New Era 39THIRTY Team Classic Flex Hat Black Size M/L (Purchased)

San Francisco 49ers Nike Fan Gear Primary Logo Performance Long Sleeve T-Shirt Scarlet Size M

San Francisco 49ers Hybrid Bi-Fold Wallet Black (Purchased)

San Francisco 49ers For Bare Feet Team Color Quarter-Length Socks (Purchased)

Tales from the San Francisco 49ers Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest 49ers Stories Ever Told (Purchased)

Dinomite has always loved cars.  As a teenager this passion has only increased and become more specific.

If you have a teen boy who's a car lover in your life, he may also enjoy the gifts on Dinomite's wish list.

LEGO Speed Champions 1974 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 Building Kit #75895 (Purchased)

LEGO Speed Champions 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and 1970 Dodge Charger R/T Building Kit #75893

Classic Car: The Definitive Visual History

Forza Horizon 4 for Xbox One (Purchased)

Fast and Furious Presents Hobbs and Shaw Blu-ray (Purchased)

Rocket League: Ultimate Edition for Xbox One

Once a Harry Potter fan, always a Harry Potter fan.  The love for the stories and characters has only deepened. With the addition of the Fantastic Beasts series, Dinomite is in heaven.  He's a proud Slytherin in a world where Gryffindors are a dime a dozen.

If you have a Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts fan in the family, these gift ideas are sure to be a hit!

LEGO Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire The Rise of Voldemort #75965 (Purchased)

LEGO Harry Potter and the Globelt of Fire Hungarian Horntail Triwizard Challenge #75946 (Purchased)

Fantastic Beasts Theseus Scamander Wand with Collector Box

LEGO Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts Minifigure Series Random Pack of 4 #71022

Harry Potter Golden Snitch Clock

Slytherin House Icon Ornament

Dinosaurs are another life long passion of Dinomite's.  No matter how old he gets he continues to enjoy everything and anything related to them.  It just so happens that Jurassic World is a very popular thing right now so his craving for more dino stuff is easy to appease.

If you have a teen boy who loves dinos, be sure to check out the gift ideas in this section of the wish list.

LEGO Jurassic Park Velociraptor Chase #75932

LEGO Jurassic World Stygimoloch Breakout #75927

Jurassic World Evolution for Xbox One (Purchased)

Safari Ltd Postosuchus (Purchased)

Safari Ltd Carnotaurus (Purchased)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Blu-ray

Dinomite is super excited about the newest Star Wars movie coming out.  Star Wars is back on his short list of likes and he wants to embrace that.

It seems the older a boy gets, the cooler the Star Wars gift ideas become.  Whether they're more challenging LEGO sets, video games or books, if you have a teen Star Wars fan, these are sure to make someone happy.

Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order for Xbox One (Purchased)

LEGO Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Resistance A-Wing Star Fighter #75248

LEGO Star Wars: A New Hope Death Star Cannon #75246

LEGO Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Resistance Y-Wing Starfighter #75249

Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary

Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker Longsleeve T-Shirt Size Adult M

When it comes to reading, Dinomite can't stop himself from diving into a good book.  It is extremely challenging to keep him occupied for long amounts of time because he reads through things so quickly.

If you have a teen boy who loves reading as well, be sure to check out these titles.

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Paperback Box Set by Rick Riodarn

The Tournament at Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice: The Early Years) by John Flanagan (Purchased)

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

Tales from a Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien (Purchased)

The Hunters: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 3 by John Flanagan

Xbox One is quite popular at our house.  Dinomite has started his game collection and plays regularly, but has realized it would be nice to have a few added accessories to make gaming a bit easier and more enjoyable.

If you have an Xbox One lover on your wish list and are looking for ideas other than new games (which there are plenty of on this list) these accessories are perfect!

Gaming Headset for Xbox One (Purchased)

Stealth Series Wired Controller for Xbox One in Phantom Black (Purchased)

Gamma Ray Blue Light Blocking Glasses (Purchased)

Seagate  Game Drive for Xbox One (Purchased)

XBox One Controller Battery Station and BatteryPack

ExtremeRate Anti-Skid Sweat-Absorbent Controller Grib for Xbox One (Purchased)

Thanks to Dinomite's help I'm super excited about his holiday season and now have a ton of gift ideas for teen boys we're shopping for this holiday season.

Word Study Activities Bundle

I never thought the day would come when Dinomite, Bulldozer, and Princess would enjoy the process of writing.  And it's not just the writing.  It's all about the words.

They are asking question after question, working to improve their daily writing assignments.  It's incredible to watch them analyze their word choices.

I've been waiting for the time when we would really dig into the study of words.  The day has finally come!

To celebrate this momentous occasion and to make sure we'll have all of the resources on hand that are needed, my husband Jason and I created the Word Study Activities Bundle.

This incredible bundle is designed for Montessori preschool and elementary classrooms.  Printables were created to go along with the early elementary Montessori language album, but are easily adaptable to preschoolers who are able to read and late elementary students.

The Montessori Word Study Activities Bundle is 317 pages of incredible resources available now through November 30th, 2019 at 75% OFF for only $14.99.  

It includes ten different parts and covers everything you could think of and more.

Montessori Word Study Activities Bundle

Montessori Rhyming Words Printable Pack

The study of rhyming is not in my early elementary Montessori album. However, I find it to be a vital stepping stone to all other word study concepts.  For that reason, I included these rhyming word activities in this bundle. 

This printable pack introduces rhyming through images, progressing through the beginning, intermediate, and advanced vocabulary words.  It then progresses to rhyming word strips and charts.  From there rhyming word lists are presented through word strips.  

Then to complete the pack you are given a set of rhyming task cards.  Each task card has a sentence.  Students identify the rhyming words in the sentence and write them on the lines provided.

Montessori Compound Words Printable Pack

This printable pack introduces compound words as math equations using images.  Students piece the equations together using controls provided when necessary.

Once students understand what compound words are, a sorting activity is provided for them to distinguish between compound words and words with suffixes or prefixes.  

The last part of this printable pack is a set of task cards where students need to identify the compound words included but written incorrectly.  Students then write the compound word correctly on the line provided.

Montessori Suffixes Printable Pack

In the early elementary Montessori album that I have, suffixes are introduced using a train engine and car to represent the root word plus the suffix.  For those who don't have these items, an image is included.

Once the initial concept has been introduced you are provided with wordstrips that include root words with two different suffixes.  An example of this is is the word cheer, cheering and cheerful.  Suffix word option charts are provided as controls.

Also included in this printable pack is a set of suffix wordstrips with definitions.  Charts are provided as controls.  

Lastly, you receive a set of wordstrips where students match root words and suffixes.  Charts are provided again as controls.

Montessori Prefixes Printable Pack

This printable pack starts out by introducing the concept of prefixes through a series of four images.  The first image includes the root word.  The other three images include various prefixes attached to the root word.

Once students understand what prefixes are, they will enjoy the prefix and definition word strips.  Charts are provided as a control.

After students understand prefix definitions they can try using the prefix and root word match up word strips.  More charts are provided as a control.

Montessori Antonyms Printable Pack

The antonyms printable pack starts out with nomenclature style opposites cards using true to life images.  It then progresses to antonym sorting sets that also includes true to life images.  

To practice the concept of antonyms, clip cards are also included. Charts are provided as controls for each pairing activity.

Finally students are provided with several pages of antonym word strips with charts to rotate out over time.

Montessori Synonyms Printable Pack

This printable pack introduces the concept of synomyms with beautiful matching true to life image nomenclature cards.  It then progresses to sorting synomym sets.  These also include an image for those who may need extra visual prompts.

Next come synonym clip cards followed by word charts that help with synonym word strip activities the activities included in the pack. 

Montessori Homophones Printable Pack

What are homophones?  Homophones are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meaning.  An example is the words hair and hare.

This printable pack is the perfect resource for teaching kids about homophones. It starts with matching nomenclature cards with true to life images.  Next comes homophone clip cards with images. 

Word strip cards are also included.  One side has the homophone. The matching card includes a sentence that explains the definition of the word.  All of the word strips come in pairs.  There are also charts to use as controls.

Montessori Homonyms Printable Pack

Homonyms are words that sound the same and are spelled the same, but have different meaning.  An example is the pair of words calf and calf.  There's the calf of  of your leg and the calf, a baby cow.

This printable pack introduces homonyms through nomenclature style cards with true to life images.  These cards can be used as a control when creating homonym books.  The pack also includes task card clip cards.

Montessori Homographs Printable Pack

Homographs are words that are spelled the same way but are pronounced differently and mean different things.

This printable pack includes matching nomenclature style cards with true to life images as well as a book template so students can create their own homograph pairs.

Montessori Word Families Printable Pack

In the early elementary language album that I have word families are words that are related by root word but have different suffixes and prefixes.  Each page of this printable consists of a root word and then six words that are related.  There is also a card that includes the root word and all of its matches as a control.

As you can see the Montessori Word Study Activities Bundle is an incredible resource when teaching students language concepts.  It will enhance their reading and writing skills.  All of the printables included grow with the child from easy to most difficult.

You definitely don't want to miss this!