Every December, our showroom on Avenue U fills up with parents, grandparents and aunts asking the same question: what will they actually play with? Not the toy that gets opened, admired and forgotten by New Year's. The one that's still on the floor in March.
So we asked our team. Each of us picked the one gift we'd wrap for the little ones in our own lives: our kids, nieces, nephews and grandkids. Our picks are open-ended, built to last, and they range from a sweet little extra to a true splurge. Stop by the showroom and ask any of us about our pick in person.
1. Sharon recommends: Melissa & Doug Dust! Sweep! Mop! ($34.99)
Best for: 3 years and up
Toddlers love to help, and this set finally gives them their own tools. It comes with a broom, mop, duster, dustpan and hand brush, all sized for little hands, with natural wood handles and bright pops of color. Everything hangs neatly on its own wooden stand, so it looks cute in the corner instead of adding to the clutter. Pretend play like this is how kids practice the grown-up world around them, and it may just be the first time someone in your house asks to clean.
Sharon's tip: the dustpan snaps onto any of the handles, which little ones think is the best trick ever.
2. Julia recommends: LEGO DUPLO Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with Minnie & Pluto ($49.99)
Best for: 2 years and up
DUPLO is where a lifelong love of LEGO begins: big, chunky bricks made for little hands. This 87-piece set builds a two-story clubhouse with a slide, an art room, a garden with a bug hotel, and even a little door just for Pluto. Mickey, Minnie and Pluto are included, and a spinning wheel helps kids decide what happens next: painting, gardening, feeding Pluto or a trip down the slide. Building it together is half the fun, and playing in it afterward is the other half.
Julia's tip: DUPLO bricks work with regular LEGO too, so this clubhouse can keep growing as your builder does.
Shop the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse →
3. Abby recommends: Fat Brain Toys Squigz Deluxe Set ($59.95)
Best for: 3 years and up
Squigz are 50 squishy silicone pieces in eight funny shapes that suction to each other and to smooth surfaces like windows, tabletops and the bathtub wall. Kids stick them together, build wild creatures, and pull them apart for the satisfying pop. They're made of food-grade silicone, leave no marks behind, and keep everyone from preschoolers to grown-ups busy for ages.
Abby's tip: our favorite bath-time toy that isn't a bath toy. Squigz turn the tub wall into a building site.
4. Sara recommends: Jellycat Munro Scottie Dog 'Winter Jumper' ($60)
Best for: everyone, from newborns to grandmas
Meet Munro, a very dapper Scottie dog in his cozy winter sweater, ready for snowy walks and warm nights in. Like every Jellycat, he's impossibly soft and full of personality, the kind of plush that ends up in the baby photos, the toddler photos and the first-day-of-school photos. At about 10 inches, he's just the right size to hug.
Sara's tip: Munro is a seasonal edition, so he's a perfect first-holiday gift for a new baby. Pick him up early.
5. Alice recommends: Micro Mini Deluxe Scooter ($99.99)
Best for: 2 to 5 years
Walk down any Brooklyn block after school and you'll see why Micro scooters are a city favorite. The three-wheel, lean-to-steer design is stable and easy for little ones to learn. The handlebar adjusts from about 17 to 25 inches, so the scooter grows with your child for years. The wheels glide smoothly and quietly, the silicone deck keeps little feet from slipping, and at just over 4 pounds it's easy to carry when small legs get tired. It comes in turquoise, blue, ocean blue, ice blue and pink.
Alice's tip: add a helmet and a big bow. The wheels don't mark floors, so they can start practicing indoors the moment it's unwrapped.
6. Joy recommends: Magna-Tiles Metropolis 110-Piece Set ($129.99)
Best for: 3 years and up
If you've been to a preschool or a playdate lately, you've seen Magna-Tiles, and you've probably seen kids negotiating over them. The Metropolis set is the biggest Magna-Tiles set there is: 110 neon pieces, including windows, staircases, an arch, a spinner and two car bases. Kids build skylines, castles and space stations with no instructions and no frustration, since the magnets click together on their own. And every Magna-Tiles set works with every other, so it's easy to add to at birthdays.
Joy's tip: set it up near a sunny window. The colored tiles glow when the light shines through.
7. Lenor recommends: Vilac Vintage Car ($204.99)
Best for: 18 months and up
Vilac has been making wooden toys in France for over a century, and this ride-on car shows why. With its retro shape and soft aqua finish, it's every bit as charming parked in the nursery as it is cruising down the hallway. It's a first car your toddler will love and a keepsake you'll want to hand down.
Lenor's tip: it photographs beautifully. Plan on it showing up in plenty of family photos.
Still not sure? Let them choose
A Dimples gift certificate lets new parents pick exactly what they need, from a Jellycat to a new stroller. Choose an amount, add a personal message, and you're done.
Shop with Dimples this holiday season
- Visit our Brooklyn showroom at 361 Avenue U and let us help you pick the perfect gift.
- Curbside pickup at the store.
- Questions? Call us at 718-449-2229. We're always happy to help.
Happy holidays from all of us at Dimples!