Okay I am a little disorganised for xmas this year but i Would like to give my girls a very EL christmas
I need ideas here is what i am thimking
both are getting a Soroban for xmas each and both are getting books my eldest is squishy science kit and the other edu 3 fascinating world of mammals/insects/birds. but i do not have much hands on stuff for them and enough to keep them busy over the holiday period.
What is on your top ten list?
Little Math (we already have LR and LMS)
Math-U-See blocks and curriculum books (so far we have only played with the blocks)
http://www.timberdoodle.com/Kid_O_Cursive_a_to_z_Magnatab_lowercase_p/458-112.htm
Magic School Bus videos
More MonkiSee videos (my older two didn’t like them as much, but my 2-year-old is always asking for “Monki Do-o-o-o”)
Books! It’s hard to go wrong with good ones
I don’t know how much of that we’ll get, but you only asked for a wish list. :clown: . We are actually planning on getting a swim-pass and start taking our kids swimming a lot. We’re going to get them all swim goggles too.
We’re going to start asking relatives that they only give us books or legos because they are both easy to store and our little home doesn’t need any more toys.
James has a December birthday so I don’t know what goes with what.
I shop year round and look for great deals. Mostly at bargain outlet stores.
Somethings we already have.
Puzzles
Tangrams
TAG US and World map
Jenga
Letter stamps.
Books
Somethings I may still get. We will see.
A globe.
Geometric solids.
Unifix unit blocks and fraction blocks (maybe on the latter)
More We Can (cut, color, paste) books.
Violin. This will be his main gift.
Maybe the BambinoLUK. I just don’t know. I loved doing miniLUK at school. I may just get that next year instead.
Did you see Keri’s rightstart skittles? They would be lots of fun 
you could even do them in LMusician colours and sing the notes you knocked down. Here’s the link
http://forum.brillkids.com/teaching-your-child-math/pick-just-1-program-to-teach-toddler-math/msg90372/?topicseen#new
Add in a fun giant music staff like TMT has ( OK I don’t plan to make mine quite that big, but it will be a stip down the centre of the kids table) and some wooden discs.
Some nice new art supplies, have you tried washable oil pastels? Great strong colours. Then do a few LR famous artist files and see is you can copy a Picasso.
Yes to the Jenga! Jenga can be used for all sorts of things. Glue/write on math facts to one side and the answers on the other or some words for reading practice and sentence structure. Plus it’s a great game :laugh:
Have you got a chess set yet? It’s a good one for a relative to buy.
Make a balance beam.
Make or buy some little numbered bean bags. ( make me some too please! lol )
Sneak in an iPad while hubby isn’t looking 
Some good music or the Artlier DVDs will keep them busy for ages.
I think for Christmas presents in the EL style try to think about all the fun manipulatives you see on the forum or pinterest but just don’t get round to buying/making and make those your Christmas presents.
Thank you Manda. You gave me some ideas of things to wanted add. I want to make a bean bag toss. Something like a board with holes drilled in it. James’ throwing skills are appalling. He aims for straight ahead and often what he is throwing goes right behind him.
And I want to do a staff and skittles too.
Thanks everyone,
Yes I think the musical staff is very important, tangrams I hadn’t even thought of.
The other thing I thought of was the Musical Bells, Some board games and Puzzles.
I would love some ideas for french and chinese educational stuff to?
Alex also has a December Birthday, so we have been putting together ideas:
after Halloween, when the costumes/dress up stuff goes on clearance, I always collect bits and bobs, general costumes for imaginative play. I have found this is an excellent way for her to ‘teach’ her stuffed hen, Daddy and I. I get to check her reading comprehension, and so much more. Not to mention just so much fun. I built her a theater, small enough for puppets but large enough for her as well. This year I have purchased an old-world looking chest and will fill it with all the costumes, silk play scarves, jewelry, and ‘props’. I especially love that she incorporates so much of her early learning into the play!
she is getting an additional ZomeTool kit for further exploration:
several board games, but the one I am most excited about is IQ Fun Park:
http://www.testingmom.com/blog/iq-fun-park/
I have been putting together a tub filled with odds and ends from the craft store. Pom-poms, pipe cleaners, glitter, foam sheets, as well as things saved around the house. A sort of craft/creativity box for things to make.
she is getting a miniature set of tools, screwdrivers, etc, along with a set of simple machines and old appliances, etc, that she will be allowed to take apart. Also a set of gears (part of a learning clock) and anything else within this theme I can come up with!
a full set of Suzuki materials for violin
7)enrollment in the Little Passport program and a subscription to FACES magazine by Cricket Company
a math mat: for facts mastery and energy burn off!
http://www.learningresources.com/product/math+mat+challenge-trade-+game.do?sortby=ourPicks&sortby=bestSellers&&from=Search
always, always, books!
a larger, softer beanbag for lounging/resting in her reading tent
a beginners microscope and slide preparation materials, as well as prepared slides
a large climbing dome for the new climbing wall addition.
Other board games are being considered as well: Muggins games, Blokus, Apples to Apples, etc…
Now I just have to decide on how to narrow it down, and change my list a dozen times as I come up with new ideas and her interests change!
We got some tuned handbells for last birthday and there are some days when I wish I hadn’t (the noisy music-making days) but most of the time he plays nicely. I have yet to find a set in the exact colours of LMus - ours are close, but I am considering getting some spray paint and making them exact!
I got SM for his birthday (though I started as soon as it arrived :wub: ) and he’ll be getting a new keyboard on the day.
I also love dressing up clothes/accessories
Books (obviously!) maybe some natural history DVDs
I’m contemplating a UV torch to make his glow-in-the-dark toys more exciting - he’s also getting a glowing magnadoodle board
Puzzles
Felt alphabets (English and Russian) made by me
I love the ideas of a beam but how do I make one?? And that gymanastics video will be fantastic Keri.
Kimba-
If you take a look at the recent thread on toddlers and physically superb ideas you can see a picture of one we made from three 2x4 screwed together, supports, and then covered in a dual layer of padding and carpet remnant…
Sorry, I am on my phone or I would link it for you:(
I think maybe Manda did a more advanced one for her oldest?
Edit: I have attached a picture for you. The base is removeable to adjust for heighth later.
A beam is really easy to make. Have a crack at it! We had a sleeper ( long piece of wood used as fence post uprights on rich Aussie horse properties lol ) I covered it with wadding them stapled ( staple gun from hardware store) vinyl over the top so it was slightly padded. Suede cover would be best for grip but it is $$$$$! I used a textured vinyl, ($5 a metre used 3 metres as it wasnt wide enough to cut in half) ours needed to be waterproof but if not you could use the vinyl inside out if the other side is suede like.
Depending on how high you want it determines how you add legs to it. I want hubby to make a tressel type set of legs for it, but for now it is jammed into two pieces of wood with a rectangle cutout to match in it. This holds it upright. A propper gymnastics beam has a certain width and depth too. Ours is the right depth, but the width is just a little narrower. ( ie ours should be slighty adder to use then the one at the Gym) ideally I would love to have adjustable height legs so the girls can practice all their skills at the heights they need to. Handstands and cartwheels while it’s low and proper mounting technique and balance with it higher.
Kimba you better get a move on, you’ve only got 3 months to go!! Actually I had a thread started to go last week about ideas for Christmas… & I deleted it… I thought they’ll think I’m nuts, it’s only Sept better wait a few wks. Glad to know I’m not alone lol
I came across eurotalk instant immersion today… is anyone familiar with it? They claim to be like Rosetta stone but at a fraction of the cost. I just about fell over when I realised they have a Gaelic version, that’s going on my personal Christmas list… I’ll be able to impress my Granny! (But I’m not sure how many people will go for their business Gaelic program ) They even have Xhosa & Zulu.
I would put the French one on my list for my son to begin with.
I have seen the instant immersion euro talk apps. I have considered one for James. But I am not sure if he would be too young. And frankly I don’t know what langauge to teach him. Spanish is good in the US. But chinese is popular too. And i studied japanese. I figure i may just wait a few years and let him do latin. I know I want him to be bilingual but he has issues with English speech right now.
Oh and I shop all year round for birthday and Christmas. James has a December birthday, and it is the layoff period for my husbands factory. And our heating costs go up. So it is best not to spend during the upcoming colder months.
I normally shop all year round to but this year I havn’t because all the stuff on the market has just been really bad for kids and then I got caught up with other things and went OMG its 3 months to xmas and I am normally done by now.
We are getting the girls some pet chickens for xmas. I will be using this to teach them to care for them as well as learning to weigh and measure their food and eggs. Teaching them how to sell their eggs and so on.
I just wanted a few other things for them to unwrap on the day plus stuff I could do with them as well over the xmas period because if we have a heat wave we will be inside. 
I just bought the euro talk math for both of them and they love it and so do I unfortunately I couldn’t wait to xmas for them to play with it.
Kimba-
It sounds as though you already have the major Xmas sorted (I love the idea of chickens-so many EL possibilities along with stewardship, business, responsibility, etc, packed in!)
It sounds as though you need a few smaller, keep busy ideas that incorporate EL with lots of activity!
Last year for Xmas I put together a ‘mommy’s helper’ package- I had inexpensive, matching aprons from a craft store embroidered on the front: mine says ‘Mommy’ and hers says ‘Mommys helper’. I then included a few bright utensils (she has toy ones for her kitchen, but these are real, a child’s first cookbook, and recipe cards I made. Also a conversion chart and a card an flip ring I made of measurements with pictures.
You would not believe the excitement and the learning that goes on…you can have them read the ingredients, practice writing their favorite. As well as all the opportunities for teaching in the kitchen! If she puts on her apron, she gets serious about learning and cooking! Even relative temperature, I.e. water freezes, water boils, cookies bake at about, a pleasant day is about, we stay inside and have Popsicles when it gets this got, the sun is about this hot…etc.
Another thing I did for my niece- hours of learning, reading, patience, fine motor, much more. I bought a couple of books with pictures of ways to braid (plait) and ‘do’ hair, along with some hair bands, bows, etc…
The instructions require reading, spatial awareness, copying the picture, reading comprehension, math, and much more…she and her sister would spend hours, at five/seven years old perfecting and practicing…
Also, if you do not have the Usborne lift a flap book, (See Inside…), they are hours of dun, with fantastic detail. They are designed for ages 8+ I think, but toddlers on this forum would love them and use them for years. I think we have all but one, and they have stood up to a lot of use and abuse…here are just a few in the series:
http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/catalogue.aspx?cat=1&area=G&subcat=GA&id=3452
http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/catalogue.aspx?cat=1&area=S&subcat=SH&id=1927
http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/catalogue.aspx?cat=1&area=G&subcat=GSO&id=3357
http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/catalogue.aspx?cat=1&area=MTH&subcat=MSI&id=3014
http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/catalogue.aspx?cat=1&area=S&subcat=SSI&id=3864
http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/catalogue.aspx?cat=1&area=ILB&subcat=ILS&id=3305
We decided Cayden’s main present would be a light table
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RZO2DO/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
I have been saving ideas for EL activites from online blogs. I finally convinced my husband when I showed him images of my brain, legs, arms and chest taken from an MRI I had many years ago. I don’t even remember my parents asking for them but I am glad they did.
We also purchased some accessories from amazon
View-Thru Geometric Solids
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034IX85O/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i02
transparent counters to make patterns
http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-TRANSPARENT-COUNTERS-250-PK/dp/B00004WKPM/ref=pd_sbs_op_1
letter construction activity set - someone left a review that kids also enjoyed making numbers and shapes
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006RQ8UNK/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00
Soon I will talk with my husband about the xray stocking stuffers.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=xray+
I recently ran into a Usborne rep at the pumpkin patch who lives up the street (Yay!!!) She told me that they will be having a big sale during Thanksgiving weekend
Can’t wait for the sale!
Light boxes are absolutely awesome, with SO incredibly many EL opportunities! When Alex was just two, she managed to drag a heavy bowl off the counter-top onto her toe- resulting in a horrible experience, pain, and a resultant trip to her doctor for an X-ray! She was so fascinated by the bones in her foot (we have a full-sized skeleton puzzle we have labeled), that we immediately made a home-made version of a light box…and soon upgraded!
Have you seen the free lightbox activities from FSU : some of the ideas are designed for much older kids but I have find them quite adaptable for little ones!
http://bio.fsu.edu/science_on_the_move/labs.php
And so many other ideas I come across daily!
If you are interested in trying a lightbox, here are some instructions we utilized for our ‘basic’ plans:
http://www.imagescience.com.au/kb/questions/83/How+to+build+your+own+lightbox!
We will probably buy some more games of Smartgames:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=smartgames
We already have Camelot Jr. (http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Tangoes-USA-SG-011/dp/B004TGPQDW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351840587&sr=8-3&keywords=smartgames) and Castle Logix (http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Tangoes-USA-SG-010/dp/B004TGVOOC/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1351840587&sr=8-13&keywords=smartgames), which my children really like to play with and which also pose relatively difficult logic exercises for the kids.
We are doing a low key, more “traditional” Christmas this year. On the list is a train table, a play nursery (Lily is so into baby dolls these days), a new doll house, a remote controlled car, more art supplies to go with Lily’s new drawing table, and a few others. But one sort of EL thing I am specifically getting for Owen is a Lite Brite! I remember having so much fun with these as a kid but I am specifically getting it so he can work on his fine motor skills and an work on his pencil grip indirectly. Just thought I would pass that along for anyone else who’s child would benefit from the fine motor skill building of a Lite Brite.
http://www.toysrus.com/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-12071887dt.jpg
Oh, and I guess these are sort of EL, too. Lily has requested a new spider and I have been eyeing this make your own spider kit:
http://www.toysrus.com/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-6977169reg.jpg
A a couple others up for consideration…
Illuminated Ant Farm:
http://www.toysrus.com/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-9131654reg.jpg
Insect Collection:
http://www.toysrus.com/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-4842190dt.jpg
My daughter is into baby dolls one minute and all about bugs the next!