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Buy it: Enchanted Forest

I passed my own childhood game of Enchanted Forest down to my daughter and she loves it as much as I did.

This quality board game features a variety of classic fairy tales and a forest of trees with hidden clues. To play, players roll the dice and move around the board, landing next to little trees. When they lift the tree, there is a picture from a fairy tale underneath. It might be Cinderella’s slipper or boots worn by Puss in Boots. Players try to search the board to find out where each fairy tale picture is hidden.

Then they try to be the first one to reach the castle where they will earn cards for knowing what clues are under each tree. But if your guess is wrong, you are sent back to start over.

To speed up the game for my daughter, when someone lands on a tree, instead of keeping the clue a secret, we share it with all the players. It’s a great game for teaching memorization skills.

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Buy it: Fish Stix

Fish Stix is one of the best games I have bought for my daughter Ally, age 6. This award-winning game is simple and easy to learn, but will grow with a child since it’s based on strategy.

In the game, there are cards or “stix” featuring different brightly-colored fish swimming in different directions. The point of the game is to lay down the cards to match the same fish and the same direction. Each player has a scoreboard with fish tokens. For each matched fish, the player moves their token that many spaces on the scoreboard. The winner is the player who gets each of their fish tokens to the end of the scoreboard first.

Our family loves to play this game together because it truly is fun for all ages. Ally loves the brightly-colored fish and making them “swim” ahead on her scoreboard. My husband and I love the strategy of trying to find places to make a match or multiple matches each turn. The more we play it, the more Ally gets the strategy of looking for the best match and even blocking other players.

The cards and game pieces are very sturdy. The game is easy to assemble and put away. I have bought this game as a gift for a number of my daughter’s friends and it’s always a hit. Love it!

Buy it: We Are in a Book!

We Are in a Book! (By Mo Willems) – Hands down, the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems are the best early reader books I’ve seen. The entire collection is so funny and clever that my daughter Ally, now 6, reads them over and over and still laughs every time. All of the Elephant and Piggie books offer sweet lessons about friendship and simple words to build early reader confidence. I also love that Elephant and Piggie’s conversations are color-coded, so readers always know who is saying what. We have several of these books, but one of our favorites is “We Are in a Book!” In this story, Elephant (Gerald) and Piggie discover that someone is watching them – a reader! Then they find out they can make the reader say funny words, until they find out (oh no!) the book ends! The story ends with them asking the reader to read their book again. A wonderful set of books for readers, ages 4-8, but Ally has found out that her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles all find them pretty entertaining as well. A great collection to get your young child reading!

The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!

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Buy it: Cranium Hullabaloo

If you have little kids ages 4 to 6, you should get them Cranium Hullabaloo. This is an incredibly fun and easy to follow game for young children that gets them up and doing what they do best – moving, bouncing, jumping, stretching and spinning.

When my daughter got this game as a gift at age 5, the whole family played it together no less than – and I’m not kidding – 30 times the first day. And thank goodness, this game is even fun for adults to play along with their kids.

The game comes with a speaker that gives directions during the game. There are also 16 pads, with different shapes, colors and pictures. During the game, players are asked to bounce to a blue, swim to a square or sit down on an animal. The kids must listen and follow the instructions until they are told to “freeze.” Then the player standing on a certain pad is named the winner and asked to do something silly – like a funky monkey dance.

My daughter always laughs through the whole game and wants to plays it often. It has been great for playdates and would also be fun for birthday parties. Since the rules allow for more than one player to stand on a pad, we have played the game with several players and it works just fine.

My only criticism of the game would be that the “game announcer” can sometimes be a little too quiet to hear, even at top volume, when several kids are talking and laughing. But that’s a great way to encourage kids to quiet down and be good listeners.

The following is a list of 10 great gift ideas for little girls who love horses and ponies.

Buy it: Melissa & Doug Pasture Pals 12 Horses

This collection includes 12 miniature horses in a wooden case shaped like a barn. There are 12 different horse breeds and there is an identification key on the back of the case. Each horse has a fuzzy texture on their body and soft mane and tail. This gift is sure to please any little girl who loves horses!

Buy it: Our Generation Lipizzaner Horse Set

My daughter got this horse for her fifth birthday. It makes a great “Wow!” gift for not much money. This horse stands 20 inches high and for little girls who love horses, it’s dream come true. The horse comes with a saddle, blanket and reins, as well as a crown, hair accessories and instructions on how to style the horse’s mane and tail. This horse has held up very well to all kinds of play, including being “ridden” by my daughter.

Buy it: Breyer Classics Pinto Horse and Foal

Breyer horses are great quality model horses. And Breyer offers a great selection of the many horse breeds so you can find one that will interest your little girl. My daughter loves pinto horses, so we got her this set for Christmas last year. It was one of her favorite presents and very affordable.

Buy it: Melissa & Doug Horse Stable Stamp Set

This great, affordable gift allows little girls to create horse scenes, using these stamps of horses running, jumping and standing, as well as stamps of a stable, jumps and fences. The set includes colored pencils and a ink pad with washable black and brown ink.

Buy it: Enchantmints Horse Fairy Musical Jewelry Box

Little girls who love horses will also love this musical jewelry box, which plays “In the Good Old Summertime” when opened. The box features a horse that spins, a mirror and four drawers.

Buy it: Melissa & Doug Frolicking Horses Jigsaw Puzzle

This 48-piece wooden puzzle features five different frolicking horses. The pieces are sturdy and thicker than the cardboard variety, which means the puzzle will last a long time. My daughter likes that the pieces kind of “snap” together, which you don’t get with a cardboard puzzle.

Buy it: My First Horse and Pony Book

A wonderful, informative book for little girls who want to learn more about horses and ponies. The book features great pictures of horses and easy to understand descriptions of horse and pony care, riding and breeds. The pictures also show children riding and taking care of the horses.

Buy it: Playmobil Pony Ranch – Dressage

An affordable and fun Playmobil set, this includes four figures, two horses and several horse accessories so kids can play out different scenes like horse shows or horseback riding lessons.

Buy it: Horses Placemat

A fun way for kids to learn about all the different breeds of horses. This two-sided placemat, which can be wiped clean, features pictures and names of some of the most well-known breeds of horses.

Buy it: The Perfect Pony

“The Perfect Pony” is a book about a young girl named Katie who is looking for her perfect pony. But when she and her mom go to look at ponies, they find ponies that are too nervous, too young, too old, too fast or too stubborn. Katie wonders if she will ever find the pony that is right for her. Then one day, she and her mom find a round, filthy little pony. Katie is doubtful but she gets to work grooming the pony. And when she rides him, she discovers that he’s perfect.

If you’re like our family, you get invited to lots and LOTS of birthday parties. Here is a list of some great and inexpensive gifts that little girls (ages 4 to 6) will just love. All of these gifts are under $15.

Buy it: Melissa and Doug Sticker Collection

When I saw this sticker collection, I almost did a double take when I saw the price. This collection includes over 700 stickers featuring all the things girls love – horses, fairies, princesses, fashion, animals, ballerinas and tea parties. The stickers come off the pages easily so it makes a great gift for young girls.

Buy it: Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics Jewelry Box

My daughter got this for a gift and spent hours carefully sticking on all the jewels and stickers to make her own jewelry box with a butterfly pattern. Now she displays it proudly in her room and loves having a place for all her plastic jewelry and little treasures. This is a fun affordable gift for girls who like crafts.

Buy it: Alex Toys Crafty Fashion Show

This kit is so much fun for little girls and is practically fool-proof. It includes four very-sturdy 14″ paper dolls as well as pre-cut clothes and accessories for each. Each doll’s outfit, as well as any and-on accessories like stickers, ribbons and pom-poms, are all packaged together into four separate kits inside the box. Everything you need to make the dolls is in the box, including a glue stick, crayons and very simple instructions.

Buy it: Mudpuppy Mermaids Magnetic Figures

This toy is great for travel and in the car. The set comes with magnetic mermaid dolls, clothes and accessories and four background scenes. The magnets stick to the tin, which closes tight and keeps everything together. There are also sets with princess, horse and ballerina magnets available.

Buy it: Melissa and Doug Friendship Stamp Set

The Melissa and Doug stamp sets make a great gift for little girls. The stamps work great and come in shapes that girls love like hearts, rainbows and flowers. There are also other sets available with animals, horses or dinosaurs. The set includes a stamp pad with brightly colored, washable ink and colored pencils.

Buy it: Do-A-Dot Art Brilliant

This set is a fun and clever spin on traditional paints, markers and stamps, without the mess. Each set includes six sponge-tip bottles with the paint inside. Children can simply stamp the bottle down on the paper for a dot of paint or they can slide it across the paper to make lines or other designs. These applicators eliminate the need for cups and paintbrushes and they also eliminate any potential spills and messes.

Buy it: eeBoo Tea Party Game

This is a fun game for little girls who love tea parties. It comes with a real tablecloth and cardboard tea cups, plates and food. Players spin the teapot-shaped spinner and take turns to see who finishes their tea first. Very easy to learn and lots of fun!

Buy it: Pretty Pretty Princess Game

What’s more fun than a board game where you collect jewelry as you go around the board? In this game, girls move their pieces around the board, landing on pictures of necklaces, bracelets, rings and crowns. Players play dress-up as they play, and the first “princess” to collect each piece of jewelry wins.

Buy it: Shrinky Dinks Deluxe

It was a blast from the past when my daughter, age 5, first started doing Shrinky Dinks. But they are still just as much fun as they used to be and so easy. This set includes 10 sheets of Shrink film, colored pencils, sharpener and a hole puncher. Girls can use the set to make jewelry, beads, hair clips, greeting cards, key chains and charm bracelets. After they color the film, just bake the creations to shrink them down!

Buy it: Melissa & Doug Abby & Emma Deluxe Magnetic Dress-up

Two magnetic dolls with 60 pieces of clothing and accessories to mix and match and create hundreds of outfits. The magnetic clothing sticks to the dolls easily and it all stays organized in one wooden box.

If you have to buy a present for a little girl who loves the Disney Princesses, here is a quick list of 10 gifts that she is sure to love.

Buy it: Disney Princess Shoe Boutique

This set includes four pairs of play dress-up shoes featuring Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Belle and Snow White. My daughter, age 5, and her friends have played dress up with these shoes for years.

Buy it: Disney Princess 8-piece Figurine Set

This set includes eight small figures of the princesses. My daughter has had these figures since she turned 3 and she still plays with them all the time at age 5. They are a great size for taking along in the car, to restaurants, on airplanes, etc.

Buy it: Disney Princess Doll 8-piece Gift Set

If you are looking for a “Wow!” gift for your Disney Princess fan, this is it. My daughter got this for Christmas two years ago and we have all been thrilled with it. The dolls are about the size of a Barbie and are great quality.

Buy it: Disney Princess Favorite Moments Mini-Doll and Playset

My daughter loves these little princess dolls because they come with different dresses and outfits. Over the past couple of years, we have collected these playsets for each of the different princesses and my daughter plays with them all the time. Now that she’s five years old, my daughter can change the dolls in and out of their rubber clothes by herself, but when she was younger, she had trouble with it. Parents will most likely have to change the doll’s clothes for younger children. Also these sets come with tiny shoes, which could be a choking hazard for young children, and usually get lost.

Buy it: Disney Princess Memory Game

For ages 3 and up, this is a great game for girls who love the Disney Princesses. The Memory cards feature different pictures of all the princesses and some of the other Disney characters like Flounder, Dopey, Mrs. Potts, etc. When my daughter was younger, we played with fewer pairs, but we added more as she got older.

Buy it: Disney Enchanted Tales Musical Carousel Coach Playset

This is another “Wow!” gift. These horse-drawn coach makes a great gift for girls who already have some of the Disney Princess dolls. Two dolls can sit inside the coach and as it is pulled, the coach spins 360 degrees while the horse hooves clomp and music plays. A princess can also ride on the horse. My daughter loves this toy! She has had it for almost 3 years and it is still in great shape. Good quality and lots of princess fun!

Buy it: Disney Princess Rhyme Time Book and CD

This is a fun and affordable gift for girls who like Disney Princesses. It’s a book of rhymes featuring several of the princesses, and readers are asked to guess the ending of each rhyme. My daughter loved figuring out the rhymes when she got the book at age 3, and now she loves reading it to herself. The book also comes with CD that provides read-long narration.

Buy it: Disney Princess Scratch and Design

This fun, affordable gift allows girls to decorate pictures of princesses with stickers of dresses, crowns and jewelry and then scratch the stickers to make designs and sparkles. For ages 4 and up, this set comes with over 200 stickers. I bought this for my daughter to keep her busy on an airplane, but I had no idea how many times she would be able to dress-up the princesses. The stickers peel off easily to change the princesses’ look and my daughter loved scratching the stickers to make them sparkle.

Buy it: Disney Princess 8-Game Set

My daughter, age 5, loves playing all the games in this set, which includes games like bingo, dominoes, checkers, Go Fish, Old Maid, etc. All of the games feature of the Disney Princesses and instructions for each game are included. I would recommend this for ages 4 and up, since some of the games can be a little complicated for younger kids.

Buy it: Disney Princess Deluxe Dress Up Trunk

You can’t go wrong with a gift of Disney Princess dress up clothes. My daughter and her friends love to dress up as the Disney princesses and this trunk gives you everything you need. This 19-piece set includes skirts, shirts, jewelry and shoes to let your little girl turn herself into her favorite princess. The clothes fit sizes 4-6.

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Buy it: Left Right Center Dice Game

If you’re looking for a fun way to teach young children the difference between left and right, get the Left Right Center Dice Game.

My five-year-old daughter Ally loves this game and while she had already learned left from right before we started playing, I can see that it’s reinforcing that lesson every time we play.

But this game is a great purchase for so many reasons. It’s easy to play and fun for kids as well as adults. The game is recommended for ages 5 and up. It’s inexpensive and it’s small case makes it easy to take with you anywhere.

The game includes three dice and several plastic chips and can be played by three of more players.

The game is simple. Each player has three chips. When the player rolls the three dice, the dice will determine if the player has to pass his chips to the right, left, put them in the center of the table or keep them. But as play continues, chips are passed around between the players, until only one player has chips remaining. That player wins the game.

You can also replace the plastic chips with other items. For example, we’ve used M&M’s, letting the winner keep the whole “pot.”

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Buy it: Play-doh Mr. Potato Head Playset

I picked up the Play-doh Mr. Potato Head playset for my daughter Ally, age 5, on a whim. But this is a great Play-doh toy.

The set comes with everything you need to make two small Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads. There’s brown, red, black and white Play-doh; molds to make eyes, noses, mouths and hair; and arms and shoes.

I’ve found that Play-doh toys often look like fun, but they aren’t realistic about what a young child can make with them. But this set is very fun and easy to use. Ally and I have made some great Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads together. And I have to say, our creations might actually be better than the ones they show on the box!

It’s easy for Ally to put Play-doh in the molds and create different features and hairstyles for her Potato Head. And of course, the arms and shoes just stick right into the Play-doh potato.

The toy is recommended for ages 3 and up but I would say, ages 5 and older would be the best recommendation for being able to use the toy and make the best creations from it.

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Buy it: Can You See What I See?

Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers Game is hands down one of the best children’s games I have ever played.

And my daughter Ally, age 5, cannot get enough of this game either. I think we may actually play it every single day.

What makes this game so much fun is its simplicity. There are a couple different ways to play, so I’ll describe the way we play it most often. Each player has 12 cards face-up in front of them, and each card shows four pictures of common items like a yo-yo, a domino, a block, a crayon, etc. The players take turns drawing from another set of cards that show one of these items. If a player has a card in front of them with that item on it, they flip it over. The object is to be the first player to flip all 12 of their cards face down.

Ally loves this game because of its I-Spy roots. She loves looking to see if either she or another player has the item that has been drawn.

And it’s so easy and fun for young children because it doesn’t require any reading, rolling of dice or waiting for your turn. Our games of Can You See What I See? usually last about five to 10 minutes, which is great because Ally generally loses interest when board games drag on too long.

The cards are thick and durable. This is a high quality, well thought-out game. And most importantly, it may be the only game in our collection that doesn’t make me groan when Ally suggests playing it.