2016 Gift Guide for Preschoolers (& How to Win an Usborne Gift Card)

As a mom of two preschool-aged daughters, my annual gift guide for preschoolers is even more fun to put together than my glamorous gift guide for her.

This year’s gift guide is filled with Christmas presents that will point young children to the wonder of God’s Creation and His great love for mankind. These gifts will encourage little ones to discover and explore the outdoors, anatomy, heaven, and Jesus.

2016 gift guide for preschoolers

Gardening tools and gloves

My girls love working in our flowerbeds and vegetable garden with me and in the yard with my husband.

Having their own gardening tools and gloves encourages their love of the outdoors and fascination with plants, as well as insects and other backyard creatures. A great book to accompany any gardening goodies for preschoolers is Usborne’s Gardening for Beginners.

Christmas Star from Afar game

We decided several years ago not to embrace the secular Elf on the Shelf. But this year, we’ve added the Christmas ‘Star from Afar’ game to our family’s Nativity traditions.

The girls are excited about rearranging the wooden, child-friendly Nativity, finding the large wooden Star, and relocating the Three Wise Men each morning. I enjoy reading the selected Scripture from the included book with them every day, as part of our Christ-centered Christmas countdown.

Plush organs from I Heart Guts!

I recently discovered these colorful plush organs from I Heart Guts! to help introduce young kids to anatomy in a fun and interactive way. My almost five-year-old is fascinated with the human body. These educational stuffed toys will be the perfect complement to her Melissa & Doug doctor dress-up set and Usborne’s Look inside Your Body board book.

Wooden and canvas play tent

We just gave our youngest daughter a wooden and canvas play tent for her third birthday. She loves to pretend she’s camping with her sister. The tent is the perfect spot to cozy up with a flashlight and Usborne’s Shine-a-Light series of books, like Secrets of Winter and The Human Body.

Faith-based, Creation-themed books

I recently agreed to review MarbleSpark’s God Whispered Your Name, in exchange for a free, personalized copy. This faith-based, Creation-themed children’s book did not disappoint. My oldest loves finding her name hidden in the beautiful artwork on each page. We both love read this sweet and simple story about God’s plan for us since before he even created us.

I’m honored to be able to include my own recently published children’s book, Where Did My Sweet Grandma Go?: A Preschooler’s Guide to Losing a Loved One, in this year’s gift guide.

Illustrated by myself and my late mother, Dixie Benton Stucky, my Sweet Grandma Book gently leads little ones and their parents into meaningful conversations about death, grief, and eternal love. Activities and resources in the included Parents’ Guide reinforce the book’s comforting message of legacy and hope.

How to win an Usborne gift card

Interested in the Usborne titles I’ve mentioned throughout this gift guide? My friend and Usborne Books & More consultant Amy Dulak is giving away a $10 gift card (and the super cute tote bag pictured above) to one of my readers!

Please leave a comment below letting us know which Usborne title intrigues you most, or which Usborne favorite you already own, for a chance to win.

{Winner will be announced Friday, December 2. Must be 18 to enter. U.S. only please.}