A Mighty Girl's 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Hi there! I'm Liz, an A Mighty Girl intern and mother to a audacious and creative 3 year old girl. I have a degree in Literature and Philosophy yet somehow ended up working with engineers -- hence the love for poetry and building you'll see in my top picks. I'm a big advocate of open-ended play, the kind that allows children space to imagine, create, explore, and play however they want to. My daughter and I love taking trips to the library, making art projects, cooking (and sometimes cleaning, when I'm lucky), and exploring the amazing Pacific NW, which we are happy to call home.

Bill and Betty Bricks

A great Tetris-style puzzle that features a girl figure as a builder--fun spatial learning and positive role modeling in one!

For more toys like this one, visit our Building Toys section within Toys / Games.

Emily Dickinson Finger Puppet & Magnet

In my opinion Emily is one of the best poets around, and she has attributes to fascinate any age group from mystery to genius. Use this puppet to entertain young poetry lovers with made up rhymes or recitations of Emily's own work.

For more toys like this one, visit our Puppets / Theaters section within Imaginative Play. Emily Dickinson is also featured in our Character Collection.

Garden Tote with Tools

Growing plants inspires much goodness in kids: connection to the physical world, witness to scientific processes, plus an interest in fruits & vegetables that may lead to an interest in eating them!

For more toys like this one, visit our Gardening section within Outdoor Play.

Little Librarian Set

As a girl I dreamed of being a librarian and I'm sure this would have been my absolute favorite toy. Develop a system to organize and lend a Mighty Girl library--especially those tomes featuring awesome librarians like Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile and Waiting for the Biblioburro.

For more toys like this one, visit our Reading / Literacy section within Toys / Games.

Action Princesses

Action Princesses is a fabulous game where players are smart, capable princesses who must face intellectual challenges to save the kidnapped prince. A fun girl empowering game that features independent female characters!

For more toys like this one, visit our Board Games section within Games / Video Games.

Inflatable Dinosaurs

When I look at these dinos so much fun comes to mind: build your own dino zoo, have a hands on science lesson, travel back in time.

For more toys like this one, visit our Science / Math section within Toys / Games.

Architecture Stamps

A great artistic component for any girl who loves blocks or building, these hardwood stamps are a super fun way to design cities full of whimsical structures. My girl loves using these to create houses for her favorite storybook characters and friends from school, along with silly looking replicas of bridges and other features from our city.

For more toys like this one, visit our Paper / Printing Crafts section within Arts / Crafts.

Bike Spoke Beads - Thunderbolts and Stars

To quote my favorite Mighty Girl Sally Jean from Sally Jean Bicycle Queen: "When we ride bicycles, we're cool as icicles!" These colorful spoke beads add to the fun and are essential for any intrepid cyclist's dream bike.

For more toys like this one, visit our Movement / Riding Toys section within Outdoor Play.

Master Kitz - The Starry Night

Master Kitz expands upon the classic "paint by numbers" idea by including historical information, references to artistic styles, and a wide-breadth of supplies from stickers to printing blocks with their step-by-step art sets. A super fun way to learn new creative techniques along with art history.

For more toys like this one, visit our Drawing / Painting section within Arts / Crafts.

Children's Tea Set

This tea set is hands down the most popular toy in our house--my daughter loves to pour, serve, entertain, and chat. It's a great opportunity for pretend play while practicing important personal skills like manners and sharing.

For more toys like this one, visit our Pretend Play section within Imaginative Play.