I know that little finger monkey is probably on your kid’s holiday wish list this season, but we’re here to tell you, if you haven’t gotten the monkey, you’re probably out of luck. I’m not trying to get all Grinch on you, but that thing is likely sold out, or WAYYY overpriced on Ebay.

Oh snap! Now what?

In a desperate attempt to save Christmas, we’ve put together a Top 5 list of great gift items we think your kids would enjoy! Besides, who needs a tiny monkey that rides on your finger all day anyway?

Top 5: Reviews, Product Details and Where To Buy!

• 5: Surprised by Surprizamals

Our kids had SO much fun being surprised by Surprizamals!

Have you heard of this craze?  Cute little balls and you open them and are surprised by the cute little stuffed animal inside.  The children couldn’t get enough of opening them.

Surprizamals are the original stuffed animal toys created for children to be surprised by when they opened them up.  They have four series of animals to open, with each series having 10-12 animals.  And, rumor has

it they will be launching a Care Bear line soon!  Sign us up for that!

Not sure how they work?  Check out our video!

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And the best part? Totally available on Amazon.com!

4: Ocean Raider – How Fun Is it?

We were recently given a chance to review the game Ocean Raider by Logic Roots.  It is described as a fun game that helps children “master basic addition and number sequencing with ease using this super fun board game”.  When I saw that, I nearly drove down to the manufacturing facility to steal it in broad daylight.  I’m a homeschooling mom to a seven year old.  Any chance that I can get him to have fun and master the numbers is aces in my book.

It is delivering on that promise.

I mean, we’ve played it twice, and he isn’t a master, but we’ve played it twice and he’s really enjoyed it.  And wants to play it again.  I also didn’t want to stab myself in the eye, so I’m calling it delivering.

What I like about it is the exploration of higher numbers and smaller understandable chunks.  Does that make sense (if not, don’t worry, it isn’t a literacy game).  It is helping my seven year old understand that 24 + 4 = 28 in a digestible way.  And the game felt flexible enough that when my five year old was struggling, I could help her in a way she could feel like an active participant even though she didn’t have the understanding of numbers that her older brother has.

The game allows you to write the number space you are on, write the number on the die that you rolled, then write the numbers that add together to find out where you are supposed to be.  For my younger children, that’s perfect.  Then, as they get older, they’ll be able to do it in their head.  This game will really grow with my children and their abilities.

I look forward to utilizing more of their games as part of our homeschooling journey.  Logic Roots seems to “get it” – the idea that learning should be fun.

This game is easily purchased on Amazon (another huge win).  The people at Logic Roots have even more games for even more levels – check them out to find the game it is right for your family.  If you want to learn more about this game – check out their website.  You can find more math games for grades 1 and beyond.  Also, they have FREE downloadable, colorful, illustrated, story math worksheets!

3: Pley.com

Do you have a child that never says, “I LOVE IT”?

I have one of those kids.  She has everything!  Or nothing she wants! How is that possible?  Each gift giving occasion I dread because I never know what will make her happy.  Then pley.com offered us a chance to review their subscription box.

What is pley.com?  It’s a subscription box of toys that comes to your home each month (to avoid frequent trips to the toy store).  They work with leading brands (in this case, Disney Princesses) with a complete afternoon’s worth of fun in a simple box.  I know, that sounds crazy – a full afternoon?  That’s a big promise.  My kids are normally the ones that prefer the box the toy came in (ps, the box is a toy too). Not sure what to expect?  Take a look at this video to see what I’m talking about:

Really.  She loved it.  The Ariel doll and Flounder have been her constant companions (even went camping).  The book which she didn’t seem to show much interest in originally, is an activity and story book that she’s spent an extraordinary amount of time looking through and writing in.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her have such enthusiasm for something (she seems to be the girl that has everything) but the delight of receiving that box, opening it and feeling like Ariel sent her these gifts?  Nearly priceless.  She tells everyone she comes in to contact about it.

This would be an AMAZING gift for the kid that has everything or the kid that never likes anything.

Oh, and one comment from my architect husband.  The man responsible for helping the children put together the box/toy/ship/coloring extravaganza.  He didn’t like the instructions.  From a man who barely ever follows the instructions, he didn’t like these.  However, he’s still the man that always assembles stuff in our house, sooooo….there you go sweetie.

Does this sound like the perfect thing for your never-happy child?  Check it out through our affiliate link (no price change for you, but it helps keep the lights on here at Bleeping Motherhood).

2: Playing Outside With Forest School For All

Want to play outside with your kids but don’t know what to do?  Have you thought about adding a bit of learning to outdoor play?  I did last summer and it was a lot of fun.

Before I tell you more, let me first tell you that one of my side gigs is helping set up outdoor communities with Forest School For All.  We had worked with Leah McDermott from Your Natural Learner to develop some fun Forest School For All focused outdoor curriculums.  I got together with some my village to do it last summer.

It was a blast.  We did the Summer Discoverer Curriculum and our village of moms and kids grew stronger.  We started each session with a quick hello to the forest, and an explanation of the materials we should be gathering as we walked in to our meeting spot.  Once there, our group’s rhythm was to settle down for a snack and read the book that followed that day’s theme.  While the book was being read, the moms set up three stations that sometimes utilized math or reading or science or artistic skills or even all of those.  My children were writing their names with sticks, stacking rocks and understanding how they could help bugs.  The children then free played throughout the woods while the moms had our snacks (and sometimes they were quite impressive) and talked with each other about our own life struggles.  It was truly an experience I’ll treasure.

The Discoverers Curriculum is ideal for a 4-10 age bracket while the Creators Curriculum is less intense, only has one project and no book per week, and set up for a 2-7 year age bracket.  The curriculum is easily purchased on its own for a family or group to facilitate or Forest School For All will help you organize and provide the curriculum and supplies.

The curriculum and groups are a truly lovely way to take the next step in outdoor play.  Beer may have been involved in our outings?  But friendship among the moms and kids definitely was.  Thank you Elodie, Courtney and Babette – it was truly a magical part of our summer.

Check out Forest School For All website or Facebook page and learn about their new cool weather curriculum, going live VERY soon.

1: Klee, Natural Makeup and Personal Care Products for Kids & Teens

Klee, a 100% Non-Toxic product line asked Bleeping Motherhood to check out some of their products. How could we say no?

Let me start by saying that I do not religiously use organic, natural products in my home, but I do use them as much as possible. I love things like coconut oil, ACV and essential oils. Klee has definitely proven themselves in the all natural department.

With benefits like, 100% non-toxic, no parabens, no phthalates, no talc, no synthetic dyes, no synthetic fragrances, no animal testing and gluten free, you really can’t go wrong.

I especially love that their products are geared toward girls, (although my son used the shampoo and conditioner and didn’t care).

I love all of the options available to moms who are product and ingredient-conscious – including Natural Mineral Play Makeup Kits and Magical Hair & Body Care. We tried the Klee kids shampoo and conditioner and body wash and it smelled SO good. Just imagine ingredients like Soapberries, Nettle, Yucca Root, Oats, Mango Butter, Calendula, Royal Jelly, Honey, Agran Oil, Coconut Oil and Olive Oil. Yup, can you smell how delicious these products are?

I was very pleased with how the products worked on my daughter, who has naturally curly,  snarly hair. With other products, after rinsing, her hair sometimes feels hard and stiff. With Klee, there was none of that. Her hair was left soft, silky smooth to the touch. And the conditioner (with help from my Wet Brush) assisted with all of those crazy curly tangles.  And yes, her hair was left smelling amazing.

If you would like to try out some amazing shampoo, conditioner and other chemical free products, give Klee a try. Visit www.kleennaturals.com today to check out their full product line.

HONORABLE MENTION: I know your kids probably don’t want pajamas for Christmas, but if you’re a mom who’s kids could always use a great quality pair of P.J.s, check this out:

Comfy, cute pajamas? Yes, please.

We had the chance to check out pajamas by Ppippilong Kids and let me be the first to say that my kids love them and so do I!

My son chose the “Bat Boy” 2 piece pajama set and my daughter opted for the “Isabella” set.

Here’s the scoop on both sets:

Bat Boy Cotton Fleece Easy Wear PJ Set – Lightest PJ Sets

Bat Boy is a 100% cotton 2 piece set with a dark blue bat on an ivory top. Top has dark blue stripes on the sleeves and matching blue pants.

Fall/Winter 2016 Collection

Size 90=2; 100=3; 110=4; 120=5/6; 130= 7/8

Wash cold, hang dry, no bleach.

Isabella Cotton Fleece Easy Wear PJ Set.

Isabella is a 100% cotton 2 piece teal blue matching top and bottom set with beautiful rose prints. Neckline is accented with a red bow.

Fall/Winter 2016 Collection

Size 90=2; 100=3; 110=4; 120=5/6; 130= 7/8

Wash cold, hang dry, no bleach.

My kids loved them because they’re easy to play in and easy to lay in. Want to grab your very own pair of Ppippilong kids pajamas?

Visit https://www.ppippilongkids.com right now and take advantage of their limited time up to 40% off pajama sets. While supplies last!

Happy Shopping! Tell us where you do your last minute shopping in the comments below!