This year for Christmas, we were stumped on what to get for our four year old daughter. To put it plainly, she has just about every toy she could want and anything new seemed like just a different version of something she already has. In addition to this, we wanted to be very thoughtful about what we brought into the house, since toys generally seem to just take up space and (after the first few exciting times) not get played with much. We did a lot of brainstorming, thinking about what she loves to do (and what things she will do independently) and we finally came up with an idea that I think may have been the best present we’ve ever gotten her.
In comes: the craft cart. We realized that one of the only activities our daughter absolutely loves, asks to do daily, and will happily do independently is arts & crafts. She is so creative (as most four year olds are!) and uses her imagination so well when working on a project. But, up until this Christmas, we did not have a station or set up where she could go and get her supplies. She would have to ask us for any and everything: a pencil, a piece of paper, glue, etc. This kept her from really being able to create when and how she wanted and made it more difficult for her to play independently.
We decided that we would gift her her very own craft cart as well as all of the supplies she would need for inside of it. I found this cart on Amazon and it has been excellent. It is on wheels so she can roll it out when she wants to use it, and has so many drawers that all of her arts & craft items can be neatly organized. This makes it so easy for her to work on her creations whenever she wants!
The rolling craft cart is currently on Amazon for $87.98 and you can find it here.
All of the items to go into her craft cart were her other presents. We were not sure how this was going to go, since her gifts would ultimately be pieces to the craft cart. We were so happy when she was so excited! She did not open the cart until later on Christmas morning (after other smaller gifts – her choice) but each item she opened she was more and more excited for.
To fill the craft cart, we gave her all sorts of craft items, most we found at Target. We gifted her the following:
- Super Sketches Stencil Set
- Construction Paper
- Kids Scissors
- Glue Sticks
- Tape
- Washi Tape
- Crayons
- Markers
- Sketch Book
- Pipe Cleaners, Pom Poms, Googly Eyes
In addition, we added any random craft items we had that were around the house including string, beads, popsicle sticks, etc.
This craft cart has been such a huge hit. I highly suggest doing something similar for your four year old (or older!) if you are having trouble figuring out what to get them. This age can be so hard for gifts as they have already acquired so many toys from past birthdays and holidays!
Do you have a craft cart for your children? What are some of the best gifts you’ve given your kids? I’m always looking for more ideas! Let me know in the comments below!
