*Disclosure: I am a Discovery Toys consultant and I will receive a commission which helps support Mommy Maleta when you make a purchase from my online store
I’m not sure if I mentioned it before but, besides blogger, I am also a tennis coach. I played tennis in high school and then went on to play at a small college in Minnesota. I even had the opportunity to play tennis in Hawaii, Japan, and Spain. All of these opportunities opened doors for me to coach tennis at both the high school and collegiate level.
At Mommy Maleta I like to think of myself as a world geography coach. I love to write posts and promote products that give healthy, young minds a good workout. And that’s why I recommend Discovery Toys. They are fun, educational, keep kids engaged, and promote problem solving skills. I put together a Discovery Toys gift guide that I hope you’ll enjoy. This is a just a sample of some of their brain boosting toys that make wonderful holiday gifts.
Mommy Maleta 2014 Mindful Discovery Toys Gift Guide
Name That Country (click title at left to go to my DT online store)
This game gets an obvious “2 Thumbs Up” from me! Your kiddos advance spaces by correctly identifying countries on a world map game board. You can also increase the difficulty by requiring players to name country capitals. Bonus moves are won by landing on “postcards”, which are clues written by pen pals around the world.
The Twelve Days of Christmas (click title at left to go to my DT online store)
The lyrics from this popular Christmas song are brought to life with lush illustrations full of details and surprises. Readers can sing and count along as gifts pile up until the 12th day of Christmas finally arrives!
Fashion Friends (click title at left to go to my DT online store)
Fashion design with math in mind! Mix and match tops, bottoms, skirts, hairstyles and accessories with hundreds of combinations! Set includes 40 pieces for constructing and outfitting four 5 inch dolls. Includes take-along storage case.
Zip Track (click title at left to go to my DT online store)
Shift playtime into high gear with this unique raceway set! Snap and click track pieces to design your own interactive flexible roadway, with hundreds of possible color combinations. Includes 200 track pieces, cross track, 4 bridge supports, 2 open end pieces & SUV with working headlights. Requires 2 AA batteries, not included.
Marbleworks Deluxe Set (click title at left to go to my DT online store)
Connect colorful tubes, chutes, and bases together in different ways to create an infinite number of raceway configurations. As the marbles speed through the course, children learn about the laws of gravity, object permanence and cause and effect. My girls have so much fun with this. It keeps them occupied for a long time which is great when cold weather keeps them indoors.
Mental Blox (click title at left to go to my DT online store)
Brain-boosting, block-building, make-you-think game! Arrange and stack the multi-colored shapes to match the 40 included progressively numbered patterns. There are 2 sets of shapes included so you can play alone or with others.
I can’t imagine any of my Mommy Maleta readers are on Santa’s “Naughty” list this year…
So what are two toys from this gift guide that you would include on your wish list this year? Let me know with a little Christmas cheer in the comment section!
That geography game looks like fun!! I’ll keep it in mind for when my kids are bigger. And the marble toy is such fun… We had one when I was younger!!
We have had fun with Name That Country. And I especially like Marbleworks in these cold weather months because it keeps kids occupied for a long time trying out all the different ways to assemble the obstacle course. Thanks for stopping by!
I don’t have any children but these look like awesome gift ideas for the holidays. Which small college did you go to in MN? I grew up in Minnesota and am now an admissions counselor so I know a lot of the colleges!
I went to Bethel College, now Bethel University, in St. Paul, MN. Go Royals!
My go-to is always a good book. Everyone needs to take more time to read. It’s good for the mind and soul! <3
I agree! And it’s always so cozy to read wrapped in a blanket with Christmas lights glowing!
That marble run and the zip track would be on our list! They both look like loads of fun!
Marbleworks is a kid magnet!! And I’m so excited that my son is getting old enough for zip track! It might even find its way under the tree this year…
Marble runs are awesome – we got one for my daughter last year and it really makes her think and problem-solve. I also love that Zip Track, I’ve never seen anything like it!