Holiday Gift Guide - Tickets for Live Entertainment

There is nothing quite the same as seeing live entertainment. Whether that entertainment is a Broadway show, a ballet, or a live sporting event, being at the show/game in person is just better than watching it at home.

I think it all started when my husband and I were dating. He is a huge baseball fan, more specifically, a huge New York Yankees fan. He also is one to buy himself whatever he wants, two minutes after he knows he wants it - which makes it really hard to come up with gift ideas. You hear an idea that you think you can tuck away for later and then the next day, he is telling you about what he bought. (okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but not far from the truth.) Since he is such a big fan of baseball, I started giving him the gift of baseball. Each year, I would choose a new city to travel to to see the New York Yankees play baseball. Many teams don't release their individual game tickets for sale early enough to have the tickets on hand, but I would find the game and then print out a certificate that told him what games we would be going to.

One more than one occasion, he has also purchased tickets for me. The tickets that he has purchased for me are typically to go see a live performance. When I was pregnant with my son, he bought me tickets to see Annie live on stage in Pittsburgh. One of the best things about the gift, it was truly a gift for him to take me to see Annie - it is certainly not a show that he would have chosen for himself.

But tickets to games or shows, does not need to be limited to adults. I love taking my kids to see shows. Many theaters offer family packages and/or $10 tickets to shows. The tickets at that price are limited, but they give you the opportunity to share the experience without breaking the bank. We are fortunate, that in addition to regular shows, that we have been able to take in shows geared towards children. We have seen groups like Imagination Movers in concert, a local Children's Ballet group perform Fancy Nancy and Madeline ballets, storybook shows such as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Wrinkle in Time by a Professional Theater Company for young audiences and families, and shows like Disney on Ice and Phineas & Ferb Live. Each of these experiences can be used to teach children about the arts and to see familiar things transformed into live performances.

The holidays can be a great time to give someone the gift of show tickets (and sporting event tickets). Many theaters, having thought of this too, will send out their annual performance information just in time for the holidays.

Holiday Gift Guide - Books

I think books are absolutely one of my favorite things to give to just about anybody on my list. I love to read and I am sure that is largely a contributing factor. When my son was a toddler, my friend, who is a teacher, would give me the Scholastic Book order forms for her class. I started purchasing many of their $1 and $2 special offer books each month, even though my toddler was not ready for chapter books. Over a matter of a few years, I built up a collection of books that I go to for gifting needs or when my kids just need a new book.

I could spend hours just browsing through the stacks at the bookstore, checking out the books. When it comes to selecting books for kids, I like to stick to the classics, series that I have heard of or characters that are familiar.

My daughter and I are reading the Ramona series currently. It is hard to believe that those books were available when my mom was learning to read. What's nice is that my daughter was also able to watch the movie that was out a year ago, further helping to bring the characters to life.

When she was younger, we read the My First Little House Series, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The series takes the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder and sets it into a short, illustrated story appropriate for reading to toddlers (and for early readers to read themselves). Now that she is 5, I plan to start reading the original Little House Series (after we finish with Ramona). I loved that series as a child, even dressing up as Laura one year for Halloween.

In addition to the classics, some other books that we have read and enjoyed are the Curious George books, the Fancy Nancy books, the Madeline books and of course, Disney Princesses. She also enjoys Cam Jansen and other early chapter books.

For my son, we are currently on hiatus from reading the 39 Clues books. We had been enjoying the books, but he was ready to take a break and read some other stories. We have read classics like Encyclopedia Brown and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We have read more recent books like the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and the Magical Treehouse Series. One thing that I find really enjoyable about the Magical Treehouse Series is the accompanying non-fiction books. It is great to take the stuff found in the stories and allow the child to expand on their knowledge of the subject, whether it be the Titanic or Space. For school, he has been reading The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back. Recently, he also started reading some of the books by RL Stine, although not those in the Goosebumps series.

When he was younger, he really enjoyed Curious George. In fact, my daughter still borrows his books, as he is not ready to give them up and when he is asked to read for a few minutes, sometimes he will still pull out a Curious George book. The Flat Stanley series was another series that we read many books from. He has started to read the Harry Potter series, but I think that those might still best be fit for us reading together.

All of the children on my Christmas list receive a book from me each year. But, books are also great gifts for adults. I love to share my favorite books with my friends and family. When I find an author that I enjoy, I tend to read my way through their collection and then find myself waiting for them to release a new book. So, I am always looking for new authors (with limited reading time, this can be a challenge - but I am willing) to help fill in those gaps. You can check out some of the books that I have read recently on my Reading List page. This is not a comprehensive list of recent books, but does include many that I have read lately (some even have links to reviews).

Books are a great gift to share with others. I even try to make a point of purchasing a book for those in need when I am at the bookstore browsing and doing my own holiday shopping. Like I said, I love to read and want to share that with others.

Holiday Gift Guide - Shows and Games

There is nothing quite the same as seeing live entertainment. Whether that entertainment is a Broadway show, a ballet, or a live sporting event, being at the show/game in person is just better than watching it at home.

I love taking my kids to see shows. Many theaters offer family packages and/or $10 tickets to shows. The tickets at that price are limited, but they give you the opportunity to share the experience without breaking the bank. We are fortunate, that in addition to regular shows, that we have been able to take in shows geared towards children. We have seen groups like Imagination Movers in concert, a local Children's Ballet group perform Fancy Nancy and Madeline ballets, storybook shows such as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Wrinkle in Time by a Professional Theater Company for young audiences and families, and shows like Disney on Ice and Phineas & Ferb Live. Each of these experiences can be used to teach children about the arts and to see familiar things transformed into live performances.

The holidays can be a great time to give someone the gift of show tickets (and sporting event tickets). Many theaters, having thought of this too, will send out their annual performance information just in time for the holidays.

Sometimes, you are able to get the tickets in time to wrap them and give them, but other times you can not.

At my house, if we can't get the tickets, we have been known to print out "gift certificates" that we make saying that we are giving the gift of the show. I have also done this for sporting event tickets.

Holiday Gift Guide - Building Toys and Tracks

I'm not sure what it is, but building blocks, Legos, K'nex, Lincoln Logs and the like can occupy kids for hours.

There obviously are sets out there that have an objective of building a specific item, which is a great way for them to build an item and learn to work through directions. Actually, have you ever had something built and had it break...it can be quite a challenge to rebuild it without unbuilding it first. (Another great problem solving exercise.) Building something according to directions can be a great starting point for a child that is not as familiar with the products. Once they see what you can do with Legos, K'nex or Lincoln Logs, it gives them a great spring board from which to launch their very own creations.

For our Legos and K'nex, we have both types of sets. We have those that were designed to build something and those that are meant to build anything. I love seeing the creations that the kids come up with on their own. Each child has their own set of Legos and 2 base boards, one large and one small, on which they can build houses and more. As they build, they learn a little about stability, balance and building a sturdy base - lessons that I hope will someday make the concepts learned in advanced science classes easier for them to visualize.

After starting this post, I also added Tracks to this category. We have several tracks in our house. We have Thomas the Train plastic tracks, we have a Darden Car Track (including upside down loops), we have a Hot Wheels race track and a DaGeDar Track. At first, we build things "as expected", but with time, the kids have turned many of them into their own creations (race track aside - it only goes together one way).

Last night, by way of example, my son took a portion of the DaGeDar track and used it as a launch point to activate the Toy Story Action Links and then to topple some dominoes. The set up involved a lot of problem solving. At first, the dominoes were in front of the Action Links, but quickly my son learned that the domino falling wouldn't activate the Action Links. Then, he rearranged them placing the Action Links first. Of course, this required the DaGeDar to land more precisely and we had to adjust the angle of the track a couple of times to find just the right trajectory to kick off the chain. Again, he had a target in mind when he started and used a lot of discovery in the form of trial and error and problem solving to do what he wanted to.

When it comes to our Thomas the Train tracks, we started with a basic set or two and then have purchased additional track pieces overtime, allowing the kids to make longer and more complex tracks. The kids have used the dishes from the toy kitchen to create tracks that cross over top of one another. There were bridges that came with the set, but they weren't tall enough to allow the train to run on a track underneath. I thought this was a great creative problem solving on their part to find a way to make the track high enough to allow another track to run underneath.

Building toys and tracks allow for hours of entertainment, as well as an opportunity to be creative, solve problems and stretch their minds.

My Favorite Game Apps

I have a new addiction on my phone - Word Feud. Okay, it's not that new, but I still love it. A game in the style of Scrabble, you can play with friends or against random opponents. I am a geek you see. I love to play word games and other mentally challenging games (I really love a "board" game that I have called Mindtrap. My husband doesn't enjoy it, but it is such a great game that causes you to push the limits of normal thinking and think outside the box.)

What is nice is that you don't have to give the game constant attention. You can actually take up to 72 hours after your opponent's turn to play your next word. I have had games with some friends take as long as two weeks to complete.

My son recently got an iPod Touch and now plays games against us and some friends. This can be a great way to build his vocabulary. Whenever someone plays a word that he doesn't know, we have him look it up in the dictionary. I have also asked him to check a word in the dictionary if he is not sure that it is a word before playing. Now, he has attempted to play words adjacent to other words and found some two letter words that are accepted by the game, but not necessarily words that we know or would use.

I know that there is a free version of the app available for iPod, iPhone and the Droid. That is what we have. I have to deal with advertisements, but they don't bother me that much.

Speaking of free games for the Droid, iPad, and iPod, we have another game that we thoroughly enjoy and find challenge in - Unblock Me. In this game, you have a red block that you need to slide out an opening on the side of the board. The other blocks that are blocking it in can either move left and right or up and down depending on their orientation. This is a very spatial type of game that you either love because of the challenge or find frustrating. My kids like to play it a lot - although, my four year old generally asks me for help. She's still learning, so I help her out and have her watch what I am doing.

Holiday Gift Guide - Board and Card Games

We are a game family.

For me, playing games is something that I remember doing a lot as a child. At home we would play board games and card games. I remember playing games like Scrabble and Monopoly and Clue. And, if I was playing with my brothers, there was a chance it was Dukes of Hazard or some such game.

I can remember going to my Grandma and Grandpa's house to spend the night and playing games into the evening. We played mostly a dice game or Hand and Foot, but then later played a game called Give and Take and Rummikub. I remember Sunday dinners at Grandma and Grandpa's where my aunts would play Euchre, and sometimes I would get to play too.

When my husband and I started to date, and ever since really, we have enjoyed playing games together. We like to get together with friends to play games (admittedly, this is harder with a family). We have a full game closet in our basement. Long before we had children old enough to play, we had our own copy of Pay Day! and Life. I frequently would give him a game for Christmas, when we were first married. We have games based on classic television game shows and classic board games too. Sometimes, I can even convince him to play a game of Scrabble.

Now, with young kids, we get the chance to play games with them. Lately, we have been playing Monopoly Deal, Pay Day! and Life. Last weekend, my son grabbed Cribbage and Score Four out of the closet (I'm missing a couple of pieces if anyone has extra?) and I taught him how to play both. Of course, my daughter was anxious to play a game then, so after our games, we joined her on the floor for a game of Memory, which she pointed out we hadn't played in a long time. I love not only playing with them, but also observing them playing games together - a recent favorite is Horton Hears a Who, wear they don an elephant hat and following the activity required on the card, race the timer in search of clovers.

When we travel to my parent's house, the kids get a chance to play with many of the toys I played with as a child, including some of my games. My son has tried out Chinese Checkers and a few others. In addition, my mom has shown them Shut the box and Mexican Train. When anyone visits, the kids are always eager to play games with them. One of my hopes is that when they are grown, that they too will have memories of playing games with the family.

In addition to bringing families together, games can really be a learning tool for kids as well. There is a lot to be said about learning to be a good loser and a gracious winner. It can be a very difficult concept for a young child at first, but with time, it is something that will help them in life. Of course, there is also learning to follow rules. Not that this is only seen in game play, but certainly, it illustrates on another level the importance of following rules. Games like Cranium and Pictionary also involve a creative element and can help foster those skills in children - typically with much laughter ensuing. We love games that challenge the mind too, like Blokus, Masterind and Police Blockade (you can learn more about Police Blockade here). Today, my son pulled out MindTrap. I was happy to see his interest in one of my favorite games, but knew this game was in general beyond his 7 years, but we picked through the cards and found questions that he could try to solve. I love how this game challenges you to think of things differently than you normally do. (If you aren't familiar with this game here are two sample questions from the side of the box: 1. "Picture two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without adding the jugs or any divider to the barrel, and still tell which water came from which jug?" 2. "Barney Dribble left the 'Soul-Ace Hotel' and walked toward the parking lot. Without the benefit of moonlight or any artificial light, he was able to spot his black car 100 meters away. How was this possible?" I'll put the answers at the bottom, so you have some time to consider them.)

My children have a number of games on their Christmas Wish List this year - Sorry Spinners, any of the U-Build games, the Curious George Helps the Zoo Game, Diary of a Wimpy Kid game, Chinese Checkers, and probably a few more. I think games are a gift that keep on giving and know that my kids will find a game or two under the tree on Christmas morning.

In case you are playing along, here is the answer to the MindTrap questions: 1. "First you would freeze the water in one or both jugs, and then cut the plastic away from the ice." 2. "It was daylight."

Holiday Gift Guide - Hexbug Nano

A while back, I had the opportunity to host a Hexbug Nano In Home Party. These little bugs seemed a little odd to me at first, but surprisingly, they keep the kids entertained. The kids enjoy setting a few of the bugs loose in the habitat and watching them scamper about. You would think that they would lose interest, but over the past few months, they continue to come back to them. We haven't even redesigned the habitat. Sure, we don't go in and watch them daily anymore, but when they see the habitat and are reminded of it, they are anxious to play.

I have to admit, I enjoy watching the kids watch them. It's interesting to see how the bugs choose this path or that. It's interesting to watch them try to right themselves when the fall off the bridge and land on their back or when another bug runs into them and causes them to fall on their side. We've even played with the stops that came with the set, basically creating an exit only doorway from a path or room.

I like that the Hexbugs and their habitat don't take up much space and can easily be carried from room to room, fully assembled. There is an online experience available as well. Through the Hexbug Nano website, your child can register and track their bugs online. Then, your child can play games, collect points, and learn about science. It looks intriguing to me. "The Hexbug Nano is built around an ancient, fabled society called Hands & Stars, dedicated to human progress through science." The site is built on this and geared to children 7 to 14. Based on the descriptions, it seems like it could be an educational experience including challenges and quizzes. The website is http://www.blogger.com/www.handsandstars.com. I started to play the game Possibility, which really stretches your spatial abilities as you try to figure out how to move the Mold around the tiles without it falling off or through, while collecting lumens and trying to do it in as few moves as possible. I do like that I didn't have to register to play.

I have seen the Hexbug Nano at Target and was pleasantly surprised by their pricing - the starter set is only $17.99 (MSRP). The habitat set is $29.99 (MSRP) and comes with 3 Hex Cells, 7 bridges (track pieces) and 2 Hexbugs. They also have a case for storing your Hexbugs, which might be something I will pick up for the holidays.

Giveaway
I have a couple of unopened Hexbug Nano bugs from our in home party and would like to share them with one A Busy Mom of Two reader.

To enter: Leave a comment telling me that you would like to win.

Additional Entries (leave a comment for each additional entry)

Follow A Busy Mom of Two on Twitter.

Tweet about this giveaway. This can be done once daily, please be sure to leave a link to the tweet in your comment.

Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post.

Sign up to receive daily updates. Leave a comment letting me know you subscribe (or that you already do).

Giveaway will remain open until December 7th at 6 pm and is open to residents of US only. Winners will be selected using Random.org random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (Please make sure that your email address is either in your comment or clearly visible on your profile or blog) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions shared are solely my own. I received a set of Hexbugs and habitat pieces for the in home party that I hosted. The Hexbugs that I am using for the giveaway were remaining from this party package.