Now that I’ve found a religious themed play set (A Little People Christmas) by Fisher Price: Little People, why not have a look at another kind of Christmas. The Christmas on Main Street set is full of surprises; you’ll find all kinds of joyful people and things in the candy shop, the bakery, and the toy store. For ages 12 Months and up, why not check it out for your little one’s first Christmas? I’m sure it will last through the years, as Little People sets delight children of many ages. Only $21.99 at ToysRUs.com.

I always like to see wholesome toys that children can both enjoy and learn from. The Little People: A Little People Christmas is a full Nativity scene. It comes with animals, Joseph, Mary, Jesus in the manger, wise men, and the stable with an angel on top. Re-enacting the Christmas story with this play set, and teaching your children about the birth of Jesus, couldn’t be any easier. It makes a great decoration, because with so many decorations being off limits, children can really take joy in touching it. $24.99 at ToysRUs.com.

Add some cheer to your little one’s holiday wardrobe with these Christmas Cheeritights from Trumpette. The fun red and green prints really pop. You are sure to get compliments wherever you go all season long. You can purchase a pair of these fun tights, available in infant sizes up to 18 months, at trumpette.com. They retail for $23.50.

Is it that time of year already? Yes, I’m hearing Christmas talk here and there among my friends and seeing ads already online. I spotted the Ruffled Christmas Stockings on Etsy and thought, how perfect for your little girl or even your grown college girl (so cute in a college dorm or apartment)! I’d like one for myself, to be honest, since we have a very masculine household, with trucks and trains and workout gear littering the closets. Very eco friendly and $21 from Etsy seller rikrak. If this isn’t your thing, rikrak offers tons of other fun felt stockings as well.

My son received this as a Christmas gift from his aunt and uncle this evening at our family celebration, and although he hasn’t had a chance to play with it yet, I can’t wait to open the box myself and tinker with it. Made by HearthSong, the Rockin’ Robots Balance Game features 20 robots and a spaceship. The object of the game is to balance all of the robots and get them onto the spaceship. It looks like it can be played as a game with 1 to 4 players, or just an an exercise in practicing balance if a child wants to play with it alone. The game promotes hand-eye coordination, patience, and logic - all important traits for children (and adults) to develop. Recommended for ages 4 and up, you can purchase the Rockin’ Robots Balance Game for $24.98 at HearthSong.com.

There are so many Baby’s First Christmas ornaments from which to choose, it can be hard to decide on just one for that special new baby or holiday gift. Just to make it even more confusing, RussellRhodes.com sells a variety of gorgeous Baby’s First Christmas ornaments in various themes on its site, including this First Rattle Blue Glass Personalized Christmas Ornament. The ornament features a teddy bear and rubber ducky on four sides, and is completed with a satin bow. It measures 5 inches high.

This ornament comes in blue or pink, and can be personalized with the child’s name on one side of the rattle handle, the birth date on the other side, and a custom sentiment can be hand-painted on top of the rattle. It sells for $24.95 at RussellRhodes.com.

This plaid taffeta holiday dress was handmade by Darla’s Smocked Clothing, a home-based business in Ohio. Sold on Etsy.com, the dress has red, green, and gold plaid taffeta skirt with a bodice embroidered with Santa and snowflakes. The Peter Pan collar adds to the perfect look for a little girl this holiday season.

It says in Darla’s bio that her entire family helps out in the business. Darla herself has been designing children’s and doll’s clothes for over 20 years. Because her outfits are one-of-a-kind, they are offered in one size only. This dress is available in 3T only and costs $45 at Etsy.com.

When buying holiday outfits for little girls, holiday hair accessories are often forgotten or overlooked. The company FromHeadto Bows.com creates a number of gorgeous bows, from lush velvet to this Holiday Peppermint Twist Hair Bow. The white bow is adorned with red and green peppermints. The bow measures 3.5″ wide and is attached to a pinch clip so that it will go on without fuss. You can choose a no-slip grip as an option as well.

This holiday hair bow is currently on sale for $7.16 (reg. $9.95) at FromHeadtoBows.com.

One of the best gifts my son received the year of his first Christmas was this Learn & Groove Musical Table from Leap Frog. He was 9 months old, the perfect age for this developmental toy (the recommended age range for the Learn & Groove Musical Table is 6 months to 3 years). This toy stimulated my son’s musical interests, with over 40 learning songs. There are plenty of lights, sounds, buttons to push, levers to slide, and things to open and close. It also teaches children the numbers from 1 to 10, colors, and opposites, in both English and Spanish. The table’s legs are removable so that it can travel and be stored easily.

My son played with this toy nonstop until he was about 3 years old, so it was well worth the price. It’s currently on sale for $32.99 at LeapFrog.com.

Here’s a unique idea for a Christmas gift: a Pizza Party wooden pretend playset made by Melissa & Doug. It comes with six slices of pizza, tray, pizza cutter, spatula, and more than 50 toppings, all in a wooden pizza box with a see-through lid. Kids can create their own personalized pizza, exercising their imaginations while having a great time. Because it’s made by Melissa & Doug, you can trust the safety and quality of this wooden toy. It comes with the Melissa & Doug lifetime guarantee as well.

Recommended for ages 3 and up, you can view and purchase the Melissa & Doug Pizza Party Wooden Playset for $19.95 at geniusbabies.com.

Who doesn’t love old-fashioned toys? I know that when I spot vintage toys at yard sales and second hand stores, I grab them. They’re just too cute and generally made of natural materials, often wood. Charley Harper’s ABC’s Board Books are lovely vintage-inspired pieces sold at Old Navy for $9.50. They are brightly colored and durable, perfect for your little one’s Christmas gift this year. Also included in the Charley Harper collection are shirts, puzzles, and games.

I have yet to purchase a Baby’s First Christmas ornament for my friend who’s due in the first part in December. I was debating on whether to try to buy a personalized one, but with her due date so close to the holiday, I think an ornament like this Baby’s First Christmas Rudolph Ornament by Lenox would be more practical. This is a shiny, beautiful silver-plated metal version of Rudolph, complete with red nose. He also features gold horns, bells, and hooves. Rudolph sits on a rocker, which has engraved on its runner “Baby’s First Christmas 2008.” The ornament comes with a red ribbon so that it’s ready to hang on the tree.

Although my friend isn’t officially due for a few more weeks, she’s on bedrest and could go at any time. So, I think I’ll purchase this ornament now at CollectiblesToday.com, where it sells for $29.99. That’s not a bad price to commemorate a baby’s first Christmas. I know my friend will cherish this ornament in the years to come.

If I were going to purchase a Nativity Set to keep as a cherished tradition and bring out of storage each holiday season, I’d choose this one from Haba. All of the figures are made from beechwood, so they are not only sturdy but safe for children to handle. This would be a great tool to teach your child the story of Christmas, as he can move the figures and play with them without realizing he’s learning at the same time. The Nativity Set includes a manger with a star, Mary, the Christ child, Joseph, a shepherd, a lying sheep,a standing sheep, a donkey, an ox, an angel, King Balthasar, King Melchoir, King Caper, two palm trees, a lying camel, a standing camel, and a camel herder.

You can purchase the Haba Nativity Set for $97.50 at HunkyDoryOnline.com. This may sound expensive, but when you think of the many years of holiday memories it will help build, I think it’s well worth the price.

If you can’t wait until Christmas to give your child a gift, you might want to consider buying this Gifts Advent Calendar by Haba. It takes the form of a Christmas tree made up of 24 small cardboard boxes. As your child counts down the final 24 days to Christmas, she can open a box each day and find a small wooden toy and memory game inside. You can reuse this calendar next year and fill the boxes with small toys or candy.

Made entirely of cardboard and wood, you can view and purchase the Haba Gifts Advent Calendar at HunkyDoryOnline.com, where it sells for $34.99.

My sister used to invite my three children over to her house during the holidays, and she would have her dining table set up to make Christmas cards and pictures. Your kids can add a little extra touch to their special creations with these Kids Make-Your-Own Holiday Cards. There are plenty of holiday shapes to punch out and glue to their custom cards, but don’t forget to have paints, crayons, markers, etc. ready so they can add their own special touches.

Each set comes with 10 cards, 10 envelopes, glue stick and more than 250 punch out shapes. My sister would have loved this. Visit OneStepAhead.com to order your set for Christmas for only $12.95.