Top 10 Kid Things

These are some kid-related things I’ve been into in 2025, and would recommend to others. (Shout out to @brolin and his wife for the inspiration.)

1. Babywearing

This was my hyperfixation this summer—probably some form of intellectual nesting in preparation for the new baby. I knew that babywearing would be essential for parenting two at the same time. It’s something humans have been doing for thousands of years, and besides being functional, it is a wonderful way to bond with your children. Anyway, I went down a real rabbit hole of babywearing research, including best safety practices and all the various types of baby carriers, carry styles, and fabrics. Ask me about woven wraps, ring slings, meh dais, onbuhimos, half-buckles, and soft structured carriers!

Here are my favorite babywearing resources,

and here is a list of my carriers.

2. Yoto Mini player

I asked for this for Rosemary’s second birthday. When first gifted it, she really loved it for the music. As she aged closer to 2.5, this thing has really come in clutch for stories. It is a wonderful alternative to screen time. Rosemary’s favorite card is the Daniel Tiger 5-Minute Stories. She will sit and listen to it like a child from the 1930s listening to radio teleplays.

The Mini is a great portable size that fits well in toddler hands, and the cards are easy to store on a ring and take on the go (especially compared to a Tonie player, which is a similar product that uses small character figurines instead of cards). The player itself has a solid sound system, and is intuitive to use (for both adults and toddlers).

It’s also incredibly customizable, from the physical buttons to the digital cards. They sell “make-your-own” cards, where you can personalize a card with up to 100 tracks or 5 hours of audio. So far I made one with Joseph’s music, and another with recordings of family members reading stories. It’s so sweet watching her listen to them. This thing is a home run.

3. “5-Minute” anthology books

The stories in these books are the perfect length, especially before naptime or bedtime. Instead of wanting to re-read the same story over and over again, Rosemary likes to read another story in the book, which is great for our sanity. If she asks to watch a certain movie, but we don’t want to do screen-time, she’s usually good with reading about that character instead. And honestly, the stories are pretty good.

4. The Learning Tower from Little Partners

I got a secondhand version of this toddler tower when Rosemary was 17 months, and she has used it every single day since. It is wonderful for a curious toddler who wants to help with everything. It is pretty huge, but boy is it sturdy. I have zero worries about this thing ever tipping over (especially since Rizzo swings on it all the time). And it is big enough that one day both of my girls will be able to stand side-by-side in it, which will be adorable (and great for avoiding jealous meltdowns).

5. Evenflo Revolve 360 Slim car seat

This car seat fits children 4-65lbs, so you can use it from birth to early childhood. It has the nifty feature of swiveling, so that, with one hand, you can turn the seat to face you when loading and unloading the child from the car. It makes it a lot easier!

The “slim” fit will allow passengers (or other car seats) to fit in the seat next to it. If you want it, the “Gold” level gives you a lifetime warranty, and comes with “Sensorsafe” which will alert you if the chest clip is unbuckled, if the child is left in the car, and if the temperature gets too hot or too cold. We have that feature but have not yet set it up; we probably will once Rosemary figures out how to unbuckle her chest clip.

6. Tomee Tipee glow-in-the-dark pacifiers

These things are brilliant. God bless the person who invented them. They are a great shape to mimic the breast. But best of all, they are so easy to find in the dark in the bassinet or crib, or when you inevitably drop them on the floor. They are also easier for babies to find and put back in themselves once they get big enough.

7. Beck Center music classes

These were so fun. Rosemary loved them and clearly took away a lot from them, because I often found her singing the songs from class, using the sign language she learned, and talking about her teacher and saying she was grateful for her in our prayers.

8. Sensory bins

Toddlers are little scientists trying to figure out the physics of the world. Sensory bins give toddlers a chance to experiment with pouring, spilling, squeezing, dipping, ripping, etc. in a low pressure play situation, so that when you are doing an activity with higher stakes—like baking or eating at a restaurant—they will have already practiced that skill, so they will 1) know how to do it and 2) not feel the impulse to destroy (as much), because they already have the world-knowledge that “X” happens when they do “Y.” Sensory bins are also just really fun and a great way to occupy a toddler for a while!

Pro-tip: If using rice, it’s smart to also invest in a manual carpet sweeper for quick clean ups.

9. Kamik Snowbug boots

These are really warm boots that are easy to put on because of the way they open up so wide and velcro. Rosemary can put them on by herself. The ease is a sanity saver after bundling a toddler up in a hundred layers.

10. Stokke Tripp Trapp chair

I loved this chair when Rosemary was a newborn because of the newborn attachment. I hated it when it was a high chair, because it was so hard to clean and the buckles were difficult and therefore dangerous in an emergency choking situation. But once she graduated to the tall chair version, I am back on board again. I really appreciate Rosemary always having been able to sit directly at the table with us, and to be able to climb up and down from her chair on her own. We have the newborn attachment on it again for Louise and she sleeps so well in it, just like Rosemary did. We’re really missing it for Romo now though, and that’s made me appreciate it more.

BONUS: Play dates

These are so good for both me and Rosemary. The joy Rosie has playing with her little buddies is unmatched, and brings me so much joy too. And I get to hang out with my friends. More play dates, please.