Gift Guide - Little Lifelong Learners

Looking for our favourite toys and materials for different age groups? Look no further than our Gift Guides!

If you're not sure what to buy your little learner for their birthday or even special occasions like Christmas, look no further.
Simply click the links to shop the toys and resources from my favourite stores and shops.

Browse our favourite toy, book and resource recommendations for newborns and babies from birth, 1 month, 2 months and 3 months of age!

BIRTH - 3 MONTHS

3-12 MONTHS

1-3 YEARS

3-5 YEARS

This is NOT a sponsored resource. The products I list here in the directory are all items we personally love. We have not been paid or compensated by the brands or businesses in exchange for being featured. Some links are affiliate links meaning I will earn a commission on any sales made using those links.

Transform playtime in the Little Play Club!

Themed play packs, masterclasses, simple play ideas and more!

"HELP! I just want my kids to play independently..

"HELP! I just want my kids to play independently...what do I do?! 🤔" This question lands in my inbox almost every single week...so here's my secret.Setting up a purposeful space is what will help to facilitate independent play!Yes there are lots of things we can do to support our children to play independently, but it truly comes down to preparing a space that accessible, inviting, organised and in the perfect location 😎Swipe across to read my best tips!

Guys! What’s your favourite Kmart product for se

Guys! What’s your favourite Kmart product for sensory play? Tell me below! 👇🏻And then once you have, go and check out my new blog! I’ve shared our favourite Kmart products for sensory play but you’ll also find some photos of how we use them too! You’ll find the link to my blog over in my bio ✨So what’s my favourite? 🤔 If I absolutely HAD to choose, I think it would be the trays...or maybe the insect tube. Yeah I think it’s the insect tube! 😍

This afternoon we picked up some very tired, crank

This afternoon we picked up some very tired, cranky children from Kindy and School...so we went straight out into the yard the minute we got home and didn’t come back in until dinner time.The fresh air seems to ground everyone and definitely helps to reset those tricky afternoon moods! Swipe across to see Audrey’s happy dance when Kurtis pulled out the mower 😂Does heading outside help your kids when they’re feeling a bit tired and overwhelmed after a big day?

One of my absolute favourite baby play activities

One of my absolute favourite baby play activities are discovery baskets! They are so quick and easy to put together and provide an amazing opportunity for your little one to explore using their hands and mouth.When I’m setting up a discovery basket, I consider the size and shape of the items inside but I also think about ways to bring different textures to the basket. This makes it even more exciting to explore!You might notice that your little learner puts EVERYTHING in their mouth - but this is so normal. This is their favourite way to learn about the world around them!This was a little colour themed basket that I put together for Audrey when she was a baby. I raided our cupboard and toy stash for all sorts of blue items for her to explore! She especially loved dumping everything out and chewing on the basket instead 🙊Have you ever made a discovery basket for your little learner? What did you put inside?

When we decided to buy our forever home last year,

When we decided to buy our forever home last year, we knew the backyard was THE most important part for our family.You see, we set a goal at the start of 2020 to spend more time outside with our family. We wanted to save for our forever home. And once we put that out there, the wheels started turning and 6 weeks later we had signed a contract for our forever home 😂 #WeMoveFastOnce we finished renovating the garage into our home office and play room, we started on our dream backyard. And part of that was a huge mud kitchen, big enough for 3 little people to play at together!I get so many questions about this epic mud kitchen (you’ll find a blog dedicated to it on the website) but here are a few quick nuggets!👉🏻 Kurtis designed and built it with all the features of my dreams (swipe to see them close up).👉🏻 All of the utensils were either repurposed from our own kitchen when we upgraded things OR found at local secondhand stores.👉🏻 We have a water tank which collects water from the down pipes of our home which we use in the garden and in the mud kitchen.👉🏻 The kids have their very own kitchen garden right beside which they have complete free access too (but Lilly still steals things from the veggie and herb garden).👉🏻 No I can’t hire Kurtis out to build you one, but yes he’s written comprehensive instructions on the blog 🙊 Just Google “Little Lifelong Learners mud kitchen 🙌🏻Do you have any other questions? Pop ‘em below and I’ll answer them all!

If this beautiful little grin didn’t stop you sc

If this beautiful little grin didn’t stop you scrolling, I don’t know what will!! 😍 My name is Casey and I’m the teacher and mum of 3 behind Little Lifelong Learners!We’ve seen lots of new friendly faces join our little corner of the inter webs this last month so I thought now was a good time to reintroduce myself!So how about a game of random-facts-so-awful-but-true about me...and then I want you to share one about you too because it’s only fair if I share some embarrassing things about myself, that you do too 🤣✨ I hated year 8 so much that I would fake a temperature by holding a thermometer up to my desk light.✨ When mum left for work on my fake sick days, I’d excitedly spend the day watching Dr Phil and Jerry Springer before running back to my bed come 3pm. Sorry @myteachingcupboard 😂✨ I never drank alcohol as a teen - I would hype myself up on orange Fanta instead #Rebel✨ I frequently pretend I’m a contestant on RuPauls Drag Race while waiting in the school pick up line and do the best damn Lip Synch for your Life in the privacy of my own car.✨ Last week I bought donuts on 4 separate occasions and I’m not embarrassed to admit that at all #DonutsAreLife 🍩✨ I mostly only bought our Thermomix so I could make cinnamon rolls and make them a few times a month. Life is all about balance 🤪Okay, your turn! I need some good belly laughs this evening and I know you won’t disappoint 😅

Hands up if you sometimes feel a little overwhelme

Hands up if you sometimes feel a little overwhelmed about how to prepare AND enjoy simple invitations or activities with your baby? 🙋🏻‍♀️It’s easy to feel like we’re not doing enough - but our littlest people really don’t need much! They’re discovering everything for the first time so the simplest ideas are often the best.We’ve been having the best time this week in our back to basics challenge exploring all the ways we can simplify play time - here are a few ideas for your 4 month old baby!Know someone with a little baby who might like these simple ideas? Just tag them below!

“Umm who has time to play with their kids like t

“Umm who has time to play with their kids like that?” 🙄 Back when I was a new mum, I was left feeling a bit overwhelmed. I had an energetic toddler named Lilly and wanted to inject more play into our days at home together! I’d set up fun little sensory play activities and excitedly rotated her toys each week to keep things fun and fresh.But sometimes felt like I was made fun of for wanting to create playful experiences for Lilly. Sometimes I felt like others perceived me to be *trying too hard* to be a fun mum. But honestly? I just LOVED playing with her! I had spent years waiting so impatiently to marry Kurtis and have his babies 🙊But anyway, fast forward many years, a few more babies, lots of experimenting and I finally found my playful feet.I don’t stress about those that don’t *get* my passion for play. I’m totally confident in my ability to be a playful parent. My mission in life is to create play experiences and invitations that allow me to build a beautiful, playful bond with my children. I want them to look back on their childhood with so much joy and be filled with playful memories!And that is why I’m hosting a FREE play challenge which is kicking off tomorrow!! I’m here to support you and YOUR playful journey....whether you love sensory play, creating beautiful play environments, setting up exquisite play invitations or getting playful in the great outdoors. Whether you’re a stay at home mum or work full-time. Whether you love all things Grimms or love a good Pinterest hack..We’re kicking off the challenge first thing tomorrow but there’s still time for you to join almost 1600 playful parents who have registered and are making their way over to our pop-up group! If you’d like to use play as a way to connect with your little learners and finally understand how to create invitations they’ll adore, come follow the link in my bio 😍

"HELP! I just want my kids to play independently..

"HELP! I just want my kids to play independently...what do I do?! 🤔" This question lands in my inbox almost every single week...so here's my secret.Setting up a purposeful space is what will help to facilitate independent play!Yes there are lots of things we can do to support our children to play independently, but it truly comes down to preparing a space that accessible, inviting, organised and in the perfect location 😎Swipe across to read my best tips!

Guys! What’s your favourite Kmart product for se

Guys! What’s your favourite Kmart product for sensory play? Tell me below! 👇🏻And then once you have, go and check out my new blog! I’ve shared our favourite Kmart products for sensory play but you’ll also find some photos of how we use them too! You’ll find the link to my blog over in my bio ✨So what’s my favourite? 🤔 If I absolutely HAD to choose, I think it would be the trays...or maybe the insect tube. Yeah I think it’s the insect tube! 😍

This afternoon we picked up some very tired, crank

This afternoon we picked up some very tired, cranky children from Kindy and School...so we went straight out into the yard the minute we got home and didn’t come back in until dinner time.The fresh air seems to ground everyone and definitely helps to reset those tricky afternoon moods! Swipe across to see Audrey’s happy dance when Kurtis pulled out the mower 😂Does heading outside help your kids when they’re feeling a bit tired and overwhelmed after a big day?

One of my absolute favourite baby play activities

One of my absolute favourite baby play activities are discovery baskets! They are so quick and easy to put together and provide an amazing opportunity for your little one to explore using their hands and mouth.When I’m setting up a discovery basket, I consider the size and shape of the items inside but I also think about ways to bring different textures to the basket. This makes it even more exciting to explore!You might notice that your little learner puts EVERYTHING in their mouth - but this is so normal. This is their favourite way to learn about the world around them!This was a little colour themed basket that I put together for Audrey when she was a baby. I raided our cupboard and toy stash for all sorts of blue items for her to explore! She especially loved dumping everything out and chewing on the basket instead 🙊Have you ever made a discovery basket for your little learner? What did you put inside?

When we decided to buy our forever home last year,

When we decided to buy our forever home last year, we knew the backyard was THE most important part for our family.You see, we set a goal at the start of 2020 to spend more time outside with our family. We wanted to save for our forever home. And once we put that out there, the wheels started turning and 6 weeks later we had signed a contract for our forever home 😂 #WeMoveFastOnce we finished renovating the garage into our home office and play room, we started on our dream backyard. And part of that was a huge mud kitchen, big enough for 3 little people to play at together!I get so many questions about this epic mud kitchen (you’ll find a blog dedicated to it on the website) but here are a few quick nuggets!👉🏻 Kurtis designed and built it with all the features of my dreams (swipe to see them close up).👉🏻 All of the utensils were either repurposed from our own kitchen when we upgraded things OR found at local secondhand stores.👉🏻 We have a water tank which collects water from the down pipes of our home which we use in the garden and in the mud kitchen.👉🏻 The kids have their very own kitchen garden right beside which they have complete free access too (but Lilly still steals things from the veggie and herb garden).👉🏻 No I can’t hire Kurtis out to build you one, but yes he’s written comprehensive instructions on the blog 🙊 Just Google “Little Lifelong Learners mud kitchen 🙌🏻Do you have any other questions? Pop ‘em below and I’ll answer them all!

If this beautiful little grin didn’t stop you sc

If this beautiful little grin didn’t stop you scrolling, I don’t know what will!! 😍 My name is Casey and I’m the teacher and mum of 3 behind Little Lifelong Learners!We’ve seen lots of new friendly faces join our little corner of the inter webs this last month so I thought now was a good time to reintroduce myself!So how about a game of random-facts-so-awful-but-true about me...and then I want you to share one about you too because it’s only fair if I share some embarrassing things about myself, that you do too 🤣✨ I hated year 8 so much that I would fake a temperature by holding a thermometer up to my desk light.✨ When mum left for work on my fake sick days, I’d excitedly spend the day watching Dr Phil and Jerry Springer before running back to my bed come 3pm. Sorry @myteachingcupboard 😂✨ I never drank alcohol as a teen - I would hype myself up on orange Fanta instead #Rebel✨ I frequently pretend I’m a contestant on RuPauls Drag Race while waiting in the school pick up line and do the best damn Lip Synch for your Life in the privacy of my own car.✨ Last week I bought donuts on 4 separate occasions and I’m not embarrassed to admit that at all #DonutsAreLife 🍩✨ I mostly only bought our Thermomix so I could make cinnamon rolls and make them a few times a month. Life is all about balance 🤪Okay, your turn! I need some good belly laughs this evening and I know you won’t disappoint 😅

Hands up if you sometimes feel a little overwhelme

Hands up if you sometimes feel a little overwhelmed about how to prepare AND enjoy simple invitations or activities with your baby? 🙋🏻‍♀️It’s easy to feel like we’re not doing enough - but our littlest people really don’t need much! They’re discovering everything for the first time so the simplest ideas are often the best.We’ve been having the best time this week in our back to basics challenge exploring all the ways we can simplify play time - here are a few ideas for your 4 month old baby!Know someone with a little baby who might like these simple ideas? Just tag them below!

“Umm who has time to play with their kids like t

“Umm who has time to play with their kids like that?” 🙄 Back when I was a new mum, I was left feeling a bit overwhelmed. I had an energetic toddler named Lilly and wanted to inject more play into our days at home together! I’d set up fun little sensory play activities and excitedly rotated her toys each week to keep things fun and fresh.But sometimes felt like I was made fun of for wanting to create playful experiences for Lilly. Sometimes I felt like others perceived me to be *trying too hard* to be a fun mum. But honestly? I just LOVED playing with her! I had spent years waiting so impatiently to marry Kurtis and have his babies 🙊But anyway, fast forward many years, a few more babies, lots of experimenting and I finally found my playful feet.I don’t stress about those that don’t *get* my passion for play. I’m totally confident in my ability to be a playful parent. My mission in life is to create play experiences and invitations that allow me to build a beautiful, playful bond with my children. I want them to look back on their childhood with so much joy and be filled with playful memories!And that is why I’m hosting a FREE play challenge which is kicking off tomorrow!! I’m here to support you and YOUR playful journey....whether you love sensory play, creating beautiful play environments, setting up exquisite play invitations or getting playful in the great outdoors. Whether you’re a stay at home mum or work full-time. Whether you love all things Grimms or love a good Pinterest hack..We’re kicking off the challenge first thing tomorrow but there’s still time for you to join almost 1600 playful parents who have registered and are making their way over to our pop-up group! If you’d like to use play as a way to connect with your little learners and finally understand how to create invitations they’ll adore, come follow the link in my bio 😍

“They shall not grow old, as we that are left gr

“They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. We will remember them.” Today is ANZAC Day - a day to commemorate the soldiers that fought so hard for the country we call home. This morning we’ll be eating our ANZAC biscuits down at our local march and reading one of my favourite books to help our little people make sense of the significance of today.