At SHIFT Work + Play, our playroom is lovingly outfitted with toys that spark creativity, imagination, and independent play. Every play session is an opportunity to encourage new connections, promote learning and support our littlest members while their parents pursue their goals in our coworking space. We take this mission seriously!
That’s why we’re excited to share our first Holiday Gift Guide, full of playroom favorites. Every item in this guide has been kid-tested in our playroom, where we host children ages 18 months – 6 years old (with the occasional older sibling thrown in!). Whether you’re shopping for your own little one or for a special child in your life, these toys are the ones we keep coming back to because they are sturdy, engaging, and fun for a range of ages.
(When you purchase through the Amazon links below, SHIFT may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — thank you for supporting our family-friendly coworking space!)
🌈 Creative Play
Washable Tempera Paint
It’s always painting time at SHIFT! These vibrant, washable paints are perfect for all our paint + play sessions. Minimal mess, maximum creativity. Shop on Amazon
MAGNA-TILES Construction Set
These iconic magnetic tiles encourage open-ended construction and imaginative building. Kids can create towers, castles, and more while exploring shapes, colors, and engineering basics. Plus our littlest guests get a lot of demolition practice! Shop on Amazon
Building Stones
Unique rock-shaped blocks for open-ended building, sensory play, and fine motor skill development. Perfect for independent or cooperative play, these rocks are often repurposed as “gems.” Shop on Amazon
🌳 Outdoor + Movement Play
Sensory Table
We use this sensory table for sand play outside, but you could add water or other sensory materials. Its adjustable height lets this table grow with our playroom kiddos. Shop on Amazon
Jumbo Sidewalk Chalk
Classic sidewalk chalk for outdoor drawing, movement games, and imaginative fun. Our front sidewalk is often covered in hop scotch, tic tac toe, Elephant & Piggie sketches and (currently) a very large family of turtles. Shop on Amazon
Bubble Making Machine + Refill
A portable bubble machine creates instant fun, and this concentrated refill solution makes super strong bubbles and ensures hours of bubbly play.
Shop Machine on Amazon
Shop Refill on Amazon
🧩 STEM + Imaginative Play
Wooden Dollhouse with Furniture
A simple dollhouse that encourages pretend play, spatial reasoning, and storytelling. The working elevator and open sides make it perfect for cooperative play. Shop on Amazon
Imagination Patterns
This combo of pattern pictures and magnetic shapes is a big hit with our 4- and 5-year old guests. As they work to recreate the images on the cards, they practice problem-solving, pattern recognition, and creative construction. Shop on Amazon
Dust Sweep Mop Pretend Play Set
Why is pretending to clean up so much more fun than actual tidying up?! This cleaning set fosters imaginative role-play and fine motor skills, and occasionally gets repurposed for games like toddler-friendly mini-golf. Shop on Amazon
💛 SHIFT Favorites
Giant Teddy Bear
The Playroom’s “Big Brown Bear” is irreplaceable but this similar stuffie is sure to be a hit with kids that love to snuggle and befriend their toys. Shop on Amazon
Dinosaur Pull-Back Cars
The looks of surprise and delight that emerge when kids realize these dino cars wind up and speed away are priceless. They are small-hand friendly and perfect for racing, storytelling, and imaginative fun. Shop on Amazon
Wooden Toddler Puzzles
Kids are drawn to these animals before they are quite ready to solve the puzzles, which is great because the pieces are numbered and designed to help develop problem-solving, coordination, and early learning skills. Shop on Amazon
Ball Pit
Our ball pit is popular in the Family Room and the Playroom; members know it gets shuffled back and forth quite a bit. Our smallest guests sit inside and use it in a traditional sense, while our pre-schoolers find all kinds of ways to have fun with it, from creating animal dens to ball toss and “fishing” games.
Shop Ball Pit on Amazon
Shop Balls on Amazon
📚 Books We Love
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? My First Reader by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle
A timeless picture book introducing colors, animals, and rhythm for the littlest readers. Shop on Amazon
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault
Rhythmic alphabet story perfect for preschoolers learning letters and sounds. Shop on Amazon
Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima
A fun story about creativity, curiosity, and unexpected adventures for imaginative young readers. Shop on Amazon
Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang & Max Lang
Playful story about emotions and expressing feelings — perfect for social-emotional learning. Shop on Amazon
Rosie Revere, Engineer (The Questioneers) by Andrea Beaty
Inspires creativity, persistence, and problem-solving — ideal for young builders and inventors. Shop on Amazon
Ada Twist, Scientist (The Questioneers) by Andrea Beaty
Encourages curiosity, scientific thinking, and exploration — perfect for future scientists and problem-solvers. Shop on Amazon
We hope this guide sparks some ideas for your own play spaces at home or helps you discover a new favorite gift for the little ones in your life. From bubbles to building blocks, these are toys that fill our Playroom with laughter, imagination and some occasional happy messes. We hope this list inspires playtime that feels joyful and easy, for kids and grownups alike!