J is really looking forward to going to Cape Cod and seeing "fishies in  ocean!' (oh, and Nonna and Babbo, too).

He asked for more fishies and I obliged:



Schleich animals are, in general, a bit pricey, but at $4.99 he might just get a fishie to play with at home, too.

I  know,  I just declared a handmade Christmas throwdown, but J gets a (little bit) of a pass. And Schleich-type animals are recommended for the Reggio Emilia and Montessori approaches. In general,  I  try to be guided by Reggio, Montessori, and Waldorf toy principles. Mostly, I look at toys that seem like they will enable imaginative play and reflect/encourage what seems to be  children's innate sense of wonder/attachment/engagement with the natural world. I have learned so much, and had my heart opened so wide, just from watching J look at a leaf, stare at a pond, touch some sand.