Not sure what to get for the little kids this year for birthdays? Be the Cool Aunt or Uncle at all of the family birthday gatherings in 2017 with our roundup of these fun and awesome gifts for the little ones in your life that are sure to help you upstage parents on at the party! I have compiled a couple of the hottest gifts for toddlers and young children and that I have personally tried! Let me tell you, each one was definitely a winner in our house!

I found that this take is easy to use and easy to apply. It works as described. Best of all, it didn't leave my tile floors sticky or stuck with paper residue. Keep in mind, though, that if you have real wood floors, to try this with caution. There are complaints of it damaging it. I would suggest trying it in a small area first and/or not leaving it down for long periods of time. However, I do not have wood floors so I cannot verify or confirm this.

My son just turned 3 on December 30th and he was super excited about this train! From the moment he saw it sitting in the packaging, he just could not wait to get it out. Once we took it out the packaging, I pulled the battery safety tab out and it was ready to go! I just had to connect the individual train carts; which can be a bit difficult at first. I like that it's difficult to connect, though, because they stay secured in place and require a bit of effort to come off. This means less lost pieces in my house! The train is well built and well constructed and, of course, a lot of fun for my son. Literally, he played with it all day. You press the button on the front of the train and it makes sounds and lights up.

One thing that he discovered while playing with his train, that I didn't even notice, was that there is a switch on the bottom that allows the train to roll around by itself. Not only did it roll great on our tile floor, but it also rolled surprisingly well over our carpet. For reference, we have we have short carpet in our home, not the long kind - which, I'm sure, plays a role with how well the train moved.

For Ages 12 months+. MSRP: $24.99.

With this one, I expected another little blanket. Nope! I was pleasantly surprised to find this was almost large enough for me to snuggle with comfortable! Plentiful in size, this 4-layered 100% cotton muslin Serenity Blanket is a true luxury for baby or toddler's snuggle time. It is oversized at 47" X 47". As a parent, I love that it offers easy to care for washing. Just wash in a cold gentle cycle with non-chlorine bleach (or just your regular laundry detergent) and once it's done washing put it on a warm tumble dry.

Once again, this was a hit with my 3-year-old son, but even my 9-year-old daughter liked it! The adorable giraffe and lion print were a hit; especially since my son is really into lions (thanks to "The Lion Guard") these days. In fact, it's honestly the perfect print for him because he's in the middle of potty training and what do you think he has to have on his pull-ups? Lions! When it was time for bed, he was happy to use his new blanket. It was well sewn/stitched. I like that, unlike other blankets, this one was pretty thick. So it was able to keep him warm. Plus, because of the large size, his whole body was covered.

It’s 2-in-1 fun withSoapSox®, the cuddly companions you can actually take in the tub! Snuggle, cuddle, and play together all day and when it’s time for your bath, bring them with you! A patented soap pocket transforms lovableSoapSox® into sudsy wash cloth – just add soap and scrub. It’s the way kids want to wash! SoapSox®, the next generation of washcloths for kids! For Birth +.

I think of all the items we received; this and the train were his absolute favorites. The train is for out the bathtub, but Jace, my son, loves bath time. For bath time, he literally has to dump every bath toy he has in the tub. So he is a bath toy guru! When he saw this one to add to his collection he got really excited! He tried to tell me it couldn't go in the bath tub since, generally, stuffed animals don't go in. So it took some convincing to let him know it would be okay for the alligator to take a bath too! Basically, the alligator has a water-safe material that allows for you to use it in the tub without it getting ruined.

What's really unique about this sponge, though, is that you can "feed" it soap. The mouth has a little opening where you can put the soap in. Once you get the soap in, add some water and rub it a bit until it starts making suds. Then your alligator is ready for use! Basically, this makes bath time more fun for your little one; especially if they're not fans of baths.

I love how adorable it is in person. The image you see online is exactly what you get. It is well made, well sewn and overall, well put together. When you're done with using it, I suggest ringing out as much water as possible so it will fully dry for the next use. Otherwise, it will hold water, afterall, it is a sponge.

There are a ton of great gift ideas out there, but these are some of my absolute favorite and ones I have tried that I can recommend. My children loved each item and continue to play/use them today. If you're unsure of any item, simply ask me and I would be happy to answer to help you decide if it's something you would like to purchase or not.