Whether it be the holiday season, or a birthday, gifts are a great way to allow family & friends to contribute to your child’s French learning. I’ve compiled a French gift guide of my top recommendations for best French gifts for kids.
In this French gift guide, you will find: electronics, board games, books, experiential gifts, and more! The guide is also divided by age- scroll down to the ages that interest you. The images bring you to direct links to purchase in order to make this guide as helpful as possible. Please note that some links are affiliate links and all earnings go towards making 123 Petits Pas French programming for families.
I have personally used every single item found within this gift guide with my students and my own children – I would never recommend anything I haven’t used and loved myself.
I hope this helps brings some fun French learning to your home. Feel free to send this blog post as a great list of recommendations to your family & friends.
Although this is not French specifically, the activities included in these Lovevery kits are INCREDIBLE for language learning and age-appropriate developmental skills. If you're looking for a beautifully crafted gift for a little one, I highly recommend their play kits. Click the image above to learn more.
This electronic book allows little ones to practice some of our favourite French tunes! Songs like "Bateau sur l'eau" and "Petit lapin" are included. It's great to have the French lyrics as you listen to the tune together. Plus the buttons and lights make it even more interactive.
This is my FAVOURITE infant toy. Ours has had many years of use put into it. There are so many useful vocabulary words we can practice (les couleurs, counting, action words) and the toy is such an incredible sensory play & coordination tool.
Toys that encourage exploration while standing is great practice for little ones! This one by VTech can be placed on the floor for younger infants, or placed on the stand for infants/tots learning to stand and walk. My little guy visits his French station every day, I highly recommend this one!
Now let's get into some French books for infants! This series is super cute with rhyming pages, lots of repetition, and an adorable message of love. This has got to be one of my favourite French books for infants.
This series is my infant's favourite currently as he loves to touch the different textures on each page. Making a book into a sensory experience is perfect for this age!
For parents needing some support with French, finding a French book that speaks is a great way to go! This one is super cute as it has various items hiding on each page (that's why it's called "baby surprise book").
Although this gift may be used by the parents rather than the infants, I promise there's no better gift than the gift of using a second language at home! This SUPER quick and easy crash course in French for parents allows any family to use French with their baby or toddler. It comes with cheat sheets, signing posters, flash cards, and everything you need to make French learning fun and easy.
These books are a genius idea by two Mothers who wanted their children to be able to read the same book in different languages, AND with support! The magic reading wand reads aloud in either of your chosen languages (and you can click on anything, not just the words!). Click on the image to learn more- I HIGHLY recommend these!
Despite this not being French specific, it has been a favourite toy in my household from infancy to preschooler-hood. We can practice "les couleurs", counting the spots, and so many action words (ex: "monte" vs. "descend") while we "wash" the vehicles.
This French learning desk is incredible for vocabulary practice! It includes a variety of themed placemats that allow you to click and learn new words. It also includes a letter writing practice station in the centre. This is entertaining for 2-3 year olds, but will be useful for a few years up to about age 6!
This is one example of the many brilliant and educational tools included in the Lovevery Play Kits for 3 year olds. Although not French specifically, all of the toys included provide high-quality language building opportunities, and this weather board is a favourite of mine for French practice!
If you've got a little one who loves to sing, dance, and play, look no further than 123 Petits Pas French On Demand! With its continuously growing educational video library for children, playlists, audio books, and more, this is your all-in-one access to French language learning for children ages 2-7yrs.
My participants know that my favourite children's author & illustrator is Canada's "Élise Gravel". Her sense of humour and her attention to inclusivity is incredible. Her newest board book "J'ai faim" (I'm hungry) is the latest addition to my French children's library, but I recommend checking out all her other ones as well! (Une patate à vélo, C'est moi qui décide, etc.).
This electronic book by LeapFrog allows children to press items on the page and hear pronunciation in either English or French. With different themes like: fruits, foods, pets, opposites, outside, and more, this is a great way for tots to practice their French!
This French laptop/tablet by Leapfrog is a toy that has had much use in my household. My firstborn loved it as an infant and continued to use it through to his preschool years, and has now passed it on to his infant brother. This laptop helps teach the letter names and their sounds, counting, and a lot of other French vocabulary!
The Éléphant et Rosie book series is my top recommendation for young children as they are so funny and engaging! They also often address the reader which is always fun.There's a lot of repetition and not much writing on each page - it's the perfect level for young readers and/or for parents hoping to learn some French alongside their child.
It's hard to find workbooks that are engaging, but this one has been my son's favourite so far! With a wide range of activities on each page, and much of the Kindergarten curriculum covered, this is my top recommendation for a budget-friendly French workbook.
These books are a genius idea by two Mothers who wanted their children to be able to read the same book in different languages, AND with support! The magic reading wand reads aloud in either of your chosen languages (and you can click on anything, not just the words!). Click on the image to learn more- I HIGHLY recommend these!
Here's another favourite series for preschoolers and young children. Pat le chat books often rhyme and have an important lesson for children at the end. They're funny, musical, helpful, and easy to read- Pat le chat is a favourite among 123 Petits Pas participants!
Board games are a great way to practice your French and Sequence is one of my household's favourites. With this game you can practice animal names, counting, and common board game vocabulary. This game is fun for the whole family!
This is an all-in-one virtual Kindergarten program for children ages 3-6years. With over 90 video lessons, more than 210 accompanying worksheets /downloadable activities, this program is everything you could need to immerse your child in French learning (no prior French required!).
This is a NEW interactive French dictionary for children. They can touch over 200 words to hear their definitions and there's also a game mode where they can go on a word hunt. This is a great opportunity for families looking for French pronunciation and reading support.
Élise Gravel is an incredibly funny author and illustrator, but she now also has her own board game based upon her very popular book "Une patate à vélo". This board game provides ample laughter and language learning as children pick and choose an item + an action.
There are WAY too many incredible board games to choose from Placote, so this link will take you to one of my favourites : "Vol de mémoire", but please be sure to check out the other options. All games have education at their base and are great opportunities for French learning! Note that parents may need basic French knowledge for many of them as they are a Francophone board game company.
One of the best ways to encourage French learning is through hands-on play. Although this gift doesn't "speak French", engaging your child in an activity like construction while focusing on specific key words (ex: colours, counting, action words, questions/answers). These magnetic tiles are a HUGE hit amongst children nowadays, including my own.
A great way to encourage children to practicing new vocabulary is to find a fun way for them to write / draw. These electronic writing tablets are entertaining for all ages- even enjoy them as an adult! Draw / write on the screen, then click the button to erase. This is also perfect for long car rides / travel.
A classic! Thankfully the latest version has been updated to be more inclusive & diverse (aka a better representation of true society). This game is incredible for language learning as they practice describing words and important vocabulary for questions & answers. Need some French support? Check out our downloadable version (find it in the "Our products" menu tab).
I own this and am SO excited to use it with my son. I'm waiting until he is 6/7 to use it because it's better for this age group, however, I have seen inside and it's SUPER cute and will make for a lovely keepsake. There is also a version for mother & daughter / father & child, etc. Click to check them out!
The "Super Chien" series is a highly engaging comic book-stype chapter book for children ages 6+. If you're looking for a series that will have your child laughing, this is the one! This link takes you to book 1, but if your child enjoys it, there are many more in the series to continue his/her French practice!
Une syllabe à la fois is a series of simple stories that help children learn to read in French. Using French science of reading techniques, children practice reading "one syllable at a time". Each book comes with two versions. The first half of the book separates the syllables by colour, and the second half doesn't. This way once they're more confident in their reading, they can read the book without support.
Looking to gift an experience? Complete 6 fun & interactive French video lessons with your child that help set a great foundation for beginner French reading skills. I lead you and your child through songs, games, and competitions with a focus on listening, writing, and reading basic French sounds. If you complete this series in time for winter registration (Jan 2023), you could join us live for part 2 where I'll take participants to the next level with their reading skills.
I hope that this French gift guide helps spark some ideas for how the Holidays or Birthdays can help bring fun French support to your home! I will admit it was incredibly difficult to limit my choices to 8 per age group 😅, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you and so I put a lot of thought into each recommendation.
Do you have any recommendations that should be added to future blog posts?
Please feel free to send them my way at : info@123petitspas.com
Joyeuses Fêtes!
Fun French teacher to families, Founder of 123 Petits Pas Inc., Mother of 2 bilingual boys
