With the holidays coming up, you are probably thinking about what to get for children that is educational while being fun. Just because school isn’t in session during the holidays doesn’t mean the kids have to stop learning. In fact, it does them good and puts them ahead academically if they are entertained by educational activities during school breaks. You can give them gifts that will keep them learning without even knowing they’re doing it. All they will know is that they are having fun, and that is all that matters to a child.
Here are four top educational gifts for the holidays that suit a wide range of ages from pre-K through elementary school.
Magna-Tiles 3-D Magnetic Building Tiles
Magna-Tiles are a terrific way to get kids involved with math, science, and creativity, all while having tons of fun. The 48-piece, clear colors building set includes squares of both large and small sizes, equilateral triangles, right triangles, isosceles triangles, a wheeled chassis, an arch, a door frame, a magnetic door, imagination pieces, and more. Each shape is three inches in height, making uniform building easier for small children. All of the pieces are brightly colored and lined with magnets, so it is like building with stained glass, without the glass hazard for kids.
Because of the magnets, each piece always connects with every other piece, giving kids the ability to build anything their imagination can dream up with the shapes provided. Stacks, flat pictures, and three-dimensional creations can all be built with this set, then taken apart and a new thing built in its place. Motor skills, familiarity with shapes, and the ability to see and learn how shapes fit together (which involves math, whether the child realizes it or not) are all developed while playing with this intensely fun building set that is suitable for kids of all elementary school ages.
Pressman Full-Size Chess Game
Kids learn so much by playing chess. Strategy, math, spatial relationships, and more are all important parts of being successful at chess. This full-size chess set includes two 2 1/2″ kings and a folding board for portable play. Suitable for children age third grade and up, this game can be played at home, at school, or in group activities in extracurricular clubs. Because the game is inexpensive, more than one can be purchased to set up tournaments among many players, which is a good time for everyone. For a little more variety, you can also pick up the multi-game set, which includes chess, checkers, and backgammon.
The Magic School Bus Weather Lab Science Kit
The Magic School Bus Weather Lab Science Kit is the perfect toy to help kids learn about the weather. There are several different fun ways of exploring what the weather does in this fun and educational kit. Wind, water, the sun, barometric pressure, and even the greenhouse effect can all be examined and re-created through a variety of experiments. There is even a notebook included for kids to record what they observe from their experiments. The kit comes with a thermometer, rain gauge, wind meter, weather vane, compass, and other fun, helpful tools. There are even brightly colored stickers to help kids track the weather they create. This kit is suitable for pre-K through third grade.
The Game of Life
Who doesn’t remember playing Hasbro’s Game of Life? This classic is still as educational today as it was when you were a kid. With ways of learning about all kinds of life skills a kid will need to know as an adult, such as insurance; education; marriage; jobs; children; finances; buying a house; retirement and more, this game is tons of fun and is suitable for third grade and up. If your kids haven’t played it yet, now’s the time to get them started. It will become a lifetime favorite.
You can’t go wrong with educational games for kids – where fun and learning go hand-in-hand. Tell us about some of your favorites!
