With the holidays comes gift-giving. Instead of picking something random off the toy store shelf, this year, aim to get toys that promote skills that are vital to your child’s development. Problem-solving, language and literacy, math, science, creativity, and social-emotional growth are all things that your gift could improve. Choosing gifts that foster education and learning are gifts that keep on giving are and the impact can truly last a lifetime.
Here are 8 gifts that will stimulate your child’s brain, foster development, and give them a head start when it comes to reading, math, and science:
Melissa & Doug Magnetic Human Body Anatomy
Ages 3+
This puzzle by Melissa & Doug is both fun and educational. The magnetic pieces are anatomically correct and help kids visualize and identify the body’s systems and organs. Great for developing hand-eye coordination and perfect for imaginative play.
Magna-Tiles Clear Colors 32-Piece Set
Ages 3+
Magna-Tiles have become a staple STEM toy in just about every toy room. This toy is fun and helps develop math, science, spatial, and tactile skills. Kids can count, build, and stack the tiles to create endless possibilities.
STEM Toy Club Subscription
Ages 3-13
Subscriptions boxes are gaining popularity, but this one keeps on giving your child the gift of learning. Each month, the gift recipient will receive a STEM toy handpicked by Amazon’s toy experts from a leading STEM toy brand. STEM toys are hands-on and engineered for fun to get kids excited about exploring scientific wonders at any age.
For kids ages 3-4, STEM Club introduces simple concepts related to counting, building, and cause and effect.
For kids ages 5-7, STEM Club provides growing minds with hands-on experiments and a deeper exploration of electricity, earth science, and simple math concepts.
For kids ages 8-13, STEM Club will further engage up-and-coming engineers and scientists with projects and experiments based on principals of physics, chemistry, and engineering.
Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. My First Microscope
Ages 3+
This is the perfect first microscope for preschoolers. It magnifies up to 8x, has extra-large eyepieces, and the functional, chunky focusing knobs make it easy for little hands to use.
The Learning Journey: Match It! Spelling
Ages 3+
These fun puzzles will help your kids build literary confidence! The game contains 20, 3-4 letter words accompanied by a picture to help kids get the letters in the correct order. The word puzzles will foster and improve letter recognition, word formation, spelling, fine motor skills, problems solving skills, attention span and focus.
Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube
All Ages
This educational toy is a great gift that will inspire creativity in kids of all ages. It teaches kids how to combine the sounds from 5 different instruments to recreate 8 Mozart masterpieces. It lights up to the tempo of the music and will keep the attention of even the littlest musicians.
CUDNY Magnetic Cube Puzzle
Ages 10+
Older kids will enjoy building virtually anything out of these surprisingly strong little magnets. The cube is made up of 216 individual magnets that can be endlessly rearranged fostering creativity, imagination, and patience.
Melissa & Doug Get Well Doctor’s Kit Play Set
Ages 3+
Pretend play of any kind can help promote imagination, language, and social skills. For a great gift this year, we particularly like this doctor-themed set from Melissa & Doug. The 25-piece set includes all of the tools needed for kiddos to examine and treat their pretend patients. As an added bonus, this playset is a fun and engaging way to ease any feelings of anxiety associated with a visit to our office.