Gift ideas that are fun AND educational
If you celebrate Christmas, I'm guessing there's a good chance you've already done some shopping, but in case you are still looking for ideas, I thought I'd share a few gift ideas we've enjoyed in my family. These toys and games are all fun - because kids want FUN gifts - but they also sneak in an educational component. (I'm NOT an affiliate for any of these products - just sharing because we enjoy them!)
Under $25
Jigsaw puzzles. Santa is giving everyone in my house a puzzle this year (don't spill my secret). Puzzles are wonderful for developing spatial awareness, which is particularly helpful in higher level mathematics. I especially love the puzzles with non-uniform pieces. Put on an audiobook while working on your puzzle and you'll build a family memory. (Last year, I received this Tangled puzzle, and I worked on it while listening to Ibi Zoboi's Pride on audio. The puzzle and the book are forever intertwined in my mind.)
Set. I mention this game a lot, but that's only because I love it so much, and now my kids love it too. Great for developing high-level math skills.
Solitaire Chess. We've only had this game for a few months, but it's become a favorite. A great solo game that builds logic and strategy.
Rush Hour. I could sit and play this solo game for hours. And I did over the summer when we stayed at my mom's house. Great for logic and problem solving.
Lego Creator Sets. These are fun because Lego includes instructions for three different builds using the same set of included pieces. Great for building spatial awareness and engineering skills.
A kid-friendly cookbook. Great for building general life skills, and measuring is important for both math and science. My family loves The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs (and its accompanying baking book).
$25 - $50
Qwirkle. My family is fairly new to this game, but we find it a lot of fun. Great for a wide range of ages and it helps develop classification and pattern identification skills.
Ticket to Ride. These games are great for learning strategy and building connection skills. I was excited to discover they make a France & Old West edition (it has a double-sided board so you can pick the one you want) and one of my kiddos will receive it this Christmas.
Book Collections. If your child has a favorite series, getting a boxed set is a wonderful gift idea.
And of course, there's always lots and lots of books... There are too many book ideas to include in an email, but I will be sharing some of my favorite reads from the year over on my Instagram page, so you can follow me there if you're looking for single giftable titles.
Next week, I'll share with you my "homeschool lite" plan that we do in December.
