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Best 10 Gift Ideas for Kids

By Paul Coles

Whether it's for birthdays or Christmas, buying gifts for children can be a little too overwhelming and confusing. All children love toys but it is recommended that you give kids gifts that are both educational and fun. Educational toys are great as they allow children to learn while playing and help build a solid early foundation for a lifetime of learning.

If you have no idea what gift to get for a child, here are the best 10 educational toys that are readily available locally or online.

1. Learning Toys

Learning toys help children develop motor, cognitive and social skills. When purchasing learning toys, make sure the toy is challenging – appropriate for his age and gender – and made of safe, durable materials.

Avoid toys that can only be played with one or two ways. The more activities a kid can do with a toy, the better it is. For younger kids, look for toys that can be opened, closed, twisted, pulled, dragged, formed, changed, preferably all at the same time.

As for slightly older kids, the best learning toys are those that stimulate imagination and encourage creativity.

2. Hobby and Science Toys

Hobby toys help your kid discover his lifetime passion by offering hundreds of educational toys that catches his interest. Good examples include science projects, electronic kits, Lego Mindstorms, and robot projects, chemistry, biology, anatomy and physics sets.

3. Nature Toys and Pets

Nature toys allow your child explore the wonders and mysteries of the world around him. They can cultivate curiosity and help a child become a lifelong learner. Consider gifts such as microscopes, telescopes, planetariums, and globes.

Pets also make excellent gifts as they instil a sense of responsibility in a child. For example, an aquarium can educate children about aquatic life while keeping small pets at home – terrapins, rabbits, chinchilla, and hamsters – can be a great way to teach your kid about love and respect for animals.

Watching seeds grow into a plant will fascinate any child so you might want to purchase a kids’ sprout kit, which can be found at Amazon for a very small price.

4. Personalized Gifts

Studies have shown that kids learn best when their activities are personalized. Babies and young children love hearing their own name sung in songs, printed in books, built with trains, or just hanging on the wall. Moreover, personalized books, music, and toys also improve your kid’s self-confidence and self-esteem.

Check out mooo.com.au for custom made name puzzles, books and more.

5. Computer Software and Games

Not all video games are created equal. Some computer software are actually effective teaching tools. They help build math, reading, and many critical learning skills. If you decide to buy a video game as a gift, look for those that build high level logic skills like strategy thinking and problem-solving, and not violent video games that only “frag” the enemy. You might want to look at these strategy games such as Railroad Tycoon, SimCity, and Age of Empires.

Although “fragging” the enemy is said to develop hand-eye coordination, some psychologist are concerned that the “killing” nature of these games can desensitize children to violence.

6. Books

Books are and will always be a young mind’s best friend. Aside from keeping a child quiet and happily entertained for hours, reading builds the language neural connections in your kid’s brain and expands his knowledge.

7. Magazine Subscriptions

Other than books, magazines can be a great way to start kids off on a life-long passion for reading. And, since magazines feature what is current and up-to-date information, kids will take a great interest and make time to read.

8. Puzzles and Board Games

Puzzles and games simulates the brain. The best puzzles and board games teach your kid how to plan, decide, and think through a difficulty. Board games, when played with friends or family, helps enhance social skills as well.

9. Musical Instruments

Many studies have suggested that learning music has a profound effect on your kid’s brain. Music is shown to increase IQ, improve school grades, and prepare your kid to learn the advanced concepts of math and science.

10. Educational Videos

Educational videos have proven beneficial to preschool and above kids. Children who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers tend to watch more informative and educational shows when they get older.

There are educational movies online where kids of the “You Tube” generation not only watch, but also interact for a greater learning experience.

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