Christmas
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Educational Gifts for Kids
As a mumteacher (yes, I’ve made up that word) finding great gifts that the kids love and are educational is a huge win. In this post I have suggested 10 gifts that (in my opinion) tick both of these boxes – fun and educational.
How are the gifts educational?
When you look through the list of recommended gifts you might question how they are educational. To support with this, next to each of the items I have listed the areas of development the gift has the potential of supporting.
Read my other blog posts for more insight on: school ready, fine motor development, gross motor development, creative expression and language and communication.
Five Love Languages
Have you heard of the book ‘Five Love Languages’? If not, check it out here.
I recommend this book to lots of my friends. It’s an easy read and really informative; outlining 5 different ways that people show and receive love. At the back of the book, there is a helpful questionnaire enabling readers to work out what their top love languages are. My number 1 is the giving and receiving of gifts. That makes me sound really superficial, eek! But, gift giving isn’t superficial. It’s about:
- knowing the person you are buying for
- being known by the person who is buying for you
- someone saying, “I bought you this lavender to remind you of your mum.”
Loving with Gifts
For me, the giving and receiving of gifts is not about gathering stuff (in fact, I loath that!) It’s about the message behind the gift, the message that says, “I know you and I love you.” I want to give gifts like that to my children!
Now you know that gift giving is big for me, you will understand how I approach buying presents. I spend a lot of time thinking about the perfect gifts.
My husband and I don’t spend loads of money and we don’t buy for buying sake. Buying good quality presents that will be well used and (hopefully) shared is important to both of us. I hope you will appreciate that thought that has gone into each of the suggestions below. With my keen teacher’s eye I am able to pick out how a fun gift can also be educational.
Open-Ended, Educational Gifts for Kids
Presents which are ‘open ended’ tend to sustain children’s interests and last longer. An open-ended gift or toy is simply one that can be used for many purposes. For example, a set of wooden blocks can be used to play Jenga or build a carpark.
Do you like buying presents that can easily be shared between siblings? If so, you will love open-ended gifts. A three year old, a six year old and a dad or mum will easily enjoy building a den together.
I hope you feel inspired to think outside of the box when buying your educational gifts for your kids this year. Click on the images of the gifts below to be taken to your Amazon account. From here you can find out more about the items I have suggested and look for similar products. Have fun browsing…
10 Great Educational Gifts for Kids
1) Binoculars
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £10 – £15 | Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Cross-lateral Integration, Language & Communication, Curiosity, Knowledge & Understanding of the World | I bought these binoculars for my son’s birthday and he absolutely loves them! We wears them all of the time and loves the little cleaning cloth that comes in the case. He takes great pride with making sure the lenses are clean. This gift is so great for developing a sense of curiosity and building language skills. |
2) Den Building Kit
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £20 – £30 | Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Problem Solving, Creative Expression, Language & Communication, Team Work, Resilience | A den building kit is a a really open-ended gift. It can be used for more than just den building plus it encourages lots of problem solving and creative thinking. |
3) Balance Bike
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £25 – £35 | Gross Motor, Cross-lateral Coordination, Confidence, Self-belief | Both of my children have really enjoyed learning to ride using this bike. It is light and well made. Find out why balance bikes are beneficial. |
4) Brick Marble Run
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £25+ (you can buy different sized packs) | Fine Motor, Team work, Resilience, Problem Solving, Mathematical Development, Creative Expression | I love this set! Unfortunately, Duplo doesn’t make their own marble run, but that doesn’t matter as this set fits perfectly with Duplo bricks. As a family you can create some EPIC marble runs! |
5) Space Hoppers (family pack!)
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £30 – £35 | Gross Motor, Balance & Coordination, Team work, Social and Emotional Wellbeing | Hoppers are just so much fun! You can’t get on a hopper and not crack out a smile. I think everyone needs a smile this Christmas which is why this pack made my list. Yes, you could save money and buy just one, but why not have some fun as a family? Let your hair down and have a good giggle. |
Keep Scrolling for More Great Educational Gifts for Kids
6) Jumbo Tumbling Tower
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £30 – £40 | Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Balance & Coordination, Cross-lateral Integration, Team work, Social & Emotional Wellbeing, Resilience, Problem Solving, Mathematical Development | Playing the game as designed is just one option. These blocks can be used to create a track for cars, build a den, create a stage. The possibilities are endless! I also love that this gift can involve the whole family. |
7) Outdoor Den Kit
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £35 – £45 | Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Cross-lateral Integration, Team Work, Language & Communication, Social & Emotional Wellbeing, Resilience, Problem Solving, Creative Expression | Den building is great fun and the kids go wild for it! It can be hard, and it can bring up a load of strong emotions but it’s so engaging and hugely beneficial. |
8) Free Standing Boxing Bag
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £35 – £45 | Gross Motor, Cross Lateral Integration, Social & Emotional Wellbeing | This gift was for our son but the whole family loves it! My son finds this boxing bag really useful when he needs to get some energy out of his body but can’t get outside. (Testosterone surges are real!) |
9) Mud Kitchen
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £150 – £170 | Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Language & Communication, Creative Expression, Social & Emotional Wellbeing | Children (both boys & girls) will play with kitchens like these for years. They are brilliant! Mud kitchen are especially beneficial for those children who prefer role-play over more physical play when outdoors. |
10) Gorilla Gym
| Price Range | Educational Benefits | What I Love |
| £160 – £180 | Gross Motor, Cross-lateral Integration, Social & Emotional Wellbeing, Resilience, Problem Solving | What is not to love? My children would adore this gift (and so would I!) We live in a Victorian terrance (skinny corridors) so this wouldn’t work in our home. But I wanted to put it on here because if you can make it work in your house…definitely go for it! |
Which educational gift do you fancy buying for your kids?
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