Educational Gifts for Kids

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As the years go by there are so many toys in shops that it can be hard to know what to buy for children at Christmas. Because of the sheer volume of toys available I love to gift something more than a simple toy, something that children can learn from as well as enjoying.

Here are some gift ideas to suit all ages and I hope it gives you some inspiration when it comes to your Christmas shopping!

Creative gifts

Plus-Plus is a fantastic creative toy. With just one double-cross shape in different colours, it gives endless design possibilities. Now, the award-winning STEM educational toy, have created Puzzle By Numbers sets that combine the fun play of Plus-Plus and learning. Match colours and numbers on the template to build a mosaic creation. With 500 pieces in ten different colours, children can build a colourful space rocket with no heat, glue or ironing required. The finished puzzle stays together so that you can have it on display or take it apart and enjoy building it again and again.

Another fantastic creative option is Magicube, part of the Geomag brand. Magicube is aimed at young children and the Magicube Shapes set features chunky and colorful magnetic cubes that are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers to play with. They enhance hand-eye coordination, sensory exploration, and cognitive skills as well as being so much fun!

We have always loved Geomag and the Supercolor range is bright, colourful and aimed at all ages from 3+. Geomag lets a child’s imagination soar by building 3D structures simply by using magnets and sturdy plastic panels. It helps boost their spatial awareness, logical thinking, and fine motor skills, letting them create anything they feel like – the only limit is their imagination!

For something portable yet creative, iDoodle is a great gift choice. The iDoodle Drawing Board is a mess free way for little ones to enjoy drawing anywhere! Create amazing drawings with the attached stylus then use the stampers and stencil to add detail. To start a new doodle, simply push the button which erases the screen like magic! Great fun, portable and mess free too!

For a more traditional creative gift, Hey Doodle have a range of Reusable Silicone Mats that allow even very young children to get creative. The A3 mat helps kids to connect with nature and learn about animals from different parts of the world. The reusable mats are perfect for playdates or rainy days at home and come with a set of washable markers so any child can get creative straight away.

Stationery can be a really lovely gift that will help children use their imaginations whether it’s with drawing or writing. This year we love the Zog Stationery Tin Set. Perfect for any Zog fan, it’s full of all the stationery supplies that young ones need, all in a gorgeous stationery tin. A really lovely gift at a great prize too.

Toys and games

You can’t beat brain teasers for their educational value and this Christmas we are loving pretty much everything from The Happy Puzzle Company. One of their top ranges is the Genius Collection which have won so many awards over the years. One of the products, the Genius Square has 62,208 possible puzzles is to complete! It’s played by putting blocking pieces into the grid and then racing to fit the rest of the pieces in the grid as quickly as possible! Great fun and a fantastic way to pass time.

When it comes to educational puzzles and games for young children, you can’t go wrong with Orchard Toys. They focus on learning made fun and as a gift suggestion, we love their Dinosaur Dig game. Players dig and discover fossils as they race to be the first to collect all their dinosaur bones! With a fun 3D board, it’s a gift for any dinosaur fan.

For something super educational and fun, we love the Human Body Puzzle from Hape. Aimed at age 4+, it has 60 good size pieces, creating a puzzle that’s a metre long! It includes a human body fact poster and creates a jigsaw that teaches all about the human body.

For an educational game the whole family can enjoy, Qwaffle is a great choice. Grab a scoresheet, the timer and a pen and get ready to play! Flip over a letter and a category card and the race is on to think of a matching word which fits one of the blank spaces on your scoresheet. But you have to be inventive as only unique words will score! A great game to broaden a child’s vocabulary whilst having quality time together.

One of our best loved games to gift is Top Trumps. A fantastic stocking filler, they come in so many different themes perfect for every age and interest. Easy to pick up and great for teaching children different values, numbers and strategy, any Top Trumps set would make a great gift this Christmas but we especially love The Gruffalo for a set that the whole family can enjoy.

For something a little different, Fungi Frankie is something that all children will love. He sings and dances to songs but not only that, he repeats what you say! Perfect for young children but also a hilarious gift for older ones too. Frankie won’t fail to make you smile.

Science

You can’t beat science based toys for their educational value and the whole National Geographic range of kits and experiments would make wonderful gifts this Christmas. We love the Dino Fossil Dig Kit and Gemstone Dig Kit, giving you something creative to do in excavating treasures but then teaching you about your finds as well. A great STEM activity for any child.

Pets

Now, we always say that pets aren’t just for Christmas – and I stand by that. But,thanks to Sea Monkeys, you can mix the amazing fun, excitement and educational value of science experiments with the joy of an instant pet!

Sea-Monkeys from Bandai UK are the mini pets you hatch, grow and nurture from a choice of cool and colourful tanks in your very own home! Sea-Monkeys have been around for thousands of years and have even been to space and what’s more, they are so easy to grow! Sea-Monkeys sets include everything you need to grow your new swimming pets!

Technology

Do you ever worry your kids are spending too much time on screens? Well now, thanks to Edurino, children can spend time on screens working through games and activities that will really support their learning. The fantastic new learning system features an ergonomic pen that effortlessly teaches children the perfect pen grip alongside real figurines that unlock dozens of different games packed with learning content.

An Edurino Starter Set includes the pen and a figurine with other figurines purchased separately to expand the amount of games that the child has access to. Used alongside a child’s existing tablet, Edurino helps children with numbers and shapes, words and even coding with the catalogue of learning constantly expanding to give even more learning opportunities. We love Edurino and would recommend it for any preschool or infant school children this Christmas.

Another fantastic electronic gift idea that we’ve just discovered is the Voxblock, screen free children’s audiobook player aimed at children aged 3 – 12. Voxblock is used alongside a range of tangible books that slot into the player – requiring no cables or even wifi. It comes in a choice of colours and has a rechargeable battery plus can be used along or with headphones making it great for travel like long car journeys. We love that Voxblock encourages independent listening and they have a range of great starter sets aimed at different age ranges. Easy to use and long lasting, Voxblock would make a great gift this Christmas.

Who knew that brushing teeth could be a learning opportunity? Well, thanks to GUM Playbrush, children can learn to clean their teeth properly whilst having fun twice a day! Used alongside a bright, colourful and engaging app, GUM Playbrush helps children to experience the ultimate brushing fun! The brushing movements control the gameplay, and only those who brush thoroughly will progress. It’s a fantastic incentive to clean their teeth well and sets them up with positive dental hygiene habits that will last a lifetime.

You may not think of video games as educational but they are great for problem solving, hand eye coordination, teamwork and so much more. Outright Games have some fantastic new games this year that would make great gifts this Christmas.

Jumanji: Wild Adventures is aimed at 6 to 12 year olds and it allows players to xxplore Jumanji’s lost world of dangerous beasts and secret treasures whilst working out how to get home. DC Justice League: Cosmic Chaos is another great adventure choice for 6 to 12 year olds where the Justice League go head-to-head with Mr. Mxyzptlk, a powerful prankster from the 5th Dimension. It’s full of action-packed missions, gruelling fights and daring challenges!

Our last option for 6 to 12 year olds is TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK – Expedition. Another fantastic adventure game that will take players on missions across the world. It’s a top choice for Transformers fans of any generation.

Books

Books are always a great choice when it comes to educational gifts and there are so many we love at the moment. One beautiful book is An Atlas of Legendary Places. Transporting you through eighteen of the world’s most intriguing destinations, the book teaches you about everywhere from Atlantis to the Milky Way. It’s a book that will spark wonder and wanderlust curiosity in young readers and is filled with the magic of myth, culture, natural beauty and history. It would make a wonderful gift this Christmas.

Another beautiful, immersive book is The Wonderful World of Water. It teaches the endless ways that water impacts and sustains life on earth, how water is connected to the air we breathe, the food we eat and how our actions can upset the delicate balance of the water cycle. This book makes young readers aware how deeply entwined their futures are with the health of our planet’s water. An eye opening, engaging book for children.

Something different to just a book but great for getting children to both read and write with purpose is Banjo Robinson. One of the best value children’s subscriptions we have ever come across, Banjo Robinson is a cat who travels the world, writing to your child from everywhere he visits – and they can even write back to him!

Find out more in our full review here and also get a FREE SAMPLE and world map worth £11.99!

Something different

For something completely different, PLAYin CHOC ToyChoc Boxes are a fun, educational sweet treat that makes a great stocking filler. They include two allergen free organic chocolates, a 3D christmas card puzzle toy to build and an Christmas fun fact card to teach them about the world around them. Plus, you can buy them individually or as a box of 6 – perfect to share over the festive season.

I could have gone on for pages and pages with this gift guide. There are so many great educational gift options to suit every budget. I hope this has helped you get some inspiration with your Christmas shopping!

You can see all our other Christmas gift guides here.