8 Unique Educational Gift Ideas for Christmas Your Kids Will Enjoy
From the archive. This post was first published on the original Green Eggs and Moms blog and is kept here as it was.
Shh, can you hear that? The sound of a thousand elves scrambling to finish all those toys before Christmas?
The North Pole may be busy this time of year, but so are parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles looking for unique gift ideas for Christmas.
Toys make wonderful presents as they provide long hours of good fun and laughter. However, this year, don’t just give any toy. Make sure you give kids those which help them develop important life skills.
For you, I’ve scoured the web in search of the best and most unique educational Christmas gifts. And because they’re one of a kind, you’ll have to order them online.
There’s a pretty slim chance you’ll find them in local Philippine stores. Anyway, here they are:
Educational Gift Ideas for Christmas:
1. K-Beu Dad.* Don’t ask me how it’s pronounced because I haven’t the faintest idea. This award-winning toy teaches kids about the digestive process. Minus the icky details. It’s a soft toy that can be opened so kids can “see” the journey food really takes. If you want to complete the family, both mom and babies are sold separately.
Price: App. Php 1,260 | $ 29.99 (All amounts in this list are exclusive of shipping and other fees.)
Shipping: Ships to the Phils
2. North American Bear Nesting Puppets. Whether you choose the Goldilocks & the 3 Bears set or 3 Little Pigs, these award winning puppets are great for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Why? Because it allows them to retell classic stories. Retelling improves language skills and encourages creativity. Who knows, your kids might even re-write the stories completely, so to speak, channeling their inner story-teller. Supplies are running low for both sets so if you want this toy, you’ll have to order now.
Price: App. Php 1,680 | $ 39.99 (Price for each set)
Shipping: Amazon
3. Mindflex Duel Game. This hi-tech toy lets your kids practice mind control. Really. There’s no magic involved here, only some really scientific technical jargon which I won’t even get into. The short and easy explanation is that it uses brain activity to control a small blue ball across an obstacle course. The game can be played alone or with another player using nothing but brain power. This award winning toy improves your children’s over all concentration, but does it in a really cool way!
Price: App. Php 3,780 | $ 89.99
Shipping: Amazon
4. GeoSafari from Wonder Brains. This is excellent for your budding bug-lover scientists. With the BSI (Bug Scene Investigator) and AntZone, your kids can safely poke, prod and observe insects they catch. BSI even has a microscope so kids can zoom in on even the tiniest of insects. AntZone has a magnifier as well, and more importantly an escape-proof feature. You can get these two for your little bug explorers!
Price: App. Php 870 | $ 20.71 (BSI) App. Php 847 | $ 20.15 (AntZone)
Shipping: Ships to the Phils
5. Smart Lab You Explore It Human Body. Here’s another cool toy for an anatomy lesson, but unlike K-Beu Dad, this is for an older kiddie audience. Children can poke and touch different human body parts: skeleton, muscles and internal organs. They can even stretch the intestines! This is way better than learning about anatomy from a text book.
Price: App. Php 932 | $ 22.19
Shipping: Amazon
6. Deluxe ROK Blocks. You’re probably thinking this is another Lego-wannabe. It’s not. You children can create absolutely anything using these amazing blocks. Everything includes those requiring curved angles and wheels such as unicycles and wheel barrows. Order them and you’ll find that your kids will be able to build smooth angles using arched blocks. Unleash the builder in your child.
Price: App. Php 2,100 | $ 49.99
Shipping: Package Forwarding Service**
7. Earlyears Lil’ Shopper Play Set. This toddler toy is absolutely adorable! It comes with a shopping bag that has 5 treats: an orange, banana, apple, lettuce and milk. Perfect for an early introduction to healthy food. Also, the toys have different textures and sounds which stimulate the senses. While you’re at it, you may want to include a Lil Scoops Ice Cream Bowl.
Price: App. Php 1,049 | $ 24.99
Shipping: Package Forwarding Service**
8. Alex Toys’ Kids Sewing Machine. Perfect for your little fashionistas! The toy allows kids to make real clothes, which encourages them to be creative. What’s more? After creating their masterpiece, this toy can be placed in it’s case to be kept away or carried around. The sewing machine is for kids aged 8 and above.
Price: App. 3,065 | $ 72.97
Shipping: Package Forwarding Service**
If you prefer shopping offline, you can try to find similar toys to the ones above locally. The operative word is try. But if you’re someone comfortable shopping online, I suggest you purchase several items from the same store, to save on shipping and other related fees.
Happy (online) shopping!
Is there a unique educational toy that you think should be on the list? Let me know about it by leaving a comment below.
*Eco-friendly toy
** A Package Forwarding Service let’s you shop from US-based online stores that do not ship to the Phils (or other countries outside the US). Here’s a list of 3 services:
MyUS.com
Borderlinx
Bongo International
Photo: Creative Commons from alicegop