Happy December!
Hannukah has already started and Christmas is right around the corner. As with every year, I have no idea how the holidays arrive so quickly, but here I am scurrying around to get my gifts in order. I have been wanting to write a post like this for awhile, so I thought I would take some time to share 5 of my favorite presents for children in preschool and kindergarten!
I am always on the lookout for toys or presents that will not only provide some fun, but also have some educational aspect for my own kids at home. Don’t get me wrong, my two boys (ages 2 and 4) will be receiving their favorite Paw Patrol toys from Santa Claus, but I also try to balance it with some family-friendly learning experiences as well.
Here are (5) of my favorite educational gifts:
Please note the following are Amazon affiliate links. This means if you purchase through the link, a very small amount gets kicked back to me. All opinions are my own and I have personally purchased or been gifted each of these items and used them before. If that’s not your style, feel free to purchase elsewhere!
1. Storytime Toys: Three Little Pigs Playset
I purchased this playset for my boys last Christmas and it is STILL being used often. If you’re a mom of toddlers or tots, you know just how amazing that is! My boys love fairytales and the three little pigs has always been a big hit. This playset comes with a little storybook and a 3D puzzle to put together. My boys love to build and rebuild all the houses and then retell the story on their own with the pig and wolf pieces. I think this would be such a great toy for a literacy center focused on retelling in the classroom too. This brand also has Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, a basic farm set, and more!
2. Suspend Game by Melissa and Doug
My mother in law gifted our family this game and it is so much fun to play with the boys! This balance game is perfect for working on hand-eye coordination and cognitive skills. To play, you roll a colored die and depending on the color you land on, you must choose that rod and balance it on the suspension board without all the rods falling over! Like Jenga, you’ll be holding your breath and laughing a lot when the whole thing topples over. There is also a Suspend Jr. version, which would probably suit my 2 and a half year old a little better, but honestly with a little practice, he has learned how to suceed in regular version of the game. If you wanted your kids to play by themselves, the junior version might be worth looking into.
3. Duplo & Lego Jr. sets
Legos. Duplos. Duh.
I feel like I don’t even need to say more, but these blocks are the BEST. My boys love creating with them and while they can be pricey, I feel like they are such a worthwhile investment. I usually like to buy Calvin (my 2.5 year old) a Duplo set and Theo (my 4 year old) a Lego Jr. set with the same type concept. For example, this Duplo Town Truck set is one of Calvin’s favorites. Theo, on the other hand, has gotten into using the real (and much smaller) Legos so the Junior sets are perfect for him and I like to buy the ones that come with a case to help hold the pieces he needs to build!
4. Kidnoculars by GeoSafari Jr.
Kidnoculars! These things are so cool and super kid-friendly. My boys feel like real scientists/explorers when they use these big, comfy binoculars. We’ve gone outside and explored the backyard (think leaves, bugs, dirt, etc.) and sometimes, we sit in the window and explore our neighborhood. That makes us sound like neighborhood creeps, but we mostly look at the clouds and mailboxes. They love them!
5. Magnet Tiles by Best Choice Products
Lastly, we have magnet tiles! Can you even have an educational gift guide without magnet tiles?! These are so great for creative play and my boys could use these over and over again without getting bored. The most popular brand is Magnatiles and while I have purchased a few sets of those, we were recently gifted these “Best Choice Products” ones below and I have to share that they are the same quality and way cheaper!!! I know magnet tiles are a popular gift, so I had to share this brand. When it comes to these popular tiles, my boys like the solid magnets better (I think they work way better than the open ones) and I loveeee that this has a carrying box to store the tiles in.
So those are some of my favorite gifts for the year! I hope you found some great ideas for your own kids – or even to use in your classroom! What are some of your favorite educational toys for this year?!
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