Holiday Gift Guide: Fun & Educational Gifts For Kids!

Have you started your holiday gift shopping yet? The days are getting shorter; Hanukkah and Christmas will be here before we know it! Now that we’re past Halloween, we can focus on our Christmas shopping list. The team at Boston Baby Nurse and Nanny has put together a list of fun and educational gifts for kids. We hope our 2021 holiday gift guide makes this year’s shopping a little bit easier.

What Are Educational Gifts For Kids?

STEM Toys are what’s hot right now! STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. These toys often include building or science experiments, such as a build-and-take-apart truck or make-your-own marker set. These and many more STEM toys are great educational gifts for kids because they’re fun and allow children to learn through their play.
Look for open-ended toys that can be manipulated in a variety of ways to promote thinking and problem-solving. Some toys sing the same song over and over; those get boring fast. Toys such as wooden blocks with a variety of shapes can be used to build many different structures from a child’s imagination. Younger children may even use them as pieces of food in their play kitchen, as they explore pretend-play.
Pretend Play is a way for children to practice social interactions and act out what they see as role modeled by adults and others in the world around them. Toys such as a doctor kit are a great way for children to role-play a doctor’s visit and use imaginative play to reflect on everyday experiences.

Holiday Gift Guide Tips

Age Level: You don’t have to abide by the age level listed on the toy when looking for gifts for kids this holiday season. Some pediatricians actually suggest choosing the toy of the next age level up. This is so that children can work on developmental skills that they should be achieving in the upcoming months. However, keep in mind that if a child still puts things in his mouth, caregivers need to be present while playing with older children’s toys.
Wooden Toys: If you can find the toy you’re looking for in wood form, get it! For instance, check out this wooden walker versus the common plastic ones you often see. You’ll notice lots of wooden toys in our 2021 holiday gift guide because they’re more durable, last longer, and are natural. Plastic toys cost less, but have chemicals in them and don’t make it through rough kid play. For babies, you can choose fabric toys as well.
Include a Book: Help families promote early literacy with a book matching the theme of the toy you bought. Let’s be honest, as kids, we were never huge fans when Grandma gifted us a book. However, if you relate the book to the cool toy you got for the child, they will be more interested in reading it. Tool School and Tap Tap Bang Bang are great books to go with this construction tool kit. From Cat in the Hat’s learning library, There’s No Place Like Space would be a huge hit with this rocket ship tunnel and ball pit!

Recommended Holiday Gifts For Kids

Here is a list of our top favorite toys in each age group.

In addition, we have many more recommended products for new parents and baby showers. Good luck with your holiday shopping, and don’t forget to have your kids make something memorable for the loved ones in their lives, including their beloved Nanny.