Educational toys are the way to go this Christmas! There is no denying that this year has been a rollercoaster for school age children with many spending much of their educational hours at home. My daughter spent four months actively avoiding my home teaching by actually doing all the work set by her school but this is not the same as having her subject teacher explain face to face when she doesn’t understand something.
Educational Gifts for Children of All Ages
Educational toys are perfect for helping to fill those gaps created by lockdowns and isolations. There is a variety of educational toys available on the BrightMinds site for all ages, from puzzles for 1 year olds to gifts for 12 year old boys and girls. They are devised to work alongside curricula and to scaffold learning. And there is nothing better than learning through play (at any age!) BrightMinds was created from an educational background with the aim of creating a loving space, which is the best way for children to learn, grow and discover their passion in life.
What is an Educational Toy?
To be fair, any toy can have educational value depending on who is playing with it. For one child, a ball might build gross motor skills, improve their hand-eye coordination and give them some exercise. For another, who bounces it against a wall, it will teach about gravity, angles etc.
I would suggest that you shop in two ways for an educational toy! Either actively buy subject specific toys (a chemistry set, for example, or a maths game) or buy for the developmental skill you wish to support or grow (hand eye coordination, problem solving, cognitive etc).
Educational games are just brilliant for encouraging and supporting specific subjects. For your older children, this City of Zombies maths game is a best seller and it is easy to see why. It is a collaborative game where all the players work together against a common enemy (the Zombies) by using their numeracy skills. Collaborative games are great as they are non-threatening for those children who either hate to lose (had one of those) or who are scared to lose. This game also sees results in improved mental maths and numeracy – the confidence grows as the children play and have fun.
Djeco are just wonderful at producing bright and engaging educational toys and games. I love this introduction to board games for your little ones. The Little Circuit game focusses on colour recognition, observation and communication skills whilst implicitly teaching about turn taking, rules following and dealing with winning/losing. And the pieces are super cute – I can already see stories forming and imaginations running wild with them!
It goes without saying that science kits are some of the most popular educational toys to buy. They are perfect for parents who can see where their child may need support within the curriculum and also where a child has a real love of a subject. From kits for the very young, introducing them to the basics, to more complicated, topic heavy products where previous knowledge and experience is built upon and further scope for investigation and learning is given. This makes them great gifts for 11 year old boys and girls - and even older.
by Allie White, educational consultant to BrightMinds
As a parent and former-teacher, Allie has a hands-on approach to home learning, believing that the best learning is done together in a relaxed environment.
Our mission at BrightMinds is to foster “a brighter way to play” to inspire your child to be curious about the world around them & encourage creativity in a fun & relaxed way.
We curate a world-class range of educational toys, games, gifts & books which are good quality, safe and backed by our extraordinary customer service. Educational Toys are our speciality and an Educational Toy from BrightMinds is a wonderful gift for your special girl or boy. Backed by our 90 day guarantee we are the number one site for thoughtful toys for kids!
