2020 Gift Guide for Educational Gifts

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Homeschooling my kids has opened my eyes to how playing and learning really walk hand in hand. Kids are naturally inquisitive. And while the constant “why?” can become annoying, it is never lost on me that they are just trying to take in the world around them. These toys are sure to help them on their educational journey.

One

We have all seen the Magnatiles that older kids love. This is a block version geared towards younger kids. The block shapes are easier to grasp. I honestly think my older kids would enjoy creating things with these magnetic blocks also.

Two

We love reading. National Geographic has a great selection of educational books with content geared towards kids written in a way that doesn’t dumb anything down. The basics are explained in a way that answers questions fully. It’s refreshing.

Three

Puzzles are a great way to work on fine motor and attention to detail. This puzzle only has 70 pieces and each state is a different color so it would be great for younger children!

Four

The Rocktopus soundtrack is always playing in my household. This is a great option for many ages - my 1 year old puts the instrument pieces into the holes and my older boys play the actual games. This is about as musical as I get.

Five

Any fishing game is a great test to a player’s patience. This version has the Montessori look which would be stylish in a playroom too.

Six

This drill set creates images with each color peg that is inserted. Fun to play with and a beautiful end result.

Seven

The classic abacus. As a parent teaching a young child from home, this toy would be so helpful when teaching early math and counting.

Eight

Santa will be bringing Play Osmo this year for my oldest child. I have realized how much they love to learn from games, and this toy takes it to the next level.

Nine

This book is beautiful. If you’ve got little hands around, be sure to keep it in a safe place! The book explains all the parts of the world - land, water- and the basic requirements for life - food, water, shelter. There are also pages that have a bunch of different animals and people. These are great conversation starters about diversity.

Ten

We were gifted this microscope last year, and it really works! Whenever we question something we take it to the scope for a closer look!

Eleven

If you were a part of the butterfly growing experiment in the spring, this seems like a natural next step. Discuss the growth that you see, and test the waters of a “first pet”.

Twelve

My kids love their easel. They will disappear for awhile and then call me in to show me their work. A spot that is their height for creativity is an open invitation.

Thirteen

If you’ve got a little one into making their own jewelry, these wooden beads look like great quality!

Fourteen

This toy is so versatile. My 2 yo likes to dump it and put it all back together. My 4yo likes to count, and we use the toy for learning activities. There are small pieces, so use caution around younger kids.

Fifteen

Another toy with small pieces. Each piece is magnetic. I like to give the kids a cookie sheet at the table and let them go crazy. We have a strict rule that if anything hits the ground, they get down immediately to retrieve it so that the dog and baby don’t get it.

Sixteen

Go Dog Go is leading the charge in learning to read here. This is a great book to read with your child if they have a few sight words under their belt.

Seventeen

This is a very diverse toy. You can build things, color sort, shape sort, thread the beads, etc.