Submitted by Admin
That time of the year is coming again. That special time where we dust off the Christmas decorations and rack our brains on what to gift to the people that we love. The last two years have been challenging for the younger members of our family, to say the least. Confined at home and deprived of the opportunity to play with their classmates at school, then threatened by the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant, our children deserve to have a brilliant festive season. Here are some unique gifts that will delight kids and bring wonder back to their lives.
Building Blocks
A great gift for children should not only be fun, but also enriching. As children do puzzles, build towers, and work with their hands, they activate their brains and learn to think and solve problems in ways that are smarter and more creative. Because of this, blocks have been a perennial favorite in the gift repertoire of parents. However, the blocks these days are way more advanced and versatile than the ones from our time. Lego has Harry Potter, Minecraft, and Star Wars sets that can allow our kids to create their very own piece of their favorite fantasies.
If there is something that children like more than dinosaurs, it would probably be robots. By themselves, robots are incredibly cool. But, a robot that can be built from blocks takes the cake! There are now robot block building kits where children between the ages of 7 and 12 can build their very own robots from scratch and program them to move using basic coding. As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) becomes increasingly important in our modern education system, robot building kits are a great way to introduce our kids to programming languages.
Let’s Play Together
For parents who would like their children to get off the couch or computer and move around more, there are many gifts that will entice kids to get active. An example of a ball game that is easy for children to pick up is spikeball, a two-on-two sports game that can be played in your living room or backyard. It is basically a game of mini volleyball where you take turns to spike the ball into a round net. The nets are small and collapsible, which means that you can pack them up and take them with you to the beach or park. By playing simple ball games, your kids will learn hand-eye coordination, communication, and teamwork.
If your kids are up for more challenging activities, capture the flag kits are fantastic for an awesome outdoor team activity. You can even get capture the flag kits that glow in the dark for playing in the evenings. Similarly, fans of obstacle course game shows such as Ninja Warrior would love outdoor obstacle course kits for kids. With slacklines, rope ladders, gymnastic rings, and more, setting up an outdoor obstacle course can help your children to train their balance, coordination, strength, and confidence. For the ultimate treat, pair the gift with a ninja outfit as well!
Back to the Future
While we try to discourage our children from spending too much time on screens, not all technology is bad. In fact, certain hi-tech toys can be absolutely thrilling. For example, a kid’s hoverboard would elevate your child into the coolest kid on the block. Before you get too worried, it is worth noting that hoverboards for children do not actually fly. They are merely fancy, hands-free electric scooters with a futuristic look. Many of them even come with LED lights and Bluetooth speakers to guarantee that your child will turn heads. Hoverboards are a good way for your children to practice their balance, and can be a fun way to get them to and from school.
Virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) toys are another excellent tech option for kids. View-Master has come a long way since the thin cardboard reels of our childhood. The modern View-Master VR headsets come with headphone connectors and provide 360-degree interactive VR experiences that include National Geographic wildlife and Discovery underwater worlds. If VR feels slightly overwhelming, parents can instead opt for AR toys where children can use apps to bring anything from coloring books to rotating world maps to life. By providing an immersive experience, VR and AR can assist our children in learning and retaining information about various topics.
Christmas is an important time of year where we can release all the tension from the earlier months and celebrate our mutual appreciation and love. For our children, Christmas is a magical time where they can put aside the pressures of school and return to their natural wonder and curiosity. By thinking of out of the box, parents can make sure that what they put in the box for their kids will be much more than just another present.