Gifts That Inspire Young Minds

Looking for gifts this holiday season that will capture your children’s imagination and stimulate their minds? Try these suggestions:

• Invite creativity. Many of the ‘latest’ toys stacked in stores today have so many bells and whistles that children need to do little more than breathe on them to make them talk, walk, and entertain them. But after a few go ‘rounds, as the player learns what to expect, the toy becomes predictable. Hence, the thrill is lost and so too is the interest. With blocks, Legos, Lincoln logs, paints, playdough and other toys that leave the creativity to the child, each encounter can result in a difference outcome. And, as experience builds, so too does confidence and skill.
• Capture and build on a learning experience. This involves a bit more effort on your part than, say, a trip to the toy store, but it may have more lasting meaning. Take your child somewhere fun and educational, whether it be the zoo, the aquarium, a local museum, or a nature center. Notice the exhibits your child gravitates to, then sneak off to the gift shop (or make a second trip, if need be) and pick up something that reflects your child’s interest. For instance, if your child couldn’t peel herself away from the sharks at the aquarium, see if the gift shop has a book on sharks. You get the idea. Then, when your child unwraps the gift, memories of the trip will come flooding back and, depending on the gift, she may be able to learn something more about the object that initially grabbed her attention.
• Go the old-fashioned route. Remember board games? They still exist, on the shelves of stores and, for the fortunate, on the shelves of family rooms. Regardless of the age, reading level, and intellectual ability of the child, there’s a game for everyone (Candy Land players need to be just 3 years old). Board games teach cooperation and patience; they hone listening skills and lots more. Consider Scrabble, a game that tests players’ word-building ability. Or Monopoly, in which players manage ‘money’ in the hopes of seeing it multiply. These and other games draw on children’s language, math, and general analytical skills. The more they play, the sharper their skills become.
• Capitalize on your child’s talents and interests—not yours. It’s not unusual to hope your children will follow your own passions. In fact, it’s quite normal. But it’s another thing to ‘force’ them on your child, regardless of his or her interest level. So before you buy your child that brand-new, all-leather baseball glove this holiday season, ask yourself who you’re really thinking of—you, or your child. Giving him something you find precious, but he thinks is a bore, will do nothing to spark a passion. Choosing something you think will truly excite your child, even if it’s something you know or care little about, will be much better appreciated.

The most important thing to remember this gift-giving season? “The gift of your presence is more important to your child than simply giving an expensive gift,” says Richard Bavaria, vice president of Education at Sylvan Learning Center. So this holiday season, as your child opens gifts that you’ve carefully chosen, share in his or her delight as they’re unwrapped, and take the time to sit down and see how they work, and what about them your child finds fascinating.