Christmas is just around the corner, which means lots of last minute shopping for gifts. Often when buying for your children it’s easy to just opt for whatever might be on their list for Santa. Here at Tutor Doctor we know how important it is that some gifts encourage learning-in fact we bet our 5 Christmas present ideas will provide hours more fun and enjoyment for your child than the latest toy.
Arts and Crafts supplies
Art and craft supplies are the perfect gift for any child. Not only will it encourage them to embrace their creative side, it will also be a fantastic activity they can get involved in during their spare time and weekends. For a real treat why not create a little hamper with everything they might need? This could include colouring pens, pencils, card, felt, paints, lolly pop sticks, paper scissors, pom poms, pipe cleaners and googly eyes. Anything arty really! We guarantee as soon as they open it they’ll be super excited to start work on their latest craft project!
Books
Books are a fantastic Christmas gift for any child, no matter their age! Not only do books allow children to explore worlds and emotions they otherwise wouldn’t, it’s also an excellent way to encourage reading, grammar and spelling practice. If your child is a pre-reader then wordless books will be best- we love Pancakes for Breakfast and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. For older kids in primary and secondary school make sure you check out our recommended reading lists on our blog:
- Four Must read books for teens
- Summer reading for Primary School Children
- Brilliant Summer reads for teens (Secondary school)
Games and Puzzles
Games and puzzles are great activities for when kids have to be indoors especially over the winter period– so make the perfect Christmas gift! Working on puzzles can in fact really help your child’s brain development and problem solving skills. We love The Everything Kids: Puzzle Book– it has word games, maths puzzles and more!
Board games are also an excellent learning tool and often encourage lots of maths practice- especially games such as Monopoly and Payday. Memory games are also ideal for younger children and assist with developing their cognitive skills. We recommend finding family friendly games that can be played altogether or have appealing colourful designs that will catch your child’s eye. Our favourites are Articulate for kids and Trivial Pursuit for Kids.
Classes
Whether it’s music, dance, horse riding, swimming, athletics, water sports or drawing, classes are a fantastic way to encourage children in their interests. Giving your child an opportunity to enhance their skills with doing something they love or want to learn is a thoughtful and beneficial gift. Just make sure you book the classes in advance so there’s no excuses!
Magazine Subscriptions
All kids enjoy getting post- especially when it’s something fun! Why not make a note of what magazine your child is interested in and order a subscription for them? It will improve literacy and reading skills as well as let them pursue their interests. It’s the perfect educational Christmas gift idea and your child won’t even realise they’re learning because their having too much fun!
