Gift IQ: Educational Gift Ideas
A few weeks ago, we published VancouverMom.ca’s 2010 Holiday Guide. We listed 30 different gift ideas. With just a week and a half left until Christmas, we’ll be releasing a few more recommendations for your Christmas gift list. Here are a few toy ideas to help the kids on your list have fun and learn a thing or two.
ImagiPlay Block Animal Puzzles
A block set, puzzle and colour matching all in one. Toddlers will enjoy sorting the blocks into colours, stacking them and forming them into one forming them into one of the six animals. $15 Available at MyLittleGreenShop.com.
Treasure on Notch Hill
Is your child almost but not quite reading? Help them get to the next step by playing the Treasure on Notch Hill board game. Developed by a Vancouver mother-and-daughter team, your child will master 22 of the most common sight words (like “it”, “the” and “and) that connect parts of phrases and sentences together. $50. Available at Notch Hill.
Seedling Make Your Own Erupting Volcano
Recommended for kids ages 5 to 10, the Inspire Imports Make your Own Erupting Volcano has everything you need, including paper maché, coloured vinegar and baking soda to make this classic science project. $50. See Inspire Imports for retailers.
Uncle Goose ABC Blocks
A childhood classic, ABC blocks not only help with letters, numbers and colours, but they also appeal to a young child’s obsession to sort and stack. Great for counting too. Get a big set like this beautiful 28-piece one from Uncle Goose. With patterns from the last turn of the century, the set has two alphabets in total. $50. Available at Dilly Dally.
Sevi Memory Game
Older toddlers and preschoolers love memory games. With its five templates, the Sevi Memory Game never gets old. Made of hardwood and non-toxic dyes, this toy will get passed from child to child. $55. Available at Raspberry Kids.
Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types
Not your ordinary alphabet book, the Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types in this book are created out of multiple typefaces – like an alligator made of aaa’s to a zebra made of zzz’s. Beautiful and engaging graphics, both you and your child will be enjoy lifting the flaps to show the animal for each alphabet. $24. Available at Indigo.
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